Third Earth 2: Quest For The Red Dragon Pearl

Rodger didn't wait for the possessed girl to start counting. He turned on his heels flicking his wrist as he did so. His last throwing knife fell into his hand. He didn't bother throwing it but he wanted it ready.
As he ran through the trees he let his pack slip off his shoulders. It was useful, but too heavy and awkward to hide in. His crossbow was still strapped to his back. He considered cutting it loose, but it might come in handy. It was only a small one after all. His staff/sword he kept in his other hand. There was no way he was throwing away his best weapon.
As he ran through the woods he ran almost randomly. Heading in one direction, then turning suddenly to run in another direction. Having no idea how she would be following him, he tried to keep under trees as much as possible, and avoided areas that would leave easy to find traces.
Several times he ran parallel back the way he had already gone. Far enough away that he wasn't visible, but allowing him to hear any horses, or armoured soldiers that might be following him.
He didn't hear any pursuit so he slowed down a little to a light jog.
Now he had time to not only plan an escape, but possible ways to survive.
Rodger looked around as he jogged, he finally saw what he wanted.
Taking off his cloak, his crossbow, and removing his sword from the staff, he threw the cloak, staff, and crossbow carelessly on the ground as he ran.
Then still jogging lightly he jumped over some tall grass leaving it undisturbed and almost landing in some bushes. He slithered into the bushes trying not disturb them.
Kicking a small tree that was right behind him, leaves fell on him and the bush blurring his profile to any searchers.
Keeping his swords blade hidden, he pulled out his dirk, and kept a hand on his throwing knife, ensuring that their shiny blades were hidden under dark forest debris.
Barely breathing he waited.

 

She watched as Rodger ran. Her voice dimmed to silence as she stopped counting and briskly walked carelessly straight through the woods. A sudden darkness prevailed over the skies. The grey sky was reddish black now. The lady blinked twice as two souls departed her body. Or rather, one soul with two faces to it.

Haughtily, Virak raised her one red eyes towards Kariv who found herself floating in the sky.
"Thanks to you, I'm dead."
"What'd I do?"
"You let her posess you."
"Oh really. Mighty. Did I invite her for tea that I gave her a chance to be possess me or something?"
"I don't know, I wasn't paying attention."
"TECHNICALLY, it was your fault. You killed a queen and stole some stupid scrolls, and she usedthat weak point of mine to scare me so that I would be mentally too weak to defend myself!"
"NO! It's your fault you were so mentally weak! You should have the guts to face stuff."
"You know what, forget it."
Kariv's single beye mused angrily as the literally two-faced soul glided around. Then she snapped back to reality and thought of howstupid they were.
"Virak..."
"Yeah?"
"If we're dead, what in the world are we doing fLoAtInG iN tHe AiR?!"
Virak also brimmed up, surprised.
"Lady, you have a point there."
She murmured back, and looked down. The possessed body was gone.

"Well, we could always occupy some other body. Let's go find a princess or something."
"No, Virak!"
"Okay, a Queen."
"WAIT!"
"What?"
"What about Rodger?"
"He's an irritating man who needs to stop traveling and take a vacation in some tropical islands. Let him die."
"No Virak. I won't let that happen. Nevertheless, Queen Mortina must be after him for some GOOD reason. Something to do with the pearl."
"Told you."
"What?"
"That you should join Queen Mortina's team."
"Virak..."
"Yes?"
"Zip. Your. Mouth."

Kariv dived down, her other half not obeying her. Well, being a soul was even mroe difficult.
"Look, Virak, if you don't come with me-"
"What can you do, Kariv? You're a part of me and vice versa!"
"I'll...I'll..."
Kariv couldn't do anything. Virak's eye glinted with vanity as she didn't move. Kariv had to do something.

The Queen cast her eyes around. He had chosen apretty good hiding place. She shallowly started to use landform disruptions to raise up bushes and brief pastures. Still invisible, one couldn't find her.

 

