Goal of the day: 1068 words. Written: 847.
I obediently immediately lowered my hand and started to walk first and then run up the stairs again. Antonio ran after me.
- What happened there? - I shouted as I ran upstairs.
- Guard. But there's no time, damn it! - He shouted back, "My spell won't keep them there forever!
"Your spell?"
- What are these? - I shouted again, trying to shake off the ominous chugging and rumbling.
- Later! - chimed in Antonio, who must be getting impatient.
We went up and up the stairs. And suddenly the stairs ended in a door. I turned to Antonio, waiting for his instructions.
Antonio pushed me sideways against the wall and opened the door with a few twists of the handle back and forth.
Outside, the roar and wail of sirens was even louder, with bright lights and smoke rising from the edge of the building's flat roof.
Suddenly, a white light shone through the crack of the door, and Antonio froze as he opened it. Then he turned to me, frozen like that:
- Shit," he said in an icy voice, "we're going to have to run. I guess.
- Run? - I asked without understanding. I was already running, so what else does he want now?
Antonio looked at me, frozen. Then he sighed softly.
- Okay - or not. Stay one step behind me. Don't stop. Don't move away," he changed his mind, "will you do that?
- Can you explain what is going on here?? - I gritted my teeth, demanding answers.
- No, I can't," he said gruffly.
- Šiknius. But you don't have much choice," said Joe.
I had to mentally agree with him. At the bottom, who knows who invaded, the who knows who didn't look friendly, the who knows who was probably the City Council Guard... And Antonio said that she pushed me there.
- Okay, I'll trust you. For now, - I nodded my head to Antonio.
- That's enough, if you fall behind, that's your problem," he smiled, squinting back, "Then get ready to follow. On the count of three.
Antonio took his guitar off his shoulder and picked it up. Then, taking out a grey crystal, he threw it to the ground, which immediately fell down the stairs rattling. He replaced it with a purple crystal of the same size, which he took out of his suit pocket.
- OK. - Antonio nodded to me. I clutched the Stone in my hand and prepared to move, - Three... Two... One!
Antonio elbowed the door and it immediately opened! On the roof of a building further away was a ship maybe the size of a tram cab. Or a rocket. Or who knows what - I had no idea, but there it was.
Antonio immediately moved outside and was illuminated by the light.
"Oh, wait!"
I jumped up as well, trying to stay off his back.
- FINAL WARNING," came a deafening voice from somewhere nearby.
I rushed to see where it was coming from... And I staggered or even screamed when I saw the automatons right above the doorway... And the shadows all around the edge of the building, hiding in the dark smoke.
I held the Stone in my palm and walked backwards behind Antonio, trying to keep up with him. I don't know what he was up to, but he was damn brave in this situation. Or at least his back and his arse looked like that, walking behind me.
- IF...," the same monotone male voice began to shout.
But this was interrupted by Antonio running his fingers over the guitar strings. A few deafening chords rang out... And as the wind blew off the guitar, a purple dome instantly shone around Antonio and me.
"What a!?"
But I couldn't think of anything else, because I was immediately interrupted and frightened by the clamour of the automatons hovering around me. The fire flared around us in a circle, and I involuntarily huddled underneath it.
- Don't stop! - shouted Antonio, moving away. And again playing a few chords.
I didn't stop and immediately jumped to my feet and followed him. The shield that Antonio had created kept us surrounded and we were able to follow under a torrential downpour of explosions, crackles and swearing.
"Under the thunderstorms, what fireworks!"
- We have to get to the rocket. Move your bones, I won't last long! - urged this one.
After a few moments of running, we reached the open door of the rocket and jumped inside. Antonio quickly pressed a round button next to the door and it closed with a hiss. Then he threw his guitar aside and rushed down the narrow white corridor.
- Sit down! - he ordered, as I ran after him, pointing to a large set of chairs nearby, in front of rows of crystal screens, and grabbing a small blue crystal around his neck.
The screens flashed with piles of red and black lettering, one of which showed what looked like a field view of the Guardian's Circle flying by and still firing on us.
- Who are they!? - I shouted back at him, stumbling back in my seat.
- Later! Where the hell is the button when you need it!? - he asked, more to himself or to who knows what, after shouting and answering.
After a moment and a few more bangs that shook the rocket, he found something.
- Behold! - he exclaimed, jumping into the seat beside me, "It will hold!
The rocket shook, its whole inside glowed white... and started to rise up. I felt my weight squeezing me in the chair, leaning almost completely upright.
- Well, you've got friends, Šiška! - Joe whispered in a shocked voice.
His comment just made me laugh hysterically. I mean, really, what kind of friends do I have, what the hell - a Stone who talks, and a guy who plays guitar, deflects bloody explosions and has some kind of rocket.
"Pala, where are we going?? It's a rocket, right? Rockets move!"
- Hey, where are we... - I started to ask Antonio, but the rocket suddenly went out.
...And after a brief moment, it shook much more powerfully and shot up into the air!
"Oh Lord, I'm going to die here!"
I felt myself sink deeper into the chair. A little more and I would probably have gone through it and come out the other side and hit the wall behind me with all my momentum.
- Ohooo! - exclaimed Joe enthusiastically, as if it were some kind of amusement for him.
His expression didn't help me much. Maybe Antonio's calmness did.
"What. Here. What's going on!?"