FORTY-THREE

Don Corneo's mansion was just as tacky as I remembered it, but at least this time I didn't have to worry about his goons coming after me. I stood in the main room on the first floor with Kunsel, Biggs, Wedge, and Lena and looked around for a moment.

The place was in disarray, no doubt from Shinra troops ransacking everything as they searched for Corneo. The reception desk on our left had been emptied and overturned, its drawers pulled out, and some of the large painted jars in the corner were broken, shattered pieces lying all over the floor. There were bullet holes in the walls, too. Looked like Corneo's men had put up a bit of a fight.

"What a mess…" Lena grimaced, taking it all in.

Biggs nodded. "You're not kidding. Looks like a damn war zone in here. Shinra came down hard on these assholes."

I didn't doubt it. "The bastards deserved it, believe me."

"Should we look upstairs?" Wedge asked.

"Yeah," I said. "That's where Corneo's office is."

It had been a little over a week now since I'd snuck into the Shinra Building and stolen my new gear. I'd spent the days since then doing as much as I could to get ready for the tournament. Therapy sessions with Madam M to finish rebuilding my strength and keep my muscles loose and limber followed by afternoons full of exercising and training at the gym with Jules. And then a few hours at night in the simulator to hone my fighting skills and keep them sharp. Alone at first, but once Kunsel had healed, he'd started going in with me.

Tomorrow was the big day, and talk of it was all over town. And I'd started getting noticed more myself whenever I was out and about, too. More than few wondering looks and curious stares lately, especially if I was wearing my phoenix gear like I was now. My outfit was great, and I already felt right at home in it. There'd been no traps or other surprises from Scarlet, either—I'd checked it out pretty thoroughly while Andrea and I had been modifying it with Madam M the night that I got it, and it was clean as a whistle, just as I'd expected.

Aside from Kunsel, who'd been through this before during my time as a famous actress on the plate, the others were still trying to adjust to me getting so much attention. They got some too for being my friends, of course, and it was funny to see how awkward Biggs and Wedge were about it all. They definitely weren't used to the fame. But Lena loved it, and she took every chance she got to ham it up, both with me and also on her own. As for Marissa, she was content to stay in the background and let the rest of us have all the attention.

There'd also been some women, from girls Lydia's age to ladies who were old enough to be my grandmother, who had come up to me here and there to ask me if I really was Firebrand and thank me for standing up to Corneo. And I always took the time to talk with them whenever I could, listening to their stories and encouraging them. It helped me see just how important today's mission really was.

Word of it had spread all across town like wildfire over the last few days, and I knew that Lydia and a lot of other people out there were all hoping and praying that I'd succeed and bring back their missing loved ones. And I wasn't gonna let them down.

My eyes alert, I led my friends upstairs. It was quiet in here for the most part aside from the soft sounds of our breathing and footsteps as we passed the first set of doors and approached the second one, which stood wide open. I held up a hand when I heard a soft rustling coming from Corneo's bedroom, but just as I was about to head inside to check it out, I glanced sharply to my left when I picked up a faint yell coming from somewhere behind the third set of doors.

"You hear that?" I asked the others.

Wedge blinked and shook his head. "Nope. Nothing, Jessie. Except us, of course. And, uh… my stomach."

"Me either," Lena agreed.

"Same," Biggs added, scratching his head.

Kunsel straightened at once, though, his eyes finding mine. "I hear it, Jessie. Sounds like there's someone behind that last set of doors. He's yelling for help. Seems pretty pissed, too."

Wedge smiled at us. "You've got great ears, guys."

"It's the mako," Kunsel explained, to me as well as to the others. "It sharpens your senses. That's part of why it's so hard to take a SOLDIER by surprise. That guy in there's farther in than it sounds. He's probably one of Corneo's goons, too, but… we should go in there and help him. If we can get him to talk, he might be able to tell us about those cells in the sewers and show us where they are."

I had to agree, and now I understood why my hearing had been so much better since I'd first woken up at Aerith's house. And all my other senses, too. I hadn't noticed it at first, but like with the glow in my eyes, they'd grown stronger over time, and lately I'd started to realize I could hear and smell things that others couldn't, see stuff clearly from farther away and even in the dark sometimes, and that the flavors and tastes of my food and drinks were richer and stronger. All my senses were more acute now, just like Kunsel had said.

He and I led the others past Corneo's office to the last set of doors, and as we opened them, I realized there were actually two guys locked away in here. The second one sounded muffled, as if he had something in his mouth, and I wondered what it could mean. There wasn't anyone in the small waiting room, but a set of stairs in the back led downward, probably to a basement of some kind.

