Shades of the Past_ Book Six of the Morcyth Saga - Brian S. Pratt [125]
“I can’t hold it much longer,” he shouts back to Jiron. Sweat running down his face, he holds the barrier despite the dots dancing in front of his eyes.
“Got it!” Jiron yells as the door swings open.
“Come on!” hollers Jared as he and Jiron race into the room.
Backing up quickly, James makes it to the open doorway. Just as he begins to pass through, a man from further down the hall yells, “Not in there!” Ignoring the man, he releases the creature and then bolts inside.
Jiron slams the door shut and throws the bar across the door to hold it secure. They are plunged into complete darkness when the door shuts. Suddenly, James’ orb springs to life revealing a room containing dozens of barrels stacked across the floor and against the walls. Along every wall are shelves lines with neat stacks of tubes.
“What is this?” asks Jared. “A storeroom?”
“But why would they need such a secure storeroom?” comments Jiron. “This place looks like it’s more suited for a treasure room than somewhere you store your goods.”
Then suddenly there’s pounding on the door as the creature tries to gain entry. “That’s not going to last very long,” James tells the others.
“So what are we going to do?” Jiron asks. Aside from the door through which they entered, there’s no other way out.
James thinks hard to come up with a solution. Then his gaze settles on the tubes. Roughly four inches in diameter and anywhere from a foot to three feet long, they look oddly familiar. Then a memory comes to him.
“Jiron,” he says, a slightly nervous edge to his voice. “Do you remember that time back in Trendle when Miko thought that woman and her guards were assassins?”
“Yeah,” he says. “We still kid him about…” He comes to a stop when he realizes what James is talking about. Those tubes on the shelves look an awful lot like the ones the woman had carried with her. “Do you mean…?”
“Yes I do,” he replies. He suddenly feels like Yosemite Sam in an old Buggs Bunny cartoon when he tunnels into a dark room full of dynamite and lights a match to see by. Pointing to one of the barrels, he says to Jiron, “Smash that open.”
Taking out his knife, he smashes into the lid with the pommel. Breaking open the top, he knocks it to the ground and black powder spills out.
“Oh my god,” breathes James as he looks around at the kegs and kegs of black powder surrounding them. Then the door begins to smolder and smoke as the heat from the creature begins to set the wood of the door on fire.
“Quick!” yells James. “Jared!” he then points to the corner of the room furthest from the door. “Move those barrels out and clear us a space.”
“Right,” he says and hurries to carryout the order.
“Jiron!” he yells getting his attention. “Start smashing open containers, as many as you can.” With that James begins lifting the smaller kegs and smashing them on the ground.
Keg after keg they smash on the ground until a dozen keg’s worth of black powder is scattered across the floor. Smoke is beginning to fill the room from the door as the smoldering increases.
“That’s enough!” he yells to Jiron. “Now, everyone in the corner.” As he races to the corner, James removes one of the two remaining crystals and holds it in his hand. When all three are in position, he has them sit on the floor. He uses the power of the crystal to create a shield around them. Stronger than any shield he’s ever used before, he’s not really sure if it will be enough.
“Close your eyes,” he says with a final glance toward the door. No sooner than he shut his eyes than the door flies open and the creature enters the room.
Ka-Boom!!!
Blinding white light sears through their closed eyelids as the fire from the creature ignites the black powder. The ground beneath them rocks violently from the explosion and even within the barrier they are tossed around.
James channels more power to the shield as the force of the blast almost rips it to shreds. He has a fleeting