Okay, okay, Krys realized in a second. Looks like Cassandra has things taken care of here... But that was definitely Shadowdemon that had made Zak tell the lie Kryschenn had crafted. And he was probably going to report back to Venger.
Shadowdemon couldn't teleport, so he probably couldn't have gotten far. With a "MOVE IT!" that startled the guards surrounding her, she swung her sword for an opening and dashed down the hall. Crap. Where was he? It was so dark down these halls. There weren't enough torches. He would probably be keeping to the dark passages until he got out of the castle, and then back to Venger's stronghold. That could only mean trouble.
Pausing, she looked down two branches of a very dark corridor. Which way to go now..?
Suddenly, Kryschenn's world exploded. She was slammed sideways by a bright light that threw her against the far wall, knocking the breath from her. A crushing pain tore through her left side. Colorful spots danced in her vision. She had never broken a bone before but was sure she knew what cracked ribs felt like now.
Dizzily, she could only think that she'd been hit by a Greyhound bus as she tried to draw a breath that didn't send shooting pains through her side.
"Well, human. Shadowdemon says you have something I desire."
That voice.
Shaking her head, Kryschenn fought to focus her vision and looked up. And up. And up.
The horned, winged figure that stood over her was no Greyhound.
"Shytte," she gasped.
Venger smiled coldly. "Your friend the Lorekeeper had betrayed you to me. Hand it over. Now."
"Wha-what? Th...the orb?" she managed, trying to sit up. He'd bought it. He didn't know hers was the decoy. But why didn't he know Cassandra had used the real one? Because Shadowdemon had left before that...
"Indeed. I will not ask twice, wild-woman."
"Oh...okay...I..." She struggled for a moment and managed to get to her feet. I'm gonna die, a part of her mind screamed. I'm gonna die here defending a world that didn't exist beyond Saturday morning cartoons and my captive imagination until this afternoon. I'm gonna die and I don't even have the real orb, Cassandra has that but she's not here and I'm gonna die... Swaying slightly, clutching her injured side, she noticed desperately that her hands were only a few inches from her sheathed sword hilt. Swallowing hard, she found her breath and said, "The orb. Yeah. I got ya orb, right here." Gritting her teeth, trying not to scream, she drew her sword in a flash. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! that practical part of her mind screamed as she braced herself.
"Very well, then. It will not take long to find the orb in your ashes," Venger smirked. Raising a glowing hand, he fired at the Highlander.
Instictively, Krys raised the sword as if to bat the magic missile away. Here it comes, I'm gonna die I'm gonna die...
Except, the spell never landed. She felt it strike her sword, pushing her back a few inches, but the bolt was...gone. And her sword was humming strangely.
"Wha..." she gasped
Venger's eyes narrowed. "You have THAT sword?" he demanded, and fired another bolt at her.
She jerked the sword up in the same manner, ignoring the tearing pain in her side, and caught the bolt in the same way. It disappeared into the blade. Now the sword was practically singing. It caught the energy, she realized. It caught the energy and is holding it and...and I think I can throw it back at him! "Surprise," she spat, then swung the sword in an overhand arc at him. Her ribs ground together in her side, but she did not drop the sword as she fired the energy back at its source. Then, letting out a war-cry that would have made William Wallace proud, she shut out the pain and charged.
She vaguely hoped that someone would hear that scream and come to her assistance. She was dimly aware that she didn't stand a chance. But that didn't matter...the pain was insignificant...nothing mattered...Venger was in her sights and her vision began to mist over in red fury.
