Hello everyone and welcome once more to a new chapter of B.L.A.S.T.! I know it has once agian been quite sometime since I last posted a new chapter. Not long after I posted chapter 25 last year I found out that I was the victum of idenity theft. And well, let's just say it was and continues to be a very trying situation. But enough of that, let's get down to buissness!
As always thanks to my reviewers for last chapter Penguin Lord0029 and BlackRoseFire. Also thanks to everyone who read last chapter! Keep the reviews coming folks!
Also, I have two new polls I just put up! One is just for fun. I just want to see who everyone's favorite B.L.A.S.T. girl is! The other has to do with the sequel I announced last chapter. (Which is well under way in being planned out, I even have a few early chapters done in rough draft form.) I have several ideas for possible new charecters that will appear in said sequel and I'm just curious to see what everyone thinks about them, so vote for your three favorites! Just keep in mind that in order to keep things as spoiler free as possible I will say some are ones I've already fully decided on, others are possiblities one way or another and one or two might even be red herrings to throw you off track!(I know, I'm evil!) So please! Check out said polls and vote!
With that out of the way let us get started with the new chapter! Just a slight warning, things are going to get a little dark this chapter, so keep that in mind! So on with the show!
Chapter 26: Nella's Friend Part 1
Kisarc swore as he tripped and nearly fell when his foot caught on a exposed root. It was a sign of how distracted he was that wasn't paying attention to his footing. Ever since the run in with the two Guardians on Shoranoth he had been on edge. They had certainly left a mess in their wake, though he doubted they meant too. It had taken nearly two days for the riots to die down. The capital was a mess. Not that that was an unusual occurrence, riots and mass destruction of property happened all the time. The real mess however was in his mind. The Air Guardian's words of warning about Logrim had rattled him more then he cared to admit. Ever since then he had been not only watching his employer even more carefully then he had been, he had been going over everything that Logrim had said and done and a very disturbing picture had been forming.
For one it was apparent the Air Guardian was right about one thing, Logrim was willing to make any sacrifice to get what he wanted. The raids on the various villages, the torture of people for information, the abduction of that pregnant woman to try and get the Guardians to surrender, the way he cut down one of his own men when he was possessed by that ghost, the trips to dangerous locations with no planning or forethought, most notably that underground graveyard filled with angry sprits and giant bug like rock creatures. Then there was the paranoia. He still refused to let any of his men in on their meetings. Logrim kept things way to close to the vest for his taste. That was maybe the most worrisome part. Even after all this time he still didn't know what Logrim was after. He knew it was called the 'Demon's Heart', but the name itself while ominous meant very little. He knew from experience that all kinds of rare and magical artifacts had names like that, he had been hired often enough to track such things down. Other then the name all he knew it was some kind of gem like object from the vague drawing Logrim had provided when they had searched the royal vault.
And now here he was trekking through the woods to some super secret meeting in the middle of nowhere. It smelled too much of an ambush. He had sent Chirin and Terak to scout the area in advance and they had found nothing, but still he was concerned he was walking into a trap. If that was the case whether he got out of it or not Logrim would find himself quickly besieged for his betrayal by the entire might of 'Iron Saber'. With a final grunt of annoyance, he pushed past a particularly thick bush into a small clearing. Logrim and Pelth were already there and turned to face him at the sound of his approach.
"Ah, Kisarc, there you are." Logrim said as the Shoran leader joined them. "Thank you for making the trek out here."
"I assume you have a good reason for calling me out to the middle of nowhere for a meeting." Kisarc barked at Logrim. His employer seemed not to notice or care about his annoyance however.
"Indeed I do. I wanted to make sure we weren't overheard." Logrim began to pace back and forth, looking at the ground. "For some time now I have been wondering how the Guardians have managed to show up just about everywhere we have. I am not a believer in coincidence. It doesn't make sense that they would just stumble upon us at every turn."
"Where are you going with this?" Kisarc asked, though he already had a pretty good idea. He had had his own suspicions for some time now.
"I have detected no sign of any kind of magical observation methods. The only possible answer is that we have a spy in our midst." Pelth said in answer. Kisarc couldn't help it, he started to chuckle before bursting out laughing. Logrim whipped his head up and glared at Kisarc.
"What's so funny?" He barked.
"Finally figured it out have you?" Kisarc said when his laughter subsided. "I'm surprised it took you this long to realize that. With as paranoid as you are I would have thought you would have come to that conclusion long ago, I thought you just didn't give a damn!"
"You mean to tell me you've known there's a spy and haven't said anything, let alone done anything about it!?" Logrim got in Kisarc's face, nearly jamming his figure in the lizardman's eye. "What in the name of the abyss am I paying you for you scaly bastard!?" All the mirth disappeared from Kisarc's face. His eyes narrowed and he stared right back at Logrim.
