Chapter 24-A shadow in the shadows

what has happened to Ryan and is Matt just seeing things?

CHAPTER 24 A SHADOW IN THE SHADOWS

I pushed my way through the crowed scanning the heads for Ryan. The fact that he had gone missing was not good for a few reasons. Firstly, we were at the residence of a father and daughter that had whispered conspiratorially at our kitchen door. Secondly, the man telling stories walks with a fake limp and is supposedly a necromancer. He could easily have many people here working for him. After searching the crowed with as small a disturbance as possible I headed to the dance floor were Amy was Waiting and without breaking stride took Amy by the waist and we started moving around the floor in a seemingly random pattern, around the few Dancers who had decided to take advantage of the space, but slowly made our way toward Daniel and Emily who were dancing too.

“Not here” Emily Whispered as Amy and I Spun past

“And not in the crowd” I whispered to Emily when she spun out from Daniel to be level with us. She gave a slight nod before spinning back to Daniel were she leaned in close as if to speak a couple of loving words into his ear, but really she was relaying the message. Despite our dance being a pretence so as not to alert anyone that may watching that we were looking for Ryan I couldn’t help but slip my hands past Amy’s waist and wrap my arms around the lower half of her back and pull her closer to me. Daniel came past.

“I checked the rest of the room” he said but moved out of range for us to hear him whispering so Emily finished for him.

“He didn’t find him”

“I checked the balcony with Amelia” Amy said

“Balcony?” I asked I hadn’t seen any stairs or doors in the wall.

“It's hard to see but it’s indoors the stairs are behind that big curtain Amy said pointing to a large red hanging behind the ‘hosts chair’ at the head of the room.

“I can’t see a Balcony I said glancing up quickly”

“It’s just out of the light” Amy said. She repeated this information to the other two. “Where’s Amelia?” I asked suddenly. I hadn’t seen her since she went off with Amy to search for Ryan.

“She went to get Emily’s weapons and her sword. I relaxed a little at that information but as I spun Amy around I saw someone standing in the shadows of a corner by a door in the wall. They wore a black cloak with the hood over their eyes. They were standing so still and deep in the shadows I was lucky I had seen them. If this were a time before our adventures here in Germo started I would have thought it was my imagination. The only thing that was certain was they were watching me. I broke off from Amy.

“Hang on” I said to Amy already running to them but they turned and jumped through the door and closed it. I yanked it open again to reveal an empty hallway at the end of the hall was a single door way but the hall way was too long for anyone to have made it to 5 meters from the door let alone though it still I headed on down to the door but I stopped a few steps away. I heard voices and they didn’t sound friendly. I inched toward the door slowly and pressed my ear to the door straining to hear but no matter how much I tried I couldn’t I stood back and noticed a table with a vase on it. It had a few flowers in so I tipped it up narrowly avoiding the water that followed the flowers then I held the vase against the door like you sometimes see people doing on TV with a glass. The voices were distorted but I could now hear them and I now figured out who they were.

“How do you make them!?”

“You wouldn’t believe me”

“And I told you I’m not interested in that crap! TELL ME!”

“Go to hell” at Ryan’s response there was a thump and a gasp from Ryan and the gasping sounds he made told me Ryan had been winded from a blow. I headed back toward the Dancing hall. The first thing I noticed when I came back in was the heads turning to look at someone who had just entered and left the doors open as the crowed moved I caught glimpses of Amelia hurrying towards Emily with Emily’s twin swords. I was thankful Amelia had held the hilts against each other so the chains were hidden (something we had discovered only two of us six could do). I reached the others at the same time as Amelia and immediately turned Amy around and started undoing her Perl buttons

“Found Ryan” I said simply. At this piece of information Daniel started undoing Amelia’s dress and Amelia did Emily’s. Everyone was staring at us now and whispering about why the girls seemed fine with the fact they would not be wearing clothes in a matter of seconds but as each gown dropped to the floor all the guests grew quiet some even whispering that we may have been expecting trouble. Each of the girls wore their normal travel/fighting clothes. Although they didn’t know the details they knew something was wrong when I said I had found Ryan, and not because I said I had found him but because I had started unbuttoning Amy’s Dress something we had agreed we would only do if it was likely one of us was being hurt or was going have to protect themselves. As I started toward the door I noticed each of the girls pull of their gloves and simply leave them with their gowns on the floor me and Daniel undid the buttons that were uncomfortably high on our shirts as I lead the way to the door then I drew my sword. People gasped but I didn’t know if it was because they thought it was beautiful or if it was simply because I had drawn it with the obvious intent of using it.

