Jane, Warrior of Decura Chapter 43

A Hitch in the Plan

The next day, as the sun was beginning it's slow climb into the sky, Jane sat in the Pennynook mansion's main foyer, eagerly awaiting Kiera's signal to jump into a carriage and ride toward the Gigan Coliseum. Jane had wanted to go the instant she woke up, but Kiera had strongly advised against it. Such an action would be noticed by her brother and with a single command, he'd cancel the event and move William back into his hidden dungeon.

“You look nervous” Nate said after putting his hand on Jane's shoulder.

“That's putting it lightly” Jane sighed.

Nate gave Jane a warm smile. “Well, I know you'll save the old man” he assured. “No matter how tough it gets, you always find a way to win Jane. That's just how amazing you are.”

“Thanks Nate” Jane said before returning Nate's smile with one of her own.  “What about you? Aren't you feeling a little nervous too?”

“I was” Nate answered before sitting next to Jane. “But then I watched you train this morning and all my fears vanished in an instant. You make the old man's training look so easy.”

“I get the feeling the first thing Will is going to do after we save him is find a way to make it even harder” Jane sighed before smiling and shrugging. “Not that I'd have it any other way.”

“I'm curious about the ship Kiera said she'd have ready for us” Nate wondered as his raised his gaze toward the roof. “I wonder what kind of ship it'll be.”

“I hope I don't get seasick...” Jane grumbled while patting her belly. “I've never really sailed before.”

“Neither have I” Nate added. “But I'm sure we'll be fine.”

Jane slowly glanced around the room. “I wonder where Emi and Nice are?” she asked. “What could they be up too?”

“Knowing those two... Probably something enjoyable for Emi and frustrating for Nice” Nate answered before letting out a little chuckle. “You left Nice in your room right?”

“Yes” Jane replied. “She said she wanted to meditate for awhile. Apparently it helps her build up more magic.”

“I guess that makes sense” Nate muttered. “Although I doubt she'll be able to do much meditating if Emi has found her.”

“You're right about that” Jane said before standing. “We'd best go find Emi and make sure she's not bothering Nice.”

Meanwhile, Nice sat on the windowsill in Jane's room, utilizing the cool breeze to help her slip into a deep meditative state. Or rather, that's what she'd been trying to do for the last five minutes. But unfortunately, her guest had other ideas.

“What are you doing?” a giddy Emina asked the kassi.

Nice rolled her eyes. “I'm trying to focus my magic inward” she explained.

“Why?” Emina asked.

“Because minion, if I do this I can use more magic without tiring myself out as quickly” Nice explained.

“Why?” Emina repeated, still looking as gleeful as ever.

Nice grit her teeth. “Because if Jane gets hurt, she'll need me to heal her” she explained in a frustrated tone. “Last time, I passed out because I had to heal her while she was still gigantic.” Emina went to speak but quickly stopped herself when Nice turned her angry gaze upward and quickly pointed it and her staff at the golem's face. “If you ask me why one more time... I'll forbid you from patting me ever again.”

A horrified Emina quickly threw her hands over her mouth, much to Nice's relief.

With Emina now quiet, Nice attempted to resume her meditation.

However, not five seconds after the kassi closed her eyes, a cloaked figure used a rope to suddenly swing into the half opened window, shattering it into pieces as he landing a powerful kick on Emina's chest, sending the golem soaring into the opposite wall.

“Direct hit” the figured snickered before turning back toward the windowsill just in time to spot Naught seize the meditating Nice and stuff her into a small bag. “Alright, let's get out of here before the kassi's other friends show up.”

The cloaked figure's smug smirk quickly vanished when he felt something collide with his back with enough force to knock him into a wall. “Emi kick!” Emina roared as she landed on both feet.

Emina quickly glanced over to the windowsill, her eyes widening with fear when she failed to spot Nice. “Hey you!” she snapped at Naught, who simply stared back despite the hedgehog mask having no eye-holes. “What do you think you're doing with Emi's friend?!?” When Naught didn't reply, Emi rushed toward the imposing figure, only to immediately be hit with a punch from the other cloaked person that sent her tumbling back several feet.

