Warrior Priest of Dmon-Li - Brian Pratt [36]
“Now I know for sure,” he explains.
He stands there, staring up at the crystal as he considers his next course of action. Then from the corner of his eye, he catches a glimpse of a ripple out near the center of the pool. Turning to Miko he glares at him and says, “Stop throwing rocks in the pool.”
“I didn’t,” denies Miko.
Looking to Jiron, he sees him shaking his head. “Then what…?”
They all turn and look out to the pool. Four separate rippling formations can be seen in the water. “James,” says Miko with fear in his voice, “what’s going on?”
Staring out at the ripples, he replies, “I don’t know.” He gestures for everyone to begin backing toward the stairs as the ripples begin moving in their direction.
“James?” asks Jiron.
“I don’t know!” he replies vehemently, never once removing his eyes from the pool.
They pause a moment at the base of the stairs as they continue watching the ripples approaching the edge of the pool. When the ripples are a mere three feet away from the shore, something begins to emerge from the water.
In growing horror, James watches as a headless torso makes its way out of the water and begins shambling toward them. “Run!” he yells as he turns and shoves them, propelling them up the stairs.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, he pauses as he looks back down and sees the torso, along with others, reach the base of the stairs. Without pause, the lead torso steps onto the bottom step and begins climbing up after them.
“Up to the surface!” he yells as they turn as one and break into a mad dash for the next set of stairs.
They race up them to the upper level and then run down the corridors to the winding stairs which lead to the courtyard above.
Jiron is the first one to reach the stairs and takes them two at a time, Miko follows close behind. James reaches the stairs and begins to follow them up when Jiron stops suddenly and crouches down near the top. As Miko nears him, he grabs him and pulls him down as well.
“What’s wrong?” James asks as he comes up behind them.
Jiron motions for him to move up and join him at the top of the stairs.
He moves past a shaken Miko and settles down next to Jiron. Outside is dark, night had fallen while they were down below.
“Over there,” Jiron says as he points off to the right.
Looking in the indicated direction, James sees a ghostly apparition moving among the ruins. And then he sees another one. Scanning the entire courtyard he sees a dozen or more ghostly apparitions moving about, both men and women.
“What do we do now?” he asks.
Suddenly from behind them, Miko screams, “James!” as he shoves his way between them.
Looking at the bottom of the stairs, James sees one of the headless torsos from the pool. It steps upon the bottom step as it reaches for Miko.
James lets loose with a blast of power which knocks it back but fails to stop it. Blasting it again, he motions for the others to follow him back down. “If there’s only the initial four we saw coming out of the pool, we’ll have a better chance with them, than out there,” he tells them.
Jiron stands up as his knives appear in his hands. He moves down to meet the headless torso where it’s returning to the bottom of the stairs. Fear and revulsion war within him as he strikes out at it.
His knife strikes it, cleaving a long, deep wound across its chest. To his horror, he watches as the wound rapidly closes itself back up.
“They’re healing themselves,” he shouts back to James as he presses on with the attack.
Three more of the torsos come shuffling toward them from down the hallway. “Get back here!” James hollers to him.
Jiron back peddles as he hurries back toward the stairs, just as James lets loose with another bolt of energy which practically sizzles as it passes through the air.
When it strikes the torso, it’s blasted apart. Pieces fly back down the corridor covering a good six feet with torso chunks.
“Yeah!” hollers Miko.
The other three continue to lurch their way toward them. James is about ready to let loose with another of the bolts when he notices the pieces of the blasted torso begin