Chapter 10: The Ambush

Hearing the wizards apology and promise Aaron didn't feel the least but reassured. Veron had been erratic, scaring him with their every interaction. This time was no different, even though the wizards words sounded kind and true Aaron felt a hidden meaning behind them.

Trying his best to not show his own hidden agenda Aaron pushed the fear back nodding at the wizard. He kept the dagger concealed beneath the cloak and locket clutched tightly in his hand. Before he opened it his connection to the locket was strong but now that he had looked within he wouldn't give it up for anything.

When he looked at the beautiful silver haired woman projected in the image it had given him a warm feeling in his chest. She might even be his mother and with the similarities between himself and that Baby it only seemed to further this theory.

"Save your sorry apologize for someone who cares Veron" Dorothy said now cold and callus to the old man.

"We are getting out of here. This expedition is cancelled. Feel free to keep whatever you found around this place but there will be no more infighting on the way back up understood?" She continued eyeing up Veron and Emily in particular.

The wizard gave a long exasperated sigh before agreeing with a nod.

"Well then let's get a move on. We wouldn't want to keep your husband waiting for you now would we?" Emily replied gesturing to the exit.

This comment didn't go over Dorothy's head and internally she burned with rage. Emily's reaction just confirmed Tom's words to her. There was no way Emily would so easily agree to leave without finding who she was looking for.

Aaron didn't even realize Dorothy had a husband but he could tell the mention of him had struck a cord with her.

"Lead the way captain." Emily smiled.

"I think I'll lead the way if it's all the same to you Dorothy." Tom said moving towards the path they entered with.

Emily looked at John who only shrugged his shoulders before following after Dorothy. The rest followed along as well with Veron and Aaron in the back. A few steps out of the room the single light source inside darkened behind them.

The hallway was lit only by the same thin light strips running along the top of the ceiling. About 6 feet across and about 7 feet high the hallway wasn't too cramped. The dark metallic material was fairly reflective and portrayed their images on its surface.

Aaron was feeling incredibly nervous. From what he could remember they were about half way through the tunnel. It was strange but as much as he was panicking he didn't notice a change in pace from his heart. It beat steadily and methodically as if he was not about to be in a life and death struggle.

The only thing that could be heard was the light tapping of feet on the floor and John whistling. The tension in the air was almost visible as this one group walked together feeling an invisible pressure slowly leave their bodies.

The lights flickered for a second and thud was heard. They all stopped, turning to the sound they saw Aaron's body lying there. Veron who was the closest quickly checked on him.

"What's wrong? Is he ok?" Dorothy asked rushing over as well.

Just before she got there Veron looked up with a disappointed look.

"He's dead." The old man said obviously not happy.

He reached down prying Aaron's fingers open and grabbed the locket.

"I don't know what happened. But his body is strangely very stiff." Veron said running his fingers over the necklace he had desired.

The lights flickered again and the ground shook slightly. When the lights returned to normal Dorothy saw something flying at her in the reflection on the wall. She dodged to the right spinning around.

Emily had her arm outstretched and the clank of metal on metal echoed. A large grin was plastered on her face.

"Good. That would have been too easy." The blonde woman said drawing another dagger from her belt.

An arrow whistled by, an inch from Emily's head before getting cleaved in half by a large great sword. John had moved fast and was now standing beside her.

"Sorry Dorothy but money is money. Though I would be lying if I said I wasn't going to enjoy this." John gave his sword a mock swing causing a gust of wind to blow Dorothy's hair back.

The look on Dorothy's face was a mixture of hurt and rage. She slid a sword from each of her hips out of there sheaths.

"The amount of disappointment I feel in you Emily. I would never have thought you would try and kill me after all we went through. We both lost so much that night but how have you fallen so far?" She replied.

Tom was still the furthest down the tunnel while Emily and John stood between them. Tom had his bow drawn ready to let an arrow loose the moment they attacked. If John hadn't reacted so fast one of them would have been out of the picture already.

