Read A Tale of Red Riding: Rise of the Alpha Huntress (The Alpha Huntress Series Book 1) Online
Authors: Neo Edmund
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Mythology & Folk Tales, #Teen & Young Adult, #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Fantasy, #fairy tales, #Paranormal & Urban
A Tale of Red Riding: Rise of the Alpha Huntress (The Alpha Huntress Series Book 1) (25 page)
Chapter 27
“Just follow me and don’t fall behind,” Ash said as he stomped on a large spider. He continued to lead Red, Dote, and Wolfgang down the endless maze of ventilation shafts that ran through Ice Seether’s palace.
Red was certain that something was out of sorts as the minutes passed like hours. “Ash, if you don’t get us out of here soon, I’m going to rip a hole in one of these walls.”
“Don’t go freaking out now,” Ash said. “It’s just around this next bend.”
After another minute or two of walking, Ash finally signaled for the others to stop near a vent cover. On the other side, they could see the legs of two guards standing in a corridor.
Ash gestured to Red that he was going to push the vent open. She was to grab one of the guard’s legs and pull him inside. He then motioned to Wolfgang, indicating to grab the other guard and knock him out.
Red and Wolfgang looked to one another and shrugged in agreement.
As soon as the vent opened, Red grabbed a guard by his pants and pulled him inside. Before the man could react, Ash clubbed him in the face. The other guard peered down into the vent with a perplexed expression. Wolfgang grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him inside.
As Red jumped out of the vent into the dark hallway, she heard a hard thud and knew the other guard was out of the game.
“I guess that worked out well enough,” Red said. “Where to next?”
With Ash leading the way, they dashed down a long hallway covered with royal blue carpet. The strangest paintings Red had ever seen lined the walls from floor to ceiling, each depicting extreme close-ups of people’s faces.
Dote glared downward to avoid looking at the portraits. “This hallway is giving me the creeper-jeepers.”
“The Seethers call this the Hall of Faces,” Ash said. “There’s an old urban myth that the faces were stolen away from their owners by an old witch. She immortalized them in these paintings.”
They rounded a corner and came upon two guards standing at the far end.
“Halt in the name of her royal highness, Ice Seether!” one commanded, raising a hand to signal them to stop.
An energy vortex shot past Red from behind. The guards were hit head-on and sent flying backwards into a wall. Quite startled, Red snapped a look back to see Dote had both hands extended, and they were glowing green.
“That’s my favorite spellcraft.” Dote stumbled a little. “The problem is that it makes me feel sleepy when I do it.”
“It was totally impressive,” Red said.
As they passed the fallen guards, Red was relieved to see they were still breathing. The idea of causing them serious harm felt wrong. She figured they were just employees doing their job and certainly not responsible for the things that the Seethers did.
They arrived in a hallway with floors and walls lined in dark purple velvet. At the far end, stood a twenty-foot wooden door with a white ivory archway. Two royal knights stood before it, in werewolf form, with glowing red eyes.
Red looked to Ash. “Let me guess. Ice’s bedroom?”
“You got it.”
“We gotta make sure her guards don’t have a chance to call for backup.” Wolfgang sprinted off down the hallway toward the guards.
“Hey, wait for me.” Red dashed after him.
Roaring furiously, the knights pulled out their swords. Wolfgang did a high-flying jump-kick and pummeled the knight on the right. Red slid feet forward for the last few yards. The knight on the left swung his sword, but she passed right underneath it. She finished the fight with a powerful kick to the knight’s gut.
Red and Wolfgang looked at one another and grinned.
“We make a pretty rocking double act,” Red said.
“I still say this is going just a bit too easy,” Wolfgang said.
Ash and Dote ran up to join them.
“I so wish you could have seen how cool that looked,” Dote said.
Red approached a huge spiraling mechanism attached to the door. It was made of solid iron and had a spinning dial with hieroglyphics carved into it.
“This looks sort of like a combination lock used to secure a bank vault,” Red said.
“More like a bunker,” Wolfgang said.
“Ice can get a little obsessive when it comes to home security,” Ash said.
Red spun the dial. “Any idea how we get inside?”
