The Prince Warriors and the Swords of Rhema

by Priscilla Shirer

  Block and then counterattack. Everything he learned in the hours of training seemed embedded in Levi’s helmet, so he could act without having to think.

  “Steady,” said his dad in a low voice. Mr. J. Ar had moved behind him, although his sword was still at the ready, prepared to back up Levi if necessary.

  Viktor lunged again, this time with a cut across Levi’s neck. Levi ducked and counter-swung, a backhanded slash at Viktor’s ribs. But once again Viktor danced away in time.

  “Nice one!” Viktor said. “You’re doing so well.” He feigned a thrust once, then twice, making Levi jump and wince. Then he lunged forward, his sword aimed at Levi’s heart. Levi parried it, sliding down Viktor’s blade and pushing him away. Levi felt buoyed by his success, although he sensed Viktor had not used anywhere near his full strength yet.

  “My, my, you have been practicing, I see,” Viktor said, circling. “For what? A week? Do you know how long I’ve been doing this?”

  Levi was sick of listening to Viktor taunt him. He attacked first this time, slashing across Viktor’s neck. Viktor seemed surprised by this; he barely managed to duck in time. But he countered with a wicked smash on Levi’s blade, nearly knocking it out of his hands. Levi stumbled forward to recover; Viktor saw his chance and raised his sword over his head for a downward cut on the back of Levi’s neck. But Mr. J. Ar intervened, his sword slicing into Viktor’s arm. Viktor recoiled and grabbed his wounded arm; he was shocked to see blood pouring out between his fingers. Levi stared at the blood—it didn’t look red. It was sort of dark gray—

  Viktor turned on Mr. J. Ar, baring his teeth. A growl rose from somewhere deep in his throat. He sounded like a . . . wolf. Levi felt a shiver.

  Viktor began to fight like he was holding ten swords instead of one, slashing and thrusting with such fury that Levi and Mr. J. Ar could barely keep up. All they could do was fend off Viktor’s vicious attack with blocks and parries. But Viktor’s wounded arm was still bleeding gray blood, if that was blood, and sweat was pouring down his face. He was getting weaker. Finally, Levi took a chance, lunged forward and slashed low, aiming for Viktor’s leg. He felt his sword connect; Viktor growled even louder as a thin line of dark gray blood spread from his pant leg. He lashed out, but his aim was off; Levi slapped away his sword and then kicked out his leg to push Viktor backward, toward the portal.

  “This . . . body . . . too . . . constricting—” Viktor stammered, although Levi could not hear the last word clearly. Viktor whirled around and leapt through the portal, which closed up after him and disappeared.

  CHAPTER 23

  A New Plan

  That boy and his father!” Ponéros raged around the throne room, scattering the snakes and making the Forgers who stood on either side of the massive throne quiver. Ponéros tore off the Viktor skin and cast it to the floor. There was a large rip in one arm and one leg. “Something must be done about them. About all of them! Where is the Weaver?”

  “Here, Master.” Chief Weaver shuffled forward and stood before his master, shaking all over, his domed head bent low in supplication.

  “Fix this!” Ponéros shrieked, kicking the ruined Viktor skin with his massive boot.

  “You mean—you will return? To earth?” the Weaver asked.

  “I am not finished,” Ponéros replied. “These children are harder to get rid of than I expected. I hold two of them, but that is not enough. We must have them all. Locked up. Forever.”

  “Yes, Master,” said the Weaver, shuffling toward the Viktor skin discarded on the floor.

  “I can only hope,” Ponéros said in a softer voice, “that Santos does not fail us. He must continue to follow his desire and open the pods. Once that is done, all will be as it should be.” Ponéros sank into his throne. The figures of the throne began to moan, as if his mere presence caused them unceasing pain.

  “Antannyn! Come!”

  A great door opened at the far end of the room, and a huge creature emerged: glowing red eyes, sleek, shining scales studded with thorns, bony wings folded over its ridged back. It crept forward on clawlike legs, its talons scraping along the polished metal floor. The snakes slithered to the corners of the room to keep from being trampled.

