Senora hugged Sam and left the room without saying a word as she heard the battle trumpet sound. Sam carefully stared out the window to see Senora run out into the courtyard. She watched as Robert strapped a belt full of bullet casings around his waist and slung the rifle strap over his shoulder. Senora ran up to Katerina and Crystal, and they helped her mount a tall brown horse. Katerina mounted her large black horse and led the way through the main gate. Robert fell in line with some of the Grassland people, followed by a mix of different creatures that scratched and pawed the ground. At the rear, Donella and her giant-like people stomped up the dirt around their feet. Just before the last of the giants left the castle, Donella looked up toward Sam and smirked. What was that all about? Sam shook in confusion. Once the last of the group left, Sam shivered at the silence that fell upon her.
Robert’s eyes widened as a large pillar of fire came into sight. Seeing his surprise Crystal rode up beside him. “This is the center pillar. It has begun, and the crossroads have already been lit. The Fiery Crossroads are there.” Crystal pointed toward the pillar of fire. The ground beneath them started to shake. The horses’ reared up and started to pace in fear. Katerina, Crystal, Senora, and others quickly dismounted their horses as the horses ran away.
“Now what?” Senora asked.
“We’re close. Lucas knows we’re here,” Crystal proclaimed. Soon, Crystal’s words were drowned out by the thunderous laughter and snarls as waves of shadows appeared beyond the fiery pillar. Senora looked around at each one in their group. Some were already wide-eyed with fear, and others focused on destruction. Chester and his Misfits slunk out of sight. Suddenly, everything went deathly silent. Senora held her breath and wished for the ground to swallow her up. Robert ran to the highest viewpoint he could find and dove on the ground. He braced himself as he looked through his scope. The silence became maddening. Almost in unison, the masses of shadows built in a thunderous cry.
Katerina armed her bow and aimed at the closest shadow. “Stand ready. Make them act first.”
Within half a breath, the Shadows fell like waves upon the fearful army. Robert watched the scene play out as he scanned the horde of colliding creatures and people. He saw Senora. Four Shadow Knights surrounded her. He took aim, shooting each one as they came close to her. Senora looked in the direction of Robert and nodded. She grabbed a sword and swung at a nearby Shadow. The Shadow dodged, and something cut into her left hip. She screamed and fell forward as Robert shot again. The Shadow landed on Senora’s back.
Robert panned the masses and saw Katerina as she and Crystal stood back-to-back, shooting down any Shadow that came close, one arrow at a time. He soon caught a glimpse of Drayvon and Lucas standing at the back of the Shadows. Drayvon sent orders to each Shadow in unison. Robert took aim, but Lucas hid behind a tree branch. He turned his focus toward Drayvon. The Misfits came closer to Drayvon from behind. Chester lunged first, but Drayvon spun and caught him mid-air by the throat. He shrieked as the rest of the Misfits scattered in fright. “You betray me?” Drayvon threatened.
“I learn from the best. I may be a Misfit, but I die doing what’s right. My level of sarcasm has gotten to the point where I don’t even know if I’m kidding or not,” Chester claimed, gasping for breath.
Drayvon pulled Chester close and said, “Doing what’s right? You’re damned and will always belong to me.” Chester gasped for breath as Drayvon threw him against a large stone. Robert armed his rifle and took aim. Drayvon looked straight at him. He sent waves of pictures flashing before Robert’s mind: his dad on the prison cell floor, lying lifeless, Trevor lying at the bottom of his basement stairs in a pool of blood; his mom crying in a hospital waiting room. Robert closed his eyes and hesitated for a split second. When he opened his eyes again, Drayvon and Lucas had disappeared. He quickly panned the wave of chaos below and saw Crystal push the lifeless shadow creature off Senora.
Sam stared out the castle window, scanning the horizon. She looked down at the red gem in her hand. What do I do with this?
Soon the Tall Bearded Man appeared behind her, “There are two halves of one whole,” the Man proclaimed.
Sam turned to face him. “I don’t understand. Michael, is that you?”
