Crimson Knight (Crimson Series Book 0)

by K. L. O Johnson

  “Cecelia?” He glanced from me to baby Kal and back again, “Why is Kalverya . . . a one-year-old hatchling?”

  “Um that’s my bad, sir.” Astaria announced.

  “Is this true?” he asked me and I nodded aware of the anger in his deep azure eyes. Astaria nodded and I stepped between the dangerous Nefaliem and the terrified Nefalum.

  “Yes but it’s a side-effect.” I retorted, annoyed.

  Dante’s anger grew, “A side-effect.” I felt Astaria flinch behind me and I glared back, aware Dante wouldn’t hurt anyone—annoyed yes—hurt not really . . . well I’d like to think so.

  “Yes.” He returned my glare.

  “Fine.”

  “Thank you.” We continued to glare until he noticed Kal snuggle against his chest.

  “Thank you Dante. Thank you.” Kal hummed as she began to doze off.

  “You’re welcome little one.” he whispered as he stroked her hair.

  “How did this happen and how did they know where we were? Our ship was supposed to be in camouflage mode.” Dante whispered as he regarded Kal then walked towards our cell and yanked open the door easily.

  “Simple, we’ve been betrayed.” Astaria replied and I didn’t bother saying anything. Instead I followed behind him while Astaria followed after me—hoping I’d protect her from Dante when I didn’t really understand what she needed to be protected from. Dante reminded me of Zarlach, he was intimidating like the mountainside but gentle like the swaying morning breeze. I have no idea why or how these pirates managed to board this ship. I wondered if that was what Dante was thinking given his tense jawline I could tell he was troubled. “This way.” he voiced.

  “If that’s true; then who is responsible.” I pondered. That was an important question that I also wanted the answers to. I wondered who had the gall to betray the Nefaliem. Unless it was someone within the PASA organisation, a conclusion I hoped was wrong. Even if it was only just a little. Dante I could tell didn’t care about it being wrong rather more about who. So I remained silent as Astaria and I join him in the hall. He turned his back on us and led us down the hall with Kal tucked over his shoulder—she slept soundlessly.

  We trekked down the hall, no one was in sight. I didn’t notice the pain wrapped around my wrists until we found a good hiding spot away from the prowling pirates. Dante removed the bands as his hands began to glow an angelic green hue. The large steel bracers were released and fell to the ground with a loud thud. I began to gently message my wrists hoping for the pain to ease quicker, something I knew wouldn’t happen for a little while longer.

  I stopped after Dante and peered at the silver walls beside me. There were no bodies but the red blood left behind was smeared along the corridor walls, something which reminded me of the battle which could have happened days ago. My heart leaped in my chest as I stared at the vision of what may have happened to my friends. Images of Bella, Alphonse, Kristian, Viktor and my many other friends, flicked into my mind as dead bodies.

  I tried to shake it but as quick as it came it ended. “Cecelia?” Dante voiced with Kal still asleep. The sight of her small clam face made me relax a little more.

  “Yes?” I asked forcing my voice to remain steady.

  “Is everything alright?” he asked.

  “Yes.” I lied. He regarded me with a lengthy levelled gaze before turning his heel and sauntering away. I was aware of his critical eyes and knew he didn’t believe me. Taking a deep breath, I followed after. We meandered down a few halls taking a few turns before, we ended up at the hanger bay. It was open and dull with vehicles, space cruisers and weapons on standby.

  Dante placed Kal on the ground and told us to wait as he spied enemy contact a few hundred metres way. I nodded and watched as he warped—transported through space and time—from where we were to where the pirates were. As green mist surrounded them, I heard the clumping of bodies on the ground and watched as the cloud faded away only to find he disappeared once again. My cheek began to burn as I painfully bit at it. I waited in thick still silence that surrounded us. Kal remained asleep while Astaria remained froze in fear. I wondered how to use the sleeper’s magic—the energetic magic that wasn’t chanted like the casters but instead done by the use pf energy levels and patterns. Something, I knew would take me years to perfect.

  But hopefully the trick Kal taught me, a while ago, would help a little. So I closed my eyes and focused. Breathe in and breathe out. I aimed to keep my heart from racing. So out of caution, I transitioned into my Vampieruz form and began to hear Dante’s movements more clearly. I heard the thuds of fallen pirates and the gasps of pain that escaped them. I felt his presence and glanced over my shoulder to spy Dante kneeling behind us with a single finger purged against his lips motioning for silence. And silent we remained, as I felt something prickle my scales in warning rather than fear.

  I was aware of his tense posture. Something was wrong and by the time I found out where Astaria pointed—it was too late. Kal was practically walking a bit and landed on her bottom, given the distance she must have been at it for a good two minutes. The two minutes I was distracted. Kal pulled herself to her feet and began to wobble towards a small glider—a small travel ship. I yelped in surprise at the reality that faced me, “Dante! Do—” Before I could finish that sentence he was gone. He plucked Kal from the ground and zipped over to us handing her to me. “But . . .?”

