A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! Sorry it took so long for me to update, my
internet connection was all screwed up...Oh, last time I forgot to mention
this but thank you SydneyCider for coming up with the name Dausael for
me...you can see why I needed it...
***Tom's View***
Finally the group was ready to go. Raoul led the group down the path that one of the One had indicated, and soon the Scanran's tracks became clearer. As they continued to follow the trail, the trees of the forest began to thin out and eventually they disappeared all together. As the knights rode over a large hill, Raoul called the group to a halt.
On the top of the next knoll was a large fortress, complete with huge stonewalls and guard towers. Alanna rode up besides Raoul and looked at him, "What do you think we should do now...I've never pulled off a rescue mission before."
He looked at her hesitantly, "Well frankly...neither have I. Not one on this scale at least. We need to get to people out of that castle without being caught."
"Or," interrupted the Lioness, "we could just ride in and take the building by force...What! Don't look at me like that Raoul! There can't be that many Scanrans stationed at this post, especially if we had no knowledge of its existence until about fifteen minutes ago!"
Dom rode up behind the leader of the King's Own, "She's probably right you know..." Raoul turned and stared at him, "...um...sorry."
The older knight sighed and dismounted reluctantly from his horse, "As much as it pains me to say it...we need some kind of plan..."
Dom shrugged and rode back to Kel, Esmond, Merric, Owen, and Tom, "I tried to hurry things along..."
Tom looked really worried but stayed silent as everyone dismounted. He climbed down off his own horse and found a tree to rest up against. He sighed and slowly sat down, his gaze fixed on the fortress. He was so close...so close to Phi and Alex, but yet so very far. He was slowly overtaken by sleep as he listened to the sound of the knights trying to decide what to do, but he never had the chance to rest.
As soon as he closed his eyes, another vision came. It wasn't as real as the first one was, not by a long shot, and it seemed dimmer and somehow fuzzier even though he could hear what was going on as if he was standing in the room. He saw a man sitting on a throne holding a large blazing sword that was soaked in something red that seemed to be glowing. The view switched and suddenly Tom's thoughts were being pulled backwards, out of the room with the man in it, down a hall, through some kind of outdoor courtyard, and into a long dark corridor that seemed to be some sort of dungeon. His thoughts slowed again and seemed to move in slow motion as he passed a cell with an old man sitting in it, and moved down to the end of the hall. In the very last room, was Phi and Alex!
His thought were about to enter their cell, when he felt a tugging at the back of his mind, telling him to come back to reality. He somehow pulled his mind back into his body, which was a very odd sensation, and his real eyes whipped open. He stared around trying to find what had "woken him up". Finally, his eyes turned towards the fortress and he saw a shadow on the ground right above him, heading in that direction. The tugging grew stronger and it seemed that time slowed down and a dark mist was hovering overhead where the shadow was.
Devic, Duke Baird, and Alanna seemed to notice something too, and almost simultamiously, all four looked up to the sky. Alanna called out, "STORMWING! RAOUL! WE'RE BEING SPYIED ON!!"
All the knight and pages drew their weapons as the thing above them flew by cackling. Devic walked over to Tom, his eyes glued on it, "Tom! That is an immortal that is often seen working with the Scanrans! This is bad..."
Tom looked at the boy, "How bad..."
"Now the enemy knows we're here. They'll be able to make the first move, which was our only real advantage."
The Californian grimaced as the immortal swooped overhead once more before soaring over to the fortress and flying into a high window of the biggest building.
Raoul and Alanna turned to each other, seeming to pass a silent message between each other. Raoul walked quickly over to his horse, "All right. Since they know we're coming there is no point in staging a sneak attack. We'll ride out to battle now, there is no point waiting any longer." He mounted and everyone ran to their horses to follow him.
Merric rode his horse over to Tom's as the boy mounted up, "Don't worry, we'll get Phi and Alex back..."
Tom smiled gratefully but as they rode towards the looming building, he had a sense that things weren't going to go as well as they all planned.
***Phi and Alex's View***
Alex slowly rose into a sitting position and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. As his vision came back into focus, he recognized Phi sleeping on the bedroll on the opposite side of the room. He muttered sleepily and tried to figure out what Phi was doing in his bedroom without Tom when he realized what had happened. He was not in his bedroom. He and Phi had been captured without Tom and there was an insane murderer in charge of their fate.
