Hello again. Here's the last part of chapter four for your viewing pleasure, I hope. Anyway. This month is extremely special to me. About a year ago was the first time I sat down and put pen to paper, if you will, beginning to churn out the original words that collected to form Her Tale. It's hard to believe sometimes. I've worked for almost a year on this one project, and I'm not even near done, though to be fair, I'm a lot farther along then what I'm posting. I've actually just finished chapter 6, but now I have to proof both five and six. Anyway, enough about me, let's talk about my enthusiastic reviewers.
We'll start in the order I received them.
Loki thanks again for the words of praise, and I'm glad you enjoy my fight scenes. I've been told by my proofer that that's my strongest ability when it comes to writing. On a different note, I'm looking forward to the continuation of your story, so I hope you're hard at work.
Kairi thanks, though you didn't need to break your wrists, but I'm happy that my story is inspiring that kind of emotion in you. Makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. And don't worry I'm not offended. I also want to see you update sometime soon, and I hope I didn't come across harshly in my last review. I just felt I should fully explain what I thought.
Rae I hate to say it, but I have no clue what HMFS stands for, though I have taken a few guess. A don't worry about the fiend thing, they are all fiendish enough enemies to warrant that name in my mind. Thanks for the praise.
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This room felt very familiar to me.
I had entered into a large L shaped corridor. As I looked down both ends of the hall, I noticed a long gash in the wall. I knew where I was now. I'd returned to the room where I had battled the blue pumpkin monster.
In the last room, I had found one more item that I needed near the corpse of the monster, but even having that one only brought my total up to three and there was supposed to be four items here. That left me with one more to find, and Prima Doll wouldn't function without everything.
I leaned back against the door and retraced my steps, trying to figure out if I had possibly missed a path or a door. Moving backwards from my current position, I counted the battles I'd been involved in on my hand. The numerous battles eventually brought me in a big circle back to my current position. What was I missing, I wondered.
Then I remembered. There was a door that had been locked just past the entrance to the temple.
I pushed myself off the wall and made my way towards the entrance where the path had first forked. I walked into the main chamber, scanning the cool, bluish, stone walls. The color was calming, and I began to feel my nerves settle a little. I stretched out my shoulder, trying to work out the tightness in my muscles caused by the blow from the creature's fang. I grimaced as a stab of pain coursed from my sore shoulder, but I kept flexing. It would be better if I at least got used to the pain, so it wouldn't hinder me during my next fight.
I stopped mid stretch as I noticed the other door. It was wide open. I jogged quickly over. Other then the door being open, I could see nothing drastically different about it. Using my hand, I traced the edges of the door towards the ground, trying to find what had triggered its opening. My hand ran through a thick blanket of dust before I even realized it. I blew hard on my fingertips as I looked towards the ground. I followed the lines I'd made in the dust with my eyes. I really wanted to find the trigger for this door. If I could figure out how it operated I might be able to keep the door from shutting on me.
As I traced the lines, I noticed the beginnings of a curved shape underneath me. I hopped backwards to get a better look. It was a footprint, but it was much smaller then mine. I turned and could just make out the path it had taken from the entrance to the door.
I stood up quickly. The footprint meant that someone had already passed through this doorway. I knew that whoever it was had to be at least one room ahead of me. I had to get moving. I didn't have time to worry about the door closing. I was going to have to get to the other gauntlet before anyone else did. I pressed my hat down a little farther on my head before walking through the door. As I entered the hallway, I saw a shadow dash back, around a bend in the hall. I jumped slightly from the unexpected sight.
I readied the Arc Edge and ran quietly after it. I didn't get a good look at what was there. It was much murkier in this room than it had been in the others. What ever it was though, it was too small to be one of those three-headed beasts, and it wasn't gangly enough to be one of those pumpkin monsters. Perhaps it was one of those dolls I had seen earlier. My heart began to race as I poked my head around the corner. As soon as I set my eyes on the shadow it ran again. This wasn't normal. Usually, the monsters that guard a place would attack on sight. Was it possible I was being led into a trap?
I shook my head and slowly made way along the wall to the next bend. Slowly, I shifted to see around the corner, but I couldn't see the creature. Though, I could tell that it was at a dead end. I lifted the Arc Edge. I was going to have to get the monster quickly and escape the potential trap. This could be really dumb move, but I didn't want to have an unknown creature following me through the rest of the dungeon. I turned the corner quickly and swung my blade.
A high-pitched squeal rang out, causing me to shout in alarm. I stopped the trek of my blade midway and forced myself to stumble backwards, making sure that I wouldn't hurt whoever was in front of me. I regained my balance by placing my hand on the wall behind me before looking at the source of the squeal. It was Elena. Her smile was as bright as the red of her cheeks.
"Hi Rue," she said. She was sitting on the ground and her eyes were shut. I couldn't believe she was here. It was an entire day's travel from Carona.
"Elena?" I asked, my voice shaking from astonishment. "What are you doing here?"
"I heard from Dad that you were coming here," she said, as she stood up and dusted off her dress, before putting her hands behind her back. She began to slowly sway back and forth.
"You're not mad, are you?" she asked. She bent her head towards the ground and the smile faded from here face.
"No," I said, sighing. "I'm not mad, but…"
"Oh good!" she cheered, clapping her hands as the smile quickly returned to her face. "That means we're going to have so much fun!"
"No!" I nearly shouted at her. This was not a good place for her to be.
"What do you mean?" she asked, confused. She had shrunk back slightly and looked as if she was about to start crying. "I thought you weren't angry with me."
"I'm not," I told her, trying to correct my mistake.
"Then why did you yell at me?" she asked, sniffling slightly and rubbing at her eyes.
"Because it's dangerous here," I replied. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. "I've nearly been killed on several instances, and I can't guarantee that you won't be hurt if you follow me. You don't even have a weapon to protect yourself with."
"I'm sorry," she whispered. She bowed her head and began shuffling her feet. "I didn't mean to be such a bother."
"You're not," I told her.
She was one of the first friends I'd made here, and I'd be damned before I let her be hurt.
"But I don't want to risk your safety," I said. "We need to get you outside."
"All right," she nodded slowly, still not lifting her eyes to meet mine.
I shook my head, feeling like a jerk. I hadn't meant to make her feel bad, but I didn't have a choice.
"Come on. Let's get you out of here," I told her as I began to walk back to the door.
I had just looked back to make sure Elena was following me when I heard to scraping of rusty hinges.
"The door!" I cried as I rushed towards the sound.
I rounded the corner to see the door slowly closing. I pushed forward, running as fast as I could, hoping I could make it in time to keep the door open. I felt my hand hit the door as an audible click resonated throughout the room. I banged on the door with one of my fists, and sighed before rolling and leaning against the door.
"Great," I said slowly.
I was going to have to protect Elena now, and that meant all of my fights took on a much more deadly twist. I scratched the back of my head before pushing off the wall. I walked over to Elena, who had her back turned to me and was still looking at the ground.
