Greetings everyone, greetings! And welcome back to another chapter of B.L.A.S.T.! I know it has been some time since my last update, this was due to some very unfortunate technical problems. I got a rather nasty virus that encrypted a lot of my files which I was unable to fix and I ended up losing WEEKS of work on this chapter! The back up I had was only of an early verson. I have since taken steps to protect adginst any future such problems. Then later down the line my old computer started having all kinds of hardware and software problems till it finally died completly and I was forced to replace it. Thankfully my new system is much more reliable. Add in trying to rebuild what I lost and a few nasty bouts of writer's block and well... But enough about that.
First some exciting news. I am happy to announce that there WILL be a full sequel to B.L.A.S.T.! It will be set five years after the end of this story when the girls are in collage! What will the story be about? Well the themes I've tried to protray of love and friendship will continue and there will be a theme of redemption as well throughout. And we'll be seeing and learning a lot more about everyone's favorite bitchy cheerleader Stacey! Expect new friends and enemies as well! Anymore you'll just have to wait and see! :) I'm also announcing two other forthcoming stories I've been developing for some time now! The first is another W.I.T.C.H. story entitled W.I.T.C.H.: Solemn Hearts, a darker retelling of the orgianl story with such themes as bullying, suicide, family issues and more. The second is a next generation Card Captor Sakura fic called Card Captor Megumi. It will follow a twelve year old girl in the year 2195 as she tries to capture the Sakura Cards. Expect technology and magic to mix as we follow a young girl who is a polar opposite of Sakura, but has a msyterious connection to her none the less!
But enough of my rambling! My thanks go out to Storm chaser 1991, Fedora-Will, IamACritic and Penguin Lord0029 for your reviews, which as always I appreciate! Keep them coming! Also thank you to everyone who voted in my poll! So with out further ado I give you Chapter 25!
Chapter 25: Seeking the Truth
"Tell me Pelth, how goes the translation of the book?" Logrim sat almost lazily in the throne, his fingers arched in front of his face, a slight grin on his face. It was that grin more than anything that made Kisarc uneasy. It was obvious why he was smiling today. Not only had they managed a win over the Guardians and their allies, but they had in their possession the means to find whatever it was his employer was looking for. Whenever he saw that grin on Logrim's face, Kisarc knew something very dark was passing through his mind. The fact was he still didn't know what exactly what his employer was seeking. There were always unknowns in any job you took and you always compensated as needed, but the unknowns here were beginning to make the mercenary leader think taking this job had been a bad idea. All this flashed through his mind as Logrim's pet wizard gave his report.
"Things are progressing as expected my Lord." Pelth said. "Translating the old tongue of Eldrin is not easy. It has not been spoken in several centuries. Finding the means to translate it is not a simple task, especially since it's a complicated language to begin with full of nuance, which is why it was probably abandoned in the first place. It will get easier as I do more of the translating and gain a better understanding."
"Good, once you finish translating the book how long do you think it will take to find the resting place of the Demon's Heart?" Logrim asked.
"Not long I think." Pelth began to pace back and forth. "From what I have done so far I have concluded that the book is a collections of stories. If that is the case, then I merely have to study the stories to find the signs I need. I might even be able to figure it out as I do my translating. It all depends on the nature of the tales contained in the book."
"Very well, continue your efforts and keep me posted on your progress."
"Of course my Lord." Pelth bowed and left the throne room, the end of his staff clicking on the stone floor. Logrim turned his attention to Kisarc.
"Is the security we discussed for the book in place?"
"Yes, my men are guarding the room at all times. No one but myself, Pelth, or you are to be allowed inside."
"Good, Pelth has added his own safeguards as well." Logrim didn't elaborate on what those security measures were, but knowing the wizard they probably weren't very pleasant. Logrim got up from the throne and walked towards Kisarc, his hands now placed behind his back. "I want your men to continue their raids. I want to try and keep the Guardians busy. I don't like how they showed up at the library like that."
"Very well." Kisarc said with a nod of his head.
"Soon, very soon I will have what I have so long sought."
"And at that time our contract with you will be fulfilled."
"Are you that eager to be away from me Kisarc? Have you not been well paid?"
"The pay is fine, but I have other… obligations." Kisarc said. Logrim's eyes never left his. "Speaking of which, I have to return home for a couple of days. There are a few things that I need to take care of. I'll leave your instructions with Friv."
"Very well, have a good time." Logrim chuckled and turned his back on Kisarc. As he left the throne room all the Shoran leader could think about was that unnerving grin.
It had been two weeks since the events at the Grand Library and a lot had been going on. Samantha had settled well into life on Earth. She fit in exceptionally well with the other girls and had been warmly excepted into the group. In particular she had grown close to Jenny. Samantha had begun taking magic lessons from the Oracle. Through these lessons the two were fast becoming best friends. In appreciation for Hay Lin taking her in and giving her a home she insisted on working at the 'Silver Dragon'. She had been willing to be just a dish-washer, but Hay Lin seeing her as a bright, friendly person made her a waitress instead. She was an instant success, the customers enjoyed having her serve them and the rest of the staff quickly embraced her as one of them. Amy for her part enjoyed seeing Samantha in the Chinese style dress she wore for work.
True to her word Sarah had uploaded the video she had made of Amy performing with 'Girls Generation' to YouTube, much to the Water Guardian's embarrassment. It wasn't long before it had gone viral and fans of the girl group both in the U.S. and overseas in Korea and Japan were raving about Amy, calling her a great addition to the band. Amy was shocked at the response to say the least. In her mind she expected it to go a lot differently, thinking that it would be nothing but a bunch hate from internet trolls. And while there were a few flames they were in the minority. She mentioned this confusion to her friends and Sarah didn't even hesitate to encourage her.
"Amy! Don't sell yourself short!" Sarah said. "You have such stage presence! From the moment you started performing I could tell you belong up there!"
"But singing is your thing Sarah! I don't want you thinking I'm trying to horn in on that or something."
"Oh don't give me that! I'm not above sharing the spotlight for heaven's sake! Tell me, do you want to sing?"
"Well, yeah… I love it. I mean, I've never told you guys this before, but I practice at home all the time in front of my mirror."
"Then go for it Amy! Don't abandon your dreams just because you think you'll be stepping on my toes! I'd never deny you the chance to be something great!"
"Alright, I get it. I won't give up on my dreams, ok?"
"Good, that's what all I wanted to hear." Sarah said with a satisfied nod of her head.
Not long after announcing their engagement Will and Irma surprised everyone yet again by revealing that they had bought a house. A white two story on the corner of the block. It had a picket fence around the yard, a covered porch, the whole nine yards. Becky's new room was almost twice as big as her old one. Lisa liked it as it was in the same neighborhood as her family's home, only a couple of blocks away in fact.