“Allow me.” Ash nudged Red aside and began turning the dial. He spun it three times to the left, three times to the right, and four times back to the left.
The lock disengaged with a clunk.
Red and Wolfgang looked at one another and shrugged.
“I don’t even want to know how he knew that,” Wolfgang said.
“I’m going to just smile and be glad he did,” Red said.
“If you think that was weird, wait until you get a look at what’s inside,” Ash said.
It took Red’s and Wolfgang’s combined might to push open the massive door. They stood in awe as they took in the bizarre sights of the large stone chamber.
Dote looked up in disbelief at a wall lined with enough bladed weapons to arm a squadron of soldiers. “Obsessed much with the killing stuff?”
“This is new.” Ash took a wide step around a rug made from a beast that resembled a grizzly bear, but was several times larger and had vastly more teeth.
Red approached a wall, covered from top to bottom with the mounted heads of hundreds of slain creatures. “Is there anything in Wayward Ice hasn’t killed?”
“Several,” Wolfgang said. “Have no doubt they’re all on her hit list.”
Dote stood trembling. “Can we just get the gem and go? All this dead stuff is giving me nightmares, and I’m not even asleep.”
“Agreed,” Ash said. “Let’s not end up as the next trophies on Ice’s wall of death.”
In the center of the chamber stood an extravagant canopy bed. The legs and poles were made of three-inch-thick animal bones. A white curtain made entirely of animal skins hung over it.
“Major creep show,” Red said.
Next to the bed sat a large nightstand, also crafted from the bones of slain beasts. The glowing Omega Gem sat perched in the severed claw of a raven. Red gazed into its glossy reflective surface and saw an image of the full moon.
“Just like I told you.” Ash said.
Red took a careful look around the chamber. “Is it me, or does this all seem just a bit too easy?”
“I’m pretty sure I’ve been saying that since we hit the ground,” Wolfgang said.
“Well, now
I’m
saying it.” Red took a quick sniff of the air. There weren’t any obvious signs of danger. Not that it offered her much comfort, considering their surroundings.
Dote whimpered. “Just grab the darn gem and let’s get out of this place.”
As Red reached out for the Omega Gem, she could feel its power calling to her. It wasn’t until her hand made contact that she realized she had made a terrible mistake. An intense shockwave of mystical energy blasted out, knocking her to the floor with a painful thud.
“What a dirty rotten spell,” Dote said.
Wolfgang and Dote dashed over and helped Red to her feet. The gem flickered and vanished in the blink of an eye.
“Whoa. What happened to it?” Ash searched around the nightstand.
“Great job, Dorkus,” Wolfgang said.
“How was I supposed to know it was going to do that?”
“We have to find it,” Red said. “How can I defeat Ragnarok without it?”
“The answer is
you don’t
, foolish peasant girl,” Ice said. They turned as she strutted in through the chamber door, grinning maliciously and holding Prince’s rapier.
Red pulled her sword and pointed it at Ice. “What did you do with the Omega Gem?”
“You still don’t get it.” Ice snickered. “It’s a fake, you little dummy.”
“You’re lying.” Red said.
“Sadly, I am not. But don’t feel bad. Even I was fooled when I first held it. My sages assure me that it has no real power.”
Red slumped in defeat. “Then we came all the way here for nothing.”
“Dearest Red, don’t be that way. You left our little party the other night so abruptly that I never got a chance to show you my room. I do hope you’re impressed.”
“Impressed is not the word I would pick. Major freak show is more like it.”
Ice smiled quite proudly. “So then you do like my trophies. I killed every one of them all on my own, you know.”
Dote gasped when she noticed Prince’s rapier in Ice’s hand. “Is that the sword that belongs to my pretty prince?”
Ice playfully swung the rapier around. “Oh, poor dodo bird. I do hope he wasn’t somebody special to you.”
“Not yet, but I was making plans,” Dote said. “What did you do to him, you albino freak show?”
Ice gave a dismissive laugh. “Is that the best insult you can come up with, dodo bird? Red already used the term freak show when she complimented my decor. Do try to be original next time.”
Wolfgang approached Ice. “Are you just going to stand there cackling like a jaded witch, or are you and me going to have us a rematch?”
