Hello everyone chapter 12 is ready for her reading now you'll see who commands the rats


(Night time) between river and city of the rats

Everyone what's surprised to hear jasmine saying she didn't wanna go on the quest "Ive thought about it and it looks like this is where you guys carry on without me" jasmine said. Lief said "but jasmine aftee all we've been through you can't leave us now" jasmine said"what's the point if all were gonna do is put another king in the palace". Lief was surprised " ive been thinking about what that stranger said and it's been bugging me" jasmine said "what stranger?" Lief said.

"Remember that man in toms shop the one with the big ugly scar on his face"jasmine said. Everyone remembered what the man said"the thorns have nothing to do with it,theagen has not been the only ruler their the result of a hundred years of poverty and neglect by a ruler who supposedly cared for his people".

"Its weird but I was thinking the same thing it was the kings job to keep that road clear of thorns to right?" Jasmine said. "Okay what are you getting at jasmine!?" Lief said "i know the shadowlord had ruin deltora, but look at this city it was a mess way before he took over their was a king on the throne when all this happened". "Ya I've thought of that too, but the king had no idea this was going on servants of the shadowlord were deceiving him all along" lief said "no offense but I don't buy that for a second,you actually think that the king was so blind he couldn't see this happening I bet the king just made all this up so the people wouldn't blame him" jasmine said.

Lief said"that's what really happened!" Jasmine then said"how can you be so sure about that? Were you there when it happened". "Uh of course I wasn't but it's what I've been told" lief said "so you're saying you totally believe something someone told you, that totally makes you no different than the king" jasmine said. Lief was angry he said "whats your problem anyway!" Jasmine replied "whatever" barda had enough saying"cut it out both of you" this caused everyone to look at him. Barda said"what good is it? if she's fighting for something she doesn't believe even in there's no right or wrong in this situation it's Jasmine's decision to make and that's it".

Jasmine said"your right barda I began this quest only because my mother said it would be good for me to go with you guys but she never said anything about having to finish it". "So good luck im going home now" jasmine said "hey wait!" Lief said this got jasmines attention "what is it?" Jasmime asked. Lief was hesitant said "well i um" jasmine said "just say it whats the matter cat got your tounge!" Lief was angered said"do whatever you want to OK!" Jasmine replied "don't worry I will" this made barda and cal sad.

Cal got his voiced heard"while we're on this subject. I think it's time I leave this group too" everyone never expected cal to say this. Lief said"no cal not you too why" cal replied "cause jasmine makes a point about what the king has done". "I cant believe you agree with her!?" Lief said"hey I'm my own life form I make my own decisions plus the reason I stayed here for so long was because i owed barda my life" cal said. Barda replied"what do you mean by that cal?" Cal explained" you had saved my life in the forest of silience from the wenbar and then I helped save yours from jin and jod the debt was paid in one land ago".

Everyone was shocked then barda said"well that's your decision then I am grateful that you help us so far" cal replied"the honor was all mine i'm glad I got to know all of you". Lief said" where will you go to now?" Cal replied"I will head back to the forest of silence with Jasmine,filli and kree we can set a play dates baggy and hatter want to have social interactions".

(Night time) half way near the entrance to the city of the rats

Everyone is close to the city of the rats cal had given lief and barda their ra-kacharze uniforms and two of them headed into the city of the rats cal and jasmine followed them. Lief said"I thought you two were going to go back home so why do you keep following us?!" Jasmine replied"I am going home it just happens to be in the same direction and you guys are walking in front of us" cal said"you really need to check a map lief". "Oh really!?" Lief said "ya really!?" Jasmine replied back cal had "enough quiet. Both of you now is not the time for your petty bickering".

They had just reached the entrance to the city of tge rats lief looked behind saw jasmine and cal barda padded lief shoulder said"jasmine,cal just so you know from here were going straight to the center of the city". Jasmine replied"well we are going that way" while pointing to their left "i see" barda said cal and jasmine said"bye" lief turned said "take care of yourselves" jasmine replied"ya you too" cal said"same here". Lief turned around while saying "come on barda lets go" barda looked back then front saying"it's not too late to change your minds". Jasmine and cal unison said"we know" and then barda turned around and followed lief. Kree tgen cawed and landed on Jasmine's, extending right arm upward "its just the three of us again like when we were in the forset of silence" jasmine said kree cawed and filli hummed then rubbed up jasmines face.

