by J D Dench
Something about oak trees seems to follow me, Kayla thought to herself. And it was true. The last time she had been with Tony before being sent to that other world, they had been sitting under an oak tree. And then there was the time at the small town when Matias and Kayla had kissed for the first time. Standing under an oak tree. But what could it mean?
Thoughts about the dagger and the woman bled into thoughts of Tony. How did she get so far into his head? How had she sway him into darkness? Was she really dead, and for that matter was Tony? Did Matias and Kayla actually defeat the Demonic Royal Family, or were they just hiding and waiting for the perfect moment to strike?
Visions came with these thoughts. The pattern Tony had formed in blood after killing his assassin captors. That evil look on his face. The words he muttered as he opened a portal and became the Demon King. The last images of his face bled into Kayla’s thoughts. It was evil. But it was his face. It was Tony’s face, and the last one I ever got to see.
Looking at the oak trees through her bedroom window, she put her hand against the window. “Did that woman drive Tony toward the darkness? Or did I push him there?”
Her watch beeped her six o’clock alarm she usually set for herself. It was time to go out and grab a coffee. She pushed herself to her feet and slid on her light blue converse, pulling on her black jacket and snatching her phone and wallet. She stepped to the front door and grabbed her keys from the hook. Checking her pockets to make sure she had everything, she reached for the door handle.
And then she froze. Something was off. Something was missing. She checked her pockets again and felt everything she needed, but something told her to check her room. She walked to her bedroom and saw the Sword sitting in the corner, almost illuminating to get her attention.
Is this Lillian’s way of talking to me here?
Kayla crossed the room and grabbed the familiar handle. It was warm and comfortable, like holding Matias’ hand. Or like embracing an old friend. She lifted it and felt the hilt growing smaller in her hand. The light around the Sword began to fade. And a small voice spoke in the back of Kayla’s mind.
“We need to talk,” the familiar woman said. “Not now, but soon.”
“Of course,” Kayla groaned as she slid the Sword, now the size of a pocket knife, into her jacket pocket. “Just another secret to keep from Matias.” She buttoned up her jacket and headed for the door, locking it behind her.
Peekskill, NY was a town roughly an hour away from New York City by bus. Settling near the Hudson river, the town was once known for its early industrial developments and was once home to the makers of the Crayola company. In the last dozen or so years, the town had been attempting to draw tourism to itself by advertising how close to NYC it was located while also being affordable to artists wishing to establish themselves. They even established an Art District made up of twenty-eight live in spaces for artists of various diverse forms of media. Public art is found throughout the town. Hidden spaces are used to promote works by new artists, such as Gallery 982, hidden on the second floor of an auto-parts shop. There are guitar shops, book shops, and ancient antique shops. Art brought the city to life.
And that’s why Kayla was drawn here, or at least at first. The town was full of art, which Kayla aspired to create, but she was shocked when she found out there were no creative writing classes being offered at elementary schools. The schools pushed for more expressive art over writing. She was told that writing was a dying art. With the internet flourishing, and people setting down books in exchange for blogs or social media posts, writing was a dying art in their eyes.
Kayla knew that wasn’t right. Writing was just as important, and she would prove it to them. So one of the first things she did here was promote a free class to encourage these children to write. And even though Kayla’s intentions were mainly to expand minds for free, most parents begged her to take their money anyway, which she spent on paper, writing utensils, and even journals that she gave to the children.
And while the main focus of the town was on the art to attract newcomers, Kayla found she was drawn to the coffee shops. Specifically, “Fixin' Cafe”, where her friend Suzanne worked. Suzanne, usually called Zae by her friends, had studied at several colleges in various forms of art and found her passion in painting. She never finished the classes, though. She usually attended them long enough for them to charge her parents, and then she moved on until she came here, where she opened a coffee shop with a painting studio for herself in the back and a small bedroom upstairs.
Fixin’ Cafe was always quiet, even when it was crowded. That was one thing Zae was incredibly strict about. She didn’t tell people they needed to be silent, but she did encourage people to be quiet because “this is a thinking space, and it is impossible to drift in your thoughts when you’re drowning in someone else’s”.
