Aftermath_The Armorian Chronicles

by Courtney Beals

  Thomas followed Lyla to her room without saying a word. He bent down to pick up his clothes that were spread out on the floor and stuffed them into his bag. He looked at Lyla who was lying on her bed, face first in her pillow. Thomas knew she was stressed and upset. The past few weeks were disastrous for her. At least when he lost his parents he was an infant so he didn’t really remember them. He couldn’t imagine being so close to someone, like Lilly and Lyla, only to lose them. Then he thought if he lost Lyla he would feel the same way. At least they had a chance at getting Lilly back.

  He sat next to Lyla and placed his hand on her back. He felt her stiffen and finally relax as she rolled over and sat up next to him. She leaned her head against him and let out a loud sigh.

  “What are we going to do? I have no plan to save them. We can’t just walk in there without anyone noticing. My only option is to give Damien what he wants, but if I do that, we will all perish. It seems like we have no way of winning this. What if I fail? What if I can’t do this? The fate of earth and everyone that resides in it is counting on me, on us.”

  “We will think of something. Actually, I have been thinking about it for some time now. I knew we wouldn’t be able to stroll in without anyone seeing, so I came up with an idea that may just work.”

  Lyla pulled away and looked at him in curiosity and excitement. “You do? Well, what is it? What do you have in mind?”

  “Well, there’s only one way to fit in with a group of Demorites. We have to look like them. I think if we find a small group of them on the edge of the city limits and take their cloaks we might just be able to sneak past them. That should make it easier to get through, but I’m sure we will run into something unexpected. At that point in time we will have to improvise as we go.”

  “Thomas, you’re a genius.”

  “Of course I am,” he replied confidently. “That’s why you keep me around.”

  “That’s not the only reason.” She smiled back at him as she walked out of the room.

  Lyla ran into the other bedrooms and told William and Giselle of Thomas’s plan. It wasn’t as detailed as she had hoped, and she didn’t think it would be that simple, but it was a start. Many things could go wrong, but it was the only plan they had.

  Dusk had arrived as they set off north toward the city. Lyla and Lilly had never made it into the city on their explorations. She had only heard stories that her grandparents used to tell her when she was young. The crowded streets, the chill in the air from the lake, and the skyscraper buildings that glistened when the sun hit the glass windows. She imagined it as best as she could, but she knew her imagination didn’t compare to the reality of what it once was. Now the city looked like every other place on the planet. Overgrown, lifeless, and abandoned.

  It would be a four-day gallop to the city. If they maintained a steady pace they could reach it just as the sun was going down. The night sky would give them the advantage so they would not be seen. They didn’t want to go into the city during the day anyway. That would put them a few days ahead of the deadline Damien had set for them.

  The first day of riding everyone was on high alert. They were ready to storm into the city, save Lilly, and kill as many Demorites as they could. By the fourth day, everyone grew tired, and Lyla was becoming concerned. They had only taken a few breaks of rest their entire trip. If they wanted to reach the city before sunset they would have to keep riding, but she knew that wasn’t an option. They had to rest and even though they had not been riding the horses to their full potential they needed to rest as well.

  They came to a clearing and decided to rest for the day. This would set them back another day, but they had plenty of time, and they had until midnight of the last day before Damien… It wasn’t something Lyla wanted to think about. The city wasn’t much farther, but they couldn’t fight Demorites being as exhausted as they were. William found a shaded area and rested on the blanket he had spread on the ground. He fell asleep in a few short minutes as did Giselle.

  The sun was still up and Lyla didn’t think she could sleep just yet. She wandered into the woods and stumbled across a pond. To her surprise, it was mostly clear, so she saw this as a great opportunity to clean herself up. She looked around to make sure no one was around and pulled her clothes off. She sat them on a large rock and slowly walked in.

  The water was cool, but it was refreshing with the hot sun beating down around her. The water had never felt better. She closed her eyes and felt the water surround her.

  “Going for a swim, are we?”