‘Ahhh the crowd knows a beautiful sword when they see one’

‘Shut up’ I thought back at my sword while I pulled open the door and started down the hall. We reached the door and activated our pendants.

“Emily” I whispered “will you do the honours?” Emily stepped forward and simply kicked it and it flew off its hinges Showering Lasina with splinters who squealed in terror. Ryan was Kneeling on the floor next to a chair. His feet were tied and his hands were tied twice once together and again to the post of the bed that dominated most of the right side of the room. He was shirtless but despite this Amelia made a small sound as she saw the bruises Ryan had newly acquired (including numerous foot marks on his chest and stomach) rather than his muscles. He also had a few scratches on his chest which looked suspiciously like finger nail marks. Which they probably were because Lasina standing on the left still held in her hands the ripped remains of his top. And in between the 2 stood Mr Cunnanon who stood in shock with a cat o’nine tails whip in his hand which was drawn back ready to strike Ryan. Luckily Ryan showed no signs of even being touched by the whip

“Hi guys” Ryan said in a mockingly bright voice then he spat blood from his mouth. When he had spoken however Cunnanon had recovered and now he whipped Ryan once the Barbs on the end of each ‘tail’ ripping a piece of Ryan’s skin from his back. Ryan’s muscles constricted and he cried out in pain. I stepped forward but stoped as Mr Cunnanon signalled for me to stop and drew back the whip again but did not bring it down. I was unfortunately still out of reach of Lasina and Mr Cunnanon I wouldn’t even be able to catch the whip on my blade.

“Another step and he gets it!” Cunannon said his voice almost hysterical “step back. And not another word from you” he directed the last bit at Ryan. I stepped back. And Lasina shrieked in terror and started Moving backwards Kicking and screaming as Amy still invisible Dragged her back beside us then she appeared a dagger across Lasina’s throat “you strike him again and your daughter dies. Strike him again... I dare you!” Amy said a dangerous tone in her voice. Lasina’s Father went pale. Daniel Raised a hand and flicked it, the whip was wrenched from Cunnanon's hand and a few of the barbs ripped some skin from his cheek I could see himself bite his lip to stop from crying out, then using his mind and directing with his hands again Daniel tossed the whip across the room then stepped forward and cut Ryan’s bonds who stood up and caught his staff as I tossed it to him before he joined us again.

“Maybe you have heard the story that Gordon is telling right now the one about five teenagers from another world that have five pendants of Power.” I said “next time you want to do something like take one of us away remember we are the five but sometimes we travel with a friend who makes six”

“yeah n’ dis time dey ar’ travlin’ wi me” Amelia said slipping back into her street accent and by the smile that spread across her face I could tell it was deliberate.

“And don’t tell anyone, we will find out” I added.

Amy released Lasina who stepped away hurriedly we turned to leave but I turned back when Amelia stood there looking at Lasina then suddenly Amelia steeped forward and faster than I could blink slapped Lasina so hard across the face the girl stumbled back a little then she turned and marched out the room passed me and up To were Ryan was Limping slightly down the hall she slipped an arm around him but he said quietly “ow” and she removed her arm for a few seconds before replacing it more gently. I don’t know if Ryan was to sore, tired, simply didn’t care, or if he had another reason but whatever the reason, he didn’t protest at this show of affection. When we emerged from the hall Gordon had finished his story and people were dancing again but they turned to look at us going silent. They simply parted as we made our way towards the grand entrance doors only a few of the Women made whispered comments of admiration on Ryan’s muscles but they quickly went silent as Amelia Glared at them and only one or two men wondered Who had inflicted the numerous wounds. The people on the dance floor stopped dancing and moved away the women clutching their partner tightly as Amy and Emily collected their and Amelia’s ball gowns which surprisingly hadn’t been removed then the two girls followed us out. As we climbed into a carriage I noticed The shadow that had watched us earlier the one that had disappeared in the hall that lead me to Ryan And I regretted not questioning Mr cunnanon about them and not being able to try and approach them this time. But I watched them for a moment before stepping up into the carriage. About half way through the journey there was light thud on the roof and we heard both the drivers mutter about branches scratching the paint as they fall off the roof a few moments later there were two louder thuds and when the carriage stoped at our house and we got out I saw the same cloaked figure flick the reins and before I could follow they and the carriage had disappeared into the night.

