Fall into Ecstacy

Chapter 5: Treachery

By Kaasan Faerlyte B.

Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own it. This is purely for my own brutal enjoyment. I need to update faster, haha.

I was floating, carried through empty streets by cold plate mail gloves. My eyelids drooped as I sank into the mesmerizing rhythm of footfall and the soothing murmur of my bearer's heart. The rattle of armor seemed far away wherever it was I now came to be.

"You left her here?" A voice demanded, uncharacteristically sharp. It sounded like Basch. When had he arrived?

Up, up we went in long and graceful strides over hard stone steps.

Someone sputtered, "She said she'd be fine." That voice...oh yes, him.

"I am fine." I mumbled automatically and my head sagged against a cold, hard armored shoulder. "Just tired."

"Where did you say we are going?" He was asking suddenly, clearly disturbed.

"The palace." Came the immediate reply.

Greishem made a sound of horror, "At this hour?! We're as good as highway robbers out here!"

The word 'palace' set off alarms in my head though I wasn't sure why, "No." I protested, fidgeting slightly in Basch's grasp. It was no use. I hadn't the energy nor the will to fight his strength. "I have a room in the...in the inn."

"The Emperor has requested this, milady, and I too second it." He answered quietly.

"Preposterous." Greishem announced vehemently.

"No one asked you." I muttered.

"Indeed." Basch agreed.

"Certainly tomorrow would be soon enough!" Greishem complained. "It's not so far to the inn from here and half the city's walk to the palace. My arms may very well fall off before we get there!"

Basch sighed. "Then I shall return for her things wherever you collapse."

"W-what about me?!" He squawked, horrified. "I suppose you'd just leave me in the middle of the street."

"A tempting thought, yes." The Judge replied.

A sound like a whine emanated from over Basch's shoulder, followed by rampant muttering, "I'm not paid enough for this.."... "...should've joined the circus..."

I inhaled deeply and curled myself in a merciless sleep. "Thanks Basch." I started to say, but then "I missed you.", came tumbling out too. Somewhere in my mind I was concerned about that little detail, but by the time I'd received an answer I wasn't listening.

---

At first there had been nothing but the quietness of a deep sleep. Then came the voices from nowhere, urgent and tense, but little more than gibberish. The clash of swords resounded in my ears and an explosion of gunpowder wracked my skull with a painful ringing. A smoky sulfuric after-scent pervaded my nostrils, suffocating the air. Someone shouted loud and clear,

"Hey! The door is opening!"

My muscles tightened at the familiar voice. A sliver of blinding crystal blue light appeared in front of me.

"Good." Someone replied from beyond the broadening doorway, "Run for it."

The metallic ring of metal on metal still echoed loudly. Running footsteps rapidly approached, chased still by the twang of bow strings and the tink of arrows against stone.

A figure materialized into the light, "Hurry up, Balthier!" The familiar voice shouted urgently. His face shifted back towards me as he ran deeper inside.

I reached out to him, but I knew I couldn't help him from where I was. Vaan...

"The mass thickens." Said a third party, the accent unmistakable.

Fran and Balthier still had not passed through the gate. An arrow flew passed, directly over my vision.

The chittering from the tunnel sparked a memory that sent shivers up my spine and set my hairs on end; the un-dead, glowing crystal lights... This was the buried city that Basch and I had discovered 3 years ago.

At last they appeared through the wide open door. Balthier was favoring a shoulder from which an arrow shaft protruded and Fran had a deep gash on her left thigh. Both were still alert and quick on their feet.

But the army of skeletal warriors was overtaking them.

I was helpless to stop the onslaught. I couldn't even speak to them. The dream held me fast behind the window through which I was witnessing the events. Were they real, or some fabrication of my own?

A figure appeared before the parted door brandishing a staff high above his head and bellowed loudly into the forces of un-dead. Vaan and the others had gone on already, seemingly unaware of the apparition that stood blocking the path of pursuit.

