by Amanda Churi
“Hang in there!” Seek begged, forcing herself to look away from the stricken child and back in front of her. She took a deep breath, her body suddenly becoming veiled in such a harsh sheen that she took on the appearance of a moving star. Screaming, she pushed out her hands in front of her chest, a beam of harsh light shooting from her fingertips and towards something I had been oblivious to.
An expanse of black quickly approached us—a large rift where the earth split and fell away, forming a pit so wide and deep it could swallow anything that challenged its power.
The light collided violently with the edge of the crevice, a mystical burst of white stardust exploding into the air with a loud crunch as the light zoomed across the large drop like a sheet of glass, shimmering and expanding so that it created a thin, translucent bridge connecting the two land masses. The bridge was so narrow that it hardly looked wide enough for one person, and there was nothing to hold onto if you lost your footing.
“There’s no way I’m crossing that!” Mabel shrieked.
“You will if you want to live!” Seek hollered back. “Follow me!”
Mabel whimpered in distress, but she did not protest further, though I was definitely on her side this time.
Driven by fear, I decided to play with fire and follow her. Seek was the first to step onto the white, glistening bridge. The moment that her bare foot touched her stream of magic, a light ding sounded through the air, illuminating her footsteps so that one could see her direct path.
I slowed down slightly, hooking Coruscus to my side before cautiously treading the narrow path. I shook uncontrollably, the air escaping my lungs and refusing to return.
The divide was more than just a rift; it was a ragged, sharp cut in the Earth where the crust pulled apart, opening itself to depths of the Underworld. The abyss was black—a sheer drop off from the face of the Earth. The walls were encrusted with gray ice which jutted out from the earth in an attempt to pierce any who fell, making their final moments all the more torturous. From the side we had come from, waves of bone-chilling white mist flowed towards the edge of the crevice, cascading mythically into the abyss.
I could hardly move as I stared at the death trap below us. Hell was fire… This was ice.
Swallowing heavily, I forced myself to look up, pushing my speed once more as I kept my eyes locked onto Seek’s back. Don’t look down, don’t look down, I told myself over and over, knowing that I needed to continue unless I wanted to face annihilation.
“Keep going!” a gruff voice came when I was almost halfway across. My focus was immediately broken. I came to a pause on the bridge, staring back from where I had come.
The tyrant after us stood at the base of the bridge, his jaw hanging as he stared at his chest. An arrowhead was sticking straight through his gut, the henchman watching his figure heavily distort around the site of impalement. He must have been more than a shadow or ghost if he was fazed by an injury.
The arrowhead suddenly opened, three metal claws reaching out from the spear so that it changed to a grapple, digging into the man’s chest. He moaned in distress, his cry spiking as he was suddenly yanked back through the air by the hook in his stomach, flying at least a hundred feet before crashing to the ground on his back. Kaitlyn stood at his head, her face covered in blood as she clenched her bow, glaring down furiously.
Having gained some time, she left him there, running in our direction to join us before it was too late.
“Go, Eero!” Mabel screamed, directly behind me and snapping me back into reality as I continued my run across the bridge. Seek was already on the other side, anxiously holding her small hands to her mouth as she waited to see if we made it.
I almost screamed with joy when my feet touched solid ground, stumbling on the earth and pressing my hands to my knees as I caught my breath. The others quickly came across after I had, our whole team making it across safely; the only one we stood there waiting for was Kaitlyn, who had only just begun crossing the trench. She held her bow out in front of her at zero degrees, helping her keep her balance as she pushed her speed to the limit. I couldn’t believe that she didn’t fall; she was a trooper from every angle.
“Come on!” Seek screamed encouragingly. “You can do it!”
Kaitlyn didn’t respond, keeping her attention solely on where she ran.
A flicker of purple suddenly infiltrated the corner of my eye. I looked away from Kaitlyn in confusion, noticing that the area that the henchman had previously occupied was now empty.
I didn’t even get to warn Kaitlyn; he seemed to appear from thin air.
