Chapter 21: Restriction
The two days passed quietly and normally as their meals were good at taverns on the side of the roads. Once they finally arrived there Alura smiled happy to see they had made it. Her face fell once she neared down the dirt path to see two men standing guard in front of the cave’s entrance. “What’s going on? Is it always guarded?” She asked Marenzo quietly.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQMKva1EXSo
“Unfortunately it wasn’t until just the recent years. A miner discovered a crystallized demon in the back of the cave and shortly after that, Empress Syubi made it official to have it sealed off for fear someone would awaken it.” He pointed out in a hushed tone, watching the two guards. “Once a month people take offerings to the cave and they pray for a good month. They also ask the demon to grant them protection so they feel assured to not be attacked.” He turned his sights to Alura, “so it’s kind of like a shrine I guess you could call it.” Marenzo finished explaining before turning his attention ahead of them, watching the cave and sighed as he folded his arms. “Well, we’ll need something to offer and they’ll let us in.”1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZ13YiT7nX
“Huh? Like what?” she asked with a confused blink while she looked up to the young man’s face.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPVpD1PbP19
“I don’t know.” He said with a shrug. “I’ve never believed in it so I’m not sure. I guess food or some item or something.”1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CYsABBOai
“Well…um…we could say we have an offering and if they ask to see it we show them…um…” Alura looked down thinking as she trailed off before setting her sights on her jewelry. She didn’t want to and wasn’t going to give it up but maybe it could work as a false offering. She gently reached up to touch them, “my necklace my father gave me.”1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHHH2YJlVo
The wizard was quiet as he turned his blue gaze on her, thinking it over and looked to the piece of metal she held out to show him. “Sounds good to me,” Marenzo said with a shrug and started to walk down the hill towards the cave with Alura following behind him, removing the necklace of her father.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK8nUPIXK2K
The guards watched them near and held out one hand each. “Halt! Who goes there?” One ordered firmly and Marenzo stopped with Alura behind him.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJ6G7fvXPh
“Marenzo and Alura,” he began with a twirl of his raised hand that soon lowered, sweeping against his midsection as he bowed like a noble gentleman. “We come to make an offering to the great demon spirit. Fore you see, we have a shipment of goods coming in for our store and wish to pray that they come safely, and for good sales this month.” His lie was perfect, or it sounded smooth as silk to her ears, which was surprising Alura somewhat.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1Lfb6cHZi
The guards looked to each other then they nodded before turning their attentions back to the couple. “What are you offering?” the other asked. Marenzo nodded and Alura showed them the clear teardrop stone inside four flower leaves. The guards looked it over and gave a nod of clearance, moving aside. “You may enter.”1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ0OAhoamzG
Alura nodded briefly while passing as did Marenzo and both entered the cave quietly, acting like anyone would that was about to make an offering to something thought to be a God sent from the heavens. “I can’t believe it worked.” Alura said softly, hiding her necklace in her pocket so when they walked back out it wouldn’t be seen by the guards. The cave was deep, water dripped from the stalactites above their heads to the damp floor below their feet. “Are you sure this will work? Do you know if they follow after?”1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0O7nVdLlO
“Don’t know but if they do later check and don’t see it, they’ll just think a bandit came in while they weren’t looking and stolen it or the demon decided to take it for himself.” He said with a relaxed shrug and she sighed looking down.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMW69lfycV
Her attention quickly came back up as a glimmer of blue came to her sights then green. It was the walls. They weren’t solid gray stone as was seen everywhere else, it was blue, green and red crystal making up the walls that was mixed in with the gray stone. “It’s lovely in here.” Alura whispered which brought Marenzo to slightly incline his head softly in acknowledgment as they continued walking down the tunnel.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEdh6VTYG1u
It was a few miles before they finally reached the end. Above a light came down in beams from holes that had formed over time as well as through cracks with torches burning on the walls, making the crystals shimmer and sparkle looking like they’d been touched by magic itself. Slowly Alura stepped closer gazing at the tall green crystal structure that held her father prisoner for twelve long years. Her steps slowed and a hand rose, gently touching the cool smooth crystal before she closed her eyes with a couple tears falling down her cheeks.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlo9uWZEcz4
Marenzo just watched silently from the side, observing while he took a sitting position on a broken off stalagmite, as she rubbed the crystal softly with her other hand wiping away her tears as she gazed up at her father’s face in his demon form, looking fierce and cruel to the core. “Nate…” She said softly before stepping back a few steps, starting to draw Ginsu’s sword. “I will free you father. I won’t let you remain in that prison for any longer.” Her words rang true to her promise she hoped to keep and her tone was firm as she held the blade, facing the crystal and began to wonder exactly how she was supposed to free him.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfyTUqRm37q
Alura waited in her paused stance with the blade held out before her, thinking and finally released a small sigh from between her lips. She was not sure at all how she was going to free Nate from the crystal, mainly because the sword seemed to be doing nothing but make the muscles in her arms strain and start to burn in spots. How am I to free you? I wasn’t told how to do that, only that Ginsu’s sword could do it. But…what do I do to make it happen?1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFaoKMQh15
