Chosen One

by Katie Holland

  “Yes, there are several to choose from in the garage. What do you need?”

  “Just two ordinary looking cars that can carry four or five of us at once.”

  “We have those.”

  “Good. Are all the Nykara here trained in fighting the Grynn?” Alix asked.

  “Yes, it’s a requirement to work here.”

  “Perfect. Here’s what I was thinking. We take the two cars and the bus to wherever they’ve got our people. We leave the bus several blocks away. We won’t need it until we rescue everyone. We take the cars as close as we can without being detected. Everyone is going to have to shield themselves extremely well before we get there. I can replenish energy to anyone that needs it. We’re also going to have to cloak ourselves until we attack. It’ll have to be a coordinated effort from all sides at once. If we don’t get it right, we’ll alert them to our presence. Once we get in we search and take down the other Grynn and get our people out of there as quickly as we can.”

  They were quiet as they thought about what she said. Ben was the first one to ask a question.

  “How will we coordinate the attack?”

  “I’m not a hundred percent sure on that. Merideth, when you call the Warriors can you talk to them about that? They might have an easy solution that we don’t know about.”

  “Yes, of course Alix,” Merideth said.

  “When do we leave?” Shay asked. “And don’t think for one second I’m staying behind again.”

  “Don’t worry Shay, I wasn’t planning on leaving you here by yourself. As soon as Gordon can figure out where the building is Merideth can talk to the Warriors and tell them where to meet us. Then we can go.”

  Everyone agreed to that. Gordon went off to search for the correct building. Merideth went to the kitchen and insisted that they go with her. She was going to feed them before they left. She mumbled something about not fighting the Grynn on an empty stomach.

  Alix, Shay and Ben sat at the table while Merideth made everyone something to eat. In between cooking things, she was able to tell the other staff what was happening and to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. Alix tried to help Merideth a couple of times but was turned down. She assumed it was Merideth’s way of trying not to think about the situation.

  “You were pretty impressive back there,” Shay said to Alix. “You’ve come a long way in the last month.”

  “Thanks,” Alix said. “I don’t know how to describe it but when something is going wrong it’s like a part of me that I didn’t know about just comes out and takes over. I mean what do I really know about attacking things but as soon as I saw our people in danger my mind started seeing different scenarios. It’s kind of weird actually.”

  “Weird but awesome,” Shay said smiling.

  Gordon entered the kitchen with a map in his hands. He and Merideth joined them at the table. He put the map down and pointed to it.

  “This is the place,” he said. “It’s in the warehouse district and could be quite difficult for us to get to unnoticed. It’s very open around the building leaving little room for cover. We’ll have to not make a sound as we approach.” He handed Merideth a piece of paper. “The address of the building is the one on top. The other address is the best place for the Warriors to meet us. Go make the call.”

  Merideth left the kitchen. Alix got up and finished what Merideth had been cooking. She wasn’t sure if she could eat but she wasn’t going to let it burn. A few minutes later the cooking was done.

  “Does anyone want to eat?” she asked.

  “I do,” Ben said.

  She wasn’t really surprised by that. She dished up four plates since she thought she’d at least try and eat. Of course, Ben was able to eat all of his but the girls barely touched theirs. Merideth came back and told them that everything was arranged with the Warriors.

  Gordon left the kitchen to go gather everyone. They were to meet up in the main foyer in ten minutes. They cleared their plates and went to the foyer.

  Alix was too nervous to sit so she walked around the big open space. A few minutes later everyone was gathered in the foyer.

  “Okay,” Alix said. “This is what’s going to happen. Shay, Ben and I are going with Gordon in one car. You four, I’m sorry I don’t know your names, are going to go with Merideth in the other car. Paul, since you’ve been driving the bus you’re going to take that and follow us. When we get to London we’re going to park the bus and meet up with a group of Warriors and then attack the Grynn. I know most of you haven’t ever done anything like this so if you think you can’t handle it, and it’s okay if you can’t, please step forward and let us know.”

  Everyone stayed where they were.

  “Alright. Remember we don’t know what to expect from the Grynn so be ready for anything. Please replenish your energy before we leave and if needed I can give you some more energy later. Thank you in advance for doing this. People I love are in danger because I’m the Chosen One and it means the world to me that you’re putting yourselves at risk in order to help me save them. Let’s go.”

  Chapter 34

  They left the castle and went to the cars. The ride to London felt like it took forever but Alix was completely energized. They were finally close to the warehouse district. They found a spot for the bus and Paul got in with them. They drove to meet the Warriors and found there were eight of them already waiting for their group to arrive. They got out of their cars to join them.

  “Thank you for agreeing to help us,” Alix said to the Warriors.

  “It’s our pleasure and our duty to do anything we can for the Kaelneth,” one of them said.

  Alix nodded. She recognized him from the ceremony yesterday. She felt bad for not remembering his name, but she had bigger things to deal with at the moment.

  “Okay, from what we can tell there are eight Grynn positioned around the building and two inside guarding our people. If we have any hope of doing this, we need to take out all of the Grynn who are acting as lookouts at the same time. I don’t want the two inside to have any reason to hurt the people I love,” Alix addressed the Warriors. “Do you have something that can help us do that?”

