Neal followed Kel at a slower pace than hers, forcing her to slow down. " Calm down Kel. We've got a few hours more to look tonight."
Kel sighed. " Fine lazy bones. WE'll find them when they're dead, then we can listen to you say ,' opps. maybe we should've gone faster.'" She glared meaningfully at him, raising an eyeborw as if waiting for him to argue.
He held his hands up in surrender. " Fine, fine! Have it your way. " He jutted his lower lip out in a ridicluous looking pout. " I'm hurt Kel. You were so sweet a moment ago."
TO his suprise she grinned. " You poor thing. Come on." She grabbed his hand, and broke into a run. " Let's see if you can keep up!" She let go, and sped off, leaving Neal in her dust for a minute.
" HEY!" He yelled, realizing she had tricked him. " Not fair!" He clambored after her. " Kel! OOOF!" He ran into her, and fell on his rear end, winded. " You coulda told me..." He trailed off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Please tell me I'm not hallucinating." Kel murmured to Neal, who had stood up and was hovering possesively behind her. She was standing in front of a large iron door with runes engraved in the Iron guildings. NOt only were there rines, but there were also pictures. One showed a group of boys, varying heights and weights, being duplicated. Another adjoining picture showed one of the boys witha crown on his head, wearing chains, the next stage showed him being shot.. killed in front of the others and a girl.
" Nope. If you're hallucinating, it's a mighty strong one, because I see it too." He walked up to examine it closer. " Come on Kel," He reached out for her hand. " Let's go find them."
* I have a really bad feeling about this.* She thought to herself, but took his hand, and helped him try and pull open the door.
It took both of them to pull open the old door, but when it finally gave, it went quickly. They had tugged and tugged, and the sudden creaking of hinges resulted with them both on the ground panting. Kel's dress was near ruined, but she didn't care. She cautiously edged through the doorway, wary of the darkness. She inhaled deeply, only the ripe smell of dust and old books met her nostrils.
" Come on Neal. It's ok." She grabbed his collar, and tugged.
" You don't know it's safe though." Neal muttered, rubbing his neck.
" I know as much as I can know without having built it." She glared. " Now stop being such a ninny, and grow a spine."
" Fine, fine." He muttered.
Kel walked close to the wall, following the passage downwards. " You could give us some light you know Neal."
Though she couldn't see it, Neal blushed. " Sorry." He murmured, and a ball of emerald green flame appeared at his fingers.
" Thank you." She continued more easily now, watching her footing carefully. She was focusing so completely on the floor and where her feet were going that she didn't notice the door.
" Ooof." She ran into it, and stumbled back into Neal. She grinned up at them. " I think maybe we've found them." Neal gave her a wry smilem, and helped her regain her balance.
This door only took one of them to open it this time. Kel peered inside, motioning Neal to come closer with the light. A grin lit her face and she rushed into the chamber.
" Neal! Get in here! It's them!" She walked towards them. ^tink^ Kel ran into something, but there was nothing there. She lifted a fist and tapped gently.
^ tink^ ^Tink^ ^tink^ Kel glared into the clear air.* A glass shield? What is this, a joke?*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Kel? Why aren't you unbinding them? I mean, he is the prin.." ^thunk^ Neal walked into the glass wall. Kel couldn't help but laugh as he landed on the ground. He sat up and glared at her. " That hurt!" Kel exploded into giggles, and Neal stood, shaking his head at the girly display. " So girly Kel. And I thought you were better than that."
Kel jumped to her feet, and in seconds, Neal found himself against the invisible wall, with a choke hold on his neck. He met Kel's steely hazel eyes.
" Don't. ever . say. that. again. if. you. don't. want. to. die." She told him slowly.
" OK." He croaked. " Let go!" She released him, and glared.
" Alright smartie boy. Give me hollyhock root, dandelion seeds, hemlock stem, and crushed scorpion sting." He stared at her blankly. " NOW." she snapped. " Not next week." Neal snapped out of his daze, and rummaged in his pockets. Kel stood over him, shaking her head. " I swear Neal." She mused. " You are a walking apothecary."
He assembled the ingredients in a line, and looked expectantly at Kel. " Now what?"
She smiled. " Tea time." When Neal gave her the look usually reserved for Master Numair and his experiments, she giggled. " Gimme a bowl you idiot!" He raised and eyebrow, and handed her the bowl. She began mixing, and within a span of minutes a strangly sweet scent filled the chamber. Kel turned, and proudly displayed the contents of the bowl. It was filled with a magenta paste. Neal wrinkled his nose.
