Chapter 5: The Maelstrom

As soon as we stepped outside we were greeted with a big bright ball of light otherwise known as the sun. I didn't realize how late in the day it was until then. Nearly sunset…

I froze in my tracks. I would NOT under ANY circumstances have a repeat of last night. Now way. No how. No nothing.

"Ya comin' Charolette?" Asked Scourge.

I folded my arms across my chest and resolutely shook my head.

"I refuse."

At this he grinned and walked up to me so his large, black nose was touching my small tan one. He chuckled.

"Good luck with that." He said as he wrapped his arms around my waist and threw me over his shoulder.

"What are you doing? Put me down now Scourge! Scourge!" I yelled as he walked to the back of the castle once more.

I then saw Finitevus and Boomer waiting for us. Both were smiling quite broadly.

"This is ridiculous! You can't make me do this! Put. Me. Down!"

Needless to say, the next thing I saw was a red ladybug eating a blade of grass in front of my eyeball. I heard laughter from higher latitude. My arms and legs were definitely feeling some pain as well. Slowly, I sat up and stared at the male animals who towered above me.

So THIS is what it feels like to be a guinea pig.

Boomer held out a hand for me. I took it and he lifted me up off the ground and then lightly set me back down on my feet.

"I trust you slept well?" Came Finitevus' cool voice. I turned my head sharply to face his direction.

"I did thank you. But you really expect me to go back in there and not completely fall apart mentally?" I asked.

He nodded.

"I know that if you can figure out, if only subconsciously, how to use the Chaos, that keeping your sanity shouldn't be a problem. Anyways, you'll be up against Patches tonight."

My mouth hung open in disbelief.

"You want me to fight an opponent who is partially blind?" This comment alone roused another chorus of chuckles from the peanut gallery.

"Patches wouldn't really count that as a disability. Anyway, I think your top priority would be to stay away from his blade." Said Scourge.

"What?"

"Yeah, he has a really mean right parry, so watch out for that." Boomer added. He pulled out a sword from behind him and handed it to me. I stared at it, completely dumbfounded.

"But last night, he didn't want me to do this at all. And anyway, I don't know how to use a sword."

"No better time to learn." Finitevus said as he took the sword from Boomer's hands and placed it in mine. "Need I remind you that to go back home that you must help us with our experiment. We're also on a strict schedule with another party who wishes to know more about the Chaos in general." He looked at me directly in the eyes. I nearly fainted out of fear.

"Do you understand?"

I nodded.

"Good. Now, tonight, Patches will do precisely what Scourge did last night. Though, the both of you will have weapons. He'll go easy on you when he finds you, just to give you a little taste of how to work a blade and events will continue from there. Got it?"

"Uh, sure?"

He smiled at me and motioned towards the forest. Then he walked away.

"Go get 'em kid." Said Boomer, pushing me forwards.

"Do I have to hide again? Or do I-,"

"Just go in there and wing it." Scourge interrupted. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, " You'll do fine."

My heart leapt and I ran off into the forest once more.

"Why the heck did I ever talk to him?" I muttered to myself as I made my way back to my tree. "I never would've been in this mess if I hadn't talked to him."

Needless to say, I was talking about Scourge, the furry mongrel. i still remembered the way he sauntered up to my group of friends in the chorus room. He didn't look half bad as a human…

I shook my head as I used my sword to push away a couple of underbrush.

"No, Charolette," I told myself. "He's an animal. And besides… he's got Fiona."

Soon, I walked into my clearing and saw my wonderfully sturdy tree right in the center. Already, the sun made the underside of the branches look ten times more menacing than they had the night before.

"I wonder how long it'll take him to find me," I thought out loud as I leaned up against a giant root.

"Not long at all." Said a voice from above me. My jaw dropped as I looked up. There was Patches, all ready in the tree, brandishing his sword. He smiled and then jumped off the tree, landing a few feet in front of me. I dropped my sword.

At this, he sighed, and his shoulders dropped in exasperation.

"Deed you really 'ave to do zat?" He asked. When I didn't respond he motioned to my sword. "Pick eet up."

I obliged, but very slowly, and I never took my eyes off him once until the cool metal was in my hands once more and I was standing upright facing him. I then took a moment to brush my hair out of the way. That was probably one of the most stupid things I could've done. Ever.

Patches screamed as he ran towards me, his sword behind him at his side like he was ready to thrust. I yelped and dived under one of the mammoth roots as he lodged his sword into the wood. I crawled forwards quickly and then ran out into the open area. He put his foot on the bark, pulled once and the sword came out. He walked back out, smiling quite fiercely. I shivered, though, I don't really know if it was because of the decrease in temperature or out of fright.

"Zat was very good Meez Charolette." He said, twirling his sword around once. "Now, how about zis?" He asked as he lunged.

When did he get so close!