Jovan.

The bangaa keeper stood his ground–he had lost some of his transparency–and eyed the horde menacingly. He uttered the words of a spell, but I couldn't understand them. The door promptly began to close.

A low murmur resonated through out the tunnel beyond the door, soft at first, then escalating into a cacophony of shrieks and moans. The un-dead mourned their escaped prey, there pain physical.

The door sealed shut, silencing them, and then the floor fell out from under me. It was a familiar fall past sheer rock face, descending deeper into the depths of the earth. Dim light shimmered off of the surface of a great lake far below; the monster's den.

I held my breath and braced for impact.

The vision changed, panning through mixed images of past and present. It came to a sudden stop in a small, circular shaped room lit from the center by a palm sized green stone. Walls of calligraphy and carved mosaics illuminated under its pale glow. The door out was closed.

I glanced down at my hands and was surprised to see that I was there, standing within the chamber. A shadow moved and I looked up.

Jovan stood across the room, opposite the stone from me. His body was solid flesh now and vividly green in the light of the stone while his gaze reflected a calmness that I didn't feel. The urgency was in his voice, however, powerful and hard.

"I can protect them in the inner city." He said. "But it wont' sustain them forever and the way out is barred."

I stared blankly back, confused and afraid, "What do you want from me?"

The vision was fading and with it the bangaa keeper, but his voice reached me, "Release us from our curse."

"Hey, wait!" Everything had vanished into blackness. I tried to follow him, but my legs wouldn't respond. I reached out helplessly as the darkness consumed me, "I don't know how."

Something grasped my hand and pulled me into light, "The staff." Jovan's voice echoed inside my head. "I await your return."

---

I awoke with a gasp and sat up sharply, clenching the blankets between my figners. An unfamiliar room greeted me, though I had some recollection of how I came to be here, but that memory was forgotten amid the more immediate concern; Vaan and the others were in great danger.

My jaw tightened furiously, "Damn it, Vaan!" I slammed my fists into the mattress. "I warned you!"

I wanted to cry and scream at the same time. How could he, and without even a word to me of his intentions? Of course, that was the point. I never would have let him go had I known the truth.

It was too late now anyhow. Time was not a luxury I could afford and the longer I spent fretting here, the shorter their chances grew.

I bounded off the bed, scanning the floor for my things. They were all there, including the staff that Greishem had given me. My belt of daggers lay folded neatly over my suitcase and my swords on top of them.

The swords I strapped on automatically, as well as my belt. Arming myself had become habit over the years, regardless of what I was setting out to do. Right now my first priority was getting a ship and getting out of here, to hell with propriety and the ungodly hour.

A low pitched whine emanated from across the room as the door parted slowly. My hands reached reflexively for the staff and I vaulted across the bed to crouch on the other side, hiding.

Cautious footsteps entered the room, paused briefly half way, and then scurried up to the bedside opposite of me. Very slowly I peaked an eye over the edge of the mattress, praying that the shadows would conceal me, and examined the intruder. I could distinguish very little detail of the face as it was a moonless night, but I knew who it was not; Basch was no 5 foot 2 by any stretch of the imagination.

Scarcely five seconds elapsed within which the intruder realized that its query was not in bed and I sprang nimbly out to apprehend him. A familiar shriek pierced the air as I hooked the staff across his throat and positioned myself behind him, silencing the sound.

His body went slack and the mouth sprang back to life, "Penelo..." He wheezed. "What a...wonderful...surprise."

I almost let out a sigh of relief.

"Greishem!" I hissed, aghast and let off some pressure. "What are you doing here?"

The man collapsed onto his knees with a pitiful moan, twisting on the floor to face me, and commenced blubbering incoherently at my feet. Whatever it was he was trying to say, there was no doubting the urgency by the obvious trepidation in his voice. The words "attack" and "disaster" were all I needed to hear, and what impeccable timing they had.

