Wow, thirteen, my favourite number! Hopefully my muse'll realize this and help me finish this chapter quickly. Although I doubt that, this blank page is looking awfully familiar and it's impossible to write when I have access to so many games.
I want to get these (by this I mean the next two chapters) done earlier in the week, seeing as my uncle is getting married on the weekend and things will probably be kinda hectic. Anyhoo, here it is!
______________________________________________________________________
I woke to the sound of a news scroll being shoved beneath my door. Whoever it was on the other side seemed to be having a tough time, and the scroll had ripped a little by the time the person outside had delivered it to me.
It took a while for me to pull myself away from the warm covers and soft pillows, but eventually I rolled out of bed and into a ready position. The news scroll was relatively bare and boring until my eyes passed over one line:
Diànlì shuòshì spotted?
An aged female citizen claims to have seen the missing Silver Dragon Master while she was selling magazine scrolls. The woman has told us that yesterday a young lady approached the stand, dressed in expensive clothing and covering the right half of her face with long black hair. Apparently her eyes were the exact shade of green that is captured in the images posted around the mainland and she had a similar bone structure. Our source tells us that the girl never spoke, but kept glancing around at the sights as though enamoured by buildings and the rest of the marketplace.
Despite the fact that the citizen is probably a delusional old woman, we have reason to believe the Diànlì shuòshì is somewhere in the mainland. Several spottings of a young girl with long black hair and green eyes have been reported, and although most of them are scams there are a couple that are informative and true.
I felt myself turn pale. Was our trip going to be over before we could find out who'd killed Lucas and Mark? Had they really seen me around town? My head sunk into my hands the longer I thought about it. Really, it was only a matter of time until they caught us, and then we'd never be able to put a stop to the murders. They would probably continue until there were no Xuétú left.
I sighed, then stood and pushed back the feeling of despair that was slowly creeping over me. What I had to focus on was getting the Sacred Dragon Pearl and unraveling the mystery. There was a thump from inside Hayden's room, then he peeked his head through the door and glared at me. A copy of the news scroll was in his hand.
I turned away, crossing my arms and refusing to look at him. There was a snort behind me, and then the door slammed so hard it shook the foundations of the building. The sound of it gave me pause, and I took a few deep breaths to keep the tears from spilling onto my cheeks.
Since Hayden had basically refused to even talk to me I needed to find a way to break into the Grand High emperor's palace on my own. I supposed I could just wing it, but it would be much smarter to at least partially plan out how exactly I was going to do this impossible feat.
The silence as I sat and thought about it was depressing. Usually I had sarcastic remarks from Hayden and guidance from Yín sè, but right now I was alone in the simple room with my thoughts. I meditated on my bed for over three hours without breakfast, but nothing came to me.
"This is hopeless," I hissed to myself, hoping that Yín sè would hear and take sympathy on me. What the hell was I supposed to do? I'd only ever broken into the food area on Hǎo yùn dǎo, but never a well-guarded, massive palace.
Well, there was nothing more I could do besides think about it some more, which would make me panic and be too fearful to go through with it. I shot up, disturbing the satiny sheets and almost knocking my backpack onto the ground. Before it could touch the ground I caught it in an impressive feat of speed.
With my knapsack secured on my shoulder and my hair up in a tight bun, I left the room, and Hayden, behind. The long hallway that led to the streets outside seemed to continue on forever. I walked resolutely, ignoring the tiny voice that urged me to return to the room and bring Hayden along. I was so used to dealing with every problem alongside him that it was strange trying to solve this dilemma all alone.
When I finally made it outside, I had shut off the part of my brain that still wanted help from Hayden. I could handle this all by myself, and I didn't need to tell him everything that was going on. He was just being a huge arrogant moron.
It was a cool day, but the full sunshine more than half made up for it. I revelled in the feeling of it warming my skin, pushing away the leftover unhappiness and despair of my fight with Hayden. Voices carried through the air, and despite what I'd read this morning, I took another look around the city to gaze at the sights.
