~bellatrix~ (reboot)

I can't help but laugh a little at Hexy's nervous answer.
"Of course she'll be safe with us! She'll be on the winning side, after all."
Then I turn back to Vixie with a nod.
"Just stay close to us and keep your head down. Unless..."
I stroke my chin and give her a wry smile.
"...You want to jump into the fray? If I'm completely off base here then just forget I said anything, but I could understand wanting to give those elves a little taste of justice for what they did to you. BUT! I don't want you to do anything that you're not absolutely sure you're ready for. If I'm wrong or if even a small part of you isn't sure you're ready, don't even give it a second thought, we can take care of things on our own. If you do want to fight with us, I'll need you to promise me that you won't do anything reckless. Leave the reckless stuff to me and my crew! So, what are you thinking?"

 

Sean walked back to the room where vixie was found. Just as Hexy was looking over the map. thats strange..... how do they have a map to Levia Inferis?
That map is something you don't come across. only people with great knowlege make detailed maps...

So what are you saying?
I'm saying that there's not that many whom made it out of Levia Inferis who have made maps. and those who have made only basic primitive maps. In order to make a detailed map of a place, you need to know it.....
From the inside out, every single aspect of it. Sean was beginning to think in his mind that the elves might be getting some help.
"I wonder how those monsters got their hands on that map, but If they ment to take it with them then they mean to win."
He knelt down beside Hexy to look over the map.
" No matter what. This map is very detailed and should give us a lovely advantage over them. Unless they've somehow memorized this map we'll have the upper hand. Kinda makes up for the lead they seem to have on us, doesn't it?"
Sean looked over to vixie and made sure she was okay.
"If you do want to come with us to Levia Inferis, then we have a variety of weapons to choose from. Anything from long swords to long bows. You'll need to arm yourself if you plan on going with us. You never know whats gonna happen down there..."


Sarret was starting to come to as he sat there tied to a brace post.
"Aah, where the bloddy hell am I? the last I remembered is...." He remembered what had happened to him aboard the elvin ship. He remembers getting shocked by that troublesome outsider. As his sight was becoming less blurry he saw someone watching him.
"Bloddy hell, you didn't have to shock me that hard your bloody outsider. I don't care if you where able to take on a dozen of Zerox's students or if your zekkins last student." The person watching him started to laugh as he got up and walked closer to Sarret.
Wait, that laughter.... is that really the outsiders laugh?
As the figure got closer, he could see him clearly.
"Wait, your not." Please don't let it be him..... Sarret's mind started to panic as the figure got closer. The figure spoke to him like they knew each other.

"No, I'm not the one who knocked you out, but you do owe me for not giving me eveything I asked for Sarret."

Sarrets heart dropped as he heard that voice ..... it is him. Dear god help me....

Zerron laughed quietly to himself as he saw Sarrets reaction.
"So you do remember me? Good! That should make this a whole lot easier. You see, I found you on a ship that the elves to to get to a place called Levia Inferis. The group I'm currently with are in a race with them to rescue a princess along with reclaiming a powerful ancient sword that was originally taken from them to prevent them from waging a bigger war against the rest of the world and everyone they despised. It's strange to see you on the same ship as them because if I do remember correctly you solely deal with infomation. you know, gathering it and selling it to people who really wants it"
Zerron crouched down ans looked the theif turned spy's face.
" but I know that wasn't some coincidence , now was it? Come on, you have to know whats going on. especally since you told me off, thinking I was sean. And anyways, I still have to pay you back for the info you sold me. It lead me strait into a bad trap."
Zerron got up and started to play with one of his throwing knives. As he flipped it and spun in around his hand, it became engulfed in flames.
"And they where ready, as if they where waiting for me."

Sarret eyes where getting wider as he saw him playing with his knife, listening to everything he was saying.

"But I know how cowardly you are so here's what I want instead, since you really still owe me. I paid you a decent amount for infomation and right now I'm in need of some info that I know you have. Why else where you with the elves on their ship? I knew that it would be impossable for you to fly across an ocean."

"And what if I I don't want to give it up? I sold you what you wanted to know and I can only sell you the info..."
Sarret winced as the knife that was in Zerrons hand sunk into the timber joist right next to his head, while still on fire.
"ARE YOU BLOODY MAD! do you want to set the ship on fire?"

Zerron laughed as he put the fire out.
"even if the wood caught, I can still contain it if you didn't forget." he said as he walked up and pulled the throwing knife out.
" But what you gave me never said anything about any traps! Or how many men would be there for that matter. but If you don't want to give it to me then fine, just think about that knife that was just next to your head.... I am tempted to throw it somewhere more painful." Zerron stopped talking and gave Sarret a chance to think it over.