“Come now, little wolfy. Did you miss the part where I was talking about being original? We’ve already done that dance.”
Wolfgang cracked his neck to the side. “Don’t disappoint me and go running away with your tail between your legs.”
“Bored now.” Ice said. “How about we stir the pot a bit. Red, do you have any clue why this vagrant is following you around?"
“Try stirring another direction,” Red said. “Wolfgang and I have already been down that road.”
Ice snickered. “Oh, no. Don’t tell me we have a case of puppy love going on here? That is so quaint.”
Red grumbled. “Now I’m getting bored. We gonna fight now, or what?”
“No need to jump right to the primal thing,” Ice said. “How about I pick a fun subject to lighten things up. Let me think. How about the coming of Ragnarok in only a few short hours?”
“Check your calendar,” Red said. “Our big birthday bash isn’t until tomorrow night.”
Ice giggled. “Oh, now this is the part of the game where I say something shocking, then you totally freak out and call me a liar.”
Dote’s face was overcome with a look of dread. “Oh no. I knew something was going on inside the vents.”
Ice pointed the rapier toward Dote. “Zip it, dodo bird. My spellcraft. My punch line.”
Red took a nervous gulp. “What did you do to us?”
“It was so simple,” Ice said. “When I saw you coming on your little flying rodents, I knew that your little Dorkus here would try to use the vents to sneak around the house like he always does. So, in my brilliance, I put a little
déjà vu
spellcraft down there. I had you all running in circles, over and over and over and over.”
“So then how long were we in there?” Red asked.
“A whole day,” Dote said.
Wolfgang clenched his fist. “I knew it was too easy.”
“Surprise, birthday sister,” Ice said. “Sorry your granny and friends couldn’t stay around to join in the festivities. My guards had to escort them off the property.”
“You mean, they’re not dead?” Dote asked.
“Of course not. If you want them back, I’m sure you’ll know where to find them.” Ice extended her arms. A flash-bang explosion ignited. The chamber rapidly filled with thick smoke. “See you around, Little Red Riding.”
“Ice, I am so going to get you for this,” Red said.
Red couldn’t see a thing in the smoky haze. A sniff of the heavy air revealed that Ice had already fled the chamber. She then caught four distinctive scents. Ice’s elite guards, Mia, Naoki, Suki, and Yuki, had entered the room.
“Ash! Dote! Get out of here!” Red yelled out.
Red could smell her friends nearby. She dashed off in their direction, but an unseen attacker smacked her in the face with a wooden staff. A flurry of invisible attacks followed from every direction. She blocked as many of the strikes as she could, but smoke filled her lungs and slowed her down. The final blow sent her crashing face-first to the floor.
Then, just as quick as the attackers came, they were gone.
“Ash, Dote, Wolfgang? Where are you?” Red cried out.
A sniff of the air didn’t help a bit this time. There was too much smoke to smell anything. After a couple of minutes of aimless searching, the haze cleared enough so Red could see. Just as she feared, Ice had captured Ash and Dote. Only Wolfgang remained. He was lying half-conscious on the floor, with a nasty gash on the side of his head.
“Get up, Helheim.” Red nudged Wolfgang with her boot. “It’s time to go.”
“Oh, sure, I’m fine.” Wolfgang sat up and clutched his aching head. “Thanks for your concern, by the way.”
Red walked toward the door. “They took Ash and Dote. I’m pretty sure they have Granny and my father, and Prince, if he’s still alive.”
Wolfgang stumbled after Red. “You know she’s going to use them against you.”
“Of course I know that!”
Red shouted so loud it made Wolfgang flinch.
Wolfgang took a calming breath. “I’m sorry that things got all screwed up, but don’t go taking it out on me. I’ll do whatever I can to help you, if you’ll let me.”
Red also took a calming breath. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bark at you.”
“Don’t let that angst go so easy, Alpha Huntress. You’re going to need it tonight. Ice is going to have an army waiting out there for you.”
Red ground her teeth. “I hope you’re right. I’m so ready for a major fight.”
“What about the Omega Gem? How will you defeat Ragnarok without it?” Wolfgang asked.
“I don’t think I’m supposed to defeat him just yet.”