I walked aimlessly for quite a while until the black and red spires of the palace appeared over the tops of nearby buildings. The sight of it sent both anticipation and a gut-wrenching fear through me. On the one hand, getting that Sacred Dragon Pearl would put me one step closer to finding out who was killing the Xuétú. Still, I couldn't ignore that fact that the odds were I was going to be caught and thrown in jail.
The nearer I drew to the palace, the quicker the excitement faded away. It was a wonder I didn't collapse from fear right there on the cobblestone street. How much crazier could I get? I was already a fugitive, not to mention the summoning of Yín sè and stealing the scrolls. With my track record I could be put away forever.
What was the policy of entering the palace? Was just anyone permitted to go in, or only members of the royal family and their staff? It could make the difference between evading the guards and being captured.
My questions were answered when the door came into view. Heavy and bolted, it discouraged anybody and everybody from even nearing the intimidating chateau. It certainly made me think twice about what I was really doing. There was hardly a chance that I'd even be able to get into the palace, let alone remove a priceless treasure from the premises.
In any case, it was much too bright to attempt my heist; I decided to wait until the Sun went down. It was a long wait, and seeing as I didn't want to return to the hotel room and Hayden's icy attitude I wandered into shops established around the base of the palace.
They were filled with expensive trinkets and lush fabrics, every piece of merchandise practically bursting with glamour and opulence. Nothing I would be able to afford with my collection of coins. The shopkeepers gave me dirty looks, most likely thinking it odd that a girl was out by herself and browsing expensive jewellery.
Finally the Sun began to set, long after I had become tired of looking at elegant products. I breathed deeply as the red and black palace reflected the colours in the sky and tried to calm my racing heart. How in the world was I going to do this?
The two guards at the front switched off with one other, and I saw my chance. He was rather thin and scrawny, probably the same weight as me, and the black armour that was traditional for the Royal Guard hung loosely about his frame.
I walked towards him slowly and deliberately. His head cocked in confusion at my steady pace, one hand on the longblade that was much too big for his body. I doubted I could even use something like that, let alone a skinny teenage boy. Hayden used a longblade, but with his height he was able to handle it with ease.
In several moments I reached my destination. There was about a foot of space between us, the proximity seemingly fraying his nerves as he held the longblade out awkwardly in front of himself.
"Sorry," I murmured to him, too quiet for his ears to hear it. Then I sprung, gripping the longblade and flipping over it. My bare foot connected with his forehead and knocked him to the ground. I waited cautiously for him to get back up, but he remained still on the concrete steps.
I stepped past him delicately, pulling the heavy door open with some effort. The porcelain hallway beyond was lit by faintly glowing lanterns that flickered in the gust of air formed when the door was opened.
My swords felt right in my hands, providing both mental physical reassurance. Any moment I expected a Royal Guard to loom out of the shadows and bring me to the dungeon. The hallway was empty; I checked the Other World for human Néngyuán, but only the Běnzhí of the lanterns made itself visible to my perceptive eyes.
I didn't know how long I'd travelled down that same hallway. My mind was more focused on watching and listening for people roaming the building, rather than keeping track of time without knowing the positions of the Moon or stars.
After what seemed to be forever, the empty hallway split off into two paths. I deliberated for only seconds before choosing the left one. Mostly because there was a Guard parading down the right hallway, poking his lantern into hidden crevices. It was a miracle he hadn't looked up and seen my slim form at the fork.
The left hallway was proving to be a satisfactory choice, on account of the lack of lanterns. The hallway was too dark for any normal human to navigate, but with a little extra Diànyuán to enhance my night vision I was good to go.
My journey continued like that; me following a hallway until it branched off, then choosing one at random. I had a couple of close scrapes, but always managed to hide behind curtains or under tables or once suspended from the ceiling by only the strength in my limbs. Fear ate away at me throughout the entire voyage, although with each passing second I wasn't caught I became more and more relieved.
Finally I found myself staring out over a balcony into an elegantly designed room. In the center of the room was a pedestal, upon which was resting a beautiful statue that glimmered in the brilliance of a diamond chandelier.