I set the staff aside and knelt down in front of the man in an attempt to cajole him into a more coherent state of mind. It was several minutes before I was able to get another understandable word out of him and that was only after slapping him crisply in the face.

Greishem blinked and his eyes came into focus as they met mine. He grasped my hands firmly and leveled me with a grave look, "You must get out." He said. "You must get out now, before it's too late."

My brow furrowed impatiently, "Why? What's going on?"

His gaze shifted nervously from side to side, as if assassins might jump from the woodwork at any moment. He thrust his nose within inches of mine, eyes wild. "They're coming tonight! You'll be captured or killed! I-I...I won't let them." He was sinking back into hysteria, "They'll kill me for sure."

A knot was forming in my chest and I lifted my head to gaze out through the balcony door at the still night. Too still perhaps. I felt a nervous trickle down my spine and a soft breeze tousled my hair, carrying in its wake a whiff of wood smoke. I turned back to Greishem intently, "Alright." I said, willing that I remain calm, "Who's coming? When?"

"I don't know!" Greishem groaned. "It doesn't matter. They were hired by certain members of the senate to kidnap the Emperor."

The knot rose into my throat as I got quietly to my feet. "Oh no." I bolted.

"H-hey!" Greishem stammered from the floor. He scrambled to his feet after me as I was already at the door. "Where are you going?!"

"To find Basch." I answered quickly, no time to look back.

"Basch?" He echoed, following reluctantly. "Who cares about Basch! He's a Judge–he can take care of himself. I'm a lowly entertainment arranger whose life hangs in the balance here!!"

I stopped short, whirling around to seize him by the collar, and glared down at him fiercely, "And who also happens to know about a certain plot to capture the Emperor, but has failed to tell anyone besides me. Would you mind explaining that?"

He gulped, "Well..."

My eyes narrowed, "You're a rat."

He squirmed sheepishly in my grasp, "Not precisely, but...but I did warn you!"

"Yes, and now we're going to find Basch." I reiterated icily. "Together."

Greishem's mouth closed with a snap.

The hall I found myself in was lit by candles spaced evenly along the walls. There were other doors leading to rooms along the way, but I was looking for the main hall of the palace. We eventually came to a T and I took a right down the more prominent path, hoping that it was the right way. There was a double door at the end of it.

I grasped the ornately curved handle, feeling the coolness of the marble spread up my arm as I gave it a firm tug. The door swung open smoothly, revealing a long canopied overpass adjoining this wing to the main building. Open arched windows lined either side of the wide hall. A great deal of the palace grounds would have been visible from here, had there been light enough to see them. We were on the second story above a cherry tree grove. Torch light followed a winding stone pathway through the grove onward, eventually bridging over the bottleneck of a lake. Across the way the opposite wing wrapped around, creating a horseshoe. A lone island sat out in the center of the lake, visible only by the flicker of torchlight silhouetting a domed structure at its center.

"That's the gazebo island." Greishem whispered idly. "It's actually quite extensive in size-"

"Where are the Judge's quarters?" I interrupted.

Greishem sputtered. "I'm not even supposed to be here. How would I know?"

I groaned inwardly. "Then I guess we're doing it the hard way."

Hard didn't even begin to describe it. Five paces from the end of the hall and alarm bells were going off from every corner of the premises. Greishem ducked behind me and I froze in my tracks. A flood of shadows was spilling out of the woods below, visible only where the torches shown. We stared in stunned silence as the blanket spread to the base of the walls and a thousand repelling ropes were hurled silently up over the walls.

I retrieved a knife and thrust it into Greishem's startled hand, "Cut the ropes and make for the far side." I ordered.

Greishem was gaping stupidly at the weapon when he finally nodded and we set off together on either side of the overpass. I made much faster work of them with simple spells than Greishem with his knife, but it was all I had that I would trust him with. Two of the black robed assassins had reached the top of the wall half way across the bridge.