As Kayla reached the door, she pushed it open, revealing the familiar, well polished dark wood floors. The counter was in the center of the restaurant, allowing high-topped tables to form the walls to where Zae worked so people could sit and converse with her while maintaining that quiet atmosphere she demanded. A small gap revealed the only door she could use to leave the counter. The same high-tops, constructed of dull marble, decorated the walls of the shop, allowing plenty of sitting space. And for those that entered in groups, there were several large tables between the high-tops at the counter and the high-tops at the wall.
The shop was empty except for the woman behind the register. Zae was twenty-five with incredibly short hair that she slicked back. Her hair was dyed dark green with black highlights, matching her green eyeshadow. She had a small face with a pointed nose and large, bright green eyes that always seemed to sparkle. Her thin lips always gave the impression that she was in a good mood, even though Zae was probably the moodiest person Kayla had ever met before her coffee. Even when Kayla had first met Zae, she knew she would love the girl simply because of how Elven she appeared to be.
“Kay!” she shouted as Kayla entered, smacking her palm against Kayla’s usual seat right next to the counter. “Grab your seat and I’ll grab your usual!”
“Thanks, Zae,” Kayla groaned, dropping into her seat. Usually, seeing Zae was just what Kayla needed. Something about the energy Zae gave off always seemed to cheer everyone up around her. But not tonight.
“Now why the long face? The dream again?”
“The dream?” Kayla looked up at Zae’s back as she made Kayla’s drink. “I’ve told you about it before?”
She nodded her head. “Yeah, a few weeks ago you mentioned something about a bad dream when you were sitting outside the door before I opened.”
That’s right. The first night I had the nightmare. I came to the shop, desperate to get out of the apartment, and wound up here. The shop wasn’t open yet, so I sat at the steps to the door and actually fell asleep. Zae’s the one that woke me up, made me a warm drink, and actually closed the shop for an hour while I opened up to her. How could I forget that?
“I remember now,” Kayla muttered, pushing her hands against her face. “I’m sorry, I don’t get a lot of sleep anymore.”
“No reason to be sorry.” Zae turned to her with that smile still on her face and placed Kayla’s coffee in front of her. “But what is it about the dream that bothers you so much?”
“It’s not the dream,” Kayla answered, hesitating. She didn’t know how much she could explain without sounding insane. “The woman is what bothers me.”
“Well, in your book, didn’t you kill her?”
Kayla didn’t answer. She took her cup in her hands and took a gentle sip with a nod of her head.
“If you defeated her, then why should she be a threat to you?”
“I defeated her once, but what if—”
“What if nothing, Kay,” Zae cut her off. “If you beat her, you beat her. She’s gone. Dead. Defeated. There is no bringing her back. She may be a Demon that infests your dreams, but that’s all she is. A dream. She is gone.”
K
ayla took another sip and looked up at Zae. Her eyes were filled with that passion she always carried with her. Her hands were on Kayla’s, trying to make Kayla understand what she understood.
“I know what it’s like. To have such a vivid mind that everything you think of becomes real to you. I understand that. But it’s not real, Kay. It was never real. You won.”
Maybe she’s right. I let this woman infest my dreams, but she’s gone. She’s the past. I should be looking forward. Tortuine, the snake and spider Demon, and the Demon King were in the past. And she should be too.
“Thanks, Zae,” Kayla finally said after a few moments of silence. The faint music turned on, and it felt so much more relaxing than the silence.
“Anytime, love. And you know, maybe you need something to help you relax when you sleep. Do you have a fan in your room?” Kayla shook her head, and Zae rose her eyebrows with that expression that said you better listen, then. “You should get one. I use one when I sleep. It helps my mind focus on a sound while I sleep, so when I start to have a bad dream, I focus on the sound and relax. You get used to it.”
