Ryder

by Wilson, Yumoyori

  Kai's gift of seeing the future was a blessing and a curse depending on the situation. In this case, it would help us to foresee any danger.

  "Everything is clear. There's definitely something there. Be careful and let me know if you find the Princess," Kai encouraged.

  "Will do," I replied, pulling out of our knight bond.

  We exchanged glances before we began to move.

  After forty-five minutes of scouting, we'd found nothing out of the ordinary. The realm was as the tales foretold— a wasteland after the war.

  "Kai said there's something here. But it's bare," Elias complained.

  "We can't stay much longer. I hate to admit it, but I'm struggling with this lack of oxygen," Marcus admitted.

  "There's something we're missing," Daniel commented. He took his glasses off, taking a deep breath while closing his eyes.

  "Strings of justice, heed my call. Reveal what's hidden and lead us in the right direction," Daniel chanted; the markings on his shoulder blades glowed lightly as strings materialized from his fingers. They shot out in multiple directions, disappearing into the dark fog.

  We waited— one string after another returned to Daniel's hand till a single string remained, staying in place. He gripped the single string, tugging at it.

  "Something's ahead of us," he confirmed.

  We cautiously walked forward, following the single string that glowed a light gold. It was difficult to see in the darkness— Marcus summoning a flame in the palm of his hand to help guide the way.

  After minutes of following the string, we reached a clearing, our feet stepping into a squishy surface.

  "Shit. There's a building here," Daniel whispered.

  We grouped together, before making a slow approach toward the building that was now in sight. It looked like a single floor, but from our past missions and research, we knew most facilities were hidden underground. This wouldn't be any different.

  I stared at the rotating doors, noticing that there were no guards on duty.

  "They don't have any security on the top floor?" Elias asked.

  "Let's be realistic. Who would ever think someone would find anything here? We passed this area twice, yet we didn't sense anything until I called upon the strings," Daniel pointed out, recalling the remaining string that faded away.

  "What's the plan?" Marcus asked.

  "We wreck shit up. Anyone who tries to attack you is an enemy. Check and see if there are any survivors. We head from the top all the way to the lowest floor. If this structure is like any of the others, the dungeons will be the last floor and will hold any remaining shifters who survived the experiments," I announced.

  "I pray this is the one," Elias whispered.

  "Me too," Marcus replied.

  "Me three," Daniel agreed, sliding his glasses back on as he grinned.

  "Me four," Kai announced in our minds.

  "Why you always eavesdropping?" Elias asked.

  "Cause it’s fun, now get serious and kick some ass for me," Kai encouraged.

  I stretched out my right hand, ignoring the slight tremble in my fingers as I swallowed. This felt different than all the other expeditions. I knew we'd find someone within these walls. I prayed it was Rosalina or Anya.

  Let's do this.

  "INFILTRATION! I REPEAT, INFILTRATION. INTRUDERS SIGHTED, KILL ON SIGHT!"

  I sighed, dashing forward— the dark flame sword in my hand punctured into the shifter's heart before he could attempt to announce another time.

  He choked, blood pouring from his mouth before his body went limp. I slid the sword out, allowing the shifter's body to fall on the floor before the dark flames claimed his body, burning him to a crisp in seconds.

  "That's the last of them. Only the dungeon left," Marcus announced.

  "Talk about bear shifter central," Elias huffed, rolling his shoulders.

  "They were pretty pathetic for bear shifters. They could barely last a minute," Daniel complained, taking his glasses off to rub off the specks of blood that got on his frames.

  "In a realm that never gets enemy intruders, I guess it makes sense. Plus their boss isn't here. They have probably been enjoying the luxury of drinking and doing whatever they want," I pointed out, leading the way toward the stairs.

  I kicked the door, my body dropping in time to miss a blow to the face. I stepped to the side— the bear shifter attempting to take another swing at me.

  "Stop," Daniel commanded, his eyes glowing a dark gold.

  The bear shifter froze, the confusion apparent in his eyes.

