How did she know? Premonition stared at her necklace in the grasp of Pearl. Dazed, she reached for it. Pearl responded by giving her a kick to the side, taking care to ensure the necklace was out of Premonition's reach. Pearl kept it in her back pocket and then turned to face Premonition who had not yet fully recovered from the previous kick.
'You can't have that', Premonition's voice rose to a screech, 'Give it back', Premonition had fallen to a knee, she had her fingers in her dark hair and was gripping fistfuls, and her elegant look was quickly degenerating into something reminiscent of madness. Her hazel eyes flashed with anger.
Pearl recognized her opportunity, she willed her body to move and half-limped half-flew to where Premonition struggled. As she drew closer, the true extent of the damage dealt to Premonition's psyche began to show.
'How could you not know she would come for it?... It was our only weakness… You're sorry?... Now what do we do?... We need it!'
Premonition's eyes were glazed over, she mumbled like she couldn't see Pearl right before her. Pearl momentarily stopped her attack, watching with amazement. Premonition was teetering on the edge of insanity, all because she lost a necklace. Even Pearl, who knew taking the necklace was the only way she could win was struck by the amount of damage it had done to her opponent.
Pearl kicked her across the face but the force was not enough to knock her over from her kneeling position. It was, however, enough to awaken her from her state of stupor. Premonition finally struck back, she blocked and parried some of Pearl's attacks but when she went on the offensive, Pearl realized she had lost her edge.
Pearl's attacks were finally hitting and Premonition's fighting style had changed drastically. It was now primarily defensive. Pearl capitalized on this change by becoming bolder, she made risky moves that left her open to counter attacks because Premonition was less likely to strike back. As the battle intensified, so did Premonition's mumbling. Whenever Pearl was close enough to Premonition, she could hear her murmur,
'What's she going to do next?', beneath her breath. Pearl then finally understood why Premonition's attacks had diminished in speed, accuracy and power.
Premonition had lost her advantage, her gift only worked under composure and she had not a thread of composure left after her necklace was stolen. Her thoughts were all over the place and she was unable to focus. She was unable to predict Pearl's next move and that disoriented her even more, it was a death spiral, and her ability had been completely removed from the fight, levelling the playing field.
The fight was drawn out and at a point, her male partner sat down. The battle was mostly aerial because walking was difficult for Pearl, but Premonition wasn't as forthcoming with her attacks as she was the last time they fought in the air. In fact, she was holding back, she feared that any careless action would send the necklace flying, forever lost in this portal hall which she may never have access to again or worse, into Legandanl. However, time was beginning to have its effect on Pearl's body and each wound ached, she was nearing her limit and could feel her consciousness slipping.
Pearl's body was crying out for rest, so she decided to risk everything on one final attack to end the fight. She rushed back to gain speed and rushed full force to Premonition, the momentum would be sufficient to knock both of them to the ground. She would use Premonition's body to cushion her fall, adding to the impact of the attack. Pearl didn't waste a moment, as soon as the plan was hatched, it was carried out. Pearl rushed back in a flash and disappeared in the darkness.
'Where did she go?' Premonition searched for her, squinting in the dimness of the great hall. Her eyes lighted on her partner quizzically but he just smirked and shrugged. Premonition tried to focus, she slowed her breathing and her racing heart, focusing on her ability to predict what would happen next. But she heard it before she saw it, a sudden swoosh and Pearl came out of the blue, racing towards Premonition with full speed. Premonition was trapped, she braced herself for impact but moments before Pearl could hit her, her trajectory changed, sloping downwards a bit, she was going to miss Premonition entirely.
Pearl had lost consciousness before hitting Premonition, giving her the opportunity she needed to escape the attack. But she hesitated to take this chance because there was just one problem, the necklace. Premonition's mind worked fast, if she avoided the attack and let Pearl dive to her doom, the necklace may be lost in the darkness, and Pearl may wake up and toss it, just to spite her. No, this was her only chance to retrieve the necklace and she would not let it go to waste, she had never been without it for so long and she couldn't bear to be separated from it anymore. Premonition lowered her position and used her body to stop Pearl's lunge.
Premonition didn't have to move a muscle, the fight was over, in the end, fatigue won out and Pearl who had sustained more injuries at the onset lost. But Premonition blundered, she saw this as an opportunity to regain her lost necklace which had been on her mind all through the fight. At this point, she didn't even care about winning.
She fell with Pearl, positioning herself beneath Pearl to retrieve her necklace. With every second, the ground sped up to meet them, it was a race against time. Premonition frantically tried to get the pendant from Pearl's back pocket before they hit the ground but it was proving a more difficult task than she had foreseen. At last, she retrieved her treasure but it was too late, she slammed into the ground and Pearl smashed into her, Premonition's body served as a cushion for Pearl's fall. She was out cold. Pearl woke up to see herself atop Premonition, with the necklace in Premonition's hands.
'I won? I can't believe I won!' Her celebration was short-lived because she heard someone else's uninvited clap. The male captor laughed and continued clapping.
'So you did,' he said 'but what will you do now?'
Pearl adjusted to face her new opponent immediately. She straightened and took a stance, but it was no use. She stumbled, her body ached and her clothes, stained with blood and sweat, clinged to her. She tried to focus on the person before her but blood blurred her vision. Before the fight against her new opponent began, she first had to win the battle raging within her for consciousness.
'Woah' he held up his hands in mock surrender, 'I don't want to fight you'. She grunted and frowned, the piercing pain on her side from his impact said otherwise. His blow was the first and the most painful, even now, she winced from the pain.
'No, no I mean it. There's no need. I already know everything I need to know'.
