COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 30: How to Tear a Dimensional Rip (Part 4/4)

—————

And now an ode to my favourite musical artist~

I'm racing a supercell to finish this update! 

Thunder cracking over my head is really setting the mood but damn do I need to get this done so please spare my wifi gods of thunder!

—————

          Káel felt Phantom relax in surprise, his own emotions mirroring the response as Mr. Rudas grinned at them both.

          "You'll not gamble his majesty's heir for the sake of calling a bluff," Ariabella cut in, stepping from the illusionary wall to clear a path for Phantom. "You are free to pass."

          "Try to leave and I shoot again." Mr. Rudas eyed Samanthra, trying to hide his rage that so many people were trying to heal the downed representative all at once. "Call a damned nurse, I need as many bodies as I can get to bring this demon down."

          Káel tried to swallow the sick lump that came with watching Mr. Rudas, going for a better distraction when he heard Puff warble at Phantom.

          "Don't, you'll get in trouble... Or seriously wounded," Phantom muttered.

          Káel tried to turn his head a little to see what his guardian was doing, but the only clues he could gather were on Mr. Rudas' dipping expression. Then he heard the ear piercing roar, Puff blasting by him full sized and scaled up with Zalius riding him bearback. The dragon skidded to a stop before trampling the group of council members, twisting to whip his tail out and send Mr. Rudas tumbling to his butt.

          Phantom took the distraction, pulling the dagger away from Káel's neck and hoisting him into his arms to run them both through the illusionary wall and up the flight of dingy stairs. Even from the distance Phantom had made, Mr. Rudas' cries to chase them were clear as day.

          They fled through the halls, Káel given the perfect view of Mr. Rudas and two white robed representatives trying to keep up while Zalius slammed every door he passed in their faces. He tried to hold back a laugh but couldn't. Even with Phantom having to carry him like a princess, there was no way they were catching up.

          As the hope of leaving Mr. Rudas hovered above them, the optimism was ripped to the ground as a barking call echoed through the halls, bouncing and fractured as a symhony of barking howls responded to the first call. A new spider had set its net on the chase, and Káel was positive these wouldn't be the molves he played with during physed.

          "The lobby!" Phantom called, exchanging a nod with Zalius as the spirit pulled ahead, laying down patches of blue flames that quickly consumed the floor behind him. While his gaze was drawn behind him, Zalius blindly charged ahead, colliding with a person that had casually strolled around a corner.

          Mr. Lightwood was barely thrown by the impact, looking left at Zalius who irritably rubbed his head, then right to Phantom and Káel as he offered his hand to help the spirit up. "Bathroom?"

          Everyone gave Mr. Lightwood their silent confusion. Samanthra and Mr. Mudelin had come in fully armoured robes, and he looked like he'd rolled right out of bed and dragged himself through the halls with his eyes closed.

          He shrugged off the silence, covering a quick yawn while the barking calls of the molves didn't even register on his face. "You know, Sammy called me in the middle of the night for some emergency. Can you believe I'm not even getting overtime? Fat load of use Tia's being, says another spirit took over all her controls." He raised his hand as Zalius tried to move around him, finally paying the barks a glance as one of the molves came skidding around a corner. "Unless you guys are the emergency?"