Xaldin left the room as soon as he had risen from the bow and Nuxula had to be quick to follow him out into the hall. He was silent as he strode down the hall, never even looking at Nuxula.
Shortly after Nuxula realized that they were about to leave the castle and go into the city that never was. She looked at the main door; it was large and ominous in so many ways. Without even lifting a finger, Xaldin opened the door and he and Nuxula left the castle and headed into the streets. The city was deserted, as always. As they continued on a small group of gambler nobodies passed, being led into the fortress by Luxord, who had been absent at Nuxula's induction ceremony, he and Xaldin did not even exchange glances.
After several minutes of walking Xaldin walked up the front steps of one building and stepped inside. Inside it was no normal building, there was no furniture, nothing, but the floor was covered in glowing blue circles, there was only enough room to squeeze between without stepping on them. As Nuxula looked at them she could see vague images moving around in them.
Xaldin stopped in front of one of the circles and motioned to Nuxula to follow him as he stepped inside and disappeared from sight. She swallowed hard, and followed.
When her eyes opened she was no longer in the odd building but was instead in an odd forest with bright colored trees and foliage.
And for the first time Xaldin looked to her. "I don't know what we may find, bring forth your weapon." He commanded.
Nuxula nodded and threw her right arm out to her side and as she did a large whip appeared in her hand. It had four heads and each was tipped with a small spiked orb. She cracked it once against a tree to test it out, and as she did the tree collapsed under the strike and fell to the ground.
Xaldin nodded his approval, and brought forth his own weapons, two lances were gripped in his hands AND FOUR MORE LEVITATED AROUND HIM.
Xaldin gave Nuxula a quick nod and darted behind a large tree. As he went he motioned her to follow and to stay down. She leapt into a bush nearby where Xaldin was and stayed crouched down. She was about to turn to Xaldin and ask him why they stopped but she never got the chance. A rustling could be heard from a tree filled area not too far away. Then a strange group of creatures popped out of the copse and into the clearing where Xaldin and Nuxula had been seconds before.
They were shaped like large red and black playing cards and each was armed with a large weapon. There were probably a dozen of them. They all looked around and then they continued down and a very beaten path that Nuxula hadn't noticed.
When they were nearly out of sight Xaldin looked to her. "A dozen to two? I'll take 8; you can handle the other four." Xaldin stated this, he did not ask.
He jumped from behind the tree and called out, "Hey, you heading back to your queen? So am I!"
The cards whirled around on him. The one who was in charge, a black card with a jack stepped forward. "Who is it that speaks to her majesty's royal army in such a way?"
Xaldin bowed and his hovering lances tipped down as well. "My name is Xaldin; I have come to kill your majesty."
They needed no more excuse, at once they rushed back to the man, who merely laughed. Nuxula stayed hidden and watched the spectacle, until Xaldin looked to him and motioned to her to move in.
Right before the first solder made contact with Xaldin a whip cracked from behind and bush and tripped the creature to its stomach and one of Xaldin's lance plunged into its back and the snapped back to attention. AT this the others stopped and looked for the source of the whip. The leader found it first, as it snapped out again and dove through his face.
The others around him screamed and finally Nuxula leapt out. Xaldin laughed at the spectacle and sent his four lances to the 4 nearest targets and they went to work. The solders tried to guard from the blows that were striking hard. Soon all 4 were dead and Nuxula had killed two as well. Four were left and Xaldin yelled for Nuxula to move. Xaldin jumped up into the air and threw the two lances he was holding in the air and they joined the other four. The weapons spun around Xaldin in a blur, then suddenly stopped and all formed a circle in the air, all tips were pointed to the guards. Xaldin threw his hands forward and a large orb a green and blue formed in his hands, then, it fired as well did the lances. The orb of energy expanded like a giant gust of wind and knocked the cards on their heels as the lances sliced them to bits.
When the spectacle was over Nuxula came out again and looked to Xaldin, who was now lowered back to the ground and had his lance back in hand.
"That was amazing, you can control wind, why didn't you do that at the start and saved us some time?" Nuxula demanded of him.
"Then I wouldn't have seen you work that weapon." Without another word he began walking down the path the cards were headed in and Nuxula quickly moved to follow.
After a few moments Nuxula noticed that there began to be less random trees and more arrangements of flows and the like. Soon it was clear that the forest was behind them and they were now in a garden. In the distance a castle could be seen. As they continued voices could be heard coming from behind a large hedge.
Xaldin grinned wide and gave a laugh. The voices suddenly stopped, and someone ordered a few guards to investigate. Three more of the card solders popped from behind the hedge. They stared and Xaldin and Nuxula for a second.
Xaldin put a finger to his lips and let out a long, "Shussssssssh." The lances did their work and pierced through them.
Xaldin had the lance carve a nice entranceway in the hedge and he and Nuxula shoved their way in. They were in another part of the garden. A game of croquet was set up among the flowers but no one was playing. There was a throne at the edge of the garden.
In the throne sat a large, fat woman wearing a red and black dress, which made her look even more poufy. There were about two dozen solders in the garden as well. Several made a move on them, but were stopped by the queen.
She stared at the two in silence. "Ahhhhh, so the organization has not given up trying to get my heart." She said at last.
"As a heartless you will have even more power, you are at no loss here." Xaldin stated.
"Then why did you kill three dozen of men and break into my palace last time, if this is true you could have simply made a proposition."
"Not as much fun." This time it was Nuxula who spoke.
The queen and Xaldin both looked at5 her.
"What a mouth on that one." The queen stated. 'I like her. Why didn't you send her the first time?"
"Not as much fun." Xaldin mocked. "But enough, will this be the easy way or the fun way?"
The queen's silence was all he needed for answer. His four hovering lances made for her heart but several guards attempted to grab them and stop their movement, this worked horribly as they ripped the guard to shreds. But right before the lance ripped into her flesh they bounced away as if there was a shield protecting her. In this moment of confusion the rest of the solders made for the pair. Nuxula's whip intercepted the first few and tore them apart. She retracted it and this time struck out her hand and a group of trees nearby fell and crushed several men.
The trees then stood up and seamed to move on their own accord, but it was Nuxula who was controlling them. They used their branches like weapons and began swatting cards left and right.
Xaldin, the trees and Nuxula worked together and in moments all cards were dead. The trees stood still at attention, waiting for word from Nuxula.
"That was fun." Nuxula said to Xaldin. "Now my lady, your heart, if you will?" Her voice was so sweat it could rot teeth.
This time when Xaldin's lances shot forward there was no barrier. There was a flash of light and the queen was gone. In her place a wide eyed four legged beast in the same colors of the queen.
"Our work is done, her nobody is at the castle already, we can leave." Xaldin said as he turned and left.
Nuxula gave one last look at the beast and followed Xaldin out.
