A/N: Okay, you guys have been patient long enough. Time for a kick-ass chapter.
The rumbling of the earth unnerved Trina and company. Catherine peered down from one of the stairwells and saw water rushing through as if the castle was a doomed ship.
"It is...flooding?" the redhead observed, perplexed.
"But there is no cloud in the sky!" marveled Trina.
Rob chimed in, "And there is not a dam for many miles."
Trina's blood ran cold.
"Bastard," she sighed. "He is trying to drown them. We must hurry or our comrades would be lost."
Catherine and Rob both nodded and with that the trio of intruders rushed the corridors of brick.
"That feeling. It is back again," Trina observed to herself. "And it continues to grow. We must be close."
The wary travelers treaded swiftly, though lightly, so as to not arouse any suspicions. Daylight was creeping through from around the bend. The followed and eventually the hall led them to the grand throne room. In silhouette stood Noxymis, admiring what he had just done and quietly contemplating what to do next. Rob gave the signal for Trina and Catherine to sneak inside, advancing as they hide behind furniture. Meanwhile, the curly haired young man slowly drew out an arrow from his quiver and brought it into position, careful not to make a single audible noise.
He pulled back on the bow...
...slowly...
...aiming squarely at Noxymis' back...
...steady...
without making any disturbance, the wooden bow was bend all the way back, ready to be released.
The sound of the black bird call of warning made Rob cease any further hesitation and let the rogue projectile go. The blasted bird forced Noxymis to focus and turn around to assess the threat, only within fractions of a second to be grazed across the arm with the arrow's sharp point.
Seizing on the opportunity, Rob lunged for the dark wizard and tried to overtake him. Cursing at the pain and the other nuisance on top of him; Noxymis uttered an enchantment that rendered Rob's legs limp and weak. He dropped with a thud and as soon as he landed, was met with a hard kick in the ribs.
Rob howled in pain.
"I am afraid you have been rendered lame, my young...assassin."
"I am no assassin," coughed Rob. "Just a thief." He opened his hands covering his stomach. They were holding more than the pain at bay. He grinned as he saw Noxymis' face drop. In his pale grasp was the shimmering blue ruby.
With that, Catherine and Trina came out of hiding to overrun the would-be king. Noxymis was taller but he lacked sufficient tone of muscle to fend off two determine ladies. Rob struggled to get to his feet when Bartleby came flying toward him and proceeded to peck and claw his face and head with no remorse.
His cries of pain alerted Catherine who tore down piece of decorative curtain and threw it over the bird, quickly bunching it into a crude sack. Once she had it nabbed, she deftly tied it up with a strand of rope from her pocket. Catherine goes to tend to Rob while the captured bird writhes about in its cloth prison on the floor.
"Catherine!" exclaimed Trina. "Get the..."
Her heart sank when she caught glimpse of the orb rolling only to stop at Noxymis' side. Before Trina could snatch it she is kicked across the floor. It gives the bastard the precious seconds he needs to bring himself to his feet and recollect his lost jewel.
"Throwback," he sighed. He then pointed the sphere upward and swiftly lowered his arm. At the same time his arm descended, the very ceiling came crashing down upon the lot of them, brick for brick. Naturally, Noxymis was not in the line of danger. When the dust settled, Trina coughed heavily and yelled when she saw Rob and Catherine who looked motionless.
"Bastard," she managed to say despite the colossal pile of stone weight upon her chest and lower body. She was immobile. Done for.
Noxymis stood over his handiwork, feeling quite pleased with himself.
"What a lovely surprise," he smiled. "To have you - of all people - to myself."
He drew a dagger, which made Trina's face white with terror.
"I suppose..." the madman continued. "I had always..." he brushed back her long hair with the blade. "Longed for you. You are quite fetching, make no mistake." Noxymis then grazed her tan skin with the edge of the knife, drawing a line of blood along her collarbone. "But...I...am...afraid...that in recent days...my lust for you has...matured...into blood lust."
