“This Tom guy sounds...intense,” I commented.
William nodded. “You have no idea. I didn’t think Tom’s level of controlling was possible before I met him.”
“No kidding,” Felix added. “He doesn’t have a sense of humor, either. He ruins my fun and is a grumpy warthog.”
“Felix!” Gabrielle scolded as she came out of the kitchen and joined us. “You shouldn’t call Tom a ‘grumpy warthog’!”
“Why not?” Felix questioned. “I think it has a nice ring to it.”
“Why a grumpy warthog?” William asked. “Why couldn’t he be a grumpy goose? You know, so it would be more fun to say and you could practice your alliteration skills.”
Felix looked at him quizzically. “What’s ‘alliteration’?”
William explained. “Alliteration is when all the major words of a sentence start with the same sound. It makes good tongue twisters, like Peter Piper picks a peck of pickled peppers and Sally sells seashells by the seashore.”
“What’s a ‘peck of pickled peppers’?” Felix asked.
“A peck is equivalent to two gallons,” I answered. “Pickled peppers are peppers that are pickled, which I’m sure you’ve figured out by now.”
“What are you, a walking search engine?” William asked incredulously.
“I looked it up once,” I responded, feeling the heat rush to my face. “I like learning random facts.”
I noticed a mouth-watering smell coming from the kitchen. I could smell mashed potatoes, some sort of meat, and bread.
“That smells delicious,” I remarked, glad for a change in topic.
William grinned. “You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted Gabrielle’s cooking. It’s incredible.”
“You’re too kind, William,” Gabrielle responded courteously, but I could tell she was pleased. “We need to wait for Tom to return from the market before we can eat, I’m afraid. He should be here soon.”
About five minutes after she said that, a portal opened in the living room. A boy emerged from it.
The boy was a couple inches taller than Regina, making him look like a giant to me. He had to be six feet tall at the very least. He, like all the others, appeared to be a teenager. He had a dark tan and his jet-black hair was neatly trimmed. His posture was impeccable, and his demeanor indicated superiority. His maple-colored eyes narrowed when he saw me.
“What is the Magenta doing at our headquarters?” he demanded.
“We had to bring her here for her own safety, Tom,” Selene answered. “She was in more danger than we had originally thought. She was connecting the dots already.”
The boy—Tom—glared at Felix. “How much of that had to do with you, Wilson?”
“Why do you always assume it’s my fault when stuff doesn’t go according to plan?” Felix asked defensively.
“Because you’re the only one who can’t seem to follow directions,” Tom responded.
“I can follow directions just fine,” Felix informed him. Despite their height difference, Felix did his best to make defiant eye contact with Tom. “I just don’t enjoy following directions from grumpy warthogs.”
“Oh, this is gonna be good,” William commented.
“Zip it, Johnson,” Selene ordered.
“You’re really asking for it, Wilson,” Tom told Felix through gritted teeth.
“Well, it’s about time someone stood up to you, Tom,” Felix declared. He crossed his arms. “It might as well be me.”
Tom was taller than Felix by a good six or seven inches. Both guys were physically fit. Felix’s odds, if this became a physical fight, were not good.
“That’s cute,” Tom sneered.
“That's enough,” Regina told them, stepping between them. “It wasn’t Felix’s fault that Valida had to come early, and for Maserai’s sake, Felix, stop challenging Tom. You’re going to get yourself killed before you even get to the battlefield.”
“‘Battlefield’?” I exclaimed, eyes widening. “What do you mean, ‘battlefield’?”
“You brought her here and didn’t bother to tell her that we’re in the middle of an interdimensional war!” Tom screamed at Felix.
“Thomas Ayamo Jones, THAT’S ENOUGH!” Regina yelled.
Regina’s glare was deadlier than Ms. Montgomery’s. I didn’t know that was possible, and quite frankly, it was terrifying. I made a mental note to never get on her bad side.
Tom met Regina’s death glare with a glare of his own. Not nearly as intense, but still there. “You aren’t in charge of me, Parker.”
