The Witch; Stronghold; Underworld

by Ky Tyrand

  Princess OF THE Gods

  Trilogy 2: Guardian’s Quest

  Part 1: The Witch

  Part 2: Stronghold

  Part 3: Underworld

  By Ky Tyrand

  ©2018 Ky Tyrand

  Contents

  Part 1: The Witch

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  31

  32

  33

  34

  35

  36

  37

  38

  39

  40

  Part 2: Stronghold

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  31

  32

  33

  34

  35

  36

  37

  38

  39

  40

  Part 3: Underworld

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  29

  30

  31

  32

  33

  34

  35

  36

  37

  38

  39

  40

  41

  42

  43

  44

  45

  46

  47

  48

  49

  50

  Part 1: The Witch

  1

  “A powerful ally will die.”

  The boy’s eyebrows went up. He let out a breath. “Who do you think it could be?”

  “I don’t know,” the girl shrugged. She knew that he believed her. Ki’ara’s Visions always came true, in one fashion or another. And Mark was one of the few people she could talk to about it. He didn’t ask if she was sure, just seemed to take it for granted that whatever she saw or felt was going to happen. It made talking about her curse much easier; not having to convince people that her premonitions would become reality, only to have them snicker or pretend to believe her just because of who she was. Who she had been. “I no longer have many powerful allies.”

  “You think it might be Sir Grue’gan,” said Mark.

  Ki’ara found it hard to breathe. She didn’t understand how her premonitions could sometimes be so clear, and yet at the same time, so vague. If she could have at least seen a face, she wouldn’t be wondering who, or how, or why someone was going to die. “It could also be Je’nna,” she said, looking away and wiping a tear from her cheek. “Or you.”

  “Me?” The boy seemed surprised at the suggestion. “You think I’m powerful?”

  “Of course I do,” she said without hesitation. Mark was no longer the confused boy she’d met just a few short days ago. He was confident, and had a strength about him that he didn’t even know he had.

  The other night, the pair had stayed up talking, learning all about one another. Ki’ara had told him about the attack on her home, and how her father had been betrayed by his own brother and killed by the Keeper’s demons. It was still so painful to talk about, and didn’t make her premonition any easier to digest. She also explained how Sir Grue’gan had gotten her out of Stronghold, and how Je’nna had saved her from the Black Rose, before being poisoned by a Wyvern.

  The boy’s eyes got wider and wider as Ki’ara described how she ultimately defeated the Keeper. It was clearly more than he was expecting.

  Mark lived in a land he called Washington, and said that there were no Wyverns or Demonheads there. And yet, just like with Ki’ara’s Visions, he never questioned that she was telling the truth. At one point he shrugged and said that superpowers weren’t supposed to be real, either. Whatever that meant.

  Ki’ara had no idea what superpowers were, but she knew that Mark could do things that other people could not.

  But so could she. Does that mean I have superpowers? She didn’t feel super. Or powerful.

  The more time she spent with the boy, the more she wished he could be here with her in the real world. Or she could be there with him, in his land without monsters. Together, somehow.

  Ki’ara had no idea where Washington was in relation to Avalon. But they had searched their own Abnukadins for any clues that could lead them to one another. Both of them had been unsuccessful.

  Mark offered half a smile and assured her, “Well, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m not dying anytime soon.”

  That didn’t help. “You already died, once,” she reminded him. Mark frowned. “That was just bad luck.”

  “It was good luck that your friend got to you in time, and was powerful enough to heal you, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.” Ki’ara wiped her cheek again, before adding, “Please keep her close to you, Mark.” Why does that feel so hard to say?

  The boy opened his mouth to reply, but a terrifying shout brought Ki’ara back to the real world.

  2

  The girl was on her feet before she’d even blinked her eyes open.

  The camp was exactly as it had been before she went to sleep, except for one thing: Sir Grue’gan was no longer in his bed – he was lying in the grass beside the shelter Ki’ara had crafted, crying out in pain.

  The Princess was at his side in an instant, trying to make sense of what had happened. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  Ki’ara noticed that Je’nna was now standing over her shoulder. As always, the girl with the pink pig-tails carried her weapons on her person – a hi-tech blaster on each thigh, a folded rifle on her back, and several knives, daggers, and gadgets, all strategically positioned on her body for quick access during a time of need. They were held in place by the mysterious Mu’turi that not only flowed through her blood, but also made up her outfit. “He just … collapsed,” she said.

  The Guardian’s legs seemed to have crumpled beneath him, pulling him down into a massive heap. His face was twisted and red, unable to mask the pain.

  Sir Grue’gan was the strongest, toughest man Ki’ara had ever known. But his expression said it all. He was in agony.

