Myth (Book 1)

by Angela K. Crandall

  Owl smirked, “Of course, sit tight guys I got this covered!” He leaped up from the seat scuttling back to the rear of the van where the cooler, sat.

  “Grab me water and see if there’s a container back there,” ordered Nayla.

  “Got it, and for the rest of us cola, that is our only choice unless you want water?”

  “We need our caffeine,” Molly interjected.

  Owl carefully made his way back to our seats, handing out the drinks and energy bars collected. He then knelt down next to Nayla. “Water and a paper cup will have to do,” he said, pouring it for her and allowed her to drink.

  “Did you happen to get me one of those energy bars?”

  “Sure did,” he said, unwrapping it, for her. She ate it out of his hand gratefully and nuzzled him. He got up and sat back down next to Molly. We opened our cans of cola and unwrapped the power bars. Silence filled the van with munching, chewing, and the slugging of soda.

  My dad spoke up, “I want you to spread out once we get to the forested area at Thunderhead Bay. It will be deeper into the forest passed the lake. Starla, Araina, you’re probably more familiar with it, seeing that your astral spirit traveled there. Molly upon arrival, you’ll join Cavin in the other van. Later, once positioned we’ll need you to back us. I cannot allow you both to sit tight as you could become easy targets.”

  “Truthfully, I thought about us staying behind near the lake area, but then we’d be too far away to heal the injured. Then what good would either of us be?”

  “It will all work out. I’m sure of it. We’ve trained and have a plan of action. Kaya is guarding Hunters Park. Everything is covered, except, the actual, encounters,” Owl grimaced.

  “I got your back. It’s too bad we all couldn’t have ridden together. Next time we’ll rent, a tour bus,” Jenson joked, trying to lighten things up.

  “Once I get the signal from Lance, we’ll stop and touch base. I’m sure they’ve been contemplating what will happen upon our arrival,” announced Dan.

  Everyone, including myself, was beginning to realize the actual conflict, we’d be facing. Molly rubbed her hands on the armrest and stared out the window.

  “Hey,” I said, touching her arm to get her attention.

  “Oh, sorry, I was listening to your dad. I have loads on my mind. Maybe, after all, this is over, my Mom will convince my dad, I’m not going through a phase. Then I can go home. If not, I might end up at your house for a while.”

  “It wouldn’t be too bad would it? Being stuck hanging out with your best friend, staying up til midnight studying, watching TV, or talking about our love lives.”

  Molly’s face broke out into a smile, “It would be great to stay with your family. The problem is my mom would get lonely. If I had a brother or sister, it might not be that hard, on her. Dad’s, always been harsh. It wouldn’t matter much to him,” she muttered tapping her fingers on the seat.

  “Don’t say that, remember when he helped you with that volcano experiment in sixth grade, for the science fair. He was so proud of you!” Jenson exclaimed.

  She leaned over and playfully gave Jenson a gentle shove. “Yeah, that was, sixth grade, and I took Harvey Mill to the dance. Dad was all for it. Kissing Harvey was utter grossness. I didn’t think he was going to stick his tongue down my throat.” She shuddered at the memory.

  “Ah, it couldn’t have been that bad,” my dad interjected.

  “You didn’t know Harvey,” replied Owl, rolling his eyes.

  “ So did you two know each other then?” I asked. They shook their heads.

  “No, not personally, but we did have a few classes together,” Owl admitted.

  I leaned back in my seat and closed my eyes drained from the day.“We probably should get some sleep,” I suggested.

  My dad turned back to us, “We have an hour before we hit that rest stop, Lance, and I talked about as we left the park. If you want to rest do it now,” he said then turned back to the road ahead.

  Owl grabbed a book out of his backpack as I laid my head against Jenson’s shoulder shutting my eyes. Could I sleep? What would happen when and if I reached Cal and Nuria? This thing could turn people into ash! I had to destroy it. I’d flung fireballs at Molly using memories against her. I had no history with this entity, but if I could trigger anger, then I should be able to prompt the fireballs again. I contemplated this drifting into a deep sleep.

  Suddenly the van jerked to a halt, and I bolted upright in my seat. “What’s going on? Why are we stopping?”