I waved my arms in the air like a madman trying to steady myself.

“More” I said to the barmaid, the pretty daughter of the barman. My voice had a drunken slur. And I had to wonder what she thought. After all she was the only one who knew my cup contained mostly water and she was refilling a full cup. But I had grown drunk with every cup. I had to wonder what reasons she would be coming up for why I was acting drunk. Whatever they were I was thankful she was keeping them to herself. She brought out another cup and placed it in front of me. I picked it up and put it to my lips but keeping my lips firmly together I appeared to start drinking but after a few seconds I fell from the stall and hard on the floor only just managing not to hit my head but drenching myself in the drink. I put a look on my face that I hoped was a stunned uncomprehending drunk look and kept it there for a moment before I burst out in drunken laughs. I stood up and swayed slightly before staggering back to my stall I sat back down.

“What da ya thin’?” I said to the man sitting on my left.

“I think whoever said they are here is mad my drunken friend” the stranger said before Trying to leave but I grabbed him. And smiling at him I said.

“Friend? Seeing as I ya friend now ‘ow bout ya buy my nex drink?”

“I think you’ve had enough” he said while trying to shake me off but I didn’t let go in the end he took a step away and I simply slid to the floor spilling another drink the maid had brought and getting that all over me too but this time I let go and curled up on the floor and pretended to go to sleep. 5 minutes later someone came in said things about a guy called Kreg being drunk again and taking him home then they picked me up and carried me out and after moving a fair distance away ducked into an ally.

“Alright Emily you can put my down now” I said all signs of drunkenness gone. “I would ask that next time we do something like this you don’t wait so long before coming in to get the drunken man Kreg... I don’t think kreg will be able to act like he is sleeping for 5 minutes ever again” Emily didn’t respond but simply held out my sword and sword belt. I quickly unbuckled the dagger and belt I had worn while I took the identity of Kreg and buckled on my sword.

“This feels much better” I said as me and Emily headed back to the inn we were staying at. After the party most of the people who had attended believed that we were us they believed we were five from another world travelling with a friend. Some believed that Gordon had known and that’s why he had shared the story he called ‘five from another world’. As for the Cunnanon’s, after helping Ryan out in his injured state he had told us all they wanted was to know how we made our weapons, some of the guests had whispered about us being the five with pendants of power. Those that believed us to be the five avoided the Cunnanon’s and those that still dealt with them were wary and dealt with suspicion. The trouble was the story of that night was being spread around the city and so we needed a rough idea of how many commoners believed the story. Unfortunately we wouldn’t be able to stop the spreading of our whereabouts without killing all who were invited bribes were never a guarantee the offer of money would simply make more believe the story and commoners travel more often than the rich merchants and low nobles that were at the party. If news spread to other cities we would need to leave immediately, we hoped that those spreading the story would stay in the city for a while and that the commoners kept disbelieving. So now we had to be very direct in our approach to helping Flina but at the same time we had to do it without anyone finding out that the story was true. We turned a corner and as I saw the shadow flick into an ally way I took off after it. Whoever it was that was watching me needed to be caught and questioned

“Damn! I saw them too” I heard Emily say. “Maybe this isn’t the best time to mention it but they have watched me before just once” I swore silently of all the stupid things to do after all the time of being here I forgot to mention it to the others. Emily put my thoughts into words.

“I can’t believe I was so stupid, I should have said something”

“As should have I” I told her “they have been watching me too!” I ducked into the ally way as I heard Emily swear. I slowed a little as I saw a wall at the end of the ally there were no doors but there seemed to be no one about. I drew my sword. Then sped up as I heard someone drawing there sword down by the wall as I got closer I saw the outline of someone I kept my sword low as I approached. Unthreatening but ready for action if need be. As I drew closer I saw that whoever it was wore a cloak and the hood was pulled low so their eyes were hidden in deep shadow but the mouth was visible they wore armour and because of this it was easy to tell the hooded figure was female. The Armour chest plate was more like the top half of a metal bikini and they wore a small chain around their neck on the end was a small charm in the dark I couldn’t make out the exact shape but it looked like a hammer apart from the chest plate cloak and necklace they wore nothing else on their upper body. On their lower half they had boots that reached to just below the knee and chain mail pants that were obviously enchanted to make no sound “who are you and why are you following us?” I asked as Emily reached me. No reply. “We won’t harm you if you tell us who you are” I said. Again no reply came from the mouth but the mouth did move it spread into a small smirk. They raised their sword then attacked.

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