  “Yes, we brought our coms system with us. Each one of us will pair up with one of you so we’ll be able to communicate with each other and co-ordinate the attack. Is this a kill or detain mission?” he asked.

  “Detain if possible but if it’s us or them do whatever is necessary,” Alix said. She didn’t like saying it but her family and friends came above anyone else.

  Everyone was paired with a Warrior.

  “Shay,” Alix said, “I need you to stay with Gordon. You can’t protect yourself so it’s vital that you don’t leave his side.”

  “Okay, I promise.”

  “Gordon …” Alix started.

  “Don’t worry Miss Alix, I’ll protect her like she’s my own daughter,” Gordon said fiercely.

  “Thank you, Gordon,” Alix said. “That means a lot.”

  Ben and Alix were paired together since he wasn’t leaving her like last time. The Warrior they were with introduced himself as Doug, he was the one Alix had met yesterday.

  Before they went to their assigned positions Alix used her magic to search to see if she could sense any Grynn magic being actively used. She could feel the eight Grynn on the outside of the building but didn’t sense anything else.

  Everyone shielded and cloaked themselves. They slowly and silently moved into the positions where they could see the Grynn that were guarding the building. The Warriors kept in constant contact. Alix wondered how they could hear each other even through the coms as they were whispering so quietly.

  Doug put his hand up which meant stop. When everyone was in place Alix sent out her energy to search for hidden traps again. Her magic didn’t find anything. She nodded to Doug that it was safe to proceed. On the count of three they were to drop their camouflage, create an energy ball and hit the Grynn with it.
Ben and Alix watched as Doug counted to three with his fingers. The second that he got to three Alix dropped her cloak and created her energy ball. She hit the Grynn before Ben or Doug even had a chance to create theirs.

  The Grynn had no idea what hit him. He crumpled to the ground. Doug went over to check on him. He was unconscious. He bound the Grynn and checked on the other groups. Everyone had managed to successfully incapacitate their Grynn.

  “Good work you two,” Doug told them.

  Ben laughed a little. “All I did was stand there. Alix was too fast for me.”

  “She was even too fast for me,” Doug said. “How’d you do that?” he asked Alix.

  “It’s just being the Chosen One I guess. I seem to be able to do everything faster than other Nykara.

  Doug just nodded. He stayed in contact with the other teams and they slowly made their way inside the large building. Everyone started searching for where the others were being held. Ben took Alix’s hand as they went through the building. She was nervous and holding his hand helped calm her.

  Alix stopped when she sensed Grynn magic being used. Ben and Doug stopped with her and Doug communicated for everyone else to stop as well. She sent out her energy and was able to pinpoint where the remaining two Grynn were.

  She and Ben walked over to a door. Doug was right behind them. Alix fortified her shield. She wasn’t getting caught without her shield up a second time. She tried the doorknob and found the door unlocked. Ben took her hand and without thinking she opened the door and the two of them walked in. There was no one in the room. Doug tried to follow her but came up against a barrier that they couldn’t get through.

  Ben slammed his fist on it. “Not again,” he said.

  Alix realized what happened and was ashamed when she realized they’d used the same trick on her again. They were trapped on one side while Doug and everyone else wouldn’t be able to come and help her and Ben. She’d never let that happen again.

  “I’m sorry Doug,” Alix said from the wrong side of the barrier. “I should have checked for this.”

  “Alix, you have to take this down before you go any further,” Ben told her

  “I can’t, we still don’t know if they know we’re here or not. I have to take the chance, it might be the only opportunity to save them,” Alix said. “Doug, see if you can find a way to quietly remove this barrier. Last time I had to shatter it to bits with an energy ball, so I don’t know what you can do to get rid of it. Ben and I are going to find them. This room is empty, but I know we are close, I can feel the Grynn.”

  “Alix, I think you should wait,” Doug told her.

  “I know, but I can’t. The Grynn are after me, that’s the reason for this barrier. Last time I was alone but this time I’ve got Ben. I think the only reason he got through was because he was touching me at the time. Send someone back for the bus and the cars. I think it’s safe to bring them right to the building. Okay?”

  “Alright, but I’m staying right here. If I think it’s necessary, I’ll blast this barrier down and come in.”

  “Fair enough but please give me the chance to save them first. I wouldn’t want a hasty decision to cost people their lives.”

  “Agreed. I’m giving you thirty minutes and then I’m going to find a way in there.”

  “We’d better get going then,” she said.

  They started looking around the room. There were no windows and no other doors. There were a few boxes in one corner but that was it. Alix sent out her magic. They were below them.

  “They’re underneath us. There must be a trap door or something,” she told Ben.

  They didn’t see anything, so Alix kneeled down and put her tattoo on the floor. She felt a faint difference in an area that was close to Ben. She got up and did the same thing by him. She heard a click and suddenly a ring appeared. She stood up. Ben slowly opened the door while Alix was ready with an energy ball in case they needed it.

  Nothing happened when they opened it all the way. There was a set of stairs leading down.

