Continuing the story with part 11...
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
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"Tobe, no, it's too dangerous!" Kel exclaimed.
"Well, somebody has to do it!" Tobe yelled in reply. Defiantly, he went right up to the bars and took a deep breath. "Here I go," he said, and with that, he turned his body sideways and inched between the bars.
"Ouch! What was that!" Tobe suddenly yelled.
"What is it!" Everybody yelled in unison.
"There seems to be a wall here, but I can't see one," he said.
"A wall!" Kel said, "But I thought you said the bars weren't magicked."
"They weren't!" Alanna exclaimed, "But I guess they are now."
"Foiled again by Atrella," Daine scowled.
* * * * *
Many corridors away, Myles and Neal were discussing the current situation with mounting anxiety.
"What do you mean?" the old man asked Neal curiously.
"The whole castle is swarming with dark green magic," Neal repeated, "I've seen it myself."
"And the king? What does he think about this?" Myles asked.
"He won't see anyone. This green makes me feel uneasy. I don't think it's the fog either." Neal finished, scowling.
"It's too bad we can't see Jon though," Myles said, "We really can't do anything without his permission. He must have locked everybody out to use the Dominion Jewel to fix the water. I wonder if he's almost done."
"I don't know," Neal said, "But it's a good thing he has that Jewel, or whole country, well, maybe not the whole country, but certainly the whole city is in mortal peril."
Myles sighed, "So Daine's not back yet?" he asked.
Neal shrugged. "I really don't know," he said, "She might be though. I'm going to go find Numair and talk to him. He'll know about Daine and perhaps he'll know what's going on around here."
Myles nodded. "You do that," he said. "I'm going to the Library to see if something like this has ever happened before. Maybe there'll be a clue to stopping this madness in the history books. I'll see you later then."
"Alright, I'll see you later," Neal said back.
They parted, and Neal wandered around the castle for a while, then finally he ended up in front of Daine and Numair's rooms. He knocked, but no one answered. "Numair!" he called, "Numair are you in there?" Still no one answered, so he tried the door. It was open, so he went in.
Neal couldn't find anyone inside either. "I wonder where he is?" he said absently to himself.
* * * * *
"Tell me!" Atrella's shrieks filled the room.
"NO!" Numair choked in pain.
"Don't make me hurt you more, Master Numair!" Atrella mocked, then she continued with malice, "I only want to know Tortall's weak spot!"
"It doesn't have one," Numair lied. "Why do you want to know anyway," he asked, "You already are the king."
Atrella smiled, "Yes," she said, "But that's not enough. I want to be the Queen. What good is it to rule this country if I'm stuck in that awful body. Besides," she said, stroking his face, "If you think ruling this country is all I'm after then you don't know me as well as you think you do."
"You're right, Atrella," Numair said, "I don't know you at all. You're nothing like you were all those years ago."
Her face darkened. "No, I'm not," she said, "Back then I was foolish and weak, but not now. Now I'm strong and I have a plan."
Numair raised his eyebrows as if to say, 'and that is...'
"Don't look at me like that Arram," she said, "I'm not as stupid as I was then, either. I'll tell you one thing though. All my plan needs is Tortall's weak spot. One that you are conveniently keeping from me."
"I told you, there isn't-" Numair started, but Atrella cut him off.
"All kingdoms have one!" she yelled, "You will tell me eventually Arram, even if I have to force it out of you with more than pain!" At this, she leaned close to him, and whispered in his ear, "I know about the girl, Arram. I know about your precious little shape shifter. Even if I don't know Tortall's weak spot, I do know yours." And with that, she clapped her hands and a puff of dark green magic and smoke filled the room.
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Hmmm, Atrella gone, and everyone else is still stuck in the dungeons. And now we know what Atrella's up to. Hopefully I can post more of the story this weekend.
Oh, and special thanks to Fire Mage6 and CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88 for reviewing our story so often. Where would we be without you?
Disclaimer: See previous chapters.