The one thing that was out of place in all of it was Becky. Lisa had noticed that her girlfriend had become very quiet and withdrawn ever since they had returned from the battle at the Grand Library. It had come on slowly, becoming more pronounced as time went on. She had tried talking to Becky on more than one occasion, trying to find out what had Becky upset, but Becky continually played it off as just being tired, though Lisa saw right through that. She was growing rather concerned for Becky, but felt powerless to help especially with Becky shutting her out. She hoped that an upcoming meeting would shed some light on the situation.
The Oracle had asked everyone to gather so they could plan their next move against Logrim, even Elyon had shown up. The mood was somber in the council chamber, the situation weighing heavily on their minds. The various conversations ended as the Oracle took his seat.
"Thank you for all being here. I will not waste time by reviewing the situation we face as we are all already well aware of what we are up against. I would like to open the floor to suggestions as to how we proceed."
"Well, is there any chance we can get our hands on the book by using the castles secret passages?" Will asked.
"No." Nella said with a shake of her head. "The room where Pelth is keeping it and doing his translations isn't connected to the passages, and according to Marna the room is guarded at all times. She is keeping watch to see if there is any kind of opening we can take advantage of."
"Ok, so we can't get our hands on the book. The way I see it we go for a full frontal assault." Kaz said. "The refugees are trained and ready to go. I say we hit the castle hard and fast and take it and Logrim before they know what hit them. Once he's taken care of we can find the Heart of Exellis at leisure without worrying about him getting to it first."
"Hey I can get onboard with that kind of plan." Nella said enthusiastically.
"It's an idea, but I don't think it'll work." Chase said.
"Why not?" Amy asked.
"To many things can go wrong. It's too easy for to be spotted for one thing. They will know we're coming long before we get there. They'll button themselves up inside and we'll be forced to lay siege to the castle. We'll end up spending too much time and way too many lives trying to break in. And all Logrim has to do is teleport out of there and goes who knows where and take the book with him. That happens it's all over."
"Wait, Logrim took the castle pretty quickly didn't he? If he can do it so can we." Said Sarah.
"He had the advantage in that situation. While the castle is built to hold out against an extended siege we didn't have enough men to hold the walls properly. Plus, Celia let his men in. We don't have those advantages. He's going to be expecting an attack and will more then be ready for it."
"Ok, so a full frontal assault is out. How about we sneak in? Use the secret tunnels?" Trista asked. "He doesn't know about those."
"No good. The tunnels aren't meant for a group as big as an army. All they have to do is set up a defensive force at each entrance as we enter and pick us off."
"Plus we'd be vulnerable on the hill where the entrance is. We'd easily be spotted. They could surround us and wipe us out before we even got a quarter of our forces inside." Kaz added.
"What about using folds?" Lisa asked. "Or teleportation circles like they use? It gives us the element of surprise we need."
"The only way that plan works if we can get a large force in at once, and the only place big enough to do that is main courtyard, which is surrounded on all sides by high walls. We'd be sitting ducks for archers." Chase said.
"Okay, forget a full attack. Logrim is the problem right? So let's just take him out. We go in ourselves with one goal. Take him down. Without him his army falls apart." Nella said.
"That's not a bad idea. But we'd only get one shot at it. If we fail we wouldn't have another chance, his guard would be up and it could force him to hurry up his timetable." Sarah said.
"And don't forget the problem of his armor. As long as he's got that magic cancellation rune you girls won't be able to do anything against him." Will pointed out.
"So what do we do? Nothing? That's as good as saying go ahead and blow up our planet!" Nella shouted out.
"No one is saying we do nothing Nella." Chase said in an exasperated tone. "But we need to do the right thing the first time."
"Keeper, you have been rather quiet. Is something on your mind?" The Oracle asked. Lisa looked at Becky who had her chin resting in her hand and her eyes closed in thought.
"Actually yeah." She said opening her eyes. "For a while now something has been bothering me. Logrim has always called the Heart of Exellis the 'Demon's Heart'. Now you've said before you've never heard of anything by that name right?"
"That is correct. Ever since we heard that name I have been attempting to find some reference to any object called that. I have not found anything by that name mentioned, even in passing."
"Exactly, so what does Logrim think he's after? I can't help but feeling like we're missing a part of the puzzle here. What do really know about his motives other then the fact he's searching for some artifact? I know Celia's predictions are telling him he's close to finding his goal, but what if he's mistaken about it?"
"If that's the case and he's been on the wrong tract this whole time then there's no reason for him to stay on Eldrin!" Chase said realizing where Becky was beginning to go.
"Right, if we knew what he's really after and we can find out where it is then maybe we can get him to leave Eldrin. If we can do that then we've solved the immediate problem. Yeah, we'll still have to deal with him eventually, but if we can get him off Eldrin then we can find the Heart of Exellis without worrying about him getting there first and setting it off."
"That plan has merit to it. How do you propose we go about it?" the Oracle asked.
"Well, what do we know about Logrim?"
"Very little actually. I don't even know where he's from originally. Every attempt I have made to trace his origins have meet with failure. He appeared suddenly several years ago. Mostly he staged raids on various worlds, attacking museums and the like, he took mostly rare artifacts, gems and books. I always considered him a mere bandit looking for valuables to sell. He never showed himself to be overly dangerous. Knowing what we do now it is obvious he was looking for clues to his goal as well as gaining the funds he needed to hire the Shoran. Other than that he is a complete mystery."
"So other than the worlds he's attacked we have no idea where he's been." Becky said to herself. "Wait, what about the Shoran home world? He had to have gone there to hire Kisarc and his men. Maybe he let something drop while he was there. Something we can use."
"I don't know, maybe." Sarah said.
"Hey I know it's a long shot. If you guys think it's a bad idea, then I'll drop it."
"Well it is kind of thin, but at this point thin is better then nothing. I say we go for it." Amy said and everyone else nodded in agreement.
"Alright then. We go."
"Shoranoth…" The Oracle said gravely. "Before you go there are some things you should be aware of. The Shoran home world is extremely dangerous. While there is a central government they have little to no control. The real power is held by the mercenary guilds. Violence on the streets is commonplace. Murder victims are found daily."
"Sounds like a swell place." Trista said sarcastically.
"I would advise extreme caution. Do not go anywhere alone. Do not draw attention to yourselves if at all possible, and I would suggest going in disguise."
"I also think we should keep it to a smaller group size. Too many of us will draw unwanted scrutiny. I think it just be the five of us, Chase, Kaz and Nella." Becky said.