  “Let’s shield and cloak,” Alix whispered.

  They did and started down the stairs. She was surprised when they didn’t encounter a Grynn when they reached the bottom. The only thing down there was another door. Alix knew that’s where they were. She pointed to the door, Ben nodded.

  They cautiously approached the door and listened. They heard voices but couldn’t make out what they were saying. Ben pointed behind him and started moving away from the door. Alix followed.

  “What should we do?” Ben asked her.

  “I think we have the element of surprise on our side, so I say we just open the door and burst in with energy balls ready.”

  Ben gave her a funny look.

  “What?”

  “That’s not really much of a plan,” he said.

  “Do you have a better idea?”

  He thought for a second. “No, I guess not.”

  “Okay, then let’s go, we’re wasting time.”

  They went back over to the door. Ben slowly turned the handle and found it unlocked. Alix nodded, and Ben flung the door open. They rushed inside.

  They weren’t prepared for what happened next. The Grynn obviously knew they were there because they had energy balls ready and threw them at Alix and Ben as soon as they entered. Alix’s shield was able to resist the attack, but Ben’s wasn’t. He went down. Alix tried to get to him, but they continued to bombard her with energy balls. They weren’t hurting her, but it kept her from getting to Ben. She threw a few back but kept missing them. She didn’t understand how that was happening. The Grynn were getting closer and pretty soon they were between her and Ben. One of them dragged him toward the door.

  “Stop or we’ll hurt him,” the male one said, he’s the one that had Ben.

  “Don’t hurt him,” Alix said and reabsorbed the energy from the ball she was holding. “What do you want?” she asked.

  “We are to bring you back to headquarters, so they can deal with you,” the female Grynn told her.

  “What do they want with me?”

  “That’s not up for discussion at the moment. Our orders are to find and capture you.”

  “Capture me, I don’t think so,” Alix said. She wanted to create an energy ball, but she didn’t know what they would do to Ben.

  “What is your name?” she asked Alix. “I’m not about to call you the Chosen One.”

  Alix decided to use the same name she’d given Victor. “Ashley.”

  “Despite what we’ve been told you don’t seem that impressive to me,” she taunted her.

  “Look,” Alix said, “if we don’t figure this out there’s going to be a whole army down here shortly and I doubt if you’ll make it out alive. So, I’m asking again, what do you want?”

  “I told you, we’re taking you to our headquarters.”

  “Well you’re not going to just walk out the front door. There’s no way you’re leaving with me,” Alix told her.

  “Oh yes we are because if you don’t come with us we’ll kill all of those you hold dear,” she said and nodded to the male Grynn.

  He did something to Ben that made his body convulse.

  “Stop!” Alix shouted.

  “That was just a taste of what we’ll do to everyone in this room until their bodies can’t take it and they all die.”

  Alix was furious but wasn’t sure she had a choice. There was no way she was letting the Grynn hurt her family and friends.

  “I’ll go with you on one condition, you remove the Sleep of Death from everyone and send them upstairs to be rescued.”

  The female Grynn appeared to think about it. She was taking too long for Alix.

  “I mean it,” Alix said. “If one hair on them is out of place I’ll do everything in my power to stop you.”

  “Fine, I accept your deal.”

  “Start with him,” Alix said, pointing to Ben. “I’ll need him to convince them t
o leave or none of them will.”

  The female Grynn nodded to the male and Ben started coming around.

  “Let me go to him or he’ll attack when he’s fully awake,” Alix demanded.

  The female nodded and the male Grynn let go of Ben and moved to stand with the female. Alix went straight to Ben and kneeled down, so she blocked his view of the Grynn.

  When Ben opened his eyes, he started to talk but Alix put her finger on his lips. As quietly as she could she said, “Call me Ashley, it’s important?” Ben nodded, and Alix continued in a normal voice. “They’re going to let all of you go in exchange for me.”

  Ben started to say something, but Alix stopped him. “If I don’t do this then everyone I care about will die. They already tried to hurt you. I can’t bear the thought of any of you hurt or worse if I have the power to stop it. I need you to be the one to convince everyone to leave here with you. Please Ben, I need you to do this, all of our lives depend on it.”

  Alix was pleading with her eyes as well as her voice.

  Finally, Ben nodded and said, “Alright Ashley, I’ll do it but trust me when I say that I hate this.”

  “I know you do, so do I but I need to know that all of you are safe.” She stood and turned to face the Grynn. “Okay, he’s agreed. Now start waking everyone up.”

  “First you drop your shield Ashley.” Alix was reluctant but the safety of everyone here was more important. “Do it,” she yelled.

  Alix dropped her shield hoping that if needed she could put it up again at a moment’s notice. The male tied her hands together behind her back and forced her to sit in the room’s only chair. The female removed the Sleep of Death from Ruth first. Ben was right there to quickly tell her what was going on. He even called Alix Ashley. Ruth looked confused but that only lasted a few seconds. Alix could tell she was angry but knowing the situation she listened to Ben.

  The same process was repeated with everyone. Her parents were the last to be revived. The female Grynn tried several times to revive them but it wasn’t working.

  “Something is wrong with these two,” she said.