It was right then that three knights appeared from the far door. I engaged the nearest invader as he was climbing up over the edge, swinging my staff at his chest, and launched him shrieking back to the ground below. A sense of unease grew in the pit of my stomach as I averted my attention back to our newest arrivals. They had covered the distance between us quickly.

The lead knight was a judge that I hadn't seen before.

Greishem abruptly put himself between me and the Judge, "I can explain-"

A strangled groan was all that escaped Greishem's lips as the Judge's sword sank into his chest without the slightest hesitation.

My body flinched, aghast. Stunned, I watched in horrifying fascination as Greishem's body slid lifelessly to the floor. My eyes lifted slowly at the armored man and his hidden face as he jerked his sword from Greishem's limp body. His steel gaze fell on me and the staff began to throb.

"Kill her."

My lips parted and a strew of musical notes came forth. I wielded the staff over my head and around in an arc between myself and them. A gray mist swept over the knights, encasing the two weakest in stone.

The Judge was unaffected, but he hesitated long enough for me to get by him. I was no match for his skill one on one and I didn't have time to waste trying. He would never catch me in full armor anyway.

Unfortunately, I hadn't the foggiest notion of where I was running. I was blindly taking corners, ducking behind statues and potted plants, and avoiding the ongoing skirmishes scattered through out the palace. There was confusion and chaos at every turn. Blood stained the walls and the floors. Servants ran in panic while knights turned on knights and betrayal laid waste to those still loyal to the Emperor.

I raced as fast as I could, ignoring those in and around my path. The few confrontations that I had were short-lived. Most didn't have the time for chase, especially when there were enough foes in front of them to keep them busy. Even the assassins seemed happy to let me go on my way.

It wasn't until I reached the third floor that I nearly got caught in a brawl between two loyal knights and there three opponents. I managed to scathe one enemy with a fire spell as I was going by, but that was all I had time for and the knights were providing passage for me. When I reached the next floor, I was met by a disconcerting silence. Where there should have been guards there was no sign of life, but someone had left a trail of breadcrumbs. Broken pictures and shattered pots were strewn across the floor where a struggle had taken place. My eyes followed the wreckage to the bodies that had been left behind. They disappeared around a corner into the next hall.

I followed the grisly trail on the tips of my toes. It lead through a set of busted wooden doors, now hanging slightly ajar. More bodies lay here; a knight and an assassin.

I glanced about the room briefly before averting my attention to another hall on my left. The dins of battle echoed from somewhere down that way. A corner waited up ahead, but who or what would I find?

My heart was slamming against my chest as I ran to that very corner and came to a stop to spy. Judge Sigmund, Basch, and three knights were all crowded at the end of the hall trading blows. One knight, Basch's only ally, lay dead on the floor.

I stiffened involuntarily.

There was a knife in my hand as I sprang around the corner at them. They were some fifty paces away, but none of them would hear my approach over the clamor of weapons.

"Stand down." Sigmund's voice rose above the noise, commanding, but there was an edge of frustration in his voice.

I gritted my teeth, fixed on a target, and yelled, "Hey, blockheads!"

The first one to turn his head caught a blade in the throat and sank to the floor without a sound–it was the luckiest throw of my life. A second knife hit the wall wide to the right of Sigmund, but I'd successfully drawn their attention away from Basch.

It was Sigmund who swept in to intercede however, leaving Basch to the other two knights who remained. The Judge brandished a heavy double bladed axe to meet my advance, but I pulled up well short. My staff and a few feet were all that stood between he and I.

The Judge paused, his gaze intent on me,"I know you." He said, startled. "Filthy chit. You'd die for this fool of a man?"

My fingers tightened furiously around the staff and I swung hard at the Judge's neck. It was a glancing blow and Sigmund lunged forward with a counter strike. I dodged left of the blade, but the follow up attack was too quick. My hear stopped; the staff was my last defense against the razor edge of the axe.

