Disclaimer: Story by me but not the characters.

Double-Edged Sword.

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"I'll be in my room."

Sydney felt horrible deep inside. For not able to find the scabbard, and especially for not able to help Nigel. "Nigel?"

"I'm fine," Nigel answered, expecting the question. "I'm just tired that's all." He shut the door and the place fell deathly quiet.

Deathly. Not exactly a good word to use right now.

"I don't get it! We should have found it. Why couldn't we?" Preston shouted in frustration.

"This things take time. We can't rush it and being angry won't help us."

Preston sighed and fell into the chair. "Well we don't exactly have all the time in the world you know."

"Yes, I do and so does Nigel. You don't see him complaining do you?" Sydney caught her tongue and lowered down her voice. The last thing she wanted right now is for Nigel to hear them shouting. "He has more right than you to be angry or in fact shout and scream."

"I know, but. It's just that. I."

Sydney looked out the window that had the view of the entire market place of Venice. But at 6 o'clock in the evening, the place was deserted. "You don't have to explain," Sydney said, shaking her head. "Let's just sleep over it for now and we'll get a fresh start tomorrow."

Preston nodded and closed his eyes.

"See you tomorrow." Sydney slung her bag over her shoulder and took the books from the table. She made her way to the door and opened it. She turned around wanting to say something but decided not to and closed the door.

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Nigel listened quietly at the rhythmic sounds of the clock on the wall. It read 12-midnight.

He sighed and closed his eyes and hoped for sleep to come. But it didn't. He sighed again and got up from bed. As he sat there he glanced over at the sword, which was innocently sitting in the corner wrapped in black cloth.

"Nigel Bailey, what have you gotten yourself into this time?" Nigel muttered to himself and to the walls. Nigel laughed as he silently contemplated about writing a biography before he died.

Before he died. The words sounded dull in his mind but somewhat true. He shook his head to get rid of the idea and thought about something else to distract himself. 'What should I name it' he thought. Maybe 'The Assistant'. Nigel snorted. That was original. How about-

'Thud'

Nigel was startled. What was that? He got up and opened his door. "Preston?"

No answer.

"Sid?"

Still no answer. Nigel walked over to Preston's room and was about to knock when the door opened.

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Preston opened the door and nearly fell backwards as he came face to face with Nigel. "Nigel! What do you thing you're doing? Making noises in the middle of the night?"

"It wasn't me! I thought it was you. Wasn't it?"

Preston was about to answer when he saw something move into Nigel's room. "Nigel?" he said between clenched teeth and pointing towards Nigel's room.

Nigel stiffened and turned around. The place was dark and he swore at himself for not switching on the lights. Preston took the closest thing to him as a weapon. The only thing he could find was a vase. Preston looked around for something more threatening but stopped as he saw Nigel already moving into his room.

Wonderful. All of a sudden Nigel wants to be a hero.

Preston followed behind and waited as Nigel flipped on the lights. As bright lights filled the room Preston squinted and was temporarily blinded by it.

"Who the bloody hell are you!" Preston heard Nigel yelling before he managed to open his eyes and when he did, he saw a 6 feet tall giant holding the sword and the medallion.

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Sydney yawned and rubbed her eyes. She had been going over the books and the riddle for the twentieth time. Or was it the twenty-first?

Sydney looked at her watch and leaned back into her chair. She took in a breath of air and placed back her glasses and continued. Sydney read through the riddle another time. "Where is that sundial?" Sydney mumbled to herself while flipping through another page of one of the books she had.

As she was absent-mindedly doing so, one of the pages felt different and Sydney stopped. She went back to that page and placed it in between her fingers and rubbed it. To her surprise another page came apart from it. There was a page stuck to another. Sydney sat up straight and read through it. Her pulse quickened as she spotted a word.

Sundial.

Sydney couldn't believe it. Had she found it? Her face lit up as a mystery was being explained. Than something hit her about a line in the riddle. She read through it again:

'In the heart of eagles'

All she needed was to prove her theory. Sydney looked for the medallion and realized that she had left it with Preston. She got up and stretched. Next she headed for Preston's room. She opened the door and walked down the corridor. She glanced down at the ground floor and was surprised to see the hotel bar still had a few people especially at this time. But than again this is Venice.

