06-25-2009, 04:29 AM
1)
Robin watched, a prisoner behind her own eyes, as the old man scurried off. She could sense something on the edge of Balthus' psyche.
What are you planning for him?
Be quiet, Balthus' thoughts snapped back at her with an almost physical force.
There's something you're not telling him.
It's none of your concern.
None of my... You're using my body and you say it's none of my concern?!
Stupid girl, I said BE QUIET!
An even stronger force drove her back into the darkness of their shared mind, but not before she caught a brief glimpse of the Balthus' intentions.
Oh gods... I've got to get control again. He can't be allowed... not that.
"Daniel! Careful!"
The half-elf snapped out of his horror-induced trance in time to avoid Kriger's latest onslaught.
"He's rotting away!" Daniel called to Marcus.
"But not fast enough! Watch yourself!"
It as now or never. Daniel feigned left then darted right as Krieger lurched in his initial direction and shot past the walking corpse and broke into a run towards Marcus and the crystal caverns beyond. Marcus took off beside him and to Daniel's surprise was easily keeping up. Krieger was already in pursuit in a heavy lurching jog.
There were no branches or side paths and Daniel worried that they may be running to a dead end.
Luckily...
"Ladder!"
"I see it, lad!"
"Safe?"
"Gotta be better than here!"
Daniel reached the crystal lattice first and climbed swiftly with Marcus close behind. As soon as they both reached the top, the older man turned and brought the blunt end of the spear down against the faceted ladder which shattered to bits with the blow, turning the top rungs into shards of crystal.
Daniel cried out and doubled over, hands to his ears.
"Daniel!"
"It's screaming," the boy gasped. "So loud..."
"Screaming?" Marcus looked around, then down at the shattered ladder. "DAMN! Sorry lad. Was trying to slow our friend down... Come on! Up! Need to keep moving!"
The boy was vaguely aware of being hauled to his feet and half carried, half drug down the passage. The sound slowly died back down to the ever-present whispers and Daniel started to recover his senses and footing again. He pulled away and shook his head to clear it.
"You okay?" Marcus asked. There was that concern again; Daniel still couldn't get used to it, but he nodded anyway.
"What is this place?" the boy asked.
Marcus hesitated. "I'm not really sure, but according to Balthus' notes, it's a hall of souls. 'Life captured in crystal' he called it. Said only those with the 'gift' could sense what he found. I think I finally understand a little of what he meant."
"Is that why-"
"When I broke the ladder, yes. Sorry Daniel. I didn't know."
"Will it stop Krieger?"
"Maybe not, but it should slow him down. The magic's already burning through him fast. One of those two, whichever one cast the spell, they was sloppy."
Robin watched, a prisoner behind her own eyes, as the old man scurried off. She could sense something on the edge of Balthus' psyche.
What are you planning for him?
Be quiet, Balthus' thoughts snapped back at her with an almost physical force.
There's something you're not telling him.
It's none of your concern.
None of my... You're using my body and you say it's none of my concern?!
Stupid girl, I said BE QUIET!
An even stronger force drove her back into the darkness of their shared mind, but not before she caught a brief glimpse of the Balthus' intentions.
Oh gods... I've got to get control again. He can't be allowed... not that.
* * *
"Daniel! Careful!"
The half-elf snapped out of his horror-induced trance in time to avoid Kriger's latest onslaught.
"He's rotting away!" Daniel called to Marcus.
"But not fast enough! Watch yourself!"
It as now or never. Daniel feigned left then darted right as Krieger lurched in his initial direction and shot past the walking corpse and broke into a run towards Marcus and the crystal caverns beyond. Marcus took off beside him and to Daniel's surprise was easily keeping up. Krieger was already in pursuit in a heavy lurching jog.
There were no branches or side paths and Daniel worried that they may be running to a dead end.
Luckily...
"Ladder!"
"I see it, lad!"
"Safe?"
"Gotta be better than here!"
Daniel reached the crystal lattice first and climbed swiftly with Marcus close behind. As soon as they both reached the top, the older man turned and brought the blunt end of the spear down against the faceted ladder which shattered to bits with the blow, turning the top rungs into shards of crystal.
Daniel cried out and doubled over, hands to his ears.
"Daniel!"
"It's screaming," the boy gasped. "So loud..."
"Screaming?" Marcus looked around, then down at the shattered ladder. "DAMN! Sorry lad. Was trying to slow our friend down... Come on! Up! Need to keep moving!"
The boy was vaguely aware of being hauled to his feet and half carried, half drug down the passage. The sound slowly died back down to the ever-present whispers and Daniel started to recover his senses and footing again. He pulled away and shook his head to clear it.
"You okay?" Marcus asked. There was that concern again; Daniel still couldn't get used to it, but he nodded anyway.
"What is this place?" the boy asked.
Marcus hesitated. "I'm not really sure, but according to Balthus' notes, it's a hall of souls. 'Life captured in crystal' he called it. Said only those with the 'gift' could sense what he found. I think I finally understand a little of what he meant."
"Is that why-"
"When I broke the ladder, yes. Sorry Daniel. I didn't know."
"Will it stop Krieger?"
"Maybe not, but it should slow him down. The magic's already burning through him fast. One of those two, whichever one cast the spell, they was sloppy."