Book 1: Chapter 8: (2)


    Just moments before.


    Trna stood still in one of the temples inner chambers  a small room left in disrepair following centuries of neglect. She was to be interrogated after Elbajhi and his men finished their inspection of theirgoods, hence the reason she had been temporarily confined to this room.


    This had most likely been a resting ce for the worshippersing to the temple all those years ago. Tables and chairs made of the finest Barosha cedary scattered across the floor. It was said that furniture crafted of such wood would not rot no matter how much time had passed; they were quite renowned for their durability.


    The man d in red, the one going by the name of Zda, was their <em>mildita</em>. By the looks of it, he was a practitioner of the Mahzany school of magic. One of thetent characteristics of Mahzany <em>mildi</em> was the ursed maniption of souls. There was no mistaking it  he was the one behind all those killings.


    And for whatever reason, Zda had not told Elbajhi of Trnas existence. There may be other factors at y here. Regardless, she would first need to escape from this ce and rescue <strong>that child</strong> before she could get any answers. The fairy was located somewhere within the temples catbs. She would recognize that nostalgic <em>branii</em> anywhere.


    While she was in the process of exploring the range of her movements with her handcuffs, Trna noticed that something was off.


    Elbajhisckeys were raising up a ruckus. The smell of something burnt was wafting through the crack in the door. She overheard several words being said. Fire extinguisher.Need water. st it away.


    A fire.


    With her hands bound behind her back, Trna stood up. She surveyed her surroundings. The door leading outside was locked up tight. Ramming her petite body against it would be futile.


    Dragging the table towards the edge of the door, Trna stacked a chair atop it. Still restrained by her handcuffs, she climbed the mountain of furniture with great effort.


    Reaching the top, she looked down upon the entranceway.


    Her feet were as yet unsteady; it felt as though she could lose her bnce at any moment.


    <em>Deep breaths. Alright.</em>


    <em>Myna bolhe,bna ye Ghizenya</em>


    She chanted. It was the incantation for a type of <em>mildi</em> quite appropriate for the current situation. In a blink of an eye, immense power began flowing through the girls petite frame. Her vision dyed red, a zing energy spread through every corner of her body, all the way to her fingertips.


    Before long, the sound of the lock opening could be heard from the other side. Two men, clearly panic-stricken, entered the room. Elbajhis men. Perhaps they hade to finish Trna off. Perhaps they were here to take her to a more secure location.


    She aint here!


    Oi


    They didnt even have time to react.


    Trna sent a chair flying towards one of them, before leaping towards him and delivering a sharp kick to his chin. CRACK! With his neck tilting at an odd angle, the man copsed onto the floor. Using his body as a footstool, she soared into the air, strangling the other man with both her legs. From the front, it looked as though he was giving her a piggyback ride. It was almost as if he was an acrobat in a circus.


    !


    Putting her all into it, Trna used the full weight of her body and twisted. The man fell. Even so, she did not let go of her legs, falling right along to the floor with him. Clenching her teeth, she exerted even more force on the man.


    ~~~~~GHAAAAAAAK!


    The mans limbs fell limp. An agonizing cry escaped his lips. <em>How stubborn of him</em>. As the effects of the strengthening spell began to wear off, Trna started feeling the pain as well. Barely hanging on to her consciousness, she continued her relentless assault.


    ghrk


    At longst, the man stopped struggling. Squeezing her thighs around the man a couple more times for good measure, Trna finally loosened her grip on her opponent.


    Neither of the two men had lost their life. One was seemingly in a trance, having received a severe concussion. The other had simply lost consciousness.


    Heaving her shoulders, she dragged one of the men against the wall, setting him on his back. She dug through his possessions, finding a bunch of keys in his coat pocket. Sifting the smallest key out of the pile, she slipped it into the hole in her handcuffs.


    Surprisingly, she managed to open it in one go.


    Expressing her gratitude to the Goddess of War, Ghizenya, Trna excitedly flung her restraints to the side. Unfortunately for her, most Dorini handcuffs could be opened with the exact same key. She did not know this at the time, however.


    Next was finding a weapon. Trna had absolutely no interest in the guns the men possessed. Instead, she grabbed a reasonably-sized, rectangr block of wood lying on the ground. Swinging it two to three times, she managed to ascertain its condition. Still, she was left with no armor whatsoever. She was practically naked; her shoes were all she had left. Nevertheless, Trna muttered.


    Okay.


    <em>It seems as though the Goddess Ghizenya has not abandoned me just yet. In that case, I shall continue to fight on until thest atom on my body turns to dust! God be to the glory!</em>


    Swearing to herself, Trna dashed out of the room like a lioness on the hunt.


    Lowering her body, she sprinted down the stone corridor at full speed. By this time, the smoke had already reached the ceiling. <em>Where is the fireing from? To what degree is this fire spreading? There is no time to waste; I must hurry to the fairys whereabouts</em>.


    Turning the corner, she found herself face-to-face with another man wielding a pistol.


    Bugh!!!


    Charging ahead straight as an arrow, Trna swung her makeshift club to and fro. The mans gun flew into the air. Turning around, she drew closer to her enemy, bringing down her wooden block onto him. A hit to the side of the head. As the man staggered to his feet, she delivered an elbow strike to his gut with all her might, sending his body crashing into the wall.


    Ugh


    SPEAK! WHERE IS THE FAIRY?


    Strangling the neck of her dazed opponent, Trna demanded.


    Most likely the underground catbs


    Where is this fireing from?


    I-I dont know


    That was all that she needed to hear. Smashing the mans head against the wall, she rushed on ahead.


    Before long, she had arrived at arge hallway. A high ceiling. Pirs as far as the eye could see. The smoke had reached this ce as well. Opposite her, men holding machine guns in one hand and fire extinguishers in the other were shouting angrily at one another. Given that this is a Gravany temple, one would usually find the entrance to the underground via.


    Hey, you!


    Recognizing Trna, a man in the group shouted. Paying no heed, she sprinted across the hallway, in the direction directly opposite the altar. The path underground should lie on the other side.


    Stop right there!


    Naturally, she did not stop. All at once, the men began firing their weapons. Pellets sprayed all over her surroundings. As they hit the countless pirs, bits of stone and dust formed a thick cloud of debris in their vicinity. She could see the entrance to the catbs. She dashed straight on.


    Goddamnit, after her!


    Hey, doesnt putting out the firee first!?


    Who cares! Its useless anyway!


    As the men argued behind her back, Trna descended into the darkness below.


    Trantors Notes:<ol><li>The Farbanian word for magician.</li><li>The Farbanian word for magic.</li><li>The Farbanian word for scent/odor</li><li>Lit. Arms of a Giant, Blessings of the Goddess of War</li></ol>