The Magenta (The Legendary Keepers Book 1)

by Cassidy Bennett

  “This can’t be good,” Felix said. “I’m going to try to wake up now and—”

  “My name is Valida Smith,” I repeated in the same slow, trance-like, emotionless tone. “I will turn nine years old in two days. My parents—”

  I didn’t even finish my sentence before I woke up.

  ◆◆◆

  “Miss Magenta, wake up!” Felix was shaking my shoulders.

  Startled, my eyes shot open and fists flew at him. He moved out of the way just in time.

  “Whoa, Val, it’s okay,” he told me, taking a step back. “It’s just me.”

  My head ached and throbbed from the memories. My first memories from after the incident. The incident—whatever it was—that happened five years ago.

  “It’s all connected somehow, isn’t it?” I murmured. “Magenta, the Darkness, the incident—it’s all connected.”

  “What is going on?” Regina asked groggily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she sat up on her bed.

  “My name is Valida Agnes Smith. I will turn nine years old in two days,” I repeated, still dazed and holding onto my lifeline once again. “My parents are Roy and Cynthia Smith.”

  “Valida has been muttering stuff and saying the same thing over and over, like she is in a trance or something,” Felix explained. “It’s kinda freaking me out.”

  “Felix, what are you doing our room?” Regina demanded in a suspicious tone. “You’re supposed to be in the boys’ room.”

  “Long story,” he responded dismissively. “The point is that there is something wrong with Valida.”

  Regina moaned as she got out of bed. She wore her usual day clothes, with the exception of her socks and hiking boots, which she put on while at the foot of her bed. “Alright, let’s go see Gabrielle. My cousin has always been an early bird, so she has probably been up for the past-” she looked out the window and took note of the sun’s position-“hour or so. She’ll know what to do.”

  We found Gabrielle in the kitchen, scrubbing the wood-burning stove to perfection while her bread dough was rising. She stopped what she was doing when she heard us come in and turned to face us.

  “Good morning!” she said in her usual, cheerful, silvery voice. “What got you up so early, cousin?”

  “Felix claims that there is something wrong with Valida,” Regina told her.

  “There is!” he insisted.

  “It’s all connected,” I muttered. My head was pounding to the point that my thoughts were no longer coherent, “but some pieces are missing...magenta...incident...the Darkness spares no one…”

  Upon hearing the last bit, Gabrielle sprang into action. She sifted through the vials in one of the chests with a steady, yet speedy, hand. Once she found the one she was looking for, she muttered something over it. It began to glow. She poured it in my mouth. The moment I swallowed, and my head started to clear. I began to form coherent thoughts again.

  “Thanks,” I thanked her. I faced Felix and Regina. “So,” I said, “what can you three tell me about being the Magenta?”

  Chapter 11

  All three of my comrades looked at each other, then at me, then back at each other. Regina pushed Felix forward.

  “You can explain it, starch-head,” she decided aloud. She walked away before he could protest.

  Felix sighed dejectedly. “How come she can always order me around, but I can’t order her around?”

  “She has a will of steel,” Gabrielle answered. “You can go back to sleep if you want, Felix. I can answer Valida’s questions.”

  “Thanks,” he said. He yawned as he made his exit.

  “So,” I prompted. “What do you know about being the Magenta?”

  “Well, to begin with,” she started, “I should probably tell you what the Magenta is. The Magenta is the legendary protector of the people of the Dimensions. Under normal circumstances, the Magenta is trained until she is sixteen years of age, then unleashed to protect those in need of protection.”

  “Wait,” I cut in. “People around here think a sixteen-year-old girl can give them adequate protection?”

  “The Magenta is not a normal girl,” Gabrielle explained. “She has abilities far beyond those of a normal human. But with great abilities comes great duties. And although many of the stories told are tales of the Magentas of old, not all of them have happy endings.”

  “What do you mean by ‘abilities’?” I inquired.

  “She means superpowers,” William answered for her as he walked into the kitchen. “Good morning, by the way.”

  “That is absolutely ridiculous!” I exclaimed.

