Ruin Explorers Fan Fiction ❯ Mystique ❯ Incantation Six ( Chapter 6 )

Mystique

By Devon Masterson

Incantation Six

 

“It's hot,” Fam complained just before taking a swig of water from her canteen.

“We're getting near the fire forest then,” Lyle commented looking over his shoulder at Ihrie to see if she was okay. She appeared to be fine, but he did not trust her looks. He knew she did not want him to worry. He sighed. “Don't you know you're the most important thing to me?”

They all stopped short at the top of a hill and looked downward at what appeared to be a large forest fire with a circle clearing in the middle. “From here on out, we have to be on are absolute guard,” Ihrie warned. “We don't know what's in store for us in that forest, but with the four of us we should be fine.”

“Maybe,” a voice said in the distance just before L'Xanna appeared.

“What do you want?” Ihrie asked annoyed.

“We're in a feisty mood today,” she remarked. “I just wanted to check your progress and let you know that I already have the proof of royalty.”

“Where's Rasha, Miguel and Galoff?” Lyle asked quickly

“Oh they are quite safe for the moment, but I did need decorations for my castle,” she remarked pointing to the sky. An image of three large statues and a small one were arranged in a decorative fashion about the room. “Lovely aren't they, but I need a couple more.”

Fam gasped. “You witch!” she yelled.

L'Xanna raised an eyebrow then smiled. “Spirits of the earth and sky, stop their movements and petrify!” she called out pointing towards Fam.

“Fam!” Aaron called out as he dived of his horse to push her out of the way, but he ended up doing more harm then good. The two of them landed on the ground hard and looked towards L'Xanna as they felt their bodies stiffen in a permanent embrace.

Ihrie jumped from her horse and glared at the sorceresses. “You bitch,” she screamed out as she clasped her hands together so that the bottoms of her palms were together.

“Are you sure you want to do that?” L' Xanna asked as she and new treasures faded from sight. “Let's see how you do now? And don't forget you have a time limit.”

“Spirits…”

“No, Ihrie,” Lyle said quickly as he grabbed her from behind and held her. “You can't. I don't want to lose you too.”

Ihrie balled her fists. She knew there was nothing that she really could do for them right now without the treasures. It made her angry that L'Xanna had one of them. She might not even be conscious enough to even fight for her friends or for Lyle. She couldn't leave him alone. “I'm sorry. Let's… let's just go.” She pulled away from him “We only have four days left and we have to get to Davila.”

“Ihrie…” Lyle said lowly.

The dark haired girl paused for a moment. “It's nice to know someone cares,” she replied turning around. “I will be careful… Now let's kick some ass.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “The horses are better off here.”

Lyle smiled slightly at her light heartedness. She was right the more he worried, the worse things seemed to get. They needed to focus on the task at hand. He would just have to make sure she had little reason to do magic. “Have you been here before?”

“No,” she answered, “but I heard a lot about it.”

“Then we could have all kinds of traps waiting for us,” Lyle replied looking around. The place appeared to be in the flames, but once they entered it felt and looked like a normal forest.

“We can't take anything for granted here,” she commented as she dropped his hand. The two of them would have to be on their toes. A shadow suddenly covered them.

“Look out!” he called out. He brandished his sword and Ihrie followed suit as they stood back to back. Though as shadow covered them they could see no difference from the way the sky looked normally, however their instincts told them differently.

“I don't see anything, but I know something's out here,” Ihrie said as she looked around. She was growing tired of being picked off one by one. First it was Rasha and the others, then it was Fam and Aaron. To top it off, L'Xanna was using her to make Lyle gather the treasures for her own bitchy purposes. The whole thing was making her angry and she was not about to take it anymore. “Show your…” Her sentence trailed as she felt her balance shift backward and lift into the air.

Feeling her sudden movement, Lyle turned quickly. His eyes widened as he watch her dangle in the air, from her right leg, cursing and struggling against some invisible fiend. “Ihrie!” Lyle called out as he swung his sword desperately at their assailant, but landed nothing.

“Let me down,” she commanded swinging her sword as well. The monster growled and shook her violently. “I think I'm going to be sick.”

“Let her go!” Lyle screamed out as he rushed toward where he thought the monster was located. The monster chuckled and backhanded him for his trouble, sending him sliding on his back. “This is getting nowhere,” he thought as he shook off his disorientation.

