by Justin Sloan
Samyaza laughed. “Destroy me? Me! You have brought me what I most desired. If anything, you have begun the earth’s demise! With the armor reunited, I will be all powerful. With the ring, I will be unstoppable!”
Again he laughed, and the walls laughed along with him as the souls of the Strayers cowered, powerless. Samyaza reached out his shadow hands, his claws glistening in the purple glow of the fires. He brought his hands together with a massive clap. A thud sounded behind Allie, from the direction they’d come. Then another thud, and soon the walls were shaking with the sound.
Through the darkness, four forms moved with great speed in their direction—the stone figures from the entry room, their weapons glinting with each step.
“Daniel!” Allie screamed as the first stone demon attacked, bringing its halberd down to strike Daniel’s head.
Daniel dodged left, parrying the attack with his sword. A second figure swung a spear at him, but Allie didn’t have time to watch as a second halberd came for her midsection. She flung herself to the ground and out of its way, then spun in time to see a demon wielding an ax, horns from its head aimed at her as it charged. She yelped and ran for it, dodging the ax and sliding beneath its snout at the last minute. She scrambled to her feet and stood to see the last demon colliding with one of the others. They disentangled themselves and turned to her.
Just past the two beasts she saw Daniel, warding off attacks with his sword and shield. The demons were ten times his size, but for the moment he was managing, moving with the grace and speed of someone who had practiced with the sword for years. Watching him, Allie felt even more inspired to fight. She tried her ring again, but its glow was dim, its powers seemingly useless in this horrible place.
Then the light of her ring flared as a massive force slammed her, flinging her forward. She recovered, her face a mere foot from the dark flames. Again Samyaza’s laughter echoed in the chambers. She pushed herself to her feet and saw that the attack had come from the hoof of one of the demons, now raising its ax for a blow. She readied her ring, and saw Daniel running toward her, his two assailants in pursuit.
“Allie!” He collided with the ax-bearing demon, bludgeoning its leg with his shield. Next he whipped his sword around to cut the demon’s leg in two.
Allie ran to Daniel as the demon flailed around, wailing in pain. The second and third demons were almost upon them, while the fourth was thrusting its spear at Allie and Daniel. There were too many of them, but she had seen what her friend could do and it gave her hope.
“Get me to Samyaza!” Allie yelled, and Daniel nodded.
The fight continued, Daniel blocking and slashing as they worked their way backwards through the Strayers. No longer helpless, the Strayers were rising from the ground. They began to reach and tear at Allie and Daniel, their eyes fluttering between normal and bright red. Allie pushed them back as Daniel sliced the hand off a demon with a swipe of the sword, its heavy weapon falling to the ground with a loud clang. He then turned the point of his sword on one of the Strayers.
“No!” Allie shouted, pulling him back. He looked at her with wild eyes, but she held his arm. “We have to save them.”
His expression melted as he understood. Like Chris and Paulette, these people had not been themselves. They had been under the control of Samyaza.
Daniel turned back to attack, but too late—the one-armed demon struck at him with a back-hand, sending Daniel flying into the Strayers. The pitiful forms in black rags jumped on Daniel, covering him as he pushed back. But they were too much for him, and soon all Allie could see was a pile of writhing Strayers.
The demons advanced, their stony faces glaring down on her. They had her.
“What do you have to say now?” Samyaza cackled. “You are defeated. The light of your life shall soon be expelled from existence."
A demon struck with its spear, slamming the ground when Allie dodged. Allie took her chance and grabbed onto the weapon, holding tight as the demon pulled back, then using the leverage to kick off from the demon and jump. She landed with a roll just short of Samyaza and caught herself on one knee, her fist on the ground. Slowly she looked up at Samyaza, his face solidifying with eyes of flowing red lava within his shapeless head.
“You forget,” she said. “It’s darkness that fades in the light, not the other way around.”