  “Saying ‘good morning’?” William asked, confused.

  “No!” I clarified. “Me? With superpowers? No way!”

  William shrugged. “I’m just going off the legends here. According to them, you have superpowers. They just have to be unlocked by the Guardians.”

  “Superpowers?” I asked incredulously. “You’re kidding.”

  Felix reentered the kitchen, now wide awake. “Forget it; I’m too hungry to go back to sleep. Hey, Gabrielle, do you have any of those cookies from the other day?”

  “Regina ate the last one yesterday,” Gabrielle answered. “I can make more later, if you want.”

  “Thanks,” Felix said gratefully. “So, what are you talking about?”

  “Valida’s superpowers,” William replied.

  “I don’t have superpowers!” I insisted.

  “Or do you?” Felix said, game-show-host style.

  “I don't!”

  “You didn't think the Dimensions were a thing before you came here,” Felix pointed out. “There are many possibilities in the Dimensions outside of Earth, so you could have superpowers.”

  A portal opened and a boy—I assumed he was Steven—emerged from it. Steven had light brown hair that looked choppy, as if he’d cut it with a dagger. His eyes, which never made eye contact with anyone for more than a second at a time, were greenish brown. He was muscular, but not excessively so. He had a tan, probably from being outside a lot. He fidgeted nervously with the buttons on his jacket.

  “Good morning, Steven,” Gabrielle greeted.

  “Good morning.” Steven’s greeting was barely audible. He stared at the ground, no longer making eye contact with anyone.

  “I’m Valida Smith,” I introduced, figuring it was a good place to start.

  His eyes, wide and alarmed, met mine for just a moment before his gaze dropped back to the ground. “I’m…S-stev-ven P-peters-son. It’s...nice to meet you, Valida.”

  Before I had a chance to reply, he darted out of the kitchen.

  “Is he okay?” I asked.

  William shrugged. “He has been like this since before I arrived. He is quiet, closed off, and rarely says more than a few sentences at a time.”

  “He has had some rough experiences,” Gabrielle explained. “They haunt him like a ghost.”

  Unsure of what else to say, I said, “That sounds terrible.”

  Gabrielle turned back to the stove to stir something in her pot, but I could have sworn she muttered, “You have no idea.”

  ◆◆◆

  We had another training session after breakfast. Although I had only been here about a day, I was adjusting well. My swordsmanship had been improving, bit by bit.

  “Well done, Valida,” Gabrielle complimented as I successfully disarmed her.

  I smiled. “I think I'm getting the hang of it.”

  “Good,” Gabrielle said. “I need to make lunch; would you be okay if you sparred with Steven for a while?”

  I glanced over at Steven, who sat alone on the grass, half-heartedly swinging his wooden sword.

  “Sure,” I finally said. “Assuming he's okay with sparring with me, that is.”

  Gabrielle glanced over at Steven. “He'll be alright,” she assured me, although she didn't sound convinced herself. She stood and went back to headquarters.

  I approached Steven cautiously. “Hey, Steven, do you want to
spar?” I asked.

  His head jolted up. “You…you want to spar?” he stuttered.

  I nodded. “I'm a beginner, so please don't kill me.”

  I spoke the last part like a joke, and Steven smiled, just a little bit.

  “Okay,” he agreed.

  He stood and assumed his battle stance, holding his wooden sword ready. I assumed my battle stance as well.

  Sparring with him was similar to sparring with Gabrielle. Each time he defeated me, he would explain the move and what happened.

  Until the last time.

  The match was short. He struck, I parried; I struck, he parried. Then, before I could register what happened, he disarmed me and put his sword to my throat.

  His eyes went wild. He threw his sword to the ground and backed away slowly.

  “Sorry...I'm s-sorry...I d-didn't mean…” he stammered.

  “It's okay,” I assured him. “There isn't any shame in beating a beginner in a sparring match.”

  Beads of sweat glistened in his forehead. His breathing quickened and his face blanched. His hands trembled.

  “That isn't...I w-wasn't…it wasn't that…” He looked genuinely terrified of what had happened.