"And the two of us." Jenny said all of a sudden. She and Samantha had been talking in whispers to each other for several minutes.
"Jenny, no. It's too dangerous!" Sarah cried out.
"I'm going Sarah. I can't sit back anymore while you guys take all the risks! I can take care of myself too! I've gotten good enough with my powers that I can more then put up a fight! I want to be a part of this!" Jenny gripped one of Sarah's hands with both of hers. "Please Sarah, don't leave me behind again."
"Oh Jenny…" Sarah said with a mix of pride and fear on her face.
"Don't think you can talk me out of going either." Samantha said to Amy.
"Wasn't going to." Amy said. She could sense Samantha's determination through their shared psychic bond. Plus, she knew how skilled Samantha was with magic.
"Are you two sure?" Becky asked. "This is going to be really dangerous."
"We're sure. We know the risks. And we're willing to share them with you guys." Jenny said. She gave Becky the same hard stare she had just given Sarah. Becky contemplated the two of them for several seconds and saw the resolve in their eyes. She realized that it was a lost cause to try and talk them out of it. They wanted to be a part of the fight and wouldn't be talked out of it.
"Alright, if you guys are sure, you can come along." Becky said. "But that's it. Sorry mom, you and the others are sitting this one out. We're pushing the size of the group as it is." Will nodded her understanding. Over the next several minutes they made plans on how to handle their investigation once they arrived. After they settled on a course of action Becky suggested they all take a break before they left and walked out of the council chamber without saying anything more. The others all looked at each other wondering what was going on in the mind of their friend and leader.
Becky wandered the halls of Kandrakar lost in her own thoughts. Her mind swirling with what seemed like a million different thoughts and emotions. She didn't dare tell anyone what she was thinking however. She wouldn't, couldn't let everyone down anymore then she already had.
"Alright everyone let's do this." Becky said to the others back in the council chamber where everyone was standing about wrapped up in the simple brown cloaks provided by the Oracle. "Stay close once we get through until we know what we're walking into." With that Becky opened a fold and jumped through followed by the rest of the group. Lisa was the last one to go through. She stopped at a touch on her shoulder by Will just as she was about to cross over.
"What's gotten into her?" Will asked. Like Lisa she had noticed the change in daughter's behavior.
"I don't know. But I intend to find out." With that Lisa jumped through the fold. She emerged into a narrow alleyway flanked by a pair of two story buildings on either side. It was night time on Shoranoth, two moons hung in the sky, one pale blue and the other a deep purple. The ally reeked of rotting garbage and other even more unpleasant scents. A grimace of disgust crossed Kaz's face when he looked at the bottom of his boot after stepping in something squishy and rather foul looking.
"Ugh, I think I'm going to barf." Trista said waving her hand in front of her face.
"Keep your eyes peeled guys." Becky said. "Nella see what's behind us. Lisa, the other end. Everyone else keep watch on the buildings." Nella rushed to check the back end of the ally while Lisa turned invisible and went towards the glow of the lights at the other end. Becky watched the second story windows of the surrounding buildings. She felt rather exposed where they were and silently willed Lisa and Nella to hurry up and get back. She didn't have to wait long when both came back at the same time.
"Nothing back there." Nella said with a jerk of her head. "Splits off into a T that goes behind the buildings. It's too dark to see anything beyond that."
"Looks like the other end opens out into some kind of main street. Lot of noise and large crowds." Lisa said.
"Ok, we'll head that way and hide in the crowd." Becky took the lead as they stepped out into street. She had been worried that they would be conspicuous in their hooded cloaks but was relieved to see that they weren't the only ones. In fact, the only ones that weren't wearing disguise were the natives. Obviously no one wanted to be seen hiring mercenaries with such dark reputations as the Shoran. The street they had walked into seemed to be some sort of entertainment district. Every other building appeared to be a bar or inn. Bright lights, loud music and raucous laughter spilled out of the doorways. Many of the other buildings appeared to be brothels. Females of various species in skimpy outfits lounged in the doors and windows in suggestive poses calling out to the passing crowd, attempting to entice them inside.
As they walked along a pair of Shoran crashed onto the ground in front of them, snarling at each other and wrestling. The uniforms they wore identified them as members of two different mercenary bands. They rolled around for a couple of minutes punching and clawing at each other till one of the lizard men managed to get atop the other. In one swift motion he pulled a dagger from his belt and buried in the chest of his opponent. The other Shoran cried out in pain and shock before going still. The winner got to his feet, retrieved his blade and wiped the blood off on a rag and went back into the bar leaving the body of the dead Shoran lying in the street. No one made to stop the winner and the crowd simply parted and walked around the body in the middle of the street.
"My god. This place is disgusting!" Sarah said. Everyone was shocked at the spectacle they had just seen. "The Oracle was right. This place is a nightmare!"
"The sooner we get out of here the better." Becky said. They moved along, their sense of wariness raised by triple. They traveled a few more blocks where the street exited into a large plaza. It was rather plain, the only feature being a domed stone hut in the exact center of the square. Three other large streets radiated out from the other sides of the plaza. The group moved off to one side to consider their next move.
"So now what?" Jenny asked.
"Not sure. The problem is we don't even know the city so we have no idea where to begin." Becky said.
"Why don't we try asking for directions?" Samantha said pointing at the hut. Everyone looked to see cloaked people go up to the hut where a lone Shoran stood and pointed in one direction or another. "He looks like he's some kind of guide."
"Good catch Samantha." Becky said. As a group they went up to the Shoran standing in the hut.
"Welcome to Azatber, capital of Shoranoth, the mercenary mecca of the multiverse. How can I help you?' The Shoran spoke in a bored, deadpan voice. Obviously he had spoken them a thousand times before and didn't have the energy to sound lively.
"Uh, where can we find the headquarters of 'Iron Saber'?" Becky asked hesitantly.
"The barracks and offices of all mercenary companies can be found along the Street of Blades to the North of the Grand Plaza." The Shoran said in the same bland voice.
"What if we're looking for weapons or other items." Trista asked.
"To the East is the street of Coin where you can find various merchants selling all manner of goods."
"What if we're looking for information?" Sarah asked.
"To the West is the Street of Whispers there you may find info brokers, the magic quarter and the government house."
"And if I wanted to get a drink?" Chase asked.
"To the South is the Street of Desires." The Shoran said pointing to the street they had come from. "Where you can find all manner of pleasures."
"Thank you." Becky said. The Shoran looked at her with a quizzical look, obviously he wasn't used to people being polite. The group moved off to one side to discuss their next move.
"Well where do we begin?" Trista asked. "We got a lot of options here. What do we do? Hit the main streets one at a time and see what we can dig up?"