  She turned and saw Thomas standing with a large grin on his face.

  “I wasn’t expecting company,” she said nervously. She saw his gaze fall to her clothes on the rock next to him. He looked back, brows raised. Her face turned bright red. “I was just trying to clean up.”

  “I can go if you…”

  “No!” she interrupted. “Um, could you just turn around for a second? So, I can get dressed.” Without question, he turned around. He heard her getting closer as the water splashed against her legs. She twisted her hair to get all the water out and started putting on her clothes.

  “Don’t peek,” she said. He could hear her smile in her voice.

  “I wouldn’t dare,” he said. “Although you have no idea how much I want to.” His voice was sweet yet sinister.

  Once Lyla was fully dressed, she spun Thomas around and smiled at him.

  “Your turn,” Lyla said.

  “Only if you join me?”

  “I don’t think I will,” she said, laughing. She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him back toward their camping area.

  When they arrived, William and Giselle were still sleeping. The sun was barely visible now, so Lyla and Thomas prepared a place to rest and fell asleep in each other’s arms.

  Lyla stands in a large room that has concrete floors and stone walls with very few windows. A long roll of red carpet leads from the double doors behind her to the opposite side of the room and up a set of steps. It continues until it reaches a large black chair with black skulls lining the frame, a throne.

  The doors behind her opens, and all the muscles in her body tense as she turns as sees Damien enter the room. He closes the door behind him and walks toward her with the biggest grin. She wants to slap the grin right off his face, and then pummel him to death for taking her grandfather, and now her sister. She hates this man with a passion. He has taken everything away from her. How could he have become such an evil monster?

  She begins to run toward him with the intentions of hurting him when she stops, unable to move. She tries to move every muscle in her body, but she can’t. He has taken control over her once again.

  “Don’t be so hasty,” he says calmly. He begins walking in circles around her as he speaks. “You and I have important matters to discuss.” She tries to speak, but her throat muscles tighten. “I am still waiting for the items I have asked of you. I know you have acquired them and I expect them soon. Your time is running out and my patience is wearing thin, and I know I said one month, but I am moving the deadline to tomorrow night. If I do not have what I ask by midnight tomorrow I will be forced to kill your beloved sister.”

  Lyla feels as if someone is choking her. The room is spinning and she can hardly breathe. She feels a sudden release and she can breathe again, gasping for air. She is able to speak, but she can still not move her body. She has so many questions that she does not understand.

  “I see your mind trying to comprehend all of this, so let me explain,” Damien says.

  His voice remains calm. He has stopped circling her and is standing directly in front of her, narrowing his dark eyes. Even though she can speak, all she can get out is a squeak. Lyla feels uncomfortable because of how close he is standing to her. This must amuse him because he lets out a low chuckle.

  “I’m sure you want to know how I have become so powerful? Well, I have this necklace you see.” He points at a necklace that is dangling from his neck. It has a large ruby th
at is wrapped in a bronze metal to hold it in place. “This stone absorbs power, which I have found up in the mountainous region of Dresden. It was such a great find. This stone alone gives me the power to control you, as you have noticed, because of the bite on your arm. It ties us together in a way.”

  Lyla hadn’t thought that was possible. Arthur made her a potion to rid her of any venom or poisons from the bite. Maybe it had not worked after all. Clearly it had rid her of enough toxins to where she had not turned into one of them, but maybe not enough to prevent Damien from controlling her. It is the only explanation she can think of.

  “As for your sister…”

  “Where is she?” Lyla yells. “If you hurt her…”

  “She is quite all right. For now,” he snarls. “In fact, I have a surprise for you.” He claps his hands twice and the doors in front of her open. A Demorite enters the room. He is quite large and he is followed by a young woman. Lyla takes in a deep breath. Lilly.

  Lyla is surprised to see her in the condition she is in. She is in a long flowing dress and she is beautiful. She looks clean and well taken care of. Lyla tries to run to her, but she is still motionless. Tears are stinging the backs of her eyes.