Lena's eyes widened when we crossed the room. "I hear it now, too! It's coming from the basement!"

"You and Kunsel really are something," Wedge told us.

"Damn, they were right!" Biggs agreed.

I smirked. "Told ya! Now let's go downstairs and see if we can't get a few answers from whoever's in there."

"Lead the way," he said.

With Kunsel beside me, I did just that, heading carefully down the steps with a hand on the hilt of one of my blaze talons where it hung in its holster against my thigh. It got darker the further we went from the top, and I realized that the Shinra soldiers must've switched off half the lights in the cellar when they left. I could still see well enough, though, thanks to the mako enhancing my eyesight.

Of course, there was also a downside to how sharp my senses had become. The smell here was terrible. It bit at my nose with a vengeance and made it curl up right away, and I was willing to bet it was stronger for me and Kunsel than for the others. The small, wry smile he flashed me when he noticed my disgust told me he understood, and I gave him a grateful one in return as we went on.

"Guess it kinda goes both ways, doesn't it?" I asked.

"Unfortunately," he nodded.

When we got to the bottom a moment later and saw who was here, I frowned and folded my arms in front of me. Kotch, the dark-skinned guy with a pale blond mohawk, was tied to a torture rack in the middle of the room, and his pal Scotch was bound up in one corner with a gag in his mouth. I remembered them all too well. They were Corneo's top thugs, and if anyone would know where the cells in the sewers were, it would be them. And at that thought, I had an idea.

Kotch saw me first. "You mother—I mean, uh… Hey! It's you! The girl that busted outta here a few years ago! Would you mind helping us out? We're in a bit of a bind here, ya know."

"That depends," I answered, narrowing my eyes.

"I never told anyone who you really were, I swear!" Kotch pleaded. "Not even the boss. Kept it secret like you wanted!"

Kunsel glanced at me. "He knows?"

"Just about LOVELESS," I answered. "He recognized me from one of the flyers. So I made him promise not to tell anyone he'd seen me or I'd come right back here and kick his ass."

"Yeah, that's just how it went down!" Kotch added.

Biggs put his hands on his hips. "Do you believe him, Jessie? Think he really did keep his mouth shut about ya?"

I did, actually. "Yeah, Biggs. If he'd blabbed about me to Corneo, I'd have gotten a little surprise visit from a squad of Shinra troops after I'd left town. They'd have shown up in Sector 7 long before the pillar came down. So I do believe him. He's telling the truth."

"Thanks," Kotch sighed in relief. "So you'll lemme out?"

"Not so fast," I told him.

He blinked. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"Kunsel, take the gag out of Scotch's mouth," I told him. "I've got a little proposition for the two of them."

"Name your price," Scotch said when he could talk.

I glared at him. "Those cells in the sewers. Corneo locking some of his brides down there's more than just a rumor, isn't it? And I'm willing to bet you two were involved in all that."

"Yeah, the Don would have us take some of the girls down there if he didn't feed 'em to Abzu," Scotch went on. "He's got another bedroom near them so he wouldn't have to bring 'em back up here. Me an' Kotch would make sure the girls were always fed and ready for him, too. The rest of the guys didn't know. It was our secret."

"You're here to save 'em, aren'tcha?" Kotch stared at me.

I nodded. "That's right. And if you two don't wanna be left here to rot, you'll show us where those cells are."

He gulped. "Yeah, yeah, we can do that! Right, bro?"

"Anything to get outta here!" Scotch agreed.

"Alright, then," I said, nodding to Kunsel. As he, Biggs, and Wedge untied Kotch and Scotch, I continued. "But we'll be watching you guys. So don't do anything you shouldn't. Got it?"

Kotch gave me such an enthusiastic thumbs up when he got off the rack and stood up that he looked like a hitchhiker with the runs. "Sure! I-I don't wanna cause ya any trouble, miss."

I smirked. "Good. Because I've still got those grenades."

"Yes, ma'am," he swallowed nervously when he saw me patting my belt pouch. "And thanks. Those jerks from Shinra just showed up from outta nowhere! Accused us of leaking classified information and called us useless. Then they threw us in here."

"Goddamn assholes…" Scotch muttered.

Kunsel drew his sword but kept it low for now. "You help us, and it hurts Shinra. Think of it that way, guys."

Scotch brushed off his green shirt. "Not bad. I'm in."

