06-25-2009, 05:08 AM
1)
Daniel stood looking at Robin's unconscious body lying on the floor.
He felt horrible.
It wasn't supposed to go like this. We were supposed to sneak in, steal something, and get out. Guards were supposed to be our biggest problem. Not this...
He glanced over at Tiberius' body. He wasn't sure if the old man was alive or dead, but if he was alive, he didn't want to give the scheming coward a chance to backstab him while he tried to help Robin. But Tiberius was still, which meant for the moment, he was on his own.
Without a word, Daniel set the spear down and knelt by Robin's body. Images flashed through his head. Was it a memory? One of Robin's? He could still see the image of the massive warrior and hear a name... Olan was it? So many things had been messing with his head this day, he wasn't sure what to believe.
He tried to remove the gold ring that was Balthus' seal from Robin's finger.
It refused to budge, held on as if fused to her skin. He expected as much, but he had to try.
There was one option he hadn't tried.
Carefully, he moved Robin's head a little until he saw the cord around her neck.
She still has it, good.
Daniel drew the makeshift necklace out from under her clothes, revealing a small ring looped on the cord. He undid the knot and let the ring fall into his palm. It was small and delicate, just like the one he'd seen in his vision. It lacked any engraving or identifying marks, just a simple silver band with a tiny blue stone in a recessed setting. It looked and felt completely normal.
Robin started to stir. Daniel cursed to himself; he'd wasted too much time. He doubted he'd get a second change if this didn't work.
Please... please let this work, he prayed to any god that might be listening, and slipped the silver band onto one of Robin's bare fingers.
For a moment, he thought he was wrong, that nothing had changed.
Then, something did.
His ribs ached with bruises from Balthus' last spell, and his body was still weak from blocking out the spirits from Daniel. Plus, it felt like he'd been in these damned crystal caverns hours, maybe a day, and who knows what that was doing to him.
As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, Marcus was hurting.
He'd lingered long enough to see Daniel knock the girl cold, much to his surprise. Then again, the boy was full of surprises. He didn't like leaving the boy by himself, but Daniel had a point - of the two, he was the only one who might make sense of Balthus' notes and maybe see a way to break the unholy link between that damned dead alchemist and the girl.
He just had to find them somehow.
Suddenly, he heard noise coming from back the way he came.
Daniel stood looking at Robin's unconscious body lying on the floor.
He felt horrible.
It wasn't supposed to go like this. We were supposed to sneak in, steal something, and get out. Guards were supposed to be our biggest problem. Not this...
He glanced over at Tiberius' body. He wasn't sure if the old man was alive or dead, but if he was alive, he didn't want to give the scheming coward a chance to backstab him while he tried to help Robin. But Tiberius was still, which meant for the moment, he was on his own.
Without a word, Daniel set the spear down and knelt by Robin's body. Images flashed through his head. Was it a memory? One of Robin's? He could still see the image of the massive warrior and hear a name... Olan was it? So many things had been messing with his head this day, he wasn't sure what to believe.
He tried to remove the gold ring that was Balthus' seal from Robin's finger.
It refused to budge, held on as if fused to her skin. He expected as much, but he had to try.
There was one option he hadn't tried.
Carefully, he moved Robin's head a little until he saw the cord around her neck.
She still has it, good.
Daniel drew the makeshift necklace out from under her clothes, revealing a small ring looped on the cord. He undid the knot and let the ring fall into his palm. It was small and delicate, just like the one he'd seen in his vision. It lacked any engraving or identifying marks, just a simple silver band with a tiny blue stone in a recessed setting. It looked and felt completely normal.
Robin started to stir. Daniel cursed to himself; he'd wasted too much time. He doubted he'd get a second change if this didn't work.
Please... please let this work, he prayed to any god that might be listening, and slipped the silver band onto one of Robin's bare fingers.
For a moment, he thought he was wrong, that nothing had changed.
Then, something did.
* * *
His ribs ached with bruises from Balthus' last spell, and his body was still weak from blocking out the spirits from Daniel. Plus, it felt like he'd been in these damned crystal caverns hours, maybe a day, and who knows what that was doing to him.
As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, Marcus was hurting.
He'd lingered long enough to see Daniel knock the girl cold, much to his surprise. Then again, the boy was full of surprises. He didn't like leaving the boy by himself, but Daniel had a point - of the two, he was the only one who might make sense of Balthus' notes and maybe see a way to break the unholy link between that damned dead alchemist and the girl.
He just had to find them somehow.
Suddenly, he heard noise coming from back the way he came.