  “Steven, are you okay?” I inquired.

  Tears filled his eyes. “I d-didn't want to…p-please…I'm sorry…”

  Felix came to the rescue. “Steven,” he said gently. “It's okay. I'm going to go get Gabrielle, alright? I'll be right back.”

  He ran back to headquarters and returned with Gabrielle.

  Gabrielle immediately took action. “Steven, it's me, Gabrielle. Everything is okay. You didn't do anything wrong.”

  Steven shook from head to toe in fear. “This is…it’s all m-my f-fault, isn't it?” he asked.

  Gabrielle shook her head. “It is not your fault, Steven. Come with me. Let's talk.”

  She spoke to him with a gentle, coaxing tone that could get even the most upset creature to calm down. Steven, still trembling, followed her back to headquarters.

  Upon seeing the expression on my face, Felix said, “It isn't your fault, Miss Magenta. He has...episodes…sometimes. He'll be okay. Gabrielle takes good care of him.”

  Regina joined us. “Yes, she will,” she agreed wholeheartedly. “She never ceases to amaze me. She always insists on being the mother of the group. Personally, I think that for a fourteen-year-old girl, she makes an incredible adopted mother. She loves us, and we love her. She takes good care of all of us.”

  “Well said,” Tom complimented.

  Most of the Legendary Keepers returned to sparring, some of them switching spots around so they could all spar. But before Regina and I joined them, I heard her mutter something I don't think was meant to be heard.

  “Now if Gabrielle would just learn to take care of herself, she'd be golden.”

  Chapter 12

  During the next week or so, very few eventful things happened. I trained and improved, Felix annoyed Tom, and Steven remained quiet and shaky as usual.

  Then, in the middle of one of my training sessions, an ear-piercing screeching pierced the air.

  “Alarm!” Selene exclaimed.

  We all ran for the clearing in the forest. William and Selene worked together to lift a massive rock, revealing a dark tunnel underneath with a ladder leading down.

  “Everyone in!” Selene ordered.

  “Who put you in charge?” Tom demanded.

  “The same people who put you in charge,” she responded. “Now zip it and get in!”

  Tom obeyed, grumbling. He didn’t even bother with the ladder; he used the Leather Boots and floated down.

  William climbed down the ladder soon after with the sarcastic comment, “The alarm always comes in the grandest of times.”

  “Selene, you can go next,” Gabrielle told her. “I need to be last so I can close it.”

  Selene didn’t argue. Steven followed, then Regina.

  It was my turn. Climbing down into that dark tunnel required me to fight my climbing nerves. I hated dealing with ladders and the heights and depths that came with them. I wasn’t exactly fond of the darkness of the tunnel, either. It reminded me of the Darkness and the five years of pain I’d gone through.

  “Are you okay, Miss Magenta?” Felix asked. “You’re pale.”

  I nodded slowly, trying not to let my hands shake. I took a small step forward, turning red as I became aware of Felix’s and Gabrielle’s concerned looks. Although I tried to walk like a normal person, my legs felt like gelatin and refused to work properly. My knees buckled beneath me. I lurched forward, but both Felix and Gabrielle caught me.

  I knew that I was on the edge of the hole. Don’t look down, I thought to myself as I tried to steel my nerves. Don’t look down.

  I did what everyone does when someone tells them that they shouldn’t look down.

  I looked down. A small squeak escaped my trembling lips.

  “FIND THEM!” a voice screamed from the direction of headquarters.

  “You can do it, Valida,” Gabrielle assured me, nervously glancing back in the direction of the voice.

  “It isn’t near as far down as it looks,” Felix added. “You’ve got this.”

  “I...I can’t.” My hands were shaking involuntarily. My head spun.

  “What’s taking so long?” Tom asked from the safe room.

  “We’ll be right there,” Felix called back.

  I grabbed the first rung of the ladder with shaking fingers. I froze, clinging to the rung for dear life.

  Gabrielle said something to Felix that I couldn’t decipher through the pounding of my heart. Felix came over and knelt on the ground at the top of the ladder.

