Chapter 180 – Floor 18: Part 5
Mathew herded the Bartletts up the front stairs and through the doors of the Mansion. Spinning around while keeping Lily Bartlett slung over his shoulder, Mathew slammed the doors shut and threw the bolt to lock them.
Running a few steps further inside, he shoved over a nearby armoire that held a bunch of knickknacks in front of the door and tipped it over on its side. Ignoring the sound of shattering objects that were no doubt worth a fortune, Mathew piled two chairs on top of it to add more weight before taking off down the corridor as fast as his bad leg could propel him.
All along the way, he would pull objects or create obstacles, anything to slow down the monster that would soon be chasing after him.
Mathew had recognized the liquid inside the syringe, at least partially. It was Aether, somehow liquefied and corrupted by an unknown means. He was sure that whatever effect it had on that poor bodyguard that Ridley injected it would cause him to become monstrously powerful.
If Mathew had any doubts about that, the blindingly painful warning from the ‘Buzz’ put them to rest. It was strong enough to send him running, and he wanted Lily Bartlett as far away from it as possible.
He wouldn’t fail another floor. Mathew was tasked with keeping her safe, and that was exactly what he was going to do.
Assured that they were far away from the front entrance and the monster outside, Mathew placed Lily back on the ground beside her panting parents and frightened siblings. They knew their home better than he did; they just needed to be prodded along first.
“You!” Mathew shouted to the oldest sibling, the one who had given him the nice suit he was now wearing. The young man jumped slightly in fright at suddenly being called out and stared at Mathew with his mouth agape.
“Lead your family outside. Do you have somewhere you can go? Another family member, or a-” Mathew was interrupted by a thunderous crashing sound from the front of the mansion and the monster's rage-filled roar. It was accompanied by a wave of strange energy that washed over them, making their movements sluggish and unresponsive.
“Shit. Subjugation Aura of the Righteous!” Mathew used his blessing to impose his will on those around him. Seeing the Aura driving back the strange energy the monster unleashed, Mathew once again got the Bartlett’s attention.
“Go! Now!” Mathew shouted as more crashing sounded out, this time closer than before.
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Lily had never been so terrified before in her life. The loud bangs and howls from whatever was outside had completely horrified her. She was shaking so badly that she doubted she could have walked, and she was grateful that Mathew had carried her to safety.
The Aura of light and authority around him didn’t replace the fear inside her, but it gave her something to focus on as his words cut through the terror.
“Go! Now!” Mathew shouted, and Lily’s brother Robert pulled on her arm. The family began to run down the hallway leading to the mansion's rear exit and the back gardens. From there, they would be able to take a path to the main street and safety.
They had only made it halfway down the hallway when there was a deafening explosion, and Lily was knocked off her feet. Skidding and rolling, she slammed up against the wall. In a daze, she could see Mathew at the other end of the hall, his arms locked against a massive, humanoid monster.
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It was grotesque; it was leaking black liquid from large sores on its purplish skin, and its muscles bulged with tumour-like muscles. Its limbs were twisted wrongly, and it seemed to be insane with rage and pain. Mathew was straining to keep it at bay; its once human face was monstrous, with razor-sharp teeth and a snakelike tongue protruding and stretched toward him.
“Get…the hell…away from me!” Mathew shouted as he endeavoured to dislodge its grip. Twisting slightly, Mathew wrenched his arms, breaking its grip. Pushing it back, he struck it in the face with his fist.
Lily saw the monster not react to the blow at all. Mathew’s fist merely moved its head slightly, and her champion seemed just as shocked as she was when the creature reached forward and gripped Mathew’s arms.
The monster screamed and hurled Mathew in the opposite direction of the Lily. He slammed into a wall, breaking a hole in it and sending dust and debris everywhere before continuing on. The monster looked at her and her family for a moment before turning its attention back to the gap Mathew’s body had made in the wall.
Its legs muscles clenched for a moment before it leapt with incredible force. Crashing through the wall and making an even larger hole, Lily could hear more blasts and collapsing walls and furniture from beyond.
“Come on, we need to go!” Robert said as he hooked his arm under Lily and lifted her from the ground. Stumbling down the hallway, they emerged into the dim light of the rear gardens. The artificial lights here were evenly spaced along the winding paved walkway, which led through the flower beds and well cared for trees.
Lily panted from the exertion and the fear. Her mind could barely register what was happening; the smells of the garden and the night sounds of the outdoors went unnoticed. She could hear her brother’s laboured breath beside her as he practically carried her down the path.
Another explosion rang out from the mansion, followed by a scream of pain and a great burst of light from the house's second floor. The windows exploded, and glass rained down, covering the ground and pathway with shards.
“Investiture of Flame!” Lily could faintly hear Mathew shout through the now open windows, and fire burst outwards, lighting the night in reds and yellows. She could feel an intense heat wash over her before the cool night air returned.
There were more explosions, screams and shouts as the monster and man fought inside the house. They were near to the end of the path when a figure flew through the night air and landed on the ground.
Mathew’s body dug a deep trench in the soft soil of the garden. Tumbling and turning, he rolled to a stop. Lily could hear him coughing, and when she came close, she could see that he was covered in dirt and blood. He had a sword in his hands, a strange weapon that was long and sharp but flat at the end.
Finally climbing back to his feet, Mathew looked from the now-burning mansion to Lily and her family before speaking.
“I thought I told you to run?” Mathew asked. He was about to continue when the monster leapt from the top of the mansion and landed heavily in the back garden, sending up a spray of dirt, soil and rocks.
It was wounded; cuts and marks marred its bare body. Instead of blood, blue Aether and tinged with black corruption flowed from the wounds. It approached Mathew more warily than it had before; it was cautious of what he could do.
“Too late now! Everyone get behind me.” Mathew ordered. Stepping forward, he raised his hand and pointed his finger at the monster.
“Word of Power: Burn!” Mathew shouted. Lily and her family could not understand what Mathew had said; the words he spoke were gibberish to them. Only someone with the knowledge of the Words of Power could recognize them.
An oppressive force descended from above, pressing down on the Bartletts and the monster that wanted to kill them all. Mathew called upon the power to change reality, and it responded. Flames erupted across the creature’s body, and it let out a scream of pain.
“That’s right, you bastard!” Mathew cheered, and Lily could see that his grim expression was beginning to be replaced with the manic, amused appearance with which he had arrived at her house. He began to laugh as he looked at something in the darkness and spoke.
“You see that? We could have used a few words on the last Floor!” Mathew said to the darkness, and he seemed to be listening to a response. Lily saw him nod his head a few times and look thoughtful.
“You would say that.” Mathew replied after a moment and turned back to the monster. The flames were spreading, and it was batting at them with both of its massive palms in an attempt to smother them.
“There’s no use, those flames can’t be…huh…that’s new.” Mathew’s voice trailed off. The monster had coated its palms in the fluid leaking from its wounds. The bright blue and black ‘blood’ was vibrant in the dim light. As soon as it touched the flames, they stopped burning.
“Alright, new plan. You all should probably start running again.” Mathew said as he turned to look at Lily.
“You don’t want to be around for what happens next.”