Author's Notes: ...You're all going to hit me for taking so long with this, aren't you? If so, please be gentle. o.o Remember- no new chapters if you kill me. I honestly have no idea why I took so long... I guess I kind of forgot about this one? Eheheh... You're all going to really hit, aren't you? Luckily, I'm determined not to let the other chapters take this long!
Disclaimer: Hm, nope, still don't own Fire Emblem.
By Any Means Necessary
Act 2
By Amethyst Bubble
It seemed so long ago, so very long ago that the kingdom had been a happy one. A bit on the small side, yes, but it isn't size that matters. They were happy and that was what mattered.
The king and queen were kind and very much in love with each other. They wanted to share their happiness with the rest of the kingdom, all of it. They didn't want anyone to be sad at all.
The kingdom's small army, the Black Fang as it was nicknamed, was almost like a family in itself. The commander, a man named Brendan Reed, was a father figure, and not just to his own young sons who had only joined recently, but to everyone under his command.
For a while, things seemed happy, almost perfect.
But it just wasn't enough.
The king wanted more. He needed something more. But he had everything! A loving wife, children, riches, health, a kingdom... Even his subjects loved him dearly. What else could he want? He really did have everything, didn't he? Then why wasn't he happy? Shouldn't a man with everything be happy? Why wasn't he happy?
He found the only thing he was missing in the royal library one day. This was it, he realized as he poured over the great, leather-bound book by candle light, this was what he was lacking!
Power, he needed power. He'd had power before, yes, but not like this. No, not like this. This was the power of legends, of dreams, of stories... This was what every man longed for. And now, it was in his possession.
It consumed him. It ate him from the inside out. It devoured his very soul. Soon, it was all he could think of. Power, power, power. He needed more.
That's when he built "them". His morphs. They were alive, and yet, they were not. They were the perfect servants in every way. They were beautiful, strong, and obedient. They were more dogs then people. It wouldn't be appropriate to say he loved them, for at this point it could honestly be said that he was a man incapable of love. Rather, he felt a sort of ownership for them. They were his. They only listened to him.
They were better then humans. Because they were better, he started to compare everything to them. People just couldn't hold up against them. People might betray him, might double-cross, rebel and destroy him, but no, not his morphs. They were eternally obedient.
He sent them out to destroy those who would oppose them. One was sent to destroy a powerful family who was very knowledgeable in the magical arts. All but one small child was destroyed. With the way her mother begged and pleaded and clung to her, the king wondered if she might be particularly powerful, this skinny little child. They took her with her and one of the morphs was ordered to raise her as her own.
Later, that very morph seduced the army's commander upon the king's command. The wife of Brendan Reed was banished and the morph took her place. Slowly, she started to increase the army's numbers.
Finally, one night, the queen found out about her husband's doings. She was horrified. He stared at her as she ranted and raved, thought about how she couldn't compare to one of his morphs. She wasn't as beautiful as them, and certainly not as obedient. It was then that he ordered her seized. Her and all the little children. They were imprisoned in the dungeons.
He ordered barrels and barrels of ants brought before him. When he finally deemed that he had enough, he ordered his wife and children doused in honey and laid out in the hot son. Then he ordered that the ants be poured on top of them.
The queens' screams seemed to reverberate around the entire kingdom for days. The king's cruel laugh seemed to never disappear.
But that was only the beginning...
Nino watched from behind one of the magnificent marble pillars that decorated the king's palace as her brothers spoke to a blue-haired woman, none of them seeming happy about the conversation. She assumed it was a business matter, though she didn't know what kind of business it could be. She had gotten stuck there when she'd been looking for her brothers in this particular room. Hearing approaching footsteps, she'd hidden out of instinct. In hindsight, it probably hadn't been one of her best ideas.
"Ursula, surely even you must realize," Lloyd began, addressing the blue-haired woman.
She glared at him, "I do not know what you speak of." She said coldly.