"I guess all we can do is go forward," I told her, dreading the coming challenges.
I didn't like this one bit. Elena lifted her head and smiled at me.
"I've always wanted to go on an adventure!" she nearly shouted, not even trying to hide her enthusiasm. She turned and began to walk towards the door that led to the next room. "But mom and dad would never let me go."
"That's because it's dangerous," I said as I ran in front of her, making her stop. "Look Elena," I began, pleading with my hands. "I want you to follow behind me. You never know what kind of traps or monsters you might run into in a place like this. I'll go ahead and make sure everything is ok and then I'll call for you."
"Ok," she said with a nod.
She sounded really excited, and I couldn't help but feel like I was about to try to overcome one of the most difficult 'adventures' I'd ever faced. I groaned at the thought. Why did this have to happen?
"This is going to be so much fun!" Elena cried.
Her eyes were shut and her smile broad, but I could only manage a weak smile in return. It didn't seem like Elena understood what she'd gotten into.
"Wait a minute," I said slowly. "It takes two days by road to get here and one if you go through the woods. So, how did you get here?"
"I had Drake guide me," she replied. "He's a very good tracker and picked up your trail quickly. He left me when I entered the temple though, said he wasn't fond of cold, dark places, but that's normal because ducks don't like the cold. But then, Drake never leaves with the other ducks when winter…"
"You want to explore the temple?" I asked, interrupting her. As much as I wanted to hear her babble about her friend, Drake, now was neither the time nor the place. I'd listen all she wanted later.
"Sure!" she shouted before rushing towards the next room.
"Wait!" I shouted as she pressed against the door. She paused and turned to look at me as I ran to catch up with her. "I'm supposed to be taking the lead, remember?"
"Oh, sorry," she said as she chuckled lightly to herself. "But it doesn't matter. The door's locked."
"What?" I asked slowly. How was it possible for both doors to be locked? Had I missed something in the room? I reached out and pushed hard against the door, but it didn't budge. I reached up and began to scratch the back of my head.
"How can we open this door?" I asked no one in particular. I'd stated my question as a way to get Elena thinking in the same direction as I was. Absentminded as she may seem at times, I was pretty sure that with her help I could figure out these rooms.
"Oh, I'm pretty sure there was a large switch at the end of the hall," Elena said.
She turned to me and smiled, tilting her head slightly to the side. I hadn't expected an answer, at least, not that quickly. I gaped at her for a moment. I didn't remember seeing a switch down there, but that didn't mean there wasn't one. I rushed towards the end of the hall. I had obviously not looked around well enough, because at the end of the hall, next to where Elena had been sitting, was a large lever.
I shook my head at my own stupidity as I reached out and grasped the handle. The padding had withered with age, and the metal had become coarse with rust. I tugged on the handle, giving it a sharp jerk, but it didn't budge.
I sighed as I planted my feet and tugged with as much force as I could muster, but the handle's position didn't change. This was getting us nowhere. I had to figure out a way to move this switch. I bent down and inspected the base of the lever.
The entire thing was coated in rust, which was definitely thick enough to prevent me from being able to push or pull the handle. Perhaps a sharp blow would dislodge some of the rust, enough to allow the handle to move. At this point, it seemed to be the only viable option.
I walked back from the switch a little, motioning for Elena, who had followed me, to move back as well. It wouldn't help the situation if I were to hit her while trying to protect her. I removed the Arc Edge from my shoulder. I tapped my blade against the handle; bits of rust chipped off and speckled my blade. I reared back and swung. I felt the strong clang of metal against metal as my weapon pushed through the rusty resistance. I felt the weight pushing against my blade shift, before a loud click sounded. Behind me, I could hear the scrapping sound of the door.
"It opened!" Elena exclaimed.
She clapped her hands together before jogging towards the door. I followed quickly after her, running faster so that I could pass her and enter the room first. I motioned for her to remain where she was as I checked out the room. It was very similar to one of the earlier rooms with two large cracks in the floor, but neither large enough to cause a problem. I leapt over the first crack. On the side of both walls were two stone slabs carved with an image of the sun. I slowly walked over to one of them and tapped on the wall. The wall was thick, and didn't seem like it would prove to be much of a hazard.
I jumped across the other gap and made my way towards the door. Near it was a small crack in the wall. I bent down and looked into it, as far as the light of the room would allow. I stuck my head in a little ways and listened. Silence was the only thing that answered my curiosity.
"Rue?" I heard Elena call out. I pulled my head out of the wall and looked towards her. She was standing on her tiptoes trying to see what I was doing. I stood and walked back towards her.
"It's ok," I called. "You can cross. It's safe."
Elena nodded, before hopping across. Her shoes clattered loudly on the ground. Suddenly the walls began to quiver. The scraping sound of wood and metal erupted, as the walls began to spin. Several skeletons spilled out of the newly created openings, moving swiftly towards Elena, who stood transfixed, staring at the coming onslaught
"Elena!" I shouted, jumping across the gap and moving to intercept at least a few of the skeletons. "Run!"
Elena seemed to come to her senses. She gave me on last look before jumping back across the small gap, leaving me to deal with the skeletons. I moved quickly to the side, dodging a downward slash of one of the monster's weapon. I countered with my own blow severing the creature's spine, sending it crashing to the ground where its bones shattered to dust.
I spun, ramming the Arc Edge through the rib cage of another. The creature just cackled at me. He raised his blade to slash, but I reacted quicker. I swung my blade to the side, dragging the creature with it. I changed the direction of my swing with a jerk and sent it plummeting into one of the crevices.
I stepped back and observed my situation. There were still three more skeletons left. I glanced at Elena. She was staring wide eyed at the battle. Her hands where pulled up close to her mouth. One of the creatures lunged at me suddenly, slashing hard with its blade. I brought up a quick, but startled block. The force of the blow rattled my arm and splintered the arm of the skeleton. I released one hand's grip on the weapon and drew back, slamming my fist into the face of the skeleton. The blow knocked the monster's head off and it hit the ground with a thud. I heard Elena squeak as the skull hit the ground.
I shifted and pressed past the skeleton, and rushed for the others. Both lashed out at the same time, slashing downwards towards the ground, but I dodged. I jumped back and pivoted on one foot, striking with a horizontal slash that crushed both creatures' lower spine. I turned and shoved the headless skeleton off into the abyss beneath the floor. I turned to Elena and nodded, smiling slightly.
"Rue!" she exclaimed.
"You were amazing," she said as she hopped over the break in the floor. She grabbed my hand and began pumping it up and down. "I can't believe you can fight that well. It was absolutely incredible."
"Thanks," I said. I could feel the warmth begin to spread to my cheeks, "But I'm not that good. You should see Mint fight. Or Rod."
"You're good enough," she said, smiling sweetly at me, and I couldn't help but smile back.
"Good enough?" I asked.
My smile broadened slowly until I was forced to close my eyes. That was a complement I could believe. Elena had no pretenses. She wasn't comparing me to anyone else. To her, I was strong. And that made me feel a little stronger.