If Rodger hadn't seen Kariv moving the Earth yesterday, he would not have realized what was going on. Hearing what wizards were capable of was one thing. Seeing it first hand was another.
The slight rise of the grass around him was almost imperceptible. But he was watching everything with a heightened sense of awareness brought on by adrenaline and fear.
Carefully he placed his dirk back into its sheath. Trying to keep his movements smooth and slow. His now free hand grabbed his sword. He looked around trying to see the enemy. He couldn't stay where he was, the Queen knew his general whereabouts if not his exact location. But if he bolted without a plan he'd be like a rabbit to a hawk.
He saw the shadow of the tree behind him rise up.
Rodger sprang forward and rolled out of the way. The tree broke in half as it hit the ground where Rodger had just been.
The ground Rodger was rolling on had been flat a moment ago. He heard some rocks fall, and only stopped himself from falling into a large hole by grabbing a strong bush, stopping his roll. His shoulder was wrenched painfully, but Rodger didn't give himself time to feel it. Getting to his feet he jumped over the hole.
A mound of dirt rose up trying to hit him and force him into the hole. Rodger landed awkwardly on it, and jumped again before it could bury him.
The second mound of dirt right behind it, wasn't as easy to avoid.
Rodger dropped his sword, as the air was forced out of his lungs. His body wanted to stiffen up under the blow, but Rodger forced himself to relax. The dirt pushed him towards the ground.
He was already in a semi-fetal position so Rodger used the momentum of the rapidly moving earth to help him jump away from the dirt, landing almost exactly where he had originally been hiding, as the mound slammed into the ground with a teeth rattling thud.
The trees all around him moved and undulated like a living creature. Some snapped at the base as their trunks proved too weak to handle the strain.
Rodger threw caution to the wind and ran into the nightmarish forest. He needed more cover.
He heard laughter as he ran. That was good. Get cocky, he thought. Make a mistake.

 

Kariv floated unwillingly with the other half of her wherever she pleased. For now, they were going to possess an aristocrat who got money for designing fashions. Pfft.
Virak suddenly stopped, pointing in mid-air.
"Look! Your dad..."
Kariv was toppled over as she looked down in hurry, and then frowned as Virak laughed.
"It's Rodger."
Kariv said dryly and made a desperate face.
"Please Virak, please. Anything. He saved my life."
Virak uninterestedly looked at her, at which she murmured:
"Your life."
"He saved. Now let me save mine."
"Virak, look at him. He looks like an ostrich in need of flying."
"If you're so generous, why don't you give him some wings?"
Virak then stopped, her red eye diluting with a plan.
"Actually...I can help you..."
"Really! Tell me, tell me!"
"You promise that after you get Rodger to safety, you'll give up your powers and let me free."
Kariv despairing eyed the wicked half of hers. She didn't want to do this, but she didn't have a choice. She bucked herself, thinking that she could claim her powers at a later stage.
"Fine."
"Splendid."
Virak cackled, diving down towards the running fellow. Kariv kept an open eye for the Queen, and she saw her flying in the form of an eagle through the trees. She had her claws ready.
"Virak, quickly! The Queen is already on him!"
Virak floated near Rodger, and then said back to her:
"Should we possess him?"
Kariv frowned.
"No. We might kill him. Something else."
"Okay...how about we possess the Queen?"
"Don't be silly! She's a great witch."
"Then what?"
Kariv thought. They were running out of time.
"We need to split up. I'll possess the Queen and you try to possess Rodger. Whosoever is successful, tries to do what they can."
"Split up?! Don't fool me Kariv. What if you never give me your powers?"
"My word is always true, and you know it."
The dual-personality soul sighed and effort to split up. Now that would have taken a while, but somewhat successful. They had weaker power, but Kariv thought that a try could at least distract the Queen.

Virak landed on Rodger, letting him feel her. Let me possess this fella, please.

 

Rodger felt something land on his back. He leaped forward, twisting in midair and swiping at it with his throwing knife.
Nothing was there.
DAMN IT!
He landed poorly, as the ground undulated under him.
How was he suppose to fight what he couldn't see?
If he could only see the Queen, he could fight. But with her invisible, he didn't have a chance.
Ignoring his newest set of bruises, he ran further into the forest, leaping over, around, and sliding under the rocks that kept trying to trap him.

 

The Queen grinned as she neared towards Rodger. His position was weak; a rumble of rocks was bound to push him behind, or at least slow him down, and she was just seconds away from him. Everything was going as planned.

Virak grumbled as let him get to a better place in order to possess him. This time, she clutched his shoulders, paining him but with full authority went inside him. She told herself she could do it. The only reason she couldn't at first was that Kariv and Virak were already dual personality, and they could've drove Rodger insane. But now she was a new soul. With weaker capability, but this little fellow wasn't in the best of health either. Please work.

Kariv knew the Queen would identify a soul if she zoomed towards her, therefore she kept thinking of a sudden way to get to her. She flew angrily above her, feeling silly for having to fly as a soul. After all, souls should be able to go anywhere like air without much effort. Anyhow, having no time to ponder, after she had gained an advantage of speed she made a sudden decline and bite the eagle's neck, which went stuttering. The invisibility finished as the Queen lost concentration and Kariv tried her best to keep her distracted. RUN RODGER!

 

THERE!
The Queen, or Kariv was visible finally just above him.
Rodger didn't know why she was visible, but he saw her looking and swatting at something. Now he could fight.
Pausing he flicked his wrist, sending the throwing knife flying. He wished he had more knives, he'd make the witch into a bloody pin cushion.
He saw the knife slide into Kariv's guts. Not instantly fatal, but without proper care it would kill, and it would be very, very painful.
Rodger smiled savagely.
She was still flying, so he couldn't attack her again, but she knew he had teeth. He started running again, hoping she would come down and fight. He still had his dirk, and he was dying to slit her throat.