Cal said"well actually it's the six of us on our own" and baggy and hatter popped up their limbs and animal features. They to had agreed with cal after they popped of from their habitat in cals belt "of course you are right cal".

(Night time) city of rats inside aand outside

Barda and lief are walking through the city of the rats homes barda asked"are you sure about this lief?" Lief replied"you heard jasmine and cal its not like we can force them to come with us". "Im asking you this is what you want" barda said lief stoped turned around answering"i'm here for one reason, and one reason only and that's to get the third gem for the belt of deltora". Barda said"well said" lief said"speaking of the belt its starting to get warm just like it did when we were close to the other gems" barda replied "thats good". Lief turned looked up and said"I have a feeling it's somewhere in this big tower" barda replied"then that's where we should go" lief said"ya"

(Night time) inside the city of the rata tower

A very big door frame with two doors inside it one of them swung open and from the other side lief poked his head through and walked in. Barda said"damp, dark perfect if your a rat"then followed lief "the belt got even warmer as soon as we entered that must mean we're really close to it now". "Can you tell which direction?" Barda asked lief pointed ahead said"that way".

Barda had to squeeze by some rock debris's suddenly they heard shaking and pebbles began, falling from the ceiling they both looked up. What happened next was a piece of the ceiling fell down and a whole swarm of rats camepouring down "weve got company" barda said as he drew his sword. The rats started to head towards them lief drew his sword then another piece of the ceiling fell behind them and rats were starting to pour down from behind them "we're surrounded" barda said. Lief said"they're not biting us thanks to these suits but there's no way we can make our way through them" bard said "has to be a way".

The rats came pouring down making a swarm much bigger" this isn't good soon we will be buried alive in rats" lief said "lief get out the fire beads that outta scare these rats away from us" barda said. Lief said"great idea, but I finished the bottle last night" barda said"I thought we had two bottles with us I remember buying two of them from toms shop!?". "If we did I don't have the second bottle" lief said "oh no I can't stop them!?" Barda said while rats reached the level of his chest in a swarm. Then a fire bead was tossed turn into fire, and as soon as it landed on the ground, the rat scurried away from it soon as second one showed up "where did that come from?" Lief said. A third one showed up "you're welcome" jasmine said lief and barda looked up to see jasmine up there along with cal who had baggy and hatter in their bag and hat form.

Lief said "what are you two doing here?" Jasmine replied "we'll tell you later now start climbing" in the next scene we see a lot of roaring fires on the floor, scaring the rats away. Everyone was on the place where Jasmine and Cal are still are "you saved us once again Jasmine and Cal" barda said "did you come just to rescue us?" Lief said. "Yeah well someone had to you guys are hopeless without me" Jasmine said cal replied"I decided to follow Jasmine on this" lief asked"but how did you end up with a bottle of fire beads?". Jasmine replied"I guess that's something you need to learn about me lief I can get whatever I want" lief and barda looked at each other the back to Cal and Jasmine.

Jasmine said "but more importantly it's dangerous here you know we are in the rat den" lief said" your right there's a way out over there" pointing between jasmine and cal "so are you coming with us Jasmine and Cal? I think it be a lot safer for everyone if we stuck together" barda said. Jasmine replied"hub maybe for you remember we're the ones who just saved your butts again" cal said "ya she has got you there guys" cal said jasmine then added"but we were going to go that way anyway besides, I wanna see how our fearless leader handles himself". This got lief all riled up, said"are you saying" Jasmine answered "what do ya think" barda and cal hummed in pleasing because of this.


(Night time close to sunrise)somewhere in the city of rats

Our adventures are seen walking through a room, but you can only see the floor with the same symbol on top of the tower. Then walking on a small and medium size bridge and walking up on a curved stair well followed by walking through room with broken stuff and cobwebs forming that has seen better days. We see our adventures reach a doorway arch that has a symbol on top of the city and walk right through it "this looks like some sort of hall" barda said. "What's that?" Jasmine said as soon as they stopped in front of them was a giant pillar "the main pillar I guess not even those rats could chew their way through of all that" barda said.

