The creatures started to dive. Excalibur and I could deflect them easily while Owen and Ivy solved whatever they were doing. The monsters wouldn’t get low enough to allow the blade to slice. They were afraid of her, as they should be.
Funneling more power into Excalibur, her blade started to spark with lightning. Rising the sword, I rained down a storm of red and gold lightning. The creatures shrieked, a few of them exploding but most of them got away.
“Toby is dead,” Ivy said after a moment. Sometimes she focused on the oddest things. Now was not the time for that.
“Yes, he is dead. And we will be soon if you don’t do anything.” Owen snapped.
“What about you, Master of Magic Emrys? Why don’t you do something?” Ivy yelled. I couldn’t believe they were arguing in the middle of a demon-bat swarm.
“Would you two shut up!” I yelled, hurling Excalibur above me to stab one and then she shot herself forward to kill another.
“Oh, you’re only the Queen of Sorcery, which you were all so eager to take that title just an hour ago!” Owen snapped back. “Show us why you deserve that title.” There was no getting through to them now. This was like the Wendigo test all over again, where they spent the majority of our exercise arguing.
“Why are you being such a dick?” Ivy demanded, turning to fully face Owen. A monster swooped down, but I was able to send some lightning at it, shocking it into flying a different way.
“They are after you. We are in this mess because of you. Its time you fucking did something.” Owen yelled in her face. I felt a headache coming on. “Look at your knight, over there kicking ass and protecting your pathetic hide!” Ivy’s eyes ignited with magic and fury.
“Fuck off, Owen!” Ivy shrieked. “I am not pathetic!” She yelled. Excalibur and I were doing just fine. I wasn’t sure what Owen was trying to do, but I just kept defending them as they did it. It was the only thing I could do.
“Then prove it! Or are you just a spoiled princess with a pretty face?” Owen dared her. Ivy glared at him, green lightning sparking from her eyes. She really hated being belittled.
“I am the Queen of mother-fucking Sorcery,” Ivy shouted back. Her entire body glowed green as electrical currents started to spark off of her. “You will bow down to me!” Owen sank to his knees a smile on his face.
“Yes, my Queen.” He grinned. Ivy turned and pointed at one of the flying creatures. “Explode.” She Commanded, and it did. Together Ivy and I made quick work of the flying monsters. When the last one was gone, we stood for a moment, ensuring that it was safe.
“We should go back in there,” Ivy said, pointing to the Coliseum. Oh sure, she was all ready to run when her magic didn’t work.
Weird energy rippled through the air. It seeped into me, like a dense fog, numbing my muscles and my mind. It was like mentally trekking through sludge. Owen and Ivy exchanged a glance. The energy concentrated at the other end of the parking lot. A bright white light exploded from a spot just above the ground, and then a vortex started to ensue. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think. Whatever it was had paralyzed me.
A figure stepped through the vortex, another swarm of bat-demon things flying out from the portal. The figure was tall, probably at least seven feet, and wore a full suit of black metal armor. Black smoke wafted through the crevices of the armor, and red light shined from where his eyes were meant to be. I knew what that was. I had known what that was since I was a kid. My heart felt like it sputtered.
“We have to get out of here,” I said, grabbing Ivy’s arm.
“What the hell is that?” Ivy gasped.
“It’s a Dark Knight.” I gasped, pulling her towards the car. There was no way we could take that thing. Owen and I caught eyes then. He looked just as worried as I felt.
Scrambling to the car, I opened the drivers’ door and tossed Ivy into the seat. Turning, Owen stood by the trunk.
“I’m staying.” He said, giving me a long look. “Both of you get out of here.” I started shaking my head.
“Go,” Owen said, the blue in his eyes shining.
“Ryker, it’s okay. We have to go.” Ivy called from the car. Both of them told me it was sound. I trusted them with everything, especially when taking hints from the universe.
“Stay safe,” I said. He gave me a curt nod and then started to run back the direction we came. Back towards the Dark Knight. I revved up the engine and peeled out of the parking spot. Throwing it into first gear, I tore out of the lot, leaving Owen behind. In my rearview, I could see the blue magic igniting in the distance behind me.