"I don't know. A large group like us asking a bunch of questions is sure to draw a lot of unwanted attention." Samantha said.
"So you're thinking we should split up." Chase said. It was one of the plans they had discussed. It hadn't been a favorite though as it made them more vulnerable.
"I don't know if that's such a good idea." Becky said. "I don't like the idea of us being separated. Not here."
"I don't like it much myself." Chase admitted. "But the way I see it staying here any longer then necessary is an even worse idea."
"You got a point there." Amy said. "I don't know about the rest of you, but this whole world leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't want to be here any longer then we have to be."
"Here here. It's your call Becks, what do you want to do?" Trista said. Becky didn't answer right away. She buried her face in her hand, muttering to herself. The gang could sense she was distressed and not her normal self. Becky never hesitated over her decisions, not like this. Lisa wanted to say something right then, but thought better of it, realizing that Becky would more likely be more willing to open up if it was just the two of them. Finally Becky looked up at them and laid out her plan.
"Alright we split up. But no one is to go off on their own for any reason. We'll stay in contact with each other through Trista. We'll meet back here in an hour. Get into any trouble, call it in, everyone beats feet back here and we bail. Got it?" Becky said to which everyone nodded.
"Ok, so now that we got that settled. So how we going to split it up?" Trista asked.
"Me and Samantha will take the Street of Coin." Amy said. "We'll talk to the blacksmiths. Maybe Logrim got that funky armor of his here and we can find a way to get around it."
"Good thinking." Trista said. "Me and Kaz will hit the bars on the Street of Desires. Drunks like to talk after all. It's a long shot but worth a try."
"Me and Jenny will join you. More ears and eyes in that type of situation is probably a good idea." Sarah said.
"Nella and I will take the Street of Whispers then." Chase said. "If there really are info brokers there then maybe we can buy the information we need."
"Then that leaves the Street of Blades for me and Becky." Lisa said. "We can find the headquarters of 'Iron Saber' and scope it out. Maybe sneak in and have a look around if the opportunity presents itself."
"Before we go do this everyone team take one of these bags." Chase said. He handed out a set of brown leather bags. A quick look inside revealed that they were filled with gold and silver coins. "I figured it would be a good idea to have a supply of money with us. I doubt that anyone will talk for free. More than likely we're going to have to grease a few palms if we want to accomplish anything."
"Good thinking." Kaz said as he attached a money bag to his belt.
"Alright, the sooner we get to this, the sooner we get it done." Becky said. "Be careful, be alert and make sure we go home in one piece." With that the groups split up and walked into the unknown.
Chase and Nella walked in silence. Nella because she didn't have anything to say, Chase because he didn't know what to say. It was getting to the point that he felt he didn't even know his sister anymore. She had become so withdrawn and angry. He didn't know how to approach her anymore. This wasn't the time to address that however. There were more pressing matters at hand. The Street of Whispers lived up to its name. Unlike the noise of the street they had first been on this one was deathly quiet, the crowds much thinner. One of the first buildings they had passed was the actual capital building, if it could be called that. A simple square two story building surrounded by a low wall. Chase could tell from a glance the Oracle had been right about the government not having much power. From his own experience he knew a functioning, in control government was constantly busy, with people coming and going at all hours. Their capital building seemed practically deserted by the look of it.
"Where do you think we should start?" Nella asked. Her eyes were darting here and there as she kept her eyes open for trouble.
"I say we find the biggest info broker possible. They make it their business to know things. Maybe we can find one that has dug up some dirt on Logrim."
"What about the magic shops?"
"I don't see much point hitting any of them up. I seriously doubt we'd find out anything useful from any of them."
"Agreed." Nella said as she suddenly walked off down the street leaving Chase to catch up. The first stop they made was a large three story building decorated with ornate statues and expertly carved columns. They went through the front door into a richly appointed reception area. Think purple rugs with gold trim were laid out on the floor. A small stone fountain built into the wall gurgled pleasantly. No one seemed to be present however.
"Hello? Anybody home?" Nella called out. A Shoran in green robes the same shade of his skin stepped out from behind a thin curtain. He smiled at his visitors toothily. She stepped forward and spread his arms.
"Welcome to Fadec's! Master of information! If it is worth knowing, you can rest assured Fadec has learned of it! How can I be of service to you?" The Shoran said as she bowed with a flourish. Chase and Nella looked at him in surprise not knowing what to make of him. If Becky or any of the others from Earth had been there they would have been reminded of a used car salesman, slick and oily.
"We've come looking for information on an individual." Chase said carefully, deciding it would be best to play it close to the vest and not give a lot away until they were sure of what they were dealing with.
"Of course! Of course! Come, sit and have something to drink and we can discuss the information you're looking for!" The Shoran ushered them towards a desk in one corner of the room and sat them down in a pair of padded chairs. The Shoran slipped behind the desk and sat down and pulled a couple of mugs and a pitcher out from behind the desk. He filled the mugs with water and put them before Chase and Nella. Chase ignored his while Nella took a long draft from hers, she had been thirsty for some time. "So tell, me, who is it you seek information on?" Chase eyed the Shoran warily, something felt off about this fellow, but he couldn't say what. He was so focused on the Shoran that he didn't notice what was going on with Nella.
The young princess shook her head trying to clear the fog that seemed to have come over her very suddenly. It was a strange feeling, the whole room seemed to be swaying or was it her? She couldn't be sure. That was when she heard the voice. It wasn't very loud, a whisper in the back of her mind really. Yet for as quiet as it was it was very compelling and insistent. It beckoned to her and she felt like she had to answer it. She slipped out of her chair silently, Chase never noticing. She was a little unsteady on her feet but she was able to walk out of the office and head towards where the voice was telling her to go.
"Come, have a drink." The Shoran said for the third time to Chase. He was growing more suspicious by the second. Something wasn't right about this at all and it was time to get out of there.
"Nella, let's go." He said getting up. He looked over to where he expected to see his sister to be only to find her gone. "Nella!?" He said, panic beginning to build. When he realized she was no longer there his sword flew out of its scabbard. He laid the razor sharp edge against the neck of the Shoran. "Where is my sister you bastard?!" Chase growled out. The Shoran gave him a grimace of a smile.
"You should have drank the water. It would have been much easier on you." He said. Chase scooped up the cup and sniffed the water. He detected a faint sickly sweet scent. He growled realizing Nella had been drugged and pressed his blade harder against the Shoran's neck, drawing a little bit of blood.
"I will ask you only one more time, where is my sister?!"
"Kill me and you won't live to find out!"
"Perhaps, but you'll be dead for sure!"
"You're bluffing!"