I clenched my eyes shut, waiting for the terrifying bite of steel in my flesh. Only, it never came. The axe hit the staff and bounced off with a loud crack, sending a numbing shock-wave up my arms and launching Sigmund back several feet.

I drew back a step, planted my foot, and jabbed with the blunt end, driving between the armor slates underneath his right arm. He staggered, still dazed from the recoil, and I stepped back to cast. A thunder clap caught him in the right shoulder and he screamed; the axe dropped from his senseless fingers.

It wasn't enough though. Sigmund was deceptively fast for all that armor and mass. I wasn't prepared for his sudden lunge and the impact of his gauntlet as it drove into my stomach. The force slammed me against the wall, knocking the wind out of me, and I crumpled to the floor with a groan.

Sigmund snatched up the axe and closed in to finish me. A second shadow darted between us, blocking the swinging blade, and as I looked up the pommel of a sword caught Sigmund square in the forehead. Even with a helm such a blow could be devastating. Basch pressed the attack and swiftly disarmed the lesser warrior. The weaker Judge retreated a few steps, weaponless.

"Coward." Basch grated and took another menacing step forward..

I was getting to my knees when I noticed that Sigmund's reinforcements were arriving from down the hall.

"Basch!" My hand was reaching slowly for my staff as they approached, but even as my mind raced for options I knew there were none that could get us out of this; their numbers were too many.

A hand grasped mine and pulled me to my feet.

Judge Sigmund stood back within the safety of his men and chuckled. "It is over, Gabranth." He said. "You may be ready to die for honor and country, but are you willing to let her die for it too?"

Heat radiated from beneath my hands. Another pulse of energy surged from the staff, coursing through me with the rage of a wildfire. I gasped, startled, and sank back into the trance. A melody whispered in my ear and I began to sing.

A hush fell over the hallway and seconds were as hours. My body acted of its own accord, moving effortlessly in place to the rhythm of the magic.

Then it was over.

One by one the knights and assassins all sagged to the floor in sleep. Sigmund stood alone. He took one look at his fallen comrades, then at us, and without further ado bolted down the hall.

I was impressed. Who knew a man could motivate that fast in full armored decorum?

Basch, who was not in his armor, was fully prepared to run him down. If I hadn't put myself in his path I have no doubt he would have too, but whether he would have made it back before being overcome by enemies was another matter and not one that I was about to take chances on.

"What about Larsa?" I reminded him urgently.

Basch hesitated, tearing his gaze from the empty hall in bitter resignation. Blood–some of which was his own–and sweat stained the white tunic that he wore. Rivulets of perspiration beaded in his hair and streamed down the sides of his face. A bloody scrape ran across his temple above his scar.

"I bought him time." He sighed, leaning heavily against his sword and favoring a gash across his right thigh. "But I fear all is lost. The palace has fallen."

"Don't say that." I retorted firmly and muttered a quick incantation for healing. Most of Basch's immediate injuries vanished.

"Thank you." He said.

"Come on. We've got to find him." I insisted.

"Penelo," Basch began, "You are not obligated to-"

"I am too." I interjected, "I owe Larsa everything and I want to help."

Basch cleared his throat, "Very well. The ship bay will have been quarantined first–I doubt the Emperor is there. There is another possibility, but we must be quick."

"Right behind you." I piped in.

We departed the hall at a run as the thundering of approaching footsteps reached our ears. Basch disappeared behind a large dragon statue, which evidently concealed a secret passage. A slab of stone grinded to the side, revealing a dense network of narrow, maze-like halls leading in every direction, both up and down. Sounds were muted almost entirely by the thick walls of stone.

But the echoes of pursuit still filled the passages both behind and in front of us. They knew where we were.

A band of three knights met us at the next intersection with blades drawn. Basch made short work of the first and clashed with the second on his follow up strike. He too fell to Basch's sword while the third was impaled on a shard of ice.

