The Witch; Stronghold; Underworld

by Ky Tyrand

  And that was exactly what she appeared to be doing. Wrinkles formed on the boy’s otherwise youthful face. His skin went pale, except for dark lines of pink and purple that spread across his face. His body draped flaccidly under him, unable to move a muscle. It was as if the Witch was injecting him with some kind of paralyzing venom that left him unable to fight back.

  Ki’ara could see that CST-1 was busy fighting for their lives. She wondered if they even knew what was happening to their leader.

  Je’nna’s cursing turned to pleading, begging the woman to release Darius.

  After what seemed like forever, Sirona finally opened her mouth, relinquishing Darius and letting him collapse to the floor.

  Blood dripped from the Witch’s chin as she turned her sights to Je’nna.

  It was clear that she hadn’t dropped Darius because of Je’nna’s begging. Rather, Sirona had thrown the boy aside because she was finished with him. She’d devoured all he had, and was ready for more. The Witch somehow looked years younger than she had only moments ago, as if she’d traded half a lifetime with Darius.

  And she was about to do the same with Je’nna.

  It explained why Sirona wanted more Descendants. She only needed two for her Amnesty. The rest would buy her decades of life.

  Ki’ara knew that she had to help, but didn’t know how. Every time she had thrown her Niksuru, Sirona just swatted them away. And if it wasn’t her weapon getting flung through the air, it was her entire body. But Darius had been able to break through her defenses…

  Thinking about how he’d done it, Ki’ara suddenly knew exactly how to stop this woman.

  The problem was, she already had her hands full. Her lone Niksuru sliced madly at vines that came at her without a moment’s rest. It was like cutting the head off a Hydra – each decapitation replaced by two more.

  But this couldn’t wait.

  If she didn’t act now, Je’nna may never be the same.

  Her plan wouldn’t work from here.

  Positioning was critical.

  Ki’ara hacked any vines that bound her with a final swipe of her blade, and jumped, dodging and cutting whipping tentacles as she flew through the air. She soared above the fray, aiming for a spot that wasn’t teaming with living vines.

  At least, not yet.

  Sirona spotted her, tracking the girl’s movements with her white eyes, while waving her hands to knock her aside, or throw her across the cavern.

  Recognizing the attack, Ki’ara released the G.R. and dropped. She was higher than she’d thought, and came down much faster than expected. Were it not for the armor, the girl knew she would have broken something.

  She was about to stand when another telekinetic assault came at her, forcing her to press her body flat to the ground as the surge brushed over her back.

  Springing to her feet, Ki’ara bolted. But an instant later she had to dive and roll, dodging another violent attack from the Witch.

  Sirona was clearly getting frustrated, throwing everything she had at the Princess.

  Ki’ara kept moving. She knew that she was tempting fate, but it was imperative she found the perfect position. Attacking any sooner was futile.

  There!

  The Witch cursed at the girl’s ability to evade, but grinned when the Princess stopped to throw her weapon.

  Breaking her cardinal rule, Ki’ara hurled her Niksuru with all her might. It zipped toward Sirona at top speed, slicing three vines along the way. She sped the Blue Energy particles as much as she could. The girl hadn’t found anything that her Niksuru wouldn’t cut through in this state, and couldn’t risk the Witch’s shield stopping the powerful blades.

  This was her one chance.

  With a smug yawn, Sirona waved the spinning weapon aside, directing it straight at CST-1, exactly as she had done before.

  But this time she included a gasp and a gurgle.

  Her white eyes went wide, then darkened.

  Her black hair dropped, no longer weightless.

  When she looked down, Sirona found a searing beam of blue plasma protruding from her chest.

  39

  The Witch never saw it coming.

  Deception had been the key to Darius being able to shoot Sirona, and deception had been the key to Ki’ara pulling her second Niksuru into the woman’s back.

  Je’nna’s knees landed on the ground an instant after Sirona’s did.

  Centuries of age caught up with the Witch in a single instant, as her stolen youth shriveled and withered away, until all that remained was the face of a decrepit hag.

