Monday, February 2, 2015

The Journal of Katherine, Entry 60

Ohm Uri dashes past me and up the gentle slope of the passageway.  Brute and Kull continue to battle the monstrosity.  Cass and I move out of reach of it and find Trevor.  We survey the scene, which does not seem real.  Unconscious children lay all over the passageway.  Before we can think on what we should do, Ohm Uri starts pushing a wagon to roll towards us.  Is he mad, or has he an idea?  He must intend to guide the wagon into the monster.  But, he is waiting, he is holding the wagon back.  The children are in the way!  I help Cass and Trevor move the children to a safe place. 

Without thinking, I close my eyes, and the forbidden power is there, ready and waiting.  I mentally reach for it, and mold it with my hands.  I shape it into a force flying but motionless, above the ground.  We lay them on it, as many as we can.  Then I move them to wide spot of the passageway. 

Mindlessly, I continue to move all of the children out of the wagon's path.  We signal it is clear.  Ohm Uri is awkwardly trying to hold the wagon and get a torch from the wall.  If he stumbles, the wagon will roll over him.  I motion for him to come, and yell to him that I can set the wagon on fire.  Then in an unbelievable display of agility, Ohm Uri jumps into the wagon, steering it as it gains speed.  He bumps into the wall on the far side, sending sparks into the air.  He wants to keep it from steering into the children.  He passes us and jumps.

The sorcery energy waits impatiently for me, a second time, and jumps at me when I think about it.  In an uncontrolled push, I thrust it to the wagon.  With a will full of rage, I think of the people that died to feed this creature's appetite, I think of the children possessed by it, I think how can the Kalif be so diabolical to harbor a creature like this.  The raw power, in seconds, tears into the wagon, breaking splinters off, making it an uncontrolled rolling mass of wood, metal and liquid fire.  It leaves a burning trail as it smashes into the creature, creating a huge fireball, and sending it back to the depths of its home.  I had forgot that Brute and Kull were still fighting the monster.  We run into the room, and find them safely behind the gong.

We take the children up the pathway to a second wagon, and we carefully place each child in it.  Trevor waves his hands in strange gestures, says words that I don't understand, and strangely cannot remember.  Then, all of us, including the children and the wagon disappear.  Ohm Uri makes a timely diversion, which confuse the guards and they open the gate in confusion.  This is our queue.  We steer the wagon right past the guards.  Ohm Uri gets up, running in the opposite direction from where we are going.

When we return to my orphanage, and I have my two acolytes get my other students from the temple.  I am exhausted.  We unload the children, putting them safely under blankets to keep them warm.  Kull makes swift work of turning the wagon into firewood to keep the chill away.  Brute checks on Veronica.  When my students return, they take control of the children, and of the saved prisoners.  Time will help them heal.

I retire to a corner of the room and record the events.  Upon reading my journal, I sob, dripping tears on the parchment.  Twice, I broke my vow not to use It.  The first time, was to help.  The second, was to destroy.  My anger used the power in rage.  What fate is for me at my temple, when I tell them?

No comments:

Post a Comment