The Witch; Stronghold; Underworld

by Ky Tyrand

  The sword came out of the water as Je’nna held it out to Ki’ara. “We got it,” she said.

  Ki’ara let out a breath and echoed, “We got it.”

  She took the sword from Je’nna.

  Though she’d already seen it in her visions, Excalibur was even more impressive in person. Perhaps it was due to the details left behind or distorted by a memory. Or maybe it was because of the light from the multi-colored crystals reflecting off its sharp blade. But Ki’ara suspected it had to do with the power she could feel within it – even more than she had expected.

  After they both examined the remarkable weapon, Ki’ara slid the shimmering blade into the tiny scabbard she’d brought for it, watching through the rippling, distorting water as the blade vanished into the small compartment on her hip.

  Rather than making their way to the shore, the girls remained in place, just looking at one another under the light and reflections of the crystals.

  “You have the blood of the Angel,” Ki’ara finally told her.

  “Me?” said Je’nna.

  The way her friend responded wasn’t at all how Ki’ara had expected her to react. “You’re not surprised,” said the Princess.

  Je’nna shrugged, but she didn’t reply.

  Either Ki’ara had things completely backwards, and she herself wasn’t the daughter of the Angel after all, or… “You knew that you are my sister.”

  The pink-haired girl looked away, shrugging. “I wondered.”

  “My father never told me he had any other daughters,” murmured Ki’ara.

  “Maybe he didn’t know,” suggested Je’nna.

  “How could he not…” Ki’ara fell silent, wondering what her father may and may not have known. Was he even aware that his wife was the Angel of Avalon? Could their mother have had children that he didn’t know about? Ki’ara let out a breath, before her cheeks opened to a wide grin. “I have a sister,” she said.

  Je’nna nodded, trying unsuccessfully to fight off a smile of her own. “I suppose you do.”

  Ki’ara didn’t wait until they were out of the water to throw her arms around Je’nna and hug her with all her might, nearly swamping them both.

  “Hey… treading, here,” Je’nna protested.

  That just prompted Ki’ara to open her G.R. and lift them both out of the water, where the hug continued while they dripped back into the pool. Despite Je’nna’s halfhearted objections, Ki’ara held her there for quite some time before lowering her back into the lake.

  Both lost in thought, they swam back to the shore together, where they were met by To’mas and Petch.

  As the girls dried off and recounted their story, the other two listened with interest.

  “Sisters?” said Petch. Oddly enough, that seemed harder for him to believe than Mermaids and an unexplainable pulse of energy. “How do you know?”

  “I don’t,” said Ki’ara. “But I do.” She considered things for a moment before adding, “If either of us hadn’t shared the Angel’s blood, the Lady of the Lake wouldn’t have let us both go.”

  “You know what that means, don’t you?” Petch said to Je’nna.

  “What?”

  “Well… you’re a Princess, too.”

  After taking a moment to think about it, Je’nna scoffed, “Pfff. Not likely. Princesses can’t swim.”

  The walk back was far less eventful than the walk in.

  Ki’ara had returned the Inuwuru container to its spot on the side of her arm. Though the lid remained closed for the time being, she wondered what other secrets the little device held.

  Je’nna let Petch carry her rifle, which he’d taken quite an interest in. Being that it was a weapon for Descendants, she wasn’t worried about him accidentally firing the gun, and even showed him a few of the things it could do.

  Along the way, Je’nna spoke to Ki’ara about her time with the Black Rose. She let her sister know that, though she didn’t have to worry about Je’nna being with the society, there were others out there and would still be hunting Ki’ara.

  Je’nna apologized that she hadn’t told her sooner, which Ki’ara accepted… and then forced her into another hug.

  After that, Je’nna informed Ki’ara that she was done telling her things because she couldn’t take any more hugging.

  They did, however, agree that being siblings must remain a secret. At least from Tho’ran.

  Apart from the stepping stone bridge, which Ki’ara helped Petch across with the assistance of her G.R., the path back didn’t hold a lot of challenges. At least, not until they reached the end of the tunnels and realized they still had a million stairs to climb.