He knew that he couldn't stand his own against either of them and the best he could do was provide Dorothy with ranged support.

"You don't know anything. Now just do me one last favor and die!" Emily screamed making the first move.

Throwing her hands out in rapid succession thin finger sized blades flew forward. They moved fast and shot through the air on a direct path for Dorothy.

"Clink* clank* clank* skrrr"

Each and every blade was knocked to the ground by Dorothy's own swords at an even greater speed. Well over a dozen lay at her feet and she didn't seem to have broken a sweat.

"Is that the best you g…" Dorothy spoke before noticing John was gone.

"Behind you!" Tom yelled firing another arrow.

Dorothy spun around just in time to catch the large great sword. It hit at the cross between her two blades but the weight behind the strike brought her to a knee.

The big brute saw the arrow at the last second bending his body and jumping back. He avoided the initial target but the arrow still managed to embed itself deep in his shoulder.

John grunted but merely snapped the arrow off.

"Hey Emily mind taking care of that coward with the bow" John said lunging back at Dorothy.

"With pleasure…wait where did he go??" Emily said looking up and down the path.

Tom was nowhere to be seen and had disappeared from where he was seconds before.

"Well looks like he really is a coward. He actually ran away." Emily said bursting into laughter.

"I guess We can finish her off first and catch up to him later" she calmed down before quickly closing in on Dorothy.

Clash after clash both John and

Emily barraged Dorothy with strikes but she did not fall. Her muscles bulged blocking the strikes from the large great sword while swiftly dealing with Emily's fast jabs. It was a scene to behold. All three of them were drenched in sweat going all out.

They looked to be locked in a stale mate as not an attack landed on her. Getting frustrated with the lack of progress Emily made a risky move and got a little to close. In one swift movement Dorothy's sword sliced across her face. The large cut went over her left eye splattering blood on the wall.

Emily let out shrill scream dropping her weapons and tripping over one of her own blades falling to the ground. She clutched her face covering her eye while blood poured out.

Without losing a breath Dorothy continued her battle with John starting to gain the upper hand.

Veron had been engrossed in trying to activate the locket like Aaron had. He had tried all he could pressing on the symbols and stone as well as casting a multitude of spells. Nothing was working. He looked at the limp body of Aaron besides him.

"How…how were you able to activate it? Could you actually be related to it?" The wizard mumbled under his breath in frustration.

A ear piercing scream brought his attention back to the fight and saw that it wasn't going in their favor. He placed the locket into a pouch at his waist and retrieving a powder.

"Can you fools not do anything right?! Must I do it all myself?" Veron said with blatant annoyance.

He spoke a few words then blew on the powder and it dissipated into the air with no clear reaction. Just as Dorothy was moving to dodge johns attack and counter with her own something happened. Her body seized up and she lost the ability to move. All she could do was watch the large blade plunge into her stomach.

Blood pooled on the floor dripping down the sword. Emily finally got control of herself holding a makeshift bandage to her eye she smiled.

"Goodbye…you stupid bitch." She said as John pulled his sword from her.

Dorothy's body slumped to the floor. She tried to mutter a few words but it came out as more of a gargle due to the blood she was coughing out. John looked incredibly disappointed and glared at the wizard.

"You ruined my fight old man!" He growled angrily.

"Your welcome you dumb oaf. If you hadn't noticed you were losing your just lucky I …" Veron was saying when the lights flickered out once more.

The hallway was once again shrouded in complete darkness. Veron waited for the lights to flicker back on as they always had but then he heard something strange. There was a shuffling behind him.

Out of the pitch black one thing was visible. A pair of glowing blue eyes staring into his own. Fear crept over him and he couldn't look away or even move. He was transfixed in place paralyzed just like Dorothy was when he felt something cold and hard pierce into his chest and through his heart. The eyes seemed to be full of sadness and rage.