Kayla didn’t answer. She focused on her coffee, chewing over Zae’s suggestions. Zae turned her back on Kayla and began cleaning up after the mess she had made. She made a phenomenal cup of coffee, but she was always a phenomenal mess-maker as well. This is the woman that could probably paint a fifty-story building with fifty different designs and detailed people standing in front, but the room would have more paint on it than the canvas.
“Do you have any other suggestions for sleep?” Kayla finally asked after a few minutes of awkward silence. Kayla always felt awkward in silence, but Zae seemed perfectly content with it.
“Well, I know my mom sleeps better with cheerful art in the room. My dad wears a mask over his eyes so if he wakes up, he doesn’t notice since it is still dark. And my twin brother, Michael, sleeps to music. Usually something like opera. Not my cup o’ tea, per say, but it does the job well enough I suppose.”
She turned to Kayla and rolled her eyes with a large grin. Kayla knew Zae loved talking about her brother. “He’s a weirdo like that, with his disgusting music tastes.” She gestured upward, swaying from side to side with the gentle indie music. “This music is more my speed. Relaxing enough to calm me down, but open enough to push me to think. Ya dig?”
Kayla sat upright and shot Zae a smile. “I do ‘dig,’” Kayla mocked with a wink. She leaned forward and continued, “You know, my walls are actually really bare right now. Do you really think that could be it?”
“Maybe,” Zae responded. “Something more cheerful to wake up to could give off a sort of positive vibe.” Her eyes lit up and her hands smacked the countertop. “You should hang up my paintings! Or let me make you something!”
“Oh, uhm…” Kayla looked away, her face burning a little red. How do I know what Matias would like? “I’m not sure. Let me talk to—”
“Don’t you let Matt make this decision for you.” Zae narrowed her eyes and hit her palm into the counter. Matt was the name Kayla and Matias had decided Matias should take on in order to avoid questioning. Documentation had been tricky to obtain for him, but they managed it. Well, Matias handled it.
Zae continued, “You two decided to have separate bedrooms for a reason. Your room, your power.”
With a groan, Kayla threw back the rest of her coffee and slammed the cup back down harder than she meant to. “You’re right,” she finally replied, her mood dramatically better than it had been. “Zae, take me to your shop.”
The Elven Kingdom had changed greatly in the past year. Liz, once the daughter of the Royal Family, was now the only leader of the Elven Kingdom. Vernon and Vaeri, Liz’s parents and the former Queen and King of the Elven Kingdom, were killed shortly after the new power of the Demons became evident.
A year ago, the Demon King, formerly known as Tony, was killed by his ex-girlfriend, Kayla. They had both been brought here to bring peace between Elves and Dwarves. Instead, Tony had fallen victim to the Demon King’s tricks, surrendering his humanity and leading the Demonic army to war against the rest of the Kingdom. Kayla and Matias, the new Chosen One of Hamerst, stood against him and his army and stopped them in their tracks with the help of an army of Elves and Dwarves.
The Prophecy had been right and wrong. It had brought peace between Elves and Dwarves, but it had brought a new challenge in the Demon Kingdom.
After Tony was killed, peace seemed restored for a short while. Liz had scouts exploring the Demon Lands to be sure the peace was not disturbed, and the scouts returned and described the growth of the lands. The ash-coated Earth was now like something from the Elven Kingdom, with exotic trees bearing vines growing from the soil and the sun lighting the land that once bore so much darkness. For a while, it seemed like everything would be peaceful. Dwarves and Elves were at peace, the Demons were gone, and the war between BlueCrest and Malkina was at a standstill.
Before too long, new reports came in from all over the Kingdom. Communication with the Dwarves was lost altogether. Scouts sent to Malkina talked of dramatic changes within the walls, as if the leader had been transformed. The only communication the Elven Kingdom maintained was with BlueCrest, and even that stopped after a few months. Communication was nearly completely cut off, and soon scouts even started going missing altogether.
Liz’s parents, Vernon and Vaeri, the King and Queen of the Elves, insisted that they needed to go to the Dwarven Kingdom and reestablish peace between the two races. Liz argued with them, but there was no swaying their minds. The rest of the Elven Kingdom stood behind them, and five months after the death of Tony, Vernon and Vaeri left the Palace and head for the Hole of the Dwarven Kingdom escorted by a large group of guards, including Lana.
