Rouge Fleur

Chapter 6

Alice and Percy went on the move, They clambered off of the wet rocks, careful not to slip, they were still trapped down here, with large natural stone walls surrounding them."We need to find a way out of this place before searching for answers." Alice said, scrambling around as Percy limped slowly behind her. "Wait! Alice! There!" Percy pointed at long thick vines that led all the way up. Alice smiled at him and ran towards the vines. She touched the vine, it was strong and thick, perfect to hold 2 people, maybe even 4!

"Percy, grab onto my hand." Alice clung onto the rope with one hand and stuck the other one out for Percy to grab onto. As Alice pulled Percy up, she looked up. "Oh no, I thought this vine was sturdy, but look at the top!" Alice pointed to the top of the vine, the part latched onto the tree branch, it was fraying, and quick. Alice let Percy climb up first, she trailed behind him, just in case he fell. "Alice, I don't think its gonna hold, we need to get off, let's just jump onto that rock." The vine swayed as Percy pointed to a ledge on the rock. "We're on this thing to get out of here, not to go higher up and be trapped again, keep moving! Calmly but quickly. "As Percy kept climbing, Alice tried to keep her cool, but she knew Percy was right, this thing was going to break.

Just as they reached the top, the vine started to fray and break where it was tied to the tree. "Alice, Jump!" Percy jumped onto the ledge where the grass begun, but Alice was still hanging on for her life. "Dahlia! What are you doing?" Percy stuck his hand out, just a centimeter away from Alice who was hanging on the vine. "I, I Can't!" Alice gestured to her foot, a small vine was growing from the big one, curling itself around Alice's leg. Percy looked up at the vine top, it was about to break.

In the split second the vine broke Alice started to full, suddenly she stopped and her body jerked up. Alice's eyes were sewn shut, but she felt as though she wasn't falling. As she peeked her eyes open, she saw the large vine falling and splashing into the water, disappearing as it sunk to the river floor. She looked up, Percy's hand was wrapped around her forearm, as Percy pulled her up, they collapsed onto the grass. "You saved my life Percy, after you almost killed me 10 years ago" Percy chuckled as he sat up, "Come on Dahlia, we need to get going if we want to find her '' He stood up and offered his hand to her. "No thanks." Alice got up and started walking, with a large grin on her face,

"Look Percy, what is that cave?" Alice peered at the entrance of a cave, adorned with vines, bushes, and Bluebell flowers, a faint blue aglow inside. Alice started to walk towards the cave, but Percy grabbed her arm. "Alice, wait we don't know what's down there." Alice gave him a meaningful look and he let go. "Percy I feel something in there, like it's dragging me in."

Something powerful lurked underground, and she intended to uncover its secrets.

The cave became a tunnel, which twisted endlessly until they emerged onto a narrow ledge overlooking a vast cavern. Far below, figures in black velvet robes with hoods covering their faces and heads, who chanted ominously around a bubbling pit. A woman stood out - hair cascading crimson curls behind a poison ivy crown adorned with a gem.

"The Archmage, that's the pig tailed girl!" Alice whispered. Percy grasped her arm, pointing up - another ledge offered exit! "Percy I'm not leaving, I need to talk to her." Percy looked woefully at her. "Dahlia, can't you see? She's mad! She's some witch!" Percy gestured towards the exit. As Percy dragged her towards the ledge, she didn't take her eyes off of the Archmage.

Carefully climbing a boulder, they made it to the ledge and crawled into the second cave, where darkness followed by a sloping tunnel.

Light ahead signaled the exit, but Alice was disappointed as the Blue light ahead escaped their grasp once again. Once they had exited the caves end, a rusted gate blocking escape was revealed. "Great, now we have to go back, '' Percy said as he spun around to go back through the tunnel, but ended up having second thoughts remembering the Archmage. Alice examined strange runes etchings of women with long curly hair, around cauldrons of sparks.

Suddenly, from the corner of his eyes, Percy spotted something moving

"Watch out!" He pulled her aside and the both crashed to the floor, Alice looked up and skeletal hands snatched at air. Bony fingers wriggled and clawed in the air, its sharp nails looking like they could skewer them in one go.

Alice's breath shook, but then she remembered something, "Stand back, I've been wanting to try something" Her hair fluttered and her ends glowed. Her eyes were a pearly white and her hands held glowing white orbs. Alice threw a couple of orbs towards the hands, but to no avail. A chuckle echoed from within the cave, their eyes and bodies shot to the caves and the Archmage emerged from the shadows

"Futile. You both interest me, however, you're week. Young Alice you do not know the potential of your power. It is wasted on you" Her eyes glinted hungrily as she slowly walked towards the pair, her heels clacking against the stone.

The 2 looked at eachother, knowing what she meant, she wanted to kill Alice. "Over my dead body" Percy said lowly as he stood ready. The Archmage smiled ominously. "So be it. I warned you" She chuckled as a dark purple cloud started to whirl around her, Alice and Percy held onto each other for support.

Once the smoke had disappeared, the Archmage stood, taller and larger, her crimson hair long and bushy, her crown's gem aglow and her hands held obsidian black orbs surrounded by a purple Aura..

"Bring it on" Alice hissed as she charged at the Archmage.