Soul Arts

Chapter Eleven

"Arm car two," the earlier words of vile Greiis Ringer echo through the girl's mind.

The car is completely empty; no seats, tables, or passengers are present. Not even the small window cutouts line the walls.

Intense heat is circulating through the car. The girl gingerly sidesteps to her left and places her hand on the wall, quickly pulling it back. The coarse surface, constructed out of souls that are now burning, is searing hot to the touch.

"This car is rigged with traps," says Antagonis. His voice sounds cold and indifferent.

"You set traps for us," Kalia quietly scolds. "Why?"

"I didn't set them. They did."

"And you picked a fine time to suddenly remember." Silently enraged, Kalia glares at Antagonis. The seemingly brilliant schoolboy is dangerous and he cannot be trusted. Antagonis knows more and he has done more than he is letting on. Kalia's intuition will not fail her.

"We must proceed with caution," Minotauria calmly orders. Kalia is just about to suggest that Antagonis lead the group when she remembers it is in the best interest of everybody that they all make it through whatever is hidden in this car together and unharmed.

Slowly, and in a somewhat diagonal line, the trio begins to push forward; Minotauria on the left leading, Kalia in the center, and Antagonis on her right.

"What kind of traps are in here?" Kalia asks.

"I'm not sure. Hopefully not explosives," answers Antagonis in an ominously insinuating tone.

Wait," Kalia barks. She stops in her tracks as the others continue to move forward. "We know there are dangerous traps here, so we shouldn't go through this car. We should find another way. We could just get onto the roof and then break into the control room directly!"

Genius words falter on deaf ears; The girl is promptly ignored.

It appears the next moment in time had been perfectly choreographed by the universe. Kalia glances down at Minotauria's right foot just as it is descending upon the silver wire. Her heart stops as her gaze follows the wire into the wall on their left. Halfway up the wall, a circular slab protrudes outward and falls to the ground with a thump. A powerful jet of fire sears the woman. Minotauria groans as she grabs her neck in agony and flails forward. Black smoke is beginning to fill the car.

"Tripwires," Antagonis calls out. "And we can't see them. Just run and be careful!"

Kalia cannot fathom why Antagonis and Minotauria insist on running through a field of invisible tripwires when there were more sensible strategies that could have been devised, namely hers. The baffled and frightened girl does not know whether to stand still or run as Antagonis and Minotauria are doing. If she holds her ground, they could activate all the traps themselves, giving her a clear path; however, the mere thought of being separated from the group in a situation like this petrifies her and so she carefully follows.

A popping sound claps through the car; Another trap has been activated. Kalia looks ahead and spots Minotauria's silhouette charging rampantly through thick smoke. The sound of something whizzing through the air does not register to the girl until a second after the blade of a shuriken strikes Antagonis. He grimaces at this brutal looking ninja star weapon that has buried one of its blades into his upper left arm just below the shoulder.

Wheezing and hacking through the suffocating smoke and desperately trying to catch up to Antagonis and Minotauria, Kalia presses forward. Visibility is rapidly becoming nonexistent, and for the first time, Kalia has become conscious of the distinct and unpleasant smell of souls burning.