"You should know that I never bluff. Look in my eyes and tell me what you see." Chase's voice was as hard as a rock. The Shoran did indeed look into his eyes and saw a steely determination that was impossible to deny. A drop of sweat rolled down the side of the Shoran's face.
Nella rubbed her forehead, her thinking was so foggy she wasn't sure how far she had walked. She thought it couldn't have been that far, but who knew? Some part of her mind realized she had entered some sort of tent. It was dimly lit, or was it her vision? It was hard to tell. The scent of incense and herbs hung heavy in the air. She became dimly aware of another presence in the tent. Someone clothed in dark robes sat hunched over a glowing chunk of crystal that floated just above the surface of the table the figure was seated behind.
"Welcome my dear." Said a raspy female voice. The figure looked up and Nella registered it as a female Shoran. "Come, sit down my dear." The sorceress said and Nella felt compelled to comply. "Yes, very good my dear. Now you're going to tell me all your secrets, aren't you?"
"I'm going to tell you all my secrets." Nella mumbled out.
"Very good. And I think I'll be taking that lovely spear of yours as well." A wicked grin formed on the sorceress's face. She reached out to take Eldengraft.
"That's far enough witch." Chase said as he put the edge of his sword to the sorceress's neck. She froze in place. She turned back to look at an enraged Chase, the Shoran that had given Nella the drugged water stood next to him, his arms bound behind his back. "I get your scam. Well too bad for you I wasn't that thirsty. So this is what is going to happen. You're going to release my sister. Try anything funny and your head will end up on the floor. Do we understand each other?" The sorceress gave a curt nod and waved her hand over the crystal. The glow faded and it slowly landed in a holder sitting on the table. Nella blinked and shook her head. "Nella? You okay?"
"W, what happened?" She said. She looked around at her surroundings. "Where are we?"
"This bastard drugged your water." Chase said elbowing the Shoran standing beside him hard, eliciting a grunt form him. "And this bitch here took advantage of that to cast a mind control spell on you. My guess to get information from you." Nella scowled and jumped to her feet, brandishing Eldengraft, the point aimed at the sorceress.
"I don't like having my mind messed with!" She said angrily. She raised Eldengraft and brought it crashing down, smashing the crystal focus the sorceress had been using to control her. Angry voices began filtering into the tent from outside. Both Nella and Chase turned in their direction before looking at each other. "I think it's time we go."
"Agreed." Chase said.
"You'll never get away. My men will hunt you down and… Ugh!" Chase slammed the pommel of his sword into the back of the male Shoran's head, knocking him out.
"That's enough out of you." He spat at the unconscious Shoran. He motioned to Nella and the two of them ducked out the back of the tent. They moved to get as far away as possible form the tent. They could hear the sorceress calling for help. "Let's get back the square. Hopefully we can lose them." Nella nodded and they moved to get away from their pursuers as quickly as possible.
The Street of Coin was almost as crowded as the Street of Desires. Amy and Samantha moved with the flow of the crowd. Vendors of all kinds called from their shops and stalls. The two girls ignored them for the most part. They were on the lookout for any blacksmiths in the area, but so far they hadn't encountered any. Through their psychic bond they could feel each other's concern for Becky. They couldn't talk to each other through their bond yet, but it was something they were working on. According to the Oracle it was possible.
"What the heck do you think is wrong with Becky?" Samantha asked.
"I don't know, but if anyone can get to the bottom of it, it's Lisa." Amy said in all confidence. They didn't say anything more on the subject, knowing that if it was necessary they would step in to help Becky with whatever it was she was going through.
"Think we'll find anything useful?" Amy asked.
"Not sure. It's worth taking the risk for sure, but it's a longshot." Samantha answered. Amy nodded in agreement. As they walked father along the street they picked up the faint, yet distinct scent of something burning. A moment later they saw what was obviously the first of many blacksmiths. It looked as if an entire section of the street had been dedicated to just them.
"Well that makes it a little easier." Amy said. "At least we don't have to wander all over the place now. Where should we start?"
"I don't see any reason to make it complicated. Let's just start at the first one and just work our way down the street." Amy nodded in agreement and the two girls headed for the first blacksmith shop. Little did they know they were being watched. A Shoran watched them from the shadows. A sly grin crossed his face. Without taking his eyes off of them he motioned with his hand and roughly half a dozen Shoran moved to positions perfect to surround and ambush Amy and Samantha when they walked out of the blacksmith. Assured his men were in place he moved in as well.
Inside the smithy Amy and Samantha blinked back the tears that were forming in their eyes from the smoke in the air. Cleanliness obviously wasn't a priority. Debris from the smithy were in piles in the corners and a thick layer of soot covered every single surface.
"Hello? Anyone here?" Amy called out.
"What do you want?" A gruff sounding Shoran said as he came out of the back. His face was covered in black smudges and his arms were thickly muscled. Amy and Samantha could feel him appraising them critically.
"We were wondering about some armor." Amy said.
"Yeah?" He said in an indifferent tone.
"Is it possible you can carve a rune into it? Say a magical cancelation rune."
"I can carve anything into it you want. Give me a drawing."
"How hard would it be to get around something like that?" Amy asked. The Shoran looked at her funny.
"How the hell should I know? It's your damn rune. I just add it on, just like any other blacksmith here would." Amy and Samantha looked at each other and grimaced. "Look, I don't know what it is you two are after, but if you're not going to buy anything get out. I'm busy." With that Amy and Samantha turned and walked away.
"Well, that was a bust." Amy said.
"I doubt we'll have any luck at any of the other blacksmiths, not if anyone could carve a rune into any old piece of armor." Samantha said back shaking her head.
"Yeah. Let's just head back to the plaza and wait for the others. We're not going to find anything here." As they started to walk away a Shoran in a cloak stepped in front of them.
"Why hello pretty ladies." He leered at them and the girls were instantly creeped out. "Looking for work? I can help with that. Two pretty ladies like you can make lots of money. There are plenty of people who would pay to spend an hour or two with you."
"Get away you asshole!" Samantha cried out indignity. Both her and Amy had instantly realized what he was hinting at.
"Yeah, we're not whores!" Amy yelled. She actually reached out and slapped the Shoran across his face. He stumbled back clutching the spot where Amy had struck him. He chuckled at them.
"A pair of feisty ones, excellent." He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The men he had positioned earlier closed in around them. "To bad you weren't willing to do things the easy way. Try not leave any bruises boys. These two will bring in a lot of money." The goons pulled out wooden clubs and laughed. "If you know what's good for you, you'll come along quietly." Amy and Samantha just looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Amy thrust her arm out and nailed the closet goon next to her full in the face with a water blast. Samantha blew a couple more away with a pair of energy bolts.
"Magic users!" One of the goons yelled.
