Wolf of the Tesseract

Chapter 19

Claire, Zabe, and Bithia fled through the fragmented cavity that opened above them. They scrambled up the debris mound and leapt to the higher floor before Nitthogr or any of his forces could react to Claire's quick thinking.

Sprinting through the complex, they rounded a corner and climbed a large, curving stairwell leading into one of the many spires. They moved into the primary citadel, a towering maze of rooms that boasted fortified minarets on all four sides.

Evading enemy sounds ahead, the three ducked into an empty room. They tiptoed through and exited on the other side, escaping through the adjacent hall where they ascended another stair.

Foraging ahead, they heard alarms blaring from outside the massive, central turret.

"Every vyrm in the castle is looking for us," Zabe insisted on more speed.

"It's just ahead and up the next stairs on the right," Bithia said.

They hurried ahead and skidded to a halt in the middle of the corridor's intersection. They nearly collided with the vyrm General Regorik who led a dozen of his best soldiers. Both parties paused, eyes wide in surprise.

Making a snap judgment, Bithia yanked Zabe's blaster pistol from his right thigh and a large combat knife from his left. She shoved Zabe down the passage on the right and fled back the way they'd come, screaming, "Get out of here!"

Regorik did a double-take. The moment demanded immediate action and he recognized Bithia as the true princess. He ignored Zabe and Claire as they stumbled towards the stairway. "After her," he howled, whirling around the corner, needing every spare second to catch up to the escaped princess.

Zabe halted before he could climb the first step. "No! I have to rescue her!" He turned to give pursuit.

Claire grabbed him by the hand. She knew Bithia's heart and intentions better than he did. "She has a plan. She ordered you to flee—don't let everyone's sacrifice be for naught! Especially hers!"

He looked at her with deep, wet eyes. "No! She can't?" He saw those same strengths Bithia possessed in Claire, and yet she was not her.

Claire embraced him deeply, quickly, and then pulled him towards the escape.

"But the question? She finally had an answer..."

Claire began ascending the steps. Zabe paused a moment longer and then followed, hoping that Bithia had a better plan than the one he suspected.

. . .

Bithia hesitated at a corner, deciding on right or left. She darted right and could hear Regorik's troops hot on her tail. She scrambled around another turn and then slipped into a room, trying to cut across to slip out the other side, just as they had done before. Maybe I can double back on them and still get to the mirrors? Just before she reached the door, it burst open with the group of vyrm soldiers they'd slipped away from earlier.

She skidded to a quick stop and then sprinted back the way she'd come. Her breath came in ragged gasps and sweat poured down her brow.

"Freeze!" the vyrm shouted behind her.

Darting for the door, her exit suddenly filled with Regorik's massive frame. She turned and retreated into the center of the room.

Regorik and his forces poured in and encircled her. The other vyrm trackers did likewise.

Bithia spun a slow circle with a knife in her right fist; the blaster in her left hand chirped. She searched desperately for an opening.

"You will not have me," she spat. She glared daggers at the enemies from her puffy, bruised eyebrows. She ignored the stinging pain from her matted, sweaty hair as it brushed her wounded eyes.