"Yeah," I said, chuckling. I turned and made my way towards the end of the hall. "Maybe I am. Come on Elena. We've got some ground to cover."
I tapped against the door to the next room. I couldn't figure out how to open it. There was no switch near by, and the door was made of thick iron. While the door had grown a little rusty over the years, it was nowhere near brittle enough for me to shatter with a blow from my weapon. I took a step back and began to search the edge of the door for any crack that would allow me to open it.
"Hey," I heard Elena say. "Where does this go?"
"Where does what go?" I asked as I turned to look at her.
She had kneeled down in front of the small hole in the wall. I had been too large to fit through when I first saw it, and hadn't even thought that a switch might have been hidden in there.
"Maybe the switch was hidden in there," I wondered aloud.
I leaned against the wall. How was I supposed to get through there?
"I think I can fit," Elena said.
I moved quickly and reached out my hand in an attempt to stop her, but I wasn't fast enough. She had already shimmied halfway into the crack by the time the words of protest left my mouth. I dropped down next to the hole as Elena's boots disappeared from sight.
"Elena!" I called out.
Worry filled my voice. I had no way of knowing if she was ok or not. What if she ran into a monster? Or got stuck?
"Elena are you ok?" I asked
I listened, straining my ears against the silence. The shuffling sound of Elena dragging herself through the hole had faded. All, I could do now was wait. Time seemed to move slowly, as I watched the opening in the wall. I tapped my finger against the floor at a regular interval, breathing out slowly. Where was Elena?
"Elena!" I shouted into the hole, planting my palms firmly on the wall. Nothing.
If nothing had happened then she'd moved farther away than my voice could travel. I stood slowly and walked over to the door. I leaned back, expecting my back to hit the door. Instead, I stumbled backwards into the next room.
"Hello," Elena said, as I regained my balance.
She was standing next to a switch. Her clothes and face were covered in dust, but even being a little dirt couldn't diminish her smile.
"Aren't you glad I came now?" she asked, as she began swatting at the dust on her dress. I nodded at her, and smiled.
"I am," I told her, chuckling lightly."It's just…"
"Just what?" she asked her head rose quickly and her eyes bore into mine.
"You have dust on the end of your nose," I told her flicking my finger across the tip. Elena hopped back and stared at me. I turned quickly and looked around the room. I honestly had no idea why I'd done that. I felt myself beginning to blush.
We had entered into a long corridor. At the end of which was another large gap, but there seemed to be two white orbs hovering in air just above it. I motioned for Elena to follow me as I moved towards the end of the hall. The closer I got, the more the orbs seemed to flatten until they had become like a giant white coin hovering above the abysmal darkness that swelled below the floor. I watched as the disks circled each other at an even pace.
"I'm jumping," I told Elena before hopping onto the first disk.
My feet landed with a soft thud, but the force of my landing didn't cause the disk to list. I waited as it spun around to the other side of the gap before I jumping onto the other side.
"You ready, Elena?" I asked, turning around to face her. She bit her bottom lip and took a step back.
"I'm," she began, continuing to move away from the edge. "I'm not so sure I can do that."
Her voice was panicky.
"Elena," I said. My voice was strained and worried. I calmed it and tried to make it as confident ads possible. "You can make it. All you've got to do is jump."
"What if I miss?" she asked suddenly. Her voice was shaking. "I'm not very good with heights."
"But you made a jump just a few minutes ago," I told her, trying to give her some confidence.
I wish Mint were here. I bet she could inspire Elena. Actually, if Mint were here she'd probably go back and get Elena, throw her on her shoulder and hop back across. I chuckled at the mental image.
"That was different," she protested. She had turned to the side and was studying the wall. "The floor wasn't moving then"
"Elena," I whispered.
She had to jump. I couldn't just leave her here.
"You don't have a choice," I told her. "You've got to jump. There's no other way forward, and the way back is blocked."
"No," she said shaking her head, her hair rising and fanning out with each twist. "I won't"
"Do I have to come over and carry you across?" I asked, taking the advice from the Mint in my mind.
I was getting a little annoyed. Not at Elena, just at the situation. We had to keep moving.
"No!" Elena nearly shouted taking a quick, stumbling step backwards. "You might drop me."
"We don't have much of a choice," I told her, rubbing the back of my head in annoyance. "We have to go forward."
"Well," Elena mumbled, shuffling her feet. "I could wait here until you reach the end. I'm sure the door will open then."
"We don't know that," I pleaded with her. I sighed. "For all we know, the dungeon could spit me out miles from the entrance. How long do you think you could wait here? And another thing, I don't even know what triggered the door's opening."
Elena just kind of nodded dumbly. She began to rub her hands, as she took in deep shuddery breaths.
"I…" she stuttered. "I guess your right. But… I'd really rather not."
"I know you would," I told her. "There are things I'd much rather be doing, but those things aren't important right now. This is what has to be done."
"Okay," she said after a few moments of silence. "I'll do it. But you have to tell me when to jump."
"What?" I asked, shocked that she would suggest such a thing. "Why would you want me to do that? What if I make you miss?"
My mind had begun working at high speeds. I could just see me telling Elena to jump, and then watching her plummet to her demise. The thought sickened me.
"You won't," Elena reassured me. Her voice was soft and soothing. "I trust you."
I shook me head and sighed.
"All right," I told her. "I'll tell you when to jump."
Elena nodded, and looked towards the ground. I began to watch the rotating discs, engraving in my mind the amount of time it took for one plate to move in front of Elena. I could hear her ragged breaths, as I took my own shuttering ones. I swallowed hard. I recalled the speed of Elena's jump across the earlier pit. In my mind I overlapped the images. I shut my eyes focusing on the two, until I knew when her feet would have to leave the ground.
My eyes shot open, and I watched the disc make another lap. My timing seemed to be right on the disk. I just hoped my timing on her jump was as good. I took a deep breath.
"You ready Elena?" I asked.
I didn't want to startle here when the time came. The last thing we needed was for her to freeze up for too long.
"Yeah," she said, as she nodded. She lifted her long skirt slightly.
"Alright, when I say jump, jump," I told her.
She didn't respond, but I knew she heard me. I saw her tense up and bend slightly. She was ready. The disc made one final lap.
"Jump," I said.
Elena paused for a second before leaping forward. My eyes widened as fear seized me. I clamped my eyes shut. Clack! The sound echoed in the quite of the room, and my eyes flew open. Elena was standing on the disk smiling at me.
"I did it," she said, after hopping off onto the ledge I was on.
"Yeah," I said. " Yeah, you did."
The door behind us led to into another long hallway, but without any holes or side doors. I walked slowly just a little in front of Elena. I scanned the walls as we walked. I didn't want anything to surprise us now. I could feel like we were almost there.
"I really don't like this place," Elena said, interrupting my study of the area. "This is nothing like Mel's."
"Most places Mint or I go aren't," I told her as I turned around to face her. "I'm sure it would have been safer for you to have gone with Mint."