“Having trouble?” Marenzo asked eventually and Alura shook her head refusing to ask for help. He shrugged and watched while sitting on his rock with one leg crossed over the other.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡThlhyxy4PX
Minutes passed slowly by as she held the sword steadily pointed at her father, trying to think of a way to free him. Still she had no idea and the blade continued to do nothing except now make her arms scream in fiery strain due to the blades weight. Finally the blade dropped with a clang in her hands, the sharp edge grinding a little against the rock surface and she shook her head hard in frustration with an annoyed growl. “You sure you don’t need help?” the wizard asked gently but didn’t bother to change his position to stand. He had a feeling she wasn’t going to accept help yet.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdRtfz4DCq
“I’m fine. I can get this on my own.” Alura snapped as she watched the ground with narrowed eyes. She was not sure if she even could free him. She shook her head once more in refusing to surrender and give up after she’d come so far to release him, and save her mother. How do I do it? How? She couldn’t recall the words the Water God had spoken, having forgotten Ginsu’s words that would aid her and she released a slow breath. Father…I want you free to help me save mother but… Alura turned her gaze up to stare at her father sadly, how do I free you? I miss you so much even though I don’t remember much before you went to fight twelve years ago.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe4mkgfCIqd
Images of him playing with her along with Sophia flashed in her mind and she closed her eyes tightly, lowering her head so her face was downturned. How…how do I free you? Slowly the blade was starting to glow blue with a small swirl of air moving around it, resembling water in its fluid motion that seemed endless.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStVoAt38ma
Marenzo now watched with interest with a small smirk tugging at his lip. In seeing the magic start to swirl brought him to feel he was grasping a better understanding about that unique sword. He also bragged to himself that his notice of the change with magic gave him a greater insight into how this blade was working. Even with this internal praise, he still wondered what she was thinking in order to use it since something was somehow keeping him out of her thoughts. How…? She thought with her jaw clinching. “How do I free you?!” she suddenly shouted with her voice ringing out in the back of the cave, echoing off the walls and through the tunnel loudly as she rose the blade above her head.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSD54SgPnf9
Alura brought it down roughly then raised it before repeating this over and over again, slicing the crystal hard with the blue air blades at least ten times then a bit more without pausing. The crystal was unfazed except for one to three pieces had chipped off but that was it. She opened her eyes to see what damage she’d done, only to see the fallen pieces were small which simply brought more anger with her frustration.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwa56WMeFo
Shortly after she had quieted her breath and came back to the present, the sound of feet running echoed off the stone walls and this brought Marenzo to sigh. “You made too much noise.” He stated as he slowly stood from his sitting position, closing his eyes. “Now we’re in trouble unless you leave your necklace behind or we somehow manage to lie our way out of this.” He sated calmly as a drop of sweat slid down Alura’s face and fell to the stone floor. Slowly she lifted the sword, placing it back into its sheath on her back before kneeling down and picking up the three pieces. She placed them into her pockets just before the guards arrived on the scene.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvIKP6Rkv8
The two guards appeared with blades ready as they looked around. “What’s going on?!” one asked that stood on the right, looking around the now quiet back chamber.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHbwwNfbUgE
“What’s with all that noise?” the other asked quickly with concern.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGztmhFGCQb
“Oh, that was the demon coming forth and took the offering we brought.” Marenzo began carefully as he took a step away from his stone seat, moving a hand up and touched his chest. “He thanked us and went back inside the crystal. My friend was so excited that she became loud.” He lied in his smooth way with a sincere smile on his face.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRrHgLdTJ7s
“There was the sound of a blade.” Said the second guard as he entered more and noticed the three chipped areas of the crystal. “It has been chipped!” he exclaimed with his face fallen in horror.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXvQAv5M72c
“That happened when he came out for the necklace.” Marenzo tried to defend but noticed neither was in much convincing of this. It was worth a shot. How was he supposed to know how spiritual idles were supposed to work in accepting left offerings?1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8bnQoPxcH9
“Spilling lies with a snake tongue again!” the first guard snapped sharply at Marenzo which made him wince a little under the tone. “You are both under arrest!” he ordered as he went over and grabbed Marenzo by the arm as he put his blade away.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIcKD2qfYEN
The other went to grab Alura after putting away his blade. This turned into a bad move as she shifted out of the way and threw a punch to his face, seeing blood come from his nose as she wasn’t going to give in like Marenzo. “You can’t arrest us you jerks!” she snapped sharply growling as Marenzo sighed watching her.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGWeabWwcx
Marenzo shook his head and opened his closed eyes to watch the aggravated teenage girl. “Alura cease the fight. Allow these gentlemen to do their jobs.” He instructed in a stern tone.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtzamBg43LG
“But!” she tried to complain as she locked eyes with the wizard who stood at ease in the first guards grip.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qMTyaS82H
“Alura don’t make it hard for them.” Marenzo said calmly and Alura growled as the guard with a bloody nose grabbed her roughly by one arm. She picked up her bag and both were pulled out of the cave.1062Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBl74IcTqv
They were lead through the town, to the castle and down below before being thrown into dungeon cells, and then left alone in shackles behind the metal bars.
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