A/N: Last chapter here for the night! …Maybe. Depends on how mean I feel like being with the cliffhanger… MWAHAHAHA.
Ahem. I mean… Tee hee.
ONWARD!
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Chapter Eight: The Staff of Wisdom
"So, you're still alive," a voice suddenly said from behind. Both Eric and I jumped, turning. My heart sank.
It was Hertz. Next to her, stood Alfendi, holding the sword we had seen at the entrance of the cave. His eyes still held that look of overbearing concentration.
"We won't die that easily," Eric snarled.
"Hmph," she huffed, staring him down, perhaps remembering the first time she tried to kill him, that time by pushing him off the roof of an incredibly high tower. She then turned her attention to the now open door, just beyond us.
"And yet again, you managed to beat me to the entrance to the city," she snapped. She then looked at Alfendi.
"If they so much as step out of line, or disobey one of my commands, kill them," she said.
"Yes," Alfendi answered in a monotonous voice. I shivered slightly at that, before looking at the woman.
"Lead the way," she said. With a sigh, I turned back to the door. The path immediately sloped downwards, and Eric, injured as he was, didn't have full balance. I took his arm and helped him down.
When we reached the bottom, I couldn't help but gasp in surprise. The buildings spiraled upwards towards the roof of the large cavern. Unlike the City of Bronze, which had luminous fungi on the ceiling, the light had a watery quality to it as it filtered down from the lake above. I studied it, surprised.
The entire city was under a transparent dome, underneath a huge lake.
Along the main road, leading to the palace, rivers ran on either side. Washed up on the banks of these rivers were different silver artifacts, ancient items mingling with modern ones.
"Part of the festival is that the people of Caneopa throw something silver into the lake, as thanks for their wealth," Eric breathed, slowing slightly to inspect something. Alfendi gently prodded him with the sword, reminding him to keep moving forward.
"So, what. We're going to the palace?" I asked, glancing back at the woman.
"Yes," Hertz said, staring forward.
"Heh. I remember the last time you forced me to the palace…" I muttered. Hertz must have heard me.
"This time will be different," she growled.
"Oh? How so?" I asked.
"Because this time, I have your little brother under my command, holding a sword to your back," she replied. I frowned, glancing over at Alfendi. He continued to watch between Eric and I, the sword held comfortably in his hand.
Suddenly, Eric groaned, grasping at his side. That's when I remembered the painkillers had worn off before we took our first break. I quickly looked over, seeing the pain in his eyes just before he covered it up.
"Eric?" I asked.
"I'm fine," he replied, his voice tight. I bit the inside of my cheek, watching him as we walked, until suddenly, he stumbled, falling to his knees. I dropped down next to him.
"Eric!? Hey, it's probably okay if you take—"
"Get up!" Hertz snarled.
"His rib is cracked," I snapped at her. "Let him take some painkillers and a short break, then we'll continue." I reached into my bag, and she grabbed my arm, yanking my up. The ibuprofen I had in my hand rolled across the street… and into the water.
"I said get up. Now," she growled.
"No," I said, yanking my arm away from her and hoping, beyond hope, I had some other kind of painkillers in my bag.
"Alfendi," Hertz said, before I had the chance to look. I looked up at Al as he walked forward, raising the sword above his head for an overhead downward stroke. My eyes suddenly latched on to an artifact not too far from my right hand. I quickly snatched it up and brought it into a blocking position, just as Alfendi swung his sword down, locking his blade against the blade of my own silver sword.
I quickly surged up while Alfendi was off guard and off balance, pushing him back. With our blades still locked, I gave a deft twist of my wrist, attempting to disarm him.
I'm happy I managed to convince the professor to teach me how to fence. I just wish he had waited before doing the same with Alfendi. He easily countered the disarming method, and I nearly lost my own sword.