  “Feels like … somebody’s … Gods this hurts,” he muttered between sharp breaths.

  “Can you move? Can you get back to the platform?” Ki’ara tried to
help, but didn’t really know what to do for the man.

  “Yuh,” Grue’gan turned to his side. His face looked like it was going to explode. “Nope. Just gonna lie here for a bit.”

  The ancient stone circle that surrounded them had been working to heal all three of its occupants since they’d arrived. But none more than Sir Grue’gan. The bullet in his back should have killed him on the spot. But, by some miracle, it hadn’t. Against all odds, the girls had gotten him here. And he’d been near death when they had. But, with the magical energies of the Abnukadin constantly flowing through him, Ki’ara thought that he’d been recovering.

  It wasn’t enough.

  Ki’ara looked to Je’nna for help.

  The pink-haired girl shook her head and rolled her eyes, before crouching at Grue’gan’s side.

  Despite being small, Je’nna was remarkably strong. But Grue’gan was massive, his muscles solid.

  “He’s as heavy as a horse,” muttered Je’nna. “Phah, and smells worse than one.”

  In the end, all they could do was straighten him out.

  “Ahhhg,” Grue’gan growled with every movement until he was lying flat on the ground. “Leave me be!”

  The girls backed away, sharing a look of concern as the man tried to breathe his way through the pain, not unlike a mother on the birthing table.

  “Should’ve fished out the bullet,” muttered Je’nna.

  Ki’ara shook her head. “No. It would have killed him,” she whispered. “We did the right thing. Can your people in Sanctuary help him?”

  Je’nna shrugged. “Maybe. If we can get him there. But he’s in a bad way right now.” Pointing a thumb over her shoulder, she added, “And your disk do-dad is currently housing a mass murderer. I could empty it, if you’d like.”

  Ki’ara understood her meaning. The Keeper was trapped inside Grue’gan’s special storage container – a disk about the size of a buckler. Ki’ara intended to take the killer to Je’nna’s people in Sanctuary so that someone wiser than herself could deal with him.

  She’d had the option to kill him. And, having murdered Ki’ara’s father and countless others, the man certainly deserved it. But the truth was, Ki’ara had killed somebody once and never wanted to do it again. And, deep down, she figured this monster deserved much worse.

  “Describe it to me,” she told Je’nna.

  “Describe what? … What I would do to the Keeper to make room for your Guardian?”

  Ki’ara didn’t want to imagine that, despite what the man had done. “Do you really think Sir Grue’gan would let us put him back into that thing?” The Guardian hadn’t even been aware that the girls had used the device to carry him here until just a short while ago. Ki’ara was certain that, even in this state of agony, he would resist in a fierce way. Besides, there would be no way to monitor him in there. He could die, and they wouldn’t even know it until they opened the compartment. She picked up the storage disk and slung it over her shoulders like a backpack. “Sanctuary. What does it look like? Where is it located?”

  Je’nna was confused, but answered, “It’s different. Beautiful. Like being outside while you’re inside. The ceilings are like the sky, and the walls are lined with crystal that reflects the light …”

  Ki’ara walked over to the nearest stone column – one of several that formed the structure that encircled them – and placed a hand on the face. Ancient symbols covered every stone in its entirety, and the ones under her palm began to glow. “There is an Abnukadin there, in Sanctuary?”

  “Yes,” said Je’nna, curious and uncertain as to what the Princess was up to.

  Ki’ara closed her eyes, letting the images of thousands of places fill her head, while trying to envision Je’nna’s description. Ceilings that are like the sky, and walls lined with crystal… Ki’ara pulled her chin back and looked at Je’nna. “How can that be?”

  “How can what be?”

  “Where did you say it was?” asked Ki’ara.

  Je’nna crossed her arms, beginning to get frustrated with the other girl’s odd behavior. “It’s a couple day’s walk to the East. Why, what are you doing?”

  Ki’ara frowned. “I can see it – the place you’re describing – it’s just… It doesn’t make sense.”

  “What doesn’t?”

  “Sanctuary – it’s not in just one place … it’s like it’s in several places all at once.”

  Je’nna smiled, finally understanding why Ki’ara was so confused. “It is in several places at once. That’s how it remains hidden.”

  “Huh,” acknowledged Ki’ara. Despite how strange that sounded, she accepted the answer. Through images brought out of the stones, she could see Sanctuary, with its crystal columns, and ceilings that looked like blue sky, exactly as Je’nna had described. And, more importantly, she could see the code…

  Ki’ara had been studying the symbols since she’d arrived here, and knew where most of them could be found even without the ancient structure guiding her. But it did nonetheless, showing her the location of each and every mark, along with the specific order they needed to be activated.