“Lyle, in this forest nothing can be taken for granted and only a leap of faith into a trial by fire will reveal the truth.”

A smile crossed the young king's face as he saw the clue within the Spirit Sword's words. He could not trust his eyes. “I'm coming, Ihrie,” he declared as he closed his eyes and held out his sword. He had been under the right assumption. With his eyes closed, he could see a large shadowy creature holding Ihrie. “You will die monster.” He rushed forward and rammed his sword into its chest with all his might.

“That's socking it to him,” Ihrie complimented as the shadow cried out and dissipated. She sighed in relief, glad to be out of danger before she realized that she was about to fall. “Aaah!”

“I've got you,” Lyle called out as he held out his arms. He smiled as she landed perfectly in his arms.

“Nice catch, your highness,” Ihrie replied. “I'm glad you have other talents.”

“You're welcome, my lady,” he said as he let her down. He smiled nervously at the awkward situation they were now in, as he stared into intense dark eyes. All he wanted to do was protect her. “Ihrie, I…” he began as he touched her face gently.

Ihrie blushed slightly. A hundred things went through her mind about what he might say to her next and she felt stupid for thinking of all of them. She had to be kidding herself. Yeah, they kissed so what. People do it all the time. He just wanted to get some sort of rise out of her, but a girl could have dreams couldn't she?

“I… think we better get going,” he finished quickly.

Ihrie's eyes narrowed. She felt so stupid. “Yeah, we have a deadline,” she agreed as she walked away.

“I love you,” he whispered once she was out of earshot.

***

“Isn't it amazing what a crisis will do for people in love,” L'Xanna commented sarcastically. She turned away from her mirror and went back to arranging her new decorations. “This just needs a vase right here.” She placed a small vase on top of the flat glass then stood back and admired her work. Her new coffee table was the perfect addition to her human shelf ends. She thought the embraced lovers deserved something special. It was amazing what piece of smooth glass and a pretty vase could do for a piece of art. “Perfect,” she complimented before sitting down.

A small statuette of winged creature sitting on a full moon floated to her. “I'm getting stronger already,” she noted as she held the proof of royalty in her hand. Now all she needed the Ihrie dead, mirror, the sword, and Lyle to make her life complete. With the ultimate power, no one would be able to stop her and it was wonderful.

“Where are we?” Lyle asked making L'Xanna turn her attention back to the mirror. She smiled; her victory was about to be ensured.

***

“At the top of a very huge cliff,” Ihrie answered then sighed. “What are we going to do now? There's no where else to go.”

Lyle looked around. “This has to be some illusion.”

“What did Sargas tell you about this place?” Ihrie asked. “Maybe there's something that can help us out.”
“He told me that in this forest nothing can be taken for granted and only a leap of faith into a trial by fire will reveal the truth,” he answered look down at the cliff. He did not see any fire anywhere and it was a long way down. It would mean death if he were wrong.

“We have to jump,” Ihrie commented reading his thoughts.

“I'll do it that way if I don't make it…”

“No way,” Ihrie interrupted. She took his hand. “We're in this together.”

Lyle smiled then touched her face. “You're right, but if…”

“Don't worry so much, Lyle,” she said cutting him off. It was already bad enough that she was struggling to get a hold of her feelings. She did not need him saying something sweet to make it even harder for her.

“Then let's go,” he replied as they stood on the edge. The two of them jumped and fell like rocks rushing toward the bottom. The two screamed out and gripped each other's hand tightly when they were suddenly safe on the floor of a cavern.

“We made it,” Ihrie sighed. “I was starting to have doubts for a few moments.”

“That is why you fell so far. The greater the faith the less of a leap,” Sargas revealed to the both of them.

“I can see the design of the trap,” Lyle commented, “the faithless fall to their deaths and then the trial by fire weeds the rest.”

Ihrie nodded her head. “Determination, faith, and…” her sentence trailed as a flash of light engulfed the two of them.

“Now the real fun will begin,” L'Xanna smirked at her mirror as she leaned back

 

 

 

 

©2002 Devon Masterson

Another Bond Girl Blue Production

We all know who belongs to who…I own people who do not appear in the anime and everybody else belongs to someone who has money and will sue. I just do this for fun.