Chapter 575: Running Like Hell
There have been a ton of movies about people in vehicles driving away from really big, really bad things. Dragons, dinosaurs, monsters... you know the drill. Laz had always seen those and thought to himself, ’why the hell do people go in a straight line when you could be zigging and zagging." Right now though, Laz was plowing down the interstate at over one hundred and twenty miles an hour wishing he had anything to use as cover right about now and wondering just how the hell he ended up getting stuck dealing with this thing. He also understood that when going this fast, any sudden movements would make even his modified truck flip.
’Oh... So that’s why...’
"Why the fuck am I thinking about this now," Laz yelled as he swerved again slightly, using his senses to the maximum to keep track of the beast as he sped along.
"Fuckity fuck fuck fuck," Laz said, hitting the brake and sliding right, keeping the wheel pointed left as he drifted around a turn.
"Almost there... almost there..." Laz said, seeing the city lights in the distance.
Just as he was within a few miles though, a thought crossed his mind.
’What the hell is the city going to do for me? This thing will tear the place apart...’
In a moment of clarity, Laz decided to turn the truck around and head back the way he came. HIs first thought was that more people and buildings would give him a chance to escape, but the other side to that truth is that this god like beast following him would wreak havoc and mayhem, possibly destroying the place in the process, along with killing an untold number of people.
Just as Laz had gotten the modified truck turned around, the phone he always forgot he had rang.
"LAZ! IS THAT YOU?" Deanna said, her voice a practical yell.
"It’s my number you called," Laz said, wondering why she was shouting.
"Sorry. Sorry. We got a warning from the gate guard and from the building’s security wards that a massive amount of energy was moving towards the city at a record speed from the North. When we looked via the camera’s on the roof, we saw this huge shadow dragon thing flying towards the city. Thanks to our returning security, we knew that you were still there up north and I wanted to make sure you were ok," Deanna said, hearing Laz’s voice being calm also helped calm her.
"Well.. yeah. About that. I don’t have much time to talk but the short version is that thing is chasing me and the temple is gone. They are our allies now so no need to worry about them... but I might have somehow pissed off a massively powerful god and it’s pet is now chasing me," Laz said, swerving again.
There was silence on the phone before Deanna’s loud scream came through.
"WWWHHHHAAAAATTTTT!!!!!??????"
"Hey. No worries. I was originally going to lead it into the city but then thought better about it. So now we are going to take a trip into the desert. Hey. Do me a favor and tell my wives I will call them when this is all over. It might be a while before I get back to them so tell them not worry. I’ll be fine," Laz said.
Before Deanna could utter another word, Laz added,
"I kind of need to focus now so I’m hanging up. Talk to you soon," Laz said before hanging up the phone.
"Well... this is going to be hard," Laz said, thinking out loud.
*I’m not sure if I should praise you for your ability to bring in new allies to my cause, or curse your stupidity for getting yourself into messes such as this,* came a sexy voice, whispering into Laz’s head.
"Turns out those two things seem to be connected actually. So will mommy come to save me?" Laz said out loud, knowing A’ruya would hear him since his mind was currently focused, to an extreme degree, on keeping track of the dragon.
*If you ever call me that again, I will cut off your balls and keep you as a real pet, in a cage!*
"I honestly thought you had considered that before?"
"Shut your damn mouth and listen to me. I can’t help you here. It’s one thing to flex my power to other gods, it’s another for me to challenge a god at the level of my mother. This nameless god that the lust god was speaking about is no small character in our pantheon. Although I could stop his beast, I wouldn’t be able to handle the backlash from the nameless one when they wake up," A’ruya explained, giving Laz a much clearer sense of her power.
"Alright. Well... break the connection with me then. That way there won’t be any backlash when I die. I owe you at least that much for keeping me alive and safe all this time," Laz said, knowing this would be his last fight before the end.
"I said shut up and listen. There is a door not too far from you. Although I don’t know where that gate leads, it’s better than nothing. Once you get through it, although the beast may follow you if it’s fast enough, it might also not. But even if it does, at least you will have more chances to run and hide, wherever it may lead.*
"So go into..."
Laz swerved quickly, causing the truck to go into a barrel roll before coming to stop. The beast had launched itself straight on, it’s massive, truck size claws, scrapping the ground as Laz had swerved to avoid it.
Prying himself from the mangled wreck without a scratch on him, Laz picked himself up and started running.
"So go into the door and pray for the best?"
*I’m not sure how praying to a god would work for you since you have already met several and there are more than a few who don’t like you as well.*
"What about the one most holy and highest?"
*If there was one like that, why would they care about some weak little ant such as yourself? Besides, you think that once they get to a level such as what you describe, that they are still known only as a god?*
"FUCK. Not the time to be going all philosophical."
*Shut up and jump!*
Laz launched himself to the left, barely getting into the path between the claws as they swiped past.
*And I think you mean theological?*
"Not the time."
Laz ran as fast as he could, which was way faster than he thought.
"What the fuck?" Laz said out loud as his shoes were heating up and melting underneath him.
*I would say you need to not drag your feet so much. Right now you’re going fast enough to break apart and melt your shoes. Actually, I didn’t bother to mention this earlier, but you’re actually faster than that truck you were driving ever since reaching this realm.*
"So i could run faster than.... fuck...."
*It still provided you with some protection and cover, hence why I didn’t recommend you abandon it. Still, your doorway is just ahead. I’m not sure how far you will go or where you will go, but I trust you will make it back, We might lose connection as well...*
"Alright. If I make it back, do I get a present?"
*Would you like me to step on you again?*
"Only if I can call you mommy?"
*Just shut up and run. One day, maybe after you’ve broken into the god realm, you might start to attract my interest. Of course for that to happen, you need to live that long first.*
"Best encouragement I have ever gotten. Bye mommy!"
The door was carved stone, with figures depicted fighting epic beasts. Some of them Laz caught a quick glimpse of and thought they looked familiar. Others were ones he had never seen before, but seemed to strike some sort of note in his mind, like he should recognize them but didn’t.
Laz didn’t bother to dwell on it too much though as he threw open the door to step through.
Just as he did so though, Laz felt a searing pain in his back, like someone had just ripped all of the flesh off from him from his upper back down to his lower legs. Laz even briefly smelled what could only be described as hair burning before he fell forward, stumbling though the door and hitting the ground on the other side.
*BOY! BOY!!!*
Laz could hear A’ruyas screams, but he couldn’t reply. The grass was green here and the sun shone bright in the sky, despite the world he left on the other side being covered in the darkness of night.
Even in his damaged state, Laz got to his feet as he moved to the door, pushing it closed.
Just before it did so fully, something that could only be described by Laz as a black whoosh shot through, past Laz and into the sky before suddenly vanishing from sight.
Laz then managed to push the door shut tight as invisible locks clicked into place. Whatever needed to happen to reopen it would be something to worry about later.
Looking up into the sky, Laz thought he saw a figure dressed in white and gold descend before blackness took him allowing him to pass into endless yet peaceful darkness.