Basch gave me a nod. I smiled back, momentarily dazed. He looked so different!

That's when I noticed it. "You cut your hair." I grinned approvingly.

He glanced back at me, arching a quizzical brow, and almost tripped, but he recovered with practiced ease and left it at that. There was no time to chit chat under the present circumstances.

Another wave was waiting up ahead.

Basch and I fought our way through it to a spiral staircase leading down while missiles pegged us from above–thank the Gods for protection spells. The path was clear at the bottom and we finally made up some ground.

We lost the pursuit altogether on the second floor. Basch had lead me into the narrowest, darkest, most cob-web ridden passage yet. It was no wonder no one followed. It probably hadn't been used in years.

A glint of steal sprang out from around the corner as we were walking. Basch had to twist out of the way to avoid being impaled on the narrow blade. He parried the second jab as his back met the wall of the passage.

The assailant abruptly halted, "Basch! Is that you?"

The latter grunted in acknowledgment as he pushed himself off the wall.

"Larsa!" I exclaimed, relieved. "Are we glad to see you."

A match struck in the near darkness and a small oil lamp sprang to life, illuminating the passage. The Emperor held up the lamp, regarding us with equal astonishment and joy. He was much taller than he had been before. Now it was I craning my neck to meet his gaze.

"And I return the sentiment." He replied warmly. "Would that our reunion was under better circumstances, I should have liked to welcome you, but..."

"Your pardon my lord, but we mustn't linger." Basch resumed seriously.

Larsa nodded, understanding. "Do we have a plan?"

Basch brooded, "There is still the island, but we will require a pilot."

Two pairs of eyes shifted towards me expectantly.

My heart slammed into my throat. "M-me?"

"You're a sky pirate." Larsa insisted hopefully. "I'm sure you can."

I swallowed hard, "I can try."

"That will do." Basch said.

"I know of a secret passage that will take us to the lake unseen." Larsa explained, before adding somewhat gravely, "But we will have to swim. The boats have all been burned."

Basch uttered an almost inaudible oath, grimaced, and nodded for Larsa to take the lead, "By your command, your Excellency."

Larsa and I looked at one another in puzzlement, shrugged helplessly, and hastened onward.

We exited the passages into a room within the palace. It was a large room–a library by the looks of it. The Southern wall was an array of windows 20 feet high, but that was all I had time to notice before we were on the move again. Beyond the door was an open hall facing East, which eventually lead to another overpass and an invasion of black robed assassins climbing over the walls. Basch and I stood abreast, positioning Larsa behind us, and prepared to meet the onslaught.

Hot energy burst from the staff again, only the magic played a different melody this time. It was just a dance this time. The building shuddered and a sliver of white fire pierced my skull.

A whirlwind of red mist unfurled from the center of the enemy force and spread rapidly to swallow them. Violent coughing erupted from within the cloud as men gasped and choked for air, only to inhale the noxious gas. Then there were screams; some were of pain, while others began as abject horror and slowly dwindled into a strangled croak.

We watched in stunned silence as the mist cleared. Those who had not been reduced to hopping amphibians were either sleeping, turned to stone, or doubled over from poison. All but one had been effected and he was already half way across the bridge, running in the opposite direction.

My hands burned fiercely and my first attempt to move ended in failure. I buckled to a knee as sweat stung my eyes.

"Gods Penelo, are you alright?" Larsa asked, kneeling beside me with concern etched deeply in his face. "What was that?"

"I really don't know." I answered, climbing back to my feet with his help.

"There will be more where those came from." Basch warned, unfazed.

"Follow me." Larsa answered and took off swiftly down the hall.

The next passage was little more than a musty crawl space. It was barely wide enough for Basch's shoulders and just tall enough to crawl on hands and knees with our backs scraping the ceiling. Stones tore through my clothes and bit into my skin as we fumbled through the dark.

