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2024-10-29 19:42:56The silence which followed the thundering burst seemed to last for hours and the three trespassers almost decided to continue forward until they heard emphatic, synchronized marching. The footsteps echoed about the lair and grew fuller, louder, as though they increased in numbers. The girls and the mysterious man watched from their hiding spots as they finally caught sight of an army dressed in white and gray, slowly marching toward them. This army was made up of both men and women, and it was larger than any army any of them had ever seen. The soldiers were separated into groups, each turning down individual streets until every gap in the city, every alley and corner was occupied. Then all at once they stopped marching and for a moment all was eerily silent. Then followed the chant of a deep male's voice as it echoed about the realm, giving the soldiers orders, forcing them to rehearse.
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The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Nine: Where is the Key Now??
Jaska observed Empress Renée who held the precious key in her right hand and a glowing sprite creature in her other. A fiendish smirk stretched across his face. They had been caught and Rein wished that the empress would do something besides just stand there in stark terror. If she would at least release Rein..."Cloid!" Jaska called.The empress melted and surged into the creek, leaving Rein to fend for herself. The poor pixie, heavy from still being drenched, darted beneath a table as fast as she could with her wounded leg. Cloid and Lazar had exited the study right as the empress took refuge. Immediately Lazar grabbed an empty vase from a side table and scooped her up from the stream. Keeping her inside the vase was a tricky feat, but Cloid managed to plug the opening shut with a clay pot. They thought the fight wou
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Ten: The Sweet Suffering Creed
Rein processed the conversation she had overheard and hundreds of questions ran through her mind: What was Martalitas? What was a Facio Ritus? How could Rein find out? When did they plan to kill Renée and how? Rein tried to shake the questions from her head. From what she had just heard, she would be there for another month, so she should get as comfortable as possible since there were still thirty days left in the month. There would be plenty of time to answer these questions later.By the time everyone else in the White Castle had gone to bed, Rein had found the optimal spot to create her hiding place in a wall behind a cupboard in the grand kitchen. Before she used the nail to carve out her alcove, she made her way to the bathhouse so that she could wash the blood and fishy odor from her body and clothes. While her clothes dried, she found a stash of thin linens which th
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Eleven: Happy Martalitas!
Rein didn't breathe for a moment. The chamber grew hot as she watched Jaska intently. His head turned toward her and Rein prepared to run, but then he stopped moving. Rein's taut muscles ached as she stood motionless like one of Jaska's marble statues. When the Grand Master snored again, Rein rubbed the sweat from her forehead and tried not to exhale too loud.Keep it together,she thought.Then suddenly Jaska rolled over and Rein dove beneath a silver pillow. The cool satin felt relieving as she waited for confirmation that it was safe to emerge, but her heartbeat pounded painfully when she realized that Jaska had rolled over onto the key. She squirmed and wriggled around beneath the pile of silver, white, and gray pillows to make her way behind Jaska, and the weight on top of her increased her level of fatigue. Before she could emerge from the mound of cushion
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Twelve: The Facio Ritus
Rein scaled down the castle walls. The mysterious man watched as the tiny speck of light weaved about bushes and tall flowers, sneaking up to the ceremonial stand as quickly as she could without wings. Once Rein reached it, the mysterious man lost sight of her and had to find a new hiding spot. Fortunately, the city's residents were currently located in the Grand Master's courtyard, so sneaking about wasn't too difficult for him, though he did decide on a much closer refuge. He tucked himself away behind a tree and a few bushes where he could watch Rein execute her mission.Meanwhile, Rein shimmied up one of the legs of the stand and used her sword to saw away at it. She didn't want to saw all the way through, of course; just enough to make the stand fairly precarious for when they brought out the empress. As Rein did this, Cloid and Lazar hung the cauldron in place and started th
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Thirteen: Escape to Roznova
Rein climbed above the cave where she and the empress had previously taken refuge and frantically scanned the island, trying desperately to remember where else she had stayed centuries ago, but her mind came up blank. Though, she realized that she could use a better, higher view of the island, and perhaps that could jog her memory. So she quickly climbed back down and dodged a few rabid creatures as she bolted to a tree and shot up its trunk. She nearly collided with a woodpecker when she got to a satisfying height, which immediately attacked her with its beak. After narrowly avoiding its savage strikes, Rein slashed its throat and continued to the cusp of a branch. Now that she had a better view, she scanned the island again and spotted a large black void approximately thirty yards away where nothing around glowed, shined, or gleamed. From what Rein could tell, it appeared to be void of wildlife as well. She didn't recall this spot fr