Lief took off his uniform said "maybe they knew not to take it down if that fell, the whole roof would come down on top of them and then this hall would be flooded with bright sunshine". Filli was shaking in fear his behind jasmines neck "fili seems to be afraid of something I have a feeling we're not alone" cal added "i can sense it to, be on your guard everyone". Then barda took off his uniform and Cal said"baggy ala barda and lief uniforms they just took off" and baggy grabbed them with her rainbow tentacles and swallowed them up. After that was done cal said "baggy,hatter things are getting messy"they both nodded, turn into a silver and gold orbs and went right into his belt.

Lief grunted said "the belt its getting really hot its burning me "we see the belt with the topaz and the ruby which is glowing pink. Barda said "it's a good sign were getting close" lief said "ya maybe, i've got a bad feeling that we're in danger but the belt is telling me that I gotta keep on going" jasmine said"stop it lief It's creepy enough in here without you starting up".

In front of them darkness "lief of del" a voice said this caused surprise to lief "welcome lief of del come here to me" voice said. Jasmine said "what's going on?" Barda said "is something wrong leif?" Cal added "yeah you look like you've been hypnotized". lief said "do you guys hear that? That voice" jasmine said "voice did you hear anything? barda and cal" barda said "no just the two of you arguing" cal said"I didn't hear anything just now". "I've been waithing for you now please come,come to me" voice said "there it is seriously can't you guys hear that" lief said.

Jasmine said "what are you talking about" lief said "the voice is telling me to come to it"and he started walking forward. "Hey lief where do you think you're going?" Jasmine said "it looks as though he's been put under spell" barda said "hypnotize called it" cal said. As lief walked voice said "come to me yes" lief mesmerized said "it must be the gem guiding me thats what it is" then his friends rushed over to him barda with his hand on lief shoulder "come on lief snap out of it" he said.

"You don't have to worry barda it's the gem calling me" lief said this surprised barda looked in front saw the dark "great the darkest part of the hall" barda said. Jasmine replied "wait a sec could use that weird pipe" while reaching into her bag "yet another item you took from us" barda said cal answered"hey I can't control what she takes". "Ya whatever you guys really shouldn't get hung up over such pettey things" jasmine said she had lifted up the wind top part of the pipe blow into the end and the ball part rolled up into a face that blew out light bubbles.

Jasmine had blowed a grand total of six light bubbles from the pipe showed a giant scaley pruole face "I told you we are not alone" jasmine said as another light bubble formed and pop. Lief said "are you the one who's been calling me this whole time?" Voice said "that is correct I've been calling you lief of del". He started to walk forward "no stop lief don't go any further" barda said "its to dangerous" jasmin said "don't go anywhere near that" cal said. "But I have no choice the belt is telling me that I must go" lief said while he continue to walk forward.

Voice said "that's right you shall come to me I've been waiting for you for so long" lief said after stopping "but I don't know who or what you are?". Voice said "i am the one,i am reeah now come closer, come over here" lief said "do you have the gem?" Reeah said "the gem is this what you're looking for" while the gem shined. Barda said "its the opal" the opal the symbol of hope has shines with all the colors of the rainbow can give glimpses into the future and helps those with weak eyesight.

Lief said "yeah we've found the third gem" reeah said "now remove the thing around your waist" lief said "the belt?" Reeah replied "that's right take it off and cast it away". While reeah said that last part lief took his cloak off, then his sword he unbuttoned his blue shirt took of his brown belt "lief what do you think you're doing?!" Barda said whike had his hands on liefs shoulder.

Lief said "let me go" jasmine rushed grabbed him and saying "no lief" cal reached behind grabbed him while saying "I wouldn't do that if I were you". Jasmine said "come on snap out of it" lief struggled saying"get off me" then he touched the topaz with his right hand and it glowed. Lief had snapped out of the trance thanks to the topaz "don't listen to what this creature is saying, lief you must never take that belt off" barda said "I know so why was I" reeah said "so you've touched the topaz no matter". Then the opal shined temporarily blinding our group and then they saw Reeahs form he is a giant purple snake with a pink extra skin underbelly, his mouth can split four ways and on top is horny head with many horns one with his crown that holds the opal.

Barda said "that is one enormous snake" cal added "he seems big enough to eat us like a piece of bread". "I am reeah the masters chosen one, and I will soon have that belt of yours" reeah said then roared "then you'll have to fight me for it" lief said drawing his sword. Reeah just stood in the center light still shining through the windows "I don't get it why hasn't it attack us yet"jasmine said "because of the power of the Ruby it's written in the belt of deltora" lief said.

