Z-Tower Chapter 54

Read Table of Content | +Kyla Scurchio
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     I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the runes etched into this man’s skin. I loosened my grip nonetheless and gave him a chance to speak. I ducked as a blast was sent my way.
“Speak quick. Who are you?” I hissed. The man coughed.
     “Z, it’s me. It’s Plankrun.” He squirmed under my grip and I felt rage growing within me. I tapped into my own magic reserves and flung him across the floor. He skidded to a stop about a yard away. My hand glowed as I called the power to me.
     “Plankrun is dead. So let’s try this again. WHO ARE YOU!” the shadows danced around the man’s face but I could still distinctly see his glowing rune covered arms. Magic pulsed off of him as he stood.
“Zugzwang, I’m telling you the truth. And I’m far from dead. Did you really think a few pesky mice could do me in?” he flashed me a nervous grin. I let the flow of magic ease a bit as I tried to take in the man’s face.

“It isn’t possible.” I mumbled to myself. My mind was spinning. To think life existed outside this nightmare of an island was unfathomable.
     “It is possible Mate.” He pulled himself off the ground and his face came into the light fully. The tattoos all over his skin were in the runic language, curving and twisting up his arm and around his neck vanishing beneath his clothes. These things were foreign to me but his face was just as I remembered it. A little worn and tired but the same. I grinned for a moment, the world outside still lived.
     “Zugzwang duck!” shouted Plankrun as he pushed me aside; a bolt of arcane energy whizzed past us, courtesy of a Mystic Bishop Mouse. Suddenly the reason I was in this blasted tower came back, and the vengeance to take out the master returned.
     I sent a few blasts of magic in random directions before grabbing Plankrun and running to another pillar. I slammed my back against it and searched for my trap. It was tangled up with a knight mouse from the Technic side. I whispered a spell and my trap surged taking out the mouse and moving across the room towards me. Plankrun stayed quite by my side calculating his own move.
     I was nearly across the room, and the advantage was now on my end. Plankrun really couldn’t have come at a better time. The Rook mice were giving me a run for my money and I was down on amp for my trap.
“Plankrun what kind of traps do you have on you?” I asked not looking at him.
“Uhhh…” he said. I turned around and looked at him confused. “Honestly mate, I lost most of them just trying to get to you. It’s a long story but they are currently unusable.”
“Ok well how do you feel using magic?” I asked staring at his dimly glowing marks.
     “Magic is simple.” He grinned darkly. “Magic I can do.” flexing his arms he came around the other side of the pillar and in three blasts took out a Bishop and a Knight. He’d been studying. I smiled pleased.
     “Ok Plank, I’m down a rook. We have to take him out in order to attract the queen, and then the king. The Chess master himself will not show unless we make it across the room and we have to make it across the room.” He looked at my angry, desperate eyes and nodded. In a flash he took off across the room punching a pawn in the face as he went.
     I watched as the Rook mice formed a line and went after him. Plankrun zigzagged around, confusing the mice. From across the room I saw him wink at me, I smiled and sent my trap after the mice. Plankrun stood in enemy territory, gaining me precious ground; as my trap took on the Rook mice I went to help Plankrun hold his ground against the lesser mice.
     My traps reflexes had slowed drastically and I feared it wouldn’t be enough to take out the queen. To help boost its power I sent waves of magic to reinforce it. It was just enough to do the trick. My trap took out the last Rook mouse with a swipe across its chest. Grinning I looked up to find Plankrun and give him the news. What I saw was not worth the victory. Once the Rook had been captured the queen came to aid her fellow mice. Plankrun didn’t see her come through the darkness for he was turned facing me. His back was turned away from the enemy line. A silly mistake really, but a mistake that would cost him.
     Enraged by near defeat the queen sent her sword whizzing through the air. All the power in her mind infused around the blade making it a deadly weapon. Plankrun didn’t have time to move and I had no time to help him. The blade stuck in his back and I watched as his eyes glazed over. He looked down and touched the blood that ran through his clothes. The light from his tattoos faded and he fell to the ground.
     I couldn’t move, I couldn’t breathe. The queen took no notice of Plankrun just called her sword back to her and floated my way. Kill me now. I thought. Just end it, I’m done.