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Fourteen: The Mystery Miracle Worker
This time the noise came from behind and goosebumps crawled along Rein's skin. She could swear that whatever it was rose tall above her head. She twirled around to make eye-contact with a king cobra as it towered over her. Before she could do or say anything, it snapped at her.Rein bounded out of the way and slashed its face with her knife. The cobra hissed and attacked again. She pounced onto its head and tried to slide down its body while slicing it open on the way down but the cobra jolted and she fell off, losing her knife in the fall. The snake struck at her once more before she had the chance to get up, but she managed to roll away and jump to her feet. She drew her sword and waited for the cobra's next move. The cobra hissed and attacked her, but she dodged again and moved to stab it through the eye. The cobra avoided her blade and knocked the sword out of her hand with it
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Fifteen: The Deal
Empress Renée was confused. She furrowed her eyebrows and waited for an explanation from the Mystery Miracle Worker. However, she didn't get one."I thought we had already established that I won't give you the key," she said."Yes, and then I figured, 'what if she didn't need the key?'" the Miracle Worker replied. "You see, Empress, I know of an entrance into the Cataras Springs where you don't need a key. You can enter from beneath the island in which the garden is located."Renée processed these words. "I still need the key to know how much time I have left.""How does the key show you?" asked the Miracle Worker. She held out her hand to receive the key.
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles Chapter Sixteen: Meet Ravan the Great
The Mystery Miracle Worker removed two copper cups from her cupboard and set them on the counter. Meanwhile, the mysterious man took a seat in front of the fireplace and never removed his hood to show his face."You knew I was here all along," he said. "And here I thought you would be surprised to see me again.""The only thing that surprises me is that you stayed for so long," replied the Miracle Worker. "I thought you would surely leave after I convinced my last clients to stay. You must really want what you came for.""Indeed, I do.""So, what is it?" the Miracle Worker asked, turning to face him. "My instructions failed you?""You remember everything, don't
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- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Twenty: The Truth Comes Out
Back at the Obsidian Palace beneath the Aquamarine Ocean, Empress Renée had picked up a mussel shell and stormed into a garderobe for privacy before speaking with anyone. She required immediate answers before she could face any seafolk. There she urinated on the underside of the shell and set it aside for a minute to process. She paced dramatically in the tiny chamber, anxiously waiting for the time to pass quicker."Change color," she growled at the shell. "Change,change!"Nothing happened to the color of the shell. Once the minute was up, the empress bashed and punched the walls of the garderobe. The Mystery Miracle Worker's theory had been proven accurate, at least in Renée's case."Curse you!" Ren&
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Nineteen: The Cataras Springs
The garden of the Cataras Springs was the most beautiful wonder on Xyntriav at its time. Specks of gold light floated about the brightly-colored trees and bushes. Mossy vines draped the silverstone walls and bright, colorful bubbles served themselves as rocks beside the shimmering rivers and streams. The sweet smell of lotus, lilies, lilac, and lavender was so strong that the visitors could taste it. And though the Springs were located underground, there still seemed to be a light blue moonlight present to illuminate everything in this enclosure."Me eyes have never beheld such a sight," murmured Captain Tzatara."Aye," agreed Yacomé with his jaw dropped.There was one visible waterfall right beside the entrance which poured into the same body of water through whi
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Eighteen: The Cursed Waters of Carnific
Not long after Ravan had left Roznova, the Mystery Miracle Worker packed a small bag of food for herself and a couple of oddly shaped, multi-colored, glass bottles. She wrapped the bottles in a thick, soft cloth and tightly packed them in her satchel to make sure that they were kept safe. Then she put on her large-brimmed hat, threw a gray shawl over her shoulders, and turned to her king cobra who was perched in his tree."Are you ready, Stephocra?""I couldn't be more ready, Miss," Stephocra replied as he slithered up her arm.The Miracle Worker put out all the lights in her lair and raced to a dinghy she kept some distance from the beach, her burgundy skirts catching and tearing on foliage along the way. She had covered the boat with damp moss to hide it from any visit
