The Mystical Knights: The Sword of Dreams (3 page)

              “Thirty-three!” a nasally secretary wheezed out, looking around feebly over her wire-rimmed glasses.  “Number thirty-three!”

              The rash, unfathomable anger consumed her as she stood up moodily, glaring fervently at CA  “That's me,” she said quickly.  Finding it hard to breath evenly, Nia strode up to the desk without a second glance at CA  She gave the nasally secretary her name, snatched her schedule from her hands and marched towards the door without even pausing to say goodbye to her new found ‘friend.’

              She pushed past the other students, careful to not sense every bit of what they were feeling.  She was old enough now where she could filter the others' thoughts and emotions without being subjected to them.  And then again, as CA somehow ended up prancing along next to her, Nia sometimes wished that she could automatically block the people who effected her the worst.

              “Aw, come on Niambe Bambi—I was just joshing you,” CA continued in a simpering tone.  Nia shot CA a deadly look, which CA seemed to calculate and shrug off too easily.  “What?”

              “Are you always this rude?” Nia whispered out of the corner of her mouth. 

              CA paused to think over the question.  “No,” she answered truthfully.  “Sometimes I’m worse—but seriously, you’ve got to learn to take a joke.  I’m just having some fun.  I'm letting loose before I'm stuck in ISS all day.”

              “ISS?”

              CA blinked.  “In School Suspension.  Jeez, girl, you have got to learn your inner school lingo.  Where’d you go to school before?  Prepington Academy?”

              Nia was hard pressed not to knock CA into the lockers.  She didn’t particularly care about inner school lingo or if there even was such a thing.  “I
went
to Emerald Academy for
your
information.  It’s a prestigious school—one that you wouldn’t be able to
get
in to if you even dared to put your best foot forward.”

              “I’d have to be dead first to go there to begin with,” CA replied with a shrug.

              Nia was about to glare once more at CA, when she saw him; his bangs fell across his sapphire eyes, touching the slight bridge of his nose, his thin lips pressed firmly together.  The boy caught Nia's searching gaze and with small smile, his eyes sweeping the floor, he pulled open the door to the cafe and disappeared into a crowd of ravenous students.

“Who's he?” Nia asked, pressing her face to the window as she peered into the hive of chaos.

"Him?" CA pointed to the boy as he walked towards the kitchens. “That’s Rowan Davies.”  Nia saw CA roll her eyes out of the corner of her eye.  "He's nothing special—just one of the Knights of Willow Creek.”

“Knights?” Nia furrowed her brow as she turned her gaze to CA  “But I thought Willow Creek's mascot was a Wombat?”

“It is,” CA admitted, carefully tracing her finger along the window frame.  “He and the friends he hangs around with earned that title somehow. 
I
have no idea how, of course," CA shrugged.  "They're some of the most stuck up asses I've met." 

              Nia pulled her face away from the glass and followed CA towards the breakfast line.  Rowan certainly didn't
look
like an ass—a heart shaped face framed with chestnut colored locks, delicate yet full brows, and chiseled cheekbones that sat high upon his face.  "He doesn't look strange.  He looks normal." 

              CA pulled out her free lunch card and flashed it at the lunch lady.  "Trust me," she said affirmatively as Nia grabbed a bagel and a packet of cream cheese, "Fiona the Heartless and her clan of cool kids are some bizarre kind of gang."  CA, with her breakfast pizza, banana and chocolate milk balanced on the tray, started to prance back towards the doors.  “Hey—I’ve got to eat back in the ISS room.  Would join you if I wasn’t in shackles!” she called back and, with a flit of her wrist, she was gone.

              The cafeteria was made up of two levels; the upper level, which included part of a stage that led into the band and chorus rooms, and the pit—a large square that sat directly below the upper level.  The walls of the cafeteria were covered in flyers and art work, and vending machines covered about half of the upper level.

A group of students stood huddled together of in the corner at one of the circular red tables in the pit.  The girl in the middle of the group had deep crimson hair that curled far past her bare shoulders.  She wore a tight and rather uncomfortable looking pale gray bodice over a white long-sleeved peasant shirt and black leather boots that were almost hidden underneath the helm of her pewter colored skirt.  Gleaming against her bosom, was something round and silver.  The Celtic knot, woven like a four-leaf clover shimmered peculiarly like silvery fire under the lights before Nia’s eyes.  The girl's stern gaze fell over Nia, stripping her from her very flesh with peculiar, silvery, unyielding eyes...

              The Silver Phoenix from her dream had those very same eyes. And that same pendant.

             
Gold Lion...The Mystical Knights...
Nia's hand flew up to her mouth as a piece of the puzzle clicked together.

             
“Mind if I join you?”

              Rowan Davies stood before her, holding his tray tightly in his hands.   A curvy, blue sapphire triangle, trimmed with forest green stone sat visibly against his chest.  Without warning, her surroundings began to tunnel away from her and before she had a chance to breathe, she was falling, spiraling down, down into nothing...

