Chapter Sixteen

Star�s first real battle�Drake has another trick up his sleeve�

Jade raced across the dessert with Star’s arms wrapped tightly around her neck as her passenger hung on through the blurring speed for dear life. The two reached the yards length to the front entrance of the tower in mere seconds, stopping on the concrete slab set before the double doors.
After a few rapid blinks, Star jumped down from Jade’s back. “You have got to teach me how to do that!”
Jade merely smirked as she walked towards the wooden doors, placing her left ear against the rough exterior. Just behind the doors she could hear the murmur of voices. For the moment, she could only make out two separate voices; however, she knew there would be more than that within these stone walls.
Can we really get Tygra and the stone in time? She stepped away from the door, doubtful at first before her determination took over. “No matter what we’ll finish this by midnight. We have to.”
“Why?”
She glanced back to Star, having heard what she said. Jade had forgotten for the moment she was there. “It’s nothing really. There’s no need for you to worry about it.” She turned back to the doubled doors, taking in a deep breath. “Are you ready to save your sister?”
Star’s expression was blank for a brief moment before she gave a short nod; taking a step towards Jade a she pushed opened the two doors with a bang. The two guards Jade had heard before stopping their patrols immediately as they entered. They were dressed in dull iron armor with the symbol of a snake etched in black on the left of the chest plate. Each wore a black handled sword at their side. No words were needed nor wanted to be exchanged in question as they lunged at Jade and Star in an all out attack with their now unsheathed blades.
“Stay behind me!” Jade yelled as she stepped before Star, blocking the guards’ path of her delicate friend.
The guard to the left was the first to attack, raising his sword high into the air preparing to slice Jade from top to bottom. Without a thought Jade stepped back, bringing up her right leg, kicking the guard within the stomach with enough force he stumbled back. She immediately grabbed his left hand holding the sword and twisted his arm. As he cried out in pain, the sword fell to the floor with a clatter. Jade then brought up her leg kicking him in the jaw, knocking him out cold.
She then turned back and ducked in time as the blade of the second guard swiped above her. With a swift kick up, she kicked the guard in the knee with a devastating crack. The guard cried out painfully as he fell to the floor grasping his aching knee; his sword landing at his side.
Jade turned back to Star and froze. Star was backed into the corner by the other man she had previously knocked out. “Damn it!” Without another moment hesitation she rushed forward and jumped onto the man’s back, wrapping an arm around his throat cutting off his air.
Star ducked out of the way as the man swung his blade through the air and watched as he struggled with Jade. The guard grasped her arm pulling it forward until he was finally able to loosen her grip. He then raised her slightly into the air before throwing her into the far wall where she landed on the floor with a painful thud.
“Jade!” Star stepped forward then stopped at the guard turned back to her.
“You are not going to make it past this floor.” His voice came out a low gruff sound as he came forwards.
Star looked to Jade where she laid on the floor then back to the guard as he stepped towards her, his sword held out towards her threateningly. She stepped backed her mind racing with thoughts on how to escape when the heel of her foot came into contact with something laying on the floor behind her. With another step back, she could see what she had bumped; the sword of the second guard.
Star quickly grabbed the sword, holding it out towards the guard. Her hands were shaky with the weight of the blade and fear. This would be the first time she had ever handled any kind of weapon, let alone a sword. And now, she stood with a sword in hand and an enemy only a few paces away.
The guard lunged forward, bringing up his sword for his oncoming attack. Star brought up her sword, holding it out straight before her, her eyes closed. She felt her sword grow heavier as she released her grip on the handle and opened her eyes. Her hands flew up to her mouth as she saw the man frozen before her, his sword held high, and her sword’s blade buried deep within his chest.
He lowered his sword to his side as he looked blankly into the ceiling. His sword then fell to the floor with a metallic clank as he lowered to his knees before he fell the rest of the way to the floor. A dark puddle oozed out from beneath his body. It took a moment for Star to realize the dark puddle was actually blood.
Star gasped dropping her hands to her sides and backed away from the body. After a few steps back, she bumped into something behind her. She shrieked, turning to face whoever was behind her, and came face to face with Jade.
Jade placed a hand to her shoulder. “It’s alright Star. Everything is going to be alright now.”
Star shook her head viciously. “How can you say that? I just killed a man!”
“Who was planning on killing you.” Jade lowered her hand. “I’m sorry Star, but this is how our world is now. There are times in order for us to live, we must kill those who wish to kill us.” she brushed past her picking up the sword Star had only just dropped. Jade then faced her once more. “There are times we must kill to save the ones we love.” She held out the sword.
Star eyed the bloodied blade carefully. It was true that the man did try to kill her, but did that give her the right to kill him? She never wanted to kill again…But, what about Tygra?
She took the blade, its weight no longer a problem for her to carry. “I understand…” she looked up into Jade’s eyes. “I will try not to slow you down.”
Jade nodded, turning to face the first flight of stairs. “Then we should be fine.” She walked towards the stairs, Star not too far behind. “This tower is like a maze, so I need you to try and stay close to me. And be on guard; there are bound to be more guards the further we go up.”
“Fine. I’m ready for them...now”

* * *

“Oh my! Look at that!” Tygra cried as she looked into the crystal ball. The sight of her sister stabbing the guard was frozen onto the crystalline glass.
“The evil in Star is waking faster then I originally believed.” Drake said studying the crystal ball carefully before waving a hand over it; the picture then faded into the dark swirling fog once more.
Tygra looked to him puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Jade is trying to make Star more like her.”
“But I thought you said she was to kill me and Star.”
“Jade only needs one sacrifice.” Drake said leaning back into his chair. “If she is able to twist Star’s mind into her way of thinking, she’ll keep her by her side as an apprentice. If she is unable to do this, she will kill her in the sacrificial chamber.”
“I can’t believe this is happening.” Tygra said her body tense with anger. “How many stories up are we?” her gaze was fixated on the crystal ball before her as she spoke, though it showed no scenes.
“One-hundred and six.”
“So, it should take them some time to get up here, right?”
“Maybe, maybe not. Jade knows this place inside out. She knows all the shortcuts to get to each room. But, if she decides to go to get the stone first, Gilabarous and the Red-Eyed Dragon are protecting the stone.”
Tygra looked up to him. His eyes were filled with hatred and something else, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. “But it may not help. One Jade is bad enough, and Star is on her way to being just like her.”
“You may be right. But Star has a different reason for fighting her way up here. She wants to save you and kill me. She doesn’t care about anything else but that at the moment.”
“If I could only talk to her alone, I could stop her…She’ll go back to her normal self.” Tygra said, standing to her feet before walking towards the door.
“Wait.” Tygra stopped mid-step as she turned back to Drake questioningly. “I have a better idea.”