The Rainy Day Trip
Part XVII
By Saphron
Déni (ie: Disclaimer-yeah! Everybody likes all my little cinnamons!(sorry, I forgot how to spell to the real syna-whatever, (and my sp of it is so bad spell-check doesn't even know what I'm talking about) so I settled on the next best thing, the spice, oh well, u all know what I mean) That makes me feel so special! Anyhow-this time it's French- Déni means disclaimer in French! Don't I feel all artistic-like?) I ne posséder rien et personne, tout appartient à Tamora Pierce-woo! What a mouthful, I couldn't pronounce that if my life depended on it. But anyhow, translates to- I own nothing and nobody, everything belongs to Tamora Pierce. So there ya go.
A/N: All you wonderful peeps out there who reviewed-this is for you! Yes, your reviews encouraged me to post the next ch.! Huzzah!
A/A/N: And remember peeps-Nightshade is Nox Noctis-Umbra flower. They're the same thing. I just got tired of using the Latin so I'm switching back into English, easier to remember. I've told you all this before right? I think so…well, anyhow, if I haven't, Nox Noctis is night, and Umbra is flower. Yes, I know I've told you all this before…but oh well, a little reminder.
A/A/A/N: Hi 'gn peeps. Ah, we find out where Kel is, um, there's a little nightshade involved, Cleon is annoyingly cheerful, and nearly drives Kel crazy. There's a dark closet involved. Nothing happens, sorry, use your imaginations, I'm not good at fluff. That's it. These ch.s keep getting longer. Oh wait! I forgot, one tiny, itsy-bitsy little thing---we find out what the wizard is up to! Why he's doing all the evil stuff he's doing!!!!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!!!! So read already!
When Kel awoke it was dark, not just dark, but black. She slowly opened leaded eyes and glanced around her. Her cheek was lying on the cold stone floor so she sat up groggily. She wondered if perhaps she was dead, but when she pinched herself she knew she must still be alive. Her entire body hurt too much for her to be in the Black god's realm. Her wrists and ankles were bound and lying next to her were two blurry forms she assumed were Cleon and Joren. Joren was sitting up scowling at the wall but Cleon appeared to still be napping.
"Where are we?" She gasped out, slightly dazed. Her head pounded with every breath and it was hard to make her lips move and form words.
"How in the hell should I know?" Joren answered moodily.
Kel would have shrugged but a sharp pain in her shoulder convinced her not too. Then they both herd a low moan as Cleon sat up to groan.
He asked the same question as Kel and got the same answer. Cleon tried to stand up but fell back down again as he tripped on the rope around his feet. He sighed, "what now?"
No answer.
So they waited. And waited. And waited some more for a good time. Finally, after what seemed like days but was really only half n' hour, a crack of light appeared as a door creaked open.
"Well, well my little children," sneered an evil voice, "you thought you could defeat me?" A cruel laugh. "I think not! No, you're too late, the potion has already taken effect…soon, all three of you will be dead." More laughter. "My beasties are very hard to control," he drawled, watching Joren glare at him, "I need human blood for the spell to command them. Lot's of blood. The untainted blood of children. Virgins to be exact. (Joren snorted, Cleon gave Kel a *look*, ::giggles:: and Kel just rolled her eyes.) And guess who's it's going to be?" A smile showing the perfect white teeth. "Thank you for volunteering, have a nice day."
With that he waved his hand as a signal and two spidrens entered the room, or whatever it was, and walked forward. Kel felt herself be lifted up and placed upon its back, upside down, Cleon joined her and the other one carried Joren. They were hauled out the door and into the light, from her upside down position Kel could see that she was in the kitchens, apparently is wasn't just used for preparing food but also as a dungeon. My little dungeon! Yeah!
Kel bounced up and down as she was carried up a flight of stairs and through a door. The spidren dumped her onto the ground and she could see that she was in the wizard's study, near the altar of blood.
So that's what it is, she thought grimly to herself, a butcher shop made for slaughtering!
The men from the King's Own were standing nearby, glazed expressions on their faces. Kel remembered Joren telling her that the potion was meant to control minds…that means that the wizard had them under his spell. Now he wouldn't have to worry about them trying to save the kids. He wouldn't have to fight all thirty of them and risk getting hurt; he could just command them to stand still while he slit the adolescent's throats and they would be forced to do so.