Victoria witnessed the great flooding of Rosym. It was a nightmarish sight even from afar. She was determined to get down there somehow and help them but she would never make it in time.
"Unless..." she mused as she turned around.
She walked over to the young dragon whom was following her while the larger one remained separate but well within the vicinity to keep watch the reptile and human interact.
"You see this?" Victoria taunted the creature with one of Rob's arrows gilded with gold. "Pretty, is it not?"
Victoria waved the arrow back and forth, the baby hypnotized by the shiny object.
"You want this, do you not?"
The green dragon uttered a gravelly squeal of delight.
She tied the arrow to the longest stick she could find and carefully mounted the dragon. Holding it over his head in front of his face, he might as well had been a horse with a carrot. Now, Victoria understood stories of how dragons were used to guard treasure. Apparently there was some truth to that these beasts adored sparkly things; silver, jewels.
And now an arrow embellished with gold leafing.
Victoria leaned forward as far as she could and urged the dragon to start running.
"Come along, sweetheart" she cooed. "Let us fly."
She held on when the green-scaled animal broke off into a sprint and was rushing pell-mell toward the edge of the cliff.
"Oh, heavens" Victoria sighed. "I just instigated my own demise. Jadelyn, my lamb, you possess a fool's heart."
Beckett, Clios and Demian dismounted their steeds and tried to climb the rocky walls surrounding Rosym.
"We must get to the castle!" commanded Clios. "Steady on, men."
Beckett nearly faltered when he saw something approaching his speed on the horizon. He placed his hand over his eyes to block out the sun's blinding rays. The object grew slightly clearer as it progressed and the more it was discernible, the more Beckett couldn't believe it.
"Is that...a dragon?"
Sure enough a small but impressive green dragon graced overhead. Clios and Demian looked on, mouths agape. Then they were able to see something even more unlikely; a woman perched atop the beast's back like an equestrian.
"Victoria?" Beckett shook his head.
Victoria reached out to him, "Take my hand, Beckett!"
The long haired man reciprocated the gesture and locked hands with the incredible flying woman. Beckett grabbed onto the side of the dragon, whose scales made it surprisingly good to grip. He climbed until he was right behind Victoria.
"You must have a talent for getting your self into trouble," she chuckled nervously.
"Likewise."
"Hold tight," Victoria ordered. She then leaned forward once more with the golden arrow, tempting the dragon to take flight toward the castle. The pair flew past the surviving men and horses, over the great flood, and to the main balcony of the castle. Beckett quickly dismounted and looked at Victoria.
"What about them?" he pointed outward.
"I will come back for all of them," she replied. "Starting with your men on the cliff..."
Noxymis then emerged from the throne room and flicked his wand, uttering the words, "Letum!"
The dragon turned, taking the blow meant for Victoria. The green animal dropped from the sky with Victoria in tow.
"What was it you said last time we met?" Noxymis asked Beckett. "That you were between me and the woman?" He raised his wand toward Beckett and smirked. "Perhaps you would like to find out if you can withstand this..."
The dark sorcerer looked up, with a twinge of fear in his eye. Beckett noticed the massive shadow before he had the chance to turn around and see.
The flying reptile and its rider landed upon a rock at the base of the castle, just barely above water. The brown-haired woman saw that the young dragon was not breathing and its eyes were shut. She cursed herself for putting the defenseless creature at risk.
"Forgive me," she lamented the lifeless beast. "What do I do now?"
Her words barely made it out before something rendered her speechless. The red-scaled dragon was taking flight and soaring toward her general direction with determination. It's gargantuan wingspan blotted out the sun.
It started to slow down and lower to where Victoria was. Reaching out with its long neck, the dragon grabbed the infant in its mouth like a dog would a puppy. Victoria climbed aboard the crimson creature, bracing herself for the ride.