She was approximately half-way across before there was a loud, horrific shriek, Kaitlyn hesitantly looking over her shoulder just as a ball of black matter exploded against her spine. She screamed in misery, her clothes steaming and body stumbling forward as her balance betrayed her, causing her to be thrown off the side of the bridge. Her warrior-like instincts kicked in almost immediately, her fingers locking around the edge of the glass bridge. She hung there by one hand, grunting in distress and dangling above the abyss, struggling to hold on.
“Kaitlyn!” Seek shrieked.
“I’ll help!” Sybil proclaimed, leaping off of Laelia’s shoulder and jumping into the air, gliding across the rift towards Kaitlyn.
At the foot of the bridge stood the henchman, smiling smugly and looking perfectly unharmed as he saw his original bait hanging there helplessly. Scoffing in amusement, he stepped onto the bridge of light, his presence immediately causing his location to turn black and purple.
Kaitlyn turned her head towards his advancing figure, scowling. Sybil reached her, grabbing the back of her shirt with her small claws, struggling to fly upwards and carry her to safety “Come… On!” Sybil groaned.
Kaitlyn refused to move, her eyes staring down the evil spirit. Taking a deep breath, Kaitlyn stiffened her hold on her bow, preparing to give it her all. “Get back,” she warned, Sybil whimpering shamefully as she let her go.
She took a moment to position her bow under the bridge exactly how she wanted it before briefly looking back towards Seek, whose eyes were wide and desperate.
Kaitlyn gave her a simple nod of the head. Seek didn’t respond, white tears falling profusely from her eyes.
Looking away from her ally, Kaitlyn glanced back at the man who was almost upon her, growling furiously. “You lost again, scum!” she cackled, shoving the corner of her silver bow into the bottom of the bridge as hard as she could, the sound of shattering glass reverberating through the air as the illusion that Seek created was broken.
The man looked down fearfully as cracks zipped beneath his feet, the bridge crumbling under their weight. A second later, the chunk of glass which Kaitlyn held onto disintegrated in her hand, our short-term ally screaming as her hold on the outside world was lost, and she was sent flying down into the Underworld at violent speeds. The darkness swallowed her within seconds.
The spirit went with her as his own pathway vanished, freefalling into the blackness as well. His red eyes glared up at us vengefully, his sharp, high-pitched, and furious scream echoing in the crevice until he had fallen so far that his cries became consumed by the depths.
Sybil floated there, staring down with wide eyes that were about to pop. Distraught, she looked back in our direction, though none of us moved.
A muffled boom echoed up from the crevice, our eyes broad with shock when a metal arrow with a thick wire attached shot up from the depths, sinking into the side of the embankment with a deep thunk.
Seek gasped in amazement, rushing away from us and staring down into the abyss with large, hopeful eyes.
The coil attached to the end of the arrow began to whir like a motor, the wire sucked into the thick shaft as it retracted its metal string.
From the darkness, a small figure suddenly came into view, clutching the end of the wire for dear life. Kaitlyn stared down into the abyss as the arrow pulled her back to safety; ice encrusted strands of her red hair, and her ski
n was slightly blue from the extremity of the temperatures far below.
The wire brought her back to the surface, pausing just before there was no coil left to hold onto. Seek dropped to her knees, extending her thin arms towards her friend, who quickly grabbed them. She pulled with all of the strength in her small body, miraculously managing to hurl Kaitlyn to safety.
Kaitlyn hit the cold ground on her stomach, gasping with relief. She looked at Seek with flustered eyes, her teeth chattering as she tried to speak. “I l-lost my bow,” she shivered.
“Don’t worry about it!” Seek exclaimed, throwing her arms around her friend in a massive hug. “I thought you were done for!”
Kaitlyn scoffed. “Like you would be so lucky.”