"Ah! Perfect, everyone's here? Good, we can begin."
"Wait!" Kel yelled, stalling for time.
"What?" He snarled, exasperated. He could feel the beasts fighting back, if he didn't perform the magic ASAP he would loose control, which wouldn't be good.
Joren caught on quick, "er, why are you doing this?"
"What?"
As if speaking to a small child, or a very simple person, Cleon added, half-grinning, "whyyy-arrrrrre-youuuuu-doooooinggg-thissssss-" he annunciated slowly.
"Well if you must know," he snapped at them, "my beasties are very adept as finding gold hidden within the mountains. They even know where buried treasures lay! It's wonderful, they have already brought me large sums of money," he smiled greedily, "soon, soon I shall be the richest man in the world! Richer than kings! Richer than the gods! Bwhahahahaha!"
Kel glanced at Joren and Cleon, the expression on their faces told her what she was already thinking, 'someone say psychopath!'
Kel fiddled with the twine behind her, nervously biting her lip.
Suddenly the wizard screamed in pain, "no! Stupid beasts! I will control you! Just…give me…some more time! Young ones…come here…quick!" The wizard was withering on the floor, trying desperately to retain his hold on his monsters.
Kel took this opportunity to try and escape, "come on, come on!" she muttered, trying with all her might to rip the rope off her hands. It was no use though; it was just tied too tight. And the wizard was slowly regaining command over the beasts. A glimmer caught Kel's eye as she glanced back towards the wall, a small weapons rack was hanging from it and she could see a dagger sticking out. She inched her way over, motioning to Cleon and Joren to slowly follow. They did, and soon she was backed up against the wall, the knife lightly touching her arm. She moved her wrists up and down slowly, rubbing the twine against the sharp edge. It slowly frayed, a bit at a time.
"Yes!" she whispered excitedly as the last strands broke, thinking I rock! Go me!
She leapt forward and quickly slashed the cords binding her friends with the knife and Joren screamed "run" as loud as he could. Neither Kel nor Cleon needed second telling. They all bolted out the door as quick as could be, just as the wizard stood up and snarled, "GET THOSE CHILDREN!" fury echoing in his voice.
The men from the King's Own dashed after them, as Kel and Co. sprinted wildly from one room to the next, stumbling and slipping on the carpet, knocking over vases ad statues and making a mess, cursing their heads off.
The wizard's room was up high, and really the only direction to run was down. Soon the trio found themselves in the kitchen where they had originally been held captive. They raced through the door and onto the metal tiles, past the stove and around the island table in the center, smacking into a few stools on the way, and finally pulling open a small door and piling into a supply closet. They shut it and threw all of their weight upon it as the sound of pounding feet grew nearer.
"Where'd they go?"
"I don't know! Check the kitchens."
"I don't see them…"
"Well someone guard the kitchen door anyway, just in case they come in here."
The majority of the men left to search the rest of the tower, leaving only a few sentries behind. They all three breathed a big sigh of relief, even if they weren't totally out of danger yet. They'd just have to wait until they left or fell asleep. Kel looked around her, a small light hung from the ceiling and she could see rows upon rows of various bottles of spices and plants and such wot-not.
Joren crossed his arms, muttering, "this is ridiculous, we're being chased by are own side."
Cloen, as usual, tried to joke, "come now old chap, it isn't their blooty faults they got a bit tipsy on the wine their, pip-pip, it was a bally old good drink, y'know. Goes simply splendid with vittles 'n tucker, wot? Jolly good fun t'swallow. Pip-pip cheerio and such wot-not." He said in a faulty English accent, pretending to tip his hat. I know, I know, no England in Tortall, but oh well! I love English accents and I just had to throw that in someone in this fic. And what about Owen and his 'jollys'? Er, well I guess that doesn't really count…oh well, my license again then!
Joren rolled his eyes, "shut up Kennan."
"You shut up, old bean."
"You."
"You."