I jumped backwards and swung to the right with my sword. I felt the vibration of the metal as they connected. Patches immediately swiped his sword underneath my own and put it to my neck as I righted myself, sword hanging uselessly at my side.

"Well," I said. "that kind of sucks."

Patches nodded. "Yes, eet kind of does." He took his sword away and then lowered it to his side. "Why don't you try attacking instead?" My eyes widened.

"I couldn't attack you! Your eyepatch!" I said in shock. Patches sighed.

"Do you theenk I care? Heet me!" He screamed opening his arms wide.

I swallowed my saliva and quickly lunged forwards on my legs as I had seen him do. And despite his arms being so wide, he blocked me effortlessly.

"Again," He said. So I lunged. Over. And over. And over. And over again.

Eventually, I could hardly breathe. He then walked calmly up to me, as if blocking my attacks didn't require any sort of energy at all.

"Your lunges have eemproved very well." He said. I nodded at him, sweat popping up in my hair line.

"Thanks. Not so bad yourself." I returned. He then began to laugh. I looked at him and saw his fine, white teeth gleaming in the moonlight. I also noticed that his eyes were closed.

Now.

I lunged at him, screaming as loud as I could. This caught him off guard, as my sword crashed against his, a bright yellow light lit up the clearing and the metal once again reverberating through my very being. I pushed his sword away with the hilt of my own and practically tackled him, my elbow laying on his chest and my sword hand pinning down his own.

Some of my sweat dripped down. I smiled. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"Patches?" I asked him. I quickly rolled off him as he slowly sat up. He was shaking violently, and out of nowhere, he coughed up blood.

"Patches!" I screamed as I dropped my sword and put my arms around his shaking shoulders. "Are you okay? Speak to me Patches, come on!"

"He's fine Charolette." Said a voice from somewhere above me.

"Finitevus?" I asked, looking up. It was in vain since it was now sufficiently nighttime.

"Yes, it's me." Came his voice again. "I'm speaking through a little contraption Boomer concocted. It allows me to see everything that's going on from inside my lab. Trust me, Patches will be okay."

"Okay? Look at him! He's shaking like a leaf!" I screamed.

"It's only because you used your Chaos my dear." He said. I could practically hear him smiling.

Patches groaned and held his arms.

"Patches," Finitevus spoke. "Will you be able to continue?"

Slowly, without responding, Patches stood up, using me as a support and just barely nodded his head.

"Good. Please continue."

Patches nodded for me to pick up his sword.

"You don't have to do this anymore Patches." I said to him as I handed him his sword. He shook his head.

"Eet eez…fine." He said hoarsely. "Continue Meez Charolette." His sword hand went up, gracefully, if not slowly, into a guard.

I inhaled sharply and grimaced. This seemed harshly unfair. As I lunged at him, I only did so half heartedly, not wanting to hurt him at all.

After a few minutes of this he put his hand up.

"Charolette, zees eez ridiculous. I know you're capable of much much more zan zat. Now, attack me."

I shook my head.

"No, I don't want to hurt you anymore."

"Charolette," Came Finitevus' voice. "If you're fighting someone and refuse to kill them, they will not show the same mercy to you. They will kill you if given the chance."

"Who says I'm going to be fighting anyone!" I questioned. Silence. "What else haven't you told me?"

"We really shouldn't keep her in zee dark." Patches said.

"Fine." Finitevus sighed. "Come back to my laboratory right now." I heard the sound of something flying away.

Patches staggered forwards and stumbled. I dropped my sword and caught him about a foot before he hit the ground.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry." I apologized.

He shook his head and coughed once more.

"Eet eez fine." He answered. "Eet just might take a couple meenutes for me to get used to my bearings."

"Still…maybe I could carry you back?" I offered. He hoarsely chuckled.

"No need. I'll be fine. Look," He said, offering his hand to me. I took it. "Eet's nearly stopped shaking. I'll be ready to go shortly."

I nodded and laid him on the ground. I did notice that his breath was smoother.

"So, how'd you get that eye patch?" I asked him.

"Eet eez somesing I do not wish to discuss… I hope you don't mind…" He said.

I shook my head. "It's fine… I'm uh, sorry I asked."

"No, eet eez good to be curious. Just make sure you are not too curious."

"Gotcha..." I said. "So, how'd they get you to do this since you didn't want me to last night?"

He smiled.

"Because I knew zat I would go easier on you zan Scourge would. Trust me; I've gone up against him before… He eez scary."

I agreed. Totally and completely.

"But, you didn't exactly hold back yourself." I said.

"Eh, I do what I can." He shrugged.

He propped himself up onto his elbow.

"I guess we'd better get back to zee lab." He said, looking beyond the trees.

"I guess." I agreed. "Do you need some help?"

He shook his head as he stood up.
"I'll be fine." He said as he took one groggy step forwards. He nearly fell again. "On second thought, why don't you carry my sword."