Elena just shook her head and stepped around me, walking a little farther.
"I couldn't have gone with Mint even if I wanted to," she told me.
I turned again and picked up my pace until my stride was matching hers.
"Why's that?" I asked.
"Because," she replied. "Mint left with Rod to go to Gamul Forest."
"Oh," I uttered, coming to a stop.
Elena continued walking towards the end of the hall. I bent my head and looked off to the side as a small sigh escaped my lips. Mint and Rod were working together now. I chuckled weakly. Who knows, maybe when I get back to town, she'll replace me. It's not like I don't deserve it.
"Hey Rue," Elena called out, snapping my attention from the floor. "The door's locked. What do we do?"
"Hold on," I called out as I rushed down the hall.
"I'm sorry," Elena said as I approached. "I'm being such trouble."
Elena leaned against the wall and sat down, pulling her knees to her chest.
"Huh? Why are you apologizing?" I asked her. Kneeling down next to her.
"You just sounded snappish," she said as she laid her chin on her knees. "I just thought I'd done something to make you angry."
I turned my head away from Elena and sighed. Had I really snapped at her? I hadn't meant to. I shook my head, before lifting it and looking at Elena.
"I'm not angry, Elena," I told her. "This dungeon just has me a little on edge. I really don't want to let you get hurt."
Elena nodded and stood up. She walked over towards the door and began to knock. Elena had said the door was locked. I stood and began to scan the end of the hall. Quickly, I noticed another switch. I walked over to it and grasped the handle. I gave it one sharp tug and the handle moved. A pronounced scraping sound filled the air as I pulled the switch through the thin layer of rust that coated its hinges. When the switch finally clicked in place, the door slid open, and Elena and I made our way in.
Blam! I leapt forward as the door slammed into the floor right behind my heels. I Heard Elena squeal as she leapt forward with me. We both twirled to face the door. I pressed against it. Locked. I sighed and leaned against the door.
The room Elena and I had entered wasn't very big. It was just barely larger then the front room of a small shop. In the center, was what looked to be the base of a tree that had grown through the floor and pressed on through the roof. The floors and roof were cracked and splintered from the tree and other vines that had invaded the room. In one corner was one of those white disks that Elena and I had used earlier to cross the pit, however unlike those, this one showed no signs of having any extra function. Across the room from where Elena and I stood was a door and a lever.
I pushed myself off the wall and followed Elena as she walked over towards the lever. I bent down and examined the base of the lever. The build up of rust was much worse on this lever then in the others, which was probably do to the moisture coming through the cracks in the floor. I stood up and pushed against the lever, planting my feet and pushing with all I was worth. It wouldn't budge. I felt as if I were trying to push a house forward.
"Not going to move?" Elena asked as she hovered around the lever.
I stepped back from the lever and pulled the Arc Edge from my back. I tapped it lightly against the tip of the handle.
"Elena? " I asked. "Could you please go stand on the other side of the room?"
She nodded and made her way over to where I'd asked her to go. I watched her until she sat down on the white disk. I planted my feet and tapped once more against the handle, reddened flakes fell from it. I pulled back and slammed the Arc Edge into it. A loud groan and a snap resounded in the small area as the lever moved, snapped, and embedded itself into the wall.
I gasped as I saw the handle sticking out of the wall. I couldn't believe I'd broken the lever. I groaned and mentally berated myself for my stupidity.
"Rue," Elena called out as she pointed towards the door.
I turned to see the door sliding open. It slid up slowly .The more the door moved the more unpleasant the noises that it emitted. Loud thumps and rusty clangs sounded just behind the door. I could see feet through the slit in the floor. I knew who it was. It was those puppets.
"Elena," I called out. "Stay back and don't move unless I tell you to. I'll take care of the puppets."
I watched Elena stand up and back into the corner of the room before I turned my attention towards the slowly opening door. I rushed forward into the room as the door became tall enough for me to fit under it. I barreled into one of the puppets. We hit the ground, and I rolled forward off of them, ending up on my feet. I whirled around, pulling my blade from my shoulder, coming face to face with the two puppets still standing.
They advanced on me with quick sloppy steps. I lashed out and slashed above one of the creatures. Nothing. It would seem they weren't actually puppets. They simply moved like them. One lurched forward, slamming his fist into the ground where I had been moments before. I struck out quickly severing the creature's hand. It pulled back, lifting its hand above it. The rusty helm opened and a ghastly wailed erupted from the nothingness beyond the mask.
The other one struck at me, but I swatted his blow away with my blade. Using the momentum from my blow, I whirled around struck at the neck of the puppet, knocking the helm to the ground where it shattered into dust. The shuddering body of the puppet collapsed to the ground.
I turned on the still shrieking beast. The mask snapped back into place, bits of red rust forming a small dust cloud that was instantly sucked into the hidden darkness. The creature turned towards me and lunged. I jumped back, bringing the Arc Edge up slicing through the brittle helm, which burst into a cloud of dust
As I stepped back from the dust cloud, I felt a hand grasp onto my ankle and I shouted. The puppet I had knocked down had latched onto me. Its mask was up as if it were planning to bite me. I fought to wrench my leg free. Finally, I ripped one of the arms from the socket. I pulled my leg back and kicked down, crushing the helm beneath my boot.
I stepped back and smiled at Elena, while shaking the arm of the puppet free from my leg. She nodded and began walking towards the door. A loud creak erupted from above the ceiling. Elena looked rapidly around the room, but my eyes were drawn to the door.
"Elena! Get back!" I called out, moments before the door fell, crashing into the floor.
"Elena!" I called out again as I rushed towards the door.
"I'm ok!" The muffled voice shouted back from behind the door.
I sighed. Good.
"Can you open the door?" I asked.
"You broke the lever," she replied. "Remember?"
I groaned and placed my head in my hands. This was not a good situation.
"Elena!" I called out. "Just stay put and I'll find away to get you out of there."
"Ok!" she shouted in return.
I shook my head as I walked farther down the hall. Stay put? Where was she supposed to go? My stupidity had gotten Elena trapped in a small room with no exit. I had to find some way to get back around to the other side of the door. I surveyed the hall in front of me. Other then the puppet bits, it was just more of the same, a long hall with three doors: One at the far end and two across from each other in the center.
I shook my head and puffed some air out. I knew the door at the end would lead me around, but I was willing to bet that if it took me anywhere, it took me closer to the outside. And I didn't have time to make my way back around to the entrance. I could only hope one of those two doors would lead me back to Elena.
I made my way quickly down the hall and burst through the left door. Empty. I nearly screamed in annoyance, but I kept it to a muted gasp. I turned to go back through the door, when a bright flash of light bathed the room in white. I turned quickly and saw one of the puppets stumble off of one of the white disks that had been hidden in the corner behind a post. Another flare and a second puppet flopped onto the other side.