“You’re right,” Regina confirmed, “but that does not make you the boss, Tom. If I recall correctly, we decided that if there was to be a leader, it would be the Magenta. Seeing as you are not the Magenta, you are not the boss and we are all equals.”
Their glaring contest continued for another tense moment before Gabrielle stopped it.
“Everyone into the kitchen,” she ordered. “The food is getting cold and you’re getting hangry.”
No one argued with her.
Chapter 9
William was right about Gabrielle’s cooking.
It was heavenly. The lamb was cooked to perfection, the mashed potatoes were seasoned with just the right amount of spices, and the corn-on-the-cob was impeccable.
William laughed. “Slow down or you won’t have room for pie, Valida.”
“And believe me,” Selene said, “pie is the best part.”
Gabrielle beamed as we downed dinner and dug into the pie. The pie, as promised, was amazing. The only thing that stopped me from having more than I did was my full stomach.
Once Gabrielle finished her meal, she put her stained apron back on and got started on the dishes. Dishes were collected from the table, washed in a basin, dried with a towel, and placed in the small wooden boxes lining one of the kitchen walls. By the time we had all finished our meals, we were all happy and helping her.
When the dishes were done, Regina asked Felix, “So, are you ready to be crushed in a training match, Felix?”
“I think you said that wrong,” Felix responded with a grin. “I believe you meant to ask if I was ready to crush you in a training match.”
“And I think you’re delusional,” Regina retorted. “I will crush you like a grape.”
“May the best Legendary Keeper win,” he said.
We all headed out to the clearing that Felix had shown me earlier, which, thankfully, showed no sign of accidental fire from the campfire lesson. Gabrielle brought out a chest of wooden weapons with the help of William. Both Regina and Felix grabbed wooden swords and took fighting stances.
“Ready...set...SPAR!” Tom called out.
Regina went for an offensive strike, which Felix blocked. Felix used his sword, still pushing against hers, to push her back and swing at her legs. His wooden sword delivered a blow to her calf. She grimaced, but swung her blade at his side. He jumped back, but not far enough. Her sword scraped across his stomach, but just barely.
“FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” William chanted, earning him another elbow in the gut from Selene.
During that split second in which Felix’s concentration broke, Regina thrust her sword toward his leg, delivering a blow much like the one he’d given her. He grimaced, then thrust his sword toward her stomach. She parried it, then thrust her sword toward his chest. A copper-colored shield appeared in Felix’s hand instantaneously. He plunged it into the ground, sending a shock wave to knock Regina off her feet and putting up a forcefield to block her wooden blade. He let down the forcefield and stabbed Regina in the stomach with his wooden sword.
“I win,” he informed her with a grin.
“Hey, not fair!” Regina said, glaring at him. “No using Legendary Objects during training matches! You cheated!”
“No, I improvised,” Felix corrected her.
Regina raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? That’s the best you’ve got?”
Felix shrugged. “I thought it was pretty good. Besides,”
he said, patting the shield next to him, “the Copper Shield is pretty amazing. I’d even go so far as to say that it is the best Legendary Object of them all.”
“‘Legendary Object’?” I asked.
“The Legendary Objects were created by the Zajahani Elders themselves long ago,” William explained. “They each have incredible abilities for their wielders to use. Felix’s Object, the Copper Shield, can send shock waves through the ground and knock his enemies off their feet. It can also put up forcefields that protect against oncoming attacks.”
“Yeah,” Felix confirmed. “Therefore, it is the best.”
“Actually,” Tom corrected superciliously, “I’d say mine, the Leather Boots, are the best.”
“They are fashionable,” Felix admitted, “but what do they do again?”
Tom shot into the air. He seemed so unrealistically in control, I had to remind myself that this wasn’t a movie. He was literally flying.
“I can fly, you dimwit,” he informed Felix with crossed arms.
Felix thought for a moment, then said, “Nah, the Copper Shield is still better.”