"And when we're done, you'll go to the Trio," I told them. "They're the ones in charge now. But if you lead us to those women and help us get them out, we'll make sure the Trio knows you did your part. Call it a chance to make up for some of what you did under Corneo. You guys put these women away. Now you can help free them."

"Yeah, we'll do what we can," Kotch agreed. "You oughta know that the boss had a key to open the cells. Never let us keep it, though. But if he had a copy, it'd be in his office somewhere."

Scotch rubbed at a bruise on his face. "Sure, what the hell? Long as I don't run into that girl with the chair again. The prison cells aren't too far away, but the sewer tunnels twist and turn a lot, so it's pretty easy to get lost if you don't know where you're going."

"Oh, you mean Aerith?" I quipped.

"What!?" he gulped, his eyes wide. "You know her?"

I pointed up the stairs, and Scotch got moving in a hurry. "Oh, you bet. She's my friend. And if you don't wanna get reacquainted with her and her folding chair, then you'd better be damn sure to do what we tell you and not set one foot outta line. Clear?"

He didn't hesitate. "As crystal, miss. I promise!"

We headed back out into the upstairs hall, making sure that Kotch and Scotch stayed where we could see them. I didn't really think they'd try anything, but I wasn't taking any chances, either. We were all armed for the mission—I had my blaze talons, Kunsel carried his sword, Lena was packing two handguns including the one I'd modded for her when we'd first met, and Biggs and Wedge still had their old weapons. So as I led everyone into Don Corneo's office, I figured we were as ready to go down into the sewers as we'd ever be.

That rustling sound was still there, and when we went through the curtain in the back and into Corneo's bedroom, we found the source. It was Leslie, sifting through drawers and papers, and he looked up when we came in, his demeanor as cool and calm as ever with his short silver hair, black cap, and matching leather jacket.

"Long time no see," he told me. "Heard you'd come back, Jessie. Or should I call you Firebrand? The legend returns."

"Either one's good," I winked.

Leslie nodded. "Fair enough. So why are you here?"

I pointed at the open trapdoor that led down to the sewers. "Those women Corneo put down there. We're gonna find them and save them. They've been locked away for long enough."

"Then you'll be needing this," he told me, holding up a small silver key. "I found it in the Don's desk. But I couldn't tell you where the cells are. Been searching for notes, a map, anything that has the location. No luck so far, though. What about you?"

I pointed at Kotch and Scotch. "Got us a little help, actually. These two are gonna take us to the cells."

"Good work," Leslie told me. "Mind if I tag along?"

"Why?" Kunsel asked.

He glanced at him. "Unfinished business. Don't worry, though. I'm not gonna get in your way. I'm looking for the Don."

"I thought he left," I blinked.

Leslie shook his head. "Might be hiding down in the sewers. Odds are, he's not far from those women you're looking for. To be honest, I'm trying to find them, too. One of them, anyway."

I thought I understood. "She's really important to you."

"Yeah," he answered. "So, what's it gonna be, Firebrand? I can go it alone if I have to. But we'll have better odds if we work together. As for the key, I'll give it to you once we get there."

I thought I understood where he was coming from, at least a little. He didn't wanna give up his only chance of finding that woman he was looking for, which was why he was holding onto the key. I remembered how he'd helped me escape the last time I was here, so I knew he meant well and would help out however he could. We needed him as much as he needed us. And besides, I owed him one.

"Welcome aboard," I nodded.

That settled, I took a closer look at the trapdoor. An iron ladder set into one wall of the hole led down into the sewers, and my nose curled at the odor coming up from the place. Kunsel knelt beside me as Kotch went first, followed by Biggs and Wedge. As the others went down after them, I lifted my head for a moment when I heard faint footsteps back in the upstairs hall. A look at Kunsel told me he'd caught it, too, and he was as unsurprised about it as I was.

"Looks like our shadow's still with us," I whispered.

"Yeah," he said. "I hear it."

He and I had both noticed that we'd been followed here to Corneo's mansion. Although whoever it was had taken care to keep out of sight, we'd both heard him—or her, as I suspected—and had decided to keep going and let our mysterious pursuer reveal herself in her own time. If my hunch was right, it wouldn't be much longer. As I kept talking with Kunsel, we kept our voices low so we wouldn't be overheard. Our little shadow probably wasn't too far away.

I glanced over my shoulder. "This could complicate things."

"No doubt," Kunsel agreed. "Think she'll follow us into the sewers, Jessie? It's pretty dangerous down there."

