Analise Parker: The White Rose

Chapter Two

Analise hit the ground hard. The floor was wooden, slightly damp. She stumbled to her feet, eyes adjusting to the world around her. She was in a sort of shop. Rickety wooden shelves filled with trinkets lined the walls- skulls, diamonds, clocks, spyglasses, frail books and lace gloves. Looking up, she noticed great golden wings hanging from the ceiling, detached from their feathery owners. Beside the wings, the portal gleamed. Swords and spears coated with barnacles decorated the walls. She could only imagine that she was in a type of pawn shop. But where?

Beside the front door, there was a counter, at which a greasy old man stood. One of his eyes was stitched closed. His skin was wrinkled and roasted by the sun, hanging off his bones. He wore bright orange fingerless gloves, and as he grinned she noted with disgust that all of his teeth were either rotted or gone.

Erick, who had already shaken off the shock of falling through space and time, quickly twisted the sections of the sphere, until its light vanished, and the great portal above them collapsed into a fine golden dust that fell upon their heads. It reminded Analise of pixie dust, and caused her to sneeze.

"Why, Erick!" the old man grumbled. "You've come back! Where did it take ya, lad?" he leaned forward across his counter eagerly.

Erick glared at this man with all his might. His eyes seemed to glow with an angry pain that Analise recognized as betrayal. "Don't you dare talk to me, Owen," he growled.

"I need money too, boy!" Owen cried defensively. "They would've killed me if I hadn't told them about the sale!" his bony hands were raised in the air.

One of Erick's hands slid down to the hilt of his sword. He said something under his breath, a death threat, no doubt. Analise felt as if she was watching a movie. This still couldn't be real. The way they spoke enchanted her. It reminded her of an English accent, but there was a musical undertone to their voices, even Owen's. She was drawn in by every word.

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a terrifyingly loud metallic sound. Owen had rung a large black bell that hung beside the door. He rang it over and over, one eye wide with greed. Erick drew his sword, and Analise froze. A pair of guards appeared in the doorway, swords drawn. They had deep violet bags underneath their eyes, as if they had just been sleeping. They held their helmets in their hands, unorganized and not ready for any sort of action this early in the morning.

Owen grinned with delight, pointing a single twig-like finger at Erick. "He's back, sirs, he's back! He's finally back! Arrest him! Our deal is kept! You tell Jacob that I want my money!"

The guards, not paying the slightest glance to the old man, stepped into the shop. One of them held out a gloved hand. "Give us the Sphere, pirate," he said. "And her majesty the Queen may lessen your sentence."

It all happened very quickly. Metal on metal resounded in Analise's ears once again. One against two, with a very happy old man watching hungrily. There were shouts, dodges, blows, and blocks. Analise didn't know what to do but watch and hope they didn't notice her.

Her thoughts were much too loud, for one of the guards did notice her. And it was entirely her fault. Erick was cleanly and quickly stabbed through the shoulder, and for some reason unknown to her, Analise cried out for the pain of this stranger. There was no reason to sympathize with anyone there, especially when it could get her killed. But she did, and suddenly she had a sword facing her nose.

"Who are you?" he shouted as the other guard and Erick continued their fight. "Are you with him?" he nodded towards the pirate.

"What?" Analise stuttered, looking worriedly from man to man. Her heart was beating in her throat, which was terribly inconvenient for speaking. "No, I-" but the guard had already determined her words to be lies, and was reaching out a hand to grab hold of her arm.