I rushed forward, dispatching the creatures quickly. I had no time for an orderly fight. I kneeled down next to the white disk, and placed my hand against it. Nothing happened. Slowly, I stepped up on it. Nothing. I stepped off. I shouldn't have expected anything to happen. Elena sat on one without being transported. Maybe only the puppets could use it.
I stepped back from the white disk and summoned my ability to change. I felt my skin rip and tear, my bones crumple, and my skull begin to deform. I tried to scream, but my lungs failed. I couldn't breath. I flailed my arms against the pain until I lost my balance and collapse onto the ground.
I shuddered on the ground. I couldn't breath. A muted wail was the only noise that emanated from me. I beat my hands against the ground. Why wasn't I breathing? I was terrified. I didn't want to die. Eventually, I calmed down, but I still couldn't breath. That fact was still very disturbing to me, but I had learned something that made me feel more confident about it. I felt the same as if I was breathing. I didn't need to breath.
I stared at the ceiling for a few moments, feeling stupid for overreacting, until I remembered what I was doing. Elena. I had to get on that pad. It might take me to her. I placed my hand on the ground and pushed, but I felt no force and my body remained lax. I put both hands down and pushed. My arms bent farther then they should have, but I still remained on the ground. My back hadn't moved at all.
I planted my feet and pushed. Nothing. It was like I couldn't push with my arms. I could pull, which is basically what I was doing to lift my arms and legs, but it's almost like the only reason that my arms went back down was gravity. If that was the case, then how was I supposed to get up? I tried to twist but I couldn't. I couldn't even rock back and forth. The only thing I did was just fling my arms and legs up in an alternating pattern.
I was beginning to get annoyed. Sure I could just turn back into my human form, but I had to figure out how to manipulate this body if I wanted to get on the panel. It was such a simple command. I just had to stand up, and hop up on the disk. Unfortunately, I couldn't stand up. I just wanted to stand up!
I felt a jerk on my chest. It was quick and caused me to lose my current train of thought. My back slammed into the ground. I felt slightly dazed. These monsters were extremely weak. I rocked my head back and forth. Why had I moved? It had felt like a wire tugged at my chest… like I was… a puppet. That was it! I just had to think of myself as a puppet. A puppet can't push himself up, but the strings can pull him up.
I willed the invisible stings to lift my from the ground, and I felt the string pull me to my feet. I willed the string to move my arm, and I felt three different strings shift, tug, and relax as I waved my arm. I did the same with my leg, lifting my foot high above my head before placing it down in front of me. I lifted my other foot and swung it forward, but I didn't move forward, only my feet did. I slumped my shoulders in annoyance and willed the string on my chest to pull me forward. Once I had a decent understanding of how to move like this, I hopped up onto the disk.
Pure white light blinded me for a mere moment and left me dazed after it was gone. My monster form faded and I stumbled. I felt dizzy and light headed. I put one hand on the wall and the other on my head, as I looked around the room. I had no idea where I was. This hallway looked like so many others I had been through, but there was a door near me. I made my way quickly through it.
I smirked. I was where those skeletons had attacked Elena. I was on the other side of her. I rushed forward, hopping over the gaps in the floor. I made my way quickly through the opened door until I came to a closed one. Quickly, I grabbed the rusty lever and shifted my weight, jerking it into the open position.
"Elena!" I cried as the door shot open. I stopped mid dash when I saw what else was in the room: a puppet.
"Rue! Help me!" Elena cried as I pulled the Arc Edge from my back.
The creature had Elena and was almost to the disk. I rushed forward and stabbed at its helm, but it dodged, pulling Elena onto the disk. I shut my eyes as the bright light filled the room. I dived forward, but I was too late. They were already gone. I grunted in annoyance as I stood up. I was going to have to follow them.
I quickly hopped onto the disk, before beginning my transformation. I didn't have time to deal with moving in that form. The light flared and the disorientation returned. When I opened my eyes again, I was leaned against the wall and in my true form. I had been taken to the exact place the first disk had dropped me.
"Rue!" I heard the faint cry echo from farther down the corridor.
I turned towards the sound and rushed down hall. I was heading back towards where Elena had been. As I entered the room with the opened stone walls, I heard Elena cry out again. It was coming from inside one of them. I leapt the gap again and rushed into it. I found myself in a small storage room. The walls were made of wood paneling that seemed fresher then the wood in the rest of the temple in that it had not decayed quite as much as the rest of the temple.
I sighed in annoyance. There was nothing here. And I could have sworn I heard Elena. I moved quickly back into the main corridor, scratching the side of my head. I slowed my breathing, and listened. Perhaps I had just misheard the call.
"Rue!" Elena shouted again. It was muffled this time, but there was no mistaking; it had come from the room I was just in.
I doubled back into the room and began to check the walls for any signs of a hidden door. As I searched, I heard a scream as something slammed into the wall a few feet down from me. I ran quickly to that area and began to check the wall. I knew they were through here. But how did they get through?
I shook my head. I didn't have time for this. I grabbed the Arc Edge and swung. The blow knocked a hole in the wall bigger then my head. I reared back and prepared to strike again.
"Don't come near me!" Elena screamed in terror. I could hear the clattering of the monsters begin to converge on one point of the room.
I stopped my swing. I didn't have time to smash through this wall. I had to get in there now. But how? Had I killed anything that small? I stepped back and stared at the wall, my mind jumping frantically from monster to monster.
Elena screamed again, and terror began to cloud my thoughts. I had to save her. Wolf, plant monster, Ice monster. The sound of wood shattering mixed with another scream. Puppet, skeleton, fire lizard, pollywog. Pollywog? I heard the sound of clacking shoes rush to the far side of the room, as my mind seized on the small creature. It would fit.
I quickly transformed and rushed through the small hole.
"Che!" I called out as I entered the room, causing the monsters, which were fast approaching Elena to turn and face me.
I spun and fluttered down to the floor. I rolled on the floor until I could hear the sound of approaching footsteps. I floated up and looked at the monsters approaching me. There were two skeletons and a puppet taking shuddering steps towards me. When they were almost upon me, I began spinning. I returned my body to normal mid spin, and used the force gained by the spin to rip through the monsters, bits of bone and puppet parts scattered. I planted my feet and came to a stop, facing Elena. I moved forward quickly and extended my hand, which wavered slightly due to the dizziness that seized me.
"You ok?" I asked.
"Yeah," she replied quietly. She stared blankly at me.
I smiled and she took me hand lightly. I lifted her up, and she stumbled. I reached out with my other hand and grabbed her shoulder. She was still just staring at me.
"Elena?" I asked beginning to get worried.
"Oh," she exclaimed stepping back. "I'm sorry. I just…"
"Thought I wasn't coming?" I filled in as I turned and began to survey the wall I'd entered through.
"No!" she exclaimed, as if she was horrified at the thought. "I always knew you'd save me. It's just… How did you do that?"
"Do what?" I asked confused.
I turned to face her. She walked closer to me and pointed at the hole.
"How did you become a Pollywog?" she clarified.
"I don't really know," I told her honestly, slumping my shoulders and letting my head droop. "It's just always been something I could do."