“What was that thing?” Ivy demanded once we were on the main street. I wasn’t sure where to go, but I knew we needed to get far away. I entered the interstate, just wanting to get out of town.
“It was a Dark Knight,” I replied, keeping my focus on my mirrors. I wanted to make sure that thing wasn’t following us.
“What is that?” She asked. I knew why she was asking her questions, but sometimes they annoyed me.
“Constance used to tell us these stories before we went to bed.” I started, keeping my patience. “They were stories of another land where great and terrible monsters lived. Among these monsters were the Dark Knights. They have similar powers to Knights, in that their magic is in their strength and their bodies, but they have no Code and live by no honor. They kill indiscriminately for the right price.” I paused for a moment. Unsure if I wanted to tell Ivy this. She stared at me with wide eyes. “They also have their own magical powers. All of them are different. But all of them can weaken a knight.” Ivy gasped.
“Which is why Owen stayed, and we left.” Ivy nodded after a moment.
I pressed the pedal down harder, the engine roaring with exertion as the urban landscape started to fall to the forest. Getting off the interstate, I took an old highway towards a safe house my father owned. The road was narrow but hidden, and not many cops roamed it, making it easier to speed.
“What’s happening?” Ivy whispered. I could barely wrap my mind around it either. “I thought that the old man was our friend.” I didn’t know what to say. She sounded so sad. Ivy’s trusting nature was going to hurt her more then it helped.
“I’m not sure what he is about,” I said honestly. She let out a deep breath.
“And what are those things? And that dimension?” She trailed off then, lost in thought. “Those are some of the creatures we saw . . . that day in the vault.” She then whispered. I hadn’t thought of that. Last spring, Owen was experimenting with cookie magic and created one that allowed free flow of magic through our bodies. Ivy had released all her magic at once, and a dimensional picture opened up, showing us an army of strange and terrifying creatures marching towards Earth. I squeezed her hand, trying to give her some assurance.
We drove in silence for a few minutes.
A ding sounded, and Ivy pulled her cellphone out of her pocket.
“It’s Owen.” She smiled and then looked at the phone. Her brows furrowed.
“All it says is ‘Watch Out!’” She read after a moment. That was confusing. What did he mean by that?
I entered a bridge over a wide river. That was when I felt it. It was too close, coming too fast, too late. I had enough time to turn the wheel in the opposite direction before the bat beast slammed itself into the side of the car. The car rolled, which is what I wanted it to do. Instead of being pushed off the side of the bridge, it tumbled once and stopped to the side of it. Once the car stopped, it took me a moment to get oriented again.
“Ivy,” I called, wanting to hear her voice.
She didn’t answer. I forced my head to turn. She was staring at the bat creature, kneeling to look into the broken windows of the car. Its head was inside the vehicle, it had no eyes, only gigantic ears. It was blind. Carefully, I reached forward to the radio knob. In a swift flick of my finger, I cranked the stereo. The creature shrieked and recoiled back, trying to pull its body out of the car. In its panic, it got stuck and sent the car flying
over the side of the bridge. There was nothing I could do, it all happened so fast.
We landed hard, and water quickly started to fill in through the broken windows. I yanked off my seat belt and turned to Ivy. She was messing with the clasp; it was jammed. The water went over our heads. Reaching over, I pulled the seatbelt free and grabbed her arm. Pushing her out of the car, I pulled my way through, and we both reached the surface.
The demon-creature was perched on the railing of the bridge over us, shrieking. I stopped Ivy from flailing and motioned with my finger over my lips to be quiet. She nodded, keeping her limbs under the water. Quietly, we swam towards the shore, taking slow and steady steps as we exited the water. Once we were on solid ground, I turned back and glared up at the demon creature. Holding out my hand, I showed Excalibur exactly where to strike. Like a shooting star, she streaked through the sky, turning to stab right through the bat creature and landing in my hand. That’s what it got for wrecking my fucking car.