"Get them! Knock them out!" The leader yelled as he leapt at them. He pulled a pair of shackles out of his robes. Amy caught a brief glance of some kind of runes carved into the cuffs and knew it probably wouldn't be a good idea to let him get those on them. She decked him smack dab in the center of his face. He went cross eyed and collapsed to the ground out cold. The remainder of the goons charged at them. Samantha saw them coming and she closed her eyes and concentrated. A ball of ice formed in-between her hands. Her eyes snapped open and she threw the ice ball at their assailants. It exploded half way to them, ice shards flew forward in a fanning arc and whatever they hit was frozen in place including all the charging goons.
"Nice one!" Amy called out.
"Thanks! I always wanted to try that!" Samantha grinned triumphantly at her handiwork while the Shoran goons snarled furiously as they tried to get free of their icy bonds. Amy noticed out the corner of her eyes several onlookers muttering among themselves.
"We better go, the crowd doesn't look to friendly." She said. Samantha nodded and the two of them turned and headed back towards the plaza. Remembering what Becky said about keeping in contact she sent a telepathic message to Trista. "Trista, things got ugly here! We're heading back to the plaza!"
"You're not the only ones!" Trista sent back immediately. "Things went to shit here real quick!"
Trista, Kaz, Sarah and Jenny hadn't spent much time debating on their plan of action once they had gotten back to the Street of Desires. In their mind one bar was good as another. They doubted Logrim had visited any of the bars himself, but maybe some his men had. They picked the seediest bar they could find which was saying something as every bar was a dive to begin with. The ceiling was black with soot from years of smoke from greasy oil lanterns. The floor looked as if it hadn't been swept in sometime. Jenny spied what looked like a couple of teeth under one of the rough cut tables. They slid up to the bar where a rather fat Shoran with a missing eye stood wiping out a mug with an extremely filthy rag.
"What'll be?" The Shoran grumbled out in a deep, rumbly voice.
"Just give us four mugs of whatever you have on tap." Kaz said as he slapped a few coins on the stained bar top. The bartender grunted and scooped up the coins. He filled four dented tankards from a keg and plopped them down in front of them, the brown liquid inside them sloshing over the top.
"So what do we do now?" Sarah asked as she looked at her drink warily.
"Just sit here and keep your ears open." Kaz said. He took a sip from his mug, his face instantly getting a look of absolute disgust. "And whatever you do, don't drink your beer. I don't know what they use for ingredients, but it tastes like horse piss is a major component. I mean I've tasted some nasty brews before, but good grief." Jenny looked at her mug and gently pushed it away with a finger.
"And how would you know what a bad beer would taste like?" Trista asked her fiancé with a raised eyebrow. Kaz instantly went red in the face.
"Oh, uh, well me and Chase have gone out drinking with some of the guards before." From his reaction Kaz and his brother had probably snuck out to go drinking with their buddies. The girls snickered at him, but quickly settled back down. Plenty of time later to give him a hard time. They sat and observed the crowd for a time while taking pretend sips from their mugs. While the they tried to listen to the conversations around them there was too much din to make anything out. Just as they were about to call it quits a drunken Shoran stumbled past them and Jenny made the mistake of watching him as he did.
"Whaat are yoous looking at?" He said in a drunken slur. Jenny recoiled from the stench of his breath.
"Ugh, get away from me!" She said.
"Dumb bitch!" The Shoran yelled. He took a swing at Jenny which of course set off Sarah. She jumped up and decked the drunken lizard man. He fell back and crashed through a table full of drinks. The Shoran that had been sitting at it slowly got to their feet and glared angrily at them. All around the room the various patrons looked at each other warily while the bartender slipped away into the backroom.
"Ohhh shit…" Kaz said in a low tone, his hand slowly going to the handle of his sword. The room exploded all the room. Fights broke out all over at once and the Shoran that had been sitting at the table launched themselves at Kaz and the girls and from somewhere a chair came tumbling through the air at them. Jenny threw her arms out and a bright blue magical shield popped up to protect them. The charging Shoran bounced off the shield just as the chair smashed into it, raining broken pieces of wood all over the place. Trista got a wicked grin on her face and cracked the knuckles of one hand then the other.
"Now this is more my style." She said as she whipped her cloak off. She leapt forward and kneed one of the downed Shoran in the bottom of the jaw as he was getting to his feet. Her momentum carried her forward and she landed a chop to the back of one combatants head. As he fell she hit his opponent with a spinning side kick. Kaz just groaned, shook his head and leapt into the fray to back up Trista.
"Well this situation sure escalated quickly." Sarah said in frustration. She summoned a couple of vines from up underneath the floorboards and started to clear a path towards the door. Jenny maintained the shield around the two of them while charging it to zap anyone that got too close while they inched their way towards the exit. Kaz and Trista were fighting back to back while trying to get out themselves.
"So are all your bar trips this lively?" Trista asked as she punched another bar patron that came after her.
"Remind me to tell you some stories later!" Kaz said as he smacked an attacker in the side of his head with the flat of his sword.
"Looking forward to it!"
"Trista! Kaz! We are leaving!" Sarah yelled at them. Her and Jenny were at the door and were doing their best to keep the path clear for the other two.
"Ah already? I was just starting to have fun." Trista said as she and Kaz broke off from the fight and ran to the door. The four of them fled into the crowed street and turned to look back the bar just as the fight spilled into the street. One pair of brawlers smashed through a window and tumbled into another Shoran walking down the street. One of his buddies retaliated by leaping on the two drunks who had knocked over his companion. Similar incidents broke out across the street and began to spread.
"Uh, I think we started a riot guys." Sarah said as they all watched things escalating. "Perhaps we better get back to the square."
"Yeaahh, that might be a good idea." Trista said. The four turned and ran as fights broke out all around them. As they made their getaway Trista received a telepathic message from Amy.
"Trista, things got ugly here! We're heading back to the plaza!"
"You're not the only ones! Things went to shit here real quick!" Trista set right back. She shook her head as they ran. "So much for keeping things on the down low." She said.
Becky and Lisa moved silently along the Street of Blades. While Lisa wanted to talk to Becky about what was bothering her it wasn't exactly the most opportune time. While the street wasn't all that crowded most everyone they saw was heavily armed, not a situation where it would be a good idea to let your guard down. Every building they passed seemed to belong to one mercenary company or another. Some were nothing more than small offices while others were huge complexes complete with barracks and training grounds surrounded by high walls. Wagons loaded down with weapons, armor and other supplies traveled up and down the street.
"Wow, the Oracle was right about the mercenary companies being big business. Look at how many different ones there are." Becky said.
