Status: Read me!
The Princess
Chapter Twenty-Five
Aster
I watched Jamal lunge toward Sarasi. I felt so helpless. I was relieved when he hit a shield that Sarasi obviously constructed. Jamal then started muttering something long and complex that sounded like it would hurt, so I grabbed a piece of rubble and threw it at him. It hit him in the back of the head. He stopped muttering, but he turned and glared at me.
“I’m getting rid of you first! Schla!” he yelled, pointing at Sarasi and Simon. Instantly, they were encased in a blue fire-like cage.
“Ha! They can’t help you now, boy! Their magic is useless.” Jamal cackled. Boy, am I stupid. I need to learn to not throw things at crazy evil people.
“Well…..Niya can.” I pointed out as Niya jumped on him. Jamal yelled an unintelligible word. Niya went flying through the air like a sack of potatoes and hit the wall and slid to the ground, where she lay still and unmoving.
“Niya!” Sarasi screamed, throwing herself toward her. I instantly smelled burning flesh. Sarasi jumped back from the side of the cage. There was a stripe, a red one, across both of her palms. Apparently, the cage burns them if they touch it, and it prevents their use of magic.
“You can’t escape now, boy!” he yelled, then muttered a nasty sounding word. (Why does he keep calling my boy?) Nothing happened. He said it again. Still, nothing happened.
“What?” Jamal asked.
“Don’t look at me.” I told him. He yelled the word. I still don’t know what he said. Again, nothing happened. He looked at me.
“What are you doing? What are you wearing? Are you wearing a charm?” he asked.
“Charm? What are you talking about?” I asked, perplexed.
“To counteract magic.” he stated.
“What? No. Those exist?” I asked.
“Yes. You sure you’re not wearing one?” he asked again.
“I told you, I’m not wearing anything but clothes.” I said.
“Magic doesn’t affect him.” a hoarse voice that came from the floor said.
“Niya!” Sarasi exclaimed.
“But…..I turned him invisible. Twice.” Simon said. I looked toward Niya for an explanation.
“Magic that is meant to harm him has no effect on him. Only descendants of the Mohty line have that ability.” Niya explained. Why didn’t she mention this before?
“Ah….So I just use knives. The old fashioned way to kill. Perfect.” Jamal said, launching himself at me. A knife flashed from nowhere and appeared in his hand. I tried to dodge him, but failed. he landed on me, trying to stab me with the knife. I was barely able to hold him off.
“Boy….. just give in to the inevitable!” Jamal told me, “You’re gonna die anyway!”
“Not if I can help it!” I told him, then kicked him where it counted. Apparently, I had kicked really hard, because he dropped the knife, curled up into a ball, and started rocking back and forth.
“Told you.” I said, getting up. Then i felt a blossoming pain in my right thigh. I looked down and saw a very small throwing knife lodged up to the hilt in my thigh.
“Ha…. you… wasn’t expectin’ that, were….. you?” Jamal asked, a wicked smile on his face. I ignored him. I focused all of my attention on pulling the knife out, trusting Simon and Sarasi to warn me if Jamal tried anything. I carefully pulled that knife out. Thank goodness it was barely three inches long. I ripped off the bottom hem of my shirt and wrapped it around my thigh tightly. But not too tight.
“Aster! Watch out!” Sarasi yelled. I looked just in time to dodge Jamal’s knife thrust.
“You….stakq!” Jamal yelled. Sarasi opened her mouth, but nothing came out. He sealed her speech away! he then pointed at Simon and Niya and repeated the word each time. Their speech is sealed away too. Now there is no one to help me. I’m on my own.
I watched Jamal lunge toward Sarasi. I felt so helpless. I was relieved when he hit a shield that Sarasi obviously constructed. Jamal then started muttering something long and complex that sounded like it would hurt, so I grabbed a piece of rubble and threw it at him. It hit him in the back of the head. He stopped muttering, but he turned and glared at me.
“I’m getting rid of you first! Schla!” he yelled, pointing at Sarasi and Simon. Instantly, they were encased in a blue fire-like cage.
“Ha! They can’t help you now, boy! Their magic is useless.” Jamal cackled. Boy, am I stupid. I need to learn to not throw things at crazy evil people.
“Well…..Niya can.” I pointed out as Niya jumped on him. Jamal yelled an unintelligible word. Niya went flying through the air like a sack of potatoes and hit the wall and slid to the ground, where she lay still and unmoving.
“Niya!” Sarasi screamed, throwing herself toward her. I instantly smelled burning flesh. Sarasi jumped back from the side of the cage. There was a stripe, a red one, across both of her palms. Apparently, the cage burns them if they touch it, and it prevents their use of magic.
“You can’t escape now, boy!” he yelled, then muttered a nasty sounding word. (Why does he keep calling my boy?) Nothing happened. He said it again. Still, nothing happened.
“What?” Jamal asked.
“Don’t look at me.” I told him. He yelled the word. I still don’t know what he said. Again, nothing happened. He looked at me.
“What are you doing? What are you wearing? Are you wearing a charm?” he asked.
“Charm? What are you talking about?” I asked, perplexed.
“To counteract magic.” he stated.
“What? No. Those exist?” I asked.
“Yes. You sure you’re not wearing one?” he asked again.
“I told you, I’m not wearing anything but clothes.” I said.
“Magic doesn’t affect him.” a hoarse voice that came from the floor said.
“Niya!” Sarasi exclaimed.
“But…..I turned him invisible. Twice.” Simon said. I looked toward Niya for an explanation.
“Magic that is meant to harm him has no effect on him. Only descendants of the Mohty line have that ability.” Niya explained. Why didn’t she mention this before?
“Ah….So I just use knives. The old fashioned way to kill. Perfect.” Jamal said, launching himself at me. A knife flashed from nowhere and appeared in his hand. I tried to dodge him, but failed. he landed on me, trying to stab me with the knife. I was barely able to hold him off.
“Boy….. just give in to the inevitable!” Jamal told me, “You’re gonna die anyway!”
“Not if I can help it!” I told him, then kicked him where it counted. Apparently, I had kicked really hard, because he dropped the knife, curled up into a ball, and started rocking back and forth.
“Told you.” I said, getting up. Then i felt a blossoming pain in my right thigh. I looked down and saw a very small throwing knife lodged up to the hilt in my thigh.
“Ha…. you… wasn’t expectin’ that, were….. you?” Jamal asked, a wicked smile on his face. I ignored him. I focused all of my attention on pulling the knife out, trusting Simon and Sarasi to warn me if Jamal tried anything. I carefully pulled that knife out. Thank goodness it was barely three inches long. I ripped off the bottom hem of my shirt and wrapped it around my thigh tightly. But not too tight.
“Aster! Watch out!” Sarasi yelled. I looked just in time to dodge Jamal’s knife thrust.
“You….stakq!” Jamal yelled. Sarasi opened her mouth, but nothing came out. He sealed her speech away! he then pointed at Simon and Niya and repeated the word each time. Their speech is sealed away too. Now there is no one to help me. I’m on my own.