This is chapter forty - one. Thank you Dracula X and caitlinkeitorin for reviewing last chapter.
Chapter Forty - One: Revelation
Gillick pulled a double feint as he lunged forward towards the Dark Army Keyblader. He spun just as the man began to sidestep, attempting to slash him with his sword. However, the Keyblader was able to block the blow with his weapon, though the force of it still sent him skittering backwards. Hoping to catch him off balance, Gillick lunged forward, attempting to cut through him.
The Keyblader recovered before Gillick could finish his strike.
Frustrated, the warrior dropped to the ground, trying to knock the Keyblader's legs out from under him again. The man jumped easily over his swipe. "Do you really think I'd fall for the same trick twice?"
Gillick smirked. "I wasn't counting on it." And he stabbed his sword upward.
The Keyblader, caught in midair and off guard, could do little to defend himself. He drew his Keyblade around to try and block the blow, but it was sloppy, and ended up leaving him relatively defenseless. Gillick moved from a stab to a slash as the Keyblader fell, turning his body as well as his sword to cut a large, bloody gash through the man's clothes and skin. He gasped as he collapsed to the floor, his Keyblade disappearing into the darkness. Gillick rolled back to his feet, moving forward and lifting his sword to deal the final blow.
Then he stopped. The man was already dead.
Gillick lowered his sword, snorting. That was more trouble than it was worth. He looked to the door of the torture chamber. Now to get Silver out of here…
Gillick peered in through the door of the chamber before entering. She's holding her own, he admitted grudgingly. But we don't have time to wait and see how this plays out. He slipped into the room, rushing the Keyblader with his sword ready.
Silver shot him a sharp look when he entered. "I don't need your help."
"I wasn't coming to help you," he informed her dryly. "I was coming to drag you out of here."
"We can't leave without finishing the mission!" Silver argued furiously.
"What mission?" Gillick hissed.
They were both forced to focus on the Keyblader as he slashed at them. Gillick jumped back, out of range, while Silver blocked the strike with one of her swords, slashing the other towards his legs. He stepped to the side to avoid the blow, but was unprepared for Silver sliding her weapon down the shaft of his blade. Blood sprayed from his throat as it was cut open and he slumped to the ground.
Silver bent down to clean her sword of blood on the Keyblader's clothes, saying as she did, "The one where we foil the Dark Army's plans."
Gillick's eyes narrowed. "And you think attacking this place will do that?" he snarled furiously. "Aren't you supposed to be smart to lead an army?"
"Watch your tongue," Silver warned him, green eyes narrowed.
Gillick sheathed his sword. "We're leaving."
"You don't have the authority to do that, nor to you have my permission," Silver informed him.
"Good thing I wasn't asking for it." He grabbed Silver's arm and began dragging her away, despite her protests.
He felt pain on his wrist as she hacked at it with her sword. Furious, he whipped around, grabbing her hand and forcing her to move her own weapon up to her throat. "Listen! We can't do much here. This whole thing's been suspicious from the beginning, and these Keybladers aren't exactly normal. Right now, it's better to run and survive." His eyes narrowed. "And don't call me a coward again."
Silver held his gaze for a few moments, a stubborn light still glittering in her eyes, before she finally relented. "Fine," she growled. "We'll go…for now."
Gillick nodded, still wary as he let go of her arm and watched her sheath her swords. "Then let's get moving."
The two raced down the halls, not bothering to worry about prying eyes. "Do you remember the way to the exit?" Gillick asked.
"Of course I do," Silver responded, rolling her eyes.
Something's wrong. We aren't being followed. Gillick frowned, looking around him. However, he didn't have time to puzzle about why their assailants had let up on them, or if the Keybladers had found them simply by chance. Right now, he had to be focused on getting out.
Mala slipped into the relative safety of the trees, panting from supporting Allia's extra weight. The assassin gave a disapproving noise. "I'm not that heavy."
"Doesn't mean you don't feel that way," Mala panted.
"What was that?" Mala swallowed hard, clamping her mouth shut tightly. That was a dumb thing to say, she decided, not wanting to provoke the assassin into attacking her…though her logical mind told her that that would be unlikely, at the moment.
"We should regroup with the mages," Wurlo told them. Mala had run into the Moogle and his companion on her way out, and the two had joined her and Allia as they escaped.
Mala glanced nervously towards the Dark Army's fortress. "But…what about Gillick and Silver?"
"They can fight well enough," Allia growled. "Those Keybladers may be maniacs, but those to know their way around their weapons. They'll be fine."
"But even you couldn't escape them," Mala murmured.
"That's because their leader caught me off guard, and you're little friend had already left me fried." She looked at Mala's face and sighed. "Stop worrying; it's not doing anyone any good."
Mala swallowed hard. Could I go back in there…and help them? She felt her heart clench inside her chest. The idea of going back in there terrified her.
Then two shapes appeared from the 'hidden' side door and began racing towards them. Mala sagged in relief. "It's them!"
Allia snorted. "Apparently they took a more direct route," she hinted to Mala. At that point, however, the thief could care less what the assassin thought of her.
Gillick and Silver skidded up to them, panting and bloody. "You found Gig and Wurlo," Silver commented.
