Chapter 11
Rescue?
Tailan fell to his knees, but was right back up on his feet before he had truly ever fallen.
“I AM THE WORLD'S POWERFULLEST WIZARD!” He roared, “MY MAGIC CANNOT BE 'STOLEN' BY SOME ROWDY GROUP OF IDIOTS!!!”
On and on he cussed and cursed. The others tried to calm him down, but it was to no avail. It was only Natalia that stood alone, staring at the door that Tailan had failed to open.
“Please Tailan!” Magenta begged, “They will hear you!”
“LET THEM HEAR ME!” Tailan shouted, “WHEN THEY COME RUNNING IN HERE, I'll show those sons of Leprechauns just HOW WE WIZARDS FIGHT!!!” He ran toward the wall and began beating it with the flats of his hands. “COME AND GET ME YOU COWARDS!!!”
Someone large and strong grabbed Tailan from behind. Corr was now done with his healing session and had come over to subdue the furious wizard. Corr grabbed him in a deathlock and pulled him close to his chest so he could hiss in his ear, “DO YOU WANT TO DIE?”
The words sent chills up even my spine. Corr had the ability and strength to end Tailan's life right now. But why would Corr do such a thing? Corr was gentle and kind. He would only kill something if it would protect something else, more important to him.
Strange... What was that thing that was most important to him?
On my shoulder, Argenteus' grip tightened. I looked over at her, but she did not look at me. Her eyes were all for Corr. She was watching him. At first, I assumed she was making sure that he would not truly hurt Tailan, but then I realized Tailan was not the one she was watching. Her eyes truly were ALL for Corr.
I tried to get her to focus back on walking, and she succesfully made it to the opposite wall. It was then, as I placed her against it for support, that I felt a tug on my shirt. I looked down to see little Jaco with a frightened expression splayed across his face.
“Voliclah.” He says, in his heavy accented voice, “I ded not sine up for dis. I would like to leave the gwoup as sune as possiblay.”
I nod, “I understand Jaco. Not everyone can take all of this pressure.”
He nods back, “As sune as we get out?” He asks timidly.
“If we get out.” I correct him.
“Volicla!” Ammie shouts, her ear pressed to the door, “There's something out there!”
“No doubt a raid.” I muttered. I turned to the rest of my crew, “Alright!” I commanded, “Even though we are weaponless, we stand our ground!”
“But we'll die!” Natalia spat.
“True.” I nodded, “But atleast we won't have to see the Table Fortro's ugly faces again.”
No one but Coral laughed, and even then, Coral's laugh did not last long. They didn't find our near demise amusing.
“Don't you think it better if we surrendered,” Artemis asked quietly. She looked up at me with her different colored eyes, her golden one seemed to shine. “We have a better chance of survival then.”
I was about to argue, when all of the sudden, the rustling and chaos coming from behind the door ended, and the steel entrance was blown off it's hinges.
Everyone froze. There was no telling what was going to come out. All prepared for battle. I took a stance. Corr released Tailan, who's icy brown eyes were fixed on the smoke whisping out of the door.
In clonked a heavy metal foot.
And then another.
Until they had both led to one man, covered in metal from head to toe. His helmet covered his face, and the gun had been his own hand. He lifted his head to peer around the room.
“Magic users in here?” He grunted, in a voice that didn't sound like it would be his own.
No one moved.
“I said, MAGIC USERS IN HERE!?” he demanded, taking another clonking step forward.
Tailan, with his still damaged pride, stepped forward. “I am!” He announced.
The crowd waited, but the man in the metal suit did not move toward him. Instead, something behind him did. Something purple whisked out of the door toward him, pushing him down to the ground. In a tangle of purple, smoke, and robes, Tailan found himself pinned to the ground by a woman. She had a long smile and wide colorful eyes. “Got him John.” She reported.
John nodded, “Bring him here.”
“Hey!” It was Natalia who found the umph to speak. “Don't you dare! He's part of our group, and I will fight you to the death you scavenging cowards!”
John turned toward her, his eyes still shadowed over by his helmet. “Who are you?”
