Chapter 26

"I don't have time to waste," Mira said as she focused her eyes on the stairs. "It doesn't matter how old this wood is. It's still the most direct route."

As she approached the stairs, she looked back and saw that Duke only had one leg left to untangle from the vines. He'd be coming for that diamond any minute now.

Trying to move lightly and quickly, she leapt from one step to the next. It seemed best not to linger long on the steps as they creaked and groaned beneath her.

Looking ahead, Mira saw that the diamond was only about seven more steps away from her as she approached the middle of the stairs. But as she let her foot fall upon the wood under her, it suddenly gave way. And Mira felt her body crash through two of the steps. Her waist and legs became wedged between the broken pieces of wood.

"No, this can't happen now," she groaned as she tried to pull herself out, but each piece of wood that she tried to pull on broke.

Malberic appeared on the steps above her, but they gave no sign of breaking under him.

"Trying to take the easy path?"

"Easy?!" Mira shot back at him with a glare.

"Well, you weren't willing to take enough risks to help your friend."

Mira turned her head enough to see Duke breaking free of the vines, and her breath caught in her throat as he raced towards the narrow bridge over the lava. But Duke's agility and balance were superior to hers, and he moved across it without hesitation.

Upon reaching the other side, he ignored the stairs and began to climb the rock pillar. Mira tried to call out to him, but Duke only said,

"I see now that you only wanted the diamond for yourself. But it's mine, kid!"

Mira worried that he might fall, but Duke managed the climb, and as he reached the top, he seized the diamond and held it up. But as he did so, it seemed to melt and black shiny bands issued from his hands and wrapped around his arms, binding him again. Duke's seemed surprised at first, but then his head bowed and he seemed to lose consciousness.

Like an oily rope, part of the black bands around Duke's arms extended down to Malberic, who caught it as if taking hold of a leash or chain.

"I warned you that you could not succeed today. And this fool, who thought he was defying my will by stealing from me, has fallen right into my trap. It seems you were unable to awaken him."

Mira once again tried to free herself, but this time all of the stairs began to collapse, and she landed on the part of the bridge closest to the pillar. The opposite end of the rock bridge by the cliff began to crumble, and soon only the part she was sitting upon was left.

Malberic reappeared on the cliff with Duke as his prisoner as he looked down on her.

"I'll be taking my ducks and leaving now, but if you decide you want rescuing, just call for me."

In this ending, Mira was not able to successfully rescue Duke or the other ducks. But you can go back to Chapter 24 and try a different option.