He looked around trying to find what had woken him up, and finally he found the source. It was that blasted guard who was presently hovering over them through the bars, "Ah...I was just about to wake you up. Dausael be wanting to see you now..."
Alex's gaze hardened, "What does he want..."
"I'm not sure, but I don't believe he wants to kill you yet if that's what you mean...he looked suspiciously in a good mood when he called me in...lucky for you two..."
Alex moved over to Phi and shook her awake, being sure to avoid her arm as it shot out to hit whoever was disturbing her, "Leave me alone Tom...just a few more...minutes..."
He sighed and grabbed her by the arms and hauled her to her feet, "This is Alex...Come on, get up..."
She glared sleepily at him and covered her mouth as she yawned, "Why?"
"The bloodthirsty chief wants to see us again..."
She scowled but straightened her shirt and followed Alex out the room as the guard unlocked the door and led them back into Dausael's chamber. The commander stood as the doors opened and immediately Phi and Alex were hit with the stench of rotting flesh. Phi quickly used her sleeve to cover her mouth, and Alex who was wearing short sleeves tried his best to hold his breath. Dausael walked forward, "Good morning. I just wanted to inform you that the Tortallians are about three hundred feet away preparing for a 'rescue'."
Phi turned to Alex who looked at the Scanran, "Why should we believe you?"
He shrugged and moved aside so that they could see the creature that was perched behind him, "Because it is true. You might say that a little bird told me..." He laughed and motioned towards the animal behind him, " My Stormwing spy told me. Oh, he also mentioned that the last of the three travelers was with them."
Alex was stunned, still staring at the thing that was sitting on a stone perch next to the throne. It had the body of some sort of metal bird but it had the head of a man. Except that the man has extremely grotesque. He had small beady eyes, pale, tight pulled skin, and two rows of razor sharp teeth.
Phi whispered, "Tom's here?"
Dausael looked at her, "Oh, is that his name? Well yes, I suppose he is. And when the Tortallians come, which they inevitably will, because it is in their 'honorable' nature, I will have the third one of you plus a few slaves for the king. He will be very pleased indeed..."
Suddenly Phi snapped (as was in her nature to do so...) and lunged at Dausael, taking them all by surprise. She moved fast, but not quickly enough because their guard caught her when she was an inch away from the commander. He looked surprised, then his eyes grew clouded with anger. Phi struggled with the guard, and Alex ran to help her but was caught by another soldier who was standing watch by the door. Dausael looked straight into Phi's eyes and she stared defiantly back.
Suddenly, he brought his hand up and hit her across the face so hard that she was propelled out of the guard's hands onto the floor. Alex cried out and wrestled from his capture and leapt over to where Phi was slowly getting back up. she had a bruise that was beginning to develop on her left cheekbone and Alex had to wrap her arm over his shoulders to keep her balanced.
Dausael glared at them both then waved his hand, "Take them away, put them in separate cells, and let them wait for their friends, who will never arrive, in solitude."
Their guard bowed stiffly and led the two back to the dungeons again, not separating them until they reached the end of the corridor. He put Alex in their old cell and Phi in the room across the hall from it.
As soon as he had locked the bars Alex ran over to them and peered at Phi, "Hey...are you okay?"
She sat down by the opening and grinned at him, "Ya, I guess so..."
"You took a pretty hard hit back there..."
"It wasn't that bad..." Her grin grew wider, "Besides... Dausael hits like a girl..."
Alex shook his head and copied her by sitting right at the edge of the bars. Their guard wandered back over to them and looked warily at Phi, "You are the first person who I have ever seen that has hit Dausael and survived to talk about it..."
She shrugged, "I guess he still needs us for something..."
Alex leaned his head against the bars, "Ya, but I would rather not know what..."
The older man shook his head, still amazed at either Phi's impulsiveness or stupidity and went back to sit in the chair at the other end of the corridor.
A/N: Yes! Another semi-long chapter! Oh no! The story is nearing the climax! It's almost over! Nooooooooooooooooooo! Hmm...
Anyway, please review! I got a ton for the last chapter, but I would still enjoy any supportiveness or helpful criticism (actually...I wouldn't "enjoy" that, but if you have a problem that I can change without messing up my story line, let me know!!)
