by Justin Sloan
She had to remember her training. She wasn’t useless without the ring. She hoped.
She lifted her arms to block the second strike like she had been taught, then jumped out of the way of a kick. But there were so many of them. Daniel had rolled up in a ball, and Allie caught a glimpse of his dad trying to reach them.
“Get away from him,” she yelled, and charged a boy about to kick Daniel in the head. She tackled the boy and used the edge of her hand to whack him in the throat, then turned to sweep a girl’s legs into the air. The girl landed with a thud and instantly Allie was on top of her, ready to strike again. But hands grabbed her arms and pulled her back.
“Enough of this,” she heard an older boy say. “All we need is him."
“No, take me!” she yelled.
The boy laughed and put his index finger on her forehead. “Wouldn’t that be grand?”
Allie struggled, but her arms wouldn’t budge. She heard a smack and the back of her head stung. The green trees shimmered with reds and blues, everything swimming in circles. Her eyelids started to close, and just before everything went black she saw the Strayers lifting Daniel into the air as they waved their weapons at him. She heard his dad yelling, but it was useless.
“Not yet,” she heard someone whisper.
She groaned, tasting the dirt and grass, rotating her head to see the sky. Dark, almost black eyes stared at her from beneath a hood. She recognized those eyes.
“Come on Allie,” Vince said.
She winced to see that face again, one of the bullies from before who had joined the Strayers and fought her in Kyrgyzstan, but then she realized he was helping her up. “What…”
“Hey,” a girl yelled as she grabbed Vince’s robe and pulled. “What’re you doing?”
“Now!” Vince called out. He pulled down his hood and grabbed Allie, running for the edge of the woods.
“Wait,” she managed. “We have to save Daniel.”
A roar sounded from ahead, in the direction Vince had yelled. At the top of the hill a lion appeared with two figures beside it, one with long blond hair and a leather jacket, the other stooped with grey hair blowing in the wind. The sun shone from behind them as if the trees were on fire, and bright rays of light cast upon the Strayers below.
Gabe and Michael, Allie thought, sighing a breath of relief.
One by one, Allie’s P.E. class gathered behind the two teachers. Mr. Phael, his red hair flipping in the wind, joined them.
“Charge!” Mr. Phael yelled.
Her rescuers streamed down the hill like an army defending the shores of its land, except they were only there to save her and Daniel. She couldn’t believe it. Vince fought, supporting Allie on her feet until Gabe finally reached her, kicking back a Strayer as he did so.
The Strayers fought for a few moments, the older boy holding onto Daniel as if his life depended on it, but the Guardians and Bringers of Light were too much for them. Allie turned to join in the fight, but Gabe pulled her back, pointing to the boy holding Daniel. The three teachers had him surrounded, many of the Strayers already fleeing, and then the lion pounced.
The boy fell beneath the lion’s weight, letting go of Daniel, and only then did Gabe release Allie. She ran for Daniel. Many of the Strayers were being held to the ground, but some were escaping into the woods. Vince had removed the robe and was chasing them along with several other students, but Allie just wanted to hug Daniel.
Daniel’s dad beat her to it. Burt wept, holding Daniel’s head in his chest. “I’m sorry,” he kept saying repeatedly.
“How did you all…?”
“We have a special connection, us Guardians and Bringers of Light,” Gabe said. “You will learn to use it someday. We sensed you were in danger and came."
Vince returned, smiling, two smaller boys in his grasp. He tossed them to the ground before Michael.
“Well done,” Michael said. “You’ve earned your spot."
“What spot?” Allie said.
“There aren’t just us and the Strayers in this world, Allie. There are those that would assist us, those that we must learn to rely on when we need help. We call them friends.”
Allie laughed, but she could tell Michael was serious.
“I saw Vince with the Strayers, but always could tell he didn’t want to be there,” Michael said. “The other one wasn't interested, thinking he was too important, but in Vince I saw something, a willingness to help others.”
She looked to Vince and he nodded.
“I agreed to pretend to be one of these Strayers, to find out what they were up to,” Vince said. “I only discovered today that they wanted to take Daniel’s dad as a way of getting to Daniel. We checked on your family, Allie, but they’re safe.”
Allie gulped, realizing it could have been her dad in this situation.
“What would they have done with him?” Daniel asked.
Vince looked at Michael for confirmation and then continued. “I don’t know the whole story, but I overheard this one.” He gestured toward the older boy on the ground, who was now whimpering as the lion’s drool hit his face. “He was saying something about their lord needing to take the form of a boy, and that they had found the boy. And then we were to move, and someone said they found the boy’s dad and were going to use him as bait. I guess it worked, but they didn’t expect this.”
Allie turned to Daniel, wide-eyed, then to Gabe. “Samyaza wanted to what, possess him?”
Gabe’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t answer. He waved his hand and the lion disappeared.
“We’ll get you all, none of your family is safe!” the older boy shouted.
Gabe knelt beside the boy and held him down with a hand on his chest. “You serve Samyaza, the bringer of death?”
The boy’s eyes narrowed. “He will return, and I’ll be waiting. On that day, you will all grovel at his feet, and I’ll spit in your face."