  It wasn’t until they were safely back in the Wolf Room, with the Abnukadin recharging their batteries and healing Je’nna’s arm, that Ki’ara cornered To’mas.

  “What did you mean you’re ‘not worthy’?” she asked him. “You knew that you weren’t able to retrieve the sword, but that Je’nna could. How?”

  “Well,” the man said after a pause. “I saw a Vision of Je’nna bringing it back, of course.”

  “Uh huh,” said Ki’ara, in a tone that implied she was not convinced. “Why is it that when you speak, I feel like there is more you leave out than you actually tell me.”

  “I would suggest that it’s because you have so much to think about. The weight of not only your friend’s lives, but also those of an entire Kingdom, rest on your shoulders.”

  Ki’ara couldn’t help but wonder if that was true. “And is there anything else you’ve seen in a Vision that you would like to share?”

  To’mas thought about it for a moment – or at least pretended to. “Yes,” he finally said, though didn’t elaborate.

  “What is it?” demanded Ki’ara.

  “The sword must be placed the instant Kai’ji steps into the circle. Not a moment sooner.”

  “What???” This was not at all what Ki’ara had expected him to say. “What does that even mean?”

  “You will know when the time comes,” To’mas said cryptically.

  “Will I?” she asked, trying to imagine how Kai’ji entered into things. “And exactly which Abnukadin will we be Traveling through?”

  “Well, this one, of course,” he told her, as if it should make perfect sense to her. Only after, did he add, “…And then Sanctuary.”

  Ki’ara folded her arms across her chest. “You want to run that by me again?”

  “It’s the only Abnukadin in Avalon powerful enough to take us to your friend.”

  “And when were you planning on telling me this, To’mas?”

  The man winced as if Ki’ara was about to strike him. “Right now?”

  Ki’ara cursed through clenched teeth before shooting him a cold glare. “So, we cut through Sanctuary.”

  “Mother’s going to love that,” Je’nna chimed in. Her arm had fully healed, and now she was busy sorting and reorganizing supplies.

  “She knows I can use the Abnukadin,” said Ki’ara. “She’ll probably have it guarded.”

  “You can bet she will,” agreed Je’nna.

  “I can hold them off,” To’mas tried to assure them. “All but Kai’ji.”

  “You’ve seen this?” asked Ki’ara. “In one of your little Visions?”

  “Well, they’re not little,” the man muttered under his breath.

  “You can’t hurt any of them, To’mas,” Ki’ara demanded.

  Je’nna tried to add her two cents “Maybe Ashley…”

  “No,” snapped Ki’ara. “Not Ashley, not Kai’ji, not Mother, not any of them. They are our friends… or allies… or, whatever they are.”

  To’mas shook his head. “You don’t have to worry about me harming them. I can shield the Abnukadin.”

  “While pressing the code to Mark’s world?”

  “Pressing the code?” The man scoffed. “I’m the Traveler.”

  With that, lightning was suddenly jumping between To’mas’s hand and the stone columns.

  An ins
tant later, they were in Sanctuary.

  45

  Everyone was caught completely off-guard as the four of them were suddenly standing beneath a blue-sky ceiling, surrounded by the powerful columns of Sanctuary’s inner circle of stones.

  “Why did you…” Ki’ara sputtered.

  “No time like the present,” said To’mas.

  “We weren’t ready!”

  Six of Sanctuary’s young soldiers were already inside the large chamber, drawing weapons and speaking through wrist-communicators.

  “What have you done?” asked Ki’ara, as she slid Excalibur from its undersized scabbard. The energy she felt from within the sword seemed to mitigate the power of the massive Abnukadin surrounding them.

  She noticed Je’nna’s fingers wiggling above her pistols, but she hadn’t drawn them, yet. Petch was still holding her rifle, though it was aimed at the floor where Je’nna had told him to keep it pointed at all times.

  “If anyone would prefer to stay in Avalon, now is the time to step out of the circle,” said To’mas. His eyes touched on Petch, and then Je’nna. They both stayed put. The man didn’t bother asking Ki’ara.

