novelraw Chapter 550: Chase
Chapter 550: Chase
"Welcome back Jace." Anna told him as she led him through the doors of the Basilisk Mansion. "So how did it go?"
"The rebellion started. They are simpler than I thought and I will need to leave in a few days." Jace declared abruptly as he moved towards the room he had been staying in.
"Ah... here I was hoping I would get a bit more time with my latest toy." Anna groaned out in annoyance.
Jace chuckled as he stepped on the first step as he frowned. He could feel rumbling. A moment later the entire room shook. The chandelier above them swayed and dinged as the glass and crystal pieces smashed against metal.
"Anna, how often does Submundo or even the southern islands get earthquakes?" Jace asked as he could feel the shaking halt for a moment before it intensified.
"Never." Anna answered as she ran back down the stairs and out the front door of the mansion. Jace followed her out and looked around. The lights that reached up to the ceiling and made daylight in the underground city were flickering on and off as bits of dust and dirt fell from the ceiling.
Jace spotted a large bolder fall from part of the roof and could hear the screams. "Yeah, this is definitely unusual." He declared as he materialized his armor around his body. Anna standing next to him flinched when he did.
"Where did that armor come from?" Anna asked, stunned. But Jace ignored her question.
But he focused more on a portion of the city’s roof. His helmet was picking up a faint signal getting closer. "Oh dear... it appears something is digging its way into the city." Jace informed them as he watched bits of rock and debris shake off the roof where he was watching.
Then there was an explosion of rock as a black drill protrusion broke through the city wall. The drill slowly changed shape as it turned into three tendrils that opened up. The shaking had stopped but now there was a noticeable hole where something was staying in the dome roof.
Jace used his visor to enhance until he could see it like he was only a few feet away. Then he watched as several figures with some slick black armor and orange hidden in between the plates slowly moved to the edge of the opening. All three of them looked around before one of them suddenly pointed in Jace’s direction.
"Oh..." Jace hummed and then dodged his head to the side as something orange barely missed his head and slammed into the door behind him. Both him and Anna turned and looked at the orange spike that embedded itself halfway through the thick, reinforced door. "It seems they are after me."
"Yeah... I figured. I think you should head out now." Anna told him as she pulled out her own communication device. "I also think I need to evacuate the city. Once that thing moves, water is going to flood and fill this place up."
Jace frowned and looked back at the hole and spotted what she was talking about. He was so distracted by the occupants of the vehicle, who had since disappeared, that he failed to notice the water slowly pouring in from the edge of the vehicle, whatever it was. "I agree, but I am going to be taking the Northern exit. That is also where I am leaving the islands from. Make sure they use the other exits since it is likely they will follow me."
Jace informed her as he rushed down the stairs and then jogged to the stables that were next to the building. As he opened the door he stopped and pushed Anna to the side. Forcing her out of the way as three more orange spikes came out of nowhere, slamming into the wall where her head was. Another barely missed Jace’s head again. The third hit his midsection, triggering and breaking his shielding as it bounced off.
"See you later!" Anna quickly stated as she ran away. Jace waved and kept his eyes on the three enemies in front of him. All three were slowly moving to surround him in a semicircle.
"Keep everyone away." Jace called out as he went to materialize his revolver in his hand.
One of the things jumped forward and stabbed at him with a knife. But Jace just kicked the creature back and went to aim his weapon but stopped and looked at his empty hand. Realizing that his revolver never materialized. He looked at the creatures and could hear a skittering that sounded like laughter.
"Ha. You are blocking my storage ability. That is... a problem." Jace mumbled but glanced around the stable and spotted a few things he could use as weapons. "I suppose I will have to improvise." He slowly backed up before slamming the door closed. "Colonel, time to go!" Jace called out as he pulled a chain off a hook before jumping on Colonel’s back who was running past him toward the closed door.
The door flew open as the creatures came in but the Colonel was jumping over them. Jace had to duck slightly so his head did not hit the roof of the entrance. As he did, he slipped the chain around one of their necks and yanked.
Colonel took off running with Jace on his back. Entering a chaotic street that went quiet as Jace rode past while dragging a creature by the neck that was starting to adjust itself. It went to pull out the crossbow-like contraption that it was using to shoot at Jace. But he just slapped the chain to the side which pulled the creature to the side and into the way of another orange spike that hit it in the back and made it scream in pain.
He could see the other two who were running along the rooftops on either side of him, flinch in response. Clearly they are sentient, but at least they are not ruthless. But either way, he was not going to surrender to them. Especially when he doubted they were locals either.
Jace directed Colonel through another backroad as he pulled on the chain and then flicked it upwards as he sent a jolt of electricity through it. As the creature that he was dragging was released it flew through the air, screaming as electricity surged through its body.
Jace turned and ducked as the Colonel started riding through a small walkway. Pushing people to the side or trampling them as the creatures pursued them. Several orange spikes punched through the sides of the walkway. Barely missing them and hitting the civilians around them.
Colonel leaped out through the other side of the walkway as the ramp towards the Northern exit was already coming into view. "Come on Colonel! We are almost there!" Jace called out and Colonel neighed in response.
As they moved onto a main street it became more open. Which was good for movement but it also left them exposed. Jace flicked the chain back and swayed it with his hand to make it spin. Stopping and deflecting several more spikes but. After he did one of the chain links broke, cutting the chain to a third of what it was.
Jace cursed under his breath as he spotted the injured one from an earlier jump from what was supposed to be his blindspot. But Jace just slammed the chain to the side and into the creature. Sending it flying as he looked for something he could use.
Spotting a food stand he directed Colonel over, who pushed people out of the way. As he ran past it, Jace grabbed and broke off a portion. He then spun around on the horse and threw the piece of wood like it was a spear. It slammed into one of the creatures chest, sending them flying backwards with a noise that sounded like something between a squeak and a screech.
Jace then turned toward the last creature who got close enough to jump towards him. It would seem they ran out of whatever ammunition they had for those crossbow-like weapons since no more orange spikes were being fired. It tried to tackle him off Colonel, but suddenly Colonel stopped and a pair of hoofs sent the creature flying off the side of the ramp.
Colonel took off again, neighing in what Jace could only figure was excitement. "Good job!" Jace chuckled as he patted the horse’s neck. "Now come on, I doubt they will give up the chase that easily. We need to get out of the city as quickly as possible."
The guards at the entrance went to stop him but Jace materialized his revolver, which he could do now that those things were no longer close. He fired at the guards feet. "Close this entrance after I go through. Contact the Basilisks for more information." He told them as he rode past after the majority of them dived for cover. The only one that did not focus more on his words and seemed to be pulling out a communicator. But he needed to focus more on his current objective as he dematerialized his revolver.