***Tom's View***
Finally the group was ready to go. Raoul led the group down the path that one of the One had indicated, and soon the Scanran's tracks became clearer. As they continued to follow the trail, the trees of the forest began to thin out and eventually they disappeared all together. As the knights rode over a large hill, Raoul called the group to a halt.
On the top of the next knoll was a large fortress, complete with huge stonewalls and guard towers. Alanna rode up besides Raoul and looked at him, "What do you think we should do now...I've never pulled off a rescue mission before."
He looked at her hesitantly, "Well frankly...neither have I. Not one on this scale at least. We need to get to people out of that castle without being caught."
"Or," interrupted the Lioness, "we could just ride in and take the building by force...What! Don't look at me like that Raoul! There can't be that many Scanrans stationed at this post, especially if we had no knowledge of its existence until about fifteen minutes ago!"
Dom rode up behind the leader of the King's Own, "She's probably right you know..." Raoul turned and stared at him, "...um...sorry."
The older knight sighed and dismounted reluctantly from his horse, "As much as it pains me to say it...we need some kind of plan..."
Dom shrugged and rode back to Kel, Esmond, Merric, Owen, and Tom, "I tried to hurry things along..."
Tom looked really worried but stayed silent as everyone dismounted. He climbed down off his own horse and found a tree to rest up against. He sighed and slowly sat down, his gaze fixed on the fortress. He was so close...so close to Phi and Alex, but yet so very far. He was slowly overtaken by sleep as he listened to the sound of the knights trying to decide what to do, but he never had the chance to rest.
As soon as he closed his eyes, another vision came. It wasn't as real as the first one was, not by a long shot, and it seemed dimmer and somehow fuzzier even though he could hear what was going on as if he was standing in the room. He saw a man sitting on a throne holding a large blazing sword that was soaked in something red that seemed to be glowing. The view switched and suddenly Tom's thoughts were being pulled backwards, out of the room with the man in it, down a hall, through some kind of outdoor courtyard, and into a long dark corridor that seemed to be some sort of dungeon. His thoughts slowed again and seemed to move in slow motion as he passed a cell with an old man sitting in it, and moved down to the end of the hall. In the very last room, was Phi and Alex!
His thought were about to enter their cell, when he felt a tugging at the back of his mind, telling him to come back to reality. He somehow pulled his mind back into his body, which was a very odd sensation, and his real eyes whipped open. He stared around trying to find what had "woken him up". Finally, his eyes turned towards the fortress and he saw a shadow on the ground right above him, heading in that direction. The tugging grew stronger and it seemed that time slowed down and a dark mist was hovering overhead where the shadow was.
Devic, Duke Baird, and Alanna seemed to notice something too, and almost simultamiously, all four looked up to the sky. Alanna called out, "STORMWING! RAOUL! WE'RE BEING SPYIED ON!!"
All the knight and pages drew their weapons as the thing above them flew by cackling. Devic walked over to Tom, his eyes glued on it, "Tom! That is an immortal that is often seen working with the Scanrans! This is bad..."
Tom looked at the boy, "How bad..."
"Now the enemy knows we're here. They'll be able to make the first move, which was our only real advantage."
The Californian grimaced as the immortal swooped overhead once more before soaring over to the fortress and flying into a high window of the biggest building.
Raoul and Alanna turned to each other, seeming to pass a silent message between each other. Raoul walked quickly over to his horse, "All right. Since they know we're coming there is no point in staging a sneak attack. We'll ride out to battle now, there is no point waiting any longer." He mounted and everyone ran to their horses to follow him.
Merric rode his horse over to Tom's as the boy mounted up, "Don't worry, we'll get Phi and Alex back..."
Tom smiled gratefully but as they rode towards the looming building, he had a sense that things weren't going to go as well as they all planned.
***Phi and Alex's View***
Alex slowly rose into a sitting position and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. As his vision came back into focus, he recognized Phi sleeping on the bedroll on the opposite side of the room. He muttered sleepily and tried to figure out what Phi was doing in his bedroom without Tom when he realized what had happened. He was not in his bedroom. He and Phi had been captured without Tom and there was an insane murderer in charge of their fate.