"First of all you're paying me for military forces." His voice carried a dangerous edge to it. "Counter espionage was never part of our contract. Secondly, would you of listened to me if I had voiced my concerns? Frankly I think not. You've consistently ignored my advice since the beginning! If there's a mess in your house clean it up yourself!"
"Why you stinking slime bag! I have half a mind to-"
"Gentlemen please." Pelth said stepping in-between the other two, effectively separating them. "There is no sense in arguing about what has already come to pass. What we must do now is figure out what to do about it."
"I assume you have no idea who the spy is. What about your pet seer? She hasn't divined their identity?" Kisarc asked after crossing his arms across his chest.
"No, and before you ask it's not her. She's watched very carefully. There's no way she could be leaking information to the Guardians. No, it has to be someone innocuous. Someone we wouldn't think to suspect or notice." Logrim answered.
"Someone like a servant." Kisarc said at once.
"What?" Pelth said.
"Think about it. The castle servants we captured were kept around to keep everything running smoothly so we didn't have to waste our own men on such things. It makes perfect sense the Guardians and the Royals would contact at least one of them to gather information for them, it's what I'd do in their situation. How they're doing it specifically I have no idea, but it's the only explanation that makes sense."
"That settles it. We go back and round them up and find out which one of those little sneaks is our spy!" Logrim said through clenched teeth.
"Not the best course of action." Kisarc said. "You do that and the spy might get away before we can find them. There's no way we can round all the servants up at once. What you need to do is make the spy come to you."
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it obvious? Bait. What do we have the Guardians and their allies want?"
"The book." Pelth said.
"Exactly. Create an opportunity to get at the book, send the Guardians on a wild goose chase to keep them distracted and the spy will walk right into your hands."
"Yes. I like it. Very good. Let's figure out a plan. There's no time to waste." Logrim got one of those smiles on his face, the smile that was so disturbing to Kisarc. The Shoran leader once again found himself wondering if this was all worth it.
As she did on a regular basis Marna walked along the hall where they were keeping the book Logrim and his goons had brought back from the Grand Library. It was a frustrating situation for her. The room Pelth was using was a newer addition to the castle and had no connection to the secret tunnels that ran through out the complex. And with it constantly under guard there was no way to get in. She and Nella had discussed a number of ways to try and gain access so they could get the book, but nothing they had come up with had been very good.
Speaking of Nella, Marna was really worried about her. The two of them had grown up together and were as close as anyone could possibly be. She knew Nella was hurting, and badly. Her friend had a stubborn streak a mile long so of course she never would come out and say anything, but Marna could tell. It was all too obvious in the tone of her voice, her body language, it spoke volumes to her. Given some time she knew she could get her to open up, help her deal with her pain. They just didn't have enough time together. Their meetings were always business, it was just the nature of the situation they were in. A sad necessity of freeing Eldrin from Logrim. She hated being separated from Nella, not being there for her when she really needed her. But the sooner Logrim was defeated, the sooner they could be truly reunited and she could help Nella begin to heal.
The castle was quieter than usual. A lot of Logrim's men and the Shoran were out on another raid. She had heard it being planned a couple of days ago and let Nella know about it during their regular meeting. She was sure Nella and the Guardians were kicking their butts rather soundly at the moment, which brought a smile to her face. Her only real regret was that she wasn't there fighting alongside them. Marna understood the importance of the role she was playing as spy, but she couldn't deny a rather strong desire to have an more active role. You wouldn't know it to look at her, but she was actually pretty handy with a blade, a fact she was rather proud of. Growing up the best friend of the princess and having her two older brothers as well as a castle full of soldiers looking out for her despite the trouble her and Nella got into had its perks. As she neared the room she bowed her head and did her best to look broken and defeated. She didn't exactly like acting like some helpless maiden. She wished she had a sword on her, it would definitely make her feel much better, but there would be no way to hide it. Even carrying a knife would be too risky. She slid some of her green hair in front of one side of her face, allowing her to look at the room without anyone noticing. What she saw made her stop dead in her tracks.
The guards were gone! She whipped her head around to make sure and there was no sign of the Shoran that had been standing guard over the entrance at all. With most of the Shoran out on the raid there must not of been enough of them left for the job. At least that was Marna's guess. She didn't care if it was right or not, what she did care about was the opportunity in front of her. She knew she would never have a chance like this again and despite the risks she had to take it. She dashed to the door and pulled her lock picks from her apron pocket. Another useful skill she had picked up a long time ago from the guards she had the door unlocked in seconds. She ducked inside and shut the door behind her and found the book sitting on the table, plain as day along with copies of Pelth's translations. There it was, the key to ending all of this. From her satchel she pulled the strange device Nella had brought from Earth, what she called a camera. She obviously couldn't take the book with her, it would raise all sorts of alarms if it was discovered missing. Instead she started taking pictures of the yellowed pages of the book. It was slow going and Marna was well aware of the minutes ticking by, but she had to make sure she got a picture of every single page or risk missing a vital piece of information. For good measure she photographed all of the translation notes as well. After making sure everything was as she found it she situated herself and put the camera back in her bag and left the room, eager to get in touch with Nella, and walked right into Kisarc, Friv, Pelth and worst of all Logrim himself.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" The warlord said. His cold stare froze Marna to her core. "I do believe we have caught ourselves a rat. Wouldn't you agree Pelth?"
