Chapter 19 : Crank of Truth

They stand outside the wooden door on the walkway, the no sound is coming from the other side. Christ looks at Lisa, “So do you want to go in first?”

Did he just give me a choice? Opening her mouth Christ cuts her off.

“Of course you do, okay I don’t know whats in there except for that one guy. So you might find it good to go in spear first.”

“Why did you ask me if I wanted to go in first, if there wasn’t actually a choice?” Lisa looks at him hanging the crossbow on her side. Pulling out the staff, she steps to the side pressing her back to the wall.

“I wanted to seem like the nice guy,” he saying joining her on the wall farthest from the door.

She looks at the door them him, “Can you please open the door, or do you want me to do it?”

“Why can’t you?” he says holding up daggers in both his hands.

“Well, because. . .you know what,” She reaches over with her left hand flinging the door open. She doesn’t hear anything from the other side, peeking inside she sees a square room with a small section of stone wall standing in the center, several voet from the back wall. “Christ I don’t see anyone and it looks like a section of wall is in the back of the room.”

Christ rolls his eyes up before he closes them, slightly nodding if having a conversation with himself, “Okay, I wanna say that's like a barrier for the lever. So, when people like us come in they have to actually enter into the room to break the mechanism rather than destroy it from the outside. Not so much fun for us, but we will be fine.” Christ nudges her with his elbow lightly, “just enter with care.”

Lisa steps into the room with her spear at the ready. She walks along the left wall, her eyes fix on the corner of the solitary wall. Christ slinks into the room taking to the right wall, with a hand motion for her to press forward. Half-way into the room Lisa hears the whispers of something up ahead behind the door. She takes her left hand, off the front grip, signalling to Christ something is up ahead.

Christ gives a nod, taking a few step forward. They voeti toward the wall when from behind them a slam noise rocks across the room. They turn to see the door has been shut, and a spectral white gloved hand floats at the top of the door. The hand waves at them, Lisa can see Christ’s eyes grow wide. Color drains from his face, “Yelp Lisa, they have a mage!”

Lisa hears a voice reciting from behind Christ the words mingled in a conglomeration of nonsense.

Turning around she sees a man in egg white baggy pants and his thin sleeveless shirt flows as if pushed by the ethereal gales. A red sash clang to his hips littered with strange symbols and markers of wheat gold. She can feel his eyes lie focused on Christ, much like the gold bands and rings around his neck and arms, they give off a brilliant yet cold feeling. His desert brown arms move much like watching sand being danced in the air along the winds gracious force.

Christ turns without wasting a movement he lobs a dagger toward the man. The mage spreads his legs, splitting toward the floor. A mystical volcanic red circle blinks into existence around each of the man’s wrists. The ring shimmers, as the inner and outer bands spin one clockwise, and strange pulsing runes and symbols flow the opposite way.

Lisa caught herself staring at mage, So this is what a real mage looks like.

“A little help!” Christ calls out dashing toward the brown skinned man.

Christ gets within four voet when the magic circles stop and vanish, the mage’s hands turn a magma red. Christ presses off the ground with his left foot toward the wall, then kicks off the right wall throwing himself toward the center of the room. A plum of fire burst forth from the mage’s hand, dowsing the right side of the room in liquid flames. Christ can feel the scorching heat underneath him as he soars over the spell.

Christ hits the ground rolling toward Lisa, tumbling to his feet he starts running back behind the wall using the other entrance. Lisa eyes are lit ablaze as this single man unleashes destructive forces equal to war machines, the heat commands her feet to step toward Christ. She notices the mage is sweeping his hand to the right side of the room with the flood of flame tracing behind him.

Sprinting behind Christ they see the crank and the light from the mage. The gusting heat ceases, Lisa looks back to see the last of the river of fire splash onto the stone. “Christ, what are we supposed to do?”

“Same as anyone else in this spot, we kill the mage.”

From the other entrance of the protruding wall, “Death will find me not easily,”his voice flow like a violinist melody during his biggest performance. Lisa watches the man casually step into view. His lush black ponytail dangles down to his lower back, and his fingers twitch as his wrist twirl.

Christ pulls out another dagger, “Unless you have forgot there are two of us and one of you. You might have caught me off guard, but not again.” Christ’s gaze on the man, “Lisa, go to the other side, get close, and kill him. Mages do not do so well in close quarters.”

“Confidence. . . is a splendid thing, but your confidence tramples on your advantage.” The mages hands starts twitching and turning, but his is left hand rest closed.

Lisa investigates the man's posture. His shoulders hang low, his right foot planted flat, with his left foot tapping the stone floor with the tip of his bare toes. There has to be some other way to do this other than brute force. He seems to relaxed compared to the others, he doesn’t care about our numbers. “Excuse me, Mr.Mage? Is that offense?”

Christ speaks through gritted teeth, “Lisa what are you doing? You should probably be doing something else right now.”

The mage cracks his neck, “Not so offensive, but you may call me Luize of LethenVale.”

Christ lowers his daggers ever so slightly, “LethenVale? Like the LethenVales of the Hawk’s Perch clan?”

Luize looks curiously over at Christ, “One in the same.”

Lisa squints her eyes and spit on the ground,Your people caused so many problems for my countryman. She starts to move around the corner.

Luize turns his attention looking at the spot where she spit, “You must be Ravenflood, with that jumping emotion.”

Lisa turns around taking a step toward him with her staff at the ready, “DO NOT EVER CALL ME A DROWNRAVEN!”

