Tin Man
Imaris
Chapter Nine-Battle Stations
We entered the castle, keen on making sure that we weren't seen. DG had come up with the idea of a diversion, and that's when Toto had come into role.
"If you truly want to redeem yourself, that you want to change back to DG's side, then this is your chance," Cain said to Toto seriously.
He was still keeping a tight grip on my hand as though afraid that I'd be snatched away or something. Toto nodded and changed back into the dog, barking at some Long Coats. Once they were out of the picture, we moved on. Glitch had said that DG and I should take care of Azkadelia while Cain, Glitch and Raw headed off to find Ambrose's brain and to stop the Sun Seeder from working. As we turned a corner, something furry jumped on me, causing me to fall back onto my backside. At first I thought it was Toto playing around and going back on his word.
"Toto I swear," I growled. "When I change into a wolf I will have you for supper for going back on your word!"
But when I blinked a few times, I realized it wasn't Toto, but another wolf. This one was black with amber eyes. It snarled, pulling back the top lip of its snout, baring the white canines and incisors as it took a threatening step toward me. My heart pounded in my chest. Cain reached into his holster and pulled out his gun, clicking back the hammer and aiming it at the wolf.
"Get up slowly, Emma," Cain said in a low voice, keeping the gun pointed at the wolf, prepared to pull the trigger incase it decided to attack. I did what he had said and got to my feet. I went to inch toward him, when the wolf changed before my eyes. A girl was standing there. It took me a minute to register. Risik.
"Risik!" I cried shocked and outraged. "How are you a shape shifter?"
Risik laughed coldly. "Oh my dear Emma. Honestly. You are so stupid and naive. I knew how much you loved animals. So I took lessons from Toto. I watched how you practiced so I was able to follow without anyone ever knowing. Azkadelia learned of my talent and requested that I serve her, trying to bring you and that other brat DG down. Oh, here's a shocker for you," Risik said smugly as she took a few steps toward me and put her face closer to mine. I could see Cain tensing up behind her, prepared to help if she made so much as a sneeze. "Your lovely Daddy? You know the one who married Shannon? Newsflash, they're really my parents. They took you in when your foolish mother separated you and DG from the O.Z. They were hoping that you'd eventually remember things from here and evidently know where the Emerald of the Eclipse was. But with no such luck."
Her expression was cold and unemotional now. I felt my heart hammering in my chest now, torn between anger and hurt. She continued though.
"That's why Daddy told you he was marrying Shannon as a step mother so you wouldn't figure things out. But there's one little problem we didn't count on…you being psychic. So now," Risik said stepping back a few inches and lowering her head so that her chin touched her chest. "I have to ultimately destroy you."
Cain went to take a step forward, but Risik backhanded him, knocking him into a pipe. Glitch quickly bent down to help him up, but Cain was struggling to get to be against Glitch's grasp. I turned my eyes onto him.
"Go. Stop the Sun Seeder. I'll be fine," I said in a choked voice.
Risik changed back into the black wolf. Knowing what I had to do, I shut my eyes and changed as well. The familiar sensation took over me and once I opened my eyes, I was seeing everything in the familiar black, white and grey. Cain had a look of utmost fear on his face. I barked in his direction, urging him to go. Slowly, Glitch dragged Cain away and I turned my attention onto the black wolf. Snarling, I bared my fangs at her as the two of began to circle one another. Out of the corner of my eye, I spied DG climbing an iron ladder that led up to the next level. I knew she was on her way to stop Azkadelia. I flattened my ears against my neck and snarled again, eyes ablaze with anger. Risik made the first move to charge me and I matched her, both of meeting in the center of the circle. I reared up and used my forepaws to scratch her face, alongside her muzzle. She howled in pain and then sank her teeth into my shoulder, biting down hard. I let out a whelp and felt warm blood gushing. But somehow I had renewed energy and continued to fight. Snarling and biting at her. Both of us were oddly equally matched. She batted at my muzzle, causing me to momentarily lose balance and sliding on my side a few inches. Before I could get up, Risik stood over me with a smug expression as she then lowered her muzzle again, preparing to swipe at me. Using my four paws, I pushed her off of me. She landed on her back, with all fours pointing toward the ceiling. Shakily and wobbly, I got up on all fours. My fur was matted from where she had bitten me. A few ruby droplets had formed on the ground, as I walked, favoring my left foreleg. I hopped toward her and stood over her. Just as I was about to sink my fangs into her ebony fur, she extended her muzzle up and clamped them on my neck. I felt her teeth sinking into my flesh. A look of surprise came across my face as blackness swallowed me up.
