The Three Enigmas: The Diamond of Strength

Chapter 20

or the time in between Rebeckah's two visits to the Hostiban Castle, James and Rupert insisted on reading up about the castle, practicing their defensive spells, and physically preparing themselves for any fighting that might ensue. Rebeckah, you could say, was probably belittling the situation and making it seem less than it was. She figured it would be easy with Damon there, though she still felt the threat of he skepticism.

Rebeckah lay wrapped in a blanket sitting on the couch in the lounge, staring at the Regnumese TV, though nothing interesting was on. Rupert said that ever since the Hostiabn invasion all it played was biased news and infomercials boasting their 'greatness'. She gazed at it blankly, not listening to anything. Meanwhile, Rupert and James sat at the table, their heads down, and backs hunched, trying to absorb every word of the books they were reading. "Turn that off and go somewhere else, Rebeckah!" shouted James suddenly from the other side of the room. He had been ver so impatient after disocbering that he would have to go into the castle and ut himself in danger. His face was red and jaw was clenched and his fists were balled together; a sure sign he was dangerously wrathful. Grudgingly so, rebeckah picked herself up and hauled herslef away from the room.

In the courtyard targets had been set up the practice shooting. although she wasn't much good, rebeckah found the sport fun, and good way to vent stress. In spite of herself, she picked up a bow and arrow, and shot one, it landing on the blue ring next to the bullseye. she tried again, and this time, split her previous arrow, feeling accomplished, even if she hadn't reached the dead center. 

That night was the night they went to the Hostiban Castle. As she promised Damon, she was bringing only Rupert and James, Olympia and Alecto would be staying behind. 

Rebeckah had dressed herself in a lighter gray jumpsuit that night, figuring it'd be the most conventional (though not attractive) otfit for their mission. Rupert and James dressed in similar outfits. They lowered the moat blocking their entrance to the castle, and once they put it back in it's proper position, they ran for the Dark forest. Somehow, whether it was the Forest's ominous presence or it's connection to the Hostiban Castle, it gave every one of them the shivers, and they ran through it, as if it was a mosterous beast chasing them.  In some cases, Rebeckah had to use a few spells to move or obliterate items in their way, just to make the path easier to follow. 

After they made it out of the forest, they had to walk through a cleared off area. Along it was placed little stones, leading up to the castle. It sat perched on a rock, and towered up into the clouds. Instead of bounding furiously up the hill, Rebeckah first paused and made each of them put the invisabilitatemn spell on themselves, so no guard or officer would shoot them dead before they even had the chance to get the diamond. With staggered breaths and shaing knees, they finally reached the hill's summit, and then paused to catch their breaths.

rebeckah tried to motion for them to follow her, but then remebered they couldn't see her, although she could hear the huffing of their heaby breaths. "Go right," she said. She began to walk, and judging by the sound of their heavy feet slamming against the wet ground, they followed her. they walked around the castle for about 10 minutes before landing themselves below the west tower. 

Using the same floatation spell Rebeckah had previously used to get to Damon that time on the same tower, they bot floated up and hoisted themselves onto the slanted awning. "Make yourselves visible," rebeckah said in undetone to them, fearing watch guards. "I want to see you, know you're okay."

She heard their different inflections muttering the counter curse and they appeared below her. Rupert was holding on tightly to the shingles and grimacing in pain, though he showed no actions of preventing it further. James's hands were trembling frantically, and he had a contored expression of fear and anguish written on his face. Rebeckah thought to herself sarcastically, Oh, okay, this is going well. All she could manage to them was, "keep climbing."