  "Take the gun in your back pocket, place it to your head and pull the trigger," Daniel ordered.

  I moved away, walking a few steps forward to avoid getting brain matter on me as the bear shifter removed the gun that was in his back pocket and placed it against his right temple, pulling the trigger.

  He dropped to the ground, blood beginning to pool around his head.

  Daniel sighed, closing his eyes for a couple of seconds. When they opened, they were back to their vibrant gold color.

  "THAT was the last of them...hopefully?" he stressed, already looking fatigued.

  "You okay?" I asked.

  "Dandy. Don't worry, my gift doesn't drain me much compared to my magic," he reassured me. I nodded, about to say something when my ears picked up a sound over the alarm system that continued to siren away.

  "For Starlight's sakes, fuck this stupid piece of shit mark and get the fuck off me!"

  A female? Before I could put two and two together, my body was already moving— the other’s footsteps right behind me.

  "You heard that?" Elias asked through our bond, not wanting to alert whoever was struggling to our presences.

  "Yup. Hurry," I urged, pulling open the door. I narrowed my eyes into the deep hollow hall— finally saw a single door at the end.

  A loud rumbling sound leaked from the other side.

  "Don't worry little fox, you'll be screaming my name shortly."

  Little fox? I didn't get why my heart raced— anger beginning to boil within me as I began to make my way toward the door. The others made sure their footsteps were as silent as possible as we approached.

  "Don't worry, it won't hurt too much," the gruff voice mumbled.

  I reached the door, my leg kicking it open. I stopped at the entrance with my men at my side— my eyes landing on a pair of turquoise blue eyes that were filled with tears.

  It took me a second to take in the scene— a large bear shifter had her pinned down, his body between her legs and his small cock only inches from reaching its desired target.

  I let go of the hold around my aura— the others doing the same as waves of power leaked off us as we all tried to calm the anger raging through us.

  The female shifter swallowed before her lips opened.

  "Help," she croaked, her voice barely audible.

  I took a step forward, unable to hold back my anger as Stryker took over— our eyes bled to black before we jolted forward.

  Within seconds, the bear shifter was in a neck hold while the female shuffled to the wall and scrambled to her feet.

  "We HATE disgusting bastards like you...be gone," Stryker commanded, the dark flames acting upon our fury as they burst into the air— consuming the bear shifter.

  He screamed and cried as he tried to fight our hold— the smell of his burning flesh hit my nose, but I stayed in place. He dared try to rape a woman; I’d say he got off easy. If it wasn't for the fact we were on a time limit I'd make him scream in agony until he begged for death himself.

  Twenty seconds passed and the bear shifter was nothing but ash— his remains fluttering to the ground.

  "Oh, hell no. I'm not getting caught in that. Nope, no dark flames burning me to ash please."

  Stryker retreated as we peered at the female shifter who spun around— heading straight to the back of the dimly lit dungeon and into a cell.

  "Did she just go back to her cell?" Marcus asked, unable to hide his amuse
ment.

  We made sure the other cells were empty before making our way to the final one— the female shifter was huddled under a dusty blanket in the corner of the cell.

  "You know...we can see you," Elias pointed out, giving off the bored impression he always did when he met someone unfamiliar.

  I didn't get why he always tried to give a hard front, but I guessed it was his way to see if someone would stick around or not.

  "Alright, time to wake up now. It's all just a dream, Lalalala," she mumbled to herself.

  "Poor girl talks to herself too? I swear this place made her crazy," Daniel commented; a wave of sympathy leaked off him.

  I turned my attention to the female. "Come out...we won't hurt you," I assured her, hoping we could convince her that we weren't going to cause any harm.

  "Oh, don't mind me. I'm just a bystander. Continue on with your killing spree. I'll just sit over here in the corner...minding my own business," she replied.

  "Yup, my social skills are awesome," she announced.

  I held back the snicker that wanted to escape me. She talks out loud?

  "Seems like it. Kinda cute," Stryker replied.