"Of course she wouldn't. She's Sonia's loyal little servant, after all," Linus grumbled, ignoring the fact that it wasn't the best idea to have such a sharp tongue at a time like this.
Ursula stiffened, "Do not insult Lady Sonia. She is merely carrying out Lord Nergal's wishes. Who is she to refuse the king?" She snapped, fixing Linus with a piercing glare.
"The king is dying!" Linus exclaimed, "Why should we carry out his insane requests? If we let them go, he'd never know! He certainly won't be there to see their execution!"
Nino frowned. What was that about an execution? She hadn't heard anything about ones. Then again, she was only a child, and rarely told of such things. She wondered if it was a dangerous criminal being executed? Or maybe a thief who had stolen a great treasure? But, hadn't Linus said 'them', implying that there was more then one? Could it be a band of bandits, perhaps? Could it have been bandits she'd seen while she had been hiding in the basement? While Nino distracted herself with possibilities, the conversation between the Reed brothers and Ursula continued.
"Linus, don't be a fool," Lloyd's voice interrupted as he hissed at his brother.
"Your brother's right, Mad Dog Linus," A cloaked figure stepped into the room. He removed his hood to reveal that he had the same dark hair and golden eyes as Sonia and Limstella. Ephidel chuckled as he gazed at Ursula and the Reed brothers. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the very pillar Nino stood behind.
The green-haired girl had to stuff her sleeve into her mouth to muffle her breathing. She hated Ephidel and how he always seemed to know everything. She couldn't be caught spying on her brothers; if she did she would get such a scolding from them and her father. With skills she had picked up from a former member of the kingdom's elusive and exclusive army, the Black Fang, she pressed herself flat up against the back of the pillar, trying to make herself as invisible as possible. When she had the opportunity, she would steal away into the shadows that accompanied the opposite wall and make her way into the grand hallway, so it looked like she'd never been there at all.
"Going against King Nergal's wishes," Ephidel turned his attention back to the three. "Why, we could lock you up with those poor people in the dungeons." He sneered, turning on his heel and sweeping out of the room, throwing one last glance at the pillar which Nino hid behind. When he got to the doorway, he threw Linus one last glance, "Watch your step, Linus the Mad Dog." He smirked before disappearing into the next room.
"Eph-...Master Ephidel's words are true, and his advice is good," Ursula said, quickly walking after Ephidel. "I would follow it if I were you." She added in a voice barely above a whisper as she left the room.
Linus glared after her and Lloyd said nothing, fiddling with one of the buckles on his coat.
After waiting for a few minutes, Nino quietly snuck over to the doorway, not the one Ursula and Ephidel had gone through, that door was still being watched, but the one on the other side of the room. Once she had disappeared through the doorway, she walked back through, making sure to cause some noise with her footsteps this time. She wanted to be heard.
Lloyd was the first to glance over, "Ah, Nino." He acknowledged, smiling at her.
"Hello, Lloyd!" She said cheerily, as if she had not overheard the conversation that had taken place mere moments ago.
Linus gave her a warm smile, "What're you doing here, lass?" He asked, bending down so that he was eye level with her. "Doesn't Sonia usually have you off running errands this time of day?" He ruffled her short green hair, making her scowl lightly at him.
Shaking her head, she replied, "No. Mother doesn't have anything for me to do today, so I came looking for you!" She exclaimed, smiling brightly.
"Really now?" Lloyd said, an amused smile on his face.
She nodded, "Uh-huh."
"Well, I suppose we have some free time to spend with you," Lloyd scratched his chin in a thoughtful way. "What do you say, Linus?"
The Brendan Reed's other son shrugged, "Might as well spend it with Nino." He grinned down at the small girl.
Nino's smile widened, "That's great! Can we go out into the courtyard?" She asked, wanting to get out of the dreary castle. Not only would they have more privacy out there then inside the castle, but the sunlight would be a nice change from the usually dark building, lit only by the occasional flickering torch.
