Naihabi Ridge

Chapter Thirteen - Struggle to Conquer

Avi

The moment of silence as the man left was shortlived, then the collectors resumed their previous hostility as they moved forward. They seemed much more intimidating than before, until I realized that it was probably through their walking patterns and positioning that they could pull off a look that easily doubled their actual numbers. For a moment, I had to linger in the relief, then I made eye contact with Master Romia, confirming our odds and the path of action we would assume.
    
Do or die time, Avi.
    
I ran forward next to Master Romia, then we split up as we came upon the frontmost collector. He attempted to hit me with the blunt of his weapon—and nearly got away with it—but I ducked in the last moment as it whirred past the top of my head.

Still feeling the wind from the blow in my hair, I stayed low and made for the back of the group. I unsheathed the dagger Master Romia lent me and started using it against the first collector that approached me. He ran forward and tried to use the dagger-like blade attached to the end of his gun to stab me, but I narrowly dodged and tried to slice at his hand, also missing and clanking off the metal on the gun uselessly.
    
"I thought you weren't supposed to injure me!" I shouted at him as I deflected another hit.
    
He smirked and I heard a shuffle behind me almost immediately before a harsh pain hit the top of my right shoulder with blunt force. I yelped, feeling the stress that had put on my collarbone, then swiveled around with my blade out, slicing the outstretched arm of my attacker: another collector with harsh features. His face twisted in pain and he dropped the metal bat he used to hit me with, and several more collectors took the opportunity to surround me, bringing their weapons up simultaneously to strike.

I dove forward into a roll, grabbing the bat from the ground, and I rammed through the knees of two of the collectors forming the barricade around me. The bat spiraled through the air as it left my hands and I hoped for the best that it would hit someone.
    
The swing was broken on the leg of one of the collectors who stumbled back, surprised, but he wasn't there for long. He along with several of the collectors that had formed the barricade turned and began their attacks, which were just as coordinated as their earlier arrangements.
    
Now panicked, I jumped to my feet and instinctively took the first battle stance that came to my mind, and I realized something.

In one of our lessons, Master Romia'd had several sacks of rice set in a pile next to her. I asked her what they were for, and she answered by throwing one at me. At twenty pounds apiece, the sacks became dangerous projectiles. The lesson continued both as target practice for Master Romia and practice for handling several attacks at once for me, and the stance I held was the one she taught that day. With a panicked, incredulous smirk, I picked up the bat.
    
The collectors didn't seem fazed and they spread out just as they came upon me, making it impossible to hit two at once.

I grunted as the one directly in front of me brought his sword up above his head in preparation to strike. In the moment his blade was above his head and both of his hands were occupied, I lunged forward and drove the bat into his stomach with all my strength.

It struck him hard and sent him back several feet, but the solidity of the soldier strained my wrists as they held the bat in the attack. I cringed, spinning around to meet the rest of the group as they bolted toward me simultaneously from what seemed like every direction.

In that moment, all I could think to do was turn tail and run. And so that's what I did.
    
The collectors caught up much quicker than I had anticipated and, having my back as fair game, one of them struck me in the exact same spot as earlier, only with double the force. The stress on my collarbone finally released in a tremendous burst of pain, and I felt the bone give.

I cried out and tumbled to the ground clutching the base of my neck and the collectors surrounded me, leaving no possible escape. No possible hope. It was crazy, anyhow. I guess this was why no one ever made it out of here.
    
The pain in my shoulder welled and I bit my lip in an attempt to keep it at bay.

The collectors wrenched my arm away from my shoulder and pinned them, along with my ankles, to the floor. I think they used too much force to keep me down, but I couldn't blame them after I put up so much of a fight.

One of them took out the same little device as I had seen earlier and opened his mouth to speak into it.

Maybe this was where I died, after all. I wondered what they would do to me after this, and what would happen to Master Romia.
    
Then the world exploded around me in fiery reds and whites that blended into oranges and sparks of black.

My eyes widened and I was thrown out of the hands of the collectors as we were all blown off our feet and away from the explosion.

Smoke filled the room, chaos erupted, and my ears rang uncontrollably. Shaken and fearing for my life, I began running away from the flames as another explosion went off behind the first, eliminating the last hope of escape we could have hoped for in the fiery inferno.
    