Gabe sighed and stood back, watching as the boy scrambled to his feet and sprinted away.
“You’re just letting him leave?” Allie said in exasperation.
“We can do nothing but hope,” Gabe said. “We cannot make him choose his path; we can only help those that allow us.”
“So what is to stop him from attacking again?”
Gabe raised his hand and gestured at the students that had come to help. “They will, Allie. And you will be there to lead us all to victory.”
Talk about pressure. Fight, sure. But lead?
She looked at the group of students, and they all smiled or nodded in agreement. Daniel’s father still had an arm around him, and she saw in his eyes a fatherly love. But moments before, he could have been taken by Samyaza…. Possibly never to be heard from again. And that boy had threatened all of their families.
She couldn’t allow her family to be put at risk again, not because of her.
“Sorry,” she said as she handed the ring to Gabe. “You’ll have to find someone else.”
And with that she walked off, leaving behind all this Guardian and Bringer of Light talk. If being the Tenth Worthy and saving the world meant possibly losing her family, someone else could fill the role. To her, it wasn’t worth it.
Chapter 11: Awakened
Allie found herself walking along Pacific Highway, where the Party City sat opposite an old diner. This would have been her favorite spot, had she been able to live a normal life here. There was a time when going to Party City right before Halloween had been the most exciting moment of the year. Halloween had been right up there with Christmas and hanging the lights with her family, or maybe even Thanksgiving when all the pies would get served—her favorite was pumpkin, of course. But regardless, that moment around Halloween, when the whole store felt like a giant haunted house, was once amazing.
Now? With all the magic and Strayers and shadowy creatures, she doubted she’d ever want to see the holiday again.
She wandered over to the mall, considering seeing a movie. But the idea of sitting alone in a dark
theater gave her the creeps. What if one of the Strayers were sitting right behind her, or lying on the floor, in the dark spots where you can’t see?
Instead she bought a frozen yogurt—tangy with blueberries and mochi—and found a seat in the food court. A group of older girls, probably high school, walked by on their way to shop after school. Allie almost laughed at how ridiculous that was. People were fighting for the safety of the world just twenty minutes away, and here these girls were without a care. Of course, they didn’t know… but still.
Her phone chirped. Allie glanced at it, but just licked her frozen yogurt instead of answering. It was Daniel, and right now she didn’t want to be judged. She didn’t want a lecture, or to be convinced to go back and join the fight against darkness. She wanted to just be a normal teenage girl, whatever that meant.
When she finally got up to leave, she saw a face she definitely did not want to see—Brenda.
“We’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Brenda said with a glare. “Do you think of anyone other than yourself?”
Allie just stared, and then walked off.
“Don’t walk away from me,” Brenda said as she caught up with Allie. “Seriously, Troy and Daniel, Principal Eisner and Michael, they’re all out there looking for you. This isn’t some game, you know.”
Allie spun on that. “A game? You think I don’t know it’s not a game!”
“I—I just….”
“I almost lost my mom, okay? Now Daniel’s dad was attacked, and who knows how many others will be at risk before this is over. What, I’m supposed to suffer so others don’t have to? Well screw that!”
This time when she walked off, Brenda didn’t follow.
But when Allie reached her house, her mom was standing by the kitchen table with the ring in the palm of her hand.
“Lose something?” her mom asked.
Allie stared, wondering how best to deal with this, and then simply shrugged.
Her mom placed the ring in a cabinet drawer and nodded. “There, out of the picture. That’s what you want?”
“Out of our house would be better,” Allie said.
“I hear you, I do.” Her mom said as she took a seat and began peeling a banana. “You know how many earthquakes we used to get? When I was fighting the Strayers in Asia, there were so-called earthquakes all the time….”
“We both know this wasn’t an earthquake at our school.” Allie sat opposite her mom.
“Of course we do, and neither were those…. And neither was the one they just had in Japan, did you hear of that one?”
“What’s it have to do with me?”
“Allie, imagine if you hadn’t had the ring, or joined your friends fighting that day. What would have happened to Daniel?”
The image of Daniel’s limp body flashed through Allie’s mind. She imagined for a brief moment that he had died, and the friends that would have gathered at his vigil.
“You know it has to be this way, honey.” Her mother stood and retrieved the ring, holding it out.
Allie took it and retreated to her room. “I’ll think about it.”
She closed the door behind her and stood, staring out the window, considering the ring in her hand. How could something so small cause so much trouble, and yet be the clue to saving everyone? She returned to her bed and decided to read that teddy bear book her brother had given her, finding herself lost in the adventures of children. Before she fell asleep, she slipped the ring onto her index finger.
***
Hands shook Allie’s shoulders. Her eyes snapped open and she was nearly blinded by the light next to her bed.
“Come on, you have to go,” her mom said.
“Go where?” she asked, still fuzzy with sleep. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Samyaza, they’ve found a way to track him and he’s on the move. He must have located another piece of the armor, in Scotland. You have to go, tonight.”
“What do you mean, tonight?” Allie sat up, wide awake, and brushed her mom’s hands aside. The red glow of the clock on her wall said it was only three in the morning. “I have school tomorrow.”