  “Antannyn! There you are, my lovely. Come to me.”

  The black dragon hastened to the throne and lowered its massive head, as if it wished to nestle in Ponéros’s lap. It opened its mouth and let out a terrible, strangled sound, half-cry and half-moan.

  “Antannyn.” Ponéros almost cooed now. “My poor old friend. Are you feeling any better?”

  Antannyn’s head rocked slightly. It moaned again.

  “Good. I will need you soon. Once the pods are open, all will be in place. They will not escape us this time.”

  Antannyn made a purring noise, which came out more like a death rattle.

  Suddenly a great light pierced the darkness of the throne room. A transparent figure appeared, hovering before Ponéros and his dragon, his purple robe flowing about him as if he were underwater. All the creatures in the room shrank back from the terrible light, screeching in pain. The Chief Weaver, who had retrieved the Viktor skin and was about to skulk away with it, let out a bloodcurdling shriek and fell down as if dead.

  Ponéros bellowed, rising up to his full height, although he could not bear being so near the light. “Ruwach! How dare you show yourself in my throne room!”

  “I give you fair warning,” Ruwach said, his voice like thunder and lightning all at the same time. “If you continue to attack the Prince Warriors, those that belong to the Source, you will know more torment than you ever have before.”

  “Ha. You are so sure of your children? Your Prince Warriors? They still do not know who I am—who Viktor truly is. They are young. Weak. Their weakness is my strength.”

  Ruwach was unmoved. “Wrong. Their weakness is my strength.”

  Ponéros’s answering roar was so thunderous that the figures on the throne began to wail and shake. Antannyn suddenly rose up, baring its needle sharp teeth. It advanced upon Ruwach with a hungry growl, but Ruwach simply lifted up one long arm, the sleeve falling away, exposing his radiantly glowing hand. Antannyn yelped and fell backward as if hit with a cannonball, its jaws snapping shut. It whimpered softly.

  Ponéros screamed in fury. “Get out! Get! Out!”

  But Ruwach was already gone, the light with him. Ponéros slumped in his throne, weakened greatly by the light. The Chief Weaver lifted his head from the floor then pulled himself to his knees. Ponéros caught sight of him and lurched forward.

  “Go!” Ponéros’s voice was now more of a wheeze. “Fix the skin. Make it better than before. Stronger. I must—regain my strength. You!” His massive arm lashed out, grabbed the nearest Forger, and pulled him close.

  “Go and tell the Builders. I want my new fortress completed! Now!”

  He released the Forger so forcefully it stumbled backward and nearly fell. Then it marched quickly out of the throne room.

  “There, there.” Ponéros petted his dragon, who still whimpered in pain. “You will have your chance for vengeance. Knowing those children, they will come looking for their friends soon.” A snarl invaded his fading voice. “We will be ready.”

  CHAPTER 24

  Lost and Found

  Xavier and Evan, wearing their armor, had seen most of the sword fight. Once Viktor disappeared through the portal, they rushed toward Levi and his dad, who were doubled over with their hands on their knees, trying to catch their breath.

  “Man, that was epic!” Evan exclaimed. “You totally kicked his b—”

  “Evan!” said Xavier. He turned to Levi. “Levi, I’m sorry. You were right about Viktor. I never thought—”

  “It’s okay,” Levi said. “I’m just glad we got here in time.”

  “Ponéros must have tricked Viktor into working for him,” said Evan
. “Just like he did with Rook. Then sent him here to mess with us.”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” Levi realized that his sword had shrunk back to the Krÿs. It was like it instinctively knew the danger had passed and it was no longer needed. His father’s had done the same thing. Was this another of the Krÿs’s secrets? He wanted to ask his dad, but now was not the time. They had a bigger problem to deal with. “We need to find Brianna and Ivy,” he said.

  “Right,” said Mr. J. Ar, stowing his Krÿs in his belt. “We’ll drive over to Brianna’s house—”

  “They aren’t there,” Levi said. “They’re in Skot’os. I think.”

  All three Warriors whirled around to stare at him.

  “Skot’os? How do you know that?” said Mr. J. Ar.

