The Clockwork Princess

The Clockwork Princess Chapter 2

"And so it begins" Rebecca smiled at the sight of Ana approaching the sword as it sprung to life. "What's happening?!" Ana said as once she picked up the strange sword it started to tick faster and the clacks hands began rapidly turning. "Princess the sword chooses you to become it's master"  the clockwork informed her, Ana shot a frantic look at Rebecca before the sword shone and blinded her vision.

"A new princess comes in to play day by day, flashing lights and dashing knights, make the fights last all night" the evil warped whispers cackled in laughter after they sung their devilish ryhme. Ana soon found a swarm of clockwork figures looking quite alike to Rebecca advancing towards her. Rebecca quickly spun round to face Ana"Princess you must slay them, unlike me they will kill you....they are master's failed ones." Ana didn't know what she was talking about, but she knew that the clockwork figure was right about their intent to kill her. With a flourish she struck one of the cracked figures with the sword, and she sliced off it's arm with ease.  The figure howled in pain, yet a insane smile was still plastered on its plastic skin "the young girl brandished the sword, but what she didn't know she would fall" all of the demonic dolls sung.

Their eyes were pitch black, like Rebecca they had cracked pale skin, and clockwork cogs made their every movement. Their voices in chant and rhyme, made it even more sinister for Ana to hear. "No way can I take them all on!" She yelled, swiping the sword at the clockwork creatures that lurched at her, only to be impaled upon her sword. As Ana frantically looked for Rebecca for advice she had found that she had disappeared. "REBECCA!" She screamed as the clockwork figures closed in on her. Their hands clawing and her flesh, "it hurts, it hurts" Ana sobbed as blood seeped from her wounds, as the things constantly slashed at her. The sword clashing down upon the floor "die, die, die!" They screamed. Just as Ana thought it was the end, as one of the clockwork things  tried to deliver the final blow. Ana felt her head rising "no..." she said her voice barely a whisper her eyes focused on the enemy, her hand reached for the sword and felt its cool metal.

She soon felt her heart go in time with the tick of the sword tick...tock...tick...tock. Ana soon felt herself saying these words "tick tock on the clock, when it strikes for the last time you will find that you will die." She sung softly to herself as she begun to stand herself up, the things still tried to claw her but to no avail as by now Ana let out a bloodcurdling scream. And she soon found her body moving on its own defeating every figure until all fell. And as soon as the last figure looked upon her face in fear she could hear a hollow voice talking to it. "You treat your princess in such a manner?" Her now hollow like voice sounded calm, yet furious "you are but a low class clockwork doll..." it continued "I hope you learn a lesson from this" and with a quick swipe the clockwork thing was dead. Ana heard a clapping from behind "marvellous if I must say so myself" Ana soon found herself in control of her body again she spun around to find a young male looking slightly older than her.

He had black hair that came down to his forehead and like most of the dolls he had pale skin, yet he did not look like one of the dolls. His clothes looked that of high nobility and he wore a top had with red silk around it, and trailing off to his shoulder. He also wore a pure white shirt with the same golden sewn cogs at the base of the shirt, his blazer was jet black with a rose attached to the collar of the blazer. His trousers matched the blazer, and in his white gloved hand a sceptre and at the top of which he held was a glass ball with spinning and moving cogs.

He gave Ana a warm smile yet she felt that she could not trust him "I'm terribly sorry about that attack" he said. Ana looked around at the dead dolls lying at her feet "you see this tower I created captures girls like yourself, to see if you are worthy." Ana lifted her gaze to face him, he gave her another smile and continued as he strutted along the room "now many women and girls have been captured, and unfortunately my dolls here think they are the princess until they ahem...die." Ana could not believe what she was hearing many girls alike her have been sent here to their demise? "it's been some time since a real worthy participant has survived just this alone, yet you will face more difficult trials ahead"

Ana was slightly angered by this "why should I have to go through with this?! I've been mauled by a series of dolls because of this so called tower thinking I'm worthy?!" She shrieked at the top of her voice. He looked rather taken aback by her sudden outburst "dear me what a loud girl, now listen well this sword created my me has accepted you meaning, you have taken the first step to becoming what you should be." What she should be?  Ana didn't understand what was all this princess thing about? The man smiled again "most women and girls would die at this point as the sword would not accept them" he said as he pointed his sceptre towards the series of bones Ana did not notice before. "O-Oh god" Ana cried as she stumbled backwards.

Soon enough she heard the cries and screams of the dead. She soon felt herself screaming in horror, the man tutted "now calm down whatever is the matter with you?" He looked displeased. But right now Ana didn't care, she saw the skeletons crawl towards her moaning in agony. Some skeletons still had rotting flesh hanging onto the bones, and some still had flesh rotting quickly and falling down with a wet splash onto the floor. Just the sight made Ana feel sick, and then a scent of the dead wafted into her nose she quickly held it in an attempt to block it.

Ana felt faint enough as it is, as she turned herself away from the hollow skulls following her every move and crawling towards her figure, frantically trying to back away from them. "N-No please no!" Ana screamed as she felt the wall against her back, the moans getting louder and louder. Ana quickly shut her eyes tightly, and put her hands to her head shaking it furiously. She felt herself going insane until she felt a hand on her head as if instantly the moans were gone, she peeked out of her shut eyelids to find the skeletons were gone. In fact there was no sign of them, Ana blinked a couple of times to make sure she wasn't dreaming. And then peered up to see who had made them disappear, it was none other than the man giving a stern look from where the skeletons once crawled.

He helped Ana to her feet "at first I thought you went slightly mad from the sight of the dead only till I realised that this...." He said with a flourish of a green gem "was shining" he finished throwing it onto the ground, as it smashed into tiny fragments. "What... is... that?" Ana asked breathless from her ordeal, he chuckled "this my dear girl is called a fragmented horror, don't let it's beauty fool you! It's designed to make worst nightmares come true, even if it's not your worst fear it'll make sure it is."

Ana looked upon its broken contents "how did you stop it?" She asked her body somewhat shaking. "Quite simple really all you must do is pick it up, although it is quite hard if your suffering from one of its illusions. If you find another person suffering all you do is gently place your hand atop their head, like I have done with you" Ana nodded her head slowly, a quick gasp from the man snapped her head towards him "oh I really must go I've got so much to do!" As soon as he said this Ana felt scared "w-wait!" Ana cried out "I - I'm scared..." she said her eyes falling to the floor.

For a moment the man's face softened then turned to his usual expression...a smile "don't worry the dolls will attack you yes but you can defend yourself no?" Ana felt herself trembling "well can you at least tell me your name?" He looked startled "how rude of me I had forgotten! Samuel Dryan pleasure is all mine!" Samuel said with a bow, "now if you will excuse me I must be going off now!" And with that a red mist surrounded him, with rose petals swarming around him like a tornado. As soon as it died down there was nothing left only the petals left in his wake. "I see master has taken a great interest in you princess" the familiar mechanical voice greeted Ana "Rebecca! Your here, I thought you left me for dead!"

Rebecca smiled her usual fractured smile "princess I cannot stay with you during your battles it is not safe for me...." she trailed off Ana's face faltered "don't tell me your leaving me too" Rebecca laughed in a odd creepy way "no princess I cannot, even if I wished to I am forever tied to you" Ana was somewhat relieved. "We must go forward to the next room you have 19 more floors to go." Rebecca informed her taking a look to Ana's obviously tattered dress, Rebecca tutted and brung out a new dress this time the same design only it was black this time with a red ribbon to act as a headband.