Right, here's the next chapter. Now we're starting to get into something I've had planned out since the beginning. (Finally)
….
Lea adjusted the blue mask around her face, trying to work out how she'd get onboard. She had no idea if the thralls simply walked on in without permission or if she had to wait. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she'd be caught immediately. The thralls were stupid, true, but there may have been officers in their midst who would be able to tell the difference. One misstep, one tiny mistake, and she'd be discovered and likely dead within minutes.
Beginning to sweat, she reached unconsciously for her sword. Panic shot through her when her hand gripped empty air. Fortunately, she remembered the blade hidden in her boot before she completely lost her mind. Lea breathed in deeply, silently cursing her fear while she gripped the hilt.
"Calm down," a quiet voice murmured in her mind. "Watch the thralls. Just follow them until you find a way to Espirus."
"Easy for you to say," Lea replied, but she knew her guardian was correct. She watched the thralls silently for a moment, trying to discern some sign of order in their actions. Most of them seemed to be on guard, though for what she had no idea. At seemingly random intervals, small groups of the thralls carried large metal barrels through the clearing, climbing the landing ramp and disappearing into the massive ship. "I guess that's the fuel, then," Lea thought.
She waited until the next group began to take up their barrels and followed suit, trying to avoid the leaking oil dripping out. The container was heavier than it looked, loaded down with the thick liquid as it was. The thralls remained blank-faced as they carried their burden, and Lea was thankful for the covering on her face that masked the signs of exertion. As her boots hit the ramp she began to lose her grip on the load, sweat making it difficult to keep a hold. Zelda lent as much of her strength as she could, but the Hylian princess had never been much for manual labor.
After several minutes of negotiating the tight turns of the ship with the massive barrels, the thralls finally set their burden down in a rectangular room filled with many other such containers. Hardly stopping at all, the mindless men immediately walked to the other end of the coppery chamber and simply stood in a line with other thralls, as if they were awaiting further orders.
At Zelda's urging, Lea did not follow them. She hid behind a barrel near the door, although the thralls paid her no mind anyway. They seemed not to notice one less member in the company, let alone look for the missing person.
"There's an air vent on your right, about a foot off the floor," said Lea's guide. "Once you get inside, I should be able to find a path to Espirus's chamber." Lea did as she was told, using the blade of her knife to unscrew the bolts on the vent cover. Thankful for her slim size, she slipped into the narrow opening rather easily. Almost immediately, Zelda had a plan mapped out.
The blue mask on Lea's face collected dust as she crawled through the ventilation system, as did the front of her clothes. The warm metal seared her palms, but she ignored it. She couldn't quite tell if she was sweating because of the temperature, or for anticipation of what was to come. Licking her lips nervously, she continued on her way. As she moved onward, time seemed to slow. Lea couldn't tell how long she had been there, or how long it had been since she had been outside. Everything seemed to meld into one. The only thing that actually seemed real was her guide's voice, directing her through the passages.
After what seemed like forever, Zelda gave a sharp command to stop, snapping Lea back into focus. "Take a left here, very slowly," she whispered, even though no one could have heard her.
"Is this it?"
"Yes, this is exactly where you need to be. You're high off the floor here, so take care not to fall through the vent. And there's one more thing…"
Not liking Zelda's ominous tone, Lea asked, "What is it?"
"This needs to be done quickly, Lea. There's not much time left."
"Time? Time for what?"
"The spell that allowed me to find you can only last so long. When it's time is up, the Smashers will once again walk the earth."
"Isn't that a good thing?"
"In a way, yes. We'll have twice our number to combat Espirus, but you'll be at half your former strength."
"So we're sacrificing ability for numbers, is that it?"
"Basically. Not to mention that if it wears off before you get out, I'll appear next to you. We'll be caught immediately, if we're not suffocated in these vents."
"Got it." Pushing that gruesome thought out of her mind, Lea slowly crept up to the vent to cover and peered out through the tiny openings.
Espirus sat in his red throne, tapping his left hand impatiently on the armrest. On his right, in her own smaller throne, sat the vague shape of a wisp, flickering and wavering like a candle. They listened intently to a blue wisp who stood in the center of the chamber, golden eyes with no pupils focused intently on the Lord of Shadows' face.
"So," rumbled Espirus, his tone betraying no emotion, "you're telling me that you failed to eliminate the group as you were ordered?"
"Yes, my master," the blue wisp replied, equally calm. "They proved more able than expected. The boy Vincent managed to defeat a group of my best men without so much as a scratch, and Franchek left thirteen fighters with no heads."
"And what news is there of the other so-called Chosen? How close are they to the ruins?"
"I suspect that at their current speed they should reach the place within three weeks."
"And Leon? Has he been killed yet?"
"No, master, but Hikari was with them. The boy's foolish sense of honor will likely lead to a duel, one that Hikari will be certain to win."
"If I may be so bold, master," said the red wisp as she sat up in her chair, "I would like to know what happened to the group that boarded the ship three days ago. They are dead, correct?"
"Humans can't survive a fall from three thousand feet, Imynd. Anything left of them is likely just a red spot on the grass."
"O-of course, milord. Forgive me for doubting you, sire, but I must be sure."
"It matters not. In two days we will be in the air again, and a day later we'll be at the ruins. Those fools don't stand a chance." He pointed at the blue wisp. "Fere, you are to stay here in the battleship. I cannot have you or Imynd getting killed. Without you, I am powerless. With you, I am unstoppable." Fere bowed and sat down in the throne left of Espirus.
"All I needed to hear," Lea thought with a smile as she began to crawl back out.
….
Jake paced around the camp anxiously. It had been over five hours since Lea had entered the battleship, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. There had been no signal, no contact, although Sophie claimed that she could feel Lea's presence.
"Would you calm down?" Eddie asked. "She hasn't sent up Din's fire, so she's fine."
"Did you think for a moment that maybe she couldn't send the signal?" Jake shot back at his brother. "She might be dead by now, for all we know!"
"For crying out loud, she's alright," Sophie said. "If she was dead, I'd know."
"But I-"
"Hey, we know you're worried," Nick said, "we all are. But sometimes you just have to have a little faith, y'know?"
"Yeah, a lot of good that's done me," Jake growled. "Look, it's been five hours. What are we going to do if she doesn't come back by morning, huh?"
Sophie was about to make a sarcastic response when something caught her attention. The trees that separated their camp from the clearing rustled slightly, just a little more than the wind could account for. A familiar aura accompanied the soft noise. "Well, look who's back," she said with a small smile.
Lea walked out of the undergrowth, pulling the mask of her face as she did so. The other members of the group, who had been unaware of Lea's presence, immediately stopped the conversation and turned to face her. Jake was the first to speak.
"So what did you find?" he asked, stepping forward with a grin.
"I know how we can get rid of Espirus," the girl replied with a similar expression. She told her companions what she had witnessed.
….
Yup, one more short chapter. For all those getting bored with talking and negotiating, the next chapter should hopefully satisfy you. It's time for a fight scene!