  Je’nna watched as the other girl darted from column to column, pressing symbols one-by-one, just like she herself had done when they needed to activate the Abnukadin’s healing powers. Every symbol that Ki’ara pressed was left glowing with a faint red light, as she ran to the next symbol as fast as she could.

  After touching several of them in rapid succession, Ki’ara stopped and looked at Je’nna. Her hand cautiously hovered over a symbol that Je’nna recognized all too well – not from the Abnukadin, but from within Sanctuary. Circles joined together in a star-like pattern. Je’nna had always thought that it was nothing but a decoration; a pretty mark that the Builders had left behind when they constructed the city. But clearly it was a part of the sequence Ki’ara was coding into the ancient device.

  The last symbol.

  There was a hesitation – an uncertainty as to what would happen. Ki’ara had wanted to try this since the day she had learned that it could be done. But the girl had no idea what would really happen when she finished the code. For all she knew, it would kill them all. She had to trust that Mark would have warned her if he thought it was dangerous.

  Grue’gan groaned from his spot on the ground, in too much agony to understand what the Princess was doing.

  Ki’ara needed to help him, and knew of no other way. She blew out a breath and let her fingers touch the warm stone.

  3

  The glyph lit up, just like the others had. But now the glow brightened – not just around this symbol, all of them.

  A loud crack made them jump, as a flash of light shot between two of the stone columns. It happened again, right beside them; and then to another pair on the far side of the circle. Bolts of electricity were suddenly crackling all around them, leaping from stone to stone.

  Ki’ara wondered if she’d done something wrong – if she should be trying to get Grue’gan and Je’nna out of the Abnukadin. But before anyone could react, the lightning jumped from the perimeter into the middle of the circle, and to everyone inside.

  Their bodies went numb as blinding light flashed everywhere.

  And, just as quickly, the dancing electricity suddenly stopped.

  Blinking eyes adjusted.

  The sky had changed, ever so slightly. So did the temperature. Cooler. More comfortable. The smells of the jungle were gone. The air was still pleasant and fresh, but different somehow.

  The stones of the Abnukadin were suddenly taller, towering over them, with symbols that were no longer weathered and eroded, making them look brand new. The jungle backdrop was gone, replaced by columns and walls of sparkling crystal, just like Ki’ara had seen in her vision of this place. What surprised her was that the camp within the circle didn’t come with them – no shelter or fire pit – only people and what little gear they had left.

  Her eyes fell on Je’nna’s, whose expression showed just as much awe as her own. The
difference was Je’nna had been here before. But never in her life had she teleported through an Abnukadin.

  “What the Hell … is going on?”

  The raspy croak drew Ki’ara’s attention, and she ran to Grue’gan, who now lay on metallic silver tiles in place of grass.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, “How do you feel?”

  “Couldn’t be better,” he lied, clearly still in a lot of pain. “Where are we?”

  “This is Sanctuary,” said Ki’ara. “Je’nna’s home.”

  “Ah,” he whispered. “Help me up.”

  Ki’ara shook her head. “No. Don’t move. Je’nna will get help.”

  “I am a Guardian,” the man growled, forcing himself to his side. “I don’t need help.” His face was red and dripping with sweat, but he was determined to pick himself up.

  Ki’ara tried to protest, but he waved her off, somehow getting his knees under him and pushing himself to his feet. “Rrrruhh,” slid out of his throat as he stood, once again towering over the girls. “I don’t need help,” he repeated.

  It was hard to believe how big the man was – tall and broad, his body thick with muscle from head to toe. That, coupled with his grim, scarred face, was enough to frighten the bravest of warriors. But Ki’ara knew a little secret about him: Despite his intimidating appearance, and the fact that he was as dangerous as he looked, deep down inside, he was a great big teddy bear.

  Though terribly concerned, Ki’ara couldn’t help but smile up at the man sworn to protect her. It was good to see him on his feet.

  “Je’nna?”

  The voice behind them made the trio turn.

  A woman stood between two of the stone columns. She looked small next to the megalithic structure, but Ki’ara could tell she was average height, if not slightly taller. She had a wave of silver hair pulled in front of her shoulder that poured all the way down to the middle of her thigh. The color of her long mane made the woman look more mature than her youthful features might suggest, but matched the sleek fabric of her shimmering uniform.

  Her eyes were a brilliant contrast to the platinum and white of her hair and outfit. At first Ki’ara thought the crystal blue was a reflection of the sky-colored ceiling. But when the woman stepped closer, Ki’ara wondered if it was the other way around – if the entire sky was a reflection of her eyes.