Noxymis was literally knocked onto his feet by the very wind generated by the flapping of these wings the size of a mighty ship's sails. He tried to take in the sight and sheer majesty of the flying creature before him. Even he of all people had to appreciate the ponderous size of it.
The red dragon looked hard and long at the sorcerer-king. It could smell the energy that harmed the baby all over him. The monstrous was an animal but deduced the green dragon's threat rather efficiently. The baby was gently lowered onto the balcony where Victoria quickly slide off onto the solid ground. The giant dragon growled and soon regurgitated a cyclonic torrent of fire and smoke.
Beckett drew his sword, pointing its tip at Noxymis. "I see you have dropped your wand," he squinted menacingly.
Indeed, Noxymis looked around horrified because at some point during his fall he did relinquish his wand against his wishes. But he felt inside his cloak that he still had his ace: the jewel.
"Be careful," Victoria told Beckett. "He still can be dangerous."
"Victoria?" called out a familiar voice.
"Trina?"
Victoria ran in and tended to her sister, trying to free her.
"I cannot believe I found you," Victoria said out of breath.
Trina smiled, "I cannot believe you are still alive! I thought you were done for."
"It is alright," Victoria nodded. "It will be over soon."
A commotion caused the two sister to look out at a terrible sight. Noxymis stood, brandishing the shining jewel. Behind him, the crimson beast has Beckett pinned down to the floor. He struggles to free himself but he isn't strong enough. And his sword was too far from his reach.
"Sorry, me dears" Noxymis grinned. "But I do not require a wand to enchant a creature. Not while I still have this," he added, indicating the blue orb.
An arrow soared past his face, just barely missing him. Rob was still holding his bow steady.
The momentary distraction was opportunity enough for Victoria to lunge for Noxymis, struggling to disarm him. She held her own, keeping him down and landing several blows to his face. But a cold sensation overcame her. Victoria looked down and saw blood seeping from her side. A weak point in her armor. She cringed and rolled over her nemesis, alarmed by the profusely bleeding wound.
"Victoria! No!" screamed Beckett.
Rob and Catherine ran over to Victoria, disregarding the dark sorcerer.
"Let me see," Rob said carefully removing Victoria's hands from the mortal wound.
"Oh no," Catherine gasped. "Please hold on, Victoria."
While this is going on, Noxymis attempts to get back up.
"It is okay..." Victoria told a worried Catherine. "It...doesn't hurt...any...more..."
The tan woman's eyes shut and her head slumped over to the side.
"No," Rob whispered, shaking his head.
Trina finally managed to get the rest of the way free and ran over to her baby sister. She shook her desperately, but got no response from her. Then Trina clutched her chest and let out an earth shattering scream that rang in the ears of anyone near enough. The high pitched cry was punctuated by a sudden blue light that washed over the land.
Noxymis' hand was badly burned and the jewel that he once held in it was no more. Bemused by all of this; he began to flee but was met with Andre and his already unsheathed sword. The silver blade was covered in dark red when it exited through his back.
"Murderer of the King, my father," Andre then turned the sword as best he could, though it moved only a little, before pulling the sword out of his torso. Noxymis fell to his knees and looked up at the face of the son of the man he killed in cold blood. "That was for my father. And this..." he positioned his sword right behind Noxymis' neck. "...is for me, you bastard."
With a clean swipe, the head of the wrongdoer rolled pathetically through the door and eventually down the stairs.
Jadelyn had already run past Andre before the final blow was dealt when she had heard a raucous from the throne room. She ran faster when she saw a glimpse of someone familiar.
Victoria lay there motionless, Jadelyn falling to her knees to take her hand.
"NO! What has happened?"
"Princess!" Beckett exclaimed. "It is you!"
She looked at Trina, "Tell me what has happened, please!"
The elder sister just threw herself onto her long lost sibling and wept.
Jadelyn covered her mouth, tears pouring from her eyes. This could not be happening.
The princess was saved, by god. But the fearless knight lay slain.
A/N: I am sorry; I will try real hard to get the next one up pronto.