"Yeah, it's going to be a lot harder than we thought to find where 'Iron Saber' is based at." Lisa answered back. She looked to her left and stopped short. "Or maybe not. Look who it is." Becky turned to look in the direction Lisa was looking.
"Kisarc." She said. "Perfect. We can just follow him back to his base. He might even lead us to the information we need!" The Shoran mercenary leader was walking along the street in a leisurely manner, apparently unaware of Becky and Lisa's presence. The two Guardians feel in step behind him far enough that it didn't look like they were following him, yet didn't lose sight of him. They didn't speak to each other as they tailed Kisarc. After awhile he approached one of the larger facilities. At last they had found 'Iron Saber's' headquarters, which was obviously a very successful group. Their building was one of the largest they had seen. Kisarc nodded to the guards at the gate who saluted him. But instead of walking through he walked along the wall towards an alley.
"Where's he going?" Lisa asked. She furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Maybe he's got his own private entrance." Becky said equally confused.
"One way to find out." They went down the alley, but had lost sight of Kisarc. There didn't seem anyway he could have gone as the alley didn't have any offshoots or anything of the like. Finally, it opened up into a courtyard behind the building. From the look of things it was a delivery area, a few crates and barrels lined the edges of the area.
"Damnit!" Becky cursed as they moved into the center of the area. "We lost him! Where did he go!?"
"Right behind you." Becky and Lisa spun around to find Kisarc standing behind them. He had hidden in the shadows and waited for them to pass him. He didn't look like he was spoiling for a fight however. His arms were crossed across his chest and his axe was still strapped to his back. "Well, well, well, what do we have here, a couple of stray Guardians following me. You need to work on your stealth skills girls. I spotted you two right off."
"You knew we were following you and lured us here!" Lisa said in an understanding. She and Becky moved into a fighting stance.
"Not for the reason you think." The Shoran leader said with a smirk. "I'm not looking for a fight. What would be the point?" Becky and Lisa glanced at each other. They didn't drop their guard, but decided to at least hear him out.
"What do you mean?" Becky asked. "Because from what I've seen so far you've been more than willing to take us on at the drop of a hat."
"That's just part of the job. The contract I have with Logrim states we are to deal with any all threats to his plans on Eldrin. Last time I checked we're not on Eldrin. Why would I waste my time on something that isn't part of my contract? I don't pick pointless fights if I can help it."
"That doesn't make sense. Twice your men attacked us on Earth." Lisa said.
"Those were orders from Logrim. The first was an attempt to eliminate you before you got your powers, though we didn't know that at the time. The second was again an order from Logrim. He wanted to gauge your abilities. After that there was no point in taking you on your home world. But what I want to know is why you're here." Becky and Lisa didn't say anything. Kisarc shook his head and smirked at them again. "I'm guessing you're here looking for info on what Logrim is up to and you figured you could find it out here." The look on Becky and Lisa's faces told the mercenary leader all he needed to know. "As I thought. I hate to disappoint you, well actually I don't, but you're not going to find what you're looking for here. I have no idea what it is Logrim is after, and honestly I don't care. He paid me for a job, I'm doing that job."
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Becky asked.
"You don't. But ask yourself this, what reason do I have to lie? I'm hired help. I have no interest in how this all turns out one way or the other." The two girls had no response to that which seemed to satisfy Kisarc. "With that I'll take my leave." Kisarc turned and started to walk away. That's when Lisa called out to him.
"If I were you I'd be watching your employer very carefully." Kisarc stopped and looked back over his shoulder at her.
"Assuming that I don't already why do you say that?"
"Because he sees you, your men and everyone around him as nothing more than pawns. He'll sacrifice all of you in a heartbeat if it means he gets what he wants."
"And where did you get that from?"
"Logrim said it himself in so many words. And at the library he cut down one of his own men like it was nothing. I'd watch my back if I were you." Kisarc remained silent for a moment, as if he was contemplating Lisa's words, his brow furrowed and his nostrils flaring slightly. He finally grinned at her and even chuckled a little.
"Old advice I already follow. Rule one in the mercenary business, never trust your employer." With that he disappeared into the shadows beyond the edge of the courtyard.
"What do think? Was he lying about not knowing anything?" Becky asked Lisa after a moment.
"No, well not for the most part. I think he does care, he just didn't want to let us know that. But about not knowing anything? He was telling the truth."
"That's exactly what I thought." Becky wrapped her arms around herself and started to pace. Before Lisa could say anything Becky roared in frustration and kicked an empty barrel. "Damnit! I really thought we would find some answers here! But no I screwed up again!" Lisa was taken aback by this sudden outburst of Becky's. But at last she was beginning to understand what had been bothering the girl she loved.
"Becky what are you talking about!? You haven't screwed up! Just because the info we're looking for isn't here doesn't mean it's your fault!" Lisa said. "What is going on with you!? You haven't been yourself lately!"
"Nothing, I'm fine." Becky said looking away.
"Bullshit!" Lisa cried out. "Please don't shut me out Becky! I can't stand to see you so upset! You know you can talk to me!"
"I don't to fail everyone again. I don't want to let you down!" Becky said, her voice quivering. Lisa came up and cupped Becky's face with her hands.
"What are you talking about? You haven't failed everyone and you could never let me down!" Lisa said. "Where is this coming from!?"
"The library!" Becky cried out. Before Lisa could ask what she meant Becky continued on. "It's all my fault! Logrim got the book! If I just called everyone back when we first figured out Samantha might know something we wouldn't be in this position! We'd have the book and would have gotten ahold of the Heart of Exellis and it'd all be over! And at the library should have hit them hard at the library once we knew they were there. But no! I made all the wrong calls and practically handed him the keys to an unstable nuclear bomb!" Becky was crying freely now. She had broken away from Lisa and wandered over to a wooden crate against one wall. She bent over it and slammed her fist on it. "All my fault…"
"Becky, no…" Lisa came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. "This isn't your fault. It never was. You couldn't of known Logrim knew about the library! We didn't even know for sure Samantha knew anything at first! And stealth instead of a full frontal attack was the right call at the time! Just because it didn't work out means you're to blame!" Lisa wrapped her arms around Becky from behind and pulled her close. "You're doing your best! We all are! We just have to keep pushing and we will find a solution! And I believe with all my heart that you will be the one to lead us to that solution."
"But the Heart of Exellis, if it goes off, all of Eldrin…" Becky couldn't finish the thought.
"You are not the one that is putting an entire world in danger, you're trying to save it!" Lisa turned Becky around so they were facing one another once more. "We need you Becky! We can't do this without you! So please! Don't doubt yourself like this! You're better than that and you know it!"
"It's so heavy Lisa." Becky said. "Sometimes I, I don't know if can carry it all by myself."