  "I didn't say that out loud this time," she continued, sounding irritated.

  She must be talking with her spirit.

  "Most likely," Stryker agreed.

  "Yup. We just saved a mentally insane shifter. I don't even know what I should be more concerned about; her apparent awesome social skills, or the fact she's hiding under a blanket in a dimly lit cell," Elias exclaimed.

  I gave him a look, wishing he wouldn’t act so harshly. We didn't know the reasoning behind her talking out loud. It could have been some type of coping mechanism.

  "Just, uh...go away. Leave me and my blanket alone…shoo," she stated, her hand poking out from the sheet to wave us away.

  A laugh surged through the air, all of us glancing to Marcus who had his arms wrapped around his waist while buckled over. Even the female shifter was staring at him in confusion.

  "Did she just SHOO us away? I can't! This is priceless, can we adopt her?" he asked as he unwrapped his arms to wipe the newly formed tears from his sapphire eyes.

  Of course he'd think this was amusing. Though I had to agree in this case. I never thought I’d meet a female shifter who’d shoo us away from saving her.

  I looked at the girl who furrowed her brow, eyeing us.

  "If you're going to kill me...don't laugh at my uniqueness," she grumbled.

  I didn't think her being upset would make her more attractive, but as she puffed her cheeks and glared at us, I couldn't ignore the flutter of my heart.

  Once her words registered, I sighed— gliding my hand through my hair as I closed my eyes.

  "We aren't going to kill you. I swear by the Starlight gods. We're here to rescue you," I said softly— opening my eyes to stare intently at her.

  I looked from those brown locks to her pink lips that were dry and cracked. I noticed how weak and pale she looked and how her turquoise eyes were cradled by dark circles as if she barely got rest. Even with her looking like she'd had a hard life, she was still beautiful in my eyes and my heart told me she deserved better.

  I lifted my wrist, pressing the button to the com device.

  "Hey, Leonardo, we found her. Make your way back to the ship," I announced, lowering my right hand.

  Daniel stepped forward— worry leaked off him as his eyes scanned the female shifter.

  "You're hurt...I think we should get her out of here and back to Minato. Karen can do a scan," Daniel announced, staring at me for approval.

  I nodded in response, unable to take my eyes off the female before me— her resemblance to the Queen of Heila was quite shocking.

  I knew the others were trying to keep their appearances, but we shared mutual feelings as they stared at her— feelings of astonishment and adoration hitting me at once.

  "Oh no, I'm not going anywhere with you, uh...whoever you people are. The Owner will be here soon enough, he'll come and wreak havoc and kill all of you. Nope, not going. You guys can go. I don't want you to get hurt," she explained— her a matter-of-fact tone surprised me.

  It amazed me that she was concerned about our well-being instead of worrying about herself.

  "The Owner? Sorry to state this, blue eyes, but everyone here is dead. Clearly, the boss or this "owner" you speak of is on a business trip," Elias announced.

  She gave us a blank stare as she rose, the blanket slid to the floor. In situations like these, I knew the shifter usually went into shock before breaking down and thanking us for saving them.

  All of us waited for her reaction, but she did the polar opposite— she laughed. Laughed and laughed till tears rolled down her cheeks.

  "Great...we broke her," Elias commented; a wave of worry flowed from him.

  The others were just as concerned as we continued to watch her have her laughing fit.

  "Shit, I told you I should have handled it. She's in shock," Daniel huffed.

  "I thought angels weren't supposed to swear," Marcus reminded, giving Daniel a look.

  Before I could try to think of a way to go about this issue, the female wavered on her feet— her knees buckled as she fell back.

  "Shit!" we called out in unison, my body racing through the entrance of the cell to catch her before she hit the ground.

  Her weak eyes opened slightly— her blue eyes locked onto me.

  In that moment, I had no doubt in my mind who she was. The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

  "You're safe, Princess. We won't harm you. We’ll take you somewhere safe."