  Damien nods, and Lilly walks over to her sister. She is hardly showing any emotion at all, as she doesn’t seem happy or relieved to see her sister. Lyla is finally allowed to move forward so she runs to her and hugs her tightly.

  “Lil, I’m so sorry about what happened in the woods.”

  “No, I’m sorry for overreacting. I never should have run off like that. I’m glad you are here. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too, Lil. Are you all right? Have they hurt you?” Lilly shakes her head.

  “No, it’s actually quite nice here. I like it very much.”

  Lyla steps back from her sister. “You can’t mean that.”

  “I do,” says Lilly. “I have my own chambers, and I’m free to go as I please.” She turns and smiles at Damien. “And Damien is quite the charmer.”

  “This isn’t you. You wouldn’t say that after all that he has done to us.” Lyla is in disbelief; she can’t comprehend what she is hearing. Damien, charming? There is nothing charming about him. He’s nothing but a slithering snake in a pit.

  “What about Papa? What about Nana and our mother? He killed them!”

  Lilly is now standing in front of her. The mention of her mother and grandmother does nothing. She doesn’t flinch, smile, frown. She doesn’t even blink.

  “Like I said, she is quite all right,” Damien interrupts. “You have had more than enough time to get reacquainted.” He snaps his fingers. “Guard, take her away.”

  “Goodbye, Lyla. I’m sure I will see you again soon.”

  Lilly curtsies and follows the guard out of the room. Lyla stands in bewilderment. This is not what she expected from her sister. Something’s wrong with her.

  “What did you do to her?”

  Damien gives her an evil grin. Lyla runs toward him with the intentions of plowing him to the ground, but with a single touch, a tremendous electrifying pain shoot up her back. She falls on all fours, clenching her fists, trying to fight through the pain.

  Lyla woke up, relieved that she was no longer in pain. The sun was still shining bright in the sky. She lay motionless, thinking about the way her sister had acted. Was it all a trick that Damien had incorporated into her dream, or had he really brainwashed her? She was frustrated that she couldn’t even get close to Damien without him inflicting pain on her. Hopefully, it would be different when she saw him for the first time in person.

  She pondered on the thought, until she heard someone yelling in the distance and instantly sat up. She couldn’t make out any words, but she was listening to see what direction it was coming from. She got up and shook everyone awake, yelling at them to get up. She heard Giselle groan as she opened her eyes. She didn’t give anyone an explanation or time to think and ran toward the screams, picking up her weapons belt on the way. They looked around at each other as she ran into the woods, not sure what the reason was for her sudden outburst. Had they been found? Were they under attack? Finally, they heard the screams and ran after her.

  Lyla ran past many trees, through tall grass and thorn bushes. She ignored all the bleeding scratches that were now all over her body. She kept a steady pace, and the yelling became louder as she got closer.

  She came to an open field of tall grass surrounded by trees and stopped. The yelling was coming from a boy. He was grabbing his arm and he was limping when he walked. She looked around to assess the situation. The boy was far away, but she could see blood all over his body. Was this a trap? Was he being used as bait by the Demorites to draw in other humans?

  William, Thomas, and Giselle had finally caught up to her. Lyla was crouched down to the ground and held a hand out to them to stay quiet. They did not argue. They were breathing heavily from chasing after her and needed a moment to catch their breaths. They listened to what the boy was yelling about.

  “Someone, please, help me. Anyone! They are after me, please.” He was repeating the same line over and over. Two Demorites came storming out of the forest after him. The boy’s pace quickened.

  “Are we going to do something or just stand here?” Giselle asked.

  “No, I thought we would just wait around and watch him be slaughtered,” Lyla said in a sarcastic tone.

  Giselle glared at her through prying eyes.

  Lyla got up and ran toward the Demorites with everyone right behind her. The Demorites saw them running toward them at full speed and redirected their attention to them.