"You don't have to. You never did. You have me, and Amy, and Will and everyone else. We will prevail in the end because we are a team that is there for each other no matter what. So dry those tears and hold on to the knowledge that we believe in you." Becky didn't say anything, instead she wiped the tears from her face and nodded her head. Lisa could tell Becky was already standing a little taller now, that some of her fears and doubts had been relieved, or at the very least put to one side for now. Lisa made a mental note to talk to Will and have her speak with Becky as well.
"C'mon. Let's round up the others and get the hell off of this sewage pit of a world." Becky said to which Lisa nodded. Becky was just about to contact Trista when the Fire Guardian beat her to the punch.
"Becks! Lisa! Get back to the plaza! All hell has broken loose!"
"Well might as well go see what kind of mess we're in this time." Lisa said. Realizing that there was no point in trying to remain disguised they threw aside their cloaks and took to the skies to rejoin their friends. From a window on the upper level of his headquarters Kisarc watched the two Guardians fly off without really seeing them. He was contemplating what the Air Guardian had said to him about his employer. His response had been true enough. He didn't trust Logrim, hadn't from the start. And those suspicions had been growing recently. But to hear it from someone else brought everything into a sharper focus. He was going over everything that had happened up to that point. He was not sure what his next step would be, but one thing was certain, he needed to watch Logrim even more carefully then he already had been.
Amy and Samantha emerged into the plaza just as Chase and Kaz came running from the Street of Whispers. Before they could even question what was wrong a group of Shoran armed to the teeth followed them. They were about to go to their aid when Trista's group came running into the square, and the reason why was immediately apparent as a huge crowd of rioters all fighting one another boiled into the plaza behind them.
"Get those two!" Amy and Samantha whirled around to see the slaver that had tried to capture them had come up behind them, along with a much larger group of goons then he had before.
"Not these guys again!" Amy said as she and Samantha made a run for it. All three teams made for the center of the plaza. The Shoran that gave out info saw the trouble coming his way, shook his head and took off, not wanting anything to do with what was happening. Everyone made for the stone hut, arriving at the same time.
"Well this turned out fabulously." Trista said sarcastically as the rioters, guards and slavers closed in around them. "Where the hell are Becky and Lisa? We need to get our asses out of here!"
"There!" Nella said as she pointed to the skies. Becky and Lisa came in low and flew over the square. Lisa buffeted the rioters with a solid wall of wind while Becky threw twin curtains of lightning bolts down on the guards and slavers. They landed next to their friends and Lisa created a large scale whirlwind around them to keep their attackers at bay.
"I can't keep this up for long!" Lisa cried out as she strained to keep the protective whirlwind active. Becky wasted no time in opening a fold inside the stone hut.
"I think we've overstayed our welcome guys! Time to go!" She cried out.
"Don't need to tell me twice!" Amy said as she jumped through the fold followed by Samantha. The rest of the gang weren't far behind them till only Lisa and Becky were left. Lisa released the whirlwind and jumped through with Becky right on her heels. The fold snapped shut just as the crowd of pursuers got to the hut.
Back on Kandrakar everyone was catching their breath, worn out form their ordeal on Shoranoth. The Oracle checked on Nella to make sure she was not suffering from any ill effects from being drugged or mind controlled. After a minute or two he said that she should be fine.
"I take it that things did not go according to plan on Shoranoth." The Oracle said once everyone had settled down.
"You could say that." Amy said. Group by group they talked about their encounters on the Shoran home world. The Oracle and the rest of the council listen patiently while they described their experiences.
"So it sounds like there never was anything to find out there." Will said once everyone had finished their recounting of what happened. Lisa eyed Becky, afraid she might start blaming herself again for what had happened. Thankfully wasn't the case.
"No, but it was worth the shot." Becky said. She still sounded a little troubled, but for the most part she seemed like her normal self.
"What I don't understand is why you warned Kisarc about Logrim." Taranee asked.
"Yeah, why would you want to help the head lizard goon?" Trista asked.
"Well I wasn't trying to help him, not really." Lisa said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Then what was the point?" Becky asked.
"It just came to me, you know? I thought maybe if I could make him suspicious of Logrim enough he might leave Eldrin with his men."
"That's actually not a bad idea." Chase said, resting his chin in his hand. "If we could separate the Shoran from Logrim it would be a devastating blow to him. He doesn't have enough men of his own to hold Eldrin without them."
"Well, we may not have gotten any info on Logrim, but we may have at least driven a wedge between him and the Shoran. Let's hope that something comes of it." Becky said. Seeing as everyone was worn out from the day's events they called a halt to any further discussion and to get some rest and come up with a new plan once their minds were fresh. While they were getting ready to leave Lisa went up to Will and spoke to her briefly about what had been bothering Becky. The next day Will took Becky out to lunch at one of her favorite restaurants.
"So Lisa told me what's been bothering you the last couple of weeks." Will said. Becky bit her lip and turned her head away slightly. "Why didn't you say anything? You know I would of listened."
"I don't know." Becky said. "I guess I didn't want to seem like more of a failure then I already felt like I was."
"Oh Becky." Will said as she put a hand on her daughter's. "You're not a failure just because things don't go right. I screwed up plenty when I was Keeper and I had the same doubts as you. Probably the biggest example was not telling Elyon the truth about where she was from. That was my call. I wanted to protect her, I was afraid the truth would frighten her. I had the best intentions, but it backfired. Because we hadn't warned her about Phobos she was easily tricked by him and Cedric. And it was all too easy for them to convince her that we were the enemy. I felt like a total failure at the time. But I wasn't, I made a call, that's all. And that's all you can do Becky, make a call."
"It's just so hard, having the fate of an entire world on my shoulders. Sometimes it feels like we take one step forward and two back."
"Believe me I know the feeling. But you can do this Becky, you were chosen as Keeper for a reason and you are more then able to rise and meet the challenge before you. Never doubt that. Believe that it will work out, believe in your friends, and most importantly believe in yourself."
"I'll try." Becky said, a small smile creeping onto her face. Will smiled back at her. They finished their meal and they left, Becky feeling much lighter of spirit then she had in the last couple of weeks. She still felt the burden she carried, it still felt ominous, but she cast her doubts aside. Logrim may have held all the cards, he had the numbers and the key to finding his goal. But Becky and her friends were determined and in the end they would win. Logrim had better be prepared, because they were coming for him.
And here we come to the end of the chapter! I hope you enjoyed this latest adventure! So please leave a review and let me know how I did!
Next chapter: The first of a two parter. Marna is captured! The girls rush to her rescue, but will they be in time to save her? And how will Nella react if they aren't?