The great ruby symbol of happiness red as blood, grows pale in the presence of evil or when misfortune threatens it's where. Lief said "it wards off evil spirits and is an antidote for snake venom isn't reeah" reeah said "it's true the magic you have in your possession is strong lief of del but I assure you it's not strong enough to save you".

Then the opal on reeahs small brown crown glowed and suddenly everyone's weapons dropped down as if pressure weight has been put on them "I can't move" jasmine said. Lief said "barda jasmine im gonna distract him with cal for as long as we can, while we're doing that sneek around and grab the opal" barda said "distract him how?". He replied" I don't really know, but we will think of something" cal said while twisting his right belt dial "got it lief, for the glory of great daylight is mine to command" and transformed into his golden armor. Both cal and lief charged forward with their weapons"lief cal" barda/jasmine said when they jumped and landed lief said "i've got the power of the ruby and a strong ally with me reeah i think your bluffing even with your powers you won't be able to defeat me".

Reeah laughed said "im impressed by your courage but you cannot defeat me lief of del" lief said" how is it even though we never met you already know my name". "I have the gem that reveals the future I am all powerful, I am reeah the Shadow lords choosen one" reeah said "are you the one who forced the people of this city to flee and fear" lief said. Reeah said "that race of sniffling humans didn't deserve to live here, this city has always belong to me my rats drove them out" lief said "why would you do that?" He answered "in order to protect the opal, of course I am to do so at all cost, so I plagued the humans with diseases until finally they fled never to return".

Lief said"you're a monster,what gives you the right to possess the opal in the first place!?" Reeah said "the Shadow lord entrusted the opal and this city to me, I do not question his commands soon the entire world will be ruled by my master". "We will never allow that to happen the Shadowlord will never rule!" Lief shouted Cal added "he may not be a rat animal, but he sure is one in nature". Reeah said "watch your tongue lief of del and cal what can mere humans do against the might of my master" lief said "I have the power to hope for a better future,deltora will be the great kingdom it once was and in order for that to happen I'm gonna defeat you and return that opal to the belt".

Cal said "and I am only half human thank you very much" reeah then rose up and strikes luckly lief and cal got out of the way on each side. Then lief and cal rammed their swords into the side of reeah piercing his scaley skin reeah thrashed nocking lief on the ground with his sword. Cal on the other hand had used the whips in his back armor to keep him from skidding back to far and got back on his feet then he popped a vile blade from his left arm touched the end of the sword with it to collect a purple blood sample from his sword when he got enough, he shook it off. After he had collected the blood sample in the vile blade he said "baggy ala this blood sample" then a rainbow tentacle popped up from the left shoulder, grabbed it and baggy put it inside of her.

Then reeah started to thrash above glow bright orange lief and cal began to run because reeah was in the healing process this caused his old skin to shoot out like spikes. Reeah had recovered quickly his orange light dimmed down then yelled "I will never forgive you for that" suddenly the ground began to shake with debris barda behind stone said "look out lief and cal".

What arises from the rocks is two additional heads "eh yuck he's got three heads" jasmine said this surprised lief reeah x3 said "as I said before your magic is strong, but it is nothing compared to the mighty reeah you are mine lief of del". lief had dodged but got hit by the snakes other head and collide next to the slithering body of the other hurting his right shoulder. Jasmine said "lief" barda while running twoards replied"are you all right?" Reeah the cut lief off from the others "lief of del I will swallow you hole along with that precious belt of yours" reeah x3 said.

When reeah slithered swallowed lief when he was still in reeahs mouth cal said "release" and his golden armor, disappeared back into the belt. Cal said "its time to unleash the beast" and in a twilight sphere, he transformed this got reeahs attention and cal transformed into his creature side. Cal's creature side had changed with new features his muscle mass grew twelve percent bit more with a big shark fin on his back,grew to eight feet in hight,his feet paws turned into ape like feet paws, his tail grew in a medium length and had two fins at the end, his horns on his head four of them on the back merged into S shaped horns.

Cal said "jasmine help me slice him now" while he jumped up he clenched his paw hands into a fist punched the his arm stretched and when the fist got close his fist and curled, and his claws popped out to slash him with his claw paw hands jasmine followed with her dagger. They bothed slashed the belly of the head the that swallowed lief and reeah spat him out lief was falling then barda ran behind and catched grabbed him cushioning liefs fall. Reeah shouted x3 "the belt, the belt" then barda jumped in front of leaf wielding his sword"not so fast" barda said while charging he stopped reeah for a moment, but the snake knocked him away.