  Cautiously advancing, one of the guards lobbed a little round sphere at them. Midair, it burst into a giant web of glowing strands, threatening to engulf the four rogues within its tangles of energy. But a wave of the Traveler’s hand seemed to slow and repel the device, sending it straight back at the boy who threw it. A moment later the guard was trapped like a fish in a net, trying to fight his way free.

  With another gesture, To’mas drew a series of hazy panels up from the ground. Encircling the entire perimeter, the numerous pieces arose from just outside the stone columns, shooting up in perfect sync. Each section was identical to the one beside it – tall and curved, arching inward and tapering to a fine point at the very tip. In the blink of an eye they closed together, meeting at the peaks and sealing along the lengths of their precise edges.

  Ki’ara wasn’t sure if this was the Traveler’s magic, or a part of the Abnukadin itself, but To’mas had somehow activated a hazy, translucent dome around the entire inner circle.

  Intent on capturing them, more devices were hurled at the intruders. These ones To’mas didn’t wave off. He didn’t need to. Everything seemed to bounce back from his defensive bubble, repelled by its protective energy.

  “Whoa!” said Petch. “Neat!”

  As Ki’ara frantically searched for the keyhole, she heard To’mas speak clearly above the rising commotion of tech devices splatting and rebounding off the dome.

  “There,” he said, pointing to a narrow slot in the floor.

  It was small, easy to miss, but Ki’ara could tell that it was in the dead center of the circle.

  She touched the tip of Excalibur to it, before looking up at To’mas.

  The man held up his hand. “If you wait until Kai’ji steps into the Abnukadin, you will find the Healer, and she will save your Guardian,” he promised. “I have seen it.”

  The Princess shot him a dangerous look – a glare warning him that he better be right – as more of Mother’s soldiers began pouring in from every entrance. Ki’ara recognized several of them from her limited time here. But it wasn’t until she spotted Boomer, Ashley, and Kai’ji, that her heart felt like it came to a halt.

  Notably absent, was Darius.

  It hadn’t slipped by Je’nna, either. Ki’ara could tell she was hurting by the way the girl’s eyes dropped to the floor when the members of CST-1 entered the chamber without their former leader.

  While the roomful of guards kept their distance, Boomer, Ashley and Kai’ji approached.

  “Hey Gang!” said Boomer, as if this whole situation wasn’t out of the ordinary in the slightest. His voice was a little fuzzy through the barrier, but so boisterous that he was still easy to understand as he addressed them all one-by-one, “Princess Ki’ara, To’mas, Hardware, kid I don’t recognize holding Hardware’s hardware – I didn’t think anyone was allowed to do that, Je’nna?” Before any of them had a chance to reply, Boomer waved his finger at the dome. “What are we doing here, with the shields and stuff?”

  “Just passing through,” said Ki’ara.

  “Oh,” nodded Boomer. “Where are you headed?”

  “To find a Healer for Sir Grue’gan,” she said, before quickly adding, “How is he?”

  The expression on Boomer’s face answered before his words. “The guy’s tough as nails, but he’s in a lot of pain. He’s been asking about you, Princess. Why don’t we go see him?”

  Ki’ara blew out a breath. “I know that Mother wants me to stay, Boomer. But if I do, what happens to my Guardian?”

  “He’ll be cared for,” Boomer assured her. “There are Healers right here in Sanctuary, Ki’ara.”

  “Not like this one,” the Princess argued. “You know that if your doctors could repair him, they would have.” She paused, as if considering. “Has he shown any signs of improvement… any at all?”

  Boomer didn’t answer.

  “Then I have to go.”

  “Ki’ara…” Boomer stretched out her name with a plea. It was obvious that he didn’t like being in the middle of this situation. “We can’t let you.”

  “Mother is afraid you’ll get somebody else killed,” hissed Ashley, as her eyes narrowed on Je’nna. “Fingers crossed.”

  Je’nna forced her head up to meet the blonde soldier’s cold glare.