"Become a Pollywog?" she asked, her head tilting slightly.
"No, that was something I've gained since I came to Carona," I told her. "What I was referring to was my ability to become the monsters I… beat."
"Oh," she said and turned away. "I see what your saying."
I turned towards her. She walked over to the opposite wall and sat down. Why had she walked away from me? Was she afraid of me?
"You're not afraid of me, are you?" I asked, turning away.
"Why would I be afraid of a Pollywog?" she asked and I turned to look at her.
She had this confused look on her face that told me she wasn't joking. I chuckled and shook my head. She had no idea what I was.
"I'm glad," I told her. I'd explain fully if the situation ever warranted or at least, I'd try to.
I turned and began hacking away at the hole I'd already made. It was the best place to start. Several sturdy blows from the Arc Edge latter, Elena and I walked through the hole in the wall back and back into the main corridor.
"Ready to move on?" I asked, turning in the direction of the locked door.
"You bet, Polly," she exclaimed, moving to stand beside me.
"Polly?" I asked, giving her a strange look.
"Yeah," she replied nodding. "You're a Pollywog aren't you? So I'll call you Polly."
She dashed off towards the end of the hallway. I just groaned and trudged after her. She'd completely missed the point.
"Rue?" she asked stopping before the entrance to the room that had trapped us. "What if we get locked in again?"
"I'm sure we'll figure something out," I told her.
I knew I could just transform and take both of us through the disk, but I would rather not have to do that. We walked slowly into the room, and I began to search. There was no sign of another switch and no way to repair the one I broke. I sighed and pressed against the door.
"I bet Mint could open the door with one of her jump kicks," Elena said.
"Jump kicks?" I echoed, turning to look at her.
"Uh huh," she said nodding. "Her jump kicks are really powerful. I bet she'd be able to bash that door in."
I turned and looked at the door. I knocked lightly on the door. The dull thumps proved that the door was thick. I had no way of knowing just how thick from the sound, and I hadn't paid much attention when I went through earlier. But, I didn't have anything to lose.
"It just might work," I said with a shrug and took a step back.
"What might work?" Elena asked, mimicking my step.
"I'm going to follow Mints lead," I told her.
"What do you…?" she began as I pulled back my weapon.
I took a step forward and swung, my blade striking a heavy blow on the metal door. I felt something whiz past my face, and I winced against the sting. I heard the door groan before collapsing forward, and I followed, stumbling from the loss of resistance against my blade. I stood slowly, and felt something brush against my cheek. I jerked from the sudden pain.
"Stay still," Elena chastised, pressing the handkerchief back against my cheek. "You cut yourself knocking the door down."
"Thanks," I murmured, wondering what had cut me.
I lifted the Arc Edge and noticed that a large chip had broken off the blade. I sighed. Now I was going to have to get the blacksmith to actually rebuild the blade. I shook my head as I replaced my weapon on my shoulder. I wasn't going to be able to use the Arc Edge if I didn't want to further aggravate the problem.
"Let's go," I said as I walked through the door.
Elena jogged up beside me as she tucked the bloodied handkerchief into one of the pockets of her dress. The hall we had entered wasn't long and it doglegged before we reached the first door. I walked quickly to the door and pulled it open. There was only a brick wall.
"What's wrong Rue?" Elena asked, wondering why I hadn't entered.
"It leads nowhere," I told her, taking a step back.
I shook me head and made my way further down the hall. I just wanted to get out of this place. I wanted to be back in Carona, hoping that I'd be invited to Klaus' for another delicious dinner. Maybe this would be the last room, I told myself as I open the other door at the end of the hall.
"What was that?" A voice called out from inside the room.
I rushed inside, seeing a man in a white coat land from a back flip. He reached back and ran a hand over his slick violet hair. He smirked, bringing his fists back up. He was facing one of those three-headed creatures that guarded the items I was looking for.
"You're pathetic," he said, turning his side to the creature. It stomped forward and howled into his face.
"It's time to end this," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Sunrise Uppercut!"
The man rushed the monster, bending low as he approached and sprang up. His hand seemed to ignite with a fiery energy as he slammed his fist into the creature; the force of the blow sent the monster flying. It struck the wall hard, sending a glove flying through the air, and collapsed to the ground, a trail of blood following it down the wall. The gauntlet hit the ground with a clank, and the man turned to scoop it up. It was Duke.
"Rue," he said, looking up and smiling. "It's about time you got here. I was getting pretty bored."
"I even had to resort to picking on the poor little guardian," he said with a smirk, jabbing his thumb back at the dead monster. "They're pathetically weak, not even worth a good warm up."
I snorted and just stared at him. I hadn't found them too weak. I actually found them quite the challenge. That meant Duke was stronger then me, just as I had thought. He also had the last it, but. I had to be the one that possessed it. Maybe if I just asked.
"Duke," I said, as he stood up and pocketed the gauntlet. "I need that gauntlet. Do you think I could have it?"
"Rue," Duke said through light laughter. "That's not how warriors do things. I have what you want. You have what I want. I have to get these items to Milady, just like you have to get them to Mint."
I scanned them room quickly as he spoke. It seemed like a fight was inevitable. Large boxes, vases, and other random items littered the room. It looked like the area had been a storeroom for the random things that Elroy's apprentices worked on. I sighed.
"You want to fight, don't you?" I asked, knowing what he meant. The winner kept the spoils.
"You may have beaten my Act last time, but I've got a new one now," Duke said, turning to the side and pointing his finger at me.
"Last night, I read a book called Fist of Fire," Duke said. He pulled his hand toward his chest and lifted his eyes toward the ceiling. "It was such an amazing book. It had everything: Action, friendship, love. I had to pull an all-nighter, but I finished it. I gotta admit, I'm a little tired. But, man, my heart is still thumping from that ending."
Duke turned and smiled, but I just stared at him. Elena moved up next to me and cocked her head. I wondered what he was talking about.
"I could just feel the hero," Duke said turning towards me. "I could feel his spirit burning through me, but enough of this. It's time we fought."
"You might want to get out of the way, little girl," Duke said flashing a smile at Elena. "I wouldn't want you getting hurt in this senseless battle."
Elena turned towards me and I nodded. It was better if she stayed out of the way.
"Ok," she said, jogging off to the far corner of the room behind one of the boxes. She poked her head out so that she could watch the coming battle.
"All right," I said with a sigh, readying my weapon. "Let's get this over with."
"What are you doing," Duke asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "You can't possible hope to beat me with a broken blade. Besides, another fight looks like it'd put an end to any future battles for that weapon."
I groaned, knowing he was right. I turned the face of the blade towards me and ran my finger down the blade, inspecting the large chip in it. As I grazed the chip, I could feel the near invisible split in the metal. Another blow or two would sever the blade in two, and I couldn't risk that. I'd never used another blade, and despite similarities, I'd still have to learn to wield a sword or an axe.
"Why don't you go give it to the girl," Duke said. "I'll just get a little more into character."