For a full month, there was no sign of return from the Royal Family. Finally, Liz sent out her elite Elven warrior, Thero, and his companion, Aega. A week passed, and when they returned they were grim. Neither of them were willing to tell Liz what had happened or what they had seen. Aega handed Liz her notepad and walked away, silent as a ghost.
Scene discovered. Reports of assault. Ambush evident. Area covered in ash outside Hole. Elves dead. No evidence of who attacked. Assumption: Dwarven attack(?)
Injured: N/A
Dead: All Elves slaughtered, including Vernon and Vaeri. Causes of death unclear. Liz’s heart had sunk. She hadn’t been close with her parents, but they were still her family. Ashes? What could cause ashes to spread so far?
Liz sent scouts back to the Demon Lands to explore. Nine left, and two returned. The two that returned were Ami and Hanika. They reported the lands were now coated in ash once more, and Demons walked the land boldly. The holes in the grounds were not portals, which provide temporary transportation between two planes. They were permanent vessels. Demons freely came and went. The Elves had been assaulted, and the two had to flee as fast as they could to report their findings. According to Ami, the Demon army was heading Southwest, but that was all the Elves could find out.
“What do we do?” Ami asked Liz. My parents were killed by Demons. The Elves seek leadership, and I’m the best they have. Rizza would have been a far better leader than me, but I have no choice. I have to lead this land. This is my Kingdom.
“Hanika, go find Ryo and Ti’a. I have a project for them.” Ryo and Ti’a were known as the science duo in the Elven Kingdom. They were always testing new ways to make weapons more efficient. They even created the bow Matias never had a chance to use, which had blades in the ends of it. They built off that design, making blades that can be withdrawn into the bow with a small switch at the base of the bow, just under where the thumb rests.
“And Ami, go get Thero and have him round up a group of guards. This project is absolutely top secret. Nobody is allowed to know what we do from this moment on.”
Both of them nodded and left. Liz turned as she heard the door behind her open, where her guards stayed. Lotesta entered and stood beside the chair Liz sat at.
“I hear Lana didn’t survive the attack.”
“You heard correctly,” Liz said simply. Her tone was flat. “Her and Nate both gone. What a tragedy.” Lotesta’s voice was as flat as Liz’s, but Liz knew the pain inside the other elf. “What do we do now?” “Do you trust me, Lotesta?” Liz turned toward the woman. “Because this next move is extremely dangerous. But we have to play a dangerous game or we won’t make it. You’ve seen what we’re up again. And the Demons were never this confident. With the previous Demon King, they took the lands they have but never left the boundaries except on occasion. With Tony, they formed an army of underlings, but that’s all. This is the first time a full-scale level of Demons has left the Demonic lands and dared to attack the Kingdoms.
“And we have to assume they have gotten to BlueCrest and Malkina already. The first full-fledged assault on the Realm. So you have to wonder, why haven’t they attacked us yet?” Liz lost focus on Lotesta in the room. Her eyes stared at the wall as her mind explored the lands around her. “Their lands are closer to us than anybody else, yet they attack my parents outside the Dwarven Kingdom and march to the far South. So why not attack us? And I can only think of one answer to that. They want to isolate us. Take away our allies so we have to defend ourselves against the world. Which means we only have one thing we can do.”
“And what’s that, Your Highness?” Liz smiled and stood up from her seat, walking over to the door before responding over her shoulder, “We find the Chosen One and seek help from another world.”
Chapter Two
An hour before Kayla left for the coffee shop, Matias was out on a call about suspicious behavior at the local cemetery. According to an anonymous tip, there were teenagers hanging around the cemetery acting strangely, and the caller insisted that one of them was carrying a shovel. Matias didn’t expect it to be a big deal, especially coming near the end of his shift, but he figured it was worth swinging by. The worst he suspected was grave robbing, which they would put an end to quickly.