"She's come this far, she won't stop now," I said.

He smirked. "Stubborn as her hero."

I laughed softly. "Yeah, guess I did kinda rub off on her a bit. Never thought she'd take this step, though. But I do understand why. Anyway, I'll handle it. Just let her keep tailing us for now."

"Got it," Kunsel agreed.

Then he climbed down the ladder. I followed him, making sure the trapdoor was still open above me. The others were all waiting for me in the large chamber at the bottom where Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa must've fought Abzu. The stone brick walls were slick with moisture, the sound of trickling water echoing throughout the area. Channels of it lined the walls, and more splashed into them from out of rusted grates on either side as a narrow tunnel led off into the dimness.

Seeing it all made me remember that long, dangerous journey Tifa and I'd had to take through this smelly maze over a year and a half ago. We'd been alone back then, me and her, and I'd barely made it out alive. Things were pretty different now, of course, and there were more of us this time, but I still couldn't help shivering a bit at the thought of being back. I just hoped my luck would be somewhat better this time. I knew what to look for, at least, and that would help.

Wedge gaped at the bulk of Abzu's dead body lying nearby. "Whoa! That thing's huge! Cloud really brought it down?"

"Him, Aerith, and Tifa," I nodded.

"Wow!" Lena whistled. "Looks like you did some nice damage too, Jessie. Back when you were here. Check it out!"

I did, seeing the blackened stretches of skin along Abzu's right side and arm. The thing was huge and very dead, and I knew it wouldn't be very long before some scissorclaws or other scavengers had themselves a nice big picnic. Kotch and Scotch wisely kept their mouths shut at the sight of their former boss' pet lying beaten and broken. Must've taken a hell of a fight to bring that monster down, but Cloud and the girls had seriously kicked its ass that day. I smirked and gave Lena a thumbs up, then thought of our quiet pursuer again.

"She still following us?" Biggs asked, keeping his voice low.

"Yeah," I whispered. "She'll show herself soon."

He'd heard our little shadow on the way to the mansion as well, but Wedge and Lena hadn't caught on yet. Like me and Kunsel, Biggs had a pretty good idea of who it was. I figured it would be best to keep it just between the three of us for now. Like I'd told him, it probably wouldn't be much longer before she made her move.

Biggs walked alongside me as we all got moving. "You sure, Jessie? She might just follow us the whole way."

"Positive," I told him. "It's a maze down here, and staying with us is her best chance of getting out again once we find those women. I think she just wants to help, Biggs. So we'll let her."

"May come to a fight if there are guards," he said.

I knew it would. "Let me worry about that. And her. Just make sure Kotch and Scotch do what they're supposed to do. There's enough of us here that I'm sure they will, but I wanna be ready. If anything comes at us, we've gotta keep them in one piece."

Biggs nodded. "No problem. They're the only ones that know how to get to the cells. And back out again."

"Exactly," I agreed. "And we gotta look after Leslie, too."

He gave me a thumbs up. "Him and the key."

I winked. "Nailed it in one."

Then we all headed into the tunnels. I went first, my eyes and ears alert and my hands staying near the hilts of my blaze talons. Kotch was just a step behind me, pointing the way whenever we came to a split in the tunnel and sometimes checking with Scotch, who came next along with Kunsel. He kept a watchful eye on both of Corneo's lackeys, sword still very much in hand. And they knew it. Wedge and Lena were in the middle while Biggs and Leslie brought up the rear. And somewhere in the tunnels behind us was our shadow.

After a few minutes, we came to another room. Not quite as big as the one we'd started in, but sizable enough. Another tunnel led away on the far side, but what got my attention right away and made me stop in my tracks was the large pool of murky water on our right. Just the kind of place that a pack of sahagins would hide in. And sure enough, I saw the telltale ripples swirling across the surface. That meant they were in there, moving quietly somewhere underwater.

I'd noticed the same thing the last time I'd been down here and had learned the hard and painful way what it meant. I'd have been drowned by the sahagins that day if Tifa hadn't saved me. I hadn't known it then, but those monsters like to ambush their prey and take it by surprise, as they'd done to me when they'd suddenly grabbed me from behind and pulled me underwater. But that wasn't their only trick. Sahagins could also jump right outta their pools to attack anyone nearby, just as they'd struck at me and Tifa after she'd gotten me out.