  With a final breath, she teetered and fell forward.

  But her body never hit the floor. At least, not in a material form. The girls expected her to drop with a thud against the hard stone. Instead, a black cloud of evil fog whooshed out from where she should have landed, vanishing in the dim cavern, leaving nothing but Ki’ara’s glowing Niksuru in the place where her body ought to lay.

  As suddenly as the Witch died, so too did the vines stop their vicious assault on CST-1; hanging, retracting, or freezing in place. Apart from their heavy breathing, and everyone gathering their composure, the cavern was silent.

  Except for Je’nna.

  Ki’ara had never witnessed the hardened girl cry before.

  She was at Darius’s side, rolling him onto his back while weeping and begging for him to be okay.

  One glance at his face told everyone that he would not. The boy looked like an old man, aged nearly a century. He wasn’t stirring. Wasn’t breathing.

  Kai’ji crouched beside the CST-1 leader, putting his fingers on the boy’s neck while hovering his magical scepter over Boss’s unmoving chest. He confirmed everyone’s fears with a shake of his head.

  “No,” croaked Je’nna, as she began hammering her fists against Darius’s lifeless body.

  The members of CST-1 surrounded their fallen comrade, with Ki’ara at their side. Their bodies sagged as they watched him, with expressions of sadness painted on their faces.

  It didn’t seem real.

  One moment, Darius was alive and fighting. The next he was just … gone.

  When Je’nna didn’t stop her assault on the boy’s chest, Boomer finally caught her hand, picking her up as she fought and kicked and cried. Eventually she slowed and, after throwing out more obscenities, returned Boomer’s hug.

  The mood was somber as Je’nna and the team lifted Boss to their shoulders, and followed Ki’ara out.

  “Oops,” muttered Boomer, dropping something into the hollow tree column as they passed by.

  Ki’ara looked back and saw that Kai’ji’s eyes were wide, and realized the soldiers had picked up the pace, ushering her to do the same. Following the light of Ki’ara’s Niksuru, they hustled to the exit tunnel as a loud explosion erupted in the cavern behind them, shaking the floor and sending a wave of pressure, heat, and smoke chasing after them.

  The Witch’s traps seemed to have dispelled. The murky fog at the bottom of the entrance shaft was gone, with no signs of the critters that had been lurking there on the way in. More importantly, the jungle outside Sirona’s cottage was calm, and the team was able to march straight down a path that led to the road.

  They found several horses tied to trees at the bottom of the trail, leaving Ki’ara to wonder what Sirona had meant about the fate of the Guardsmen. She told CST-1 what had happened back at the Inn, and how the men had followed them here. “Sirona said that they’ve joined the ranks of her own guard. Whatever that means.”

  The Royal Guardsmen didn’t seem to be attacking at the moment, which was enough.

  Amidst tears and sniffles, they carefully slid Darius into the back of the rover, while Ki’ara cut the horses free.

  CST-1 had lost their guns to Sirona’s magic, but silently packed the rest of their gear back into the well-organized compartments.

  After having grown rather attached to the Grav-Regulator, Ki’ara reluctantly handed it back, mentioning how great it worked.

>   Ashley snatched it from her, along with Je’nna’s, putting them back in their proper spots. After slamming the cabinet door, she glared at the other girls.

  “I blame you both for this,” she hissed. Her eyes were cold. She looked ready to kill.

  Ki’ara’s eyes fell to the ground, but she feared Je’nna might draw her blasters on the soldier. Despite being more than a foot shorter than Ashley, Je’nna seemed ready to fight her, right then and there. Were it not for Boomer stepping in, there’s no telling what would have happened.

  After Ashley gave them another dirty look, and climbed into the Rover, Ki’ara said sadly, “She’s right. This is my fault. You’re all here because of me. Darius…”

  Boomer put a hand up to stop her.

