On the move

When the lighting show finished, Jason walked up to the gate a peered through.  The dark castle still loomed on the other side, the platform before it deserted.  It was only a few days ago that Cat and he stood just on the other side, staring back at Islesen.  Putting his hand on the cold stone, he choked back the memory.  Now, he was about to send another loved one back into the unknown, for a journey that could separate them for months.

Yassir stepped next to him, staring into the same darkness, examining it carefully.  He did not trust the elfin prince, but he trusted Shae.  Knowing Shae, she would do her damnedest to keep the arrogant b*****d on the right path.  Her persuasion mostly worked on Jason in the past, he chuckled at the thought.  She was strong willed, and very determined.  The priest was going to have his hands full if he veered from Norrelle's plans in the least bit.

As if reading his mind, the young woman pushed past Yassir so she could study the shadowy side of the portal.  Jason could not see her eyes, but imagined them examining every possible hiding point for a would be enemy.  After a few quick seconds, when she was satisfied she faced them.

"It appears safe," she announced.

"I gathered that," Yassir answered.  "We are ready then, let us delay no more."

Shae brushed past Yassir again, pushing him aside.  Surprising Jason, she wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, nearly choking him.  Feeling awkward, he slowly placed his arms around her.  Pulling her head back from his shoulder he saw the small tear tracing its way down her face.  Sniffling just a little she leaned in closer.

"I'm going to miss you milord," she whispered.  "You take care of yourself alright."

"I will my dear," he answered.  "You take care of yourself."  Leaning in closer to her he whispered, "and watch that priest, and his mother."

Winking at him as she stepped back from him she said softly, "like a hawk uncle."

Turning away from him she motioned to Yassir to step forward through the arcane gate.  As he did so, after two of his three men went in first, she drew her elfin blade and easily rested in on her shoulder.  Stepping to the gate she placed her free hand on the stone, pausing only to turn her head to Jason and smiled.  Then with a nod to Norrelle she walked through.  Jason watched her as she cautiously moved in several yards, turning once more looking at them all.

She stood there, grinning fearlessly with the unknown looming silently behind her.  Jason felt his stomach sink as he waved.  He was feeling as if this were the last time he was going to see her.  As Connacht passed by he reached out, turning him.  "Keep her safe," Jason said.

"I will," the half elf sneered, "not only for, but for me."  Following that, Connacht made his way through the gate, Rose went right behind him.

The third desert soldier started to step through the gate when the surface went black without warning. The half of the man's body that remained on this side, slid to the ground as Dajmal ran toward the blood covered wall and pounded on it, crying out Yassir's name.

* * *

Without thinking Shae slammed the oaken staff to the ground and instantly she felt at ease as an invisible barrier wrapped around them, protecting the small group.  She did not know how she did it, nor did Yassir, or so it appeared by the odd look he gave her.  The fact that she instinctively cast the spell was not her current concern.  It was the fact that someone or something closed the door that Yassir opened.

Turning, her elfish eyes quickly focused in the vast gray realm.  They were standing on a floating chunk rock in the endless plane of shadow.  Last week she fought her way through the castle that was carved from this very rock, whose large looming doors stood a distance in front of her.  It was behind those doors that the group got separated the last time they were all here, at a time they thought they were safe.  They foolishly dropped their guard only to get ambushed and separated.

She vowed not to let that happen again, despite the fact that they had seemingly walked into a trap.  Determined to take charge, Yassir stormed past her, without concern for any danger here or behind those massive doors.  He could not be that naïve to assume this now was not a trap.  Someone closed the damn portal.  Shae growled softly to herself, and then followed him and his two guards.  This was going to be a long trip she thought.

Glancing back she saw that Connacht and Rosalba were catching up to her as she walked swiftly, gaining on the stubborn priest.  "He's going to get us killed," Connacht snapped as he moved up on her right side.  She only nodded in agreement, keeping her anger silent.

Without warning, when they were about thirty-feet from the door, Rosa leapt forward in a sprint, dodging Yassir's personal guard she tackled the priest, bringing him to his knees.  In that same instant, a green orb of magical energy sailed from above, missing the now downed priest and slamming into the head of his soldier behind him.  The guards head instantly exploded, covering her face in blood.

Looking up, as she was diving for cover, she saw a large slender neck of a shimmering emerald green colored dragon lifting over the balcony above.  Connacht saw it too and ran as fast as he could toward the castle, she followed him at a dead run.  Pausing briefly, she turned as Yassir's last personal guard fearlessly stood his ground, lifting his elfin bow for a shot at the large beast.

Sliding to the floor near the castle wall, beneath the balcony that held the dragon, Shae watched a green mist ignite in the air, descending from above.  Covering the soldier instantly in a burning liquid mist the poor man ran in circles screaming as the flaming ooze clung to him.  She turned away as the soldier fell to the floor, crawling as the ooze dripped in flames off him along with his skin and muscle.  Finally, there was silence, but the heat was still nearly unbearable.

The thick flaming liquid cover the path behind, they had but one direction to go, through the doors.  Pushing herself along the floor to the iron door, she kept a watchful eye on both the flames and the edge of the balcony above.  Shae did not wish for the green beast to leap into its own flames only to attack them again.  Once her back was against the door, she stood, readying both her sword and the staff.

Standing at the same moment as she, Yassir moved to the door handle and placed his hand on it.  She lowered the staff across his arms before he could pull back on the large latching ring.  Glaring at her, he used his left hand to remove the staff.  As he did so, she used her right hand�"holding her sword�"and placed the blade over the metal ring, pushing it back toward the door.

"I beg your pardon," Yassir spoke, "I need to get through."

"You all most got us and yourself killed Yassir," she returned.  "You need to slow down.  This is obviously a trap, caution is advised."

"Then be cautious young Shae," he answered, "but I do not have time to tally!"

"What are a few minutes or hours in a journey that's weeks Yassir," Connacht spoke.

"Time I don't have," he answered, "now if you don't mind, I wish to proceed."

"You just lost your last to guards Yassir.  Men who died defending you and you still want to jump head long into the darkness?"

Looking behind them Yassir actually seemed sullen for a moment reflecting on the loss of his men.  Carefully grabbing her blade, he moved it aside.  "Their deaths are unfortunate and terribly unnecessary," grabbing the ring again.  "Madame Shae, I do know what's on the other side, it is not darkness but a misunderstanding.  The beast you saw was merely defending itself from what it did not know."

Pulling on the door, it cracked open slightly.  Yassir peered inside quickly, and then returned his gaze to the three of them.  "Please," he said, pushing the door closed just a little, "sheath your blades.  We do not wish to provoke another confrontation from this creature."

Shae was slightly confused; she did see a dragon didn't she?  The last few beasts like this Yassir stood in front of haughtily.  Now he chooses not to provoke a confrontation?  Leaning against the door, keeping it closed, she stared at Yassir questioningly.

"You do not have all the facts," he said with a grin.

"Enlighten us," she replied.

Gripping the door ring tighter, "in due time."

"How about now elf," Rosa said, after both Connacht and Rosa leaned on the door, pushing now all the way closed.

Intentionally showing much disgust and annoyance, Yassir backed away from the door.  Shaking his head and wiping his hands, he stood a few feet from her, glaring.  She did not flinch, but let her sheer determination to know the truth, the whole truth get out in the open.  "Time's wasting cousin," she said with a smile.

He huffed, looked back at the now dying flames, then huffed again as he started at them.  "If humans learned history accurately and not biased and full of human propaganda, then you would know what I know."