  “Take her to the bridge.” he ordered and casted, a reticent look that caused both Astaria and I to nod in fear. I gingerly took her and noticed how light she was and spied her bright azure eyes that scrutinised my forehead. I knew she stared at the blood red six-point star. She smiled a bright smile that made me smile. “Head to the south entrance,” he added and I nodded. So to the south entrance we headed. We slipped through the grey automatic sliding doors and I froze realising that the hall I was in was rather familiar.

  “This way,” I motioned for Astaria to follow but before I moved I stopped and pressed Kal into her arms.

  “What—? I don’t want to—”

  “You don’t have a choice, she’s your princess.” I smartly retorted. Astaria held Kal away from her as she began to make bubbling sounds with her mouth.

  Astaria I could tell didn’t want to hold Kal. She turned her around so Kal faced me and held her out at arm’s length before me. “I don’t wanna.”

  I was surprised but amused at the same time. “Are you whining?”

  “No.”

  “You so were. Don’t lie.” I retorted. Astaria didn’t like that but I couldn’t help but smile even though her large eyes narrowed down in annoyance. I turned my back on her and ordered, “This way.” The doors slid open and I wondered why the doors didn’t stay open like they were supposed to. Then I recalled David made a point that if a building were under an attack the security system would react by opening the doors as a safety protocol. So that must mean that whoever was on board at the time of the attack must have changed the protocol. The doors slid open and the room was bare. I glanced at the countless computer pods that descended down towards the large rounded glass that expanded space and not just any planet space but the Milky Way. In the distance was Earth.

  The sun was bright as ever—as bright as any star. But I could see it—I could see her, our Earth. She was the third one from the sun, Mercury I could just make out, and Venus was large enough for my Vampieruz vison to pick up. “Is that . . .?” Astaria began.

  “Yep.” I mumbled, awed. The sound of something clattering against from right side of the room put me on high alert. I could see an outline of something. It had a head of some kind but seemed spiky. I knew something was terribly wrong. I saw something glitter in the air and I pushed Astaria out of the way.

  It stung, badly. Astaria gasped, “Cecelia!” Kal began to cry and I noticed yellow energy arrows struck my left shoulder. It disappeared, shattering in fragments. I glared at it hoping by some miracle it’d disappear and it did but not because of me. The transparent mons
ter moved followed by another. Then another before I knew it we were surrounded by large Hunter Trolls—beasts that stood tall or small but were very clever in their own right. These trolls seemed to be a part of the pirate’s foray.

  I stepped between Astaria and the monsters.

  Aware that Kal would be injured should there be a battle. They had weapons and I noted they were loaded. Several silver handheld crossbows were fired and I recognised them as Nefaliem weapons. The crystal fired and I bought up my guards; what happened next caught me by surprise—a large silver shield hovered in the air before me. It was the same shields I saw the other Knights at Castle Haven handle—the concaved diamond ones.

  It seemed to glimmer under the lights overhead. As gunfire reigned, I expanded my energy and felt no pain—I realised that the shield created an invisible barrier in places it couldn’t completely shield us from. I pushed my hands forward and an energy wave was released sending all the trolls across the room and away from me. Some collided with the ceiling, others landed against the thick glass that separated us from the abyss of space that wrapped around the front of the bridge. While several slid along the ground—all of whom were unconscious.

  My limbs felt heavy and my shoulder ached. “Cecelia!” Astaria called. I felt my heart rate increase and heard the blood pounding in my ears. That was when the reality of what happened was comprehensible. “You’ve been poisoned.” Astaria gasped. I felt her and Kal hover near. I wanted to declare everything was okay but deep down I knew something was terribly wrong. Our scales were as strong as the steel on Earth if not stronger—nothing could penetrate our scales or so I’d like to believe.

  “How did they hurt me?” I asked, forcing my body to move.

  “They must have used Athropine.” Astaria calmly stated as I panicked. “It’s a metal from the mining planet Athropina.”

  “How did they get it?”

  “Trading through the black-market,” Astaria chimed and continued, “The poison it was laced in, created a compound strong enough to hold energy as well as harming pure energetic creatures.”

  “Lovely.” I muttered. Astaria placed Kal on the ground and fumbled through her utility belt. The sterling silver pockets hid the strangest of substances.

  “Hang on,” she stated. “I think I have something to counter it but it won’t last forever.”

  So at any rate I was going to die. Just my luck, David and I weren’t ever going to have a real first date. “I understand.”

  “Right.” She nodded and walked towards me with a pink liquid encased in a transparent glass bottle.

  “I don’t know how well it will work as it was created to aid Nefaliem.” she stated, and forced the concoction into my already shaky hands. “Try it.”

  I nodded taking the cap off I downed the concoction a little before capping it and handing it back to her. She took it and placed back into her pouch. I did feel a bit better but a bit drowsy. Even my breathing returned back to normal. I was surprised it worked but Astaria wasn’t.

  “Let’s hope there are no side-effects.” She mused, whilst eyeing Kal. “I really don’t want to take care of you too princess.”

  “No one asked you to.” I declared in a very bitter tone that I never used.

  “No one needed to—if something did happen to you like Princess Kalverya than I would need to act on your behalf.” She firmly announced and I was struck by her seriousness. It was a different change from the nervous girl I met before who I might add, mistakably turned Kal into a toddler.