"Indeed I would my Lord." The wizard said with a self-satisfied grin. "The alarm spell I placed on the door worked perfectly." Marna's heart sank when she realized she had walked right into a trap set by Logrim. The raid, the missing guards. It all had been a ruse to draw her out and she had stepped right into it. And from the look on Logrim's face she was going to pay for her mistake with her life.
"Search her, she obviously doesn't have the book on her, but who knows what she took from in there." Logrim ordered. Kisarc gently, but firmly seized her arm while Friv took her bag and searched it. It didn't take him long to find the camera hidden inside. He passed it to Logrim who turned it over in his hands, puzzled by it. "What is this?" He accidently pushed the shutter button and the camera's flash went off in his face, eliciting a string of curses as he was temporarily blinded.
"Some device the Guardians gave her no doubt, most likely to get a copy of the books contents for themselves." Pelth mused.
"A good plan, too bad it failed." Logrim dropped the camera on the floor and slammed a armor clad foot down on it, smashing it into a pile of unrecognizable scrap. "Take her to the dungeon, and call for my interrogator."
"You plan to torture her!? She's just a kid!" Kisarc blurted out, surprising even himself.
"She is a spy. I intend to find out exactly what the Guardians know and how she found out that information." Logrim looked hard at Kisarc and Friv. "As you said a few days ago it's my responsibility to clean up the mess in my house. That is exactly what I intend to do. So stand aside!" Logrim snapped his fingers and a couple of his men appeared and took charge of Marna. She fought to get away, but to no avail.
"Get your hands off me you assholes!" She shouted. Logrim chuckled at her struggles to free herself.
"We'll see how long that bravado lasts." He said as he walked off. Pelth secured the room with the book and followed his master leaving Kisarc and Friv on their own.
"This turns even my stomach." Friv said. "Did you see his face? He relishes the idea of torturing that girl."
"We're working for a monster." Kisarc said shaking his head. "And if we're not careful he will be the end of us."
A couple of weeks had passed since the trip to Shoranoth and things had returned to normal, or as normal as could be expected considering the circumstances. Becky had returned to her normal self, now understanding that it was foolish to berate herself for her failures and that she was only human. She was thankful that her mood hadn't ruined Lisa's birthday which had been near the end of July, not long after the mission to the Grand Library. And she wasn't the only one to get a year older. Sarah and Jenny had turned fifteen not long after the mission to the Shoran home world and since their birthdays were only days apart they had celebrated together in what had become the gangs last blowout of the summer. Becky and Lisa had put together a trip to the local waterpark for them, and they had a great time of it. Plans were already being made for Amy's birthday which was only a few days away and for Samantha's as well, which was roughly a couple of weeks after Amy's. They had figured out the Earth equivalent day after asking the Oracle.
The idea of a couple of parties were well received as it was the first day back to school. Acting as her legal guardian Hay Lin had gotten Samantha registered. There had been some worry about how she would do, but thanks to her being inside Becky, Lisa and Amy's minds and some crash courses she was more than prepared. Though she had to admit to some nervousness. Walking through the main gates they ran into Stacey and Connie who wasted no time in giving the gang a hard time.
"Well, well. If it isn't the loser squad." Stacey said as she spied Becky and the others. "And it looks like they found another reject to join them." She said giving the same demeaning appraisal to Samantha that she had given Becky on her first day.
"Excuse me?" Samantha said. She was well aware of who Stacey was having been warned about her, but she was still surprised by her attitude toward her even though they had just met.
"You heard me. You hang around with these dumbasses you must be as big of a freak as the rest of them."
"Why you!" Samantha said in an indignant voice. Amy had to grab her arm to keep her from slapping the smirk from the cheerleaders face.
"Come on. She's not worth it." Becky said as they walked off to the sound of Stacey and Connie's laughter.
"Oh I so want to zap her." Samantha fumed. She resisted the urge to use her powers however. The gang had explained to her how magic wasn't accepted as a reality on Earth in general and she had to keep her abilities secret. "What is her problem? She doesn't even know me!"
"Hey if you figure that out let me know." Becky said as she rolled her eyes. "She's been a bitch to me from day one."
"Forget them, let's just get to class." Sarah said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Thankfully they had most of their classes together so Samantha wasn't on her own. They were all a little tense. After school they had to head over to Eldrin. They had received intel from Marna via Nella that Logrim was planning another raid on a village. It had seemed strange to them. After all, Logrim had the book after all. What did he need to attack another village for? The best they could come up with was either they were in need of supplies or that Logrim was just being vindictive. Whatever the case they couldn't let innocent people be hurt and have their homes destroyed.