'I'm not coming with you.' Pearl spat.
'You don't have a choice' he responded smugly, Pearl could hear him smirking.
'You are the one we are looking for.' The finality of his tone hung heavily in the air for a moment before Pearl spoke again.
'That again, I don't know what you're talking about.' Pearl said with gritted teeth.
She would have launched an attack first but she was in a very bad state and she knew it. In this situation, she concluded that the best choice for her right now was to drag out this conversation, her male captor seemed like someone who loved to talk, who romanticised the idea that he wasn't really a bad person, that he was doing the right thing using wrong means. Whatever his personality might be, Pearl knew the only hope she had was to keep him talking until someone came.
He laughed in response.
'It's easy really, if you think about it. How did you know about her weakness?' He pointed at his collapsed counterpart.
'The necklace?' She asked.
'Yes, the necklace, how did you know taking it would have such an effect on her?' Pearl's brows furrowed. How did she know?
'You don't know? You should. It's because of your gift. It's you, you're the one we've been looking for. You are the oracle. Your gift is the gift of knowledge.' He chuckled lightly, a wide smile on his face.
'It was a lucky guess' She protested.
'You guessed that a concealed necklace would discomfit an opponent you have never fought before? I don't think so'. He concluded. 'And that is why you are coming with us'
'No, please, wait. You don't have to do this' Pearl was pulling at straws at this point. 'I know you are different from her' Surprisingly enough he stopped for a second. Was she getting through to him? Was he really contemplating not taking her?
'I remember when I was at your mercy in the past, you spoke to me like a person, you treated me with dignity, you showed compassion. You haven't lost yourself yet. You can stop now, it's not too late.' Pearl didn't know what she was saying, her desperation was the only thing driving her, but he had stopped and a serious look was in his eyes as he looked into the darkness.
'Oh, she's the one all right,' a female voice wheezed. Premonition was on her feet again. Pearl's face fell as she watched her male captor's face harden in resolution. If only she hadn't woken up just then. A loud whirring sound came from behind her, she turned her head to see that he had already opened a portal behind her. She could see within nothing but darkness and a fog. She shuddered. How long would she be in their custody? Would she ever see her family again?
There was no hope left so she made one last desperate dash at the open portal to Legandanl, only to be stopped by a hand on her neck.
'If you go in there, you won't be able to come back' It was the voice of Mrs Rose, she was finally here. Pearl immediately felt the familiar warmth of her healing touch mending her broken bones and healing her wounds. She collapsed in her arms.
Pearl felt herself being handed over to someone else, it was Mrs Harry, who had followed Mrs. Rose in.
'Pearl I'm sorry I couldn't make it in time' she quickly apologized and held Pearl in one arm, a scroll in the other, while Mrs. Rose turned to face the captors.
Premonition was fully conscious now and Pearl looked up to see her slip through the portal that her counterpart had opened immediately, not so much as putting up a fight.
'She's smart. You can't fight me' Mrs. Rose faced the male captor squarely.
'I don't have to. I just want the girl,' he declared.
'You think I'll just hand her over to you? I was going to just let you leave but now I think I'll have to capture you for questioning! Why do you want her?' Mrs. Rose bellowed, her voice reverberating in the large empty hall.
'I'm sorry, that's classified' He replied, gearing up to fight.
'Have it your way,' Mrs. Rose answered harshly.
Those were the last words exchanged before they clashed. The exchange was very fast and watching them, Pearl knew she was lucky to have fought Premonition first, she didn't stand a chance with a combatant of his calibre. But there was something else that was peculiar about their exchange, he was too quick. Mrs. Rose didn't land a single attack on him, she was on the receiving end all the way and he dodged ALL her attacks, not so much as blocking a single one. It was as though he was scared of her touch and soon enough the reason became evident.
He came close to attack, too close and she landed a single blow on him instead. Their proximity left no room for him to dodge her so he blocked instead and his left hand fell beside him, numbed.
He smiled in pain. He had limited the damage done by sacrificing his left arm, his dominant arm was still in one piece.
'I see you've been warned about me' Mrs Rose said with a smirk, wringing the hand that had dealt the damage.
'Yes, you're a healer, one whose ability is to alter the physiology of her…' he paused and added for lack of a better word, 'patients'.
'You can't fight me' she stated again.
He grimaced at his hand and back at her, the wheels in his head were working very differently now. His ego had been brutalised by the impact of a single hit. His face that once wore cocky self-assurance wore a different expression, fear. Sweat trickled down between his eyes as he looked for a means of escape. He dashed into the darkness. Mrs. Rose looked back puzzled, she contemplated following him into the darkness, but it might have been a trick.
'He's headed for the door' Pearl quickly exclaimed. That was the only other way out.
Mrs. Rose flew with such a burst of energy that a gust of wind was left in her wake, she was at the door in no time, waiting for him but he never came because a few seconds after she left, he snuck out of the shadows and grabbed Pearl again.
'I told you you're coming with me' He hissed into her ears. As he struggled with his dead arm, Mrs. Harry opened the scroll she held and began to read.
'The decree of the Almighty'
The scroll glowed like fire and the whole hall began to shake and glow a bright purple colour. Life flowed into her as she spoke and her grey hair turned dark from the roots.
A deep instinctive fear permeated through him to his very core and he ran out through the portal he had made earlier in the face of her overwhelming superiority.
Pearl noticed a change in the colour of the walls first, they darkened once again into a dull blue hue and darkness covered most of the exposed vastness. Mrs. Harry was once again a quaint old lady and her scroll was rolled up in her hands once more. Pearl quivered, she was awed by the meekness of the being she had known most of her life as a frail old lady.