  “Rest stop, everybody out!”

  Ok, I knew we were going to stop, but he didn’t have to get pushy. Jenson and Molly unbuckled their safety belts, then stood up to stretch from sitting in the not so comfy van seats.

  “Go, use the restrooms if needed, if not wait in the entryway. We’ll have a quick meeting there,” he affirmed.

  Owl opened the door, and we jumped out. My friends hurried off to the bathrooms while Nayla met up with Cavin. I noticed Minder milling about outside the main entrance. I took it upon myself to find out if she had a plan.

  “So,” I said, walking up to her, “Do you know of any enhanced spells because I’m sort of, freaked out about taking on this entity? Do you think if I could shoot fireballs at it that it would die? What if it backfires scorching me?”

  “We only have a few options, and none of them, are guaranteed. One sure thing is once we are in there, it’s not going to let us escape. Your vision gizmo you had or astral travel allowed you to disappear as you were without your body. Otherwise, you would’ve been stuck like Cal and Nuria are. Nuria is clearly, smart so, her cowering means we’re in deep poo,” she answered.

  “What are these options?” I pushed.

  “Option one, you let me handle it. Two, I distract the entity while you and Nayla, get them both out of the cave. Three, we leave it up to Cavin to come up with a plan,” she said.

  “You leave what up to me?” he asked, trotting up to us.

  “The plan to attack the entity. We were discussing options,” Minder informed him.

  “Hmm, I see let’s get inside and warm up. Dan is buying everyone hot cocoa from the vending machines. I’d sure enjoy some myself,” he said prancing through the doors.

  Minder scoffed, and we followed Cavin inside. My dad was handing out hot cocoa. Yum, chocolaty goodness before certain death! I took a cup from him joining the circle that had formed in the little alcove. Nayla and Cavin were already, seated in the middle of the circle. They waited, for the chatter to subside. Shellena and Lance stood off to the side discussing spell options to use with the Kali sticks. Jenson and Owl were horsing around with a Hacky-sac they had found in the hall, and Molly stood next to me silently sipping her drink.

  Cavin stood up to speak. “Now, this isn’t going to be an easy mission! We may have causalities. I’m hoping we can keep each and every one of you safe. Molly, you’ll be placing yourself in great peril. Jenson and Owl get with Lance. One last training session before we leave, pair up while I go over things with the girls.”

  I watched the boys leave the building. Huh, guess they’d just do some drills near the picnic area. That would be quite the site to any onlooker.

  “Pay attention now. Do not be afraid to make up spells, chants, to use anything found in the woods. Thunderhead Bay is, lightening territory. You may be able to hone its power against this entity. I heard you, Minder, when you were speaking of choices. I’d like you to try this if all else fails. It’s risky. You could pull the bolt towards yourself or another clan member. Only use this if necessary. Now I’m going to leave you with Nayla and join the men,” he said turning away.

  “That’s it! That is all he is going to tell us,” I huffed spinning into Nayla.

  “Calm down now, you have me,” she winked.

  “And what will you do?” I paced back and forth in front of the girls bathroom. Molly walked up beside me and gave me a few reassuring pats on the back.

  “I’m, your secret
weapon,” stated Nayla.

  “Tell me then, what will you do?”

  “I can’t, then it wouldn’t be a secret. We have to have an upper hand in this. Please trust me Starla-Araina. I don’t want to see you hurt. You’re our guardian. Once we get through this, there will be more training,” she sighed already exhausted.

  Molly patted the top of her head, “I trust you, come on, you trust her to don’t you?”

  “I do, I mean what choice do I have?”

  “Starla my dear, you always have a choice, remember that,” she said nuzzling my hand.

  “Come now,” said my dad, stepping out of the men’s room. “It’s getting late, go touch base with Shellena and Lance. Then get Owl and Jenson back in the van.”

  Exiting the building, I spotted them sparing near several trees to my right. Jenson was pretty fantastic! Dang, he had Lance by the throat. Oh, how the tables had turned. My heart pounded. All I could imagine was wrapping my arms around him to pull him close.

