The Universe Key

Chapter 4: The Universe Key

Brilan is jolted awake by a scream. He leaps out of his bed and goes to his sister's room. He opens the door and finds Clara still asleep. She was not the source of the scream upon further examination the scream was too far away to be her. The scream came from outside. He goes into his living room and looks out a window. The Ferean have returned to Villurb. It had been 116 days since their last attack. Adrenaline fills Brilans veins. He rushes back into his room and puts on enough clothes to make himself decent. He can't face the Ferean in his Pajamas after all.

He also grabs the saber he made at the forge that Ignis gave to him as a gift. He didn't think he would need to use it so soon. He rushes out the door and goes down town where six giant Ferean have gathered for their attack. Civilians run away in terror, if they make it to the fields they might be safe. The people of Villurb get a lot of practice evacuating so they are very good at it by now. All the innocent bystanders are able to get out of the town and let the Zaubators do their job.

Or in this case the Zaubators apprentice. Brilan runs in the opposite direction towards the danger. He realizes tonight might be the night he will die. He renders it an impossibility. He won't go to his grave until he makes a difference. In the direction of the danger he is greeted by Ignis who is already in the middle of carving up one of the spider monsters. His combustion blade creating flames that slice through the darkness. Ignis throws flames from his sword onto one of the Ferean as it screams. The fire sprays from his blade like water from a hose.

"YEAH TAKE IT!!!" Ignis yells to his victim as it burns. A second Ferean tries to attack Ignis while he's distracted. He stops spitting flames on this one and slashes at the one trying to attack him. He hits it in the face and a wave of flames comes out of the blade and singes the monster. He follows that attack up with charging toward the monster and stabs it in the thorax. The combustion blade plunges deep into the monster and it starts burning inside. Its guts are replaced with fire and it burns down from the inside. Finally the monster can't take anymore and it explodes in a cavalcade of guts and fire. Brilan shields his eyes from the explosion.

When it dies down a little bit Brilan looks at a giant pile of fire and waits for his teacher to come out. "Is he still alive?" Brilan thinks to himself. "Please be okay." Brilan prays his teacher is alright. But his prayer gets answered when Ignis walks out of the pile of fire looking cool and unaffected. For him it's just another day at work. Killing Ferean is his business and business is booming. Ignis walks out of the flames and up to his apprentice. "How many do we have left?" He says.

"Minus those two, we got four left." Brilan responds with vigor and alertness. "Well there's one behind you." Ignis calls out.

Brilan quickly turns around and sure enough about fifty yards away from him is a Ferean trying very hard to eat a stone building. "I got him!" Ignis cries out as he charges headlong at the beast. He sprays the monster with flames as soon as he is in range and the beast lets out a loud scream. He swings his sword all around and starts fighting it. Brilan can see another Ferean maybe three hundred yards away from him. Brilan starts running towards it. He has to weave around buildings, go down alleyways and go around street corners but he runs at the Ferean. He has his steel saber gripped tightly in his hand. He wants to kill that monster. Adrenaline pumps through his body. His heart beats at the speed of sound. The Ferean sees Brilan and starts to run at him.

Now the two of them are charging towards one another. Each of them has murderous intent in their souls. Only one of them will survive past tonight. As Brilan runs he holds his saber high above his head and just before he can bring the saber crashing down into the Fereans head Ignis swoops in and uses his combustion blade to slice the Fereans head clean off. The beasts' body comes to a dead stop and falls in the center of the street. His head rolls away. "Oh come on!" Brilan yells at Ignis as he comes to stop. "Sorry, I was in the zone!" Ignis responds.