  “Please don’t try to stop us,” said Ki’ara.

  “I’m sorry, Princess. You know we have to.” With that, Boomer nodded to Kai’ji.

  Ki’ara’s heart began to thump again as the Traveler’s words rang in her head.

  The ever-silent spellcaster raised his scepter, touching the tip to the translucent shell that surrounded the stone circle. It met the thin barrier with a charge of yellow light that sparked and jumped as he pressed the end forward and dropped his chin, lost in concentration.

  A series of cracks spread out from his scepter, expanding across the hazy shield in a spider-web pattern. When it grew to be as large as he was tall, Kai’ji opened his eyes and shot the pattern a focused look.

  The crackled fragments of shield material disintegrated before him – fading and dissolving to vapor – and Kai’ji stepped through.

  This is the moment To’mas was talking about…

  Ki’ara looked to the Traveler, who gave her a single nod as lightning leapt from his fingers to the circle of stones.

  With a deep breath, and adrenaline racing through her system, Ki’ara plunged the Sword of Avalon into the floor.

  The blade slid snuggly into the slot, which seemed to fit its dimensions perfectly.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Ki’ara saw Boomer and Ashley moving into position behind Kai’ji. The pair were about to follow their teammate through the small opening, but they were an instant too late.

  What happened next was not part of the plan.

  And it would change everything.

  46

  A thunderous clap rattled her ears, her head, her chest and body, sending Ki’ara flying.

  She instantly smashed into something and bounced, before dropping to the ground with a body crumpling impact. Everything went blurry as she tried to take a breath and get her wits about her.

  All she felt was pain, from head to toe.

  Ki’ara didn’t know had happened. She tried to make sense of it but couldn’t.

  The Princess thought she heard shouting and commotion in the distance, but the ringing in her ears made it impossible to know for sure.

  Concern for her friends’ wellbeing dragged her back to reality. “Petch? … Je’nna?”

  Everything around her was mottled and fuzzy.

  The Princess tried to move, but the pain was excruciating. And not in any one place; the agony was everywhere, and it refused her attempts to stand.

  When a sharp breath brought in the scent of smoke and burning something, Ki’ara remembered that she’d retracted
her armor back in the Wolf Room, and the sudden explosion didn’t give her a chance to close it. Perhaps it would have protected her from this. Maybe then it wouldn’t feel like her entire body was broken.

  Another inhale filled her lungs with enough smoke to make her gag.

  It was then that Ki’ara realized it wasn’t her vision that was messed up – at least, not entirely. She was surrounded by a foggy cloud of dark smoke, obscuring everything around her.

  Fear for her friends made her wonder if there was any way to utilize her Grav-Regulator to get herself to her feet. But she could tell by the bone pushing through her skin that standing was not going to be an option, with or without her tech.

  She cursed To’mas.

  Is this what he saw in his Vision?

  As the smoke began to dissipate, Ki’ara could see a hint of blue sky above. She was frightened at what she might find when the haze cleared.

  The Princess called for her friends once more, but there was no answer. She was terrified that they might be blown to bits like herself. Or perhaps they were thrown across this… wherever they were.

  Ki’ara had the idea that if she could get her helmet closed, perhaps she could reach Je’nna through the communicator…

  Movement in the smoke ahead cancelled her attempt. Somebody was there, right in front of her.

  As the cloud thinned and settled, Ki’ara could make out the shape of a person getting up from the ground only a few feet ahead. She could tell by the silhouette that it was a girl.

  Ki’ara let out a breath. “Je’nna!” she called.

  The figure turned and moved toward her, wading through the hazy fog.

  There was something not right about her…

  The form was different.

  Je’nna’s shape was unmistakable – short, but with muscles so sharply defined they were impossible to miss, and two pistols that only left her thighs when she had things to shoot.

  This person was taller and thinner. Her clothes were different – bordering on peculiar, and nearly burned off her. As she approached, Ki’ara could see that she wore what had at one point been some kind of mid-length dress. But now it was shredded – ripped apart and smoldering.