Lloyd gave her an amused glance, "I don't see why not." He said, taking her hand and leading her out of the castle, Linus following behind them.
When they reached the courtyard, Nino let go of Lloyd's hand, running ahead. Taking a seat on the low wall in a particularly sunny spot in the castle's gardens, Nino stretched like a cat, smiling as the sunlight warmed her face. Turning her attention back to her brothers, who had taken a seat on either side of her, she decided that it was now or never. She had to find out about those people in the dungeons. If her mother wouldn't tell her, surely her brothers would.
"Say, Lloyd, Linus..." She began, swiveling her head to look at each of them, making sure to make her expression as innocent and curious as she possibly could. "Can I ask you something?"
Linus raised an eyebrow, "What?" He asked gruffly, though there was something akin to amusement in his eyes.
After a split second of silent contemplation, Nino decided to leave out the fact that this had happened while she was exploring the dungeons. After all, that made her look bad and she wanted to get answers from her brothers, not a scolding. "Well, a while back, maybe a week ago or so... I was playing around the castle and I heard footsteps. Not wanting to get in the way of whoever it was, I moved to the side. Well, as they came closer, I discovered that it was some soldiers...and a whole lot of townspeople, all chained up. They were going towards the dungeon. What happened? Why so many people? Was there a rebellion?" She asked. This version might not have been the complete truth, but it wasn't that far away from it.
Lloyd raised an eyebrow, glancing over the top of Nino's head at Linus, who scowled back at him, nodding. They couldn't tell Nino what was actually going on. She was too kind hearted for her own good. She would only try to interfere with the king's plan in order to save innocents and in doing that, she would be dooming herself. No, they would have to protect her by lying to her. It was better that way.
It was Lloyd who spoke, "Those people were...indeed in a rebellion. They had gone mad and were injuring innocent people. They had to be taken in so that they would not cause anymore harm." He said, avoiding Nino's eyes.
"All of them?" She pressed, "But some of them couldn't be any older then me!"
Linus accepted that it was his turn to answer now, "Those were the children of the people involved in the rebellion. They'll be released as soon as the kingdom can find a safe place for them." He said patiently.
"...Oh," Nino mumbled, wondering why this story didn't quite match up in her mind. Something just wasn't right. Still, if her brothers said that was what was going on then she supposed that it was.
Feeling uncomfortable with the lie, Linus got up, signaling for his brother to do the same, "Sorry, Nino, but we have... things to do. We'll see if we can find time for you later, okay?"
She nodded, still processing what they had told her in her mind. Why didn't it all add up? It had to be the truth, though. Her brothers wouldn't lie to her. They never had before.
As the Reed brothers disappeared around a bend, Nino hopped down from the wall, feeling the need to move. She walked into a shadier corner of the garden, still wondering if the version her brother's told her was the actual version. She was beginning to doubt that it was. Instinct told her that something was up. If it really was a rebellion, what had it been about? Maybe her brothers considered her too young to know the truth. She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Well, that certainly wasn't any fair!
"Why won't anyone tell me what's really going on?" She complained loudly to herself, pouting. It was unfair that everyone except her knew what was going on. Why were they keeping it from her?
Suddenly, she remembered the conversation Lloyd and Linus had been having with Ursula back in the hall. What had they said about an execution? As she racked her brain for answers when out of the corner of her eye, she saw a dark shape drop down from one of the trees to her left. With a thief's speed, she spun around, pulling an Elfire tome out of the bag at her hip. Scanning the area before her, she saw nothing. She relaxed slightly, closing the tome but not putting it back in her bag. It must have been some sort of animal...
A hand reached out and grabbed her arm from behind.
Gasping, she tried to scream, but another hand clamped over her mouth.
"... You... wish to know about the prisoners, do you not?" A male voice asked from behind her. Despite the fear gripping her, she nodded slightly. The person behind her removed his hand from her mouth, loosening his grip on her arm slightly. "Come with me... and be quiet," He instructed, heading deeper into the forest.
