Unknown Story Chap. 12 part 2

*~*~*

Knall awoke with a sudden burst of light and the calling of his name. He bolted upward and heard his name being shouted again. The light weakened and he saw Derez with a sphere of light on the tip of his finger.

“Knall, we’re leaving.” Knall nodded and quickly jumped out of bed. He began to go and gather his things and Derez said, “No, now. I’ll explain on our way out.” Knall looked at him confused and reluctantly let his belongings go but followed him out of the room.

“They know we know about they’re plan. I attempted to question Myvel but he immediately contacted Rezlel. The both of them together might be able to defeat me.”

“Where are we going?”

“I don’t know yet. But the first thing we have to do is leave the tower.” Derez lead Knall into the hallway and into almost pure darkness. The glassless windows lining the hallway let the stars shine light on the reflective, spotless floor.

Knall’s head spun from the daze of being peacefully asleep to running down a hallway in the middle of the night.

“I don’t know what they’ll do to keep us in but I think they need both of us together. If you see either one, run while I try and hold them back. You are a powerful magician but still only the student.”

The two eventually came to a door and Derez placed his open palm on the wall next to it. It opened and they stepping inside. The door closed behind them and the room began to shake.

“We’re heading for the ground floor. Our best chance is to take a boat out on the river. We have a small dock in the basements of the tower.” Knall nodded in reply, not wanting to speak in fear of breaking Derez’s concentration.

The room suddenly stopped throwing Knall on his face. Derez seemed completely unfazed and pointed his finger at the ceiling of the room. He traced a large box and he said, “Step back.”

As Knall moved out of the way the square he had outlined made a hole in the ceiling that dropped to the ground. He immediately jumped through the hole and Knall attempted to follow.

Tucking his wings as close to his body as he could, Knall followed Derez onto the roof of the moving room. Derez quickly traced another hole in the wall in front of him and it too fell out of place.

The room they were standing on began to shake and Derez quickly shouted “Come on!” Derez climbed through the hole and Knall jumped as the room fell away. Having his forearms and chest through the hole, Knall craned his neck around to see the room.

There was an endless pit falling straight down with no apparent end. Knall sucked in and pulled himself completely through the hole. He stood just in time to see Derez walking quickly down the hallway.

Knall ran to catch up and eventually met Derez. “Dang! Now we’ll have to take the stairs. I believe Rezlel was so kind as to help you master you’re wings?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You will be able to follow then.”

“Not in this narrow hallway.”

“No, no. Down the stairs.” Derez burst through another door and quickly began to run down some steps. Knall followed Derez through another door.

As they entered the room Knall immediately saw Derez jump off a set of magnificent marble stairs. Knall ran up and looked off the edge.

Beneath stretched an endless pit of spiraling staircase with doors at every few steps. Derez had jumped down the middle and Knall slowly followed. Once he was in the air it wasn’t as frightening.

He fell freely, his wings tucked into his sides to increase his speed. He very quickly caught up with Derez as he shouted across at Knall. “Stop now!” Knall opened his wings wide and he instantly slowed almost to a stop.

He carefully drifted in the darkness as Derez lit another orb of light and threw it downward. It hit the ground only twenty feet from the two and they landed. When Knall touched the ground he felt strangely scared again. Like the fall had strengthened him for the rest of the escape.

Derez instantly went towards the only door on the ground floor and burst through it. Knall quickly followed and caught back up with him. It was not the front door where he first met Derez like he expected but only another hallway. They were much closer to the ground floor and the two quickly walked across the smooth polished floor that reflected the light of the moon.

As they rounded a curved corner a dark figure stood in the darkness. Derez stopped and held Knall back. Rezlel stepped out of the shadows to be basked in soft moonlight.

He was smiling and wearing his black jacket, shirt, pants and boots. There seemed to be a feeling of confidence streaming off him. “Rezlel, get out of our way now or I’ll make you.”

“Ho, ho. Bold words for someone in your position. Especially someone in your position. If you step down now I won’t be forced to hurt you.”