Although I doubted they'd go after a large group like ours, I wasn't gonna take any chances, either. And as the others stopped to see what I was looking at, I worried about our shadow. I didn't think she was very far behind us now, but she'd done a pretty good job so far of hiding and keeping quiet. She wouldn't be able to fool the sahagins, though. Their smell and hearing were much better than ours. And she was alone, too. That made her easy pickings for them. As I thought about that, I knew exactly what I had to do to save her.

"Kunsel," I whispered. "We're not alone in here…"

He gazed at the pool. "Company?"

I nodded. "Sahagins. Underwater. Tifa and I ran into some the last time we were down here. I doubt they'll attack us—we're a pretty large group—but our shadow's another story."

"Right," Kunsel agreed. "They'll go after her the minute she comes in here. And she won't stand a chance."

"Which is why I'm gonna lure 'em out myself," I explained.

He understood right away. "Bait. I get it, Jessie. We'll head into the next tunnel, just a short way in, and wait for you. Then, once the attack starts, we'll rush back here and take 'em by surprise."

"Exactly," I told him.

"Be careful," Kunsel urged me. "You ready?"

My eyes narrowed. "As I'll ever be, Kunsel. I'm not gonna let those damn things hurt her like they did me."

He laid a hand on my shoulder. "I know. Good luck."

"Thanks," I smiled. "Watch my back."

"Always," he promised.

Then he got moving, leading the others into the next tunnel while I stayed behind. I waved encouragingly at Biggs and Wedge, who didn't hide their confusion. Lena moved to join me, but I waved her off right away. The sahagins would be more likely to try and spring their trap if I was alone than if she was with me. They were predators and preferred to take down solitary prey when they could. I'd done some research on them after my last encounter so I'd be better prepared in case I ever ran into them again. And it was about to pay off.

Lena blinked. "You sure?"

"Yeah," I told her. "I'll be fine, Lena. Go on with the others. I won't be long. Help Kunsel watch our guests."

"Will do, Jessie," she said, giving me a thumbs up.

Then she rejoined the others and went with them into the tunnel. I stayed where I was for a moment, giving Kunsel a minute or two to get everyone into position and explain what to do. The others hadn't heard my quiet conversation with him a moment ago, so they didn't know yet what was going on. But that was gonna change soon enough. They'd be back in a matter of seconds once the sahagins took the bait. Then we'd counter their ambush with one of our own.

A moment later, I heard soft footsteps moving quietly through the other tunnel, the one we had come in here from, and I crouched by the edge of the pool, my eyes on the water and my hands hovering over my weapons. As I watched, the ripples grew faster and faster, and I thought I saw dark shapes rising toward the surface. I tensed my muscles, ready to move, my body a coiled spring. And right on cue, the sahagins came for me, half a dozen of them suddenly bursting out of the water with a loud splash that echoed all through the tunnels.

They were ugly brutes like turtles on two legs, their tridents sharp, glistening, and very familiar. I'd been on the pointy end of them before, and I remembered all too well how painful that had been. But it wasn't me that I was worried about now. Just as I'd expected, I heard a familiar voice calling out to me at the same time.

"Firebrand!" Lydia yelled.

I dove into a sideways roll, drawing my weapons and igniting them in a single fluid motion. The yellowish-orange energy blades sprang to life in an instant, and I sliced at the nearest sahagin just as I got back to my feet. It fell with a gurgling croak, its legs cut out from under it, and I quickly moved on to the next one, determined to keep their attention on me and away from Lydia as much as I could. As I fought, I caught a quick glimpse of her standing at the tunnel entrance, shrinking back as two of the sahagins turned toward her.

I hit my left glove switch and launched myself at them with a burst of speed, blaze talons a blur as I cut and spun again and again, swatting their tridents aside. I ignored the other three as I focused on protecting Lydia, knowing Kunsel was on his way. Sure enough, he was there only a second later, blasting a sahagin with a shot of ice magic and following it up with several slashes from his sword. The others were right behind him, Biggs pummeling another sahagin with a quick flurry of punches to its chest followed by a strong uppercut to its jaw.

"Bam!" Lena grinned as she pumped bullets into the third sahagin, hitting it right between the eyes. "Headshot!"

"Don't get cocky!" Wedge warned.

He fired a blast of flame from his big rifle to help Kunsel finish off his target while Leslie, Kotch, and Scotch all hung back near the tunnel entrance and stayed outta the fighting, which was what I'd expected. So I kept my attention on the battle, cutting down one of the sahagins that had been advancing on Lydia. But just as it fell and I turned to take on the other one, six more suddenly jumped outta the pool. And I also felt myself slow down as my acceleration wore off. Not good. But there was no way I was gonna let those things hurt her.