She nodded again, finally able to see who it was.
Jaffar, the nicknamed 'Angel of Death'.
"The guardian angel looking over the sleeping traveler, eh? Might as well be a painting."
"Matthew," Legault greeted, looking up from his position next to a sleeping Heath.
Nearly a week had passed since the first day of their imprisonment and the king was still alive, because, well, they were alive. Everyone was on edge, wondering if this day would be their last, and if not, how much longer did they have?
"How are you holding up?" Matthew asked, flopping down next to Legault, his amber eyes fixed on the iron bars ahead of him.
"Well enough," Legault replied nonchalantly. "I lived here, remember?"
Matthew snorted, "But you didn't live in the dungeons, now did you?"
Legault's lips turned upwards into a smirk, "With the way things were going, I might've ended up down here anyway if I'd stuck around." He shook his head, his smirk turning into a wistful smile, "I have to admit, it's rather nice to be back here, even if I'm on death row."
"You have got to be kidding me," Matthew deadpanned, looking at Legault through narrowed eyes.
Legault shrugged, raising a hand to stroke Heath's green and white hair. "Hmm, maybe," He replied, amusement apparent in his tone.
"And him," Matthew gestured to Heath. "You two seemed to have gotten awful close."
Legault shrugged, "I find him interesting. He doesn't seem to hate me. And he's paranoid as anything, so he'd probably never sleep if I didn't coax him into it."
"Probably doesn't hurt that he's a looker, eh?" Matthew's eyes shone slightly.
"Why Matthew," Legault said, something glinting in his own eyes. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Sure," Matthew leaned back against the wall. "You just keep up that act. Anyway... Your personal well being isn't what I came to inquire about, nor am I particularly interested in..." He trailed off, gesturing at the sleeping body next to Legault with a look of concentration on his face.
"Heath," Legault provided the information.
"Nor am I interested in Heath's," Matthew repeated.
Legault nodded, "Then I know perfectly well why you are here, Matthew. And the answer is no."
"No?" Matthew looked confused.
"No." Legault repeated solemnly with a shake of his head.
Matthew seemed unconvinced, "The Hurricane without a set of lockpicks? What's wrong with this picture?"
"Honestly, Matthew, they know me and they know my abilities. What are the odds that I'd be allowed in here with lockpicks on me?"
"Ah, true enough, true enough," Matthew answered. "So... we're officially doomed now, aren't we?" He asked lightly, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. A drop of water fell onto his forehead and he wrinkled his nose in distaste.
Legault nodded, "Yes, it does seem so."
"Wonderful."
Legault seemed to freeze for a moment. "I wonder..." he began, but said no more.
"Wonder what?" Matthew asked, voice laced with suspicion. Legault rose to his feet smoothly and Matthew looked up with curiosity, "What are you doing now?" He raised one eyebrow, raising himself up slowly.
Legault looked at him sharply and raised a finger to his lips, signaling him to be quiet, but it was too late for that. Heath sleepily sat up, blinking as he removed Legault's cloak from around his shoulders and offered it back to its rightful owner. "What are you doing?" He asked as Legault took the cloak back.
"Just to investigate the locks."
Heath furrowed his brow, sitting up a bit more, "What?"
In hindsight, Lucius wondered if he should have opened the door at all.
Ceasing her very one-sided conversation with Guy, violet eyes drifted over to look at Lucius, "So..." Serra began, twisting one pink pigtail around her finger. "What are we going to do about it?"
"It?" He echoed, blinking in a confused manner. He wondered why Serra had such a dumbfounding effect on people.
Scowling, she slammed a fist into the table, making him wince. "You know perfectly well what I mean! The captives! The king's decree!" She shouted, crossing her arms over her chest, "We have to do something about it! Isn't that right, Erk?" She asked the purple-haired boy standing sulkily in the corner.