In Sarrets mind, he could tell that Zerron wanted payback for what had happened. he still has the scars on his arm to prove it. he couldn't imagine what else this guy could have in mind. after thinking about it he looked up at Zerron.

"alright, I did come along for my own reasons. But I haven't helped them out in any way. the only thing I know about Levia Inferis are from the legends. but the elves haven't been playing too fairly ether. They left from a secret cave on purpose and they had a plan from the start. They didn't choose that hell prison because it's a good challenge. I saw them going over a map that they got from the prison's warden. But here's the best part through," Sarret wanted to get closer to zerron to tell him but he was stopped by the timber joist that he was tied to.

"So? what's the best part?"
Sarret rolled his eyes as he heard Zerron "Well, from what I could gather they've somehow been in contact with the warden of Levia Inferis. Apparently he's not a huge fan of the king so he's helping the elves out..... no idea how but I bet the map that they where looking at was the warden's own copy. quite useful if you'd ask me..."

"How long?"
"Beg parton? "

"How long has it been since they've gone into that prison?" Zerrox knew they haven't been playing fairly, and now they're getting help from the warden himself? Just what do they have planned for us down in that prison....

 

Arisa gasped in shock at what Clun held in his hand.

Vixie nodded her head once. "I'd like to hurt a few elves for kidnapping me."

 

Mordred shook his head when Trinity thanked him and apologized.
"Think nothing of it. And there's no need to apologize, it would take much more than that to frighten me."
When she started to remove her-- technically his-- cloak, he had a slightly bewildered look on his face.
"She's either very bold or she's still feeling the effects of her injury. Possibly the latter. Probably the latter."
He thought this to himself as she slowly removed the cloak and offered it to him. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should simply take the cloak or not. Even though it didn't bother him all that much, he could tell from Trinity's bright red cheeks and timid demeanor that she was, to say the least, uncomfortable being nude around him. He grabbed the cloak and in one swift motion, spun around and slung it over his shoulder so that he would be facing away from her.
"Trinity, was it? I appreciate having you return this so quickly, but you could have waited until I left the room."
He picked up the set of clothes that were sitting on the table and tossed them behind his back towards her; they landed right in her lap.
"I will be right outside the door. Call for me when you've finished changing."
He left the room and closed the door behind him, leaning against the wall right next to it.

 

Mordred patiently waited in the hall for Trinity, lost in thought and staring blankly at the ceiling. A slight creaking sound stirred him out of his reverie and he looked over to see Trinity slowly opening the door. When she thanked him, he replied nonchalantly.
"As I said before, think nothing--"
He stopped mid-sentence when he saw that she was about to collapse. Reacting quickly, he caught her as she was falling to the ground and helped her regain her balance, holding her shoulders to keep her steady.
"You should be in bed. It's obvious that you're still not feeling well."
His tone was more stern than usual, almost as if he was scolding her.
"This is no time to start being reckless, not in your condition. You'll only cause trouble if you push yourself too hard."
He shook his head and let out a small sigh as he felt a sense of deja vu. He remembered having a similar conversation with someone else a long time ago. Brushing the memory aside, he picked up the unsteady Trinity in his arms and carried her back to her bed. Along the way, having lost himself in his thoughts again for a moment, he quietly let a name slip out without realizing it.
"Julia..."
He gently laid Trinity back on the bed, took a few steps back and leaned on a nearby wall.
"How are you feeling now? Is that any better?"

 

Sean smiled as he heard Vixie's response. now thats more like it, can already tell that she'll do well.
He chuckled a little as he stood up, looking at the new addition to the group.

"Now thats what I like to hear. Like I've said before we have a pretty good sized armory aboard our ship so I'll take you back so you can gear yourself up."

Sean lead her back above deck, making sure she was okay. she must have been down there for a long time after all. as they crossed to the other ship, he couldn't help but wonder how long it would be till they would see sunlight again....
As they where boarding the ship, Zerron was seen coming off the ship, clad in all of his gear. it looked like he was in a hurry.
"Zerron, whats the matter?"

Zerron stopped for a couple of seconds and looked back at Sean and the new girl. there was a million things that he could have said right now. But instead of his usual carefree look and stance, There was a look of dread and seriousness in his eyes and face. There was even signs that seriousness had taken over his carefree stance as well. He would have said a couple jokes by now and introduced himself to the lovely new fox girl, but instead his mind was on full alert and focused on getting on with the mission for what he was just told could mean very bad news. He briskly walked up to Sean and spoke to him.