The two of us fought, our swords glancing off of the other's. I was trying to disarm Alfendi. He was possibly trying to kill us. I ducked under one of his horizontal attacks before quickly rising within his guard, ready to bring the ornate hilt of my sword down on the indent of Alfendi's right arm, another disarming technique. Alfendi anticipated it though, and rammed his shoulder into my chest, throwing me back and off balance. As I stumbled back, Alfendi leapt forward, the blade of his sword snaking around mine and wrenching it from my hand, flinging it away. His shoulder connected with my chest again, and I slammed into the ground on my back, winded.
"Flora!" Eric cried, just as Alfendi appeared above me, the point of his sword at my throat.
It wavered slightly.
Wait a minute…
"That's enough, Alfendi," Hertz said, appearing next to him. "I have plans for her." Alfendi took a step back, moving the sword away from me, and Hertz hauled me to my feet by the collar of my shirt.
"That was just a warning, girl. Pull any more stupid stunts, and it'll be the boy who gets it," she snarled, pointing at Eric. I looked over at him, where he still had his arm wrapped around his torso, holding his right side.
"Please, he's in pain," I said softly. Hertz gave me a shake before tossing me back.
"Tough. He'll just have to deal with it," she said. With a sigh, I carefully helped him up. He groaned softly, gripping the fabric of my blouse.
"Good try," he mumbled.
"Heh. Thanks," I muttered back, taking half of his weight and helping him forward. We soon reached the palace, an airy, ornate building, and entered.
The walls were covered in drawings and ruins. I studied them, but didn't recognize any from the numerous Azran volumes the Professor owned.
"Guess you were right," I breathed, and Eric gave a breathy chuckle. The four of us continued through the building, until finally, we reached the throne room.
The throne room was about eight stories tall, pillars stretching far above our heads to connect to the vaulted ceiling. It stretched before us, large enough to fit a few hundred people, with the throne sitting at the head of the room on a raised dais.
Next to the throne stood a silver rod, ornately decorated with amethyst gems on the top and intricately carved along the length of the staff.
"The Staff of Wisdom…" Hertz breathed, before nudging us forward. We walked along a plush, purple rug running the length of the room in the center, until finally, we stood at the foot of the dais.
"Alfendi, take Eric from Flora," Hertz commanded. Alfendi stepped forward, grabbing Eric's arm, and yanking him from me. Eric gasped in pain, staggering, and gripping Alfendi's shoulder to keep from falling.
"Careful! He's hurt!" I snapped, stepping forward. Alfendi leveled the sword with my chest, forcing me to stop.
"Flora, go get the Staff for me," Hertz said. I frowned.
"Why should I?" I demanded. The sword point moved closer to my heart, and I backed off. "Never mind," I muttered, before making my way up the steps of the dais. I studied the staff for a moment – it was beautiful – before taking it, carefully lifting it from its stand.
The sound of moving, ancient machinery filled the air, and the dais jerked, throwing me off balance.
Suddenly, from each side of the dais, bars shot into the air, forming a cage around me and trapping me on the platform.
"H-hey!" I gasped.
"I knew this one was booby-trapped," Hertz said with a smirk, before walking up to the bars. "Now then, give me the Staff, Flora."
I hesitated. If I gave her the Staff of Wisdom, she would have everything she needs to enter the City of Gold.
But if I didn't give her the Staff, she would make Alfendi hurt Eric.
I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Neither option was a good one. After all, who knew what the City of Gold contained?
"I'll take your silence as a refusal," Hertz said darkly, before turning to Alfendi.
"Kill him," she said, pointing at Eric.
…
A/N: And here's the answer to everyone who wondered if the Professor gave in to teaching Flora how to fence.
Yes, yes he did. And she took to it like a moth to flame. Just not… as well as Alfendi did, because let's face it…
Also, I combined chapters eight and nine, because both were pretty short. Aaaaand… that's as far as I had back written. Now, I guess I should go to bed for work tomorrow. Ugh…