Serra's unwilling escort sighed, raking his hand through his hair, "I'm sorry about this, Lucius." He apologized to the blond, shaking his head in exasperation.
"It's... all right," The blond tried to smile at the younger male. It was rather hard when Serra's glare was fixed on the back of his head, sending shudders up his back, but he managed.
"Erk!" Serra protested, glaring at him. He was her escort! How dare he side against her? The nerve of it all!
"Serra," Lucius addressed the young girl. "I assure you, I have no intention of letting those innocent people die." He said gently, trying to calm the temperamental pink-haired girl down. After all, an angry Serra wouldn't be good for any of them, or the house, which he would really prefer to keep intact.
She pouted, swinging her legs back and forth restlessly, "Then you'll let me help?" She asked, raising one eyebrow.
Lucius hesitated, "Well..." He would have liked to let her help, but she was only a cleric. While they might need healers, it would be too risky to take her if she couldn't defend herself. "Serra, I would honestly like to have your help, but I'm afraid it will be too dangerous for you." He said quietly, hoping she wouldn't yell, scream or shriek.
"Ah, ah, ah!" Her lips formed a rather devious smirk, waving her index finger, "That's where you're wrong, my dear Lucius! I've become quite skilled in magic, haven't I, Erk?" She glanced over at the mage. Her smile was charming, but the look in her eyes said 'agree with me or die'.
"...I suppose, just don't blow any of us up..." Erk said flatly. He really didn't want to be here. If Lady Louise hadn't been taken by the soldiers, Erk would have never agreed to let Serra drag him around the city. Well, not willingly, at least. He should be with Lord Pent, studying magic. After all, he'd have to become more skilled if Lady Louise was to live.
"Erk! That's so mean!" She exclaimed, pressing a hand to her chest and sighing deeply, "You have no respect for delicate ladies such as myself."
Guy looked up at Lucius, "You know, if she can blow stuff up, it might be good to take her with us." The more force they had, the better. He just hoped that she had good aim. Otherwise... He shuddered to think of it.
"Of course you should take me with you!" Serra nodded matter-of-factly, "As a servant of blessed Saint Elimine, I can't let this act of evil go unpunished! ...Well, that and I want to save my fool of a cousin," She narrowed her eyes. "Oooh, Matthew, when I get my hands on you... I don't care what you been through, I'm still going to beat you to a bloody pulp." She pounded her fist into her palm, looking so murderous that the three men in the room shrank back slightly.
Guy gulped, "...You do that." He muttered, sliding his chair back a bit.
Lucius nodded slowly in defeat, "Well... I guess if you can defend yourself, Serra, it'll be fine. We'll be glad to have your help. Erk, will you be helping us as well?" He looked over at the purple haired boy.
Erk nodded, "Yes. Lord Pent and Canas will also be fighting too, I think."
"Oh, right...Lady Louise was taken captive, was she not?" Lucius asked, fiddling with a lock of blond hair. Erk nodded in reply, crossing his arms over his chest and glancing at the floor. It wasn't fair. What had Lady Louise ever done?
"...Where is Priscilla?" Erk asked, changing the subject.
Serra nodded, "Yes, where is she? It was Raymond that was captured and not her, wasn't it?" She blinked, rising from her seat at the table.
"Oh," Lucius faltered. "She's... practicing her magic in the other room." He gestured to the doorway leading out of the kitchen. "I'm not sure if I would disturb her studies, though. She's been in a delicate state ever since her brother was taken away." He explained, concern flashing in bright blue eyes.
Erk nodded in an understanding fashion, "I see..." He commented, wondering how the melancholy girl was doing.
Serra frowned, "Moping won't do her any good!" She said, adjusting the purple scarf that hung around her neck. "I'm going to go snap her out of it!" She stomped off.
"Oh, well... all right then..." Lucius mumbled as the pink haired girl left the room. "... I hope she won't give Lady Priscilla too hard of a time..."