Red recalled how the first Red Riding told her that the search for the Omega Gem would be a long journey. She felt foolish as it became clear that she had again jumped into action without thinking things through. “Tonight I only have to stop Ragnarok from getting into this world. It’s time to go to the Moon Temple.”
Wolfgang nodded in agreement. “Then we go together. And I know exactly how we’re going to get there.”
Chapter 28
Red was certain the moon was on fire when she caught a glimpse of it in the night sky. It was sweltering crimson and loomed just above the trees that lined the rocky path she had been speeding down for over an hour. The voices of the lunar deities were calling her toward the inevitable battle awaiting her in the Moon Temple. The Alpha Power surging through her body gave her strength unlike any she had ever imagined possible.
“Faster!” Wolfgang called out to the horses that pulled their carriage along, the same one that had carried Red and Dote to Ice’s grand ball. He was sitting by Red’s side in the driver’s seat with the stone cold expression of a warrior ready to face his destiny.
The fearless confidence in Wolfgang’s eyes made Red believe they had a chance to survive the night. A smile came to her face as she recalled their brief time together. He was not the same guy she had met a mere five days ago. The disgrace of the Helheim name no longer defined his existence. Wolfgang was now on a new path where he could carve out his own destiny.
“They’re almost here,” Wolfgang warned.
A surge of fear overcame Red when she got her first look at the swarm of phantom faeries now pursuing them. They were winged creatures with the size and form of a full-grown human. Their skin glowed with a reflective luminescence that made them look like they were on fire. Her skin tingled as she stiffened involuntarily, as her grip tightened on her sword and she mentally tried to prepare herself.
I am the Alpha Huntress. I am the Alpha Huntress.
“Red, I don’t get it. If Ice wants you to go to the Moon Temple, why is she trying to stop you?” Wolfgang asked.
“I don’t think she’s trying to stop me. She’s trying to slow me down, so I get there after she has a chance to destroy the Alpha Stone and claim the powers for herself. Then she can make me watch her help Ragnarok through the gate.”
“If we weren’t talking about Ice Seether, I’d say that sounds totally insane,” Wolfgang said.
“When you’re dealing with crazy people, you gotta think crazy.” Red stood up on the roof of the speeding carriage. She locked her eyes on a phantom faerie that now flew alongside them. “Are you sure these things aren’t humans with wings?”
“Not even close. Phantom faeries are mindless beasts that only care about eating and killing,” Wolfgang said.
Red clutched her sword. “Then I won’t feel bad about hacking every last one of them to pieces.”
“Don’t go thinking this is going to be easy, Alpha. There’s a good chance they’ll rip our carriage to bits and try to eat us alive.”
Red buried her fears deep down inside and focused her thoughts on saving her family. “Then I guess you’d better keep this thing moving no matter what happens.”
A phantom faerie glared at Red through its blazing red eyes and wailed out a vicious screech. It swooped in and swung its razor-sharp claws. Red’s armor provided excellent protection from the attack, just as Ethan had promised. She countered with a swipe of her sword that chopped the beast’s arm off and then followed up with another slash that hacked its wings in half, sending it spinning into the trunk of a tree.
Another phantom faerie grabbed Red from behind. She responded with a backward thrust of her elbow that knocked it away. She spun around and swung her sword with so much force that the creature’s head flew off into the woods and its body fluttered off in another direction.
The swarm of phantom faeries began to viciously slam into Red from every side. She lost her balance and crashed down onto the roof. While trying to catch her breath, she spotted a phantom faerie flying near the underside of the carriage. It swung a claw and slashed the wooden wheel into splinters.
“Wolfgang, I think we’re in major trouble,” she said.
Red looked over the other side of the carriage just as a phantom faerie clawed the other back wheel to bits. The rear of the carriage collapsed to the ground. It caused such a jolt that Red had to jam her claws into the roof to save herself from being thrown.
A phantom faerie tugged at the reins in Wolfgang’s hands. Wolfgang slashed his claw into its wing. “If they take out another wheel, the carriage is done for. And we might be, too.”
Red saw a phantom faerie swooping down along the front of the carriage. She fearlessly jumped over the edge and caught a handle on the side. Right as the beast raised a claw to slash the front wheel, Red swung her sword and lobbed its wing off.
