Our Planet has Crashed [COMPLETE]

seventy three - Wings of Fire

Leaf POV:

"Ready?" Leaf whispered.

Daffodil and Violet, in their muddy, dirt-stained rags, nodded. 

They were going to aggravate the Invincible Lord while Leaf snuck into the secret room Wren had told them about two days ago. Its existence was secret to everyone but the Invincible Lord, yet Wren and Undauntable (as little as Leaf wanted to credit him) had found out about it. How, Leaf did not know. And that was just added to the list of mysteries he added to his sister since she pretended to be Lady Wisteria. She rarely sent messages, and when she did, they were brief, and to the point. She was always distant, but not like this. 

Daffodil and Violet staggered into the throne room, pushed by guards with spears. This was his chance. 

Leaf rolled in the shadows behind the throne, managing to escape the notice of all the twenty-two guards in the room as Daffodil and Violet began begging for fake things that seemed reasonable enough. Such as, a place to stay (which they already had, thanks to the coins Wren had managed to swipe for them). 

He slid into the small slot of space between the throne and wall and pressed a slightly darker bit of the gold on the throne. A small door near the base of the wall opened silently, as the Invincible Lord yawned while Violet explained a little too thoroughly why she needed a separate room from her "brother" (also known as Leaf). 

Leaf crawled through the hole in the wall and saw the light disappear completely as the door shut automatically. Leaf fished in his satchel for his flint and a piece of wood from the street. He crawled to the end of the short and cramped tunnel, reaching a large chamber made of stone, and lit the torch. Leaf's mouth dropped as he took in the seven branching tunnels. How was he supposed to finish exploring all this by nightfall? He had to somehow get a message outside, tell them he'd be late—

There was a shift in the air, and the fire on Leaf's torch was extinguished. Leaf, sensing danger, ran on silent feet to the now-dark wall of the round stone chamber. And just in time, too. Footsteps echoed through the room, and Leaf held his breath. Only one person knew of this place . . . and if this is who Leaf thought he was, then what had happened to Violet and Daffodil? They were supposed to be able to manage him for at least another fifteen minutes. 

Leaf pulled his legs closer to his chest. Would the Invincible Lord see him? Speaking of which. . . why didn't the man need a torch? There was no way he could have memorized the tunnels, right? 

The footsteps seemed to head off to Tunnel #5. Leaf waited two full minutes, then padded silently after the man, tucking the charred piece of wood into his satchel. He followed the footsteps through branch after branch of the tunnel. Leaf tried to keep track in case he had to run away . . . but it was hopeless. After five splits, Leaf was all mixed up. He didn't realize the footsteps had stopped until he crashed headfirst into a stone wall. 

Someone sighed. "You'd think after so many years, I wouldn't learn how to walk without seeming to stomp around. What would people think, hearing noises in their walls?" 

Leaf brandished his sword but it was gone from his hand in a moment. Vanished. He blinked in his surprise, and it was in that moment that the Invincible Lord grabbed Leaf by the wrist and began hauling him back down the tunnel. Leaf struggled violently, even resorting to a kick in the unthinkable part but the Invincible Lord seemed ignorant to the pain. 

Was this part of his enchantments? Leaf wondered in horror. 

Another split in the tunnels, and the Invincible Lord dragged Leaf along with his iron grip. Leaf finally gave up, letting himself be pulled around like a puppy. Leaf's eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and he could make out the shape of the Invincible Lord. Was it his imagination, or was the guy even more looming than before? He looked like he had grown a good four inches, and that wasn't really that common for a man his age. Leaf shuddered as he thought about the animus magic bestowed to this evil man. He really would be invincible, then.