Jade (part 4)

"When I called you a snake," said Jade. "It was mockery." Their swords met again. "But you certainly have a forked tongue!"
"Princess," said Tryte. "You love a murderer!"
Ivy pulled her blade from Sir Blake's. "If both of you are true, then both choices are fatal. A snake or a murderer. They can both kill."
"But fair lady," said Tryte, blocking Jade's attacks. "What he says is NOT true."
Sir Blake stepped back from the duel and watched.
"How can I believe you?" She asked.
"I can think of nothing to convince you," he replied.
"But if my story is true, can you blame me for hating this scoundrel?"
"Jade was with me!"
"And I say he was at my castle first!"
The Princess looked at Jade who, overcome with rage, fiercly swung his angry blade at the Prince, slicing his fighting arm. Tryte's sword slipped from his hand and he stumbled back. Blake ran to his aid.
"I've never killed anyone," said Jade. "But I may make an exception in your case." He lifted his sword.
"Jade! No!" cried the Princess, staying his hand. "I feel that there's something more to learn." She looked down at Prince Tryte with a strange pity. But suddenly Sir Blake drew his sword.
"Please!" Pleaded Ivy. "Sheath your sword. It's not meant to be finished yet. There's something missing."
Blake nodded for he understood. There was something unsettled.
"Get on the griffin Ivy," Jade commanded, sheathing his sword. As she did, Jade looked down on Prince Tryte, who knelt in the mud. His green eyes met Jade's blue and they each held the other's stare feeling a strange connection as if they shared some fate or bond.
Then Jade spoke, "I only live to killed you."
And Tryte replied, "And I want only to be King, but anyone who gets in my way will suffer."
"We will see," Jade replied, backing to the griffin and mounting behind Ivy.
The black griffin spread his massive wings and flapped higher and higher into the sky until they were above the rotting trees. Sir Blake and Prince Tryte watched as the griffin bore them from sight.

"Why did you do that?" Asked Jade, angrily, as the griffin let them off on a high cliff.
"Maybe because I'm not sure who's telling the truth anymore," Ivy replied, storming away from the edge of the precipice.
Jade snatched her arm, "What do you mean?"
"You weren't with me the entire morning. How do I know you WEREN'T at Castle Broc?"
Jade shook his head and turned back towards the griffin who sat, like a noble statue, looking down from the peak.
"Where are you going?" Ivy asked as she watched Jade mount the griffin.
"I thought you believed me," he replied, then he flew away.
"Jade!" Ivy ran towards the edge as tears formed in her eyes. The world looked so huge from where she was and she was just an insignifigant part.

"This is it," said Carbuncle to Fresia.
They stood on the outskirts of the black swamp along with the horses Tryte had left behind.
"They must still be in there," Fresia replied.
"Yes," Carbuncle said as he twiddled his beard.
"Well, let's go find them," she said, marching ahead.
"No. No!" Carbuncle pulled her back. "There are fell creatures in that swamp. Horrid beasts!" He looked around himself. "They might explain why these horses are without riders."
"You mean?"
"I do."
"What about Jade?"
"Oh, I'm not worried about him," Carbuncled replied. "He knows what's in this swamp. I'm sure he found another way in."
"And out?"
Carbuncle shrugged.
"Then what do we do?" Fresia asked.
The wizard glanced around and then slapped his sack on the ground. He rummaged through his junk and finally picked up three bottles.
"If I remember right..." He began to walk into the swamp, Fresia following carefully behind him. Suddenly they began to hear a deep gurgling and they came upon the bridge of land that Prince Tryte and his men had crossed.
"I don't see anything," whispered Fresia, staring into the thick green water. But suddenly they both saw something glisten beneath the surface. And then it leapt out at them. All at once Carbuncle smashed his bottles together, causing a small explosion that threw Carbuncle and Fresia backwards out of the swamp and into the ground.
"Ack!" Carbuncle exclaimed, getting up from the mud and dusting himself off. "That wasn't supposed to happen."
Fresia took a deep breath and shook out her skirt. "Now what do you propose to do?"
"I must have picked up the wrong bottles," He replied, waddling over to his sack again and picking out three new ones.
Again, they entered the swamp and came to the bridge of land. There was no sign of the swamp creatures and the gurgling had stopped.
"Oooh," said Carbuncle. "That's not good."
The eight monsters burst out of the silent water and flew at full speed towards their prey. The wizard smashed his bottles once again but, though it caused a little smoke, nothing happened. Fresia began to scream when all of the sudden there was a loud boom. The creatures froze in the air for a moment and than exploded. Carbuncle and Fresia fell down the ground, covering their ears. When they'd sat up, all that was left were the few remnants of the monsters floating in the water.
"Wow," said Fresia.
"Wow?" Carbuncle replied. "If those stupid potions had delayed any longer we'd be dead. And THAT was NOT what they were supposed to do... DISGUSTING!"
Fresia let out a small laugh as Carbuncle helped her up.
"Hey!" They heard a loud, angry voice, shout at them. It was Tryte, storming across the bridge towards them. "What are you doing here?"
"What am I doing here?" Carbuncle asked, lowering his brow.
"That's right," said Tryte, signaling Sir Blake to follow him.
"My Prince," said Carbuncle. "If we had not come, you'd still be stuck here."
"Yes, thank you sir," Blake smiled in gratitude, but Tryte kicked him in the shin.
"Out of my way!" Tryte barged past them and out of the swamp, but Fresia grabbed Blake as he passed them.
"What of Jade?"
"He rode a griffin. He's well."
"Thank you," said Fresia. "Thank you."
Then they hurried out of the swamp after Tryte.
"Tryte!" Fresia shouted, but he had already mounted his horse. "Tryte! Wait!"
"No. I wait on no one," He replied.
"But I must tell you this."
"No!" Tryte shouted. "Go back to doing what you do best, scum of the earth." He kicked the sides of his horse and galloped off in great haste. Sir Blake hurried after him.