He looked around trying to find what had woken him up, and finally he found the source. It was that blasted guard who was presently hovering over them through the bars, "Ah...I was just about to wake you up. Dausael be wanting to see you now..."
Alex's gaze hardened, "What does he want..."
"I'm not sure, but I don't believe he wants to kill you yet if that's what you mean...he looked suspiciously in a good mood when he called me in...lucky for you two..."
Alex moved over to Phi and shook her awake, being sure to avoid her arm as it shot out to hit whoever was disturbing her, "Leave me alone Tom...just a few more...minutes..."
He sighed and grabbed her by the arms and hauled her to her feet, "This is Alex...Come on, get up..."
She glared sleepily at him and covered her mouth as she yawned, "Why?"
"The bloodthirsty chief wants to see us again..."
She scowled but straightened her shirt and followed Alex out the room as the guard unlocked the door and led them back into Dausael's chamber. The commander stood as the doors opened and immediately Phi and Alex were hit with the stench of rotting flesh. Phi quickly used her sleeve to cover her mouth, and Alex who was wearing short sleeves tried his best to hold his breath. Dausael walked forward, "Good morning. I just wanted to inform you that the Tortallians are about three hundred feet away preparing for a 'rescue'."
Phi turned to Alex who looked at the Scanran, "Why should we believe you?"
He shrugged and moved aside so that they could see the creature that was perched behind him, "Because it is true. You might say that a little bird told me..." He laughed and motioned towards the animal behind him, " My Stormwing spy told me. Oh, he also mentioned that the last of the three travelers was with them."
Alex was stunned, still staring at the thing that was sitting on a stone perch next to the throne. It had the body of some sort of metal bird but it had the head of a man. Except that the man has extremely grotesque. He had small beady eyes, pale, tight pulled skin, and two rows of razor sharp teeth.
Phi whispered, "Tom's here?"
Dausael looked at her, "Oh, is that his name? Well yes, I suppose he is. And when the Tortallians come, which they inevitably will, because it is in their 'honorable' nature, I will have the third one of you plus a few slaves for the king. He will be very pleased indeed..."
Suddenly Phi snapped (as was in her nature to do so...) and lunged at Dausael, taking them all by surprise. She moved fast, but not quickly enough because their guard caught her when she was an inch away from the commander. He looked surprised, then his eyes grew clouded with anger. Phi struggled with the guard, and Alex ran to help her but was caught by another soldier who was standing watch by the door. Dausael looked straight into Phi's eyes and she stared defiantly back.
Suddenly, he brought his hand up and hit her across the face so hard that she was propelled out of the guard's hands onto the floor. Alex cried out and wrestled from his capture and leapt over to where Phi was slowly getting back up. she had a bruise that was beginning to develop on her left cheekbone and Alex had to wrap her arm over his shoulders to keep her balanced.
Dausael glared at them both then waved his hand, "Take them away, put them in separate cells, and let them wait for their friends, who will never arrive, in solitude."
Their guard bowed stiffly and led the two back to the dungeons again, not separating them until they reached the end of the corridor. He put Alex in their old cell and Phi in the room across the hall from it.
As soon as he had locked the bars Alex ran over to them and peered at Phi, "Hey...are you okay?"
She sat down by the opening and grinned at him, "Ya, I guess so..."
"You took a pretty hard hit back there..."
"It wasn't that bad..." Her grin grew wider, "Besides... Dausael hits like a girl..."
Alex shook his head and copied her by sitting right at the edge of the bars. Their guard wandered back over to them and looked warily at Phi, "You are the first person who I have ever seen that has hit Dausael and survived to talk about it..."
She shrugged, "I guess he still needs us for something..."
Alex leaned his head against the bars, "Ya, but I would rather not know what..."
The older man shook his head, still amazed at either Phi's impulsiveness or stupidity and went back to sit in the chair at the other end of the corridor.
A/N: Yes! Another semi-long chapter! Oh no! The story is nearing the climax! It's almost over! Nooooooooooooooooooo! Hmm...
Anyway, please review! I got a ton for the last chapter, but I would still enjoy any supportiveness or helpful criticism (actually...I wouldn't "enjoy" that, but if you have a problem that I can change without messing up my story line, let me know!!)