“Hitting me was not wise little girl” Felix chuckled as the sun glistened off his jaelium skin and hair. “Not wise at all. Now I've got no choice but to shatter that pretty little head of yours into dust.” Felix started to approach Emina, but quickly stopped himself when he got a slow head shake from Naught. “Right, right... But I was really hoping to run into that reyn brat again. Do you know what he did to me?” Naught didn't seem interested in Felix's story and quickly dashed away. “Hey!” Felix growled.

“Emi won't let you take Nice!” Emina roared before leaping toward Felix. “Emi ankle kick!”

Felix tried to raise his arms to block the attack, but he wasn't fast enough and Emina's ankle came crashing down onto his forehead. Unfortunately, besides causing Felix to stumble for a moment, Emina's attack seemed to have little effect.

“Jaelium skin kid” Felix snickered before grabbing Emina with both hands and tossing her back into the same wall as before, smashing most of it the second the golem girl collided with it. “Tough luck.” After giving Emina a playful wave, Felix quickly disappeared out the window and took off after Naught.

“Nice!” Emina called out before leaping to her feet. Without a moment to lose, Emina quickly followed Felix out the window.

At the same time, Jane and Nate suddenly burst into the room, Nate quickly aiming his bow around the room. “Emi!” Jane shouted as she spotted her little sister dive out the broken window. “Emi what happened?!?”

Nate quickly darted to the window, managing to spot Emina pursue what looked like a man with dark green skin and hair wearing light black armor. “Looks like trouble” he said after glancing back at Jane with a concerned expression. “We'd better go after her.”

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Elsewhere, William and Austell were once again escorted towards the same large dungeon cell where they had spent a large portion of yesterday. According to what Adam had told them, they'd both be fighting in today's main event. Their opponent was none other than the Butcher himself. It would be two separate one on one fights against the coliseum's champion, with William fighting first and Austell fighting second. William was the one who insisted on the order because Austell still had yet to fully recover from the beat down the Gigan knights had given him the other day. He was walking just fine, but a duel against an opponent as powerful as the Butcher would be a death sentence for the Rooftop Runner.

As William and Austell were forced into the dungeon cell, they were immediately greeted by Danford, who seemed to be all alone. “So, today's the day you have to fight him” he said after greeting the two men with handshakes.

“So it would seem” William sighed before finding a comfy spot to sit, Austell quickly doing the same.

“Do you think you can win?” Danford asked, clearly concerned.

William glanced toward the window that led to the arena's floor. “We'll just have to wait and see” he answered.

“That's reassuring...” Danford grumbled. “William Marshal, you'd better win. You still owe me another fight.”

“Do I now?” William questioned after letting out a little chuckle.

“I was forced to flee our first battle thanks to the bravery and vigor of my people” Danford explained, clearly relieved the dwarves forced to work in Bhaldural's mines had liberated themselves. “Then during our second battle I was bested thanks to your tall lady friend with the incredible strength destroying the roof of the throne room.”

“True” William said. “What are you getting at?”

Danford smirked. “Well the way I see it, you've never beaten me in single combat” he explained with a proud smile on his face. “But at the same time, I've never bested you. Now I don't know about you William Marshal, but the warrior within me cannot be satisfied with two undecided battles.”

“Then you'd better pray he defeats the Butcher” Austell said. “We both should.”

William let out a sigh. “Look you two, I can't promise I will win” he said with a worried look on his face. “But I can promise I will give it my all.”

“Then that will be enough” Danford assured after giving William's shoulder a good slap.

Suddenly, the was a quiet tap on the dungeon's barred door. “Hey... Hey...” a voice whispered, drawing everyone's attention toward the red-haired female dwarf outside the cell. “William, hey William.”

“Miss Patti?” William questioned quietly.

Danford rolled his eyes. “Not you again...” he grumbled. “Look lady, I'm not interested in training you or anyone else right now.”

Patti stuck her tongue out at Danford before signaling William to approach the door. “Quickly, I don't have much time before the guards kick me out” she explained.

“How did you get in here?” William asked while slowly approaching the door.

