Disclaimer: Don't own any of them just the story.

Double-Edged Sword.

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Sydney was in awe. She never thought that Dandolo could have done this. All for the protection of a scabbard.

Sydney stood in what looked like a cave. A very big cave at that. But what made Sydney's face break into a smile was the sight of the scabbard, which was propped up a slab of flat stone. It looked larger than life as the light from a break in the stony roof danced around it.

The cool air caressed Sydney's face breaking her gaze from the scabbard, and made her look around her surroundings.

She stood on one side of land and the scabbard on another side. A gorge was separating them. The only was that Sydney could see to get across was a path that was 3-feet in width.

Her steps echoed back at her as she walked towards the bridge like path. Sydney bent down and inspected the bridge. It looked like stepping stones pieced together that were big enough for only one person to stand on. On each of this stepping-stones were an alphabet. This letters weren't in any order that Sydney could see. In her experience of relic hunting, Sydney knew that this had to mean something more, and it was never really easy. She pushed her torch into the ground as the light in the cave was sufficient enough to see.

The riddle ran through Sydney head again as she tried to figure out the meaning of this puzzle. The line 'with the right touch, the other you would see, but never in whole,' caught Sydney's attention more than the other lines. Then the pieces fell together like the last jigsaw puzzle in the right place.

'But which touch?' she thought. She knew that she would have to step on the right letter that will spell out touch, but this had to be Italian, and there different ways to spell it. "I wish Nigel was here," Sydney muttered as eh scratched her to think of the right Italian word. "Why didn't I pay more attention to those language classes?"

'Was it togutre? No wasn't like that. maybe it was topelu?' Sydney thought as hard as she could, every single Italian word that could cross her mind was said out, but not one sounded right. "Toccare!" Sydney shouted out.

Sydney lifted her leg to step on the one with the 't'. She stopped mid- way and withdrew back her foot. "It could be affisso." She thought out loud.

Then she had and idea. She placed the sword in her hands again and hit the handle on the step engraved with the letter 't', at first it held, but than it crumbled away suddenly. Sydney pulled back and grasped the sword making sure it didn't fall together with the pieces. She looked at where the stone once used to be but now was an empty hole as she saw the last bit of it fall into the inky darkness. "Guess its affisso then." Sydney realized that she had been talking to herself more often. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't like the silence all that much.

The stone held as Sydney stepped on it. It had the letter 'a' on it. Next was 'f'. It didn't fall like the first letter. Sydney was confident as she continued.

'f' again.

'i' just next to 'p'

's'

She saw that next letter was a bit further and jumped on the on it. 's'. But Sydney lost her balance and stepped on the letter next to her. It was an 'e'. She was fast enough to step back but the 'e' fell to pieces. Sydney stood on her current stone and let out a deep breath. One more letter to go.

She breathed easier as her two feet touched the other side. Sydney looked back and found out just how far she gone. She turned back to the front and set her eyes on the scabbard. There was still a small climb to conquer. The scabbard was placed on small hill of rocks and there wasn't much space around it, just enough for one person to step around and then there was nothing but a sharp drop to the black abyss. Sydney noticed that if one small mistake could very well cause her her life as well as Nigel's.

She placed her first step, than her second one, another step and another until she reached it. with one hand holding on, Sydney used her free hand to stretch out for the scabbard. But as soon as the scabbard was in her hands. She lost her footing and the scabbard slipped out of her grasp, as Sydney regained her balance. Sydney's heart was stabbed with terror as the scabbard fell into the bottomless pit.

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It took a while, but Preston managed to persuade Nigel that he, or in Nigel's case, Sydney, was suppose to sit and wait. Nigel didn't like it at first, but managed to quieten down considerably. Preston sat next to him and knew that Nigel's condition was worsening and they didn't have much time left.

"How long do we have to wait Syd?"

Preston turned to look at him, Nigel's eyes were half closed and had a dreamy look to it. "Not long."

"Well we better hurry up. I'm getting sleepy." Nigel's eyes were beginning to close.

Uh-oh, that wasn't good. "Nigel, don't sleep. Wake up." Preston said firmly. It wasn't really working. Nigel's body slumped a little, and Preston tried to wake him up. He placed Nigel against his chest and wrapped his arms around him, like he used to when they younger and Nigel was ill. Preston was the older one and he had to protect his younger brother.

"Preston?"

"Nigel?" Preston was surprised that Nigel had called him by name and could recognize him. Was he cured? Had Sydney succeeded?

"What happened?" Nigel's voice was still a little slurred.

Preston smiled, a lump was beginning to from on his throat. "Nothing. You were just dreaming, that's all."

"Oh. Than I think I'll go back dreaming again. Feel. sleepy."

Preston was shattered from the inside as his felt cold. Sydney hadn't returned the sword. Nigel was beginning to slip away. "Please, no. Don't." Preston pleaded. "You were going to tell me off remember?"

"Maybe later. Want.to. sleep."

"No!" Preston was panicking. He didn't know what to do. He was helpless.

"Why?" Nigel voice was barely audible.

"Because. if you do. I'll be calling you Podge forever, that's why."

"Hate. that. name."

"Yes I know, and if you don't wake up I call you just that." Preston waited for Nigel to argue back, but he didn't. Nigel had closed his eyes already. Nigel's body felt cold as he held him. "No! Please God, don't take my brother away." Preston couldn't hold back his tears anymore. "His all the family I have left. God please." Preston held on tighter to his brother rocking him back and forth. "Wake up Nigel, please. I promise never to call you Podge again."

"Promise?" Preston heard a weak whisper and looked at Nigel who was looking back at him.

"Nigel. you're." Preston didn't know what else to say and hugged his brother tightly. Nigel hugged him back.

"Sydney did it. She broke the curse." Nigel whispered.

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Sydney couldn't believe that she did what she had, as she held on to the line of wire that was hooked to her arrow. The sword was back in the scabbard, held in between her legs.

She replayed back again as she hung there looking at the sharp drop that she nearly lost the scabbard to. Sydney let herself relax for while as she caught her breath.

The scabbard fell out of her hands and Sydney took out her crossbow, shot an arrow into the ground. She then held unto the line and went after the scabbard and caught it in time. Sydney held tightly unto the scabbard until her knuckles went white as she jerked back from the inertia of falling and holding on to the wire.

Sydney knew she didn't have much time left and placed the scabbard between her legs and returned the sword to it. As she hung there, Sydney prayed that she was in time. Carefully Sydney climbed back up and threw herself to the ground. As soon as she dusted herself, she hopped on the same stones that had taken her across safely and ran back. She had to see Nigel.

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TBC

Yay. I finally did this chapter. phew glad I turned into another chapter, would have been too long if it was just one chapter (chapter13 and 14). So how did you guys liked it? Don't think this is over just yet, there's another chapter to go before I shut the lid on this story. Review, review and review. Any questions and fireballs or even (I hope) compliments. review, review and review!

^_^.