The school day passed without incident for the most part. During lunch they had another run in with Stacey and Connie who again taunted them, but the gang just ignored them. They had enough on their plate without having to deal with their crap. They were all feeling the nervous anticipation that comes before a fight. But for Becky there was something else. Something she couldn't put her finger on. Even though it was another fight it didn't feel right. She didn't know where this sense of trepidation was coming from or why she was having it. She decided they were going to take the cautious route this time out. Maybe she was sensing a trap. It would make sense. They had always appeared wherever Logrim had made a move. It wouldn't be a stretch to be expected at this point and some sort of ambush to set up for them. At least it sounded right to her, yet it didn't. The only thing they could do was deal with whatever they came across. After school they headed to the 'Silver Dragon' to meet up with the royal siblings to make the trip over together.
"Alright! Let's kick some lizard ass! I need to unwind after that day of school." Trista said as she stretched her arms behind her back.
"Trista, it was the first day. We didn't even get any homework." Sarah said. "How stressful could it have been?"
"Hey school is school. It's a pain no matter what." The others could only roll their eyes.
"Well, anyways. Let's get this show on the road!" Becky said as she pulled the Heart out. "Guardians unite!" Samantha and Jenny turned their faces away from the light show of the girl's transformation. When it was over Becky opened a fold and they crossed over to Eldrin. They emerged into a lightly wooded area not to far from the outskirts of the village.
"Damn! Looks like we're late to the party!" Amy said as she pointed towards the town that was already under attack. They could hear screams and see smoke rising above the rooftops
"Alright, no time for any kind of plan here guys! Hit'em hard and fast! Drive them off and protect the villagers!" Becky called out. She and the Guardians took to the air while Chase, Kaz, Nella, Jenny and Samantha ran towards the village as quickly as possible. The scene was one of utter chaos. Villagers were running in every direction with enemy troops either chasing them or ransacking the buildings. Right off the bat Becky nailed a couple of bad guys with a pair of lightning bolts just as they were about to strike down a young couple they had trapped. "Run! It's clear that way!" She shouted at them while pointing back the way she had flown in. The couple nodded their thanks and took off. Trista landed in the middle of a large group of goons trying to break into the town hall. Before they even knew what was going on the Fire Guardian had downed several of the goons with some well placed kicks and punches. When one of them turned and swung his sword at her she hit him point blank in the face with a fireball sending him flying. She turned and looked at the last few of the enemy group still standing and arched an eyebrow. They scrambled over each other in an attempt to get away from Trista before she could take them out as well. She gave them a scoffing laugh and went to find another fight.
Sarah had taken control of a large tree in the center of the town and used its massive branches to slap groups of Shoran away. The bark of the tree crunched as its limbs slammed into the lizard men and sent them tumbling away like ragdolls. Sarah was so focused on what was going on in front of her she didn't notice the guy coming up behind her with a dagger raised over his head. He brought the deadly blade down and just before it hit her it instead bounced off a shield that suddenly appeared between him and Sarah. "Not today!" Jenny shouted out. Sarah turned around and scowled at the guy that had come up behind her. She flicked a couple of her fingers upward and a dirt pillar exploded underneath her assailant, flinging him skyward where he crashed onto the roof of a nearby building. "You need to watch your back." Jenny said.
"I thought that's what I had you for." Sarah said back. Jenny was about to make a comment when a nearby scream interrupted her, bringing the both of them back to the moment. The two girlfriends just nodded at each other and headed toward where the scream had come from.
A small group of half a dozen villagers ran down an alley in an attempt to get away from the enemy soldiers giving chase. In their blind panic however they had forgotten that the alleyway they were in was a dead-end. They reached the wall and desperately tried to scramble over to no avail. The men chasing them grinned cruelly and brandished their weapons. Before they could take a step forward Amy landed in front of the frightened villagers, her arms crossed across her chest and a scowl on her face.
"You think it makes you tough chasing a bunch of unarmed civilians? You're nothing but a bunch of bullies! Let's see how you handle someone who can fight back!" She cried out. The goons charged at her, thinking to overwhelm her. Amy stood her ground and raised her hands. She had sensed a large underground river and she pulled the water up towards the surface. With a loud crack the waters burst forth and flooded the alley. The troopers quickly backpedaled and tried to run from the torrent of water heading their way, but it was far too late. The flash flood in the confined space of the ally overtook them and washed them towards the exit where another surprise waiting for them. Namely Lisa who had erected a solid wall of air at the mouth of the alley. The rushing waters slammed Logrim's men in the invisible barrier knocking them out. Lisa released the air wall and let the flood wash the unconscious goons out into the street. "Jackasses." Amy said as she came to the alley entrance followed by the villagers.
"Thank you." One of them said to the two Guardians.
"You're welcome." Lisa said. The sounds of battle sounded out, drifting towards them. "Can you get out on our own?"
