"You know, I distinctly remember Agad saying something like 'you finally get to rest' after Zzyxx." Kendra complained.
She usually wasn't one for complaining, but being sent on another deadly mission to retrieve some sort of special sword made her a little cranky. Supposedly it would hold as another obstacle for anyone to open Zzyxx. They weren't given particulars, instead told to just trust that what they were doing was worth it.
"Well, there's one lesson for you, you never get rest." Trask stated.
"Always the optimist, aren't you buddy?" Warren quickly retorted, never one to miss out on poking a sleeping bear – the bear being Trask.
"Watch it, or you'll end up with another scratch on your cheek."
Warren rolled his eyes at Trask's threat, knowing no matter how tough he acted, Trask wouldn't harm them.
Still his fingers flew up to gingerly touch said scratch he got from the last guardian, a half bear half man wielding one hell of a sharp spear. Kendra was ordered to sneak past it while him, Trask, and Mara distracted it. Unfortunately the half-breed sensed their plan and went to attack Kendra instead. Warren had pushed her to the side just in time but couldn't leap out of the way before he got nicked. The wound barely bothered him – in fact, he would have been surprised if he had gotten away uninjured.
Now, as they approached what seems to be the final room they all stopped and surveyed what was in front of them.
"It looks like some sort of arena." Trask was right, although it lacked thousands of screaming fans they had come out of a tunnel into a closed stone arena.
"There's a line around the entire floor, my guess marking a border." Mara stated.
"Do you think it's safe to cross?" Kendra asked.
"One was to find out," and with that Warren stepped over. As he crossed, a light shone in the middle of the arena. As it faded, it showed the sword they were supposed to retrieve. Words also appeared in the dirt by it, but Warren didn't recognize the language.
"Kendra, we might have a message written in Silvian over here." He called. He didn't reach for the sword; it seemed too easy.
Kendra crossed over the line next and came up to stand next to enough, the words looked like English to her. Before she could read what was written Trask spoke up behind them.
"What the hell? We can't enter!"
Looking back Mara and Trask were trying to get past the line but something was holding them back. Glancing at Warren, he went to see if he could pull them through and Kendra turned back to the message scrawled on the floor.
"Two may enter, and two may leave, if they can overcome the final guardian: The curse of Shattered Sight." Kendra read out loud. As she said the words dark purple smoke started barreling towards her and Warren.
"Warren! What the hell is the curse of Shattered Sight?" She yelled as he ran back to her.
"I don't know. Get behind me." Kendra couldn't see what getting behind Warren would do against the smoke quickly filling the arena, but she obliged. Soon the smoke washed over them, and she was filled with a sudden anger – no, rage – directed at Warren. How the hell did he expect to protect her from smoke? She didn't need to get behind him! She could handle herself!
The smoke cleared and she saw Warren stood there glaring at her. She glared right back.
"Well getting behind you totally worked!" She snapped at him sarcastically. A voice in the back of her mind screamed at her to calm down but she ignored it.
"Well sorry! I was just trying to protect you!" He growled right back, a steely tone in his voice that she had never heard before.
"Stop it both of you!" Trask yelled. "You are under some sort of curse and you need to snap out of it!"
"Yeah, the curse is that I'm stuck in here with her!" Warren yelled drawing his sword. Kendra grabbed the sword on the pedestal. On the mission, Warren had insisted she go weaponless like usual, which left her unable to defend herself.
"Warren, no!" Mara yelled but it was too late, their swords were clashing, attacking each other viciously.
Kendra knew her skills in wielding a sword were poor compared to Warren's, but that didn't stop her. Warren brought his sword back and went for her neck, Kendra moved just in time for it to settle just over her shoulder, blocked by her own sword.
"You're weak." He hissed at her. Infuriated, she brought the hilt of her sword up and smashed it into his temple.
He stumbled back, clutching his head with both hands, having lost the grip on his sword. Inside her mind Kendra heard that annoying voice telling her to stop, and again she ignored it. Hitting him had felt too damn good.
She raised her sword again but Warren knocked it out of her hands with a well placed hit. He glared at her, and the next thing Kendra knew, his fist was smashing into her face. Blood rushed from her nose as pain exploded from the area of impact. She ignored it and fought back.
