Birthright Part 5
By Dave Church
Crono waited inside of his cell. He knew from experience that ticking off the guard was the way out. He went up to the door to his cell. He looked around through the bars, and tried to get a clear view of the prison area. He saw two guards(They looked like Guardia royal guards. Crono guessed that they were bribed) with shoulders bigger than their heads, and he could hear water dripping. He banged on the door of his cell. The guards did not react. Crono then went to the floor, rolled around, grabbed his side and yelled, "I'm sick!"
One guard turned and looked into the cell. "You must think I was born yesterday. We know that you got out of prison last time with the same trick. We won't fall for it again."
Crono stood up and brushed himself off. "Well, there goes that idea." The guard was somewhat startled that Crono was not more persistent. Suddenly Crono looked suprised, and cupped his hand to his ear. Something had gone clink, and Crono took advantage of the moment. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" the guard replied. He turned and looked at Crono
"Come on now! Don't tell me you didn't hear that scream!" Crono sounded angry.
One of them was still not convinced. "How do I know you're not tricking me?"
"Where can I go without a key? Go! It came from that direction!" he said, pointing east of the cell door. Both guards ran in the direction Crono indicated. Then, after the guards were gone, Lucca and Phil emerged from a hiding spot down the hallway west of the cell.
"How'd you know we were coming?" Lucca asked. She and Phil were both amazed that Crono had known that they were there.
"I heard something go clink, but the guards didn't. I took advantage of it." Crono gripped the doors. "Now what's your genius plan to get me out of here?"
Phil got a key out of his pocket. "Here. Try this," he said, putting the key in the locked door. The door swung open.
Lucca threw Crono a sword which they had "borrowed" from a guard.
"It'll do. Thanks." Crono said. Suddenly he was worried. "Where's Marle?"
"We left her with the King, who we encountered earlier when we were rescuing you. She was back this away." Lucca started down the western hallway, and the two males followed her.
After a bit of weaving, Lucca stopped. Her eyes darted around one of the cells. Phil looked around in that cell as well.
"We left her here," Lucca told Crono. "Something's wrong." Lucca looked worried.
Suddenly Phil noticed a little scrap of paper in the corner. "I found something," he said.
"What is it?" Crono inquired.
Phil picked it up. His eyes scanned the page:
.
Madame Lucca and party:
If you wish to see the King or the Princess alive, Get up to the courtroom. Now.
King Bane
.
Phil handed it to Crono.
"Damn," Crono muttered under his breath. He showed it to Lucca, who also took a look of worry.
The trio rushed through the prison, made their way through the stone maze that was called a castle, and up to the courtroom.
Phil was ahead, of the other two, and stopped just before the courtroom doorway. He held his arm out to stop Lucca and Crono from passing him. He whispered, "There were no guards on the way here. It was too easy to get here. I think this is a trap."
"That was running through the back of my mind," Lucca said in a reduced volume and tone. She exchanged glances with Phil while Crono assessed the situation. Suddenly, Lucca whispered something in Phil's ear. He suddenly ran down the hall.
"What was that all about?" Crono asked.
"I sent him to get some help," Lucca replied. "I'll go in first." Crono was about to argue, but decided to let her go in first. Lucca walked through the doorway, and promptly stopped.
"Man it's dark. I can't see anything." Lucca whispered to herself. Suddenly, Crono could see some light coming through the doorway, and ducked out of the way. He heard a yelp from what he thought to be Lucca, and he heard Bane say, "If there's someone else out there, I'm going to give them 5 seconds to come in before I come out and look. If I don't like what I see, I'm going to kill someone."
Crono thought through his options and didn't like any of them. He surrendered, moving into the doorway and revealing himself to Bane. He couldn't quite see what was going on inside, but guessed that it wasn't good.
As he came through into the courtroom, he discovered that it wasn't good. Lucca had wandered into a trap, and he was forced to as well. He took a good look around the room, which wasn't very well lit. He saw Bane holding Lucca prisoner, and using her as a human shield. On his left, Crono also saw… the Chancellor?
"Chancellor? What are you doing?" Crono asked.
The Chancellor smiled. "I like money, Crono. Bane had a lot of it to offer. You know how hard it is to get by as a nobleman without gold to spare."
Crono had to agree, but wouldn't show it. He noticed that the Chancellor had a human shield as well.
And it was Marle.
Some of Bane's henchmen came and took Crono's sword. They escorted him to the center of the courtroom. He could see clearly Lucca and Marle unwillingly being used as human shields.
"Pick one, Crono," Bane told him. "One dies. The other lives." Crono could see that he was in no position to argue.
Crono looked from Lucca to Marle. Neither showed any trace of fear. Crono admired them for that, but wasn't really surprised, as they all had cheated death multiple times and came back alive. He decided to play his wild card and bank on Phil and any reinforcements he could bring…..
.
(Author's Note: I'm sorry this took so long, but my computer crashed in the midst of doing this part. I'll get part 6 done ASAP. Any comments? Suggestions? Other various ramblings that you would like to unload upon my willing to listen ears? Send 'em in! E-mail me at ddchurch@rogers.wave.ca.)
.