August is a month for Prompts #17
8/17: Heist (Part 2)
Part 1 is Day 13: Etiquette
In the middle of the barren basin of Ura sits a single stone structure that doesn’t quite reach the top.
Ivory’s Castle sits on top of the pillar like stone structure with a broad road winding around it. Gilda sat on one of the surrounding walls and watched with her binoculars as the black cars started rolling in.
Every vehicle that made the climb up the steep winding path to the looming castle at the top was luxurious and the occupants dripped in finery. The black flowing clothing clad scout of the Hummingbirds had an assignment to fulfill and awaited her captain's signal.
Snap!
Captain Mine’s familiar snap echoed throughout the basin like a singing bowl. Gilda’s eyes started to glow and billows of fog burst from beneath her clothing to the point where she began and the fog ended was impossible to determine. The fog cloud swooped down like a peregrine falcon diving towards its prey. Before it touched down it spiraled up filling the basin from the bottom to the top. The few guards posted didn’t think anything of the fog, they were accustomed to odd occurrences of nature.
“Fog this time,” one guard groans.
“Better than the blizzard that came through the other day,” another responded.
They looked at each other and started to chuckle not realizing the ethereal girl that slipped passed them. Once inside the industrial facility she maintained a condensed fog form and maneuvered through the rocky passages.
“Violet,” Gilda whispered to a small mechanical hummingbird, “I’m inside and I’ve released my Hum-B. Lead the way.”
The hum-b chirped and performed a loop before beckoning her to follow. Gilda followed the hum-b and dispatched several guards along her way making sure to use her food to move the bodies. The hum-b tapped on a door with its needle like beak rhythmically.
“Fred you weren’t supposed to be here for another hour,” a voice barked from beyond the door and became louder as the person inside got closer. “I told you Betty wasn’t gonna like you having a work wife-“
After a series of beeps and buzzes the door clicked and the man inside pushed it open. His jaw dropped the moment he opened the door, everything beyond it was obscured by a dense fog. He reached for the radio on his hip but felt a warm liquid spill down his chest. He reached for his neck and turned to see a girl wrapped in a cloak of fog disappear down the narrow hallway. He collapsed in a pool of his own blood and hoarsely groaned.
“The scroll...”
Gilda sauntered into the vault with the hum-b buzzing busily by her head. They passed an assortment of eight artifacts on podiums in glass cases and approached the ninth on a black levitating platform. Gilda took her physical form and exhaled a plume of smog which revealed a maze of lasers. The Hum-b zipped through the labyrinth of lasers nimbly and pressed a button at the back of the room with its beak. The lasers powered down and Gilda was able to approach the floating podium.
A scroll rolled and placed in a golden cylinder with rubies adorning it’s length awaited her grasp. Suddenly, a voice began to whisper and a chill ran down her spine.
“Oh banshee of the fog bank, free me from this perpetual cell. I’ve been wrongfully accused and forced to inhabit this form for millennia. Free me and I shall grant your every wish and desire.”
Gilda’s eyebrow raised curiously and whispered, “Violet did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” a soft voice asked from the Hum-B.
“Do not waste your breath on technology, it cannot hear my voice. Only the living can discern the voice of a god. Release me and joy shall be yours!”
The Hum-B started to chirp and said, “Unnatural occurrence detected.”
Gilda snatched the scroll from the podium, used her powers to become fog and made a beeline for the exit. Once beyond the door she noticed the pool of golden liquid that flooded the lower level.
“Violet I need another way out.”
“Hey!” a guard exclaimed, “What are you doing he-“
Gilda lunged at him and flipped him over her head into the rising pool below. The Hum-B started to fly around her head and shot up towards the ceiling. Gilda made sure to follow the Hum-B using her fog form.
Gilda used her powers to move through the vents and exploded into Ivory’s Castle kitchen. The chef started to scream about fire as the dense fog quickly filled the room. The sounds of dishes clattering, people screaming and scuffling transformed the once well-oiled machine into chaos. When the fog cleared in an instant the kitchen staff looked bewildered. Suddenly, the building started to shake. The attendees of the ball started to scream. However, Gilda could hear Hudson snoring and Jack yelling for direction from their Captain.
Snap!
Gilda knew the others had retreated but she could still hear Hudson’s snore. She saw him asleep under a window as a massive wave of golden fluid rushed towards the door. She clenched her jaw and pushed herself as fast as she could. She managed to scoop up Hudson, spin and dive out of the window as the liquid shattered it. She immediately took her fog form and reconvened with The Hummingbirds on the roof of Ivory’s Castle. She handed Captain Mine the scroll.
“Mission accomplished Cap,” she sighed heavily.
Gilda was exhausted and felt light headed. She started to sway back and forth.
“Very good,” Mine said, “Time to go.”
Snap!
The Hummingbirds reappeared on the Perfidious Nest and everyone dispersed through the ship. Gilda approached Captain Mine and said, “Be careful with that Cap. It speaks.”
“Of course it speaks. It’s the eternal home of a genie. Was he rude to you dear?”
“No,” Gilda said, “It just gives me the creeps.”
“Ah,” Mine said, “Noted dear. I’ll give it over to Tonja. If anyone can keep someone or something in line it’s her.”
Mine walked away with the scroll tossing it in the air and Gilda couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it. Acquiring the scroll was easy, too easy.
Find out what happens next in the conclusion of this tale on Day 31 Oops
***
Stay Tuned…
Mine Imagination: Flight of the Hummingbirds
By: T. M. Ashley
M.I Flight of the Hummingbirds is the debut by T. M. Ashley, which features a six century old mastermind that was banished from space and time and is now free to do as he pleases and find his way home. Read the Prologue here:
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