  “Whatever.” I mused and sighed. Taking in the sight around me, I noticed no enemies. We were home free. I knew we were at the stern of this ship. So I wondered if there were escape pods near the bow, there was only one way to find out. That meant passing through the main deck, something I feared would be the worst possible decision to make. “We need to get out of here.”

  “I know that but how? And what about the others we can’t just leave them?” She had a valid point. Darn, just when I thought I had it all figured out. I thought a little annoyed. Something tickled the forefront of my mind and I glanced over at Kal then back to Astaria realising that these two had nothing to do with the familiar presence nearby.

  However, it was a presence that I hardly felt but knew like the back of my hand it was none other than Ivan’s son Randolph. “Hello princess.”

  “What are you doing here?” I seethed.

  “Looking for you.” he announced.

  “Why would you even bother?” I pressed. He was the one who placed the bombs around the school and the one accused of dropping the protective wards, allowing the vampieres enter the Haven’s Estate. Even though they were rumours I knew he couldn’t be trusted. Yet because of his age no one can touch him—that really does disgust me.

  He casually leaned against a nearby wall, his Vampieruz heritage pulled through and I noticed the difference in his appearance that moulded his characteristics into another’s—making him almost unrecognisable. The only way he could be recognised was by his energy levels. His blood red eyes scrutinised mine. “Simple. Because my father wants you for some hideous reason while he doesn’t give two squats about his own flesh and blood. Quite tragic . . . don’t you think?”

  “So you’re on my side?”

  “No.”

  “So you’re my enemy?” I asked.

  He growled, “No.”

  I glanced at Astaria beside me hoping she had the answers to my current conversing predicament. So instead, she turned her gaze back to Randolph and I mimicked.

  “Then what side are you on?” I asked.

  “Neither, I’m what you would call a fence sitter.”

  “That’s a load of—” My words were cut short by familiar noise. Astaria crouched taking Kal with her and I watched the silver walls shattered as it tumbled and pulled away, out leaped a crimson and gold serpent battling two blue and silver shining dragons. They roared and screeched. My attention was pulled from the fight and to finding a safe spot; I grasped Astaria’s hand and pulled her after me. The steel floor beneath our feet began to shift and move; I heard the hum of shifting and grinding metal. I glanced over my shoulder and watched as the steel plates that were bolted high in the ceiling fell down towards me.

  I pushed Astaria forwards and leaped, my body propelled through the air and spun, I shifted between the metal and stretched out my arms, I rolled forwards and on my feet. By the time Astaria and I made it to the safety of the opposite end of the room, I noticed the control room—the bridge, was completely ruined. “I feel sorry for whoever has to repair this place.”

  “Yeah me too,” Astaria voiced.

  The dragons continued to battle and for some strange reason, they seemed oddly familiar. I knew one of the blue silver dragons was female and the other was male but who—I didn’t realise until I noticed the scar above the male dragon’s eye. It was the same scar Kal’s father had, it was the emperor and empress fighting a member of the serpent race. I feared what type. There were three types of serpents, the Talions, the Sythenias and the Grattican. Given the history between the Nefaliem and the Grattican I wouldn’t be surprised if was a Grattican, the Emperor and Empress were fighting. I wondered if that meant the Grattican were involved with the pirates and what did that have to do with Ivan better yet—me.

  I turned my attention back to Astaria, told her to follow my lead. Out of the room we went and the next thing I knew I was face to face with Randolph. He was quick to pull out a long switchblade and raced straight for me. I was too stunned to react and when I did move, something gargled behind me and I watched as a large hunter troll gargled and dropped to the ground. Astaria gasped in surprise and I remained rooted in place. Scared of what was next to come? If he was a fence sitter, why did he save me? He could have watched as I died may be cheered it on, regardless I knew that from this day on he would be something different in my eyes. Something, not intimate but not hostile either. “You saved me, why?”

  “Like you’d believe me any
way.” he stated, as he cleaned his switchblade with the length of his silver cloak.

  “Try me,” I pressed. Interested in what he was going to say.

  He gave me a long levelled look as several long stretch of moments hung heavily in the air until he spoke, “I think my father’s crazy.”

  “I could have told you that.” I stated. His gaze glanced from me to Kal who stared up at him.

  “What did you do to her?” Randolph asked.

  “Nothing much, just gave her an elixir to pull her from her torpor condition,” Astaria stated. Randolph smiled at her, softly and I wondered what was going on—he couldn’t possibly?

  “You know how those spells work, why would you do that?” he asked.

  “I had no choice she was down and we were being hunted, well correction. They were being hunted,” Astaria smiled with a wide innocent grin. I glanced from her and back to Randolph as the pieces began to string together.

  “Do you guys know each other?” I asked.

  “You can say that.” They assumed in union.

  “Huh?” I regarded me with a blank expression while Astaria shied away. “No way,” I mumbled at the idea as those two an item. There was nothing wrong with their relationship, I was just surprised.

  “I found you, let’s go.” Randolph said as he moved over to Astaria and took her thin wrist in his larger hand. Astaria rebelled enough to catch his attention.

  “What about the Princesses?” Astaria asked.