“A little bribe here, a little flirt there” Patti explained, clearly very proud of herself. “Although this time, I had to sneak myself in. Just for a few minutes so I can speak to you.”

“She's done this twice before” Danford elaborated while slowly shaking his head. “Getting in here just to spend five full minutes asking me to train her in combat. No matter how many times I refuse, she just keeps coming back to ask again and again.”

Patti sneered at Danford. “Well if you'd just say yes I wouldn't have to keep coming back now would I?” she growled as William reached the door. “Fortunately for you, I'm here to see William this time. Speaking of which...” Patti reached in between the door's metal bars and wrapped her hand around William's throat. “What are you doing in here anyway?”

“It wasn't my choice...” William assured, struggling to speak as Patti tightened her grip. “It's the only way to save miss Jane and the others.”

“Save them from what?” Patti asked before beginning to shake William.

William tried to explain further, but being strangled and frantically shaken at the same time made that quite difficult. Eventually, thanks to Danford's intervention, Patti released William. With his throat now free, William elaborated on the situation he was in.

However, as he finished, Patti tilted her head. “Jane and the others are locked up in the upper quarter?” she asked. “Since when?”

“A few days ago” William answered. “Now I have no choice but to fight the Butcher.”

Patti raised her eyebrow. There was no way Jane had been locked up. She, Nate, Nice and Emina had stopped by last night to pick up those old sea charts Patti had been holding onto. “But William, that's not-”

“Hey!” a voice growled. “I thought I told you not to come back here!”

Patti glanced up just in time to be seized by two Gigan knights. “Just wait a second!” was all Patti had time to shout before one of the knights covered her mouth with his armored hand.

“Miss Patti!” William called out, only to have one of the knights smack the metal door with his sword.

“That's it dwarf!” the other knight growled before he and his companion dragged Patti away. “You're barred from the coliseum! For life!” Patti tried to shout something at William, but her voice was far too muffled to understand. She tried flashing a few coins to bribe her way out of trouble, but the knights simply took them and continued to pull her away. “If you come back here again, you'll be the next one getting thrown into the arena!”

“I wonder what she was going to say?” Danford wondered aloud while scratching the side of his helmet.

William narrowed his eyes. “Something about miss Jane from the sounds of it” he said before clenching his fist. “If something's happened to her...”

Austell tilted his head a little. “Miss Jane...” he mumbled to himself before glancing up at William. “You wouldn't happen to be referring to a woman with rough black hair that barely reaches her neck, light blue eyes, a few scars on her arms and legs and is really, really tall?”

“You know miss Jane?” William asked.

“Know her?” Austell said before letting out a little chuckle. “I owe her my life.”

Meanwhile, while sitting in his personal seat, which had the best view in the coliseum, Adam took a sip of the delicious wine in his cup. “You look excited” he told the Butcher, who was standing nearby, unable to stay still. “Are you that eager to fight William?”

“Of course I am” the Butcher giggled in glee. “I'm eternally grateful for this opportunity Adam. This is going to be the peak of my time as your coliseum's champion.”

“If you're happy, then I'm happy” Adam chuckled. “I can't have my champion fight nothing but no-name thugs all the time.” Adam glanced down into the arena, his eyes focusing on the two fighters currently locked in intense combat. “This match shouldn't last much longer, then there's only two more left before today's main event. Shouldn't you be getting ready?”

The Butcher cracked his neck. “You're right” he said before making his way towards the nearest stairway. “I shouldn't keep William waiting.”

“Considering who your opponent is, you're not going to hold back are you?” Adam asked, causing the Butcher to stop and give the nobleman a terrifying glare.

“If I do that against someone like William, I'll die” the Butcher explained in a serious tone as his fierce eyes glared into Adam's soul. “So no, I won't be 'holding back'. In fact, this will be the first time in a long time where I can finally give it my all.” The Butcher's intense stare returned to a more pleasant one. “Now then, if you'll excuse me.”

As the Butcher started to make his way toward the arena's floor, Adam gripped his cup so tightly it started to bend. “Damn him...” he thought as the wine in his cup trickled down his hand. “I hope you and William killed each other. That will show you what happens to those who disrespect me.”