             
It was dark.  Rowan stood, dressed in armor like an ancient warrior.  His eyes were set and ready as he pulled down his helmet.  Before him, another figure stood, watching him with eyes that smoldered a brilliant blue, much more brilliant than Rowan’s would ever be capable of.  “Are you ready, Sapphire Warrior, defender of Earth and all its living creatures?” 

              The trees billowed in reply and the night birds hooted through the dark.

              “Yes.”

             
There was a loud
clang
as something hit the floor and arms were wrapping her up as her knees buckled.  “Are you alright?"  Rowan stared down at Nia, concern etched around his mouth and eyes. He was cradling her against his chest, his breakfast tray left forgotten on the floor.  Nia exhaled slowly as she stared up into his bright sapphire eyes, dimly aware that the entire cafeteria was watching the two of them.  “You zoned out a bit back there...”

             
He's one of them too. But what are they?

              “Sorry—must be nerves, I guess.” The smell of limes and bergamot filled Nia's nose as she breathed, staring at Rowan with wide eyes, still holding bagel in her hand.  There was something calm about him.  Nia's skin prickled at his touch that seemed almost familiar, but the amulet in her pocket twitched anxiously against her thigh. She swallowed hard and pulled herself away from him.  “You know—I’m not that hungry,” Nia placed her bagel on the table beside her, her eyes darting over to the group in the corner.  The girl with the silver eyes was staring at them, her eyes piercing and observant.  Nia's stomach twisted apprehensively, her hand grazing outline of the amulet in her pocket.  “I have to go see—see my guidance counselor about...
things
, you know, being the new student and all.  I’ll see you around.”

              Nia darted away before Rowan had a chance to say anything else.  She had learned long ago to trust her gut reactions, but sometimes trusting them wasn’t the problem.  The problem was knowing that the truth of what would come would come—no matter how far she tried to run from it.

Chapter 3: Unprotected

              Nia knocked her fist against the metal door of bus thirteen and shot a desperate look towards the glass doors of Willow Creek High School.  No one appeared to have noticed only one student standing outside before the final bell. 

              “Hey there,” the bus driver said as he opened the doors.  He was a middle aged man with brown hair and a friendly face.  He smiled at Nia as she climbed aboard, his Red Sox hat crookedly sitting on his head.  “Got outta class early, I see.”

              “Yeah,” Nia lied, and she hoped the fib wasn’t as weak as it sounded.  Some trip to the bathroom this turned out to be.  She
knew
Rowan was going to find her in the hallway during the end-of-the-day scuffle to leave.  And he was going to try to talk to her about her dream.  She had this intuition while climbing the rope in gym class, and the surprise of it nearly cost her some serious rope burn.  She gestured to the front seat to her left.  “You mind if I sit here?”

              “Not if you don’t mind one of the younger kids sitting with you,” he said with a nod.  “A couple of them like to sit up here with me—whether it’s because they
like
driving me crazy, I don’t know...”

              “Great—thanks.”  Nia sank down into the seat, fixing her bag on her lap.  Students were starting to emerge from the doors. 
And Rowan is headed
right towards this very bus. 
Nia gave the bus driver a strained look as she pressed herself against the front of the seat.  Of course
now
she'd get the entire picture.  Silly puzzle-like visions.  “I’m not here, okay?”

              “Who said that?” he asked sarcastically, looking around.  He shrugged.  “Hmm, maybe I just imagined it.”  The bus driver winked at Nia as he pushed over the lever to let on the arriving students.

Nia blinked her eyes twice as Rowan’s head popped up over the seat.  She pushed her forehead into the musty seat and held her breath.  She hadn't been expecting his arrival on the bus so quickly, but be was completely oblivious to her presence; he anxiously peered right on past her towards the back of the bus. 

              “Hey there, Rowan!” the bus driver greeted, giving Rowan a grin.

              “Hey Arthur.”  Rowan’s voice was flat and dull. He shuffled on past, looking oddly defeated. Nia sighed in relief, leaning back in the seat.

              At the middle school, Nia gained a seating partner: a meek little girl with tiny blonde curls that framed her dimpled face.  She smiled shyly at Nia before taking the seat beside her.  And then, with manic surprise, the shyness disappeared and Nia could understand why Arthur had said that the kids ‘drove him crazy.’

              After listening to the tiny girl—who Nia learned within seconds to be named Jenny—babble in a loud, excitable voice to her best friend named Delina, Nia wondered
why
she had chosen this seat.  She watched with raised eyebrows as Jenny used her mittens as hand puppets.  Nia’s wary look turned to one of horror as one of Jenny’s ‘puppets’ began mercilessly attacking the other one.

              Nia shot Arthur a worried glance, but Arthur just chuckled and shook his head.  Apparently this sort of behavior was completely normal for these two crazy girls.

              As they came closer to Nia’s road, someone in the back caught Delina’s short spanned attention.