She lunged for him, pulling back her fist and then striking with all her might. The ring on her fist entered his shadowy form. Dead-cold engulfed her. Samyaza shrieked, writhing and changing form before her eyes. At one moment he was the shadow creature, then Paulette and then Chris, then he took the form of a stone demon, then a massive beast of fire. She looked away, but dared not pull back her fist and the ring. The demons behind her were crumbling to pieces, the Strayers pulling back, terrified. Samyaza's shape pulled into the ring, growing dense around it, then sizzled like water on a flame.
The light of the ring dimmed, but only for a moment. It grew from within Samyaza, and his fiery eyes faded and his form shuddered and vanished as the light exploded through the room.
When Allie looked down, she saw before her a snake, curled around a glowing gold helmet. It circled the helmet and hissed at her, its long tongue flickering across its exposed fangs. The only other sign of Samyaza was a pair of wings spread across the floor, black as if covered in tar.
A footstep sounded behind Allie and she turned to see Daniel, his clothes torn and blood dripping from his nose and mouth, but otherwise unharmed.
“Not very impressive, is it,” Daniel said, pointing the tip of his sword at the snake. The snake hissed and lunged, but Daniel sprang forward and thrust his sword into the snake’s mouth. The snake split in two and, as it hit the ground, its two halves turned to dust and dissolved into a shadow on the stone.
Daniel collapsed to his knees and Allie threw her arms around him.
“We did it,” he said.
She pulled back, looking at him, her savior. Then she turned and saw the Strayers, slowly recovering and standing, their eyes searching their surroundings in confusion. The flames died around them. From the glow of Allie’s ring, she saw they all appeared normal, their shadows at their sides.
“We’re not quite done,” she said, then picked up the helmet and turned to Daniel. “What was that they said about destiny?”
He remained kneeling as she stepped forward and placed the helmet upon his head. It fit perfectly. As it settled, a golden ray of light shot from the helmet to the sword and then to the shield, forming a golden triangle. It lit into a flame and moved towards his heart, passing through his clothing and entering his chest.
He breathed deep, then exhaled, and when he looked up she saw in his eyes a new man. He stood and turned to the former Strayers as the walls began to shake.
“Let’s get them home,” he said.
She smiled. “Let’s get us home, too.”
Stones began to fall around them. The wall on the far side tumbled inward and a massive rumbling came from above, as if a dozen voices chanted from the heavens. Where walls once stood, shadowy wisps like giant beings hovered, looking down on Allie and the others with red, glowing eyes.
“Give us the armor, give us the ring,” a voice said in a whisper that echoed throughout the crumbling fortress.
Allie stepped forward, but Yuko jumped out from the recovered Strayers, not looking nearly as sickly as the others. She snatched the black wings from the floor and held them high, and as she did so her body spasmed and a moment later the wings sprouted from her back like black fire.
“Take it!” the whisper of a voice commanded.
Yuko lunged, flapping in the air around Allie, but Allie protected the ring as Daniel pushed Yuko back with his shield.
“What do I do?” Daniel asked, frantic. “I don’t want to hit her!”
“Stall,” Allie said, and then she knelt.
She clasped her hands and closed her eyes. She focused on the ring, and on the people around her, knowing that she had to f
orgive them and save them from the destruction that would soon befall this fortress. She thought of her family, and her mom, and wondered if this was the end of it all, if she could be so fortunate. And then she decided that no matter what, with Daniel fighting by her side, she could handle it.
With a surge of light she opened her eyes and stood. The light spread across the room like a wave, halting the stones as they fell from the ceiling, halting time and space. Yuko screamed and vanished, as did the shadow creatures above. And then, with a mighty swooshing sound, Allie and the others were gone, pulled from the fortress and soaring across the world, across the ocean, and back to their homes.
Allie watched as Mount Rainier grew closer, the guiding light of Washington State. As they soared over the trees, the sun rising with their approach, one by one the former Strayers sank down to houses. They waved good-bye and called out their thanks. Allie smiled at Daniel and took his hand as they flew toward their apartment complex.
