There was a momentary lull in the musket fire as the soldiers reloaded their rifles. Maite took the opportunity to charge the soldiers, lightning flowing down her arms and crackling on her finger tips. Her hair, charged with electricity, stood on end, sparks bursting from the end of each strand. She screamed like a banshee as she rushed toward the soldiers, most of whom immediately dropped their guns and fled. 

Only the commander remained, trembling as he aimed his pistol at Maite’s forehead. He fired, but the musket ball burst into a million little pieces before reaching its intended target. As Maite raised her good arm, her fingers stretched out, the commander fainted.

Maite stepped over the limp form of the commander. She knew the zatia had to be near, but she didn’t see any sign of it. Her senses were to overwhelmed by her power to home in on it. She was effectively blind. She looked around the room but could sense nothing.

She scanned the room for any soldiers. Only the commander, unconscious on the floor, remained. She let her aura fade. Her hair fell down, disheveled but no longer full of static. She focused her power on her senses. There. She could sense the zatia below her. She fell to her knees, probing the cobble stones with her fingers. There must be some kind of door in the floor. She found a loose stone and, dislodging it, revealed a metal ring. 

She stood up and pulled on the ring with her good arm, but nothing happened. She looked around and grabbed one of the abandoned rifles to use as leverage. Shoving one end through the ring, she put all her weight on the other side. She felt the door budge, just slightly. She pushed again and this time was able to dislodge the door just enough to kick another rifle under. She put the tip of yet another rifle in the crack and pushed with all her might. The door flung open to reveal a dark passage into the earth below. 

Maite felt like she must have just opened the gate to hell. Rungs were built into the side of the stone passage way, leading down. Maite willed her feet to glow and took a first step into the hole.

She heard the crack just before the musket ball slammed into her back. She screamed and turned to see the commander, propping himself up with one arm, his smoking pistol aimed at her. She roared, flinging her good arm in the direction of the commander as lightning shot forth, striking him in the chest. The man convulsed a few moments before his body lay still on the cold ground.

Maite passed out and fell down the dark shaft.

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