CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Rain Falls
Jacob limped down the stairs; he walked around the pool and came to the podium. The shard hovered over the podium, suspended by nothing but air and magic. It slowly rotated, gleaming in the blue light that shone from above.
Jacob reached out his hand and plucked the shard from the air. The blue light faded as Jacob pulled the shard to him.
He turned around and looked to the pool. It shone with a bright blue light. He then saw the movement underneath the water. He inched closer, and then saw it rose out of the water slowly. It was a woman.
Her smooth skin radiated and sparkled, wet with water. Her skin possessed a blue tint. Her short hair was a dark blue. Her lavender eyes opened and connected with Jacob's. Her body rose out of the water, she was nude, Jacob could see that her body was perfect, her skin was smooth and her curves were right.
She hovered over the water, her eyes traveled up and down Jacob's body.
"Welcome, Gatekeeper," her voice was soft and melodic, soothing to Jacob. "I am the Elemental of Water."
Jacob eased closer to the pool.
"You have obtained the shard of water, I grant my power to you." Before Jacob could speak a question, a symbol appeared on her forehead. It was three horizontal lines, stacked upon each other, each of which was wavy, clearly representing her element. It glowed a bright blue. She lifted her hands over her head, "You can call upon my element by speaking the words, rain falls." Her body vanished. Jacob looked down and saw the shard was gone from his hand. He looked to the Master Sword and saw the new piece was added to the length of the blade.
Jacob suddenly felt renewed; the pain that had plagued him was gone. His nose stopped bleeding and the gash that caused his limp was gone.
Jacob sheathed the Master Sword and looked around. The room had grown darker, the light emanating from the pool had faded.
Jacob took one last look at the podium where the shard had been, and then he turned and ran up the stairs and out of the room.
* * *
The three sat around the grotto, Derek had found a rope, left by the soldiers earlier. He had ready to throw down when Jacob needed it.
Unbeknownst to them that something approached, enveloped in darkness.
* * *
Jacob saw a rope dangling from the grotto entrance. He walked over to it and gave it a hard tug. The rope was secure. Jacob wrapped his hands around the rope and began to climb.
As he neared the exit, he could hear muffled cries, he rushed up the rope, his hands burning. His left hand left the rope and grabbed the edge of the hole; he lifted himself out and was ambushed.
Large callused hands grabbed the neck of Jacob and lifted him into the air. Jacob was a good two feet off the ground. He struggled to free himself, only making his attacker tighten its grip.
"Where is it?" A deep and menacing voice echoed in Jacob's head.
Jacob opened his eyes and looked straight into those burning red orbs, Jacob took a deep breath, "Wh-what are you talking about?"
The larger man shook Jacob violently. "Don't play dumb, where is the shard?"
"I-I don't have it." Jacob lied, trying to dissuade his attacker.
"You lie!" The attacker jerked Jacob towards him, his breath blew into Jacob's face, it was rancid.
"Dude, you have a serious breath problem." Jacob said, smiling. The larger man threw Jacob to the ground with a yell of frustration.
Jacob landed on his back, he cut his eyes over to his companions, they were still breathing, but unconscious. Jacob suddenly felt pressure on his chest. He looked and saw the large boot of the man on his chest.
The man reached down and pulled the Master Sword from Jacob. "Ah, here it is. I should kill you for lying to me."
Jacob struggled to breathe; the man's heavy leg was crushing his lungs. The larger man held the Master Sword close to him, then, he suddenly dropped it and screamed in pain. Jacob watched as the Master Sword landed next to him, then he turned and saw smoke lifted from the man's hand. The Master Sword had burned him.
Jacob reached out for the broken blade. The large man slammed his burnt hand on the sword hilt just out of Jacob's reach. It burned him again.
"Dammit!" He roared. Jacob pulled on the larger man's leg, when that did not work; he drew his hand back, and then unleashed a hellish punch to his knee, dropping the larger man to the ground. As Jacob got up from under the other's boot, he placed his hand on the hilt of the Master Sword, in one fluid motion; he was to his feet, the broken sword in his hand pointed at his attacker.
The larger man stood. "This isn't over, Hero of Time. I will have what I want. We'll meet again." A green light appeared over his body and with a brilliant flash, he was gone.
Jacob hesitated for a moment, and then ran over to Sarah, he cradled her in her arms, Derek had risen to his feet and was next to Anastriana.
Anastriana slowly opened her eyes; her body pained her, the energy blast from that... thing had shocked every muscle and nerve in her body. She looked up at Derek; she suddenly threw her arms around his neck. A single tear escaped and raced down her cheek.
* * *
The four stood side by side upon the isle. Having taken a rest, they were ready. Then Realization struck Derek.
"Uh, Jacob, where's the Chronoscepter?"