"I believe so. Now that we're not being chased."
"Good, be safe." Amy said as she and Lisa took to the air.
Nella, Chase, Kaz and Samantha ran into a large group as they entered the village on foot. They waded right in, determined to defend their people from their antagonists. During the fight Nella became separated from the others and was surrounded by about a dozen Shoran. The lizard men closed in on her, confident in their superior numbers. The young princess just rolled her eyes and let them come. Two of them leapt at her exposed back and Nella spun on her heel. She caught one with the shaft of Eldengraft and knocked him into the other one. Another one charged from her left and she hit him with a burning white energy wave. The fight broke out in earnest then, the remaining mercenaries charging her at once, hoping to overwhelm her. They failed miserably. She caught the blade of one Shoran with her spear and tore it from his grasp. Using that momentum she turned and K.O.'d another Shoran with the back end of her weapon. She then blasted another two with another energy blast. The lizardman she had disarmed made a lunge for his fallen weapon and Nella delivered a swift kick to the bottom of his jaw. He tumbled over backwards in a heap, tripping one of his comrades as he came at Nella. The last few were taken out just as easily by the princess. When it was over Nella stood in the center of the fallen Shoran seemingly lost in her own thoughts. She jumped when Chase rested his hand on her shoulder. She looked up in surprise at her brother's face.
"Well done Nella." He said with no small amount of pride in his voice.
"T…thanks." She said hesitantly, a slight blush rising in her cheeks.
Within roughly a half an hour they had finally managed to drive away the invading troops. Afterwards they went about rounding up the villagers and organizing them for the trip to Meridian. Chase spoke to the villagers, their spirits lifted at the sight of their crown prince and future king. Becky and Nella opened folds and the others ushered the villagers through. When the last one crossed over and the folds snapped shut Becky turned and faced the smoldering wreckage of the town who's aid they had just come to.
"Something on your mind Becks?" Trista asked when she saw what her friend was looking at.
"I don't know. This whole thing seems off somehow." She said as she chewed her lip. "Is it just me or did it seem like they weren't even trying?"
"Yeah, like their heart wasn't really in it." Nella said as she came up. "Even the damage to the village seems half assed. Sure, they burned down some of the buildings, but it's uncoordinated. Not like their other attacks. It doesn't make any sense."
"Maybe they're just getting lazy?" Jenny suggested.
"Maybe, but I seriously doubt it." Becky said. "I've got a bad feeling like we've been set up. Let's get back to Kandrakar and try to figure this out."
"When we get there I'll contact Marna. She said she'd be waiting to hear from me on how things went. Maybe she heard something that will explain this." Nella said. Everyone nodded and Becky opened a fold. They arrived in the council chamber to find that Will and the others waiting for them along with the council.
"What's wrong?" Will asked seeing the look on her daughter's face. While Becky explained her concerns to everyone Nella stepped off to one side and pulled out the communicator glass she used to talk to Marna with. She spoke her friends name and waited for a response.
"I don't know. It just didn't feel right. It's not something I can put into words. There's just something in my gut telling me that there was something else behind this attack. I guess I'm not making much sense." Becky said.
"Maybe, maybe not." Will said. "Your instincts are trying to tell you something, I'm not sure what, but you should listen to them."
"Marna! Marna answer me! Please! Are you there!?" Nella's shouts of fear interrupted the conversation going on and everyone's head swung her in direction. Becky got a really bad feeling as she went to the princess's side.
"Nella, what's wrong!?"
"It's Marna! She's not answering!" She said with a look of absolute fear on her face.
"Maybe she can't answer, you know she's somewhere she could be spotted?" Trista suggested in an effort to calm Nella down.
"She doesn't keep her communicator on her!" Nella shouted like everyone was stupid. "She said it would be too much of a risk. And she would never keep me waiting like this! She's never failed to make one of our meetings and she's always been right there to answer for a scheduled time to talk! Something is seriously wrong! I know it!" It all clicked into place for Becky at that moment.
"It was a trap. Just not for us." Becky said in a frightened tone. "I didn't see it at the time, none of us did. That's why things seemed off. Nella, didn't you say this was supposed to be a large scale attack?" Becky asked Nella.
"Yeah… it was." She responded coming to the same conclusion as Becky.
"Right, so what?" Amy asked, unsure where Becky was going.
"We didn't notice at the time because we came in during the middle of the attack. Their numbers, there weren't enough of them! That's why the destruction was limited and it all felt so low key! This was supposed to be a major raid and they didn't even have half the soldiers we were expecting!"
"Oh shit…" Trista said as she and everyone else realized what Becky was getting at.
"It was a distraction meant to keep us busy!" Sarah said.
"Right! They wanted us out of the way while they went after Marna!" Becky said.
"But how would they know about her!?" Irma asked.
"Think about it! How many times have we shown up where they were? The Royal vault, Kendrif's Graveyard, the Grand Library, all those attacked towns and villages. They must of figured out they had a spy among them!" Becky said.