Half the new arrivals went after Kunsel and the others, but the rest brandished their tridents and charged toward us. Focusing on my Fire materia, I scorched one of them with a blazing column of flame before slicing at another and driving it back a few steps. But then I swore as I heard Lydia shriek behind me and saw the third sahagin leap high into the air with its trident pointed right at her. Switching off my weapons, I ran full out and jumped, catching her in my arms and rolling away just as the sahagin came down behind us.

"You okay!?" I asked.

"Yeah, thanks to you," Lydia replied, still holding onto me. "Guess I got in a bit over my head this time, huh?"

I quickly helped her to her feet. "No worries. Just stay back."

"Sure," she agreed.

Readying my weapons again, I rushed back into the fray, spinning and slashing like a dervish as the others fought around me. I slammed a trident aside and stabbed both blaze talons into the sahagin's chest in a quick double thrust, then kicked it off and went after another. But the monster was faster, catching me across the side of my shoulder with its trident. I winced in pain, and while the suit absorbed most of the blow, my arm still stung a bit. Wasn't serious, though.

The sahagin swiped at me again before I could get my weapons up to block, but its blow abruptly stalled when Lydia suddenly grabbed its muscled upper arm from behind and pulled on it as hard as she could. So much for staying back. She didn't really know how to fight, though, and with a croaking snarl, the sahagin threw her off before I could stop it. Lydia went flying backward halfway across the room with a startled shout and landed in the pool with a splash.

My eyes widened. "Lydia!"

Quickly taking down the sahagin with a pair of spinning kicks and a low backhand slice, I dropped my weapons and rushed to the edge of the pool, memories of those monsters trying to drown me flooding my mind. Lydia was okay and already swimming toward me, but the water was deep, and there were more dark shapes underneath it, rising fast. I reached out an arm to Lydia as she got closer.

"Hurry!" I urged her.

She took my hand. "Right here! I'm alright, Jessie."

There wasn't a ladder, so I'd have to pull her out myself. But before I could, she screamed as two more sahagins grabbed her from behind. I had to wrap my arm around a nearby mako pipe rising from the floor to keep from being pulled in myself as I held onto Lydia. But as hard as I tried, I knew I couldn't keep her outta there for long. I felt her start to slip and knew I didn't have much longer.

I strained to keep my grip. "Kunsel! I need you!"

"I'm there!" he called.

And then he was, but not alone. While he sent one of the sahagins screeching away with a blast of cold to its ugly reptilian face, Leslie ran in, reached out, and took Lydia's other hand in both of his. Then, as he started to pull, Kunsel and I did the same as well. For a moment, Lydia hung there like a prize in some crazy game of tug-o-war, but then Lena settled the matter with a pair of gunshots to the sahagin's neck. Its grip abruptly fell away as we finally got Lydia out of the water. She shivered and was soaked all over, but she seemed fine.

"More on the way," Biggs muttered, eying the pool.

"What!?" Lydia gasped.

I swore. "Shit! Must've stirred 'em up more than I thought. I've got an idea, though. Back into the tunnel!"

Lena frowned. "You're coming with us this time, Jessie!"

"Of course!" I winked.

As Kunsel and I helped Lydia stand up, I grabbed my weapons and motioned for the others to go ahead. Then I took a raspberry outta my belt pouch. The dirty brown water was practically churning as I started to fall back, and I knew that I'd only have a few seconds at most before even more sahagins showed themselves. So I held up the raspberry and pointed at them just as they neared the surface.

"It's been a shell of a good time, but I gotta go!" I smirked. "Once I make a little turtle stew, that is. Later, boys!"

Then I yanked out the pin and threw the raspberry into the middle of the murky pool before rushing into the tunnel after the others. They were all in there, and as soon as she saw me coming, Lydia ran to meet me. I urged her and the others onward, but we barely had time to move before the raspberry went off. I dove to the floor, taking Lydia with me and shielding her as best I could while Kunsel and the others flattened themselves against the walls and ducked as thunder, fire, and sprays of dirty water erupted behind us in a furious explosion.

When it was over, nobody budged at first. We just stayed there for a moment amidst the sudden stillness. But then, as the others relaxed, I glanced over at Lydia. I still had an arm around her, and she grinned at me and laughed a little as we lay there together on the floor. I smirked right back at her as I hugged her tight.

"Well, that's one way to say hi, isn't it?" I winked.