“I’m only in the image of Michael. I’m here to remind you of the truth and of who you are. When you find your other half, you’re bound together for life. You’re complete and whole.”
“But I feel so broken. What truth are you here to remind me of, and who do you think I am?”
“You’re chosen, forgiven, loved, and adopted. Know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
“You speak in riddles. I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever cared about.”
“Not everyone.”
“Who do you speak of?”
“In time, you’ll understand. For now, ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he’ll make your path straight.”3 Sam looked back toward the empty horizon.
“Follow me,” Crystal ordered Senora as the two girls ran toward the pillar of fire. “Use your strength. Speak the Saviour’s truth.” Three Shadow Knights surrounded them. Shots sent each one falling to the ground.
Senora wavered with crippling fear as the chaos unfolded around her. God, please give me the words. I need you now, she prayed. Stand where it is already burnt, face your fears, and refine your courage.
A faint whisper almost carried on the wind surrounded Senora. “Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.”4
The Shadow Knights turned their attention like a flood toward Crystal and Senora.
“Don’t stop; don’t allow them to silence you,” Crystal said as she aimed her bow and shot arrow after arrow, sending each Shadow Knight falling at her feet.
Senora looked around at the sea of Shadow Knights converging on them. She felt like they were surrounded in a sheet of darkness. The Pillar of Fire at her back, illuminated her surroundings. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.”5 Senora declared boldly. The Shadow Knights shrunk back and moved around to the other side of the two. Crystal continued to aim and shoot her arrows. Robert continued to pick off the Shadow Knights from behind. Soon, Katerina pushed her way through the knights, grabbed a nearby sword and sliced a knight in the side as she stood firmly on the other side of Senora.
“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.”6 Katerina swung again, knocking another knight to the ground.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”7 Senora declared as five Shadow Knights stormed against Katerina. She swung her sword knocking two knights to the ground, but they dodged around her.
“Hey, why not take me on?” The two knights turned abruptly toward Gervon. Each leaped in unison. Gervon nodded at Katerina as he punched the two knights to the ground. One of the knights rolled and dug his claws into Gervon’s left heel. Gervon kicked the knight away and grabbed the second knight by the scruff of the neck. Katerina nodded toward Gervon and stabbed her sword into another knight at her right.
Ten knights surrounded Gervon. He adjusted his stance and beckoned them to challenge him. The knights stood frozen for a split second. “Stand true to yourselves. A day may come when darkness prevails, but today we are united. Stand firm, stay true, and hold nothing back,” Gervon commanded. Soon the ground quivered and broke apart beneath the Shadow Knight’s feet. They struggled to stand. Senora watched as Muddling’s jumped out of the ground pulling knights into the deep. Three Elf-like men leaped off the mountainside and landed firmly by Gervon’s side.
“We’re with you, Sir Gervon,” an
elf declared. Gervon nodded and swiftly spun and swung his sword at a Shadow Knight behind him. Then, he spun around again and dove under another knight raising his sword up and cutting the inside of his leg. The knight fell. Gervon leapt up and stepped toward Crystal and Senora, using each Knight’s head to guide his next step forward. Right before Gervon reached the girls, a Shadow Knight came up behind Crystal. It raised its claws to penetrate her back, when a knife flew past Gervon’s ear and plunged into the knight's eyes. Crystal turned and kicked the knight away from the pillar. Gervon turned to see who threw the knife. A skinny, spiky creature waved a handful of knives his way, nodded, and threw five more knives, each one hitting their intended marks. Katerina shoved another knight away from Senora, spun and sliced another one's head off. Then she kicked a third to the ground, and moved her sword upward slicing off another one's arm. Katerina turned when Drayvon stepped in front of her. He ripped the sword from her fingers and slammed his head into her forehead. She staggered backward. Robert aimed his rifle and focused on Dravyon’s face. Crystal leapt to her feet, spun, and kicked Drayvon in the stomach. He bent over, clutched his stomach, and reached for Katerina’s hair. He pulled her up by the hair as she kicked and screamed. He drew her close to his mouth.