"Damn! We should have realized they would of caught on eventually! They would have realized it was too much of a coincidence!" Chase said pounding his fist into his open palm.
"But Marna's too smart to have fallen into a trap!" Nella said.
"Not if they put out bait she couldn't resist." Becky said.
"The book…" Taranee said gravely. Nella's eyes went wide at that proclamation.
"Oh shit." She said. "Oh shit. Oh no, this can't be happening. Shit, shit, SHIT!" Nella was on the verge of completely freaking out. She had no doubt that her best friend was in trouble, and there was only one thing to do. "We have to go get her RIGHT NOW!"
"We will." Chase said as calmly as possible, even though he was feeling some of the same panic as his sister. "But you need to stay here Nella." Becky looked at Chase out of the corner of her eye. She kind of figured this was coming and couldn't agree more.
"Like hell I'm staying here!" Nella shouted at the top of her lungs. Her reaction didn't surprise anyone. "Marna is my best friend and I'm not going to just stand by here doing nothing when she needs me!" Chase opened his mouth to say something but Becky stopped him with a touch on his arm.
"Nella." She said gently. "I know you want to help her, we all do. But you're too emotional right now and aren't going to be able to think clearly. That's going to put you, us and most importantly Marna in further danger. You've got to let us handle this." Becky hoped Nella would be willing to listen to reason, she was wrong. Nella angrily stormed up to Becky and got in her face. Which was kind of hard considering the difference in their height.
"NO way!" She yelled. "Don't even think about leaving me behind! We're wasting time! Let's get going! If you won't open a fold I will!" She turned around and found the Oracle and Kaz standing behind her. "Wha..?"
"Sorry sis." Kaz said sadly. The Oracle with a distressed look on his face raised one hand which lit up with a soft green glow. Nella's eyes immediately fluttered and closed. She fell and Kaz caught her before she could hit the floor. Eldengraft slipped from her hands and clattered onto the ground. "I hate having to do this to you Nella."
"As do I, but you were right. She was not going to calm down. She left us little choice." The Oracle said.
"What did you do to her?" Sarah asked him.
"A simple sleep spell. She will be out for about an hour. I suggest you hurry. Both for her sake as well as Marna's."
"Right. Chase, Kaz, you'll come with the five of us. Samantha, Jenny, I want you two to stay here in case we don't get back before Nella wakes up. Try to keep her calm if possible. If necessary, restrain her so the Oracle can put her back under. Hopefully it won't come to that." Becky gave her orders in rapid succession. She knew time was short and they were already way behind at this point. She opened a fold, the rescue mission was on.
Marna's arms were shackled above her head which was almost as uncomfortable as the hard wood platform she was laying on. She struggled to get free from her restraints, but it was no use. She did her best to keep her fear in check, but it was extremely hard considering the situation she was in. Right after her capture she had been brought down to the old dungeon and been roughly thrown onto the table and tied down. She had tried to escape from the soldiers on the way, but all that got her was a back-handed slap across her face. Her cheek was still swollen and bruised from the blow. It had been hours since then and the anticipation was eating at her. She knew she was to be tortured and most likely executed. She held on to the small hope that someone would come to her rescue or she would find a way to escape before then. But it was looking more and more likely help wouldn't be make it in time. When the door to the dungeon creaked open and she saw Pelth walking towards with one of Logrim's goons wearing a dark hood that covered the upper half of his face she knew she was done for.
"So sorry to keep you waiting my dear." Pelth said with an evil grin. "I had few other matters to attend to before we could begin. Since I'm sure the Guardians will be coming anytime to try and rescue you we have to get right into things. My master and I have a plan for you. This gentleman here," He gave a small nod toward the hooded figure that had accompanied him. "is here to facilitate that plan."
"Go to hell you bastard! I've got nothing to say to you!" Marna shouted out before she spit in the old wizards face.
"My my, such unbecoming behavior from a young lady." Pelth wiped the saliva from his face as he leered down at Marna. "I suggest you cooperate my dear." He stepped back and the hooded man came forward with a thin bladed knife that looked lethally sharp. Marna's breathing grew ragged but she refused to look away, she would not give them the satisfaction of showing how truly terrified she was. The hooded man said nothing as he placed the tip of blade to her undamaged cheek and with a flick of his wrist he cut a long gash across the side of her face. Marna screamed out in pain and shock as her blood flowed down her cheek onto the table. "As I said, time is short and there is much to be done."
A single tear escaped from the corner of one eye. Marna closed her eyelids and called out Nella's name, her best friend and the person she cared the most about in the whole world.
Becky and the others took up defensive positions while Chase opened up the entrance to the secret tunnels. It seemed to be taking an eternity, but Becky knew it to be the strain of the situation, not that it made her feel any better. She was trying not to blame herself, but it was hard not to. She should have realized a long time ago that Logrim would have wised up to there being a spy in his midst and gotten Marna out of harm's way. She shook her head, it was too late for any sort of shouda couldas. The goal now was to get to Marna before she was harmed. Finally the door was opened and they quickly filed inside. Chase took the lead with Becky right behind him.