  “You’ve got this, Miss Magenta,” he encouraged. “De potato believes in you.”

  I managed a weak smile, and stiffly moved down to the next rung. Just five more to go. The shouts of our enemies were coming closer.

  I shakily moved down the next two rungs, looked down, and froze. Why did I look down? I closed my eyes, then decided that closed eyes were making it worse and opened them. Felix had climbed in after me and was two rungs above me.

  “Just three more,” he encouraged. “You’re doing it. Just keep on going.”

  I took a few deep breaths and made it down the last three rings as quickly as I possibly could. I relaxed when I finally felt my feet touch the ground.

  Felix jumped off the ladder from the second rung up and landed next to me. “See?” he said. “That wasn’t so bad.”

  “I guess it wasn’t as bad as riding rollercoasters,” I admitted.

  “You don’t like rollercoasters?” William exclaimed. Each of the Legendary Keepers held a lit candle. Regina handed one to me. Gabrielle muttered something while she was on the ladder and the massive rock moved over the opening to the safe room. Guided by the light of Regina’s candle, Gabrielle finished climbing down the ladder and accepted a candle of her own.

  “No, I don’t like rollercoasters,” I confirmed. “I’m acrophobic and, quite frankly, I don’t like feeling like I’m going to die of dismemberment.”

  “Acrophobic?” William questioned.

  “Afraid of heights,” I clarified.

  “Oh.”

  A leather book appeared in Regina’s hands. Her Legendary Object, the Leather Book, was one that I had found impressive. It was well-worn, but not falling apart just yet. On the cover in calligraphy, the title, “Knowledge is Power” was written. It contained information that changed depending on the circumstances. She opened it and we crowded around her, our candles illuminating the pages.

  “Leather Book, engage video and audio,” Regina ordered.

  The Leather Book obliged, and the pictures on the page moved and the picture people spoke. I watched it in awe.

  A woman in her late teens or early twenties was facing a group of about thirty soldiers clothed in black hooded cloaks and cloth half-masks that covered the bottom halves of their faces.

  “I’m done waiting,” s
he announced to the soldiers. “Find me those brats and find them now! Do you want my idiot kid brother to have your heads? BRING US THE MAGENTA!”

  “Yes, Your Grace,” the soldiers said in unison. They dispersed, some heading to headquarters and others to the forest. Only one stayed behind with the woman.

  “Thanks a ton, sis,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’ve always wanted to be called your ‘idiot kid brother’.”

  “Shut up,” the woman growled.

  “Who are they?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the page.

  “The youngest of the Fronds. They lead the Attackers,” Felix answered. “The Attackers are the ones who took your parents.”

  Unsure of whether I’d regret it, but unable to keep it to myself, I tore my gaze from the page and asked, “The Attackers, have they taken anyone else? I mean, you are all fighting against them, right?”

  “Most of us have lost someone,” Tom answered. “I lost my father two years ago when Mallum rose to power in Emparadroy. He left to hide the remaining Legendary Objects, but he never returned. My mother still lives in Emparadroy, and I never had any siblings.”

  “Mallum...he’s the Hunter guy, right?” I asked.

  “Yes. He is the descendant of two of the most feared figures in the past,” Tom explained. “Darkness runs in his blood.” Then, as a sarcastic afterthought, he added, “Cheerful guy. Anyway, he shows up during the Raids a lot.”

  “I lost my mother to the Raids,” Felix said. “She told me to hide, but I heard her scream and went back for her. It was too late. She wasn’t there.”

  “What about your father?” I asked, although I should have known better than to.

  “Never knew him,” he said simply. “No memory of him. Just...darkness.”

  “Any siblings?” I asked. “I always wanted a sibling.”

  He shook his head. “No siblings, either.”

  “My parents don’t believe that the Dimensions exist,” William said, tossing a pebble between his hands. “They think I’m crazy, that all my geekiness has gone to my head. My older brothers, Zane and Brandon, aren’t much better. My younger sister, Summer, believes me, but no one takes her seriously because she just turned eleven years old a few days ago.”