Chapter 3 (Part 2): The water reach.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
When she opened her eyes, it was already dawn, the morning light fell over her body like a warm drape. Meia squinted as rays of light leaked between the ocher leaves of the tree above, and into her. She propped herself up gently against it, careful not to reopen her wounds. She looked down at herself, her clothes so badly torn they barely held her modesty. Her wounds had been dressed, dark patches of red showed where some of her blood at leaked through the bandage.
Beside her, a small grey cloak layed folded into neat layers; nested ontop were a handful of gold coins and an assortment of berries and nuts. Her sabres were assembled next to the pile, resting neatly next to each other.
Meia leaned back against the trunk, head swooning from the lost of blood.
"Shizurii?" Meia called out faintly, unable to do more. "You there?"
Only the soft wind responded, blowing the green grass yonder. There was nobody around- she was alone. A hundred questions flooded out, with noone to answer them. Who had came to their rescue? Where is he now? Where's Shizurii and Iwoji? For that matter, where was she?
Meia pushed herself off the tree and layed back onto the ground. A squirrel scittered next to her, greedy for the berries next to her.
"Ahaha!" Meia managed a soft laugh and offered a handful of them to the squirrel.
"Here," She smiled. "We can share."
Meia laughed in amusement as the squirrel hurriedly grabbed off a few berries from her outstretched hand and scampered off, feeling slightly better.
*
Four hours ago"Damn it! Where, Iwoji! Where!" Shizurii screamed as they sprinted down the cave tunnel.
She turned back and fired off another pair of shots, silently counting down the amount of ammunition she had-
Nineteen.
"I don't know! I never found an exit, it's just a hunch!" Despair lining his words as the man tried hard to conjure a ball of fire in the damp conditions. For hell, he'd rather take his chances with a cave-in then let those skeletons rip him apart. He glanced for a moment at the man carrying Meia and wondered who he was. Their rescuer wore a grey cloak that flowed down all the way to his feet and had faded blond hair . But right now, anyone NOT trying to kill him was just fine.
"This cave has water flowing in right?" Iwoji reasoned. "There has to be somewhere the water is flowing out or we'd all be neck-high in it."
"Okay Einstein," Shizurii mocked, unimpressed. "So where's this exit then?"
"I don't know," Iwoji returned again. "Follow the water streams."
The trio ran down the cave, following small streams of water. Twice, the stream ended in a small pool and they had to turn, fighting back out through their assailants. Shizurii and Iwoji barely needed to help out; even while carrying Meia, the stranger bore a hole through the enemy ranks with ease, his weapon cutting intricate circles in the air. The man used a silver-white rapier that exuded a dull glow; he swung it around like a feather, seemingly weightless in his hands. Skeletons fell apart on the receiving end of his finesse, a series of slashes, stabs, parries and counters.
Shizurii silently reminded herself not to get on his bad side as they followed other trails of water.
The sound of rushing water grew louder as they followed their third trail. A sliver of hope dripped into Shizurii and she dashed towards the source of the sound. Her haste nearly got herself killed as she barely managed to stop short of the gorge.
“Whew,” Iwoji whistled as he peered over the side. Below, the water rushed down in a torrent of a waterfall into a huge plunge pool that glistened.
“This is it” he announced.
“This!?” Shizurii nearly went hysteric. “It’s a huge pool of water! And nearly was my grave!”
“That’s because you don’t see it” Iwoji replied calmly. “It’s underwater.”
“Underwater?!” The musketeer was clutching her hair by now. “So how do we get out!”
“Easy,” Iwoji replied, looking grim. “Jump, or do you prefer the guys behind us?”
He was cut short by the stranger.
“Go on ahead. I’d hold them back for awhile.”
Shizurii cursed and swore she’d murder Iwoji if she made it out alive. The siblings took a deep breathe. And jumped.
*