"I want to thank you Becky." He said.
"For what?"
"For trying to talk Nella down. I'm just sorry it came to what it did." He said with a shake of his head. "Either way I'm glad she's not here. If we're… I mean if she's..."
"Come again?" Becky asked. Chase took a deep breath and gathered himself.
"If we're too late, and Marna is… gone. Nella doesn't need to see that. I saw our father struck down by Logrim. It's an image that will be with me for the rest of my life. She doesn't need a similar image in her head." They all grew silent and continued on. Chase lead them deeper underground towards the bowels of the castle. They stopped at a seemingly dead end even though they all knew it wasn't.
"Where are we?" Trista asked.
"The old dungeon. From what we know Logrim opened it back up and has been using it for his… interrogations. It's the most likely place where Marna will be. Hopefully there aren't many guards, if any."
"Right, in, find Marna, and out. Nothing fancy." Becky said. Everyone nodded and Chase released the latch to the secret door and slowly swung it open. They dashed inside and at first glance it looked like they were alone. They cautiously moved farther in. As they did a thick coppery scent assaulted their nostrils, they all knew it was the smell of blood. Their concern for Marna's safety grew tenfold as they ventured deeper into the dungeon.
"Marna! Marna where are you!?" Kaz said in a harsh half whisper. Both he and Chase had drawn their swords.
"God, what have they been doing to people down here?" Amy said as she passed some of the torture devices littered about. Wicked looking metal devices stained with dried blood.
"Bastard brought all this stuff down here. None of this was here before he took over." Chase said angrily at what had been used on his people.
"Keep it together. Let's get Marna and go." Becky said quickly. Like the others she was horrified at what she was seeing but they couldn't afford to let it get to them. Chase was right, Nella didn't need to see this place, not if Marna had been brought there. They came to a more open area with a large wooden table with steel cuffs on chains at one end. They spread out a bit to search for clues. Kaz caught a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye. He bent down and retrieved an all too familiar gold locket and his heart sank into his stomach.
"Oh no…" Chase said drawing everyone's attention. He was standing by the wooden table, his arms hung at his side limp.
"Chase what is it?" Becky said as she came up to him. She gasped audibly and threw her hands up her face. The table was covered in half dried blood and several strands of bright green hair. The others had similar reactions at the sight.
"I found this…" Kaz said sadly holding up the locket Nella had given her friend several months ago. Like the table it had bloodstains on it. Chase took the locket from his brother and held it in his hand.
"We were too late." He said. He clasped his hand around the locket and gently pounded it against a wall and rested his head on his arm. "Damn!" He shouted all of a sudden, causing everyone to jump back a bit. He lashed out with his sword and smashed an empty crate sitting next to a wall. He was breathing heavy and just stood there, frustrated and angry.
"Chase, we don't know for sure she's dead." Amy said cautiously.
"Amy, all that blood, the hair and her locket." Kaz said shaking his head. "There's no doubt, they probably killed her right here." Amy just nodded and turned away as tears began to flow from her eyes. Everyone was crying at this point.
"Let's get out of here." Becky said, her heart breaking with a sense of loss. They turned to leave when a large wooden door they had ignored opened all of a sudden and a man in a black half hood covering the top of his head walked in. In his hands was a bloody knife he was wiping off with a rag. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed he wasn't alone. Chase was on him like lighting. With one arm he pinned the torturer up against the wall and with the other he placed the edge of his sword under the man's chin.
"Where is Marna!?" He yelled, his fury flaring once more. "Tell me you bastard!"
"You mean the little spy?" The hooded man chuckled slightly. "If you came to rescue her you're far too late." Chase roared in fury at confirmation of Marna's death. "You should know she cried and begged for her life."
"Shut up." Chase said.
"It was so pathetic, she told us everything just so we would spare her."
"I said shut up."
"But of course it did her no good. The screams she made when I sliced her could be heard throughout the castle. I've never heard anyone that loud before."
"SHUT UP!" Chase shouted as he raised his sword and slammed it into the stone wall next to the man's head. Chase stepped back and his prisoner slid down to the floor. "You're lucky I don't kill people in cold blood. That said I will ask this only once. Where is her body?"
"It.. it was burned."
"Let's go." Chase said and turned away from the man on the ground. The hooded man suddenly pulled a second knife from behind his back and with a yell he leapt to his feet and lunged at Chase.
"Behind you!" Becky shouted out. Chase spun on his heel and drove his sword through his assailant's chest just below the sternum to the hilt.
"That's for Marna you murdering son of a bitch." He said coldly. He pushed the dead man off his blade and let him fall to the floor. "We leave. I've had my fill of death for one day." Chase stormed off towards the secret passage, the others close behind him.