“I guess this means Chris is back, huh?” she said.
He nodded, then looked at her with worry. “And Paulette.”
“Yeah, the real her…”
“But Allie,” he said as they began their descent. “What about the soccer team? Your position?”
She shrugged, realizing that sometime in the last few hours she had come to understand there were more important things. “I suppose we’ll have to see.”
They landed in the parking lot and she hugged Daniel.
“See you at school,” he called out, walking toward his apartment.
She looked at the yellow sky, the sun now plainly visible. “Yeah, I hope so.”
In front of her own apartment, she paused with her hand on the door knob, surprised to hear yelling inside. She opened the door slightly, readying her ring for whatever awaited.
Chapter 14: The End
Allie put her ear against the crack of the door and was stunned to hear her dad yelling.
“I just got you back!” her dad said loudly, almost angrily. “And now our daughter’s missing?”
“She’s not missing,” her mom said calmly. “I told you, the ring, the stone that used to be in my necklace, it has powers and it—”
“Where do you come up with this stuff? First Allie, now you. I don’t—”
Allie had heard enough. She burst through the door and went running to her parents, calling out to them that she had returned and was safe. Her mom turned and clasped her mouth as her tears of joy filled her eyes, then ran and threw her arms around her daughter. Her dad stood with his mouth open.
“I thought you said she was off saving the world?” he said.
“I did, Dad,” Allie said, beaming. “I’m back.”
“Like I said.” Her mom kept one arm around her daughter as she turned to face her dad. “The ring chose her. I knew she would be all right.”
“Now hold on a minute!” her dad said, his voice rising again. “You put these ideas in your daughter’s head, playing these games, and she starts to believe they’re real. We can’t be….”
His voice trailed off as Allie lifted her ringed finger and created a circle of light around herself. He took a step back, then watched as Allie used the light to lift herself off the ground. She landed with a smile, staring expectantly at her dad.
“Well…I—I, well….” He stared, hands on his hips. Finally, he put his hands in his pockets and stared at Allie and his wife wide-eyed. “So, you saved the world, huh?”
“Yup,” Allie said.
“And that’s what you were doing, before?” he asked his wife.
“That’s right,” she said.
Her dad rubbed his eyes, then his ears. He moved to his daughter in one step and knelt down, hands on her shoulders. “And everything’s safe now?”
“We stopped the bad guys,” she said. “We got more of the armor, and kept the ring.”
“And it’s all over now?”
She cocked her head, pondering his question, then turned to her mom. “We stopped him, turned him into a snake, then Daniel stabbed him and he died. But… someone escaped, with Samyaza’s wings. We’re not done, are we?”
Her mom shook her head, sadly. “I’m sorry it has to be you, but no. The Bringers of Light are never done. If it’s not Samyaza, another evil force will challenge the world. The twelve fallen kings will see to that.”
Allie felt her heart freeze. “The twelve fallen kings? They wouldn’t happen to have red, glowing eyes? Appear as kind of shadow wisps or giants?”
“So you’ve seen them….” her mom said, face pale.
“Is that a bad sign?”
“It may be, or maybe not. It may even be that in your lifetime the ultimate battle between good and evil may not happen, but we don’t know. No one knows. You must always be there, ready to stand for what’s good. Can you do that, Allie?”
Allie thought back over everything she had been through, the battle at Kyrgyzstan, traveling the world, fighting demons in an otherworldly fortress. And only one question came to her mind.
“Will Daniel be with me?”
“He will,” Her mom said. “As long as you both keep hope, and know what you are fighting for, together you will stand victorious.”
“Then I’m ready for whatever the other guys can bring at me.”
***
Soon though, Allie had the opportunity to face a different sort of opponent: The coach gave her a shot at the soccer team.
She stood in her soccer jersey, jumping from side to side to warm up and looking back at Daniel on the sidelines. The whistle sounded and it was time to move. She ran for the ball. A tall girl passed it to a nearby girl with pigtails, and Allie sprinted with everything she had. The girl spun, then faked with the ball, moving right past Allie. But Allie wouldn’t give up so easy. This was her chance! She about-faced and ran after the girl, catching up with her mid-pass and blocking the ball in a perfect steal.