"Both of you shut up! Do you want them to hear us?" Kel sighed and slumped down against the wall, being trapped in a tiny closet with two bickering boys wasn't her idea of a good time. Poor Kel! Let's all give a big 'awwwwww' and pity her girls. I'm assuming most of my readers are girls…not to be sexist, oh boy, I mean girl, I mean, well I'll just take Kel's advice and shut up now.
They both shut up. And me!
Fifteen minuets later found Kel holding her head and desperately trying not to go insane. Cleon was tapping his fingers on the glass jars and reading the labels out loud. The incessant noise was really getting on Kel's nerves. "Vervain, feildspar, poppy seeds," he could always have fun wherever he went, even in the worst situations, "salamander stew, eww! Cinnamon, nightshade, ground pepper-"
Kel's head snapped up from where it was resting on her knees, "wait, wait, wait, back up!"
"Huh?"
"Quick, what was the last things you just said?"
"Er, salamander stew-totally gross."
"No, after that!"
"Um…pepper? But that's no good, unless of course you need to sneeze. Hey Kel, want to sniff some-"
"Cleon! Before that."
He scratched his head, "but that's just some boring flower or something, night-" He stopped, eyes widening, "NIGHTSHADE!"
Kel and Joren jumped up and all three grinned from ear to ear. All that time they had spent trekking through the dark to get attacked by spidrens was for waste; the flower they were looking for was right here. Sure enough, when they unscrewed the lid they saw a finely grounded powder that appeared to shimmer as a light silverish-violet color.
"Quick, look for more, that tiny bottle may not be enough," Joren said reasonably. So the three tore down the shelves (in Cleon's case literally) looking for more nightshade. Bottles clattered to the floor in their hasty search.
"Let's see, nightingale feathers, nightlight-he's afraid of the dark? Nightmare brew, nightshade!"
"Nightshade?"
"Nah, never mind-nightshade thorns. Highly poisonous."
But the three had no luck. They had to settle on the tiny bottle of dust. There were only a few pinches, but it was better than nothing.
One problem was now solved, but unfortunately that didn't mean every one was now doing happy dances. Two men were still lazily guarding the kitchen, and so they had to wait. They waited so long Cleon, who got bored, fell asleep. This left Joren as Kel's only human contact for communication.
She sighed and rested her head against the door; she might as well follow Cleon's example and take a little nap. But for some reason she just couldn't seem to fall asleep. She shifted and turned but no luck. Something felt…odd. She opened her eyes and saw Joren staring straight at her. When she glanced at him he looked away. Shrugging it off she tried to sleep again.
*
A/N: Y'know the whole gold thing in the mountain? Well it's true! Or at least so far as fantasy creatures and legends go. It's another clue to what the beasts are! If of course you have not already guessed, which you probably have, but anyhow, I still won't say until…well, until later. But I guess if you really want to know go surf the net looking for beasts that can sense gold. Cool talent huh? That is the reason why Vlasmear is using the beasties. See, my story does have purpose! Yeah! Huzzah! Right. C ya all later.
A/A/N: Next ch. is kinda weird…it doesn't really have much to do with the plot, just a little break from it all to have some fun… (It's short) Very similar to the water fight (probably my fav. ch., or at east one of my fav ch.s-so I just had to do a 'sequel' to it. Ie: Another fun little fight!) Yeah, and that will be posted…um, I dunno yet. Soon hopefully. (And fair warning for the unusualness of it, I didn't know what else to do! Writer's bock can give you *interesting* ideas.)
A/A/N: AHHHH! I still don't know what to do about Cleon and Joren! It's more or less tied…um, I think Joren is leading by a few votes, but it's still pretty even-steven. ::sighs:: Right now I'm kinda doing both-badly, but nonetheless still both. ::giggles:: Cleon giving kel a *look* -Joren's intensive stare, that sort of thing. :;sighs again:: I don't know! I was thinking I'd have a duel ending thing, y'know, where I write both endings and you pick one, but then I decided that'd most likely be to complicated. Then I thought I'd do neither and just give enough clues where you can make it up in your own little imaginations, but I figured people would probably revolt against me for not having a proper ending, torch my house, smash my precious computer and steal all my TP books. (In which I would die-absolutely cannot LIVE without my TP books)-basically the works. It's still undecided…unfortunately. Sorry.
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