Jacob limped down the stairs; he walked around the pool and came to the podium. The shard hovered over the podium, suspended by nothing but air and magic. It slowly rotated, gleaming in the blue light that shone from above.
Jacob reached out his hand and plucked the shard from the air. The blue light faded as Jacob pulled the shard to him.
He turned around and looked to the pool. It shone with a bright blue light. He then saw the movement underneath the water. He inched closer, and then saw it rose out of the water slowly. It was a woman.
Her smooth skin radiated and sparkled, wet with water. Her skin possessed a blue tint. Her short hair was a dark blue. Her lavender eyes opened and connected with Jacob's. Her body rose out of the water, she was nude, Jacob could see that her body was perfect, her skin was smooth and her curves were right.
She hovered over the water, her eyes traveled up and down Jacob's body.
"Welcome, Gatekeeper," her voice was soft and melodic, soothing to Jacob. "I am the Elemental of Water."
Jacob eased closer to the pool.
"You have obtained the shard of water, I grant my power to you." Before Jacob could speak a question, a symbol appeared on her forehead. It was three horizontal lines, stacked upon each other, each of which was wavy, clearly representing her element. It glowed a bright blue. She lifted her hands over her head, "You can call upon my element by speaking the words, rain falls." Her body vanished. Jacob looked down and saw the shard was gone from his hand. He looked to the Master Sword and saw the new piece was added to the length of the blade.
Jacob suddenly felt renewed; the pain that had plagued him was gone. His nose stopped bleeding and the gash that caused his limp was gone.
Jacob sheathed the Master Sword and looked around. The room had grown darker, the light emanating from the pool had faded.
Jacob took one last look at the podium where the shard had been, and then he turned and ran up the stairs and out of the room.
* * *
The three sat around the grotto, Derek had found a rope, left by the soldiers earlier. He had ready to throw down when Jacob needed it.
Unbeknownst to them that something approached, enveloped in darkness.
* * *
Jacob saw a rope dangling from the grotto entrance. He walked over to it and gave it a hard tug. The rope was secure. Jacob wrapped his hands around the rope and began to climb.
As he neared the exit, he could hear muffled cries, he rushed up the rope, his hands burning. His left hand left the rope and grabbed the edge of the hole; he lifted himself out and was ambushed.
Large callused hands grabbed the neck of Jacob and lifted him into the air. Jacob was a good two feet off the ground. He struggled to free himself, only making his attacker tighten its grip.
"Where is it?" A deep and menacing voice echoed in Jacob's head.
Jacob opened his eyes and looked straight into those burning red orbs, Jacob took a deep breath, "Wh-what are you talking about?"
The larger man shook Jacob violently. "Don't play dumb, where is the shard?"
"I-I don't have it." Jacob lied, trying to dissuade his attacker.
"You lie!" The attacker jerked Jacob towards him, his breath blew into Jacob's face, it was rancid.
"Dude, you have a serious breath problem." Jacob said, smiling. The larger man threw Jacob to the ground with a yell of frustration.
Jacob landed on his back, he cut his eyes over to his companions, they were still breathing, but unconscious. Jacob suddenly felt pressure on his chest. He looked and saw the large boot of the man on his chest.
The man reached down and pulled the Master Sword from Jacob. "Ah, here it is. I should kill you for lying to me."
Jacob struggled to breathe; the man's heavy leg was crushing his lungs. The larger man held the Master Sword close to him, then, he suddenly dropped it and screamed in pain. Jacob watched as the Master Sword landed next to him, then he turned and saw smoke lifted from the man's hand. The Master Sword had burned him.
Jacob reached out for the broken blade. The large man slammed his burnt hand on the sword hilt just out of Jacob's reach. It burned him again.
"Dammit!" He roared. Jacob pulled on the larger man's leg, when that did not work; he drew his hand back, and then unleashed a hellish punch to his knee, dropping the larger man to the ground. As Jacob got up from under the other's boot, he placed his hand on the hilt of the Master Sword, in one fluid motion; he was to his feet, the broken sword in his hand pointed at his attacker.
The larger man stood. "This isn't over, Hero of Time. I will have what I want. We'll meet again." A green light appeared over his body and with a brilliant flash, he was gone.
Jacob hesitated for a moment, and then ran over to Sarah, he cradled her in her arms, Derek had risen to his feet and was next to Anastriana.
Anastriana slowly opened her eyes; her body pained her, the energy blast from that... thing had shocked every muscle and nerve in her body. She looked up at Derek; she suddenly threw her arms around his neck. A single tear escaped and raced down her cheek.
* * *
The four stood side by side upon the isle. Having taken a rest, they were ready. Then Realization struck Derek.
"Uh, Jacob, where's the Chronoscepter?"