Lazarus was working frantically. He traced the lettering at the base and ran his fingers lightly along the edges of the huge figure searching for a mechanism, anything to save them. It was taller than him and he had to tiptoe to reach the top. It's Khonsu, God of the Moon, God of travels. There must be a clue. Think! THINK!!
"Laz!! They are almost here!! What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm thinking!!"
"Well, think faster!! Damn it!"
Lazarus drew in a shaky breath and blew it out his mouth. His eyes travelled along the statue finally resting at the moon like disk on its head. Valentine's voice came to him "... he was the God of Travels, like how the moon travels in the sky."
He stretched and grabbed the moon disk ... and turned it. Surprise turned to determination as he worked the moon disk like a wheel. An opening creaked open in the God's front, revealing a door big enough for a human Hero.
Just then Valentine yelled. "Laz!! They're here!!"
Lazarus backed away from the doorway. He rushed to Nyx and the familiars, his hunting knife in hand. "Get back!! Everyone into the door!!"
"What door?"
"There! In the statue, go, go, GO!!"
The girls did not need to be told twice. They headed for the opening abandoning the Thief to the furry ferocious foes.
"Val!!" Lazarus yelled as he reached his friend. Valentine was still busy hacking the small attackers. His sword blurring as he concentrated on his targets. They died baring fangs and claws. Lazarus pulled the Thief back as the rats surged forward. The assassin threw a small bomb. It detonated, blasting rats over the plateau. It gained them a few more precious seconds.
The two Heroes scrambled to the statue. The other three were already squeezing inside the small space beckoning urgently to the guys.
"Hurry! Hurry! More are coming!"
Valentine turned to look back. He gasped in horror, then grabbed Lazarus, pushing him forcefully through the opening before flinging himself after the assassin. Rats leapt at them, landing on Valentine's exposed back.
"Close the door! Close it!!"
Nyx and Anya pulled an inside lever together, shutting the door but not before more rats managed to squeeze through the closing gap. They could hear the desperate scrabbling at the door by those left outside.
"Aarrrgghhh!!" Valentine cried out in pain as the rats on his back started biting and gnawing into his soft flesh. Some had started biting into his arms and legs too.
Lazarus aimed and slashed, cutting a few busy rats on the Thief's back in one stroke. He worked his hunting knife, clearing the hungry vermin in the tight space. Tania and Anya attacked lower with their teeth and clawsin the limited space. Nyx used her dagger efficiently, careful not to hurt her friends. In a few moments, the enemy were gone.
Lazarus caught Valentine as he collapsed bleeding from his numerous wounds. Thankfully, the door slid open just then and they all tumbled out onto hard-packed earth. The Heroes had been too busy to realise that the enclosed chamber had been going down like an elevator all this time.
Valentine, Health 18 per cent.
The minute they were out the door, it closed. The ancient God Khonsu glared impassively over the group, his back embedded into the rocky wall. The statue jutted out as if coming out of the rocks, indicating the only way they could go.
YOU ARE READING
Orc Wars 2 : Lazarus
Fantasy~WARNING~ This book contains SPOILERS, please read 'Orc Wars : Uprising' first. Don't say I didn't warn you. The legendary assassin, Lazarus was dying, slowly, inevitably. There was nothing he could do except survive for as long as he possibly could...