"Master Nergal?" Limstella pushed open the door to the king's chambers. "Ephidel has returned," She announced, leading the other morph into the room before kneeling by Nergal's bedside.
"Ah, Ephidel..." Nergal addressed the golden eyed man, his breathing shaky and shallow.
"Master, we have missed no one. No family has slipped through our fingers," Ephidel bowed low, fixing his eyes on the marble floors in respect.
Nergal let out a bitter laugh, "Good, good." He said, before his laughter once again turned into harsh coughing. A trickle of blood ran down his chin and something close to alarm flashed in Limstella's golden eyes. But no, that couldn't be right. Limstella was a morph, not a human. She had no feelings, no emotions.
"Master, drink," She said softly, raising the glass on the counter to his lips.
He shook his head, pushing the glass away. Raising himself slightly, so he leaned against the pillow, he motioned for Ephidel. "Go and find Sonia," He whispered hoarsely.
"Master-" Ephidel began, but Nergal cut him off.
"Go!" He barked, then began coughing. Limstella nervously hovered above her master, wondering why he would not accept the water from her. Didn't the master want to stop coughing?
Ephidel hesitated merely a moment before hurrying out of the room, his dark cloak rustling behind him. As the door swung shut with a bang, signaling that Ephidel had left the room, Nergal motioned for Limstella to come closer. She obeyed, kneeling by his bedside.
He brushed some of her curly dark hair away from her face, "Limstella, I fear my final hour fast approaches."
"Master," She began softly before she was interrupted by a finger pressed to her lips.
"Hush," He said. "We won't have much time before Ephidel and Sonia return. Limstella, I am entrusting you with a mission. You alone, and not Ephidel nor Sonia. You must not tell either of them, do you understand?" He questioned, locking his vision with hers.
She nodded. If her master had a dying wish, she would carry it out without fail. After all, it was her duty as Nergal's most faithful servant. "Of course, master," She whispered solemnly.
"They think I do not know, but I know all..." He laughed harshly, closing his eyes. "There is to be a rebellion at the execution. Not one, but two. One will take place from the inside, the other from the outside...I have foreseen it... Limstella, I want you to have the soldiers take care of the one to take place inside of the castle. That one will be stopped easily enough. The one to take place from the outside is not so well organized, but they have strong fighters... I want you to make sure that they do not succeed, my perfection," He told her, clasping her hands in his own.
"Of course, master," She replied in her usual emotionless tone.
"I..." He stopped, taking a shallow breath before continuing, "I shall give you incredible power. The power of likes never seen before in this kingdom, perhaps never seen in this world either. However..." He stopped, taking another shaky breath before continuing. "While it will give you incredible strength, this magic is too much for you to handle. It will corrupt your body and by tomorrow morn, you shall be no more. Do you understand?"
"I do, master," She replied. "I will be honored to accept this magic."
He laughed bitterly, a trail of crimson blood trickling down his chin, "After all, isn't this what you've always wished for? The ultimate honor? The chance to die to defend my wishes, Limstella?" He choked on his own words, coughing, "The chance to die for your beloved master?"
"Of course, master," Limstella replied again. It was an automatic answer.
"In the drawer," Nergal lifted one hand and pointed to his bedside table, his breathing becoming more and more labored by the second.
Limstella pulled the selected drawer open, finding two tomes inside. She carefully withdrew them, long fingers skimming over their glossy surfaces with a feather light touch, "I thank you, master." She placed her hand over his.
Nergal closed his hand around that of his favorite morph, and for a moment, a black aura seemed to trickle out of him and into her. Then, he withdrew his hand and placed it upon his chest. "Remember my orders, Limstella," He whispered ever so quietly. "Do not let my final wishes go unfulfilled, my perfection."