I told Ivy we should keep moving, and she held out her hand. I pulled her deeper into the forest, keeping my senses on high alert. I could hear the wings of birds and the skittering of insects and smell the hide of deer and sweet berries. Nothing was surprising us again. As we went deeper into the forest, I felt a direction take root in my senses. The universe was forcing me somewhere, and I was going to follow it.
Chapter Six:
Ivy:
Ryker led me through the dense forest, Excalibur clutched in his hand. I wasn’t sure what we were doing, but I was a little out of my element, so I followed along. The sounds of the wind rustling leaves, birds chirping, and critters scurrying in the underbrush filled my ears. The forest was alive, and for some reason it felt good to be there, calming even. Ryker still wasn’t wearing a shirt, as he had no time to grab one before we were attacked. His Pendragon tattoo took up the entire expanse of his back. For some reason, it fascinated me.
We walked for over an hour. I wished I had had the foresight to wear better shoes, but my little black flats were falling apart under the terrain of the forest. Ryker wasn’t even wearing shoes as he stomped through the underbrush, never complaining about a twig or a thorn. Knights could turn off a sense to enhance their others. Ryker once told me that he chose touch to dissipate more often than not, as it was the least important in a fight. Besides, not feeling pain could be the difference between life and death. At that moment, I wished I also had that ability.
Then I glanced down at my ring.
“I could open a dimension,” I whispered to him, as I knew his ears were ultra sensitive right now. He shook his head. I recognized that intense look in his honey brown eyes. I didn’t question his decision or argue for the latter. He was right, we were meant to be in the forest, on this day, at this time. I could feel the universe moving around me with satisfaction in the energy.
In the forests of Virginia, though beautiful, they could also be treacherous. Over the years I have spent there, I have found that the most annoying part of hiking through the Smokey Mountains was these thorn sticks. They grew out of the ground, as most plants did, except with no leaves or flowers on them. They were just sticks of thorns that grew up straight or settled into the underbrush. One caught my foot, and I was done.
“Hold on,” I whispered to Ryker. He stopped and peered over his shoulder to look at me. My foot was bleeding. Damn it. It stung like hell too.
“Are you alright?” Ryker asked me. I told him to just give me a moment.
Manifesting my power in my ring, I conjured a set of hiking boots and socks. Quickly, I changed my shoes and asked him if he wanted a pair. He shook his head, keeping his hearing outstretched. I knew he would turn it down, but it felt wrong not to ask. For our final at MBIA, we had to survive out in the woods for four days with nothing but a Swiss Army Knife, a set of matches, and a cast iron skillet. Ryker had spent the entire week out in the forest wearing nothing but athletic shorts, as he explained that he felt a connection to the woods like it could talk to him. Owen and I agreed that sounded pretty crazy, but we’ve said some crazy things as well.
After I laced up my boots, I felt much better and told Ryker to move on. I followed him until the sun was high in the sky. The sounds of passing cars disappeared as we went deeper and deeper into the wilderness. I asked Ryker where we were going, but he told me he wasn’t sure. If I felt that we were supposed to be here, it only made sense that he felt it too. Over the day we hadn’t heard anything from the Order or Owen, but then again our cellphones had ruined from when we fell in the river. By the time noon rolled around, I had changed every piece of clothing. It started with the shoes, but then I was tired of being in this slogging wet skirt, so I manifested a pair of shorts and fresh underwear. Once I had done that, the weight of my still soaked bra was more apparent. I conjured a sports bra and a t-shirt. I had asked Ryker repeatedly if there was anything he wanted, but he shook his head. He was super focused all day.
By the time the sun had started to descend over the tree line, I was in full hiking gear, munching on a protein bar, with my hair brushed and in a side-braid that rested on my shoulder. Ryker still hadn’t eaten or drank anything. We got into an argument about that one.
“We have to keep moving.” Ryker snapped when I offered him a bottle of water and a protein bar.
“You’re going to collapse from starvation and dehydration.” I countered. He gave me a deadpan look.
“I am a knight.” He said in response.
I rolled my eyes. I wondered if this was some sort of quest into manhood thing that I didn’t know about. He wouldn’t let me portal home, so there I was, following behind my valiant knight, as the forest grew darker and darker.
