CHAPTER 25: THE FURY

In his panicked run from the Garden of Adoration and away from the undead that pursued him, Norrin cut around a corner off the main road and bolted down a narrow alleyway. But, before he approached the end of the alley, Nassima appeared before him with a silent gesture and a concerned look, causing him to pause. She then floated to the middle of an intersection of the streets, focused hard on something ahead. Norrin started to approach her, but she raised her hand to stop him again and signaled him to stay in the shadows of the alleyway.

“Do not say anything,” She warned him. “When I tell you, I need you to dash to this spot. Then turn and go to that awning there.” She said as she pointed to her left.

“From the awning you can make it to the second-floor balcony that wraps around that building there. Turn the corner and get to the roof of the building on the other side. Understand?”

Norrin understood the instructions and appreciated what Nassima was doing. She was acting as his Chaser, scouting ahead for dangers and getting him to his destination unharmed. Working together as a team was something he was still getting accustomed to, but he welcomed the fact that someone was looking out for his welfare for a change.

“Ready…” Nassima called, as Norrin steadied himself.
“Go!”

Norrin jumped out of the shadows and onto the main street, to the immediate sounds of hellish screams of anger. Hundreds of undead were waiting on the corner-streets and came rushing at him from all four directions of the intersection. He ignored the terrible sounds and focused on dashing to the spot Nassima instructed him to go to. He then looked to the left for the awning Nassima pointed out. The snarling undead mob were closing in fast, so he rushed forward and jumped onto the head of one of the creatures too boost himself up and dashed onto it.

The mob was relentless with their attack and immediately swarmed towards his perch. Giving Norrin only a few moments to reach the balcony across the street Nassima marked. He made a quick hop, dashed up to the balcony, and bounded over the fencing, just as the undead tore down the awning in a mindless frenzy. He started to round the balcony, but unbeknownst to him, the building was also flooded with undead. They hurled their bodies and smashed through the windows that lead to the balcony with no abandon. All the while, the mob below clamored and clawed their way up the building.

Undead bodies and bones exploded to rubble as Norrin used Light’s Reach to clear a path for his escape. He performed a desperate dash to the other building as undead grabbed and raked at him and landed in a roll on the rooftop where Nassima was waiting.

“Get up Norrin! We are not safe yet!” She yelled out with a pressing urgency.

The undead mob were unyielding in their pursuit and rushed the building Norrin sat upon in a furious wave. Climbing over each other and crashing through the roof to get to him. Norrin bounced up and raced away, dashing from rooftop to rooftop while trying to control the panic rising inside of him. The undead continued their frenzied hunt from the rooftops and in the streets below, with more undead joining the pursuit at every block.

One dilapidated roof gave way as Norrin landed on it, plummeting him down through two floors. He groaned as he landed hard on his back and shoulder across a rotting wooden table that still had the tableware set for a long-passed family dinner. Despite the pain of the fall and now being covered in dust and debris, he prodded himself to get his feet without delay, because the sickening sounds of the shrieks from the undead began surrounding him once again. He called forth Light’s Reach and began beating back the horde, while bolts of lightning flashing from the spear lighting up the darkened room. Norrin twirled and spun, striking undead down and sending them flying across the room with his blows. However, the mob was never-ending, each undead he struck down being replaced by two more. Although the energy of Light’s Reach fueled his spirit, Norrin could not fight them all forever, he had to find a way to escape. He frantically searched for Nassima, who beckoned to him from the other side of a window across the hall, giving him his exit. He struck down four more of the undead and made a desperate run towards the window. He dove headfirst and crashed through the pane of dust covered glass, dashed to the ground from mid-air, rolled to his feet and continued his run.

Norrin was shaken by the sights he saw in the mob. Even though the undead were vile and disgusting, they seemed to be dressed in the everyday clothing of normal people. He spotted men and women in traditional suits, construction gear, and everyday casual fashion. There were Soldiers, Nurses, Missionaries, Dignitaries and even other Chasers. They all appeared to have normal lives once upon a time but then became trapped in this city of despair and death. Now their bodies were only filled with anger and hate for the living, in a jealous rage of the life they lost long ago.

The maze-like design of the city with its connecting blocks and bridges, served as an advantage to Norrin and Nassima. While he was on the run from murderous mob of undead, she was able to direct him from her vantage point above the rooflines.
“Two more blocks and then turn left!” Nassima shouted out directions, “There is a group on the street running parallel to your position, but they are headed the opposite way. So, try not to get spotted on the cross streets!”

Norrin followed Nassima’s navigation, checking every corner as he went along. He started to pace his run as the screams of the undead began to fade in distance. It sounded as if the mob had given up its pursuit after failing to catch their prey. He looked up to Nassima’s guiding light in silent gratitude for once again saving his life.

“Straight ahead and over the waterway is the King’s Plaza,” Nassima continued directing. “The bridge has been destroyed so you will have to dash it. Are you up to it or need a rest?” She appeared by his side now, her ethereal flight keeping up with his strides. Their escape from the mob was harrowing, but Norrin felt energized. The power of Light’s Reach still coursed through his veins. The thrill of the fight gave him an unexpected sense of euphoria and renewed his spirit in a way he couldn’t explain.

“I am good,” Norrin said now with a skip in his step, “I just want to get out of this damned city as soon as possible!” He was again surprised by how much Nassima cared about his well-being and how she checked on him. It lifted his spirits even more just to know someone was there to support him. He told himself over and over again that he was a loner, who did not need to be surrounded by people’s company. But this was just his way of coping with the inherent seclusion of the life of a Chaser. He now realized having someone backing him was something he did not know he missed.

Norrin dashed across the broken bridge and crossed another dilapidated street. He climbed a steep, moss covered set of stairs before coming to the gate of a large iron fence. The gate was locked and wrapped with a set of rusty chains as thick as Norrin’s arms.

“Good thing I have the key,” Norrin chuckled to himself as he used Light’s Reach to blast the lock off and release the chains. However, he did not see Nassima’s eye-rolling reaction to his hackneyed joke.
Crossing the threshold Norrin started to breathe a little easier. They finally reached the King’s Plaza. He could see the outlet to the bridge leading to the other side of the Crescent Sea. They were on the verge of escape from the accursed Drifting Necropolis.