"Of course, master. Farewell." She replied without a trace of remorse in her voice. She wondered, had she been human, would she be sad? She knew he was dead as she gazed upon his pale face, his clasped hands, his closed eyes and the malice filled smirk still upon his lips and yet... She could not hope to feel any sort of sadness. She chastised herself lightly; of course she could not feel sadness. She wasn't like Sonia with her futile attempts to convince herself that she was human. Limstella was not human. It was better that way. Humans were weak.
The door opened quietly and in stepped Ephidel and Sonia. Her thoughts disturbed, Limstella swept to her feet in one graceful motion, the tomes clutched tightly to her chest.
"Lord Nergal..." Sonia gasped, her golden eyes widening, the usually seductive smile fading from her painted lips. "Is he...?"
Ephidel hung his head, closing his eyes. Limstella scowled at his attempt to look sad. He wasn't a human either. Why should he act like one with his pitiful attempts at looking sorrowful?
"There is no time for that," Limstella said. "Quick now, alert the kingdom. Get the coffin ready for the royal funeral and ring the bells. Gather up the prisoners for the public execution to take place in one hour." She ordered, "And post guards around the castle and town square. Do not question me, just do it."
Sonia's look of shock quickly turned to one of rage, "You soulless puppet! Why, you are no more then the equivalent of a rag doll! How dare you order me around like that?" She demanded, curling her hands into fists.
The blank look never left Limstella's eyes, the calm look never faded from her face, "Disobeying my orders is the same as disobeying Lord Nergal's. You will not disrespect your lord, Sonia. Now go and do as I say."
The dark haired woman all but gnashed her teeth in anger, turning on her heel and sweeping out of the room. Ephidel followed her closely, throwing one last look at his lord and his fellow morph by his bedside.
When they had both left, Limstella laid a cold, pale hand on her master's face, "Lord Nergal, I shall not fail you."
"This... can't be the truth, can it?" Nino asked, wide-eyed. Jaffar nodded in confirmation and Nino's blue eyes widened even more. She bit her lip, glancing to the side before she took off, running out of the shadowy trees at the far end of the courtyard and making her way back towards the castle.
Realizing what she intended to do, Jaffar ran after her. Even though he was an assassin, he had a hard time catching up to her. Once she made it into the castle, she made quick, sharp turns and her pace never slackened. Finally, as she neared the stairs leading down to the dungeons, his hand shot out and closed around her wrist, jerking her to a halt.
Nino turned around, "Why did you stop me?" She asked, a hint of anger in her voice.
"You... can't try to free them," He said. "I know you're going to try... But... then you'll be... killed with them," He said, glancing at the stairway.
"I don't care!" She cried, stamping her foot so hard Jaffar thought that the heel of her boot might have made a dent on the marble floors. "I don't care what happens to me! I have to help those people, Jaffar! I have to!" She stared up at him with a fierce determination.
His grip loosened slightly on her wrist, "You... are strange."
"Why? Because I want to help people? They didn't do anything at all! Why should they have to die? I can't let them suffer this terrible fate!" She yanked her arm out of his grip, turned and placed a hand on the door to the dungeons, "The only question is what will you do, Jaffar?" She almost laughed at herself for asking. He was the Angel of Death. He took lives, not saved them. Then again, maybe, just maybe he would help her save them. He had told her what was really going on, after all.
Jaffar said nothing in reply. What would he do? It was King Nergal's orders that these people die on the same day as he, but... He shook his head slightly. No, he must obey King Nergal, the same King Nergal who had taken him in when he was young and... turned him into the mindless killing machine he was today. He could either side with King Nergal, or this young girl. She wanted to help people, not hurt them. Help people...
Nino remained silent, tightening her grip on the handle of the doorway as she fished in her pack for a copy of the key to the dungeon. It had been snagged as a present for her ages ago. At the time, she had not approved of the methods by which it had been obtained, but... The key had never failed her. Not once. She silently thanked the one who had given it to her, closing her eyes in fond remembrance.
Jaffar clenched his hands as he spoke, "I... will help you." He said quietly.