“Wolfgang, keep an eye on the other wheel,” she warned.
A phantom faerie grabbed Red from behind and pulled with all its might. She let go of the carriage and locked an arm around the winged beast. It screeched out and swooped upward, carrying Red high enough to leap away toward the top of the carriage. In mid-flight, she swung her sword and hacked its wing off, sending it screaming away.
Red landed on the carriage’s roof in a battle-ready pose. She was relieved to find that the remaining phantom faeries were gone.
Wolfgang grinned at Red. “You didn’t think I was going to let you have all the fun?”
Red kicked away an unconscious phantom faerie that was dangling off the side. “Looks like we’re clear for now. But this carriage is done for.”
Wolfgang pulled the reins and slowed the carriage to a stop. “We gotta get out of here before more of Ice’s minions find us.”
Red and Wolfgang hopped down to the ground. They worked quickly to unhook the two ghost-white stallions that had been pulling the carriage. Their hands touched as they both reached for the final piece of the harness.
The way Wolfgang looked into Red’s eyes made her heart flutter. “Red, I want you to know how much tonight means to me. Nobody has ever given me their trust like you have.”
“I didn’t give you anything. You’ve earned my trust. Tonight you’ll bring great honor to your name.”
“No matter what happens, I will stand with you. My life is yours, Alpha Huntress.”
“Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that, Wolfgang Helheim.”
They stood in silence, gazing into one another’s eyes. Red slowly moved in for a kiss, but Wolfgang turned away.
“We’ve only got an hour to get to the temple.” Wolfgang jumped up onto a horse and rode off in a flash.
“Wait for me, Wolf Boy,” she called after him.
With her heart fluttering, Red leaped onto the other horse. She raced off and was soon riding by Wolfgang’s side. Together, they rode across the majestic landscape on their way to face their destiny.
Red had come to love Wayward with all of her heart and would fight tooth and nail to protect it from evil. She knew the moment would soon be upon her where she might have to choose between the survival of her loved ones and stopping Ragnarok from thrusting her new home into eternal night.
“The Moon Temple is just ahead,” Wolfgang said. “We’d better ditch the horses and go in on foot so they don’t hear us coming.”
“The Alpha Huntress
is not
sneaking into battle tonight. They already know we’re coming, so I want them to hear our thunder when we arrive.”
Red and Wolfgang roared out as their horses leaped over a tall hedge. The Moon Temple was now directly ahead. Blazing red light blasted out of the stained glass windows. It illuminated an army of heavily-armed werewolves guarding the main door.
“I thought you said this was going to be tough,” Red shouted.
“These guys are vicious beasts. They’ll take us out without a second thought,” Wolfgang said.
Red’s adrenaline spiked as they charged into the horde. The hands of countless werewolves grabbed and pulled at her arms and legs. As her horse lost its balance, she stood up and vaulted high into the air. In mid-flight, she hacked down a werewolf that was twice her size. The instant her feet hit the ground, she again swung her sword, taking off the arm of a werewolf as it tried to grab her.
Moving at lightning speed, Red hacked and slashed her way through the onslaught of attacking werewolves. Wolfgang was nearby, battling the horde without the use of a weapon. He preferred to fight with his claws and a flurry of martial-arts style punches and kicks.
The final werewolf charged up behind Red and batted at her head with a hatchet. She dropped down to her knees just in time to evade the strike. With a backward thrust of her sword, she stabbed her attacker through the chest. Finally, spinning around and swinging her blade wide, she lobbed its head off.
Wolfgang stepped up next to Red. “Not bad, Red Riding. You might save Wayward after all.”
“Before I can do that, we need to get inside the temple.”
“Easier said than done.”
Red and Wolfgang turned to face the temple door. Mia, Naoki, Suki, and Yuki strutted down the front steps in werewolf form, armed with staves, and outfitted in sleek battle armor.
Everybody stopped cold and locked eyes for a tense moment. Mia was missing the hand Prince had hacked off. The look of rage in her eyes made it clear she was on the hunt for vengeance.
Red took a battle stance. “I’m going through those temple doors. You can either step aside, or we’re going to move you out of the way.”
