Prompt#29: The End is Nigh!

Word Count: 644 of 666 MAX
DAY 29 Prompt: The End is Nigh!

         Jakob could just make out the four words through the smear of blood. They were written on a dilapidated sandwich board still hanging from the man’s shoulders. Unfortunately his head was nowhere to be seen.

         “Buddy, you don’t know the half of it,” he mumbled. High above, dark purple clouds swirled. Lightning the color of jade flickered down, carving deep gouges in the earth and killing any human foolish enough to be lingering out in the open.

         Across the street, near the doomsayer’s body was the main entrance to Bancroft Global’s New York offices. Unfortunately two heavily armed Dwarven bruisers stood guard out front.

         How the hell had Charlotte gotten by? Unfortunately he wasn’t able to contact her to find out. The Elfin tracker had too much of a head start and by the time he’d gotten this far, she’d already somehow managed to slip by the guards. The moment she had entered the building their psychic link was severed. Whatever was in there had to be formidable if it was able to cast wards powerful enough to cause the disruption. They were both blind to each other unless he could get in there.

         The car he was hiding behind wouldn’t afford much protection the moment those dwarves discovered him. He’d just have to be quick about it. He didn’t recognize the Clan symbols carved into the armor, but wasn’t surprised. Once the Fey broke the truce and launched their invasion, the world was suddenly overrun by magic. What the FBC had on file was nothing more than a drop in an ocean of races, Houses, Clans and more.

         He realized the armor wasn’t metal as he’d first suspected. It was definitely stonework and that he could work with. He brought his gun to his lips and quietly whispered his spell. As a war mage, he was extremely proficient in offensive spellcasting. He was also extremely ruthless.

         Satisfied, he stood and stepped around the car. The dwarves spotted him immediately. At the same moment, he felt the air around him begin to build an electric charge. Lightning flashed down landing a direct strike atop him. It was a lot to absorb and it felt like an elephant sitting on his shoulders. He spread his legs wide to keep from dropping to his knees. He raised an arm and pointed at one of the guards, finger out and thumb up like a gun. He opened the path and the trapped lightning took off, the weight quickly subsiding.

         The lightning exited the only way it could, via Jakob’s finger. It slammed into the dwarf’s face with such force and heat that his head instantly dissolved, the heavy body crashing to the asphalt. The act happened so fast it caused the second dwarf to pause in astonishment. Jakob took advantage of the mistake and raised his gun. The dwarf saw the movement, realized what was happening and sneered.

         “Hey there Dopey. You ever heard of a bunker buster?”

         The dwarf spoke in thick tones that reminded Jakob of two boulders slowly rubbing against one another. He recognized the dialect but couldn’t make out the words. “No problem. Let me show you.”

         The bullet impacted against the Dwarven breastplate. And just like a normal bunker buster, it easily penetrated the stone and entered the soft flesh hiding behind it. Then it exploded. The armor was able to contain the blast and the force was channeled the only direction it could go…up. As Jakob hurriedly stepped past the smoking body he remembered the doomsayer’s sign and the ill fated words scribbled on it.

          Not if I have anything to say about it. Inside, the lobby was empty, the elevators open to darkened interiors. No power there. He spied a door marked stairs and dashed towards it, the gun raising to his lips, a whisper already on his tongue.