She bit back a small smile of relief, inserting the key into the lock and turning it. With a creak, the door swung open and Nino stepped inside, Jaffar following on her heels.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs and the second door, meant to keep out anyone who had managed to break down the first, she put the first key back in the pack at her waist and fumbled around for the second one she had been given. The giver had known that she liked to play down there, and had presented them to her as a parting gift. Shaking her head and telling herself to concentrate, she quickly unlocked the door. She hastily put the key back in the pack and entered, almost closing the door on Jaffar.
"I'm sorry!" She apologized quickly as he entered after her and shut the door himself. He shook his head and said nothing, simply wondering how a girl so young had in her possession the keys to the kingdom's dungeons.
He followed her as she ran, navigating the tunnels with an uncanny skill. She must know this place like the back of her hand, he thought as she turned a corner so sharply that he almost had to double back to follow.
Finally, Nino began to slow down. Jaffar realized why immediately. All the cells before had been filled by cobwebs, spiders, and rats. They had now reached the cells that were filled by people. The pained look on their faces did not stir any emotion in him at all, but it obviously affected the girl he was with. Nino looked just as grim as they did, her hands balled tightly into fists.
"Horrible," He heard her whisper under her breath as she turned her head away. She trudged on at a slower pace, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground. How could she look at them, now that she knew what was truly going on? That her own mother had helped lock these innocent people away, and that they would be sent to their deaths soon.
Then, moments later, she stopped short. Jaffar looked down at her with confusion. Why had she stopped? People were coming to the bars now, their desperate faces staring out, wondering who the young girl and the hooded man were. Then, Jaffar heard it. Voices, not too far off. But why had Nino stopped because of that? People would talk, after all. Even down here, in this dark, dank dungeon, people would engage in conversation as they awaited their fate.
After a moment, Nino's hands flew to her mouth and she took a step forward, as if trying to hear better. Jaffar followed her closely as the prisoners behind the bars looked on curiously with hopeful looks on their faces.
"What is it?" He asked in a low murmur, leaning down until he was eye-level with her.
"I... think I recognize one of those voices up ahead," She whispered back, a confused look in her eyes. "But, I thought he was..." She shook her head, "I can't hear what they're saying. Can you?"
Jaffar shook his head. Both speakers were keeping their voices so low that if they had been in a normal room, they probably would not have been heard from this distance. However, in the stone walls of the dungeon voices tended to echo off the stone walls.
"I'm going to go find out who they are," Nino said as she began walking forward. Jaffar could tell it was taking all her willpower not to break into a frantic run. Whoever she thought was speaking, she was excited about seeing them again.
Finally, they arrived at the cell in which the speakers were held captive in. Two men were kneeling in front of the bars, a third hovering nervously behind them with a confused look on his face, having a hushed conversation with each other. From this distance, Jaffar could hear most of it; they seemed to be discussing the lock.
"What do you mean, you're THE Hurricane?"
Nino's head snapped up at the word "hurricane".
"He means he's the Hurricane, of course. You've heard of the Hurricane, haven't you?"
"Well, of course I have, who hasn't, but wasn't he supposed to be-"
"If both of you would please keep your mouths shut for a few seconds, I might be able to see if they've changed the locks since I've last seen them."
As Nino caught site of the long lavender hair one of them possessed, she let out a little gasp, "Is that you," She asked as she approached the bars, "Uncle Legault?"
Act 2- End
Again, so sorry for the wait. I'll try and make it up to you all, I swear. Moving on, thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I honestly wasn't expecting this many reviews! You're all wonderful. I love you all. Seriously, I do. Very, very much.
I should be able to churn the next chapter out a bit faster then this one, if only because this one shouldn't have taken as long as it did all ready, and I've got the next one planned out pretty thoroughly.
Reviews are much appreciated. Throwing rotten vegetables is discouraged, but if it's absolutely necessary...