Hitomi and Kotori had met the knights again on the castle wall, and declined the offer of riding out with them, as they watched them mount their unicorns, taking their staff, and ready to ride out.
Hitomi stared out after them as did Kotori, as the knights rode out the castle gates, she broke out into a song, thinking it had been only too long since she last sung for them, though Kotori occasionally joined in:
(Hitomi)
As you go through life you'll see, there is so much that we,
Don't understand
And the only thing we know is things don't always go,
The way we planned
But you'll see everyday that we'll never turn away,
When it seems all your dreams come undone.
We will stand by your side with hope until we thrive,
We are more than we are,
We are One,
(Both girls)
Hum, yun ay, Hum yun ay, We are One
Kotori looked up at the sky, clutching her hands into fist, as she sung, her voice being like magic was strangely very much like Hitomi, though Hitomi tune was smoother.
(Kotori)
If there's so much I must be can I still just be me,
The way I am,
Can I trust in my own heart or am I just one part,
Of some great plan
The knights turned slightly looking back at the castle surprised to hear Kotori sing, though she did not see them, as she had her eyes closed whilst sung with all her heart.
(Hitomi)
Even those who are gone are with us as we go on,
Your journey has only begun,
Tis of pain,
Tis of joy something nothing can destroy,
You'll will find where we are,
We are One
(Both girls)
Hum, yun ay, Hum yun ay, We are One
(Hitomi)
We are one you and I,
We are like the earth and sky.
One family undersun.
All the wisdom to lead, all the courage that you'll need
You will find when we are,
We are One…
The knights smiled as the two girls finished their song, they really liked to sing especially Hitomi, and Kotori they were astounded to hear her sing, thinking it was something she just would not do as they neared the forest.
Hitomi leaned against the castle wall; her arms crossed against her chest and was staring after the knights with concern and worry clearly showing in her eyes.
Kotori on the other hand was sat on the wall and was clinging on to the side as she looked like she was about to fall off if she moved so much as an inch but still watched them go.
Hitomi was about to go seeing them about to enter the forest when she heard a loud, awful bone chilling war cry, she whipped her head round to see what it was as several more gummi came racing up beside them.
What they saw was something most unexpected, a wizard. As they gazed at him, Hitomi and Kotori could see he looked old and wrinkly and was leaning on his staff, his long white beard dragging on the floor along with his rich blood red robe, his cool blue eyes darted at the castle with an evil smile plastered on his face.
You could see by looking at this wizard that he had no heart, and was a cold-blooded killer, as his face held no emotions.
From the castle wall of Gummadoon the gummi's residents shuddered as they could feel his eyes on them as he scanned them each in turn, but he didn't see Hitomi or Kotori as they had disappeared from the moment they saw him as an army began to perform around the wizard.
Before the gummi's could do anything the wizard picked up his staff as a white, silver light engulfed him, his army and the knights, next thing they knew was they'd vanished.
Hitomi and Kotori looked extremely puzzled from the window of their hiding place in the far tower when they left it in search for Councillors.
They found two Councillors by the catapults as they confronted them hoping they could answer there question.
Councillor Wooddale turned to look at the two girls and as if reading their minds she knew immediately what their question was as she ordered them to follow her into the Councillor's Tower where they could discuss in private.
"Who was that wizard," asked Kotori.
"His name is unknown to us, but there has been rumour's that he lives deep within this forest where he conducts his terrible experiments whether he lives there still we don't know" said Councillor Wooddale.
"What must we do?" asked Hitomi.
"Were not sure" replied Wooddale.
"But how will we get the others back?" asked Kotori.
"We don't know (pause) if only we knew what his weakness was" said Wooddale.
Hitomi stood there obviously in deep thought as she put her chin in her hands and stared down at the floor, a moment later she then looked up and said
"Wooddale, does this wizard have his army in his lair" asked Hitomi out of curiosity.
"Almost certainly, why?" asked Wooddale
"Because if he does, he probably almost certainly going to be celebrating, isn't he" said Hitomi.
"Not necessarily" said Wooddale.
"Well, if he does, just leave them to us" said Hitomi assuring her as she left the tower with Kotori at her heels asking about a million questions at a time.
The two walked into Hitomi's room and Hitomi grabbed her bag and threw it onto the bed then walked over to the wardrobe.
"Excuse me," said Kotori slouching down onto the bed "But what if your plan doesn't work".
"Were doomed," said Hitomi.
"Oh, well that's just great, just so encouraging," said Kotori sarcastically.
"Isn't it just, but you don't mind," said Hitomi walking back to the bed and receiving a glare from Kotori as she stuffed a pile of clothes into the bag.
