Vivi's heart pounded. They had been running and battling through scores after scores of demons, moving down the twisting and turning halls into the cliffside. His ears had popped some time ago, so he knew they were deep inside the earth. The beasts just seemed to keep coming, and he didn't have a clue as to how much time they had left.
If they had any left at all.
No one had done much casting, as they expected things to get much worse before they got to Cal. Those who could melee had been doing so, and protecting those who only used magic. And it hadn't been easy. The demons were tougher the further they went.
"How many more are there?" Zidane asked desperately as he cut another down and it vanished back to the hell is came from.
"Too many!" Orko responded, dodging by an inch as one slashed at him with deadly claws, only to be killed by Dregan.
"Faster!" Vivi shouted. "We've got to go faster! Cal's running out of time!"
They quickly moved on.
Another batch of demons, and another, and still no end in sight. Fortunately, the hallway was a one way route, as there were no other branched. They did pass by a room, empty, that seemed to be the only one. The door, which was open, sported a small window high up, with iron bars closing it off like a jail cell. As they passed, Zentarou, his eyes glowing with eye shine from his feline heritage, caught sight of something and went in.
"Look at this!" He held up a piece of a blue material, identical to Vivi's coat... and Calan's as well.
"He was here!" the Black Mage exclaimed, clutching at the cloth. He was here, alive. Before he could think more, another score of demons attacked.
"Hold them off!" one commanded his kin. "Your life if even one gets by us!"
"Thanks for telling us we're on the right track!" Dregan growled as Thorn, glittering in the magical torch light that illuminated the way, sliced the demon in half.
For Vivi time seemed to drag on forever, before they reached another door. One closed and, as Zidane found out when he rammed his shoulder into it, barred from the other side.
"Allow me," Zentarou said with a courtly bow. He held out his hand towards it, and used a spell. The wood splintered like brittle crystal, revealing the room beyond. And what they saw there made Vivi nearly sick.
Two demons, larger than any they had faced before, stood one to a side of a table, where Calan was strapped down, bucking wildly. Tubes ran to needled in his arms and to a metal dome over his head, and dark purple fluid was oozing through them.
"Calan!" Vivi shouted. The demons both drew swords.
"You are too late!" one crowed triumphantly. "The final stage has begun, and soon he shall be our Master's slave, willing to destroy you!"
"NO!" Both groups charged forward, and the battle was joined.