justice

Chapter Nine

Just's mind raced. How could she fight something with no weapon?

Cantik shoved Just into the back room before she could ask. "I am sorry! But I need as much of this powder as I can get! I have faith in you!" Just turned as Cantik slammed the door shut. It was clearly a disused room. There was a thick layer of dust on the floor, and old boards hung off of the walls.

Well thanks for nothing! Thought Just. She planted her feet and clenched her knees as a small metal door at the other end of the room creaked open. Is that where the iblis is going to come from? She wondered. It looked like a small door. If it was a huge iblis she was to fight, then probably not, but you never know...

Something moved. Just heard a crunching sound. Something moved towards her...

"SSSSSSSSS!" hissed the iblis. It was really long, like one of those undersea eels at the aquarium. It had a body covered in slime, with a head that sported an impressive amount of horns. No eyes, however. Was the thing blind?

"SSS!" is hissed again. Just flung her satchel to the ground and dug wildly around in it. Was there something she could use? Not a notebook, not a pen...her sweatshirt!

Just grabbed the sweatshirt by the hood with both hands and flung it out in front of her. Waving it up and down, she started whistling, trying to attract the iblis. It turned its head and hissed. It started towards her. Just panted, then ran with the sweatshirt to a corner of the room and grabbed one sleeve in each hand. She turned and faced the iblis head on. At the last second, she jumped and snagged the hood of her sweatshirt on one of its horns. Whipping herself around, she stood on the iblis and tried to steer it.

It, apparently, did not like having Just as a cowgirl. It howled and flung itself forward, ripping Just's sweatshirt. Just was flung against the wall.

"Ouch!" she said as she slid to the floor. The iblis had circled the room and was coming at her again. Not knowing what to do, she grabbed her throat in an attempt to protect it from any sharp horns. When she did, she felt the necklace Tyler the Spider had given her. Wait...of course! Just opened all of her fingers except her thumbs and rubbed the pendant.

Immediately, a huge ghost sprang forth from the necklace-it was a ruby the size of her head! It swung back and forth in the air, then zoomed towards the iblis. "GET AWAY FROM MY WEARER!" yelled the ruby. The iblis hissed and tried to retreat, but the ruby showed no mercy. Just turned away and lifted her feet as black iblis blood dripped everywhere. Just smiled and felt the chain again. No more pendant, just a really pretty chain.

"I am impressed!" said Cantik. Just turned to see the woman clapping and opening the door. "Very good, Just. That was brilliant! You have definitely earned my berbahaya powder."

Cantik led Just back into the main room, and filled a small pouch with the glittering powder. Once in the pouch, the powder turned green.

"Thank you, missus. This is most generous of you." said Just politely. Cantik waved her away and smiled. "Maiden, you earned it. You do not need to thank me. Thank whomever the sage was who gave you the necklace."

"It was not a sage," said Just, surprisingly fast, "it was Tyler the Spider, and he gave it to me when he did not know I was the Maiden." Cantik looked confused for a moment, but her face cleared, and her look of perfection was back on.

"Go, and save your friend, Maiden. All you have to do is put a bit of the powder in your ears so that you cannot hear the screams."