Chapter 9

"Up you go, Persimmon." Stone slid his sword back into his scabbard, and went to grab the girl and lift her up into the saddle. But when he turned around, she was no longer there.

"I can't hold them off any longer," Darium shouted. "I am still not used to my powers and get drained quickly. We need to leave here, now. Let's go."

"Wait!" Stone called to the other men. Darium had stopped controlling the wind and the soldiers were moving forward. He was already atop his horse. Aithrod was already riding away. "Persimmon isn't here," Stone said, but with all the noise and commotion, they didn't hear him. He looked through the settling dust into the courtyard from the whirlwind Darium created. That's when he saw Persimmon bending down to pick something up.

"We've got to go right now," yelled Darium. "What are you doing?"

"You two leave. Take Fang with you," shouted Stone. "I'm going back for the girl."

"Do you know what you're doing?" asked Darium.

"I sure hope so. Just get out of here. We'll meet up with you later." Stone rushed back into the courtyard, once again drawing his sword. "Persimmon, let's go!"

She stood up with that damned velvet bag in her hands that held her gazing orb.

"I couldn't lose this," she said, holding up the bag.

Stone reached out for her, but before he could pull her away, King Sethor grabbed her, holding his blade to the girl's throat.

"Drop the weapons or I'll slit her throat," warned King Sethor.

"What the hell else can go wrong?" muttered Stone, still holding on to his sword and looking back to the gate which the soldiers had lowered. It was too late. Darium sat atop his steed on the other side. There was nothing he could do to help them. Nodding to Darium, Stone threw down his sword and raised his hands in the air.

"Now, the crossbow, dagger, and hidden knives," ordered Sethor, holding Persimmon so tight that Stone heard the girl whimper.

"All right, just don't hurt her." He threw down the last of his weapons and held up his hands once again. "Now, release the girl."

"I'll release her, but the two of you are going straight to the dungeon." Sethor gave his men the command. The soldiers seized them both and hauled them away.

"We're not here to harm you," shouted Stone, fighting against the hold of the soldiers. "I am here hunting down a thief and his counterpart. I believe they might be right here inside your castle walls. They're dangerous," he told the king.

Sethor laughed and nodded. Two men walked out to join him. "Do you mean my new soldiers?"

"Rancor Ruse," growled Stone, seeing the man he hunted along with another thief of Taelgonoth named Filip.

"Hello, Nightstalker." Rancor grinned, showing his rotten and broken teeth.

"You stole gemstones from King Helix. I swear I will bring you both in, and return the jewels to our king. Justice will be served."

"King Sethor is our king now," said Filip. "We serve only him."

"They'll steal from you as well, Your Majesty," Stone told Sethor. "Mark my words, they are bad to the core. You don't want anything to do with them."

"On the contrary, these men have made me an offer I cannot refuse," said Sethor.

"What's that?" asked Persimmon.

"We've promised the gemstones to King Sethor," Rancor told him.

"And what, pray tell, did you ask for in return?" asked Stone, knowing Rancor didn't do anything that didn't benefit him directly.

"Ruse is going to take me through the portal along with some of my soldiers so I can seize and rule Taelgonoth," Sethor told him with a chuckle.

"Nay!" shouted Stone, knowing this could be the worst thing that could ever happen to his homeland. "Don't believe Rancor," said Stone, fighting against the soldiers. "He is only out for himself. Besides, no one knows how to open the portal again or even if it'll ever be able to take us back to our homeland. You've made a bad deal."

"To the dungeon with those two," said Sethor with a flick of his hand.

"If you don't let us go, you'll have a war on your hands," Persimmon warned him. "Kings Rhys and Zann will be at your gates with their armies to save us. Not to mention, all the magical beings will be here as well."

"By the time they return, you two will be dead," said Sethor, laughing. "We're going through the portal to first seize the kingdom, then I'll gather up more soldiers in Taelgonoth so I can return here and take over the entire land of Mura as well. Don't you see? I'm going to be the most powerful man of two different lands."

"Or at least the greediest," mumbled Stone, not thinking anyone could be that blackhearted.

"Nay, wait!" shouted Persimmon. "You need us."

"Whatever for?" asked Sethor.

"Because, I have a crystal orb and I can see the future."

"So, you've got magic." This seemed to interest the king.

"Our king kills those with magic," one of the guards told her.

"Oh, no." Persimmon's worried gaze interlocked with Stone's. Her idea had backfired.

"Give me the orb." Sethor pushed forward and held out his hand.

"It won't do you any good," said Stone. "She is the only one who can use it."

"Then you'll use it to see my future, both here and through the portal, too," commanded Sethor. "And if you agree to do it, I'll let you live."

Stone was relieved to at least hear that they weren't going to kill Persimmon. But what he heard next was something he didn't want to hear at all.

"However, the bounty hunter is of no use to me. I'll kill him myself right now." Sethor unsheathed his sword and moved closer.

"Nay!" cried Persimmon, seeing that the king was about to kill Stone. She had to help him. She yanked the crystal orb from her pouch and pretended to scry. "It would be very bad for you to kill or even hurt the bounty hunter," she told him.

"What?" King Sethor lowered his sword slightly. "Why? Did you see something in that ball?"

"Kill him," snarled Rancor. "He's only going to make trouble for us all."

"Wait. Not yet. I need to know what the witch saw first." Sethor looked back and forth between them.

"The girl is lying," said Rancor's friend, Filip.

"Mayhap you're right. And I don't like to be fooled." Sethor raised his sword again.

"By killing Stone you'll be placing a death sentence on your own head from his king," Persimmon spat out, not really seeing a thing in the orb, but saying this to keep Stone from being murdered.

"How do I know you're not lying just to save his hide?" asked the king. "Mayhap by letting him live, it'll bring about my demise instead."

"I only know what I see," said Persimmon. "The gazing ball never lies. However, it is up to you to determine what it means."

"Are you willing to risk it?" asked Stone. "After all, Persimmon does have some admirable powers."

"Yes. You are more powerful than I expected," said the king in surprise, slowly sheathing his sword. "That can be used to my advantage. Take them both to the dungeon, after all."

"What are you doing, King Sethor? You cannot really believe them." Rancor tried to discourage the king from letting them live.

"Persimmon. Do something," whispered Stone.

She knew she had to do something quickly to settle the king's mind and to make him believe what she said she saw was true.

"I see that Rancor is about to trip and fall," said Persimmon, rubbing the crystal ball, but not really seeing a thing within it. But to make them think what she said was the truth, she used her power of moving things with her mind. She took a deep breath and focused on Rancor.

"That is nonsense. She's a fake." Rancor took a step toward the king, and when he did Persimmon used her mind to push him down.

"Ooomph!" Her powers worked. Rancor doubled over and hit the ground.

"There is the proof you need, sire. The girl obviously can see the future," said Stone, giving her a quick nod of his head to thank her for what she did.

The king's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Put them in the dungeon. And Rancor, if I hear another word about this from you or your friend, I'll take my sword to both of you instead." He turned to go while the guards escorted Stone and Persimmon to the dungeon.

"What now?" Stone whispered to her.

"Don't worry," she whispered back. "I have an idea." Persimmon took another deep breath and released it, only praying to herself that what she had in mind would really work.