  “Darius led a dangerous life in a dangerous world,” he said softly. Ki’ara had never heard the boisterous young man sound so sad. “He knew the risks. We all did. A good man died today, Ki’ara. There’s no undoing that.” Letting out a breath, Boomer shook his head. “But had you not come after us, and been able to get through that jungle when none of us could, and taken out that … Witch, four more of us would also have died. You saved us, Ki’ara. You have my respect. And Kai’ji’s. And even Ashley’s, though she’ll never admit it.” Seeing the scowl on Je’nna’s face, he added. “She’s in a lot of pain right now, Je’nna. Just like you. But she’ll heal. We all will.”

  Je’nna wiped her eyes and nodded.

  “We’ll see you back at Sanctuary,” said Boomer, before climbing into the back seat. Through the glass, Ki’ara could see the members of CST-1 all staring at the empty driver’s seat. A moment later, the door opened back up and Boomer stepped out. Without saying a word, he climbed into the front seat and the Rover drove off.

  Ki’ara followed Je’nna to where she’d stashed her bike. “I’m sorry about Darius,” she said.

  “Don’t,” replied Je’nna.

  “Don’t what?”

  “Don’t feel guilty; or don’t say you know he was important to me; or don’t tell me it’s going to be okay; or just … don’t say whatever you were going to say.”

  Je’nna’s armor wrapped around her, capped by her helmet. She threw her leg over the seat and waited for Ki’ara to climb on the back.

  But Ki’ara had stopped. “I can’t go back, Je’nna.”

  Seeing that the other girl was serious, Je’nna let go of the bike. Her helmet came off. “What do you mean?”

  Ki’ara looked down, gently kicking at a tree root. “If I step foot in Sanctuary again, do you honestly think Mother will let me leave?”

  Now it was Je’nna’s turn to look down.

  “I need to find a way to help Sir Grue’gan, and I can’t do it if I’m trapped there.”

  After a moment of pondering, Je’nna nodded. “Alright then. Let’s go.”

  Ki’ara’s jaw dropped. “Really?”

  Je’nna shrugged. “If we don’t find a way to help him, Darius will have died for nothing.”

  The Princess let out a breath. She didn’t think Je’nna would agree so easily, and wondered if it was a trick to get her onto the bike. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “So, where do we start?”

  Ki’ara forced a weak smile. “Mother mentioned a man called the Traveler. Do you know how to find him?”

  “The Traveler?” Je’nna was taken aback. “Why would you want to find him?”

  “Because,” said Ki’ara, “I know of a great healer, Je’nna. One even more powerful than Sirona.” The other girl’s eyebrows were up. So far, so good. The next part would be difficult for her friend to wrap her head around … “But she is not of this world.”

  Je’nna stared at her for a moment, as if the Princess had said something completely idiotic. Ki’ara was prepared for a scoffing, ridiculing response. But it never came. Instead, Je’nna replied, “His name is To’mas.”

  Ki’ara jumped at the name. “To’mas!?!”

  The other girl nodded, furled her eyebrows.

  “Are his eyes kind of reddish?”

  “Yeah,” nodded Je’nna, surprised that the Princess would know that.

  Suddenly deep in thought, Ki’ara began pacing around the bike.

  “What is it?” asked Je’nna.

  Ki’ara stopped and faced her. “I met him. Back in Stronghold. He had my Mu’turi, and was thrown in prison because of it. He could still be there…”

  “I doubt it.”

  “Why not?” asked Ki’ara.

  “Because,” replied Je’nna, “They don’t call him the Traveler because he spends a lot of time in cells.”

  “It’s a place to start.”

  “Let me get this straight,” said Je’nna. “With all of your uncle’s soldiers searching for you, you want to break into the prison at Stronghold?”

  Ki’ara shrugged. “It’s all I’ve got.”

  Je’nna stared at her for a moment, giving Ki’ara a look that made the Princess feel like her mental stability was in question.

  Finally, Je’nna replied, “Okay. Get on.”

  After the girls raced off down the winding road, a lone man appeared from the shadows of the jungle. He was battered and bruised, his tattoos hidden by layers of blood. The Royal Guard uniform that barely fit him was torn and tattered beyond recognition.