The sun had almost fully descended, making seeing impossible for me. Owen knew a spell that allowed his pupils to expand further so he could see in the dark, but I hadn’t learned it yet. Instead, I held on to Ryker’s hand as we moved further into the forest.
“Where are we going?” I whispered to him.
“North.” He replied, keeping his eyes straight ahead.
Was this what he was like on knight missions? Is this why all the other knights respected him, even those who didn’t like him? I wondered what they saw. I made a mental note to ask Natalie when we got back. When the sun had finally set, and the moon lit our way, that was when I had felt it. We were next to a small stream, and as we crossed it, my heart hammered in my chest. Dark, sinister, vengeful magic was near.
Ryker must have felt it too because he turned to me and put his finger over my lips, signaling for me to remain absolutely quiet. I gave him a nod, and he turned, grabbing my hand, and led me towards the source. As we grew closer, the energy in the air became so thick it was hard for me to breath. I didn’t understand why we were going towards it. Why not away, as we were the only ones in this woods and no one knew where we were? I could see my life broadcasted on a Lifetime Movie, a beautiful young girl and her boyfriend get lost in the woods to never been seen again. Light filled my vision as Excalibur started to glow.
Ryker stopped and turned towards me. Stretching out his arm, Excalibur flew off into the sky. I guessed she was too bright for him right now. Turning, he crouched down lower and led me onward. After a few moments, Ryker pulled me to squat behind a bush. He gave me a long look and then wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a hug.
“Stay here.” He whispered. I shook my head. Hell no I wasn’t about to stay there while he . . . I don’t even know what. He kissed my cheek gently. “Then go home.” He suggested. Go home? I shook my head harder. “Then stay here.” He ordered, giving me a hard look. I nodded my head after a moment. The great thing about Ryker was he could never tell when I lied to him. I tried not to do it often, but this time was an exception. He released a deep breath and then rushed off, leaving me there alone in the woods.
My survival skills were mediocre at best. I barely knew how to start a fire, let alone cook over it. I had no idea what was poisonous and what wasn’t. I never lear
ned all this because Ryker knew it. Why would I need to know it? Damn it. I peered over the bush. There was nothing there; I couldn’t even hear Ryker’s footsteps anymore. My heart pounded as I realized I was truly alone with no way to call for help. I wouldn’t leave Ryker, so my portal wasn’t an option. I wished Owen were there, he’d know what to do.
He said we were going north. I had no idea what that meant, but I could manifest a compass. I pointed the needle due north and then centered myself. Did I go after him, or did I wait here? I wasn’t sure what to do. After sitting on it for a moment, I decided I would go. Carefully making my way through the dark forest, a bright light emerged in the distance. What the hell? As I moved closer, I could see that in a large open space, there was what looked like a military base. Or at least huge concrete walls with gigantic stadium lights surrounding the area inside. I stood at the tree line, staring up at the wall.
Now what?
I had no hope of returning to the same bush in which Ryker had left me. The only direction to go now was forward. I wondered how Ryker got up the wall. Holstering my knife, I walked around the huge structure; keeping close to the wall that way if someone looked over they wouldn’t see me. Around the southern side, there was a gate. I hid in the foliage, watching a caravan of military grade Humvees stop just out the front. Men in full camouflage garb carrying massive automatic weapons walked around the vehicles. One of the back doors opened, and Admiral Orion stepped out.
“That little bitch got the ring.” He was shouting to someone through the phone. He stormed towards the gate as the Humvees slowly drove through.
I didn’t think about my actions then. Quickly, I ran to the back Humvee and jumped into the bed. It was full of crates and other supplies, so I slipped between two boxes, making myself as inconspicuous as possible. I kept my head down as the Humvee drove into the gates and parked among several others. The men got out, jibbing at each other as they walked away. Carefully, I climbed out of the back and slid under the vehicle. I could see men and women in military uniforms milling around everywhere. By their uniforms, I could tell they were private military, mercenaries. There were several temporary buildings inside the wall, and the entire complex was well lit. There was nowhere to hide. I wasn’t sure what this place was, but I bet that I wasn’t allowed in here.
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