  As they neared, Lyla threw a knife at each of them. One was hit in the heart and crumpled to the ground, but the other managed to deflect it. Thomas ran forward and drove his sword through the Demorite’s chest.

  The Demorites didn’t seem to be very good fighters in Lyla’s opinion, which struck her as odd. How did Damien win the war over earth if his army didn’t put up much of a fight?

  Lyla was startled when a voice came up behind her. “I had it all under control.”

  “Yeah, we could see that,” said Thomas. “I didn’t know running away and yelling for help meant you had it all under control.” The boy shot him a sharp look.

  Now that he was closer, Lyla could get a better look at him. He had black hair, dark brown eyes, and tan skin. He looked about her age. He had a large cut on his leg, which was where most of the blood was coming from. He also had a cut at the corner of his forehead that left blood trailing down his cheek. It looked like he was hit with a large rock, or maybe the hilt of the Demorite’s sword.

  Lyla introduced herself to him. His eyes widened as she said her name. “Lyla?” he repeated. “Yes,” she said. “You make it sound like I have an odd name.”

  “No, it’s just…I have only ever met one person with that name before.” He looked at her from top to bottom. Thomas seemed to notice and tightened his fists. “Do you know who I am?”

  “No?” she said, confused. Thomas was looking from the boy to Lyla. He was as confused as everyone else. Lyla thought maybe, just maybe. No, it couldn’t be…or was it?

  “It’s me, Ryan. Ryan Tolemo.”

  Chapter 22

  Lyla stared at Ryan, unable to say anything. Under the dry blood that covered his tan skin, she was beginning to recognize his familiar features. This looked like him, but how could it be? She was sure he was dead. It had been years since the last time she’d seen him.

  “How did you…where were…I thought you were dead,” she said, finally forming a full sentence.

  “Ta-da,” he said. “I guess I’m back from the dead.”

  “What happened to you?”

  “You mean why I’m covered in blood, or why I disappeared all those years ago?” He no longer seemed like the scared boy running from a pair of Demorites. Now he was acting like they had not just witnessed him running for his life and had to save him. His tone was firm and confident. His stance has strong,
despite the gash in his leg.

  “Well, an explanation for both scenarios would be nice.”

  “I suppose we will start with the latter. My home was invaded. The Demorites had somehow found us. My parents, my younger sister, and I. We were captured and taken to the city. Damien’s castle had not been fully built yet, and that’s where we came in.” Just hearing Damien’s name made Lyla shudder. “We had been around them long enough to discover what the retched beasts called themselves before we escaped. Demorites,” he spat out the name in disgust. “Don’t you see? The Demorites are not roaming this far out of the city for nothing. They are looking for people in hiding, people they can add to their little collection of worker bees.”

  “You mean they are turning these humans into slaves for their own bidding?” William asked. Everyone had been so quiet behind her that she almost forgot they were there.

  “Yes, they used us to build his castle, and now he is using them to expand his kingdom. I say them because some of us escaped. My parents and I, as well as a few other people. We have formed an Alliance against the Demorites. Our numbers have grown over the years, however. We have enough people for a small army. We plan to invade his kingdom, save as many people as we can, and take back what is rightfully ours.”

  “We plan to do the same, except we did not know about all of the people we are going to have to save,” Thomas said. “Not only do we have to worry about our safety, but theirs as well. Damien can use that to his advantage by threatening the lives of all those people.”

  “Unless we get them to join the Alliance once we enter his domain,” Lyla said. “Surely they would join us to earn their freedom.”

  “The only issue is Damien only keeps his workers strong enough to work through the day,” Ryan said. “They receive little food and water, so many of them have a hard time making it through the day at all. The only reason they keep going is because they fear the consequences.”

  “Why would he do such a thing? It seems hardly beneficial to him.” It was the first thing Giselle had said since they began the conversation. Lyla noticed Ryan take an extra moment to look at her. She knew he was observing her beauty, her flawless perfection. She found herself annoyed, but didn’t know why.