  “Come on,” said Molly, urging me to run to him. I lagged behind, weighed down by the idea of facing, not only the entity but the bandits. Gladiator appeared pretty strong in those pictures. Sika, and what was the other guy’s name? Plus Minder said they now had more members! How many were there?

  I stepped up beside Jenson as the sparing ended and took his hand.

  “Hey, I think Starla’s heart skipped a beat,” Molly chuckled, trying to catch her breath.

  “Oh, yeah,” he gazed at me with his cute smile. My heart was melting, I leaned into his shoulder and allowed him to embrace me. After a quick squeeze, he pulled back, staring into my eyes.

  “You have a lot on your mind,” he said, tracing my face with his fingertip. “All of us are going to protect you, help you, and guide you. I know you believe you’re Miss thing that you have to be tough for everyone. Remember, we have your back,” he softly reassured me.

  “You have all of us,” Shellena insisted as they gathered near me. Me! As if, I, was an oracle or an awesome version, of Buffy herself. I hadn’t even taken on the monsters yet! Way to go, guys, make me feel extremely, important before I slip up. Would I, or did I have this in the bag?

  “We’re going to target the bandits that will try to stop you from getting into the cave. All you have to do is run for it,” Lance explained to me.

  “I guess we can try that. Typically, though, the enemy tries to block those who attempt to gain access to a prisoner so you may have to track me,” I said.

  “Right,” Jenson said, aiming his finger at me.

  Shellena nodded at this.

  Molly cleared her throat and elbowed me. I looked up at my dad standing beside me. Well, he was sneaky. I usually could tell when he was present. A sort of emotion I’d never thought of as being a power, mythical or magical. He didn’t seem happy. The gaze was more of, worry, than anger. I’d seen it before when I’d worked a few cases in L.A.

  “Cavin said there was news, of a few of the bandit members trying to enter the park. Those individuals, have been apprehended. Kaya has them in a holding facility. Jones is there. I’m not sure who contacted him, but he’s helping her and the others who stayed behind. Now I need everyone in the van. Cavin is waiting,” he said, glaring at Shellena, and Lance.

  We proceeded to the van. Shellena and Lance went in the opposite direction to where Cavin had parked. I held Jenson and Molly’s hands in mine. We were going into battle, man I felt like a care bear. What was I going to do? Put my care bear stare on them? Willow on Buffy would have laughed at that.

  “Deranged thoughts?” prodded Owl opening the van door to let me in.

  “My childhood coming back to haunt me. You know all those cartoons with powers, backed by emotions, meant for good,” I replied.

  “Not the Care Bears again! I was getting used to Buffy,” complained Jenson, who’d know about my past since forever.

  “Kids, now just get in the van,” Dan said aggravated. “Jenson, Molly, Owl, and you Starla, please focus. We have a half an hour til we reach Thunderhead Bay. Meditate at the task at hand, pray, ask for guidance to your god, gods, or, whatever it is you derive strength from,” he sputtered getting in the driver’s seat.

  Once buckled up, I took my friend’s hands in mine. In silence, we said our own, prayers for the journey that awaited us. The tight knots in my stomach began to ease up, but I knew it wouldn’t last.

  Chapter 33

  (Thunderhead Bay)

  I heard knocking. Where was it coming from? Was I dreaming? Awakening, I opened my eyes. No, Molly, Jenson or Owl anywhere! Don’t panic, maybe they went out to get some air. They couldn’t have been captured this quickly.

  “Hey, is anyone here?” I called out.

  No one answered. I peeked outside the van. We were parked, in a scenic area. I stood up to get a better view out of the windshield. No snow? Had I just entered a different dimension or had it melted overnight? Get a grip Starla, I told myself. What would Buffy do? I wasn’t powerless.

  I sat down in the center of the vehicle taking in calming breaths. I tried honing in on my ability to call my clan, via my tattoo. Did any of them have tattoos, in addition, Cal? If so, was it assumed I knew because we hadn’t discussed it?

  A sudden rush of air crept up over my body warming me. A hug was I being, hugged! A tingling sensation erupted in my toes igniting my torso throughout my small frame. Relax, you can’t turn, just relax! Was this what they wanted? Is this why the clan had left me? No one told me this was part of the plan! Whiskers emerged out of my face. My fox form began to take shape virtually painless. My ears sank into my head while my pointy ones jutted out. My legs and arms sprouted fur. The van, how the heck, would I get out of here? I didn’t have any hands!

