Chapter 4 – Across to Tolbi
(Disclaimer: I do not own GS.
PG – hey hey, it's finally here!!
Ivan – been a bit of a long time, eh?
PG – yeah, well…I was sitting with the laptop, looking at my notebook. Thinking. Suddenly, the ideas for the rest of this chapter flowed!! I got so much written, im waaay into chapter 5!!
Ivan - *grabs notebook* Meanwhile, the story plan for GS4 is already written…*flicks through* let's see…
Pg - *grabs notebook* no reading my notebook until I actually reach that part!! I'm still on GS3 chapter 4!!
Ivan – meh. Thanx to all the reviewers, otherwise they might kill us.)
"What the hell is going on here?!" Ivan repeated his question, only this time- to Master Hammet's face. "What is the need of metal walls and guards at the gates who will not take a man's word?! Why have my friends and I been openly attacked in the streets?"
"You were attacked?" Hammet exclaimed. "I knew of the metal walls, and- and, the guards, but you were attacked?!"
"Eighteen men jumped on us on the high street," Ivan said snappily.
"Eighteen?!" Hammet repeated in disbelief.
"Eighteen," Ivan confirmed coolly, arms crossed across his chest.
Hammet turned to one of his other servants, and quickly told the boy something. The servant hurried off urgently. Hammet faced Ivan and friends again.
"You can stay for the night in the west wing of the palace. I am sending some of my finest troops to scout the city so you may leave unharmed tomorrow,"
***
The darkness consumed the length of the corridor, leaving an almost endless looking path, illuminated only by the faint moonlight through the windows at either end. The soft carpet smothered any sound, so when a door opened, no one would have heard it. Not that anyone was awake to hear it anyway. Isaac slipped quietly out of his room, and checked the hallway. It was clear.
I wasn't really expecting anyone to be there, but…better safe than sorry.
Isaac tiptoed across the corridor, and rapped gently on a door before pushing it gently open. There was a flurry of movement, and the sounds of a match striking a tinderbox. A small flame flared, lighting up the face of a young blue haired Mercury Adept. Mia lit one of the candles hanging from a bracket on the wall, and faced the one who had just entered; making sure that the tie on her blue dressing gown was secure, she smiled.
"Wow," Isaac breathed. "You look…beautiful…"
Mia laughed softly, a sound like the soft splash of a drop of water into a still pool.
"Why, thank you," She grinned flirtatiously.
Isaac closed the door behind him.
The birds started singing their early morning songs, soft and sweet. The corridor was lit up at last; several doors were visible. One opened inwards, and Isaac stepped out, and flitted across to his own door.
What people don't know can't hurt them.
***
The dock where Piers' ship was docked was only a mile or so away from Kalay. The group was off, flying across the Kragol before midday, thus reached Tolbi dock well before nightfall. The group tramped eagerly across land, hoping to find a room in Tolbi inn for the night.
"Tolbi should be over that hill," Piers informed, waving his hand north-west whilst looking at the map.
"I've never been to Tolbi before," Sheba said absent-mindedly.
"There's lots of shops!" Mia cried excitedly. "Clothes and trinkets and…and…"
"I stopped off in Tolbi a few years back while travelling with my parents," Bethany added. "The Colloso was on, and my dad couldn't resist watching the final…"
"I won the Colloso once!" Isaac pouted.
Bethany gave him a sceptical look.
"I did!!" Isaac crossed his arms across his chest, and frowned. But mere moments later he burst out laughing at the look he was getting from the group.
"I see Tolbi!!" Jenna called. "Weird flag hanging from the palace, though,"
Isaac, Garet, Ivan and Mia shared surprised looks with each other, and ran up beside Jenna. There was indeed a weird flag flapping in the breeze atop the palace. It was black, splattered messily with blue, and the rough, dark- red outline of the Ply fairy.
"Whaa…?" Garet muttered.
"That wasn't there before," Ivan stated.
The rest of the group crowded round the crest of the hill to get a better view. Only Bethany hung back.
"That's one of Alex's flags," She whispered.
The adepts in front of her swirled round and gaped.
"It was hanging from the gateposts of my village when it was burning. It is no flag of ours, and if it were, what would it be doing here? Alex set the village alight, therefore it is likely one of his,"
The adepts swirled back round to face Tolbi again.
"But what's it doing here then?" Felix wondered aloud.
"In the days of the warring domains, if a host took a town by force under its rule, then they would fly their flag for all to know that it was theirs," Kraden instructed. "It seems Alex has taken Tolbi under his rule, and flies his flag for all to know it has fallen,"
"There goes our chances of getting that book you wanted, Kraden," Isaac pointed out.
"Not entirely," Kraden gave Ivan, Bethany and Sheba a crafty look. "I have an idea,"
(PG – woot, there yas go!!
Ivan – lemme guess- five seconds after you post this up on ff.net, you'll have chapter 5 ready, eh?
PG – nah. Still gotta finish that off. Gotta write the chappy climax. Bwahahahaha...
Ivan – authors laughing manically is never a good sign… *gulp*
PG – bwahah. R&R, and stay tuned to find out what Kraden's idea is!!
Ivan – an idea from Kraden? That's never good….)