Several cheers came from the small crowd watching, and she knew it was her family and likely Daniel as well. The thought of them watching motivated her, gave her extra energy. She juggled the ball and ran for the opposing team’s goal. Brenda was open and, in spite of her wish not to, Allie saw she was blocked off and had to pass. She ran alongside Brenda, and then she was in the open, the goal in front of her. Brenda passed the ball back. Allie caught it with her instep, then kicked it forward, juggling it across the field. She ran and pulled back her leg, then let the ball fly. The goalie didn’t stand a chance.
Her teammates’ cheers erupted and Brenda gave her a high five, which felt quite odd to Allie. Brenda had always felt off to her, and she never really knew if she knew any of them. But she knew after a kick like that, she must have made the team. Her worries were behind her, and now she could live a normal, soccer-filled life.
Until the next world threatening crisis arose, that is. She knew it wasn’t over with that Yuko girl or the twelve shadow creatures, but she had made a promise to herself and Daniel to wait and ask Principal Eisner about that later, after they had enjoyed their normal lives for a while.
For now, she welcomed the cheers of her new teammates. She laughed at the corny wink her dad gave her and waved back to her mom and Ian. Paulette stood nearby, somewhat bashful.
“Hey Allie,” Paulette said. “I hope… I hope you know I would never have done any of that stuff…”
Allie looked around, not wanting to leave the joyous moment, but Paulette stepped close.
“It was like being in a car that you have no control over,” Paulette said. “Like I was trapped inside, screaming to get out, but I couldn't.”
Brenda joined them, but they fell silent as a tall ninth grader approached them. She wore a soccer uniform with a nice white sweater tied over her shoulders and walked with confidence.
“Oh my god,” Paulette said. “Is Cindy Valldee coming this way?”
“Who’s she?” Allie asked.
“The most popular girl in the school, are you serious?” Brenda said. “She�
��s captain of the varsity team. Oh my god, she must have been quite impressed…”
“Hey,” Cindy said when she stopped within ten feet, arms crossed. She tossed her blond ponytail back and stared right into Allie. “Nice stuff there, new kid. Me and some of the girls are getting together to discuss plans for the team, maybe go out for ice cream. You should join.”
Brenda and Paulette stared at Allie expectantly, the shock clearly visible on their faces. Allie couldn’t believe it. This was everything she had wanted—the soccer team, befriending the cool kids. She had it made!
“Sure,” she said coolly. “Why not?”
“Alright, come on,” Cindy said as she spun on her heel to head back to the school.
Allie took a step and looked back to wave bye to her family. They smiled after her, but Daniel stood by himself. Allie paused. She looked back at the three girls who now waited for her.
“You coming?” Cindy said with a hint of irritation.
“Maybe later,” Allie said.
Paulette glanced toward Daniel, where Allie had been looking. “You aren’t seriously going to go hang out with him?”
“He’s really cool,” Allie said, knowing it was true. “And if you’re lucky, maybe all of us can hang out sometime. But for now, I’ll see you all later.”
And with that she jogged over to Daniel, who stared at her in surprise as she approached.
“Where’s Chris?” she asked.
“Off with some other friends, trying to be cool, I guess. Will they ever learn?”
She laughed. “So that wasn’t part of Samyaza’s powers on him?”
“Afraid not.” Daniel laughed.
“Come on,” Allie said, throwing her arm around Daniel’s shoulders. “Let’s go get some ice cream, maybe see if my family wants to come?”
“Sure!” Daniel said. “And maybe I’ll call my dad and see if he wants to join?”
“Sounds great.”
As they walked toward her family, Allie couldn’t help thinking about the new light she saw her mom in. How all those times Allie had thought her mom was abandoning them, she was actually working to save the family, even the world.