" What are we doing with that?" He asked nervously edging away. She closed the distance,and pulled his hand towards her. She slathered it with the pink goo.
"This." She said, and covered her own hand in it. She then began drawing symbols in the air ( which was really the wall). Neal caught on, and he too began to draw. They had almost used all the paste when there was a loud crack and shatter noise. KEl tested the air in front of them with her hand. It was clear. "COME ON!" She screeched, dropping the bowl, and racing foward to undo Roald's gag and shackles.
" Finally." Roald said after gratefully drinking some water. " You guys took forever with your finger-painting." Neal shot hima good-natured glare.
" But we're here, and it doesn't look like you guys are hurt."
" NO, we aren't hurt." Alanna snapped. " Those idiots healed what woulds from capture we had. Those saidstic heathens." Kel shot her a look that plainly told her to shut-up. Alanna did, but you could tell she was still thinking of the curses she wanted to say.
" SO how did you get down here?" she asked, turning her attention away from the lioness. " You obviously didn't come willingly."
" WE didn't. Have you found the others? Are they all right?" concern flashed in Roald's eyes. " Cleon, and Merric, and Faleron... Hav eyou found them?" Neal and Kel shared a glance. * So they WERE simulamcra..." Neal thought.
"NO. We haven't found them yet. But we will. Not tonight, but tomorrow." He told him, not meeting Roald's level gaze. * I will find them tonight, and you will find them tomorrow. But we WILL find them. We will.* He promised himself silently. * Or I'll die trying.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A/N and Disclaimer~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: I wanna thank Jae and Onua for being my beta's- sorry Saphron- didn't get a chance to e-mail it to you. Hope Y'all like this!!! Ok. Yes, You will all more than likely hate me. As I'm pretty sure yiou like Cleon and NEal *evil grin* But you have to ask yourself. WHo do you like more? Answer this in your reviews, or I may be disposed to finding out in the form of flames. I'm sure I'll get them anyway, but Hell, the less the better! So tell me who you wouldn't mind getting rid of...
Disclaimer:I wrote the poem in 27, and as you know basically everything belongs to TP *bows to the goddess*.
Kel sighed. " Fine lazy bones. WE'll find them when they're dead, then we can listen to you say ,' opps. maybe we should've gone faster.'" She glared meaningfully at him, raising an eyeborw as if waiting for him to argue.
He held his hands up in surrender. " Fine, fine! Have it your way. " He jutted his lower lip out in a ridicluous looking pout. " I'm hurt Kel. You were so sweet a moment ago."
TO his suprise she grinned. " You poor thing. Come on." She grabbed his hand, and broke into a run. " Let's see if you can keep up!" She let go, and sped off, leaving Neal in her dust for a minute.
" HEY!" He yelled, realizing she had tricked him. " Not fair!" He clambored after her. " Kel! OOOF!" He ran into her, and fell on his rear end, winded. " You coulda told me..." He trailed off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Please tell me I'm not hallucinating." Kel murmured to Neal, who had stood up and was hovering possesively behind her. She was standing in front of a large iron door with runes engraved in the Iron guildings. NOt only were there rines, but there were also pictures. One showed a group of boys, varying heights and weights, being duplicated. Another adjoining picture showed one of the boys witha crown on his head, wearing chains, the next stage showed him being shot.. killed in front of the others and a girl.
" Nope. If you're hallucinating, it's a mighty strong one, because I see it too." He walked up to examine it closer. " Come on Kel," He reached out for her hand. " Let's go find them."
* I have a really bad feeling about this.* She thought to herself, but took his hand, and helped him try and pull open the door.
It took both of them to pull open the old door, but when it finally gave, it went quickly. They had tugged and tugged, and the sudden creaking of hinges resulted with them both on the ground panting. Kel's dress was near ruined, but she didn't care. She cautiously edged through the doorway, wary of the darkness. She inhaled deeply, only the ripe smell of dust and old books met her nostrils.
" Come on Neal. It's ok." She grabbed his collar, and tugged.
" You don't know it's safe though." Neal muttered, rubbing his neck.
" I know as much as I can know without having built it." She glared. " Now stop being such a ninny, and grow a spine."
" Fine, fine." He muttered.
Kel walked close to the wall, following the passage downwards. " You could give us some light you know Neal."