"Let me go back to Emma!" Cain argued still struggling against Glitch's grip.
"She wanted you to stop the Sun Seeder," Glitch said softly, but he too, had a look of fear and worry on his face. "She didn't want you to get hurt."
"It's not me I care about it's her!" Cain said.
Eventually, Glitch, Cain and Raw entered a room. There was a glass box in the center of the room where a brain was. A few cables and whatnot were attached to it. Cain looked at Glitch.
"Time to get reacquainted with yourself," he said, but immediately, his mind shifted to Emma and fear was gripping his chest now. If she died on him, that would be it. He didn't know what he would do without her. Raw touched the box and then put a hand on Glitch's shoulder. Cain began interrogating him for the numbers to shut the Sun Seeder down. Each time Ambrose, which was Glitch's real name, said the number, Cain typed it on an old typewriter like machine. Just then the door swung open. Startled, Cain, Ambrose and Raw looked up. Risik stood in human form wounded in several spots, but there was a bit of blood on her chin.
"Where is Emma?" Cain demanded angrily.
"Who?" Risik asked cruelly. "Oh Emma. The pathetic loser. She's dead. I killed her. I tore her throat out."
She was grinning sadistically. Cain felt his legs go numb and weak, briefly slumping against the control panel.
"You're lying," Cain said forcing his voice to remain in control.
"Am I?" Risik demanded taking a few steps and it was then that they saw a cattle prod like object in her hand. "This is her blood." Risik pointed to her chin. "It's time for you to take a time out."
With that, she thrusted the tip of the cattle prod into Raw, causing him to fall. A few Long Coats entered the room. One of them shot Cain and he collapsed to his side. Glitch was held at the machine and Risik demanded the numbers to start up the Sun Seeder again. What they didn't know was that Cain was fine, the little miniature horse carving that he'd had when his son was small, tucked into his pocket, catching the bullet before it pierced him. He easily reached into a small sheath that was tied to his waist and pulled out a knife. Waiting for the right moment, he tossed it and the blade hit the nearest Long Coat in the chest. Scrambling to his feet, he grabbed his hat and quickly placed it onto his head. Glitch fought with the other Long Coats and that only left Risik now. Now having the three against one, Risik began backing up. But just then, his eyes shifted behind Risik.
I stood leaning against the door frame. I was holding a knife in my hand. The wound where Risik had bitten me was slowly stopping bleeding, but my white poplin was stained with blood as were my hands. My hair hung over my shoulders in waves, but a few strands were caked with blood. My shoulder was in such pain, I had no idea how I made it here. I was weak and lightheaded from the loss of blood. But I saw Cain's startled expression in front of Risik, who had no idea I was behind her.
"I agree. It's time for a time out, friend," I said in a watery and strained voice. With that, before Risik could turn around, I pushed the knife into her back. She slowly turned around, a look of pure shock on her face. The shock turned to anger and she grabbed a hold of my shoulder, where she'd bitten while she was a wolf and dug her fingers into the wounds. I cried out in agony and felt myself getting even more lightheaded. Finally her grip on my shoulder loosened and she slipped to the floor dead. I too, sank to the floor. Cain went to rush over to me immediately, but I held up a hand.
"Shut down the Sun Seeder," I said in the watery and strained voice.
Cain hesitated before turning to Ambrose.
"What's the last number!" he demanded urgently.
Ambrose frantically tried to think. "I can't remember," he said panicked.
"Fine. Then we do it this way," Cain said quickly pulling out his gun and aiming it at the glass box, preparing to shoot.
"Wait!" Raw said.
"12/08 the Queen's birthday! Of course!" Ambrose said happily. Cain typed it in and we knew the Sun Seeder had been stopped. But what about Azkadelia and DG? Deciding that I figured we'd won the battle, I watched Cain as he quickly rushed over to me and crouched down in front of me, taking my shoulders easily, but some of my blood had gotten onto his hands.
"Oh God," he said swallowing thickly. "She needs medical attention."
Cain raised his eyes to Raw and Ambrose. I gave him a watery smile and reached out to gently put a hand on the side of his face. Cain tilted his face into my palm, but his eyes were locked on mine.
"Raw feel Emma slipping," Raw said thickly.
"No," Cain said shaking his head feverishly. "I'm not going to let her die!"