  Levi wanted to tell them, but Ruwach had told him not to speak of it to the others yet. “I just—know. They’re in a prison. Well, Ivy is anyway.”

  “But didn’t we destroy the prison when we destroyed the Fortress?” said Evan.

  “He must have another one,” said Levi. The prison he’d seen hadn’t looked exactly like the one from which they’d rescued Rook.

  “Maybe he built a new fortress,” Evan mused. “I remember Ruwach telling me that Ponéros could do that.”

  “We need to go to Ahoratos,” Levi said.

  “But there’s no Crest anywhere,” said Xavier, looking around.

  “I’ll take you there,” said Mr. J. Ar. “If you’re sure . . .”

  “I’m sure,” said Levi.

  Mr. J. Ar sighed. He turned to Xavier and Evan. “Go get your swords,” he said. “Make sure you have your seeds too. And—better tell your mom that you’ll be late for dinner.”

  Xavier and Evan nodded and dashed into the house. While they waited, Levi and Mr. J. Ar went to sit on the edge of the dock so they could rest up and talk through what was happening.

  “So Viktor tricked the girls into going to Ahoratos the same way he was trying to trick Evan and Xavier. Why didn’t he try to trap Manuel too?”

  “Hmmm, good question,” said Mr. J. Ar. “Why don’t you call him and see what happened.”

  Levi pulled out his phone and called Manuel. “Hey,” he said when Manuel answered, “let me ask you something. Did Viktor talk to you about going back to Ahoratos on your own?”

  “No,” said Manuel, his voice drawn out a bit because he was thinking. “He just wanted my book.”

  “Your book?”

  “Yes. He said it had mistakes in it and he could fix it. I almost gave it to him, but I decided not to. Then the storm came right after, and my book went missing.”

  “Yeah,” said Levi, thinking. “That’s pretty strange.”

  “It’s funny though—what Viktor said was almost exactly the same thing my father had told me about his book. That it was full of errors and—a fairy tale.”

  “Really . . . uh, hold on, Manuel.” Levi put the phone down and told his dad what he had said. Mr. J. Ar took the phone.

  “Manuel? This is Mr. J. Ar. Listen. I want you to keep trying to talk to your father about not opening that pod. Do whatever you have to do to convince him. Don’t give up, Manuel. Okay?”

  “He’s not listening to me, Mr. J. Ar. But . . . I’ll try.”

  “Good man. Where is your dad now?”

  “He just came home. He’s very happy because the agents have found a drill and are getting ready to transport it to the high-school site. He is just waiting for it to get there.”

  “Okay. Go with him, Manuel. Stay with him. We will come to help as soon as we can.”

  “Okay, sir—where are you going?”

  “We need to go and find Brianna and Ivy. We’ll be . . . off the grid for a while.”

  “Ah. I understand.”

  Mr. J. Ar put down the phone.

  “Hope he can do it,” Levi said. “If those pods open, we’re gonna have big problems—”

  “Levi.”

  Levi turned to his dad.

  “How did you know about Ivy being in a prison?”

  Levi took a breath, trying to collect his thoughts. Ruwach had told him not to tell the other kids. Did that mean he could tell his dad? He hoped so.

  “Dad, all I know is that Ruwach gave me . . . a gift. Because I chose not to open my locked room, he said I would be able to see things—that other people don’t normally see.”

  Mr. J. Ar gazed at his son, his expression softening. “I’d always hoped that I would get another chance to acquire that gift . . . but to know that you chose well and that Ruwach gave it to you . . . I’m very proud of you, son.”

  “I’m not so sure this gift is all that great,” Levi said. “It’s making me see things I don’t really want to see.”

  Mr. J. Ar nodded, putting an arm around Levi. “I understand. Sometimes gifts can feel like burdens. But only at first. You’ll learn to appreciate it, in time.”

  Xavier and Evan came running out of the house with their Krÿsen stuck in their belts.

  “We’re ready,” said Evan, hands on his hips like a superhero. Xavier rolled his eyes.

  “Okay,” said Mr. J. Ar, getting up stiffly. “Gather around that tree stump.”