Though she couldn't see it, Neal blushed. " Sorry." He murmured, and a ball of emerald green flame appeared at his fingers.
" Thank you." She continued more easily now, watching her footing carefully. She was focusing so completely on the floor and where her feet were going that she didn't notice the door.
" Ooof." She ran into it, and stumbled back into Neal. She grinned up at them. " I think maybe we've found them." Neal gave her a wry smilem, and helped her regain her balance.
This door only took one of them to open it this time. Kel peered inside, motioning Neal to come closer with the light. A grin lit her face and she rushed into the chamber.
" Neal! Get in here! It's them!" She walked towards them. ^tink^ Kel ran into something, but there was nothing there. She lifted a fist and tapped gently.
^ tink^ ^Tink^ ^tink^ Kel glared into the clear air.* A glass shield? What is this, a joke?*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Kel? Why aren't you unbinding them? I mean, he is the prin.." ^thunk^ Neal walked into the glass wall. Kel couldn't help but laugh as he landed on the ground. He sat up and glared at her. " That hurt!" Kel exploded into giggles, and Neal stood, shaking his head at the girly display. " So girly Kel. And I thought you were better than that."
Kel jumped to her feet, and in seconds, Neal found himself against the invisible wall, with a choke hold on his neck. He met Kel's steely hazel eyes.
" Don't. ever . say. that. again. if. you. don't. want. to. die." She told him slowly.
" OK." He croaked. " Let go!" She released him, and glared.
" Alright smartie boy. Give me hollyhock root, dandelion seeds, hemlock stem, and crushed scorpion sting." He stared at her blankly. " NOW." she snapped. " Not next week." Neal snapped out of his daze, and rummaged in his pockets. Kel stood over him, shaking her head. " I swear Neal." She mused. " You are a walking apothecary."
He assembled the ingredients in a line, and looked expectantly at Kel. " Now what?"
She smiled. " Tea time." When Neal gave her the look usually reserved for Master Numair and his experiments, she giggled. " Gimme a bowl you idiot!" He raised and eyebrow, and handed her the bowl. She began mixing, and within a span of minutes a strangly sweet scent filled the chamber. Kel turned, and proudly displayed the contents of the bowl. It was filled with a magenta paste. Neal wrinkled his nose.
" What are we doing with that?" He asked nervously edging away. She closed the distance,and pulled his hand towards her. She slathered it with the pink goo.
"This." She said, and covered her own hand in it. She then began drawing symbols in the air ( which was really the wall). Neal caught on, and he too began to draw. They had almost used all the paste when there was a loud crack and shatter noise. KEl tested the air in front of them with her hand. It was clear. "COME ON!" She screeched, dropping the bowl, and racing foward to undo Roald's gag and shackles.
" Finally." Roald said after gratefully drinking some water. " You guys took forever with your finger-painting." Neal shot hima good-natured glare.
" But we're here, and it doesn't look like you guys are hurt."
" NO, we aren't hurt." Alanna snapped. " Those idiots healed what woulds from capture we had. Those saidstic heathens." Kel shot her a look that plainly told her to shut-up. Alanna did, but you could tell she was still thinking of the curses she wanted to say.
" SO how did you get down here?" she asked, turning her attention away from the lioness. " You obviously didn't come willingly."
" WE didn't. Have you found the others? Are they all right?" concern flashed in Roald's eyes. " Cleon, and Merric, and Faleron... Hav eyou found them?" Neal and Kel shared a glance. * So they WERE simulamcra..." Neal thought.
"NO. We haven't found them yet. But we will. Not tonight, but tomorrow." He told him, not meeting Roald's level gaze. * I will find them tonight, and you will find them tomorrow. But we WILL find them. We will.* He promised himself silently. * Or I'll die trying.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A/N and Disclaimer~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: I wanna thank Jae and Onua for being my beta's- sorry Saphron- didn't get a chance to e-mail it to you. Hope Y'all like this!!! Ok. Yes, You will all more than likely hate me. As I'm pretty sure yiou like Cleon and NEal *evil grin* But you have to ask yourself. WHo do you like more? Answer this in your reviews, or I may be disposed to finding out in the form of flames. I'm sure I'll get them anyway, but Hell, the less the better! So tell me who you wouldn't mind getting rid of...
Disclaimer:I wrote the poem in 27, and as you know basically everything belongs to TP *bows to the goddess*.
