Page 86 of Celestial Bodies

Anjular shook her head and said, “There are no other exits. Everyone enters and exits through the main area at the front of the prison.”

Souzie closed her eyes and spoke through clenched teeth. “We can’t be trapped here. There’s got to be a way out.”

Dacias stepped forward. “There is. We fight.”

“There must be hundreds of guardians,” Julen remarked.

“Yes, and none of them are as powerful as you,” Dacias replied.

Iacuora slithered forward, her wings flapping and her chest puffed with pride. “We’re here as well. Anjular is one of the most powerful faes I’ve ever known, and the four of us,” she motioned toward the other creatures, “are vicious when we need to be.”

The creatures grumbled behind her. The Multarmirus pounded several fists on outstretched hands, signaling its readiness to fight. Julen might have chuckled at its enthusiasm if the situation weren’t so dire.

Souzie spoke up. “We need these guardians dead—all of them. It’s the only way we’ll free the prisoners and move Morab’s council to Caligon. We’re not leaving anyone here to rot.”

Iacuora smiled. “Now, this human I like.”

Julen thought about his new powers: the tendrils of purple mist that he released, the lightning that cracked about the laboratory. Combined with Anjular’s abilities, the creatures’ strength, and his friends’ skill, he was confident they could win.

Julen looked about the ragtag group and felt a sense of pride warm his soul. They were fierce and mighty and ready to fight. “We can do this. Let’s destroy this wretched prison once and for all.”

42

Chapter 41

Dacias

Dacias bent forward, landing on all fours as he shifted into lion form. That dreadful smell of decay intensified with his heightened senses, and he snarled in disapproval. If he’d been angry before, the smell of pain and death that lingered in this place made his blood boil with rage. Between the odor and the continuous moaning of the prisoners, he couldn’t wait to unleash the retribution these guardians so dearly deserved.

He started to pace as his fury took over. Klorin’s cougar appeared beside him and nuzzled into Dacias’s mane, a signal to calm down and focus on the task.

Killing as many of these fuckers as possible.

Julen and Souzie stood side by side as the monsters received orders from Iacuora, who, naturally, took it upon herself to be the commander of the Caligonean squadron.

Anjular moved to the front of the group. “This crypt lies at the base of the prison.” She dragged her foot along the dusty floor, making a circle. The group moved closer, and she pointed to a spot on the circle nearest her. “Here’s the prison entrance. The yard is directly in front of it, and that is where the bulk of the guardians are waiting to attack.” She then pointed her foot to the opposite side of the circle, closest to the group. “This is wherewe are.” She moved her foot just outside the circle to the left. “And this is where the passage leading to the mine is located. You might have noticed the opening of the mine in the prison yard when you entered.”

Anjular continued. “This crypt is flush against that tunnel. I sense that the mine and the connecting passage are currently empty. The guardians are ready for battle.”

She walked to the wall of the crypt just out of reach of the last cell and pressed her hand against it. “The wall is thick, but the passage descending to the mine lies just beyond it. I’ll use my power to create an opening. We’ll exit and ascend toward the tunnel’s entrance, which opens out into the yard. They won’t expect us to exit that way, so we’ll have the element of surprise.

“Iacuora will lead the Caligoneans first. Souzie will come close behind, erecting a wind barrier for protection. Klorin and Dacias will follow and race to the area opposite the entrance. This will distract the guardians while Julen and I emerge and use our enhanced powers for the final assault. Carnufor is out there, and we all know he’s developed chemistries that can severely weaken us. We must do everything we can to avoid him.”

“Our goal is to liberate the prison, but we mustn’t lose sight of the fact that there is very real danger out there. Despite the strength of our collective forces, we are drastically outnumbered. Good luck.”

Dacias growled and whipped his mane in approval. The others made various sounds of affirmation and braced themselves for the attack. Anjular signaled for the group to step back before turning to the wall and pressing her hands against it. A glowing silver light released from her palms, creating an outline of a large arc on the stone. The section within the arc disintegrated, dust and debris spewing from the area, allowing her to walk forward and create an exit to the passage. The group followed, and eventually crossed the threshold into the tunnel connecting the mine to the prison yard.

They silently ascended, the sounds of guardians bellowing orders and clanking weapons growing louder, until they reached the summit, remaining hidden behind mining equipment.

Anjular turned to Iacuora, who responded with a nod. Iacuora released a hiss and slithered into the yard with a speed that caused Dacias’s lion to recoilin shock. The creatures followed. The piercing cries of guardians witnessing an invasion of gigantic creatures ripped through the yard, followed by the whistling of wind projectiles.

Let the brawl commence.

Souzie ran out next, and Anjular turned toward Julen. “Ready?” He nodded. She looked at Klorin and Dacias, who knew what to do.

Dacias charged into the chaos, with Klorin close by his side. The Multarmirus already had a guardian by the throat in each of its ten hands, choking the life out of them. Souzie conjured a wind barrier to protect Iacuora just before she took to the sky. Iacuora flew over the barrier and stretched her tail to a length extending from one end of the prison yard to another. Wind pellets sailed toward her, but she swatted them away, the metal-like scales on her arm protecting her from injury, before lifting her tail and cracking it like a whip. It looped into a lasso, and she wrapped it around a group of guardians and squeezed them like a python. Their bones cracked under the force of her hold, and their faces turned deep red as she crushed their bodies.

Guardians stood atop the wall surrounding the perimeter of the yard. Those who could wield wind as projectiles shot at the creatures, while others created barriers or fired physical arrows.

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