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Seventeen: The Sirens' Threat
Rein couldn't find any sign of Renée as she made her way to Carnific, so she decided to wait until the empress arrived inside the Cataras Springs. She landed in a tree on the island after about three hours of non-stop flight and scanned the jungle-life around her to make sure she was in the right place before she set the seagull free.Rein opened a hidden hatch in the tree, jumped inside, and slid a long distance deep into the island. It had been a while since she last visited the Cataras Springs, so this dark tumble into the underground made her nerves a bit flustered. She soared out of an uprooted tree root and safely caught herself in the air. She glanced around to verify her location and then flew toward a small mushroom town deep in the garden. There, she approached a specific lavender mushroom home next to a sparkling blue stream and she knocked on the tiny wooden doo
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Sixteen: Meet Ravan the Great
The Mystery Miracle Worker removed two copper cups from her cupboard and set them on the counter. Meanwhile, the mysterious man took a seat in front of the fireplace and never removed his hood to show his face."You knew I was here all along," he said. "And here I thought you would be surprised to see me again.""The only thing that surprises me is that you stayed for so long," replied the Miracle Worker. "I thought you would surely leave after I convinced my last clients to stay. You must really want what you came for.""Indeed, I do.""So, what is it?" the Miracle Worker asked, turning to face him. "My instructions failed you?""You remember everything, don't
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Fifteen: The Deal
Empress Renée was confused. She furrowed her eyebrows and waited for an explanation from the Mystery Miracle Worker. However, she didn't get one."I thought we had already established that I won't give you the key," she said."Yes, and then I figured, 'what if she didn't need the key?'" the Miracle Worker replied. "You see, Empress, I know of an entrance into the Cataras Springs where you don't need a key. You can enter from beneath the island in which the garden is located."Renée processed these words. "I still need the key to know how much time I have left.""How does the key show you?" asked the Miracle Worker. She held out her hand to receive the key.
The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Fourteen: The Mystery Miracle Worker
This time the noise came from behind and goosebumps crawled along Rein's skin. She could swear that whatever it was rose tall above her head. She twirled around to make eye-contact with a king cobra as it towered over her. Before she could do or say anything, it snapped at her.Rein bounded out of the way and slashed its face with her knife. The cobra hissed and attacked again. She pounced onto its head and tried to slide down its body while slicing it open on the way down but the cobra jolted and she fell off, losing her knife in the fall. The snake struck at her once more before she had the chance to get up, but she managed to roll away and jump to her feet. She drew her sword and waited for the cobra's next move. The cobra hissed and attacked her, but she dodged again and moved to stab it through the eye. The cobra avoided her blade and knocked the sword out of her hand with it
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Thirteen: Escape to Roznova
Rein climbed above the cave where she and the empress had previously taken refuge and frantically scanned the island, trying desperately to remember where else she had stayed centuries ago, but her mind came up blank. Though, she realized that she could use a better, higher view of the island, and perhaps that could jog her memory. So she quickly climbed back down and dodged a few rabid creatures as she bolted to a tree and shot up its trunk. She nearly collided with a woodpecker when she got to a satisfying height, which immediately attacked her with its beak. After narrowly avoiding its savage strikes, Rein slashed its throat and continued to the cusp of a branch. Now that she had a better view, she scanned the island again and spotted a large black void approximately thirty yards away where nothing around glowed, shined, or gleamed. From what Rein could tell, it appeared to be void of wildlife as well. She didn't recall this spot fr
- The Key: Book 2 The Rose Tree Chronicles
Chapter Twelve: The Facio Ritus
Rein scaled down the castle walls. The mysterious man watched as the tiny speck of light weaved about bushes and tall flowers, sneaking up to the ceremonial stand as quickly as she could without wings. Once Rein reached it, the mysterious man lost sight of her and had to find a new hiding spot. Fortunately, the city's residents were currently located in the Grand Master's courtyard, so sneaking about wasn't too difficult for him, though he did decide on a much closer refuge. He tucked himself away behind a tree and a few bushes where he could watch Rein execute her mission.Meanwhile, Rein shimmied up one of the legs of the stand and used her sword to saw away at it. She didn't want to saw all the way through, of course; just enough to make the stand fairly precarious for when they brought out the empress. As Rein did this, Cloid and Lazar hung the cauldron in place and started th