"Yeah," Mala replied with a nod. She glanced towards Gillick, and he gave her a subtle nod of approval.
Silver looked away. "Let's find the mages and head back. For now, our work is done."
The group of eight traveled in silence back to the Silver Fang's current camp. Each seemed to be occupied in his or her own thoughts. Gillick looked up to where Silver was walking; the assassin, who he'd discovered was named Allia, was now hanging off her to give Mala a break. His amber eyes narrowed. They were talking about something called a X-blade, he thought, and you know what it is.
He wanted in on this secret.
He quickened his pace to match Silver's. She glanced towards him. "Don't think I'm happy with you, Gillick. You'll be doing odd jobs around the camp, mark my words."
"What's the X-blade?"
Silver blinked, obviously caught off guard. "What?"
"You heard me," Gillick growled at her. "When those Keybladers were talking about the X-blade, when they were torturing her," he signaled to Allia, making the subject frown, "you knew what it was. Now I want some answers."
"You know?" Allia asked in surprise. "Well, isn't that…interesting."
Silver focused her gaze forward. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Gillick seethed with frustration. "Don't play dumb! I heard you!"
"Maybe you heard wrong."
Seeing that she was determined to be stubborn, he whipped around and barked, "Mala!"
The thief girl looked towards him, startled, before hurrying over. Riun, cocking his head curiously, decided to follow. Jish, Gig, and Wurlo all looked at what was going on curiously, but seemed not to be too interested and hung back.
Gillick turned his amber eyes to Mala. "You heard Silver talking about the X-blade, right?"
Silver shot her a death glare from burning green eyes. Mala looked at them nervously, then pointedly looked away. "Y-yeah."
"Why are we talking about the Keyblade?" Riun piped up.
"Oh, apparently, this 'X-blade' isn't the one we're all familiar with," Allia commented. She looked towards Allia. "And even if the thief hadn't confirmed it, you're suspicious behavior would have. So, spill it."
"No," Silver said firmly. "This isn't something that should be discussed."
"But secrets aren't fun," Riun said, looking up at Silver.
"He's right, you know," Mala commented. "How are we supposed to trust you if you hide things from us?"
Gillick looked away, thinking of a secret of his own that he was desperate to keep.
Silver looked them all over carefully, then relented with a sigh. "Fine. But the fewer who know, the better." She stopped, looking at the three remaining Silver Fang. "You three go on ahead; I need to discuss something with this group." Jish, Gig, and Wurlo all looked confused and curious, but didn't question the order.
"So what's the X-blade?" Gillick prompted after they'd left.
"Why does it sound like 'Keyblade'?" Riun added.
Silver sighed. "Where do I begin…?" She shook her head. "Well, I suppose the best place to start is when my home town was attacked by Keybladers." Mala flinched, Riun gasped, and Allia simply looked amused. Only Gillick's expression remained the same as she continued. "We hadn't chosen to align ourselves with either side yet, and, eventually, the Keybladers became sick of it. So, one day, the Light Army attacked us."
"The Light Army?" Mala whispered, looking pale.
Silver ignored her as if she'd never spoken. "They destroyed everything in their path, including lives. My parents hid me away in a secret compartment in our house; they never told me what it was initially built for. In any case, I hid there until the sounds of fighting ended. When I came out, I found my parents slaughtered. I was only about ten at the time."
Riun seemed to grow smaller. "I don't like this story."
"You guys are the ones that asked," Silver reminded him. She shook her head. "Besides, it's in the past; nothing can be done."
Gillick snorted in grim amusement. "And you think just because it's over means it stops hurting? If you do, you're an even bigger fool than I thought you were."
Silver turned to glare at him, fury burning in her eyes. "I never said that! Don't put words in my mouth!"
Gillick was unfazed. "Whatever. The X-blade?"
"Right," Silver murmured, looking away, though she still appeared angry. "My parents didn't go down without a fight, and the entire house was a mess. As I rummaged through the wreckage, a found an old book…one which I'd seen my mother keep close to her person nearly at all times. She let no one look at it, not even my father. Originally, I took it as a keepsake, and left the ruined town. As I wandered, however, I began to read the book, and discovered something interesting."
"And that's about the X-blade?" Allia guessed.
Silver nodded. "The X-blade, apparently, was a very powerful form of the Keyblades we are familiar with, able to open some gate to a power known as Kingdom Hearts. There wasn't too much about the details of what this 'power' could do, and only a little about the X-blade itself. Mostly, it was about how to forge the weapon."
"I see. So that's how this interference came about."
The five started at the new voice, and whipped around to face the direction it had come from. Gillick's eyes widened in shock. That's the man who gave me my sword!
"Sir, I followed them with my magic strings, like you asked."
The Dark Army Keyblader looked to his companion. "Good. And what did you find?"
"That woman, Silver, knows how to forge the X-blade."
The Keyblader in charge of operations at the Dark Army prison started, then a wicked grin appeared on his face. "Really? How intriguing. Send word to Master Viril; I'm sure he'll want to know."
"At once, sir."
The Dark Army Keyblader turned around, still grinning. "You'd better look out, Light. You're days are numbered."
That's the end of chapter forty - one. Review, please?