“Let me get this straight,” William cut in. He looked up at Tom. “We’ve been running for our lives from the Attackers, often running off pure adrenaline, and you can fly?”
Tom shrugged and landed flawlessly. “Yeah. So?”
William drew breath to answer, then decided against it. He just shook his head. “Never mind.”
Now that Felix had let his guard down, Regina made her move. She smiled as she thrust her sword into Felix’s chest: a deadly move that would have killed him had she been wielding a real weapon.
“Consider yourself crushed,” she told him. “Notice how I didn’t cheat?”
He shrugged. “Meh. Nothing new. The only person who has ever beat you in sparring is Selene.”
“Okay, now that we have that taken care of,” Gabrielle said. “We need to pair off and get to work. Selene, I’m putting you up against Regina. Tom, you’re with Felix. No using the Copper Shield this time, Felix. William, you’re on hydration duty, since Steven is still in Saviena. Valida, you’re with me. I’ll teach you the ropes.” She looked around. “Any objections?”
“Do I have to spar with the potato-obsessed dimwit?” Tom whined, glaring at Felix for good measure.
“Hey, I have to spar with the grumpy warthog,” Felix retorted with a shrug. “We’re even, Tom.”
“I hate you, Wilson.”
“You hate everyone,” Felix pointed out.
With a stern look from Gabrielle, the argument ceased, and the pairs spread out to spar. Gabrielle handed me a wooden sword and took one for herself.
“How are you holding up with being thrust into this whole thing so suddenly?” she asked.
“Honestly?” I said. “I’m half-convinced this is a dream. Different Dimensions? Portals? A bunch of teenagers training to fight? An interdimensional war? It doesn’t seem real.”
“William and Selene were both the same way when they first came,” Gabrielle told me. “It takes some getting used to, but you’ll get used to it eventually.”
“Which Dimensions are Selene and William from?” I asked.
“Both from Earth, like you,” she answered. “Well, William and his entire family are from Earth. Selene’s history gets a little complicated. She was born and raised on Earth, but her family is from Emparadroy, which is now under Mallum’s control.”
Gabrielle showed me a few moves for me to drill. While I drilled them, I continued asking questions.
“Who is the Mallum guy?”
“He is known as the Hunter,” she replied. “He is the youngest child of Mekaz Frond, who is the son of Zykno Frond. Both Mallum’s father and his grandfather have darkness in their blood. Mallum has been hunting you for two years. He vanished for two years before he suddenly reappeared and decided to hunt the Magenta.”
“So the Hunter—Mallum—vanished for two years, then reappeared with a desire to hunt me down and has been doing it for two years since?” I summed up.
Gabrielle nodded. “Essentially.”
Great, I thought. My parents were kidnapped, I’m stuck in the middle of an interdimensional war, and now I’m also being hunted by some guy called the Hunter. Like I needed more craziness to add to this mess I call my life.
Gabrielle showed me how to use the moves I’d been drilling in a swordfight. She went insanely easy on me as we sparred with the few basic moves I’d learned. We trained and sparred until the sun set, then headed back to headquarters for some sleep. I shared a room with Gabrielle and Regina.
After such an exhausting day, it didn’t take long for me to return to the Darkness.
Chapter 10
The Darkness whispered its usual statements like it always did, but I found it much easier to ignore by trying to find Felix.
“Code Baked Potato!” I called out.
It took a few times before Felix responded.
“You realize we don’t need that anymore, right?” he said. “You already know who I really am.”
“Yeah,” I responded, “but you will always be Potato Brain to me, Felix.”
“Fair enough.”
Freak. You shouldn’t exist, the Darkness whispered.
“Stuff a sock in it, Darkness Guy,” Felix ordered fearlessly.
Worthless coward, the Darkness hissed. Take a hint: you aren’t good enough. You can’t control your fears, you can’t—
“Potato Brain is right,” I interrupted. “Stuff a sock in it. You can’t scare me anymore.”
The Darkness thinned just enough for me to see Felix’s silhouette. I put my hand right in front of my face and smiled when I saw that I could see its silhouette as well.