"Sean, we need to go now! Things are more serious than we'd thought."

Sean was a little confused, but this didn't bother him.
"Zerron, we found a map that they where gonna use but left behind. it could very well put us ahead of them....

Zerron looked sean square in the eye and told him the news strait.
" That's because they got it from the warden himself! I was just told by our raven friend that they're getting help from the warden of Levia Inferis, who would love to see the king fall! We knew that they haven't been playing fairly but now we know that they mean to win at all costs. we need to leave and get that sword back as soon as we can, or else they'll win due to cheating!"
As Zerron said that he stormed off to the other ship, starting to yell now.
" And I swear I am NOT gonna lose to a bunch of good for nuthin elves who have to resort to cheating to win! If there's any more cheatin' from them then I'm going all in and losing all control. then we'll see who'll run then....."
As he got below deck of the elven ship, he started to yell at everyone with a stern and powerful voice.
"Got a bit of news for y'all! just learned that the elf's have been in contact and are working closely with the warden of Levia Inferis himself so we need to get ready and leave quickly with a plan! We needed to leave five minutes ago so get to it! No telling how far they've been helped now....

 

Mordred shrugged at Trinity's question.
"I am no doctor, so I could only give you my best guess. You might have to wait until tomorrow. Or you might be able to walk in the next five minutes. In my opinion, if I were in your condition, I would wait at least an hour before trying again."
He raised an eyebrow when she mentioned her group.
"You seem quite insistent on finding your comrades. That's very admirable, though I wonder if they shared that sentiment. From what I've gathered, they left some time ago to raid the elven ship nearby and from there it seems likely that they will move to attack the enemy. I had hoped to talk to your leader before they do, though now I'm starting to wonder if that will happen..."
He watched Trinity closely to see if he could tell what she was thinking.
"Should I say any more that that...? If I say nothing, she may push herself too hard again. The truth might be harsh but at least it will keep her safe."
He silently affirmed his decision and spoke up.

"I think it's only fair to tell you that they were not looking for you nearly as much as you are looking for them. They know that you are safe now, however, that only happened by chance. It was luck that brought you to me, which in turn brought the flame ninja Zerron to us. If it weren't for that, they very well may have continued on without you. Although that is somewhat understandable under the circumstances. Time is of the essence if they want to keep the Sword of Lightning out of elven hands. They simply could not afford to take the time to search the entire island for one person unless it was absolutely necessary. Apparently that was not the case, which I would take to mean that they feel confident enough to fight the elves without your assistance."
He took a few steps forward and leaned over the bed with his hands on the mattress, looking right into her eyes to make sure that he made his point very clear.
"In other words, your group can get along fine without you for a while. Try. To. Relax."

 

Mordred let out a heavy sigh as he sat in his chair and leaned back.
"Did I do more harm than good...? I never meant to hurt her feelings or crush her spirit."
He immediately began to doubt if he did the right thing or not. He has kept his distance from everyone around him for a long time and now he's beginning to wonder if he has completely forgotten how to deal with people. He looked down for a moment in silence with a troubled expression on his face. Then he looked back up at Trinity, who was doing her best to hold back tears. He spoke softly, trying calm her down as well as he could.
"They will come back soon. I'm sure of it. This is their ship after all, they have to come back here when they're ready to leave. You could stay here wait for them. I would think they would be quite happy to see you again."
He took a moment to think, trying to decide if giving her another option was actually a good idea.

"On the other hand...if you really think that you no longer have a place with them..."
His voice trailed off as questions came to his mind one after another. Would she be able to take care of herself? Could he really handle having a traveling companion? For that matter, was he ready to be around another person for what could be a very long time? What if the worst happens and he fails to protect her? However, seeing how hopelessly lost she looked convinced him that regardless of any doubts he had, it had to be better than leaving her to fend for herself. Having finally made up his mind, he spoke up again.
"...You could come with me. But you should know that it will be very dangerous. A man in my line of work faces death on a regular basis, so I can hardly guarantee your safety. That being said, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe for as long as you are in my company. What do you think? If you have any doubts at all, feel free to decline."

 

Mordred gave a slight nod. Although Trinity still seemed nervous, there was no uncertainty in her voice and it seems that she had thought it over very carefully. He secretly wished that he was as sure about this as she was. But even if he wouldn't bring himself to admit it, he deeply sympathized with the feeling of being truly alone in the world. As jaded as he might be, he could never leave someone to the same fate he endured.