  The jungle hadn’t claimed him like it had the others. But the stump at his wrist, bound tightly with red bandages, was no longer his gravest injury.

  Nevertheless, he was alive.

  Though he didn’t fear death, there had been moments of concern. Not for his life – only that he would not be able to complete his task.

  That was no longer the case. One way or another, he would see this through.

  That girl would get what was coming to her.

  Had he clawed his way out of the jungle an instant sooner, he could have caught her, right then and there. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to move as quickly as he would have liked. Not after the strange attacks from the jungle itself – the same attacks that stole all his men.

  Nevertheless, he’d heard enough to know exactly where the little Princess was going. Back to where it had happened; to where she’d taken so much from him.

  A fitting place for what he had in store for the girl.

  Noticing the horses were gone, the man tapped the communicator on his wrist, surprised to find that it was still working.

  “Warton, how are the repairs to the Rovers going?”

  “One is operational, sir,” said a voice through the communicator. “Still working on the other.”

  A grin slid across the man’s tattooed face. “Leave the second Rover, we won’t be needing it. Load up your crap and come get me,” he said.

  “Just you, sir?”

  “The others are dead,” said the man, before adding, “And send a message to Stronghold. Tell them the Princess is on her way.”

  40

  “His name was Darius,” Ki’ara said sadly, as Mark stood beside her, watching the ripples from the waterfall spread out and dissipate across the pond. “He gave his life trying to help me.”

  “I’m sorry,” he told her.

  “It’s Je’nna I’m worried about,” the girl sniffled. “She’s acting strong, but I know it’s killing her.”

  Mark frowned, and nodded. “How is Sir Grue’gan?”

  “I don’t know.” She looked up at the boy. “I can’t go back there until I’ve found a way to heal him.”

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  “I’m hoping for your help … for your friend’s help.”

  “Anything. How?”

  “Mark, if I can find a way to your Cedarwood Grove, do you think your friend Jessi would return with me, and help heal Sir Grue’gan?”

  The boy didn’t say a word. He just stared at her with those piercing gray eyes, until his lips curled up into a smile.

  Part 2: Stronghold

  1

  “It won’t take long on the bike,” said Je’n
na. “But they’ll know we’re coming.”

  “They’ll know we’re coming, and then we’ll be staring at Stronghold from outside its walls,” added Ki’ara.

  Je’nna nodded. “There’s an Abnukadin inside Stronghold. I’ve seen it on my map.”

  “There are two,” corrected Ki’ara.

  Je’nna seemed surprised. “Two?”

  “Yes, one in the private gardens…”

  “And the other?”

  Ki’ara smiled. “Gather your gear, hide your bike, and I’ll show you.”

  After their battle with Sirona the night before, the girls had ridden the Hoverbike back down the mountain to the hills just outside of Valley’s End. They camped inside the Abnukadin that Ki’ara had jumped to after her escape from Sanctuary. It was a small circle compared to others, but plenty large enough for them to hide and recover around a warm fire.

  The night had been somber, but Je’nna pretended it was like any other. She refused to acknowledge Darius as more than an acquaintance, and made like what had happened to him was a job-associated risk.

  This morning, however, Ki’ara had awoken to the sound of Je’nna crying, which stopped the moment she realized the Princess was awake. There was no question Je’nna was hurting, whether she wanted to admit it, or not. Ki’ara knew that her friend saw herself as a fighter, and didn’t like to show weakness of any kind. But, regardless of their relationship, Darius had given his life to save Je’nna. That in itself was reason to mourn.

  All Ki’ara could do was let Je’nna know that she was there for her, without pressing the matter. It made for some awkward moments, but now that they were formulating a plan to get into Stronghold, the girls were both focused and determined.

  A few moments later, the pair had packed their camp and the bright light of the jungle had given way to complete darkness.

  Deep growling rumbled through their ears.

  Ki’ara’s Niksuru lit up the small room, exposing the muzzles of three giant wolves. Their lips were curled, teeth shiny and ready to bite.