I still didn't really understand what these Acts were that he'd spoken about, or what they had to do with that book. I placed my blade against the wall near Elena, putting the items down behind it. It wouldn't do either of us any good if they were destroyed during the fight. I turned and walked back towards the center of the room.
I hadn't ever seen a weapon on Duke, so I was sure he was an unarmed fighter by nature. However, our last battle had been very odd. Duke was unpredictable, and that meant I was going to have to be very careful. I lifted my hands and shifted my feet. Duke did the same.
"Little girl!" Duke called out, smirking lightly. "A real battle between men is always started by a third. You should tell us when to begin."
"Rue?" Elena called out, unsure whether she should comply with his request.
"Just do it, Elena," I told her, shaking my head at Duke's eccentrics.
I just wanted to get out of here. I hadn't expected that I'd have to fight Duke for the final item. Worse was the fact that should I lose, He'd gain possession of those items I'd fought so hard to possess. I had to win.
"Go!" Elena shouted.
Duke dashed forward immediately, leading off with an over handed blow. I ducked and threw a sharp jab to his gut, but Duke barely flinched from the blow. I jumped away quickly before he could catch me with the heel of his boot. I dashed in as he spun, and threw a quick punch, but he was too quick, catching my fist he pulled it over his shoulder and tossed me like a small doll.
I hit the ground and rolled. The throw hadn't been very sharp, so I wasn't really hurt by it. Duke followed his throw and wasn't giving me time to regain my footing as he pressed his assault. I grunted as another blow hit my midriff. I could feel the sharp pain of a bruise already beginning to form. I couldn't keep this up. His blows were coming in too fast for me to dodge or deflect more then a few. I was going to have to fight differently. Duke spun.
"Sunrise Uppercut!" he shouted.
"Rue!"
I felt a powerful blow connect with my chest and a wave of energy rip through me. I was lifted off my feet and slammed hard into the wall. It hurt too much to even scream. I couldn't breath. The breath was caught in my throat. I groaned weakly. Slowly my lungs exhaled, and I took in a rapid breath.
"You're weaker then I expected, Rue," Duke said, sounding disappointed.
I fought to sit back up, but I couldn't get my body to move. Was this an after effect of his attack? I managed to roll onto my side and I saw Duke making his way towards the items.
"No!" Elena shouted, moving in between the items and Duke, spreading her arms wide to block him from them. "Rue worked really hard for these items. You can't just take them from him"
"Move little girl," Duke said. "Rue lost those items in the fight."
"No!" Elena cried, backing away from the still advancing Duke.
"I don't want to have to hurt you," Duke said, as he continued to move forward. "But I'll move you myself if it comes to that."
I gasped, sucking in as much air as I could. I still couldn't move correctly, but I had to do something. I relaxed my muscles, and forced my breathing to even.
"No!" Elena called out again.
I jerked forward, pushing through the tenseness. I felt a searing pain burn in my chest as I moved to my knees. I could feel the sweat drip down my brow.
"Wait!" I shouted, gasping for air from the exertion. "I'm not… done yet."
I pulled myself to my feet, and stood in a ready position, exhaling heavily. Duke smiled and shook his head.
"I admire your determination," he told me with a soft smile. "But this is over. I've won. Milady will be awaiting these items."
"Are you forfeiting?" I asked. "Are you a coward? Fight me, and leave Elena alone!"
Duke just chuckled and shook his head.
"If you insist."
He rushed forward, but I met him half way. I was no longer going to fight him defensively. I was going to have to trade him blow for blow. He lashed out, striking me in the side. I grunted in pain but struck him hard in the face. I pressed on, lashing out. I hit him repeatedly, varying constantly where the blows landed. I struck him in the face and the gut repeatedly, but even though I was pressing my attack. He was still countering with painful blows to my face, chest, and sides.
We both jumped back at the same time, and I slumped. His last attack had gotten me in the leg. I could feel the muscles quiver and I wondered how long they would hold out. My arms ached. I reached up and touched them. I flinched as an intense pain swelled up my arm. I wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. My knuckles were swollen, and I could barely move my left arm.
Luckily, Duke wasn't doing much better. His left eye was swollen shut, and his mouth was dripping blood from where one of my blows had split his lip. He was leaning towards one side, and I could tell I'd injured his ribs. The next attack would be the last.
I straightened my body against the pain, and brought me fist up; the left arm still wouldn't bend enough to allow me proper use. He forced himself to stand up straight, and I could see him grimace against the pain. I sucked in some cool air. I turned to Elena and nodded. She gave me a confused look. I chuckled. If Mint were here, she'd probably be either cheering or have knocked Duke out herself.
Duke charged while I allowed my thoughts to waiver. I gasped but was able to dodge his first attack. He threw another punch followed by a weak kick. I leapt to the side and spun. I swung my fist out, and connected with the back of Duke's head. He stumbled forward and crashed into a pot. Duke pushed himself onto his knees. Small rivulets of blood streamed from the small cuts in his face.
"I'm not done yet," he said, lifting himself up, but mid climb, his knees began to shake and he crashed back down.
"Damn it," he shouted, slamming his hand into the ground. "How could I lose?"
I sank down to the ground with a contented sigh.
"Huh?" "I murmured, as Elena rushed past me.
She dropped down next to Duke and began rummaging around in her pockets; eventually pulling out a small, clean handkerchief and a flask of water.
"Poor Dukey," she cooed soothingly. "It looks like you got hurt pretty badly."
"I don't need your pity," Duke spat, annoyed at Elena for her actions.
Elena just ignored him and pored some of the water onto the cloth and began to clean his wounds. Duke just bowed his head and closed his eyes. No one said a word, not even a grunt resounded from Duke as Elena cleaned his wounds. As Elena finished, I noticed that Duke's mouth was moving, and he was shaking his head back and forth slowly. He opened his mouth wider, but then shut it tight. He lifted his eyes and glared at Elena, but it faded quickly and his head dropped weakly back to his chest.
"Thanks," he muttered.
"Your welcome," Elena sang out.
I shook my head as I got up, and walked over to get my stuff from where I'd left it. I smiled as I placed the Arc Edge on my back. It looked like it was almost over, and everything was going to turn out ok. All I had to do now was get the final item from Duke.
"Can I have the item now," I asked as I walked back up to Duke.
He shook his head slightly, but said nothing.
"Dukey?" Elena questioned, reaching out and touching his shoulder.
I'd begun to wonder if Duke was going to back out. I took a step to the side, and kneeled down next to him. Duke reached up and brushed Elena's hand from his shoulder.
"I can't give it to you," Duke said. He lifted his head and glared at me. "Milady would kill me. I have to give it to her."
"But yo…" I started, but was interrupted by a loud scrapping sound that shook the very floor. I stumbled as the violence of the vibrations became more intense.
"What's going on?" I shouted, as my back hit a wall.
Elena screamed and flopped onto the ground, and Duke groaned as the vibrations forced his wounds to bleed fresh, droplets of blood running down his face. I pushed myself off the wall, which only succeeded in sending me to my knees.