Sydney shook her head. She had almost reached their room when a man ran into her. "Hey! Watch where you're going." He didn't stop and continued running. Something about him was familiar and Sydney couldn't put a finger on it. She walked up to the room and was shocked that the door was opened. She was even more shocked when she saw Nigel on the floor and Preston trying to wake him up.

"Sydney stop that man, he's taken the sword and the medallion!" Preston shouted at her and trying to lift Nigel up with into his arms.

Sydney didn't waste any time and sped after him. She ran down the stairs and spotted him running through the bar. "Stop that thief!" Sydney shouted trying to get as much attention to slow him down and it did. Two man tried to overpower him but he managed to get free. But that was all Sydney needed. She managed to reach the bar before he could run out into the opening, still a little too far for a fight, Sydney took a tray from a waiter next to her and threw it at him like a Frisbee.

It made a loud 'clang' as it made contact with his head, making him fall. Sydney ran to him and threw a punch into his face as he stood up. The man faced her and Sydney recognized him. "You!" she said.

He responded by trying to punch at Sydney but Sydney managed to duck before it could reach her and she extended her leg tripping. As he did so the sword in his hand flew out and slid across the floor. He stood up again and must have realized that the sword wasn't worth being caught and ran for the opening. He already had the other part.

Sydney tried running after him but he got on a motorbike and sped of. She didn't bother with him and retrieved the sword. She let out a sigh of relief as she held in her hands, but she realized she had lost the medallion. A crowd had already started to form at the sound of the commotion. Sydney decided that this was her queue to leave before she had to explain it to the police.

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Sydney smiled a little as she sat on the sofa and watched as Preston tried to bandage Nigel's head with a plaster.

"Of all things to do with me, you hit me with a vase! You were suppose to help me, not kill me!" Nigel exclaimed.

"I already said I'm sorry. It wasn't my fault. You were the one who tried to tackle him and I tried to help," Preston explained.

"By hitting me? Well thank you!" Nigel answered sarcastically. "Who was that man anyway?"

"His name is Gene Mantle. His a rival relic hunter," Sydney answered. "His been trying to beat me to almost every relic that I try to find. That is before I got tied down with the college, after that I never saw him again."

"And suddenly he wants to make an appearance again? Of all the times to do so," Preston said gingerly placing the plaster on the welt on Nigel's head. "There done. You're such a big baby Nigel. Do you know that?"

Nigel was about to answer but realized it would've be useless. "If it wasn't for you Sid, we wouldn't have gotten back the sword," Nigel said changing the subject. "Thanks. Why were you coming to our room by the way?"

Sydney almost forgot. With all the excitement she hadn't mention about the her discovery. "I've found the place where the sundial is. There's a place where Dandolo built a palace and that's where he placed the sundial as well. I was about to confirm something about one of the lines from the riddle with the medallion," Sydney sighed as she thought about the medallion. "But then we've lost it."

"What about the medallion?" Nigel asked. "I practically have a photo of it in here." Nigel said tapping the side of his head. "You would too if you had been staring at it for as long as I did," Nigel explained at the skeptical look from Preston.

"Nigel you never have disappointed me." Sydney said smiling. "Do you remember if there was a crest on the medallion? One of-."

"Eagles?" Nigel finished the question. Sydney nodded. "Yes. It was his family emblem. Why?"

"Then the things are starting to fall into place." Sydney answered.

"You mean we'll be able to find the scabbard?" Preston asked, sitting down on the sofa's hand rest.

Sydney felt a surge of new hope in her. She was finally able to help Nigel. "Yes and we can start tomorrow when everybody gets some sleep."

Preston slapped Nigel on the back. A look of annoyance flashed on Nigel's face as Preston did that. But instead of arguing back, Nigel smiled. Sydney felt relieved; it's been a long time since Nigel last smiled. And she hoped that this time she was right.

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