“Have you ever heard of a shower? You stink!” Katerina gasped and coughed as Drayvon turned and reached for Senora. Robert fired. Drayvon fell to one knee as the bullet penetrated his hand. Still holding Katerina, he turned to put Katerina between Robert and himself, using her as a human shield.
“I can’t get a shot!” Robert screamed.
A voice reached his ears, “Judge not, that you be not judged.”8 Robert’s thoughts began to race, and he struggled to focus.
“Not now!” He stood and slid down the hill to get a different angle.
“Let her go!” Senora demanded as she kicked the back of Drayvon’s knee. Drayvon turned and hit Katerina’s body into Senora, rose to his feet with Katerina still firm in his grasp, madly kicking at his side. Crystal ran along the Pillar of Fire, and kicked Drayvon in the face. As he stumbled, Katerina pulled free. Gervon leapt off a rock platform and rammed his knee into Drayvon’s back. He stumbled forward and growled. Katerina kicked his side again, Gervon punched Drayvon’s back, and Senora stood frozen, unwilling to step aside.
“We got this,” Katerina said. Gervon caught sight of Lucas. “Go after him.” Gervon lunged toward Lucas. Drayvon grabbed Katerina by the back of her neck and held her up. Katerina kicked her foot downward toward Drayvon’s knee, shattering his kneecap and falling to the ground. She bent back as a claw flew by her face. Flashes of Senora lying in a sea of fire and smoke invaded her thoughts. Katerina shifted her feet as a wave of guilt stabbed at her heart.
Drayvon spun and leaned close to her ear. “Remember your betrayal?” Katerina saw that young soldier’s last breath as his hand went limp in her arms. She fell to her knees.
“Make it stop!” Katerina screamed.
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”9 Senora’s words reached Katerina’s ears. As Drayvon raised his hand to sink his claws into her back, she raised her sword and stabbed his arm. He screamed in pain and kicked Katerina over. Drayvon stumbled backward as Crystal jumped between Katerina and Drayvon. In an effort to eliminate his enemies he lunged forward, embedding his sharp claws into Crystal’s chest. He raised Crystal above his head and tossed her like a rag doll into Katerina, knocking both girls to the ground.
Senora tried to run to Katerina, but she froze in place when she heard Crystal whisper softly. “If you move, all is lost. You can’t leave the gate unguarded.”
“What gate? I don’t understand.” Senora looked in horror as three knights drew near to her. Crystal desperately shot one knight with her arrow, and she reached for another. A knight scratched Senora’s left arm, and she stumbled to one knee. Looking up, she expected the worst when a bullet penetrated both knights, and they fell.
“You must stand firm,” Crystal ordered. Hearing Crystal’s words, Senora found the strength to rise.
“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.”10 Senora gasped as she pulled herself up on one knee. Drayven turned his full attention on Senora. “He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress.”11 She pulled herself up and stared confidently in Drayven’s eyes. Drayvan staggered and slunk away slightly, feeling disoriented. “I SHALL NOT BE SHAKEN!” she yelled.12
Robert shot and reloaded as quickly as he could as one by one, the Shadow Knights fell at Senora’s feet. He scanned the sea of Shadows below and paused when he caught sight of Drayvon getting closer to Senora once again. He took aim and fired. To his surprise, the Shadow Knights scattered in confusion as Drayvon fell. He panned the chaos to look for Lucas. He saw Lucas briefly before he disappeared in the sea of shadows. Panic filled him as he saw Lucas again even closer to the Fiery Crossroads. He aimed, but Lucas avoided his sights again. The next time Lucas came into view, he appeared from behind Senora. He aimed but before he could shoot, Lucas pulled Senora around in front of him. Katerina searched the ground for a weapon, grabbing a sword she turned to face Lucas. “It’s over. You’ve lost,” Katerina declared. “Let her go.”
“Look around you, Kat. You tell me who has lost,” Lucas replied. Robert observed the horrible scene before him; a mix of dead bodies both Shadow and other. Only a few were left standing.