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Elsewhere, Jane and Nate continued to pursue Emina through the streets of Etin city's upper quarter. Or rather, they tried too. Barely a minute into the pursuit, Emina and turned a corner and completely disappeared from their sight. Jane tried growing to see if she could spot the golem girl, but all the large mansions and tall trees made that next to impossible. It wasn't until she heard Emina shout several of her attacks did Jane pinpoint her location. After shrinking back down, Jane grabbed Nate and bolted down several streets, stopping at a large metal gate that bore an emblem neither of them recognized.

“Did she go in there?” Nate asked as Jane put him down.

“Emi double punch!” Emina's voice roared from beyond the gate, answering Nate's question.

With a single kick, Jane opened the large gate. “Emi?!?” she called out, only to be answered by Emina loudly declaring another of her attacks. Incredibly worried, Jane and Nate hurried toward a large circular courtyard. There, they found Emina unleashing a flurry of punches and kicks at the same green skinned man Nate had spotted earlier. Despite the power behind Emina's attacks, it seemed all she could do was knock her opponent back a few steps. “Where's Nice?!?” Emina roared. “Emi won't ask again!”

“What happened to Nice?” Jane gasped, drawing Emina and the green man's attention.

“Big sis!” Emina cheered before running up and hugging Jane tightly. “They took Nice! They took Nice!”

“Who took Nice?” Jane asked, with worried eyes.

When Emina pointed toward the green-skinned man. Jane had no idea who the man was, Nate however immediately recognized him. “You...” he muttered under his breath as he hands started to tremble. “It can't be...”

A huge grin appeared on Felix's face. “Hey brat” he chuckled. “It's been awhile. How's your mom?”

Nate let out a furious roar as he drew three arrows and loosed them all at Felix one after the other. Unfortunately, each arrow bounced off the bandit's body harmlessly.

“Cute” Felix snickered while brushing his armor down. “Your silly arrows don't work on me anymore.”

“Nate, who is that?” Jane asked after raising her fists.

“That bastard...” Nate growled through his teeth. “That bastard is the one who killed my mom!”

“Judy?!?” a stunned Jane gasped.

“Was that her name?” Felix chuckled after crossing his arms. “How pretty.” Felix's laughter last a mere two more seconds before Jane suddenly charged toward him at a frightening speed. Before Felix even had a chance to speak, Jane landed a punch onto his chest that sent him hurdling across the courtyard and into the large mansion's front door, shattering it.

“Brush that off” Jane growled as Nate and Emina quick ran to her side. “Come on, let's go find Ni-”

Jane immediately fell silent when Felix suddenly got back to his feet. Besides the fist-shaped dent in his chest plate, the bandit seemed completely unharmed.

“That was quite the punch” Felix said before tearing off his chest-plate, revealing his undamaged dark green torso. “Were I not made of jaelium, that might have ended my life.”

“Jaelium?” Nate and Jane gasped together as they both pictured the armor Danford had worn in Bhaldural. The armor that seemed completely impervious to any and all damage.

Felix glanced back into the mansion. “I think this is the first time I've actually been grateful for this body” he joked.

“You're just now feeling grateful?” a familiar voice echoed from within the mansion. A voice that caused Emina's eyes to light up. “Nobody ever appreciates the effort I put into my work.” With his hands behind his back, a cloaked man emerged from the mansion. His face was covered with a white mask that was completely featureless except for the large crack that revealed the man's right eye. After taking a second to study his new guests, Welkin let out a mild chuckle. “Well, well. Long time no see.”

Jane and Nate quickly readied themselves for a fight. “Not since Four Corners tavern” Jane said, causing Welkin to shake his head.

“I wasn't speaking to you” he growled before pointing at Emina. “I was speaking to her.”

Jane glanced over to Emina, who looked so happy she would probably be crying if it were possible for her. “Emi? Do you know who that is?” she asked.

“Mr. Welkin!” Emina cheered before running up to the masked man and giving him a tight hug. “Emi missed you so much!”

TO BE CONTINUED....