Lief got up wield his sword and as reeah charged at him lief charged back he hit his sword on reeahs crown knocking it off the snakes horned head. Then reeah knocked lief back into a column without the gem reeah roared in agony since he could no longer see in the dark. Reeah's three heads kept thrashing causing thing the roof to crack which will eventually crush him to his demise barda carried liefs body and ran away along with jasmine and cal in his creature form.

(day time) outside the city of rats

We see smoke appearing out of the top of the city of rats main tower, indicating either the snakes continued thrashing or he is no more. Our adventures are at a safe distance from the city of rats lief was lying on his cloak with barda on his right, jasmine on his left and cal behind him then transformed back into his human self. Jasmine said" lief,lief" barda said"lief come on you gotta open your eyes" cal said"you just can't give up now" jasmine said"I know let's try some of the nectar from the lilies of life" while she reached for it.

Barda said "you mean the stuff that saved my life before?" Jasmine said"yeah if we get him to drink some, we may be able to save him" cal said" yes I believe that should just do it". Jasmine poured a small drop of nectar in liefs mouth nothing happend then lief stirred and open his eyes "lief,lief" jasmine said "you're going to be ok" barda said. Lief got up with his strength and Cal's support strength "what happened?" Lief said "you were with us fighting a giant snake" cal said lief looked at the bottle said"thank you I see you spared some of your nectar".

Jasmine said "there's not much left you know, only enough for maybe one last time" lief said"I said thank you" this surprised jasmine. Lief said"I have a pretty strong feeling that as long as I'm on this quest, i'm gonna be doing a lot more reckless stuff, you know I couldn't find the right words last night but I figured out what's gonna happen at the end of this quest, freedom for people like manus and tira for all of deltora from the rule of the ShadowLord".

"I hope so and speking of being reckless, I actually thought I could take care of that thing with this little knife, but your right lief we're not fighting just to put another king in the palace, we're fighting so the people of deltora can be free again and live in peace like they used to". Lief said "i'm glad you feel that way" jasmine replied "I know we dont see eye to eye on pretty much anything but, one thing both of us believe in is freedom and I'll fight for it like tira did when she risked her life to save us and one day will return to free tira and the others".

Lief nodded looked at barda who said "yes" then lief looked at cal by barda he replied"what's your answer cal?" Cal replied "I will join you on your quest". "By the way what happened to reeahs crown did you get it?" Lief asked barda looked down said "we didn't we were in such a hurry to escape". Lief said"oh no" then jasmined laughed barda said "jasmine" then cal started to giggle "we didn't get reeahs crown, but we did find this little beauty" barda said while holding up the opal.

"Barda don't play around with me like that" lief said jokingly "here" barda said while handing the opal over to lief "thank you" lief said while getting the opal. Then the opal started to glow bright and lief was getting a vision of the future.

Liefs vision

In liefs vision the location is a sandstorm in a desert lief could hear buzzing covered both his ears with his hands. Lief shouted"barda,jasmine,cal" then the vision stopped.

(Back to the present)

Lief was surprised what just happened then he closed his hands on the opal "I always knew the opal had the power to tell the future but I wasn't expecting to be all alone in such a terrifying place". Barda placed a hand on liefs shoulder"well don't forget that the opal is also the gem of hope" this seemed to calm lief down he then looked down and opened his hands to see the opal "yeah you're right barda".

And so lief acquired the third gem of the belt of deltora the opal kree then came landed on jasmines arm cawing. Jasmine said"I don't know where the fourth gem is hidden or where we gotta go to get it but there's no way it could be any more dangerous than what we've already been through, im sure of it". Cal said"the location probably will be dangerous but then again, what's an adventure without a little excitement".

Lier said"so I guess that means you two have decide to continue the quest with us" jasmine said "I don't have a choice do I now that you've made it about freedom and all". Cal said "i'm with her the people and every creature in Deltora need to be free and happy" lief smiled since Jasmine and Cal decided to join.

And that's a wrap for chapter 12 well everyone our next chapter will be a story within the story after all the question of the present can be answered by the past