“Kat, look at me. If he reminds you of your past, just remind him of his future;” Senora said as she stomped on Lucas’s foot and elbowed him in the side. He staggered back, and Robert re-adjusted his aim. He shot. But when Senora turned to see, Lucas had left. “Where did he go?”
“I don’t know. Stay on your guard. He could be hiding somewhere,” Katerina declared. Robert searched the sea of bodies for movement. He saw only a few random soldiers stand and move toward Katerina and Senora. The rest of the Shadow Knights retreated. Chester opened his eyes and staggered toward Senora.
“The battle’s over for now. But the war’s far from done. Sorry I was not more help,” Chester stated.
“Yeah, what were you doing?” Katerina teased.
“I guess I took a much-needed nap,” Chester said, laughing nervously.
Robert stood and slung his rifle over his shoulder. “Did we win?” Robert asked. Katerina and Senora looked around for any sign of Lucas. Robert turned toward a grassy ridge to make his way to Senora, losing sight of them for a short time. A tree branch hit his face. He staggered and touched his nose, feeling the blood oozing. As his eyes adjusted, Donella came into view. “Donella? What’re you doing?”
“You think you have won?”
“Wait! But you were fighting with us.”
“That’s what I wanted you to believe. You know as well as I do, Lucas holds the true power.” Donella tossed the tree branch aside. “Join us. I know your greatest strength is your anger. I can help you get revenge.”
“Donella, have you lost your mind? Lucas is deceiving you with his lies.” He knelt as Donella swung her leg at his face.
“If you won’t join us, I know someone who will.” Donella smirked. Robert looked up in surprise. He swung his fists, connecting to her left shoulder. She jumped up and, kicked him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. As he fell to his knees, Donella grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, lifted him up off the ground and pulled him close. “I release you. There’s no more protection for you or your family.”
“Wait! What does my family have to do with this?”
“Just know this: you may think you have won, but Lucas is still out there.” Donella spun in a circle and released Robert. She sent him flying into the rock face, all went black, and he fell to the ground. Donella dragged him over to a bush and tossed his rifle out of sight. Leaning over Robert, she whispered in his ear, “Tony will be an easier target. Nothing will get in my w
ay.” She stood and quickly found a horse, turned, and rode away, returning to Castle Calvarias.
Katerina spun around with her sword in hand, but she couldn’t see any movement. Soon, she lowered her sword and ran to her sister’s side. “Crystal, stay with me.” Crystal screamed in pain as Katerina pushed hard on her sister’s wound. “You just have to be ok.”
“Kat, I can’t feel my legs.” Tears streamed down Katerina’s cheeks.”
“Crystal, you are strong. We are together. Together we can get through anything. Remember?”
“We had a good run. But I have nothing left. Stay strong. I’ll always be with you. You’re never alone. Mom and Delores are calling me home. Kat, you still have things to do. We will be together again.” Crystal gasped as she breathed her last.
“I’m sorry, Kat. She was a strong girl,” Senora said.
A wave of uncontrollable tears soaked the ground. Katerina gasped for breath as a lump formed in her throat. Drawing Crystal’s lifeless body close to her own, she whispered, “Bring her back.”
“What? I can’t.” Senora fell to her knees with a blank stare, searching her thoughts for words to comfort her.
“Bring her back!” Katerina shrieked.
“How?” Tears stung Senora’s eyes as she allowed them to flow freely down her cheeks.
Katerina gently lay her sister on the ground, stood, spun around abruptly, and aimed her sword at Senora. Anger flared in her eyes, as she screamed, “BRING HER BACK! USE THE PENDANT! LIKE YOU BROUGHT HER BACK BEFORE.”
Sonora rose her hands in defeat. “It doesn’t work that way. She’s gone. I’m sorry.” Senora cautiously approached Katerina. She stood just inches from Katerina’s sword and looked into her eyes. Katerina lowered her sword and fell to her knees as if she were punched by a wave of despair. “I know. She always said I was the strong one. But she didn’t fall prey to Lucas’s deception. That was me. What am I going to do, Nora?” Katerina asked.
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