Mia raised her weapon. “Bring it on.”
She and her counterparts dashed off in different directions and vanished.
“They’ve gone stealthy on us,” Wolfgang said.
“I’ve gotta learn that trick,” Red replied. Going on pure instinct, she raised her sword just in time to block a series of invisible attacks.
Wolfgang stumbled and fumbled as the girls pounded him with attacks from every direction. “Red, how are you blocking this stuff?”
“Stand back-to-back with me and listen for the sound of their staves cutting through the air.”
“Easy enough for you to say, Alpha girl.”
Wolfgang dashed over and took position behind Red. Sensing another attack, Red raised her sword and blocked it. She tried to counterstrike, but her attacker dashed away. Wolfgang blocked an attack with his forearm. He swung a fist wide, hitting nothing but air.
“They’re trying to keep us busy, and we’re running out of time,” Red said.
“Then pick your moment and go for the door,” Wolfgang whispered. “I’ll do my best to hold them off.”
“I’ve got a better idea,” Red whispered. “I say we both run for the door and let them chase us. Then at the last second, we turn and pounce.”
“Sounds just crazy enough to work.”
“Then we go on my call. Don’t hesitate for a second.”
“I’ll be racing you all the way.”
Red blocked another attack and swung her sword. She then heard the sound of Wolfgang blocking an attack.
“Now!”
Red and Wolfgang sprinted toward the temple door. Red could sense Mia and her counterparts racing after them. When her feet hit the steps, she turned and thrust her sword out. One of the invisible girls ran right onto her blade. Wolfgang turned and slashed a claw, inflicting a strike on one of their attackers.
The two wounded girls materialized. Suki was on her knees, gripping her stomach from Wolfgang’s strike. She was injured, but it wasn’t a fatal strike. Yuki was not so fortunate. She stood impaled on Red’s sword. The blade had pierced her heart. She stumbled backward and clutched both hands over the deadly wound.
Red gasped in horror and dropped her sword. “No. I didn’t mean to do
that
.”
Mia and Naoki materialized and dashed over to Yuki. They held her in their arms as she took her final breath.
Wolfgang placed a hand on Red’s shoulder. “This wasn’t your fault.”
Suki and Naoki picked up Yuki from the ground. They walked away toward the forest and vanished.
With hate-filled eyes, Mia stood staring at Red. “You will suffer for what you’ve done to my sisters.”
“Mia, don’t!”
Red shouted.
Mia dashed up the wall and landed behind Wolfgang. She stabbed her claws deep into his back. He wailed out in pain and dropped to his knees. Red picked up her sword and swung it in his defense. Mia blocked the attack, slamming Red into the wall. She then slashed her claws several times into Wolfgang’s chest and throat.
“Noooo!”
Red roared.
Mia bitterly locked her eyes on Red’s. “Now we are even, Alpha Huntress.”
Red lunged at Mia and swung her sword. Mia somersaulted backwards, just avoiding the attack. She raced away toward the trees and vanished from sight. Red dropped her sword and dashed over to Wolfgang. He was bleeding badly and laboring for every breath.
“Wolfgang, I’m so sorry. It was a stupid plan.”
Wolfgang smiled lovingly at Red. “What are you talking about? It totally worked.” His voice was weak and strained.
“I’m taking you to get help.” Red tried to pick up Wolfgang, but he pulled away.
“You cut that out. The Alpha Huntress doesn’t cry in the face of battle.”
“I can’t leave you here to die.”
Wolfgang wiped a tear away from Red’s eye. “When I agreed to come along, I was choosing to risk my life. I gave you my word of honor. I won’t take it back now. I can’t. The best way you can help me now is to stand up tall, march through those doors, and let Ragnarok hear your thunder.”
Red kissed Wolfgang on the forehead. “I won’t fail you.”
“I love you, Little Red Riding.”
As he said it, Red realized she loved him, too. “I love you, Wolf Boy,” she answered. She hoped they’d both survive long enough to do something about it.
Red turned away from Wolfgang and picked up her sword. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind and heart of fear and doubt. When her eyes again opened, she had the stone cold expression of a warrior of legend.