The scene back on Kandrakar was one of utter chaos. Nella had awoken from the sleep spell put on her and was absolutely livid. Samantha, Jenny and the Oracle were doing their best to calm her down but were having little success. Chase looked at the others and held his hand out, indicating he wanted to be the one to tell his sister the bad news.
"Nella." He said gently. She stopped her yelling and turned to face her brother. She took one look at his face and her heart sank.
"Where's Marna?" She asked.
"Nella…" Chase began.
"Where's Marna?" She said a little more forcefully, her voice cracking under the strain. Chase reached into a pouch on his belt and pulled out the locket. He had cleaned off the blood and shined it up as best he could. He reached out and placed it in Nella's hand.
"I'm so sorry Nella. We… we were too late."
"N,no…" Nella stared at the golden pendant in her palm with total disbelief. "She, she can't…"
"Nella I…" Chase reached out but his sister threw up a hand without looking him, her eyes glued to the necklace.
"Don't touch me." Finally she looked up, her eyes filled with rage. "She's gone, and nothing you say is going to change that. My best friend is dead!"
"Nella…" Chase said, he again tried to reach out to his sister but she shoved him back.
"Get away!" She yelled. When she pushed Chase back the pendant slipped from her hand and hit the floor. When it did it popped open and something small fell out of it.
"What's that?" Kaz asked as he picked it up. Becky's eyes grew wide when she saw what he was holding.
"It's the SD card from the camera we gave Marna!" She said as she snatched it from Kaz's grasp. "But why hide it in the pendant?"
"One way to find out." Jenny said as she pulled out her laptop from her bag. She plugged the card in and pulled up the latest pictures on it. "I, I don't believe it." Everyone gathered around to look at the screen. There in clear crisp detail was every single page of the book Pelth was translating in order to find the Heart of Exellis.
"We were right. Logrim used the book as bait." Becky said. "She must of removed the memory card after she finished taking pictures of the book and hid it just in case."
"Way to go Marna…" Chase said. "You just may of saved us all."
"Indeed she has." The Oracle said as he looked over the pictures. "I have no doubt I can translate this. And since we know exactly which story we are looking for it will not take me as long to find the information we seek." He turned to Jenny. "Can you get me physical copies of these pictures?"
"Of course. I'll print them up tonight and have them for you tomorrow." Becky turned away to check on Nella. She felt bad for ignoring her over the excitement of discovering the pictures. Especially when she was obviously hurting beyond all measure.
"Hey Nella." She stopped when she didn't see the princess in council chamber. "Nella? Hey did anybody see where Nella went?"
"What? She left?" Will said.
"I didn't notice her leave." Amy said. Everyone looked around trying to remember when they had last seen the princess. Becky went to one hallway to see if she could spot her, but there was no sign.
"Oh no." Chase said. "Oh Nella."
"What?" Trista asked.
"Don't you see? While we were all distracted she left. Not just the room, but Kandrakar all together. She's gone to Eldrin."
"But why would she do that?" Hay Lin asked.
"Simple." Becky said quietly. "She's gone to get her revenge for Marna."
"Oh shit." Trista said.
"We need to go after her!" Amy said. "She's liable to get herself killed!"
"Don't worry, we're getting her back. I swear it!" Becky said. She quickly opened a fold. "Nella needs us. Let's make sure we get her home." With that proclamation the team jumped through the fold, determined not to lose another friend and family member.
The sun had sunk below the horizon and night was settling in. Nella stood overlooking the castle and surrounding city from the hill where the entrance to secret tunnels sat. A gentle breeze blew through her hair, but it did nothing to sooth her broken heart. She could see lights from the various rooms were being lit. There was one light that would not come on however. One that would never be lit again. She could feel the tears wanting to flow, but she would not let them. Not ever. She had to be strong, now more than ever. She gripped Eldengraft even harder making her knuckles turn white. Somewhere in the castle Logrim sat, the author of all her pain. No more standing around, no more waiting, she was going to finish this herself. She would extract her revenge for Marna's death and finish Logrim once and for all. Even if it cost her life in the process. She turned away from her vigil and entered the tunnels. One way or another, it would end tonight.
And here is where we stop. As I said things did get a little dark this chapter. I did my best not to take it too far in the end. But it was important as this is the set up for next chapter in this two part arc. And next chapter is one I have really been wanting to get to! So on to the preview!
Next Chapter: As Nella seeks revenge for Marna she revisits the memories of how they first met and became such close friends as well as the adventures they shared and the plans they made for the future. At the same time Becky, the Guardians and Nella's brothers rush to find her before the young princess can come to harm. Will they be in time and what will be Nella's ultimate fate? Find out in the next excited chapter!
As always folks leave a review and tell me what you think and don't forget to check out the new polls! The next chapter is well underway as well! I recently got a new laptop and it's allowed me to increase my productivity a great deal so hopefully you won't have to wait to long! So until next time, this is Shocklance, signing off.