"The wall!" Duke shouted, his eyes widened in terror.
I turned my head quickly. I gasped and my eyes widened in terror. One of the walls was closing in on us. The wall picked up boxes as it moved, crushing any pots that came between them. I stood up and stumbled into the door.
"It's locked," I shouted. Was this how it was going to end?
"No!" Elena shouted.
I could hear the horror in her voice, and knew that she was trembling far worse then the room could be. How were we going to get out of here? I let go of the handle of the door and flopped backwards. Just then I noticed a door, which was almost completely hidden behind a box. I ran quickly towards it. It couldn't be looked too. I slammed into the box, and slumped down. I could barely keep my footing.
I stood and tried to push the box, but the vibration prevented me from getting good leverage.
"Just move!" I shouted.
I started as the vibrations in the room lessened. The box slid and I hit my knees.
"Dukey!" Elena shouted, as I pulled myself back up.
I was shocked at what I saw. Duke was pressed against the wall. His feet planted, and his legs shook. He had stopped the wall.
"Stop gawking and open that damn door!" he shouted, his voice sounding pained. "I'm not going to be able to hold it for long."
I sprang up and rammed my shoulder into the box. It moved slightly. I pushed harder and it began to slide. I grunted loudly from the exertion.
"Is it open yet," Duke shouted as I finished moving the box.
I whirled and gripped the handle of the door. My eyes widened.
"No," I uttered softly. "It's locked."
"What?" Duke shouted, he sounded extremely annoyed. "Then bash it or kick it or something. Just get us out of this death trap!"
I gripped the handle of the Arc edge and pulled it back.
"Rue?" Elena asked. "I thought Duke said another blow might break it."
"Our lives are worth more then this weapon," I told her.
If reviving Claire and getting us out of here with our lives only cost me the Arc Edge it was a bargain. I pulled back the weapon and slammed it against the door. The wood shattered under the blow, but so did the Arc Edge. The split widened in the blade, and half of it clattered onto the floor. I grabbed the pieces of the blade after shoving Elena through the door.
"Duke!" I shouted. "It's open! Let's go."
The warmth of the setting sun felt good as I stood, stretching in its fleeting beams. Duke was leaned against the wall of the cliff and Elena was sitting on a rock. I lifted the handle of my weapon. I'd broken it badly this time. I'd never been this negligent about the upkeep of my weapon. I put the broken weapon on my back. I was lucky I had had time to gather the broken piece. Maybe Rod could repair it when I got back.
"You ready to go Elena?" I asked, as I walked towards the woods. "I want to cover as much ground tonight, so we can get back to Carona in time for dinner."
"Alright," she said, jumping off the rock and jogging towards me.
I turned towards Duke. He still had the fourth item, but he deserved to keep it. We'd all nearly died together, and without him, neither Elena nor I would have made it out of there. Mint could handle getting it from Duke when the time came.
"Bye Duke," I called out as I turned and stepped towards the forest.
"Wait!" he shouted.
Elena and I turned to see him walking towards us. He stopped in front of Elena and pulled out the gauntlet.
"Here," he said, pressing it into her hands. "It's yours."
"Thanks," I said. I hadn't expected him to give it up.
"Shut up," he shouted, rounding on me and jabbing his finger into my chest. "I'm giving her the item, not you. It's to thank her for treating my wounds. I'll take them all back next time we fight. And I won't go easy on you."
I nodded as stormed off into the woods. Elena and I turned and watched him disappear into the forest.
"I think you've made a new friend," Elena said, smiling at me. I just shook my head."You think Rod will be able to fix my weapon when we get back to town," I asked, changing the subject.
"Depends on if he's back yet," she said, as we began to make our way into the forest. That was right, he had gone with Mint.
"Finally," I sighed as Elena and I walked through the gates of Carona. "I wonder if Mint and Rod are back"
"I'm hungry," Elena said, her eyes half closed. "And a little sleepy, but I had fun. We should go adventuring again."
I sighed and walked slowly into town. Mint had gone with Rod to the forest. I chuckled lightly. I was so dumb. Now she'd know how much more useful he was then me and would drop our partnership. I should have just gone with her. I wonder how she did.
I walked slowly towards Klaus' house. Elena ran on ahead of me. I was glad to be away from her for a little while. I hadn't felt very talkative since we'd left and that lead to some very awkward silence. I really shouldn't have been surprised that Mint went with Rod. They got along great, and he was really strong. They'd make a great team. I sighed and shook my head.
"If you moved that slow the entire time, it's no wonder it took you three days to get back from the ghost temple," A voice called out.
I turned quickly to see Mint sitting on the edge of the fountain. The wind had swept a few lose strands in front of her face. She smiled lightly at me and I smiled back. I walked slowly towards her, my smile faded with each step. She reached up and pulled the hair out of her eye.
"What?" she asked sounding slightly annoyed. "What are you staring at?"
"Your eye," I told her. "What happened?"
She reached up and touched the puffy blackness under her eye. She winced slightly.
"You try not getting hurt when someone sends their partner to take on an entire village of pigmy morons by herself," she said, standing up and turning away from her.
She let out an annoyed humph. I scratched the back of my head.
"I'm sorry," I told her, looking away. "I figured I'd just slow you down. Besides, Elena said Rod went with you."
"Oh, big help he was," Mint grumbled. "All he did was take me there. He didn't help out at all."
"I'm sorry," I told her, bowing my head.
"Stop apologizing," she groaned. "I'm just complaining. I'm not blaming it on you. Well, you could have gone with me, but that's beside the point."
"Yeah," I said, as I turned and sat down next to her on the side of the fountain.
I could feel the cool wind blow through the town, mixing with the warmth of the setting sun. I dipped my hand into the water. My knuckles still ached from the fight.
"Why'd you really want to tackle the Ghost Temple by yourself?" she asked after a few moments.
"I…" I began lifting my head from the water.
Movement behind her caught my eye. The swish of cloth reached my ear. I could see the violet of my past.
"Claire!" I shouted, standing up and rushing to follow the fleeting image into the alley.
I flew into the darkened alley shouting her name once more, but I could see no sign of her. There was only a small boy sitting in a corner on a small wooden box.
"Hey," I called out to the boy. "Did you see a girl come through here? She had brown hair and wore a violet dress."
"Nope," The kid said hopping off the box and walking out of the alley. "I've never seen anyone that looked like that."
I sighed. Had I just imagined it? No, I couldn't have. I'd gone three years without suffering mentally from Claire's death. So why was I seeing phantoms now. Or was that boy lying? Had anyone else seen her? Had Mint?
"Hey Mint?" I asked as I left the alley. "Did you see…?"
I stopped short as I came into full view of the fountain. Mint was gone. I groaned out in annoyance. I'd pissed Mint off again.
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That's it. I hope to see everyone next time for the start of chapter five.
EDIT: Fixed the mistakes that Kairi mentioned. I hope that's all of them.