I set a punishing pace to get ahead of the Flyer demons. We can`t let them get in here. Alton snapped out of his shock and is in warrior mode. His rapid steps fall sure by my side.

　　More power boosts my sight and I see the gate sitting eerily still. Thick fingers of fog stream through. I race ahead and leave Alton behind, so I can check out the other side of the wall, the demon`s side.

　　I run through the wide open gateway and come to a stop a few feet into the Mist. My skin ripples with goosebumps under the crooked, gnarled trees. Everything is washed in a pale sickly gray. The smell of damp, rotted earth, tinged with the methane odor of the demons hangs heavy. All is still and quiet except for the approaching Flyer demons. The thwack of their wings set a deep, slow cadence across the distance. They sound big. I move back inside the tunnel to meet Alton.

　　"Damn. You`re. Fast." Alton breathes out. "Did you try it?" He asks, with an uneasy look into the Mist, not noticing the gate is loose from the wall.

　　"Looks like you loosened it before." I say and inspect the iron slide bolt attached to the gate.

　　It`s not bent or damaged in any way, not even a scratch or nick.

　　"Whoa, I guess I did loosen it." Alton grins wide, puffing up his chest.

　　He examines the gate, from the undamaged bolt to the sturdy hinges. No doubt thinking the same thing I am. There are no signs of forced entry. The streams of fog moving past us start to swirl, disturbed. We`re out of time.

　　"Help me set it back on the hinge." I say, and grip the bottom of the gate.

　　Alton guides it back in line and I take on the full weight of the iron gate to get it done fast. The hinges are stiff from lack of use, but the gate swings evenly. We shove it closed and Alton slides the wide bolt until the metal pings to the stop.

　　The whir of the internal mechanics and bright green light signal it`s secure just as a heavy boom radiates from the top of the gate. A sharp screech slides down the length. Alton`s throat bobs several times before he backs away. My chest aches with the swell of my powers, ready for combat.

　　"It`s gonna hold. It`s gonna hold, right?" Alton says.

　　My muscles tighten with added strength and my legs itch to speed toward the threat. I turn away and work through my process of pushing the power back into my center. I imagine a giant iron crate, deep in my chest. I open the lid and envision the energy following the path from the tips of my toes and fingers back to its home in my center. Counting measured breaths makes the process faster.

　　"Hey man, you okay?" Alton stands close.

　　"Yeah, I—" I breathe through my clenched teeth. "I pushed myself too hard, I think." My words are thin.

　　"Well, you did manage to run faster than any warrior I`ve ever seen. Maybe you shouldn`t try that again." Alton`s words fade out.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

　　The crate in my chest is now full. I envision the lid snapping closed and heavy thick chains wrapping around it. I take a deep, steady breath while Alton reads the electronic keypad.

　　A crash of glass and a small groan from Nugget`s position destroys the hold I had on my powers. My warrior marks glow, primed for my weapons to manifest and my legs heat, ready to speed back to her. Alton finishes with the keypad, unable to register what I heard.

　　"We need to get back." I throw over my shoulder as I take off.

　　"Hey, wait for me." Alton says.

　　I strain my senses on Nugget`s position and get nothing but silence. She`s not a child, I remind myself. At that moment, she looked strong, like a seasoned warrior. I don`t know why I feel this pull to protect her and worry over her.

　　It`s not because she`s a female. Gender has nothing to do with being a lethal warrior. She`s the first warrior I met that wasn`t afraid of me. It has to be all the changes. Leaving the academy, my powers growing, not going home, it`s too much. I`m thrown off that`s all.

　　I hear Alton slip further behind. I haven`t sensed any other demons in the tunnel, but I slow my pace. I can`t afford for him to die around me either. I get to the shack with Alton behind me. His breaths are uneven and ragged. Must be the effect of being a tunnel guard. No action makes a warrior soft.

　　I circle the charred remains of the guard shack, no sign of Nugget. Of course not, she wouldn`t stay put. Is she having another leisurely stroll through the fog or is she proving she`s a warrior by engaging the demon alone?

　　There`s still no sign of backup. Just me, a careless cadet, and an out of shape tunnel guard. I face the guard station, where the Grunt demon was holed up. The atmosphere has thickened around the building.

　　"Whoa." Alton`s breathing stops short and he stumbles closer. "Did the gate come open again?"

　　"No." I say. "The demon trapped inside must be trying to cover its escape."

　　Or make a surprise attack. The low hum of a warrior weapon manifests from inside the building. Nugget. She`s inside not being smart, not being safe. I need to get in there by myself. Alton leans forward as he tries to see the station doors clearer. I raise my arm as if to point something out and knock his goggles off.

　　"Hey man! I can`t see." He fumbles with his goggles that are now twisted around his neck. One side of his cheek is bright red. I hit him too hard.

　　"Sorry." Keeping my strength in check isn`t easy when I don`t have time for finesse. "Stay by the shack and be ready to lead the backup team to the station."

　　"Yeah, okay." He says, but I`m already gone.

　　The station doors are wide open. The electric blue of my eyes reflects off a jagged piece of glass still hanging from one of the metal frames. Fog streams inside, a dense milky river around my knees.

　　My eyes burn bright behind my goggles, taking in the destroyed station. It`s a large, white-walled, open space with a small kitchen in the far left corner. Plain white desktops, tables, and cushioned office chairs lay tangled in heaps across the polished concrete floor.

　　Thump-thump, thump-thump, sounds steady from deep inside the station. Nugget is beyond the mounds of debris. Her back is against the far wall in a defensive crouch, ready to spring into action. The glow from her warrior weapon pulses from behind a broken table she`s using for cover.

　　If there was another power I wish I had, it`s the ability to see through things. Her warrior weapon could tell me so much about her and who her family is. I know better than to judge anyone by their family name, but I could get some insight into why she annoys me so much.

　　The clack of the Grunt demon reminds me where my attention should be. The Grunt`s hard beetle shaped carapace is easy to find through the fog. The rapid clicks of its thick insect legs rubbing against each other signals its movement.

　　The demon is at the opposite end of the station but it positions itself directly in front of Nugget. It stays low where the fog is thickest. Hunting her. The Grunt`s back flutters with a rattle as it shakes out its wings in my direction by the door. It registers my presence and dismisses me, honing in on the closer target in front of it.

　　The glow of her goggles highlights her eyes. She shifts her attention from one end of the station to the other. She can`t get a visual of the demon and if she can`t see it, she can`t see me, saving her - again.