The sculpture consisted of a massive pearl encircled by a fearsome Dragon. Light reflected off of the smooth surface, changing the colours from red to blue to silver to green. It was a symphony of Dragon Master hues, and the pearl remained the same glowing silver despite the metamorphosis of the Dragon icon.
It was certainly beautiful. I could see why the old man might want to just get a glimpse of it, with its magical colour diversity and obvious opulence it projected. Of course, this lavishness would only make it more difficult to steal. Not to mention the ring of Royal Guards that surrounded it like stones around a Míngxiǎng Garden.
Suddenly, the solution came to me. I climbed onto the balustrade with ease, enjoying the fluid stone that was cold against my bare feet. My knees bent and my arms swung back in preparation. Then I jumped.
I flew through the air for several moments before my outstretched palms connected with the brass handles of the diamond chandelier. With a quick spin I extinguished the many candles, plunging the room into a darkness that even I had trouble moving about in.
Panic erupted below me as the Guards bumbled about in search of the culprit. I dropped down silently, legs flexing to reduce shock impact and keep me out of the small sliver of moonlight that penetrated the closed curtains.
Quick as a lightning bolt I snatched the sacred Dragon Pearl, dropping it gingerly into my pack as all around me Guards were shouting and cursing. I made my way towards one of the supporting columns that held up the balcony, ducking and weaving while trying not to brush against any of the bulky men around me.
I finally made it out of the chaos and began climbing the beam. My heart pattered in relief of making it out of the bedlam below me, but I wouldn't let myself relax just yet. I still had to make it out with the Pearl.
I sprinted down hallways, grateful for my well-trained feet that made no perceptible noise against the sleek porcelain underfoot. While I had no conscious idea of where I was, the hallways soon began to look familiar as I made it closer and closer to the exit.
There. Freedom. The giant steel door was at the far end of the hallway, inspiring me to run faster even as the statue drummed against my back painfully. I was so close...
Guards swarmed the exit, blocking off my escape route with menacing beetle-like outfits. I gasped, spinning on my heel and I bolted the other direction. More black-covered men were stationed behind me.
"No, no no no no," I muttered, pirouetting on the spot as I searched for an escape route. There didn't seem to be one, just an endless stream of Royal Guards that cut off my chance for freedom.
They descended upon me, longblades gleaming in the yellow lantern light. In my panic I attacked, no longer not caring about not seriously hurting anyone. I was being swarmed, and it made hysteria take over from rationality.
The closest one got a snap kick to the chest, sending him stumbling back into several of his cohorts with a surprised grunt of pain. The next cried out in frustration as the flat side of my left sword resonated against his helmet. Another swung out at me with his longblade, and I responded with a block. My arms wobbled frim his strength, injured left wrist screaming out at the contact. Finally, mostly out of luck, I disarmed him and set him flying back with a Pyramid Shove.
I spun rapidly, chopping at nerve points and kicking at major areas. The mass of Guards was too powerful for me. They grabbed me, restraining my arms and legs and pressing their swords to my skin.
Still I squirmed, survival instinct powerful in my mind as I wriggled against their strength. It was no use. They were much stronger than me and had the advantage of height and size.
"Let me go!" I cried, biting into the arm of one of the Guards. "I need to do this!" One of the Guards, the one who had me pressed into his side, scoffed. He didn't say anything, however, just remained silent like the rest of them.
A sharp blade dug into my thigh, causing me to howl in pain and kick out at the attacker. My foot connected with a knee but it was to no avail. I was caught. Tears formed in my eyes as I fought the dread surging inside me.
"Shut up," one of them growled, and a blade was pressed to my throat. "You're under arrest for breaking and entering, attacking a Royal Guard and stealing one of the most precious treasures in the world. Struggling will get you nowhere."
I was well and truly screwed.
________________________________________________________________________
Finally got that out of my system. I've been trying to write this all week, but my brain just wouldn't let me. It seems my muse is ADHD, because I got a great new idea for a story, but too bad. I'm going to finish this one before I start anything else.
So, did you like it? To be honest it isn't one of my favourites; it's a bit slow around the middle but that's just because I was getting out of my short writer's block and back into groove. I might even upload another one this week, if I can find the time. It's a pretty busy weekend for me.