  I jumped up, nearly hitting my head on the ceiling. Study your surroundings, what could I use to get out? Could I, push my paws under, the door handle and pull it open? I moved up front to the driver’s side door. The handle curved with openings at the top and bottom. I might be able to push my paw under, then pull. If I had enough strength, I could get out. OK, can’t hurt to try. I’d probably end up dead meat if I stayed here.

  My paw fit right under it! I pulled it towards me, slipping my paw out from under it quickly before it, swung open. I hadn’t been trapped, after all, just panicked! I hopped down to the ground. No sense in closing the door. Hunching down, I inched underneath the van scanning the area undetected. Outside it appeared a lot like Hunter’s Park only a lake was near; behind it was the forest I’d seen in my vision. I spotted Nayla under a tree, her eyes closed. Was she dead? Her body moved up and down. No, only sleeping. I would have to make it fast. I could either race to her or creep towards her. If no one was here except us, it wouldn’t matter. If they’d left, and she was guarding me, then I was screwed!

  Suddenly she vanished, then appeared peering underneath the van.

  “What are you doing under there?”

  “What am I doing? You left me alone. Where are the others? The plan was for them to distract the bandits then we’d make a run for it into the cave,” I said shaking myself furiously.

  “Come on, we need to take our positions,” she ordered trotting into the trees.

  “You didn’t answer my question,” I prodded.

  “You were being protected, in case, we were tracked. The other issue, we couldn’t wake you. I don’t know Starla Ariana. Owl tried to rouse you. Then Molly, after that Jenson, kissed you. Nothing worked. We suspected you were in a kind of, trance. Do you recall, anything?”

  “No,” I said, trailing deeper into the wooded area. I hoped I wasn’t being led into a trap. Was this Nayla? It could be a shapeshifter. I stopped for a Sec, and she glanced at me funny.

  “You don’t trust me do you?”

  “How do I know you’re not a shapeshifter?”

  “You called me from the van earlier. I responded by assisting you in your transformation,” she snapped. “Sorry, I’m on edge. When you plan things out you’re confident a
bout them, now, it’s different. Owl, Jenson, Lance, and Shellena have spread out along the outskirts of the forest. The dirt path, do you remember this?”

  I shook my head no, as we continued along.

  “Molly heard you utter it in your sleep while we tried to awaken you. Minder’s meeting us up here a ways.”

  “What time is it?”

  “3 a.m., let’s hope the bandits assume we gave up,” she chided.

  The trees appeared to fly by us as we ran. She sped up, I sped up, nothing, no sign of anyone. My legs burned as if on fire! I wanted to stop, needed to stop, but no, I had to keep going. Did I really, run this far last time? Out of nowhere Minder dropped out of the trees joining us.

  “Keep moving, they’ve started to arrive,” she growled. It played out like a slow motion movie. Owl and Jenson appeared to be playing monkey in the middle with a large wolf hybrid of some kind. It was trying to get their Kali sticks. Jenson would throw his sticks to Owl, then Owl to Jenson, and it kept jumping for it. Well, so much for a challenge, I pondered.

  “Stay back, run go!” Owl shouted to us. Too late, Gladiator charged at us! He’d grown tired of the game. Now, we were his targets. Move feet move! I was almost far enough away when something grabbed my leg. I hit the ground!

  “Ha ha, I caught a foxy!” shouted the large brute. Straining to see my attacker, I peered over my shoulder at his golden blonde hair and smug grin. He had the same smile in the pictures I’d seen. My tail was in his hands, and he tried to pull me along. I, on the other hand, dug my clawed feet, into the ground, holding my place.

  “Jenson, help! I don’t have any memories to attack him with,” I hollered. Geez, now I was the defenseless girl. Damn, it wasn’t supposed to work this way.

  Jenson scrunched up his face. It looked like he was trying to poop! Oh my gosh, really?

  “Is it working, is he frozen yet?”

  The gladiator, seemed, unable to move his legs at the moment, still my tail remained in his hands.