*****************************************************************************
"Tobe, no, it's too dangerous!" Kel exclaimed.
"Well, somebody has to do it!" Tobe yelled in reply. Defiantly, he went right up to the bars and took a deep breath. "Here I go," he said, and with that, he turned his body sideways and inched between the bars.
"Ouch! What was that!" Tobe suddenly yelled.
"What is it!" Everybody yelled in unison.
"There seems to be a wall here, but I can't see one," he said.
"A wall!" Kel said, "But I thought you said the bars weren't magicked."
"They weren't!" Alanna exclaimed, "But I guess they are now."
"Foiled again by Atrella," Daine scowled.
* * * * *
Many corridors away, Myles and Neal were discussing the current situation with mounting anxiety.
"What do you mean?" the old man asked Neal curiously.
"The whole castle is swarming with dark green magic," Neal repeated, "I've seen it myself."
"And the king? What does he think about this?" Myles asked.
"He won't see anyone. This green makes me feel uneasy. I don't think it's the fog either." Neal finished, scowling.
"It's too bad we can't see Jon though," Myles said, "We really can't do anything without his permission. He must have locked everybody out to use the Dominion Jewel to fix the water. I wonder if he's almost done."
"I don't know," Neal said, "But it's a good thing he has that Jewel, or whole country, well, maybe not the whole country, but certainly the whole city is in mortal peril."
Myles sighed, "So Daine's not back yet?" he asked.
Neal shrugged. "I really don't know," he said, "She might be though. I'm going to go find Numair and talk to him. He'll know about Daine and perhaps he'll know what's going on around here."
Myles nodded. "You do that," he said. "I'm going to the Library to see if something like this has ever happened before. Maybe there'll be a clue to stopping this madness in the history books. I'll see you later then."
"Alright, I'll see you later," Neal said back.
They parted, and Neal wandered around the castle for a while, then finally he ended up in front of Daine and Numair's rooms. He knocked, but no one answered. "Numair!" he called, "Numair are you in there?" Still no one answered, so he tried the door. It was open, so he went in.
Neal couldn't find anyone inside either. "I wonder where he is?" he said absently to himself.
* * * * *
"Tell me!" Atrella's shrieks filled the room.
"NO!" Numair choked in pain.
"Don't make me hurt you more, Master Numair!" Atrella mocked, then she continued with malice, "I only want to know Tortall's weak spot!"
"It doesn't have one," Numair lied. "Why do you want to know anyway," he asked, "You already are the king."
Atrella smiled, "Yes," she said, "But that's not enough. I want to be the Queen. What good is it to rule this country if I'm stuck in that awful body. Besides," she said, stroking his face, "If you think ruling this country is all I'm after then you don't know me as well as you think you do."
"You're right, Atrella," Numair said, "I don't know you at all. You're nothing like you were all those years ago."
Her face darkened. "No, I'm not," she said, "Back then I was foolish and weak, but not now. Now I'm strong and I have a plan."
Numair raised his eyebrows as if to say, 'and that is...'
"Don't look at me like that Arram," she said, "I'm not as stupid as I was then, either. I'll tell you one thing though. All my plan needs is Tortall's weak spot. One that you are conveniently keeping from me."
"I told you, there isn't-" Numair started, but Atrella cut him off.
"All kingdoms have one!" she yelled, "You will tell me eventually Arram, even if I have to force it out of you with more than pain!" At this, she leaned close to him, and whispered in his ear, "I know about the girl, Arram. I know about your precious little shape shifter. Even if I don't know Tortall's weak spot, I do know yours." And with that, she clapped her hands and a puff of dark green magic and smoke filled the room.
*******************************************************************************
Hmmm, Atrella gone, and everyone else is still stuck in the dungeons. And now we know what Atrella's up to. Hopefully I can post more of the story this weekend.
Oh, and special thanks to Fire Mage6 and CrAzYhOrSeGiRl88 for reviewing our story so often. Where would we be without you?