Renewed passion and energy came over him as he slipped one arm behind my back and the other underneath my legs, picking me up. Weak, I let my head rest against his shoulder, my hair falling slightly into my face as my arm dangled over his. I heard Ambrose and Raw hurrying behind him as he searched for DG and Azkadelia, heading up to the next floor. He burst into the room. It was a bedroom with a balcony that over looked the O.Z. I was drifting in and out of consciousness but I heard him shout for DG.
I felt myself being placed on a bed.
"Oh God," I heard DG sob. "What happened?"
"Risik. She was a black wolf. She fought Emma," Ambrose said quietly.
"I don't care! Can you help her?" Cain shouted. I had no idea that my real parents were in the room now. I felt a soft hand pass over my forehead.
"If she's not too far gone, yes," a soft woman's voice said. "But we'll need DG and Az to help."
I heard a slight scuffling before I finally succumbed to the darkness.
I felt warm sunshine on my face as I slowly emerged from the darkness. I turned over onto my right side, surprisingly, my body didn't ache. I sleepily opened one eye and saw the sunlight pouring in from the balcony windows. I opened the other eye and the room became clearer. I was in a bedroom with a canopy style bed. There was beautiful furniture, as though from the 18th century which matched the light blue paint on the walls. Fully awake now, I slowly sat up keeping the comforter pressed against my chest. For it was then that I realized I was in a soft satin nightgown with spaghetti shoulder straps. Wanting to make sure that nothing was 'seen', I used the comforter like a shield, only leaving my bare shoulders exposed with the straps. My hair was fluffed around them in gentle waves. I checked myself over. All the wounds were healed. I was as good as new. I heard the bedroom door opening. I tensed up a bit, but then spied a beautiful woman with lavender eyes and in a soft lilac robe. DG and Azkadelia accompanied her.
"Emma!" the woman cried rushing forward with her arms opened for a hug. Not wanting to leave the safety of the comforter, I sheepishly opened my arms as she sat down on the edge of the bed and hugged me. I hugged her back tightly. This was my real mother. "Oh I'm so glad you're alright! You gave us a real scare there!"
DG was next once Mom finished hugging me, and to my surprise and relief, Azkadelia was next.
"What happened?" I asked confused.
"Well," DG began. "I managed to coax the real Az out of the evil witches hold. So once the Sun Seeder was shut down, she melted. The eclipse happened, but then light was restored. But that was nothing compared to what you went through. You really scared us last night, Em. We thought you were going to die on us for sure."
DG's blue eyes glazed over with tears as she hugged me again. Az leaned forward.
"I'm sorry for whatever I've done to you," she said remorsefully, her dark eyes genuine. "I really wasn't sure of what I was doing half the time."
I smiled and hugged her tightly too again. Mom gave me a broad knowing grin.
"Your father wants to see you as well," Mom said softly as Ahamo stepped into the room too.
"Mom geeze," I moaned. "I'm in a nightgown…and you want to bring everyone in for a toga party?"
Mom chuckled as DG and Az gave our father a quick hug before leaving. He too, hugged me.
"Oh man. This is more hugs than I've gotten in my entire life time…but don't stop," I said lightly, hugging Ahamo tightly.
"You certainly did give us a scare young lady," Ahamo scolded lightly. "But, I know there's one person who was absolutely beside himself the entire time you were unconscious."
Immediately I knew who that was. I felt a warm smile creeping onto my face as I thought of Cain. Dad gave me a kiss on the forehead before he slowly stood up. I spied Cain standing by the door way. I made sure that the comforter was covering what it should before I watched Mom and Dad leave the room, leaving Cain and I alone. He took off his hat and quickly stepped into the room. He placed his hat on the dresser before easily sitting on the side of the bed where my knees were. He'd taken off his rain coat now, leaving a white long sleeved shirt and a brown v-necked vest over it. His blue eyes were locked on mine. I gave him a sheepish smile.
"Um," I began. "Who changed me?"
He grinned and shyly lowered his eyes. For a fleeting moment I had thought he had. Not that I would've cared but…well, oh heck I wouldn't've cared. He finally raised his eyes to mine.
"Your mother did. She pushed us all out even though we protested. The only ones that had remained inside was DG and Az. I think she used the magic to heal you," he responded at that point, letting the emotion take over. His blue eyes swelled with tears and he instantly threw his arms around me, pulling me close against him. Ignoring my shyness, I slipped my arms around him and pressed my face into his shoulder.
(AN: Chapter Ten Will be coming!!)