"Good. That's all I could ask, nothing more and nothing less."
He leaned forward in his chair and rested his head on his hands, taking in the situation and thinking about their next move.
"Once you've recovered, we need to make our way to the elven camp. Hmm. Excuse me for a moment."
He left the room briefly and returned with a piece of parchment, a quill and an inkwell. He sat down at the table and began to draw out a rough map of Levia Infernis, occasionally glancing back to Trinity to make sure she was following what he was saying.

"Once you've recovered fully, we need to make our way to the elven main camp. We have already lost quite some time, so we'll have to move quickly. It should be easier if there are only two of us. Of course, this means that we will not be bringing any reinforcements from the ship with us. I know my way around the terrain fairly well, but even if we move as fast as our feet can take us, I am sure they will arrive before they do. However, we can make that work to our advantage."
He make a few more marks on the map.
"While their group is attacking the elves from the front, we can strike from the enemy's flanks and cause confusion among their ranks. Not only will we be thinning out their army, we will also make the main attack force look much larger than it really is. Ideally, they will panic and send some of their troops our way while we retreat, weakening their defenses."

He stopped suddenly as a thought occurred to him. He looked over to Trinity.
"Right...I forgot to ask you this earlier. Can you fight? Even if the answer is no, you could still be a great help so please answer honestly."

 

Clun walked past Arisa, into the main room where the others were. Tyrcestus and Hexy gasped, Vizard and Gizzard clutched each other for support.


Clun placed the head on the floor and stood there silently.


After a short while, Tyrcestus stepped forward and closed the troll's eyes. Then he placed a hand on Clun's shoulder to indicate his presence.

“We'll get them, Clun. We will.”
Clun nodded, still silent.
“Let's get back to the deck,” Hexy said shakily. “Get everyone together, get a plan sorted.” Everyone nodded in agreement, and went back up to the main deck, waiting for everyone to return hopefully with a plan.

 

When I see Clun walk into the room...I almost can't believe my eyes.
"No..."
He's holding a head...the head of a dead troll. Why...? How could they do something like this? Do they even care about anyone else but themselves?! I clench my fists and bite my lip. These elves...they're not even people anymore. They're monsters. They have to be! There's no way that anyone with a soul could do terrible things like taking slaves and murdering a living being just for...some kind of sick trophy! I taste a little blood in my mouth from biting my lip too hard, but I can't bring myself to care at this point.
"They have to be stopped. And we're gonna be the ones to put an end to their sick games, once and for all."
I take a few steps towards the door, following the others. I stop for a moment and punch the wall before walking out.

When we make our way to the main deck, I call out to a couple of crew members who are passing by. They can tell right away that we're in a pretty foul mood.
"Get everyone together. Tell them we've got a battle to fight."

 

Mordred stared blankly at Trinity for a few moments as she nervously fiddled with her clothes. His expression had "Are you serious?" written all over it.
"This girl is going to be even more troublesome than I imagined."
Keeping these thoughts to himself, he let out an exasperated sigh and decided not to pursue the matter any further.
"It's not a problem, we can work around it. Try not to take this the wrong way but I was under the impression that direct combat wasn't your forte, anyhow."

He went back to his paper, looking at it intently and occasionally adding a few more marks to it.
"Very well, then. You will have two jobs on this mission: reconnaissance and sabotage. I will explain in greater detail later but essentially, I want you to keep yourself hidden and avoid combat at all costs. If things take a turn for the worst and you are spotted by the enemy, come find me immediately."
He looked back up at Trinity.
"This will still be very dangerous, as I'm sure you know. Are you up to the task?"

 

"Hmm?"
Mordred seemed a little surprised when Trinity mentioned something about turning into a cat. Then he thought back to when they first met and nodded his head.
"Oh yes, I remember now. You had taken on the form of a cat when I first found you. That certainly would be helpful. As a matter of fact, that would be perfect."
He looked back to his paper.
"You could turn into a cat, scout the entire area, tell me where they are and how many of them there are and the elves would be none the wiser. That almost makes it too easy. Then, when I make my move, you could turn back into a human and destroy their supply cache with a torch while I have them occupied. Once that's taken care of, you and I will meet up again and retreat from the enemy's camp as quickly as possible."

He looked back up to Trinity.
"I believe that we have a very good chance of success here, as long as neither of us make any mistakes. I'll be counting on you."
He never imagined that he would be saying that to anyone ever again. Over the last few years, he had learned to do everything on his own and he planned to live the rest of his life never depending on anyone but himself. Now he had to learn how to depend on someone else all over again; he knew it was only fair to her, since they were more or less partners now.