A curse elicited from up ahead as Basch bumped his head again and had to stop and regain his bearings. "Bloody moogles built this place."

"I apologize for the poor accommodations." Larsa managed lightly. "I wasn't prepared for so many unexpected visitors."

"No apology–ouch!–necessary." I returned as amiably as one could muster while crammed in a tunnel.

"Merciful Gods." Basch exclaimed suddenly.

I paused uncertainly, "What is it?"

Basch laughed dryly, "The light at the end of the tunnel."

"Light" was a generous term for the dull glow that emanated from the water drain that the passage lead into. The passage closed behind us, invisible to the ignorant eye, and darkness crept into the tunnel. A cold draft blew a whiff of smoke into my nose.

"Something isn't right." I murmured. "Where did the light go?"

"Torches." Basch clarified grimly. "They're here."

Larsa bounded ahead, calling after us, "This way."

We headed in the opposite direction of where the torchlight had been, which eventually lead us to a dead end where the drainage emptied into the lake beneath the overpass. Steel rods barred the mouth of it and our way out.

Larsa glared at it. "Damn."

"Stand aside." Basch commanded.

Larsa complied without question and Basch blew a hole straight through with an energy spell. Armored footfall carried ominously from somewhere behind us and we cast wary gazes over our shoulders.

"Best hurry." Basch urged.

Larsa and I slipped carefully through the gnarled gap and into pitch dark beneath the overpass. There was torchlight from on high, but it missed us where we were. Basch had not followed.

"Basch," Larsa called expectantly. "What are you waiting for?"

The Emperor's guard turned his back and unsheathed his sword. "I will remain here to guard your escape."

My heart skipped a beat, "W-what? Why?"

He regarded me gravely, ignoring the exclamation. "The Emperor is in your charge now."

I lunged at the frayed bars that still partially blocked the way, thrusting my head through at him furiously. My lips parted, a scathing retort waiting on the back of my tongue, but I clenched my teeth.

"I don't understand," Larsa began from behind me.

" I don't either." I gritted out.

"Just go." Basch snapped.

I wasn't going anywhere yet. My fingers squeezed the shaft of my staff as I shoved it through the bars. "This is your charge now." I returned stoically. "I can't swim with it."

Basch turned back towards me and accepted it uncertainly, "Penelo-"

"And these," I promptly stripped off my harem pants and stuffed them into his fumbling arms. "I can't swim with those either."

Larsa was snorting behind me to keep from laughing as Basch looked stunned, turning a fascinating shade of pink. "My lady, if you please...?!"

"I do." I answered proudly. "I'm taking your charge, for some reason."

The marching steps of a regiment were now coming inexplicably closer.

Basch looked me in the eyes, hopelessly pleading. He leaned into my ear, his hand cradling the back of my head, and whispered, "My dear, I cannot swim."

I pulled back, surprised, and acknowledge him with a helpless smile, "Where can we pick you up?"

He hesitated, "If I'm not captured I will await you at the West Wing balcony–Larsa knows the way."

"Hurry, Penelo." Larsa called nervously. He was waiting at the edge above the water, watching something above.

"I'll be right there." I replied impatiently.

"Thank you." Basch said quietly and gave my hand a squeeze.

"Don't die on me." I brushed a kiss against his cheek, a shiver rolling up and down my spine, and dived into the water. Larsa followed wordlessly.

That water was cold.

Author's Notes: Well, I finally got this chapter finished. Now that I'm working, which basically involves babysitting for my neighbor whose son has autism, I've got more time than I know what to do with--time to write. A lot. Assuming that I force my butt down and will my fingers to type that is. It worked for this at least. I'll be at this job all summer (9 hours a day, five days a week), so I'm crossing my fingers.

How is everyone doing? Still enjoying the story I hope? Let me know. Leave a review and all that good stuff. Much thanks,

Faerlyte