Nodding his head, “Horn Cove Clan then, sorry for your loss. That was a tragedy what they did to your people.”

They should have been punished for their war crimes and what the did to my father, she lowers her staff staring at the ground then darts her gaze up toward Luize, “Yet you remained allies with them.”

“Lisa calm down now,” Christ motions for her to lower her weapon, “The LethenVale’s are not as patriotic as you would think.”

Luize quits tapping his foot,“what do you know of my family?”

Christ puts away the throwing daggers in his left hand, reaching into his pocket. Luize’s hand cletches tightly ready to act at a moments notice. Christ pulls out a watch, throwing it over to Luize.

“What is that about? Do you know this guy?” Lisa lets her guard completely down.

Luize catches it with his free hand, opening it up he sees two children side by side smiling. The mages opens his closed hand, particles of translucent dust falls to the ground. He looks up, “Christ?”

Christ puts away his other daggers, opening his arms walking toward him. The two men embrace, giving a long hug and several pats on the back. “Brother it has been so long,” Christ says pulling away , “What are you doing working for these guys.”

What just happened? Lisa thought putting her staffs off edge on the ground, leaning on the weapon a bit, “brother?”

Luize looks toward her, “We were on the streets together struggling to survive, till some fifteen years ago he was taken by slavers. I gave up looking a few years after you were taken, they said you had been killed in the pits under Fran Keep.

Christ shrugs, “They thought I was dead and I promise you they wished that I had perished in that Hellian fighting pit. Anyway, we kinda have things to do, so why are you working with these guys.”

Luize pats a sack on his hip, “Coin of course and the nobles are promising land to anyone who assist on the guard and the capital stands.” Losing the smile on his face, “I am tired of living like a commoner, while men who never raised a blade in their lives laze around like kings. I deserve that life, I have clawed and cut my way to where I am for—-”

Christ puts his finger on Luize lips, “Ssssh, enough said brother. Obviously you have been fooled by those nobles. No nobles resides here anymore and you know as well as I do that this city isn’t going to survive.”

Luize slaps his hand away from his mouth, “It is the best chance to leave it behind brother. . .I am getting too old to be pocketing coins and being a sellmage. The pay isn’t worth the risk anymore, archers and other mages put top priority on you the second you cast a spell. I gain more attention than the barbarian class warriors in the enemie’s face.”

Christ puts both places a firm grip on Luize biceps, “Brother what if I told you there was a better way, an easier way?”

Luize raises an eyebrow? “What way is this?”

Christ pulls him in close so close his breath raises the hair on Luize neck “I have found this tomb in the lands and I have part of the key. I am in search of the second part of the key and I need a few more crew members to dive into the tomb.”

Lisa turns her head away from the conversation looking the wall up and down. Mmmmh, what could you be talking about? She looks like she isn’t paying attention, but attempts to listen in. Teril, I can’t hear anything, but I don’t want them to think I am looking. What if his brother isn’t going to let us open the gate? She gives a glance over at the two men deeply engaging in conversation. Maybe I could prepare for plan b? She starts to step toward the way, studying the wall as she rubs her hand along it.

Luize barely audible replies, “How much are we talking and who is the team?”

Christ rests his check against Luize, feeling the heat from his skin, “Well enough that you could by land, a small manor, and a literal horde of field slaves. As far as teams go we have a rogue, with you a mage, and a fighter team configuration.”

Luize’s voice has a hint of concern, “What about the healer class?”

Lisa inches her way toward the lever, keeping her attention toward the wall.

Christ lets out a small smile, “Once we got the key, I know where we can find or hire one. It will be hard, but we will only have to split three ways.”

Luize pulls slightly away from Christ looking him in the eyes, “Three way split with four team members?”

Lisa reaches the lever and notices a small opening big enough for a single person to crawl through behind the level. She sees a rope on the other side of the hole, pulled vertically tight. Would he think better of me for securing victory, or will he be testing me on my ability to test? If I cut the rope he may have to kill his brother, but at least he will be close range and I am in quick position to back him up. Or if I wait we could gain an ally, or he fails and we gave his brother time to prep. Mmmh, which one is more worth it?

Christ raises an eyebrow with a big smile, squeezing his brother’s arms lightly, “I have everything in work, you in?”

Luize scans every figure of Christ’s face trying to pry every bit of information he can, “I am in.”

Lisa stares at the rope infront of her, May the Mortal Soul guide me. . .He isn’t my brother and my goal is this gate. Lisa grips the Slender Staff and whipping it into a striking position. He swipes it across the rope, severing it. Christ and Luize snap their attention to her, the sound of rock grinding on rock grades out from the wall. The floor shutters as a massive thump rings throughout the gate tower.

The two men slowly look from Lisa to each other. Christ puffs out his bottom lip, “Well, I guess she is picking up on some lessons.”

Luize throws both his hands out, “What lesson was that?”

Lisa raises a figure, “I believe the lesson was mission first.”

Christ points at her with a smile, “Kinda, she is on the right path. Well, are we ready to move on to mission two.”

Luize shakes his head, “So you gonna fill me in?”

Christ nods and starts walking to the exit, “Yeah, I will tell you on the way out. Come on Lisa.”

Lisa looks back at the rope, then at the two men. Walking behind the men, the glint of light from her blade catches her attention. She can see her reflection with a wicked smiles, she can it say in her mind, Mission Effectiveness is what he was praising us on, willing to end a life to secure the mission. Remember the more effective we are, the better we will be. Only Ma and Pa’s lives are critical.