“I am Natalia!” She harrumphed, “And you may not take Tailan!”
John smirked. “Oh really? Are you one of them too?”
It was then that I noticed his procedure. His way of interrogating, his specific design on his suit. The way he kept everyone in check. It was the same as what I had learned... at the TUSC academy.
“What are your orders!” I yelled across the room before Natalia could answer his question.
I saw one eye glint at me as he turned his head to look at me. “Excuse me?”
“Your orders.” I said, taking strides toward him, at the head of my group. “What are they?”
Within five feet of him, he held up his gun straight at my chest. “Take all Magic Users. Kill those not of.”
I scoffed. “And that's what they told you at TUSC?”
I visibly saw him flinch. “What?”
“You're from TUSC aren't you?”
He didn't flinch this time. “I might be. What is it to you?”
I motioned to the rest of my crew. “We're TUSC too.”
Slowly, he looked around the room, while lowering his gun. “What are YOUR orders?” He asked.
“Protect all Magic Users AND those not of.”
“And map out Drad.” I heard Argenteus cough from the back.
At this, John's head perked up, “You are to go to Drad too?” He asked.
“Yes.” Corr said firmly, “Now would you please ask your lady to get off of my friend.”
Tailan had not been saying anything for a while, and as I looked over, I saw that he wasn't moving either. “What'd you do to him!?” I exclaimed, rushing closer to his side.
The woman getting up looked at me. “I found he was under a binding spell.” I looked down at her hands, and she seemed, as if she was some sort of mime, to be pulling a thread out of Tailan. “I'm unbinding him.” She gave the imaginary string a tug, and Tailan jerked, “It's a strong one. I might need a bit of-”
Instantly, Natalia was beside her, along with Magenta. “Place your hands here.” She instructed the two girls, “That's right.”
“What's your name?” I asked firmly, demanding attention, like I had learned at the academy.
She looked up at me with fierce eyes. “Greca.” She spat, “What's it to you?”
Pleasant people.
“ARE they GOOOONE!?” I heard a rather small voice bellow from the hallway. In walked a very small person wearing a cape much too long for him.
“How many times do I have to KILL YOU!?” John screamed, aiming his gun at the tiny person.
“Gaah! Yikes!” The little man held up his hands. “Temper, temper! I told you, I am of great value to your escapade...”
Behind the little man, strode an enormous man, with a young girl at his side. “Leolannan.” He growled.
Leolannan turned around, sweat beading on his face. “Samuel... Nice to see you made it through the Table Fortros.... Eh heh heh.”
“Zira.” Samuel beckoned the young girl toward Leolannan. She took off after him like nobody's business.
“Whoa! Whoa! WHOA!!!” Leolannan yelped, and they both dissapeared down the hallway.
John turned back around to face us. “Sorry.” He muttered, “We seem to have picked up an annoying hitchhiker....”
“Wow!” Ammie had pulled out a notebook, and was sketching something down rapidly, “Was that a pixie!? May I take a closer look?”
“Believe me.” John grumbled, “He's got one ugly mug. But I figure you're the biologist of the group, so feel free to dissect him anytime. Which one of you here is the leader?”
“That'd be me.” I stepped forward again.
“Well, then,” Said Samuel from behind John. “Are these your weapons?” He was holding a pile of various objects in his arms.
“My bow!” Coral screeched. She jumped toward Samuel and snatched the silver arch away from him, and rummaged through the pile for her precious arrows. Corr plucked from the pile his golden broadsword, and everyone else was given their own weapons back. Artemis sighed with relief as she slid her knives back into her side pouches.
“I see you are a knifer?” Samuel asked, his large voice boomed as he turned to Artemis.
She nodded shyly.
He turned to the side to show her his own pouches full of knives. “That's interesting.” He remarked. “I am the knifer of my own group.”
“This is nice getting familiar and all,” I heard Koraca, the girl elf say from the back. She had chosen a shortspear and now held it up with vigor, “But we've really got to get out of here before they come back. Chat later perhaps?”