Seek fell quiet, pulling back and glancing over her friend’s body. “You know that won’t kill him, though…”
“I know,” Kaitlyn responded, sitting up with much effort before focusing her attention on our small group just as Sybil returned from the chasm, sitting on top of Laelia’s head, which continued to radiate darkness from the attack. “I bought us time,” she announced. “How much, I don’t know, but while he’s off of our trail, we need to get to Aphrite. That’s our best chance. You guys better not give us more trouble.”
I shamefully lowered my head. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I was just trying to protect—”
She waved a hand at me dismissively. “It doesn’t matter; it’s over and done with. Just know this…”
She stood up slowly, rolling her shoulders before taking a daunting step towards me, her hand lightly wrapping around my throat. Her blue eyes narrowed furiously, reflecting my frightened face. The frozen blood on her cheeks cracked as her mouth curled into a threatening smirk, her grip slightly intensifying.
“Seek believes in you and the girl.” She gave my neck a harsh squeeze, nearly crushing my windpipe to get her point across. “But I don’t,” she mumbled through the growl rising in her throat. “Try to hurt her again, and trust me…
“You will pay.”
Nine
Rise
It hadn’t even been a day since the quickly growing kingdom of Phantome had discovered their new ruler, and already, things were in full swing. Everyone was confused and astounded about how such an unknown, yet strong presence, had been entrusted to look over them. Despite the chants and bows of glorification, trust in the young leader was minimal; too little was known about him, and his appearance just seemed too sudden. Had it not been for the elder, the civilians would have taken matters into their own hands and be rid themselves of the possible threat, specifically for his possible connection to the evil spirits, yet as they looked to their sides and saw the people standing next to them whose departures had once shattered their hearts, they couldn’t help but listen and think that maybe, just maybe, this was actually the Lord’s wish.
Of course, Kevin knew otherwise. He was no saint; he had been chained to Hell at birth because of his magical origin.
Surprise couldn’t even begin to describe how Kevin felt as he stood in front of the lowered drawbridge, his eyes wide with disbelief as he observed his soon to be home. This was all happening so quickly. A week ago, he had parted from his friends who were as close as family, and now, with a sword in hand, he was ready to step into the castle that had condemned him to death and take charge himself.
The sun was setting over the vast ocean which the castle sat upon, its vibrant orange and red rays dancing across the heavily churning waves as they beat themselves against the stone beams. The breeze was strong, Kevin’s loose clothing flapping in the gusts as he stared out at the large fortress. He was stiff, his face stern as he took in the challenge before him. Daisy and Lucy stood a foot or so behind him, Daisy gawking in the direction of the castle with one hand around Tripp’s reins. Lucy’s eyes bore into her lover’s back. A faint smile was on her face as she clutched the child’s hand protectively. Both she and Kevin had started out at the bottom of the barrel when they were young, and now, no matter how difficult it may have seemed, the future was brighter than they ever thought possible.
The town filled the embankment to the brim, watching their soon to be royal family prepare to enter their new home. No one dared to set foot on the stone bridge—a mixture of respect and distrust. It was too soon to tell what the new leaders would bring; they would have to wait and see.
If only the others were here to see this, Kevin thought solemnly as he stared inside the darkened corridor. They wouldn’t have believed it.
His chest tightened, and immediately, Kevin shook his head as he tried to clear his thoughts. Stop thinking about it, he scolded himself. They wanted to leave; I’m sure they’re happy now.
“Sire!”
It took Kevin a minute to realize he was the one being spoken to. Cautiously, he looked over his shoulder, only to see the town elder quickly hobbling in his direction across the bridge, an old weathered book in the crook of his arm while he leaned heavily on his walking stick for support. Lucy and Daisy moved silently aside as the elder passed by them, his eyes locked onto Kevin as the young ruler turned around to face him.
“Yes?” Kevin answered politely.
The elder huffed in exhaustion as he stopped in front of Kevin, slouching over as he tried to regain his breath. After he steadied his old and strained heart, the man looked back up at Kevin, straightening his hunched back to the best of his ability. He shakily reached over to his to his aged arm, grabbing the book and passing it to Kevin.