Once she had finished stuffing the clothes into the bag, and taken her sword out the two then set off to the forest lair where the wizard lurked.
The two walked out the room and crossed the grounds, down several paths before they eventually reached the gates of Gummadoon as they slipped out soundlessly and made sure that no one saw them. As soon as they were out of sight from the castle they broke into a run and occasionally Sommer Solted about the place to try and increase their pace, as they feared what may become of their friends.
***
Deep within the forest, as rumours said which were indeed true lurked a huge lair, the entrance was made of rock and was well crafted into a form of a dragons mouth, it razing sharp edges like teeth threatened to come pounding down on you if you dared enter as you can see a dim light, and a trail of smoke coming from within. As you listen carefully you could hear the cries of the prisons being tortured under the wizards guards, this is said where the wizard makes his home.
But still, deep within the lair sits the wizard on his golden throne, with his golden staff and a giant size, red stone in a shape of a ruby placed firmly on the top, as he held it tightly in his hand as if afraid to let it go.
The wizard was celebrating his victory, his men seemed to be half-drunk and very merry but he didn't care.
The only thing he cared about was getting those secrets from those gummies, even if they were on the brink of death it didn't matter to him if they died as long as he got their secrets.
***
Hitomi and Kotori had long since arrived near the lair's entrance and feared the absolute worst that they may be too late for their friends as they could the cries of pain and torture from within the cave.
The two had immediately got changed from the clothes that Hitomi had put in her bag; once they'd changed Kotori came out from the bushes not at all impressed and happy about the situation when she said
"I feel so stupid," she said.
"You're fine," said Hitomi.
Kotori wore a short red dress that came down to her mid-thighs, she had short sleeves, a veil to cover her face all except her eyes, and a golden belt round her waist that had shining golden bells dangling, with every movement that she made the bells would jingle.
Hitomi too dressed similar to this except that her dress was purple and had no sleeves leaving her arms completely bare.
The two girls had let their hair down loose as it blew freely and danced with the slight breeze that passed by, as they made their way over to entrance of the lair.
As they neared it Kotori said
"I must be crazy in wearing this (pointing at the belt that had bells dangling round it)," she said as stepped forward and the bells jingled "See".
"Oh, well just put up with it for now, and then once we freed the others you can take it off," said Hitomi as the came in sight of the lair's entrance.
The two easily surpassed the guards as they dared make their way deeper into the cave.
They hadn't gone far when they could hear the sound of music and drunken speech in the air, they knew they were in for deep trouble but still they went on. As they neared the party, they sighed a huge relief when they saw other dancers dancing around and dancing on tabletops.
Hitomi and Kotori began to quickly scan round the room before joining in with the crowd to blend in as not to get to noticed that they had just arrived from outside.
As the two began to dance gracefully, they thought they were going to puke when they saw some dancers kissing the men to which they thought were hideous. After a moment or two of dancing the two noticed that they drew much attention due to their style of dancing which was spinning, twirling, belly dancing and back flips.
Hitomi and Kotori were still dancing wildly but all the while were looking out to which guard had the keys to the dungeons when Hitomi spotted him she signalled so fast that nobody noticed except for Kotori.
The two began to make there way over to one of the guards they had targeted; he was tall and had a strong build, a grave face with an ugly scar across his left eye and down his cheek. He had a long bushy beard like grizzly Adam's and long brown greasy scruffed up hair that reached his shoulder as he gazed in wonderment at these two dancers that came towards him.
Hitomi and Kotori began to circle and dance round the guard, receiving jealous glares from all the others men but they ignored it as they focused on their task to get the keys.
They had noticed him drink a lot but he wasn't drunk, if anything himself and the wizard were the only one's sober enough to notice if something was to go wrong.
Hitomi slipped away from the dance as she went off into a corner and pulled out a small bag containing a drug as she grabbed a metal cup pint off the table and filled it with beer. Once it was full she then spiked the drink and poured another pint of beer for herself as she made her way over to where Kotori was dancing in front of the man, keeping him entertained. Hitomi then handed the man the beer, which he gladly accepted as she took a sip from hers while he drowned it down. She then put her pint down and joined in the performance of dancing again, as they danced they could see that the man was starting to become drowsy and very merry as they once again circled around him.
As they did this Hitomi moved so fast and grabbed the dungeon keys and placed it with some other old keys that the other men thought they must have imagined it as the two girls then left him alone just as the song finished.
Hitomi and Kotori quickly disappeared down the corridor, when the song finished and luckily they weren't seen as they continued to run down the corridors turning several corner, and through many doors, all the while holding their belts as to not make it jingle and give themselves away.
End of Part III
Part IV coming soon!
Please, you've just got to tell me what you think?