  Her once tense body finally relaxed in my embrace, her eyes slowly closed as her head fell against my chest.

  Daniel knelt next to me, his hand beginning to glow as he moved it from her head to her toes.

  "She's extremely weak. It's as if she's been pushing her body to the max for a long period of time and not getting enough rest to help replenish her magic. She's dehydrated too and doesn't look like she's eaten in a few days," Daniel explained.

  I lifted her up— her body was so light and frail, I worried if she'd even make the trip back.

  Daniel must have noticed my concern, his hand falling on my shoulder.

  "She'll live. When we get to the ship I can stabilize her till we reach Knightwood and then Karen can take over," he reassured me.

  I nodded, taking another glance at the female in my arms whose breathing was weak.

  "Let's move. Whoever this "Owner" is, may hear about this and make his way back." Marcus motioned to the door, allowing Daniel to go first, followed by Elias and me. He made sure to stay at my back, just in case we had to face reinforcements.

  We rushed out of the ten-floor structure, heading out the rotating doors before sprinting into the dark fog. We noticed our reinforcements, Matthew's top five knights from both Minato and Heila, waiting for our arrival.

  "There's no other shifters. Do another inspection and gather all the files and information you can. Once that's done, burn everything. Don't even leave a trace behind. Understood?" I ordered.

  "YES, SIR!" They stood at attention.

  We didn't delay, heading up the ramp and into the ship.

  Leonardo seemed busy talking with another shifter— clearly too deep in the conversation to notice us. I was glad, not wanting him to see Rosalina until she was better and we could confirm her identity.

  Marcus opened the door to the medical room on the ship— a blue magic circle appearing around the door before it clicked open.

  He held it open for me and the others, Elias going straight to the computer to contact Matthew and Karen about our mission.

  I laid Rosalina on the medical table; a weak moan escaped her as she stirred.

  "Relax," Daniel soothed, his hand stroking her head. She relaxed, falling back to sleep.

  He quickly went to work, closing his eyes as he called upon his holy strings— the light gold threads lightly wrap
ping around her wrists.

  Marcus pulled out a chair, placing it behind Daniel so he could sit and focus on keeping Rosalina’s energy levels balanced.

  I let out a sigh of relief, my eyes still locked on her.

  "She looks just like the Queen," Marcus whispered.

  "Exact copy. Just a tad paler, but that could be due to how weak she is," Elias pointed out.

  "I can't understand how those shifters could disregard the resemblance," I huffed, clenching my fist.

  "Of course they would. Whoever this Owner is pays them a good sum to get them to keep their mouths shut. Plus, look at this place. It would be impossible to get information out and we all know the saying. Once in the facility, no one gets out alive," Daniel criticized.

  "I know that for sure," Marcus whispered, crossing his arms as he relaxed against the door.

  We all knew about Marcus’ past in the facility on Earthala. I didn't know how he was feeling right now— his sapphire eyes locked onto Rosalina.

  "She won't remember who you are," Marcus pointed out.

  "Wait. What?" Elias asked.

  Marcus sighed.

  "They wipe your memories when you enter the facility. She may recall after a few interactions if the relationship was strong enough, but it’s unlikely. My memory of my parents didn't return until a few cycles later. It may have been triggered earlier if I had interacted with them more. For Rosalina, I don't know if she'll remember Ryder," he admitted.

  I frowned, peering at the fragile female who was in deep sleep.

  She may not remember us. What should we do?

  "This is going to be a long process. We just have to ease her into this world first," Stryker suggested.

  "If she doesn't have her memories of the past, she doesn't know she's the Princess?" Daniel clarified.

  "Highly doubt it. The facility messes with your mind. They make you believe you were abandoned on the streets and they took you in. They told me I was an orphan, as you guys are well aware. I believed it because I had no memories of my past and you're completely lost, especially at a young age. You accept the reality that the facility is somewhat of a safe haven, even though we had to fight for our lives," Marcus disclosed.

  We stood in silence, each of us lost in our own train of thought.