DRAGON PEARL - The trap

Monik felt like she was stabbed in the heart and she turned around with her flashlight to the voice, that scolded the scary dog.

"What did you do to him?!" he shouted suddenly at Monik and he quickly approached the girl, almost bumping into her. Monik stared at the man with shock. He had big round cheeks and semi-long brown hair that fell into his small eyes. After a moment, his mad eyes narrowed even more, he straightened up and he split his hair in half on his forehead, so he can see better.

"We will see, what kind of creature are you," he said quietly and he torched Monik’s forehead with his index finger. Through the girl’s body a weird energy passed and the man was flicked as if by electricity. The man immediately pulled his hand away and he confusedly looked at the girl. He was examining her with his strict mad look, until his gaze rested on her left hand. He leaned to her and he immediately pulled up her hand, with the bracelet from Tomen, to his small eyes.

"So this is why Baltazar obeyed your command... a work of Bai," then he looked sadly at Monik. "You will be no good to me, with this on,” and he let go of her hand. "Baltazar, take at least the warrior," he said with contempt in his voice and he went away completely ignoring Monik.

The dog bit in Ren’s leg again and he began to pull him after his master. Ren tried not to scream in pain and he wanted to grab something, that he can hold on to, but the ground was covered just with mud.

"Baltazar, stop!" shouted Monik and the dog stopped. He looked desperately at his master, who turned to him angrily.

"Stop listening to her! The power of the Bai is not coming out of her, but from that bracelet!"

Shouted the man at the dog, but the dog was just looking at him with his sad eyes. "Come on!" said the owner of the creature, but before they could move again, Monik call at him again.

"Baltazar, stop!"

The man got really mad and he almost ran back to the girl, who stood firmly in one place.

"Stop confusing him and be gone! I cannot get into your mind, when that bracelet is blocking my powers."

"I will not stop until you let Ren free," snorted Monik. When she straightened, she realised, that the man in front of her was a little shorter from her and it made her feel more powerful.  

The man looked at her with a contempt face expression, took a deep breath and he brushed his hair from his face.

"I will make the corridors lead you right out of the labyrinth - you're free. Take this opportunity and go," he said through his teeth, turned around on his heel and snapped to Baltazar as a sign to drag their prey again.

"Baltazar, stop!" shouted Monik again and the man got even more angry, than before. He approached the girl and now his face was just a few centimeters away from hers.

"Although my power does not work on you, it works on your friend, so stop this!" he said to her angrily and the mud in which Ren was laying, came alive! It wrapped around his hands and it gradually progressed to his neck until it reached his mouth. Ren tried to hold his breath, but that did not help him... the mud proceed into his body through his nose and it began to choke him.

"I will stop!" cried out Monik, when she saw that horror and the mud around Ren immediately went limp.

The man grinned triumphantly, when he saw the girl’s hopeless expression. She was looking at Ren with a heavy heart, when he was coughing mud and trying to breathe. The man turned around to leave and he wanted to give a command to his dog, when Monik stopped him.

"Wait, please. Let me at least help him, so he can go on his own feet. Baltazar does not have to drag him. Please," said Monik with a broken voice.

The man nodded, but he didn’t forget to add: "But, if you try something, I will kill him."

Monik nodded with fear for her companion, and the man stepped out of her way, so she can approach Ren. She was absolutely horrified, when she saw him up close under the light of her flashlight - he looked worse than she expected. He was not only coughing up blood, but also mud, in addition to that, his bitten leg was bleeding. Monik helped him stand up and she supported him on the right side, where he couldn’t stepp on his leg.

The man in a long brown cloak then passed next to them, like nothing happened and he went ahead with his dog following him.

"What are you doing?" asked her Ren quietly after a while of walking.

"I don’t know," she looked at him desperately. "I wanted time, to think of something, but I don’t know."

Ren desperately grinned and he felt a sharp pain passing through his body from his leg. He was glad, that she tried to help him, but he didn’t see a way out of this.

"At least, I can heal you," whispered Monik and she put her hand on his chest, but Ren grabbed her wrist.

"No need, I'm fine," and he looked at her seriously. Monik saw that he was lying. For some reason, he didn’t want to be cured... but why? Then it hit her! He didn’t know, what that man wanted with him and a quick death, because of his injuries, could have been his salvation. Monik held her breath to stop her tears leaving her eyes. She needed to come up with something! And quickly!

Although Ren was prepared for the worst scenario, he wasn’t about to give up just yet. He was thinking of an escape plan, when they got into a low hall, where white stones peeked out of the walls. He remembered the poem, where this hall was described... He approached the wall and started furiously looking for something with his glance, then he stopped.

"Shh," he expressed almost without a sound, showing Monik a gesture not to make a sound. She looked at him blankly, then she quickly looked ahead. The man didn’t notice, that they have stopped, but after a little while, the dog turned to them. Just before he could growl, Ren turned a same knob on the wall as what they previously used to opened the secret passage, but this time, he activate a trap! The earth beneath the man and the dog disappeared, and both of them fell into the ground.  

Monik smiled confusedly, when they approached the edge of the trap. It was a huge square pit, which was occupying a really large part of the road. She couldn’t seen on the button of it even with her flashlight, but she saw some sharp spikes peeking out of the darkness.

Ren was seemingly relieved. Monik let him go for a moment, so they can turn around, but then that man emerged before their eyes from the darkness!

"Did you really think, that you can get rid of me so easily?" he smiled devilishly. They barely managed to process the fact he’s alive, the man shoved Ren in his chest and he flew into the trap.

Monik heart stopped, when she saw, what was happening, but she couldn’t do anything. Her scream echoed through the corridor, when she saw, how Ren’s body disappeared in the dark pit.

First chapter Previous chapter Next chapter