  The boys followed Mr. J. Ar to the tree stump. Levi could tell Xavier and Evan were quietly excited about this, as he was. They had long wondered how it was they could get to Ahoratos without being called. Viktor must have known that and used it as a lure to trap them. Just as he’d used that fake scroll to make Brianna think he was a real Prince Warrior. Viktor seemed to know way too much about all of them; he knew things they had done and all about their desires and their interests. He even knew about their weaknesses. If Viktor knew these things, that meant Ponéros knew them too.

  Mr. J. Ar took out his Krÿs and held it out with both hands, hilt up. He bent and knelt stiffly on one knee. The boys mimicked his posture, bending to one knee and holding out their small knives.

  “Close your eyes,” Mr. J. Ar commanded. “Bow your heads.”

  They did.

  Instantly they felt a heat under their fingers—the Crest on the hilt of each Krÿs began to pulse with an inner light. Although the boys could not see what was happening, the Crests lifted off the Krÿsen and floated toward each other, bonding together into one large Crest that hovered above their heads.

  “Open your eyes,” said Mr. J. Ar softly.

  The Crest. There it was, floating above them. “Grab on!” They reached out for the Crest and grabbed hold. They felt a rush, as if the ground underneath them had dropped away and they were falling at the speed of light.

  The next thing they knew, they were standing on the bank of a large lake in Ahoratos. It looked almost like the pond in the Blakes’ backyard, except that the water reflected the gold of the sky. And above them, nestled in a huge white cloud, was the shining castle.

  “The castle!” said Levi, staring up in amazement.

  “Cool,” said Evan. “Maybe we’ll get some ice cream before we have to go rescue the girls.”

  “Easy there, Evan,” said Mr. J. Ar. “We have to find the Water first and get to the Cave, remember? Anyone see the Water?”

  The boys looked around. The water before them was not the Water. There was no Crest on it. The lake stretched as far as they could see. Beyond it lay nothing but more clouds and sky.

  “Maybe it’s down farther,” said Xavier.

  “But we better hurry,” said Mr. J. Ar. “Who knows what may be tracking us.”

  They began to trot along the beach, which wound around the large lake until it abruptly ended at a rocky outcropping. The sound of rushing water rose up from below. Xavier climbed up the rocks to have a look and sighed.

  It was a waterfall. With the Crest of Ahoratos floating serenely on the surface of the foaming Water below.

  “Why does it have to be a waterfall
?” Xavier asked no one in particular. He turned to the others. “We’re jumping. Into a waterfall.” They climbed up and looked for themselves.

  “After you,” said Evan.

  Xavier took a breath, secured his Krÿs in his belt, and leapt off the rock into the Water below. Evan did a cannonball. Levi glanced at his dad, who nodded at him and grinned. Levi shrugged, backstepped once, and jumped as far out as he could, bicycling his legs in the air until he hit the Water. He heard a splash, but after that there was no sound, a sensation of falling but not of wetness. It ended almost as quickly as it began.

  * * *

  “Welcome back, Warriors,” said Ruwach.

  They were all in their Warrior clothes and armor. Levi breathed a sigh of relief. They’d made it through the waterfall without being killed. He knew they would, but still that moment of actually doing it, jumping in, was always a bit nerve-wracking.

  “No sweat,” Evan said, striking his superhero pose again. “So that’s all you have to do to get here on your own? Just kneel and hold out the Krÿs and close your eyes? Cool!”

  “That is not all, Prince Evan. The posture of the body must match the posture of the heart.”

  “The posture? Of the heart?” Evan cocked his head to one side.

  “Humility is always the hardest lesson for a Prince Warrior to learn,” said Ruwach. “The power of the Source only resides in those who are humble of heart.” Ruwach’s hood seemed to be focused on Evan, who quickly dropped his superhero pose and smiled meekly.

  “Ru, the girls are in trouble,” Levi said. “Does the enemy have them?”

  “He has Ivy. But not Brianna. She is still free. For the moment.”

  Levi felt somewhat relieved. “That’s why I couldn’t see her. Where are they?”