It makes me so happy when you all review so nicely! Especially when I don't want to deal with real people . . . I can just go online and disappear. cyberpals are so much happier than other people.

Urgh. I didn't mean for this chapter to get so graphic. (yes, graphic, and violently, not sexually, sadly enough.)

Hehehe, you know what's cool? I am the only person on the ENTIRE SITE whose name has heartspark in it. hah on you.

Like I said, I already had this written at the end of the last chapter, I just had to change a few things . . . hope you enjoy. READ, KNAVES! READ!

Moving Forward

The next room was another empty cavern, but with a strangely low ceiling.

Kel slid her foot into the room, yet again. Nothing happened.

Neal threw a button from his tunic into the room. It lay unobtrusively on the floor. Nothing happened.

Byrn flew into the room. Nothing happened.

Kel sidled into the room. Nothing happened. Neal followed her out, and they began to cautiously make their way across the room.

They were thirty feet out – already halfway across – before the trap was tripped.

Something burst out of the ground and seized Kel's ankle. She shrieked in shock, and Neal turned at the sound of her voice. "Neal! Watch out!" she cried, but it was too late. Whatever-it-was had gotten ahold of his upper leg, and he shouted in surprise.

Kel kicked her foot, trying to break the grip while still keeping her balance, but failed and fell over. Three more things – were they tree roots? – came bursting out of the ceiling, reaching down for her. The closest one clutched at her left arm, holding it immobile.

With a cry of rage, Kel heaved her sword out of its sheath and began to back all around her. She found that they were, in fact, roots of some kind. "Neal!" she cried again. "Your sword!" Neal grabbed his sword and started chopping at the roots holding him captive. Byrn floated helplessly above the ground.

Six more roots came erupted from floor and ceiling. One wrenched at her right arm, almost pulling it out of its socket. The arm stayed put, but she dropped her sword. One from the ground twined upwards, up her leg and around her waist. Another draped around her neck.

Slowly, the roots began to apply pressure. More roots wove their way around her frame, squeezing tight. Kel's whole body was being squeezed out of place, and she could just see that the same was happening to Neal.

Byrn swooped down, landing on the root across Kel's shoulder, and tried to peck at the root blocking her airway. A root detached itself from the mess and headed for the phoenix, but the immortal took flight, again watching, unable to do anything.

Kel fought to breathe. Blackness began to take over her vision, moving inwards from the outside. For the first time in her life, Kel gave in, stopped fighting.

Byrn screeched, a noise Kel had never heard her make. The phoenix raised her wings, and the room erupted in flames.

Fire came from everywhere, growing on everything, feeding on the tree roots that attacked the two Tortallans. There was nothing in the room but the hungry flames. And yet neither Kel nor Neal felt any sort of heat. But the roots did.

They immediately began to withdraw, almost shrieking with pain as they whipped back into the ceiling and floor. In less than ten seconds, Kel and Neal were alone in the flaming room.

Byrn screeched again, and the flames were gone.

"That was fun," gasped Neal.

Suddenly, and she didn't know why, Kel just exploded. All the frustration, all the confusion, all the fear and worry and anger and pain just melted together into one huge ball of emotion.

Kel snapped to her feet, scooping up her sword as she did so. She didn't see Neal's look of worry or hear Byrn whistle after her – she was intent on the door.

Sprinting out of the room, she skidded to a halt inside the next one, just scant feet from the exit. This room was exactly like the last two – absolutely nothing inside.

Kel screamed her rage, and a man appeared barely a foot in front of her. He was wearing armor and had a giant battleaxe, and he looked like he meant business.

"I am the Protector of the Six," he bellowed. "You shall not –"

Kel cut off his head.

Blood surged out of the neck-stump and cascaded onto the floor. The head rolled off to the left. The headless corpse fell to its knees and backwards.

All the emotion suddenly left Kel, leaving her a dry husk holding a bloody sword in the middle of a sea of red. She wavered, and almost fell, which would have been decidedly filthy in such a position.

Neal came up from behind her, putting his hand on her waist and steadying her. He eyed the dead body, and murmured, "Nice work, love, but for my peace of mind, please make sure it isn't another crossbow room the next time you do that."

Kel nodded, exhausted. Leaning on him, they walked out of the room, leaving the Protector behind them.

The next room was scarcely ten yards away. They halted outside the doorway.

Just inside the round room was a round pedestal, with a small grubby stone on a plain pillow.

"Is that –" Kel stopped, unable to continue.

They walked reverently into the room. A light, seemingly from nowhere, shone directly onto the platform. No traps sprung at them.

Neal motioned forward. "Go get it!"

"Me?" Kel said, surprised.

"Yes, you! This is your quest. The gods sought you out. They sent you here. You got us through most of the journey. You go get it."

Unable to compete with his flow of words, Kel made the first move to retrieve the stone. She walked four steps forward, stopping just in front of the pedestal. Solemnly, she lifted the stone from the cushion.

Blue fire erupted in a full circle, all around the circular room. Kel whirled around, her eyes wide, while Neal drew his sword, holding it warily as he shifted position.

Nine men materialized before them, arranged in a V formation with the point aiming at the two knights.

"You dare to take what the gods possess!" thundered the foremost man. "And now you shall die for your mistake!"

He raised his arms to the ceiling as if in worship, but instead, two spears appeared in both his hands. The man hurled them with deadly accuracy.

Kel felt a white heat rush through her body, starting from her stomach. Looking down with horror, she saw the back end of a spear protruding from her body. She pulled it out. Blood surged down her front.

Kel fell to her knees, and toppled forward.

Her eyes ended up on Neal. He was struggling with a spear that transfixed his middle. He slowly stopped trying to pull it out, and fell to the side.

His eyes locked with hers, and then black nothingness overwhelmed her vision as she swirled into nightmares.

Whoops! Did I write that? Yes, I did, and yes, you'll have to wait to find out what the hell is going on! but no fear — it's the weekend tomorrow, meaning I'll have time to write — let's hope. Until then, I bid you adieu!