Chapter 17. CARTER

Gravity pulled me in for a hug. I twisted myself and streamlined my body towards the oyster. I had never done skydiving but I did watch the movies. I collided with it. I groaned. My body throbbed. How do stuntmen pull this off? I tried to balance. This didn't go unnoticed. The crowd glared at me. Some grabbed their tridents while others spared no more attention and focused on the cauldron again. I summoned my axe. I started cutting the wire. Ella said, "What're you doing? You will drop us into the crowd."

A trident landed right next to me. I turned. The pez aimed their tridents at me. More tridents landed on the oyster. It was like they were playing darts and I am glad that their aiming is a flap. Ella was right. Cutting the wire was dumb. I needed a better plan. Aquaman Jr jumped and landed on the oyster. I pounced on him. I pushed him hopefully off the oyster but he clawed on the shell and came back. He thrust his trident. I dodged. I mocked, "Got to be faster than that." He dropped his trident and signaled for a mano.

He was buff and I was a bit skinny. I was going to one it but I was no fool to fall for that. He charged at me. I was a fighter before all this but I had some basic IQ. I leapt to the side and he fell off. Kkk. He had clawed into the shell again. A trident landed in his hand. Thank you random fish. I raised my axe and struck him. The pez glares blazes with rage. Some mouthed, "cheat" I applied my body weight to the oyster on one side. We began swinging. I pushed with more force. I finished off cutting right before we barged into a wall.

The landing left my muscles sore. Ow. I didn't feel like pushing my body any further. It had gone through a lot and yet I still needed it to keep going. Never give up "until you die". Yeah I know, dark. And that isn't the worst part of this hybrid saying. That would be, "If you do, you will die in the most painful way imaginable." I forced my body to stand on its feet. I pulled out the pearl and placed it on the oyster. The oyster opened–smashing the pearl. That will be a problem for another time.

The rest came out holding their heads as if experiencing headaches. Ella said, "Could have been less rough. I almost thought we barged into a wall." She looked around. She said, "We did." Ephiria said, "Pleasantries later. Our friends are…" Darius finished, "Plotting on ways to kill us." Samaki shouted, "Since we can't get them. Flush them out." I said, "I think they have decided on one." Shsh. Ephiria asked, "Was that the sound of running water?" Darius said, "Well I am not staying to find out. I hope you also don't."

He ran through the corridor. We didn't hesitate to follow. Ella asked, "Where're we heading?" He replied, "The tower. I think the map is there." Ephiria said, "Anywhere but here will do." The water was getting closer. We dashed through corridors until we were met with a dead end. Ella said, "Oh give us a break." I said, "Turn back." I looked behind to see a big wave of water heading for us. I joked, "That isn't so bad. I don't mind a bath." Ella said, "Until you start drowning in it. Can't the pearl work." I said, "It got cracked." Darius put his ear on the wall. He said, "It is hollow." He banged on the wall. Ephiria said, "Let me try." She blasted the wall but only left a dark spot. Darius enhanced his arms and punched the wall multiple times. Ephiria was next to him blasting the potion he wasn't punching. Ella was closing her hands in slow motion trying to crack the wall with her mind.

The wave pushed against the wall. The water level rose above my neck. A wave of desperation swept over me. I joined in. I banged the wall but it didn't budge. The water rose above my nose. I faced up to maintain breathing. Within seconds, the water had reached the ceiling. I panicked. I hit the wall with more desperation. I felt the air in my lungs diminish. My body weakened and so did my consciousness. The rest were suffering with keeping conscious too. I banged on the door with the little force I had. Each bang with more desperation than the other. I begged the wall to open up. Open sesame. It didn't work. Thanks a lot, Ali Baba. My eyes became heavier. I put my palm on the wall and silently prayed, "Please Allah, make this wall open."

The bricks parted. The water gushed out. I gasped for air–sweet air., Oh, how I have missed you. Alhamdulillah. Darius said, "Let's hurry up. They may send another wave anytime from now." He stood up and led us to the tower. How he knew where it was. I had no idea. We approached the massive double tower doors. I asked, "How are we going to open this?" Ephiria said, "I don't see a knob so…" the doors opened themselves. It was suspicious but I'm taking it.

We entered a stadium-wide tower the height of a mountain. The walls were cylindrical with a staircase spiraling along them. There was a big throne at the other end of it. A white gem glowed. The light from it stopped ascending. Was it some kind of signal? A woman said, "Welcome to my mansion, my dear guests." I wanted to walk out and say, "Sorry wrong room." But the doors closed behind us.