“We’ve been together to long for this to stand between us.” Derez replied.

“You could join us. We need your power on our side.”

“We?”

“He is more powerful than even The Four. Even more powerful than Her.” Silence followed these words and Derez muttered something in reply. Knall couldn’t understand it but Rezlel looked shocked afterwards.

“If that’s the way its going to be, I’m sorry it had to come to this.” Rezlel clenched his fists and a blue flame erupted in both hands.

Golden flames burst in Derez’s hands and the two began slowly walking towards each other. “Run!” Derez shouted back at Knall.

“No!”

“Go, now!” Rezlel ran towards Derez, open palmed, the flames leaping out of his hands towards Derez. Derez simply waved them away and the evaporated, creating boiling steam.

Rezlel began to laugh as the steam turned into a thick fog. Derez fearlessly stepped into it. Knall stepped back, unsure of what to do. There were flashes of light from within the fog. A spell rang through the air, feeling as though it was laced with power and command. The fog cleared in a second and the two were firing beams of light at each other.

Derez dove one way to avoid a silver beam cast by Rezlel and fired an orb of red towards him. While Rezlel cast a field of protection to block the orb Derez ran for the glassless window.

“Jump!” Knall ran after him. Derez and Knall fell off the edge, falling from around the middle of the tower. Luckily there were no spires on this tower as there were from the last tower Knall had visited.

His legs pointing towards the sky, Derez turned around, facing the now falling Rezlel. Rezlel fired a massive shimmering yellow light in the shape of a hand towards Knall.

Before it reached him Derez sent a beam of white light at the wrist, causing it to fade just as it began to curl its fingers around Knall. Knall turned around as well, seeing Derez fire another beam at Rezlel.

He bat this one away. Infuriated, Knall screamed, “!” The clouds above the tower gathered and a single bolt of lightning struck from in the clouds. It rushed down, striking Rezlel in the back.

As Rezlel was still in shock Derez shot a golden beam at him. It wrapped around his neck and spreading all around his body. “Derez!” Knall shouted, catching his attention.

Knall spread his wings open and caught the rush of wind which slowed him down to a stop just before hitting the ground. Derez landed with a powerful gust of wind shooting out of the place where he landed.

Derez shot a silver hand at the falling Rezlel and caught him. Setting him down on the ground he walked up to him. Derez drew his black sword and let the tip rest on Rezlel’s neck.

“Next time, I will kill you.” Derez began running left around the tower and Knall followed quickly. A shimmering river drew closer as they ran around the tower. They eventually came to where the river met the tower.

There was a metal gate but with several square holes in it so water could run through but nothing else. Derez ran up to the edge and muttered a spell. The gate began to be pulled upward but suddenly stopped. It rushed back down and splashed into the water.

Derez swore under his breath and said, “Stand back.” Derez rested his hand on the gate and closed his eyes. The gate slowly began to turn into a soft substance and eventually steam began to roll off it.

The gate melted and dropped into the cold river. A curtain of boiling steam rose from the river and blocked their path. Derez waved his hand and the steam parted for him to pass through.

Knall followed him into a large dark room made of stone. There were many doorways and many steps. There were several boats tied down to the stone floor. Derez quickly ran up to a fair sized one with a single mast.

Golden paint on the side named the boat as, Runner. Derez threw his pack in and jumped after it. Knall jumped in as well, the boat rocking with the impact. Derez quickly found the wheel and rested his hand on it, whispering something.

The boat began to lurch forward, creeping through the open gate. As soon as they were out of the tower the river immediately widened and the boat began to pick up speed. The sail rose by itself and the wind seemed to find it and carry it along. Knall looked back and said, “How-“

“Runner is unlike other mere boats. It has a strong magical connection with the wind and waters. If Rezlel attempts to catch us by waters, he will fail.”

“Why didn’t you kill him?” Derez hung his head and never answered, leaving just the sounds of the waves splashing against the boats hull. Knall sat down and lay back staring at the stars and the moon. He closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.