Fists were flying and they were beating each other relentlessly. Finally Kendra knocked Warren to the ground and pinned him there with her foot to his neck. Grinning triumphantly she reached down and grabbed his fallen sword. Replacing her foot with it she looked down, watching as Warren's face finally betrayed a little fear.
Good. She thought. He should be scared of me.
No, Kendra, don't do it.
The voice in her head was louder than ever. She couldn't place it but the now distinctly male voice reminded her of someone. Suddenly memories flooded her mind – good memories, like Warren and her laughing as Dale tried to figure out where his truck keys went, dancing around the kitchen, Warren teaching her how to drive, Warren comforting her as she cried about some dumb fight she had with Bracken, Warren protecting her, Warren always protecting her.
She looked back down at Warren, confusion and horror filling her eyes, horror at what she had done. She quickly moved the sword away from his neck.
"Warr-" Warren had taken advantage of her shock and had kicked her feet out from under her knocking her flat on the ground. Before she could even realize what was happening he was on her, his pocket knife at her throat.
She finally was close enough to see that his eyes were glazed over and looked like…like shattered glass. It hit her – the curse of Shattered Sight.
"Warren! Warren stop please!" she cried wincing as the knife pressed further into her neck almost cutting her windpipe off.
"Why should I? Give me one good reason." He growled, glaring hard down at her.
"Because I'm your cousin, and you are under a curse! Come on Warren, you don't want to hurt me, and deep down you know that. Snap out of it, please!" she pleaded, seeing a hint of doubt flicker across his features she took this opportunity to reach up and yank the knife away from her and out of his grasp.
Rage filled his eyes once more and his hand closed around her throat cutting of anything she was going to say.
Kendra struggled against his hold but with without oxygen she was slowly starting to weaken. Using the last bit of strength she had she grasped at his hand around her throat, whispering,
"Warren…it's me…please." The edges of her vision started to blacken and she closed her eyes. She was sure she was going to die at the hands of her best friend when suddenly, she felt that the hand was gone.
Gasping for breath, her eyes snapped open to find Warren standing up, looking confused. She pushed herself up on her elbows.
"Kens?" He whispered, sounding much more like himself.
"Oh, thank God." She sighed, collapsing once more. Almost dying takes a lot out of a person.
Trask and Mara hustled over, the barrier holding them back no longer there. Trask picked up the sword they came for as well as Warren's. Warren himself tugged Kendra to her feet before hugging her near.
"I'm so sorry Kendra," he muttered in her ear. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, and I'm sorry too," pulling back she winced at the bruise at his temple "You're probably gonna have a big headache for the next…week."
He grinned and patted her back as they began following Mara and Trask out of this place. "Yeah, and when your grandfather sees the bruises on your throat in the shape of my hand? Well, pray for me." She just shook her head because she knew he was only half joking. "By the way, how did you break out of the curse anyway?" Warren asked.
Kendra smirked at the question.
"I don't know for sure but I think I have a slight idea." She answered, fingers fiddling with the silver bracelet on her wrist.
When they finally arrived back she found Bracken sitting on her bed, seemingly waiting for her with a big grin on his face. Smiling she launched herself at him and buried her face in his shoulder, effectively pushing him back on to the bed. She smiled as his delighted laugh filled her ears.
"Someone's happy to see me." He teased. Rolling her eyes she pulled back to look at him.
"Thank you." She said simply. He raised his eyebrows, confused at first but then he realized what she was talking about.
"Ah, you mean saving you from killing poor Warren? Yeah, sorry to invade your mind, but I could feel the rage coming from the bracelet I gave you and I thought I would check on you." He said sheepishly.
"Don't apologize. If you hadn't invaded my mind, Warren would be dead." she replied. "So I am very glad you did." She kissed him softly before standing and pulling him up with her. "Come on, Warren will probably want to thank you as well."
As they walked to the door she felt him stop beside her.
"No thanks needed, and Kendra?" She turned around to face him, looking up expectantly.
"Hm?"
"Remind me to never get on your bad side."