"Master—" I coughed, my throat raw from the smoke, "...Master Romia!"
    
I searched frantically through the chaos and disorder, stumbled to see every nook and cranny of the site, but I couldn't find any trace of her. I would have continued to search for signs, but a careless collector running away from the fire rammed into my injured shoulder and I gasped as I was knocked to the ground.

I cringed as I laid there, then I closed my eyes, finally deciding that I couldn't take any more without a moment to regain my surroundings.

The world around me as I knew it was literally blowing up. That fact I couldn't ignore. For what reason, anyone knew better than I.

The group of collectors that were winning in their attack were now frantically running as far away from the flames as they could in the closed area.

Speaking of closed areas, if a wall didn't break down or an opening form, sooner or later, the room would fill with smoke and we would all suffocate. The other option was burning alive in an attempt to escape through the flames that went on for who knew how long, which didn't sound appealing. There was another way, however. If a way were to magically appear, someone could break an opening through the walls, but that wasn't likely considering the chances were better than not that these walls were made of rock, which would explain the chilliness.

These thoughts all crowded my mind as I laid there steadying my breath and making whatever final prayers I cared to make.

"Get up, Itoma!"

"What happened to him?"

The voices were distant at first, but I recognized them almost immediately. I opened my eyes and stared at the smoke-shrouded ceiling for a moment—a last fleeting second of stillness—then lifted my head to see Master Romia and Oriole running toward me.

I moaned to myself as I pulled up to a sitting position and didn't bother feeling surprised; my emotion had run dry over the last day or so.

It took a fair amount of effort to get back up on my feet, and by that time, Master Romia had come and begun explaining something that I couldn't hear past the blazing explosions behind her. All the while, Oriole stood several lengths away and just gaped at me, her eyes wide and mouth hanging open. I had almost completely forgotten about my appearance.
    
I locked eyes with Oriole and she shut her mouth and started wringing her hands, but didn't stop looking me over. I paused in the silence between us as the attention was directed at me, realizing that I felt flustered... embarrassed, perhaps?... no. I felt exposed.

This feeling was unsettling, as if time paused just long enough to seem as if all my protective layers were stripped off, leaving me bare and vulnerable. I felt helpless.

"In that time, the rest of us would come here and cause as much damage as possible." Master Romia stepped closer as she finished. There was a pause and a silence settled between the three of us. "Avi?"

I shook my head and stepped forward, deciding to sort my emotions later. "How do we get out?"

Master Romia shot me a glare. "I just explained that."

"Sorry, but I didn't hear it."

She grumbled, "Follow me," but before I had the chance, she was already halfway across the room. I broke into a sprint to catch up, and Oriole was close behind.

Master Romia ran right up to the wall of flames, then just as I thought she was going straight into it, she abruptly turned right and darted toward the corner. I didn't think it made much sense that she wouldn't just go to the corner first, but followed her trail just to be safe.

As I got closer, I saw there was a slight indent in the wall. Master Romia dug her fingers into this indent and started prying her fingers through the gray wall. My eyes widened as she tore the top layer of gray off to reveal an exit which took the form of a hastily-dug hole through the many layers of the wall.

She turned to me, her face serious, and motioned for me to climb through first. I crouched and brought my left arm out to start climbing through, but it was hard not to jar my right arm and hurt my collarbone, and the struggle became apparent. I saw Master Romia notice how I favored my arm and she squinted hesitantly before trying to say something, but by then I was already out.

Naihabi Ridge never looked so free, though I didn't recognize the emptiness in front of me. The desert sand was uneasily warm on my bare feet, but I didn't dare move from this spot until I had taken in the surroundings. It was hot once again, but not smoky hot like the fire, and there was no trace of a breeze or a cloud to be seen. It was the Ridge alright, but there was little more than an old, decaying fence between me and the wasteland that laid beyond. Where was the camp? Where were the buildings and people? I was pushed forward as Master Romia came through the hole along with Oriole, who I noticed had said nothing so far.
    
"What now?" I asked as Master Romia once again dug in her satchel for something.

"Isn't it obvious?" She pulled out a rope, then turned back toward the building we just exited. "Now we get the others."

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What do you think is gonna happen next? Did you like the chapter? Votes, comments, and questions are always welcomed.

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