 

The Queen roared in anger as Rodger struck her. She turned her malicious eyes to Kariv who was still looming over her. She grinned finally and moved towards her.
"As you wish."
She whispered murkily before pulling Kariv towards her.Kariv felt herself sucked into the wounded body as the Queen escaped it. She screeched in pain, falling to the ground. She raised her terrified eyes to Virak who took the chance and fled before the Queen's rage came on to her. Kariv moaned in pain and tried to stand still as Rodger prepared himself for combat. The Queen laughed virtually and disappeared.
THAT WAS IT! She now understood what the Queen wanted! She wanted Rodger alone! First she had used her grandfather's intentions to kill grandma, and now it was her turn! But why? She didn't know at all, but there was going to be much time for questioning if she escaped this.
"Uncle...don't...it's me, Kariv!"
She gasped, breathing for air. Nevertheless, she didn't trust her voice well enough and kept herself ready to defend herself.

 

Rodger heard the Queen scream. He turned in his flight to see her falling. Blood lust filled his eyes.
He ran back, watching everything prepared for an ambush. He saw the body lying on the ground, groaning in pain and moving feebly. He inched closer.

Rodger stopped. Would the Queen know Kariv called him Uncle?
Was this a trap?
Rodger slunk back into the woods, leaving the girl alone.
If he killed her, he was safe for a while. He could travel quickly by himself, and alone seemed safer.
Could he kill a young girl?
Everyone and their dog was hunting him, moving with an injured girl would slow him down.
She was useful when she wasn't possessed.
What did he care if she died? She wasn't important to him.
Could he bring himself to kill her?
He had already murdered one man for his horse.
He didn't know that man.
He could just walk away.
It would be crueler leaving her bleeding into her guts, then to slit her throat as a mercy killing.
Damn.
Rodger moved out of the woods over to Kariv.
"If you're the Queen, kill me now," he said loudly. "If I get over there and feel one second of doubt, I'm slitting your throat."
He waited. The ground didn't kill him.
Breathing again, he walked over to Kariv, and bent down to check the wound.

 

Kariv glared at Rodger as he left. Well, she had wasted a lot of time on him. If he didn't give a second thought to my life, I might as well do everything on my her own. Why that...
Before Kariv could think anymore, Rodger came back, and she felt hopeful.

Although she wasn't sure what could make him doubtful. As he came closer and checked her wound, she smiled weakly, murmuring:
"Please trust me. I'm Kariv. Even if you travel off without me you shouldn't be alone. This is what the Queen wants. She wants you alone. That's why she killed my grandma and now she tried to get rid of me."
She fell to her knees, everything becoming blur. She had to hold on.

 

"Why does th-" Rodger stopped talking as Kariv fell.
He caught her before she landed on the knife causing more damage. The interrogation would have to wait.
He laid the unconcious girl gently on the ground. The knife would wait to come out. He ran to a small pool of water. It was muddy from the ground movements, but it didn't smell foul. He took off his shirt. he didn't have anything else to carry the water in.
Kariv hadn't moved while he was gone. His shirt was dripping and landed with a damp thump on the grass. Time to see the wound. He opened her shirt, not caring about modesty, cutting a slit in the shirt so that it would not disturb the knife..
The wound was bleeding slowly. The knife was keeping most of the blood from squirting out. Running his fingers through the blood he smelled it. It didn't smell foul. Only iron. Since she wasn't screaming in pain he must have missed the vitals. The Gods of Luck had been smiling on her.
With his shirt, he cleaned the wound as best he could. Then holding the shirt around the throwing knife he pulled it out of her. If she was going to die it would be now.
Some blood rushed out turning the shirt red. But it stopped quickly. Once more he smelled the wound. But it still smelled only of blood. No foul acid, or feces.
Taking a small stone bottle from a secret pocket in his pants, he emptied the extremely strong alcohol directly onto the wound. It was meant for him, in case of emergencies to stop infection, but the girl knew some things he needed. So this was acceptable.
He tore his shirt into strips, and bandaged the girl.

Rodger sat by her side cleaning his knives, and wishing he had a sharpening stone. He couldn't risk moving the girl yet, but staying here was risky. He wondered how soon he would need his knives again.

 

A boast of light emerged and took Kariv from sight then the light was gone. Rodger dropped to his knees.

"What the hell" He said allowed.

He stood and looked at up. The pearl was there in his hands. He was confused.
A horn blew.

Goblin soldiers a voice said calmly.

"What of Kariv?" He asked.

Gone the light could replace one with the pearl you are the carrier. not Kariv maybe she will be glimpsed upon again who is certain of things passing in the never.
Be gone before they come.

Ride back to Blackthorne take your reward. But be wary of the king.