“No dear,” her mom said. “It’s time.”
Her mom pulled her out of bed and threw some clothes over her pajamas, zipping up the thick jacket and then adding a beanie for the final touch. She guided her to the living room where Daniel stood, shield at his side, along with Principal Eisner and Gabe the librarian.
“Is she ready?” Principal Eisner said.
Allie stared at them. What were they doing in her living room?
“We have to go back,” Daniel said, pulling the shield up to his side.
Allie’s mom turned, full of pride. “Back to defeat the dark forces of Samyaza.” Her mom breathed deep and knelt. “I had been searching for the ring, as was Samyaza. I knew that if I found it first, I’d have the advantage. But only one person every thousand years can truly wear the ring and harness its power. The light has chosen you.”
“I refuse,” Allie said, taking the ring from her finger and throwing it to the ground. “Let him do what he wants, but I’m done.”
Daniel reached for the ring, but Gabe held out his wrinkled hand and stopped him with a shake of his head.
“The time of the Tenth Worthy is upon us,” Gabe said. “The pattern is before us. You are to be the Tenth Worthy, the ultimate Bringer of Light. You will restore the balance of our world. Tonight we learned that Samyaza knows of the armor and has found the helmet. With their power, he cannot be harmed, except by one weapon. The Sword of the Spirit, which we think is why his troops are in Scotland. The two of you must find it before he does, or allow darkness to reign.”
Allie glared at Gabe, then turned to her mom who stared back with a look of determination. Daniel’s eyes quivered. Allie could tell their words scared him as much as they scared her, but the words were true. She trusted that. The next step on their journey was laid out before them, and the adventure would start that night. There was no more running, no more doubt.
“How do we begin?” she asked.
“Take his hand,” her mom said. “The shield will lead you on your journey; it longs to be united with the rest of the armor. But it will only take you to the general area. The rest is up to you.”
“The two of you must succeed,” Principal Eisner said.
“Wait,” Allie said. “None of you will be coming with us?”
“We are simply guides,” Principal Eisner said. “Here to help you on your way. We have limited abilities, such as to assist you on your path and see the immediate next steps, like a window to tomorrow. But we cannot see the end result, or influence it in any direct way. All we can tell you is that with Daniel holding his shield, and you using the ring and concentrating on following your spirit, you will be taken to the location of the sword where a great battle will take place. The rest is up to you.”
“You’re telling me the fate of the world rests on two kids?” Allie said.
Her mom’s worried eyes moved to Principal Eisner, as if asking for any other way. But the principal nodded her head and placed her hand on Allie’s shoulder.
“You aren’t just kids,” Principal Eisner said. “Not anymore.”
Allie knelt and picked up the ring. It felt heavy in her grip, the silver cold against her skin.
“This means I’ll miss soccer practice,” she said.
“And me, baseball,” Daniel said, with a nervous smile on his face.
Allie grinned and reached for his hand, but before she made contact her mom swept her into her arms and embraced her. With a kiss on her forehead, her mom squeezed her hand and said, “I’ll be praying for you.”
“I love you,” Allie said. “Tell Ian and Dad the same.”
“I will. I love you, too,” her mom said.
“Wait, what will we tell them?”
Her mom looked for confirmation from the other two adults, then smiled. “I think it’s time we told them the truth, see if they can handle it.”<
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“Good luck!” Allie said, reaching for Daniel’s hand.
She felt the warmth emitting from his fingertips as they touched. It was as if fire burned around them, warm and comforting, engulfing them in flames of the heavens. Light shot through the room, wrapping around their limbs and blowing their hair like the wind, gently caressing their skin like a pleasant bath. It brightened to a blinding glow, and they were forced to shield their eyes.
When the light finally faded, Allie and Daniel stood in a field of deep green, a line of trees in the distance and a stone tower atop a hill. Rays of dim light sprinkled the ground, escaping through leaves, and the thick clouds were turning pink and red.
“Can you believe this?” Daniel asked, his hand clenching hers.
“Not at all.” Allie glanced down at their hands.
“I always wanted to visit Scotland, but not like this.” Daniel took a step back, then looked up to the tower. His eyes darted to Allie, and she nodded in return.
“I don’t suppose the sword could be anywhere else,” she said.
They trudged across the field. A sweet smell of meat cooking carried in the morning breeze. Two words stuck in her head as she marched: Great battle. They’d escaped from the army of Strayers before, not stood in its path and tried to fight them. She gulped, suddenly wishing Daniel was still holding her hand.
The sun rose in the sky as they walked, but the chill remained. Allie noticed Daniel shaking his head and muttering to himself occasionally.
“Haven’t accepted it yet?” she asked.
He glanced up and scoffed. “How can I?”
They reached the tree line and started carefully working their way around a string of muddy puddles, then descended a valley very similar to the one where they’d first felt the effects of the stone that now fitted snugly in Allie’s ring. She crossed a log and reached back to help Daniel, but was surprised to see him maneuvering it with ease in spite of the shield on his arm.
“You understand what they’re saying?” he asked. “You’ll be up there with people like Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, and the rest of the Nine Worthies. And I can say I knew you way back when.”