Out of nowhere, a wave of intense fear invaded my heart, yet I couldn’t figure out exactly what I feared. I was just scared.
You don’t think I can scare you? the Darkness taunted. Watch me.
The Darkness grew thicker than ever as I sank to the ground, hugging my knees to my chest and burying my face in them. I shook with illogical fear. What was I afraid of? What was happening?
“Leave her alone, Darkness Guy!” Felix yelled.
Make me! the Darkness challenged.
I felt his arm wrap around my shoulders. “It’s going to be okay, Miss Magenta. Just breathe. Deep breath in, deep breath out. You can fight back.”
I did as he instructed, my breaths shaky at first, but soon going in and out easily. Felix took deep breaths with me, helping me keep a steady rhythm.
Once my heart rate settled back to normal, I realized that I could see Felix’s silhouette again.
“I can see you!” I exclaimed.
“Wait, what?”
“I can see you!” I repeated.
He held up two fingers. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
“Two,” I answered.
“Does your newfound sight put me in increased danger of being punched or slapped?” he inquired.
I shrugged. “That depends; are you planning on kidnapping me again anytime soon?”
“I didn’t—” he began.
“I’m just messing with you, Potato Brain,” I assured him.
“Oh.”
We sat in thoughtful silence for a while. My thoughts were random, jumping between assumed kidnappings to mysteries to my past. I closed my eyes and thought back—way back—to the very beginning.
Or, at least, the beginning I remember.
Beeping.
My eyes fluttered open. I was on a hospital bed, surrounded by people. There was a woman with lustrous blonde hair, styled in a single braid that reached the middle of her back. She looked energy-drained and ready to drop. A man sat in the chair next to hers. His brown hair was cut military-style, and his blue eyes were kind and tired. A doctor sat at a computer, typing something. He had salt-and-pepper hair and when he turned around, I saw a small scar on his chin.
“Everything checks out just fine,” the doctor informed us. “
Well, besides her memory, as you already know.”
Tears welled up in the woman’s eyes and streamed down her face. She turned away to wipe her eyes. The man rubbed her back affectionately, giving both me and her concerned looks.
“Thank you, Doctor Robbins,” the man managed.
How did I get there? I racked my brain, but I realized that the doctor was correct. My memory was not fine. It was gone. I didn’t even know my name.
“Who am I?” I asked.
The woman choked on her sobs as fresh tears flowed out of her eyes. The man looked as though he were holding back tears as well.
Doctor Robbins answered. “Your name is Valida Agnes Smith. You will turn nine years old in two days. Your parents”—Doctor Robbins motioned to the man and woman—“are Roy and Cynthia Smith.”
I mentally repeated this to myself to ingrain it into my mind. My name is Valida Agnes Smith. I will turn nine years old in two days. My parents are Roy and Cynthia Smith. For months afterwards, I would recite that like a mantra to myself at least once a day. It was my lifeline.
I repeated it a few times more, just to be safe, then asked, “What happened?”
Doctor Robbins exchanged glances with both my parents, who nodded. He proceeded to give me my answer. “We can’t tell you all the details. For the sake of keeping it simple, let’s just say there was an incident. The circumstances were dire, choices were made, and these resulted in extreme memory loss.”
“Why can’t you tell me all the details?” I questioned.
“Because the details are the reason why this happened in the first place.”
I didn't question further at the time, but now all the questions came back. My head ached with the complexity of it all as it tried to connect the dots. I was missing pieces of the puzzle. I knew I was. My thoughts started to race, blur together, and completely disorient me. My eyes glazed over. I began to sway in place. I felt exactly like I had during the weeks after the incident: scared, confused, and dazed.
“Miss Magenta?” Felix shook me gently. “Miss Magenta, are you alright?”
“My name is Valida Agnes Smith,” I muttered, as if in a trance. “I will turn nine years old in two days. My parents are Roy and Cynthia Smith.”
The Magenta (The Legendary Keepers Book 1) Page 4