“What is this?” Kevin wondered as he took it from the elder’s trembling hand. The cover was a solid sheet of black leather, the gold threading on the outside unraveling as it was torn away by the length of time. Kevin leaned it against his right arm, slowly opening the book as he scanned the first page. Written in thick black ink, there was a column of names and duties, a line separating the peers from the jobs which they took. Names and positions ran down the page in two columns, filling the sheet up completely. Kevin stared at the page, mystified as he turned the withered leaf, his eyes broad when he saw that words covered the entire surface, page after page.
“When I was younger,” the elder explained hoarsely, “I worked for the king as his record keeper for many, many years. I was lucky enough to be out of town the night the kingdom fell, and I just so happened to have this in my home at the time. It’s a roster that has been passed down through the years, listing all who have worked under the servitude of the king.”
Kevin smiled. “This was very considerate of you,” he acknowledged, lightly dipping his head, “but pardon if I ask how this helps me?”
The elder chuckled, slightly motioning in the direction of the book with the tilt of his head. “Turn the page, young one.”
Kevin paused momentarily before doing what the man asked him. He looked back down towards the bound scripture, carefully turning the page. The page slowly fell, Kevin’s heart convulsing as his glassy black eyes took in the very first line of ink atop the page:
King de Vaux: November 1347
Kevin exhaled incredulously, a smile of utter amazement creasing his lips. The slick ink reflected the setting sun, showing the young life the words on the page held. Beneath the header was his own column—a list of names and services running down approximately half of the weathered sheet.
Kevin tried to speak, his emotions tripping him up as he processed all of the names etched into the book. The numbers may have been very insignificant compared to those of previous rulers, but still, this was Kevin’s personal list—a list of people who had already vouched their loyalty to his kingdom and who would allow him to lead them.
And among the names, Kevin recognized one. Cecil Bucoy: guard.
“You can refuse any you wish,” the elder advised him, realizing that Kevin had taken a great interest in someone.
Kevin grunted, nodding his head slightly. Many men who signed up classified themselves as wanting the role of knight. Cecil, though? A guard was not the same; they did not patrol the s
treets or fight in battles—their sole job was to remain close to the royal family, protecting them with their life. This did strike him as odd, but at the same time, it made a bit of sense.
Cecil was the first person that Kevin could say for a fact he had become friends with since arriving in Phantome. He was always friendly and inviting, and although he did not speak much (which didn’t bother Kevin, as he was not great at casual conversation either), he did appreciate Kevin’s company. Over the past week, they had solidified their frail friendship more by continuing work on Cecil’s house, and Kevin had to admit, he was learning more about normal carpentry than he ever thought he could. Perhaps it was in his genetics—the ability to create amazing things with ease.
With Reeve out and about and the attacks from last night fresh in everyone’s mind, he knew he could not hold off the perilous forces by himself, even with Daisy’s help. Being as how Cecil was his only friend here, for now, it seemed like the wisest decision, and if he saw that it did not fit in time, he could move him elsewhere.
The elder lightly patted Kevin’s shoulder. “I know it’s a small list,” he mused, “but I rounded up what I could. I hope you don’t mind.”
Kevin looked back up at him, shaking his head. “N-no!” he stuttered, a ravenous smile of excitement on his face. “Thank you!”
The elder held up his hand in a collected manner, shaking his head. “It’s no trouble at all. And, sire, I don’t want to pester you too much, but it would be wise to get you and the others settled before nightfall.”
“Of course,” Kevin responded, closing the book as his eyes shifted to the small slice of the brilliant white moon shining above the forest in the far distance. Ever since Reeve’s revival, he tried to avoid being outside at night; Reeve was made from darkness, and when the sunlight took its leave and dusk opened up its arms to the world, both her evil heart and powers would only heighten until day. Until he knew much more about her plans and whereabouts, it was best to stay hidden from the eye once the moon took hold.