              “Hi,
Jessica!
” Delina crooned, waggling her fingers at Rowan. 
Jessica?
  Nia’s eyebrows furrowed. 
Who's Jessica?
Nearly giving away her position, she peeked over the side of her seat to find that it
was
Rowan that Delina was referring to. Must be some kind of inside joke.             

              “Jessica!” Jenny jumped around in her seat, nearly smashing Nia’s head with her tiny fist as she squealed in delight.  She began to wave as well.  “
Hi
Jessica!”

              Now that it was apparent that the girls were indeed calling Rowan by the name of Jessica, Nia gave Arthur a demanding look.  Arthur chuckled, carefully surveying the rambunctious children.

              “Jenny and Delina found a book in one of the seats one day—and the name printed on the back of the cover was Jessica.”  Arthur gave Jenny a stern look in the rearview mirror as she bounced into Delina’s seat without warning.  “When I asked the bus if the book belonged to anyone, Rowan was the lucky candidate to raise his hand.   You know the rest.”  He winked and continued to watch the road.

              “I
told
them I have a cousin named Jessica.” Rowan spoke loudly over the two taunting girls.  “I really
do
have a cousin named Jessica...” he grumbled. 

              Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, it was Jenny and Delina’s turn to get off the bus.  As Nia watched Delina’s head bob down the steps, she heard the rustling of clothing in the seat adjacent to her.

              “’Bout time you came to visit with me, Rowan.”  Arthur shut the folding door and looked at Rowan from the mirror.  "Rough day?"

              "Just a long one," he sighed, looking up at Arthur through the rearview mirror.  "The pile of homework I have is longer though."

              Nia froze and pressed her back into the seat, her eyes practically bulging from their sockets.  She exhaled slowly and inhaled sharply several times, trying to calm herself. 
I only have just a few more minutes left
, Nia thought.  Her fingers anxiously gripped the seat as Arthur turned the corner.

              “So—you're new here right?” Arthur spoke suddenly, looking up to where she sat in the rearview mirror.  Nia felt more than saw Rowan freeze as she sucked her breath in with a loud
whoosh
. 
No! No, no, no, no!
Nia reluctantly raised her anxious eyes to meet the bus driver’s, trying to be inconspicuous.  Arthur continued, oblivious to Nia and Rowan’s tense reactions.  “I know I have someone new on my route and I've never seen you before.  What's your name?”

              Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Rowan staring at her.  Arthur continued to watch her curiously, waiting for her to reply.  Nia’s lips had forgotten how to function.  Rowan began to move, sliding his bag across the seat, getting ready to share the seat beside her—

              “
Here!
” Nia’s voice came out in a strangled shout.  Arthur jacked on the brakes, sending a few unsuspecting students forward in their seats.  It caught Rowan off-guard as well; his head smashed against the front of the seat and he blinked as he looked around, looking a little dazed.  “I live here!”

              Nia was on her feet before her brain could register that she was moving.  Arthur opened the door, gaping at her.  Nia skipped the last step and bounded into the dirt.  This road looked just as unfamiliar as the houses surrounding it; the trees that surrounded the road reminded Nia of a haunted forest-the trees were bare, their once bright and colorful leaves now brown and dead at their roots.  They creaked eerily as a gust of wind blew through, throwing Nia's hair into disarray behind her. 

             
“Hey! 
You don’t get off here!”  Nia winced a little at the sudden flare of anger in Arthur’s voice.  She turned around to apologize, only to see Rowan in hot pursuit behind her. 

              “Rowan Davies!  I
will
give you a bus slip!  Get back on this bus!” Arthur shouted from his seat.               

              Nia found a small path breaking off into the woods.  She glanced over her shoulder, watching as the doors on the bus snapped closed, and pushed through some of the prickly underbrush into the woods.  Thankfully, January had been somewhat kind to them and had left very little snow behind.  Nia broke into a run, her bag swinging carelessly on her back. 

              “Nia!  Nia wait!” Rowan called after her as the bus creaked while it rocked forward, speeding off down a little side road. 

              “I don’t want to talk to you.”  Nia snipped back.  Her heart was hammering wildly in her throat, panicked at the idea of speaking with him.  She wanted to be left alone to clear her head.   

              A few minutes turned to thirty, and thirty minutes all too quickly turned into forty-five.  Nia wiped her brow, struggling now to find her way out of the brush.  The sun had broken free from the clouds, settling behind the trees as it began its descent into the horizon.  And Rowan was still striding in her wake.

              Nia swung her bag in front of her and unzipped the front pocket.  “I have pepper spray in my bag! I know how to defend myself!” she called to him, silently thanking her mother for making her take those after school self-defense classes back home.  She pulled a small canister of pepper spray out from her bag and waved it in the air to show him.

              Rowan laughed.  “I’ll be the least of your worries—
trust
me.”  He then continued to himself, “Jeez, you're worse than Thor was when he came along...and
I
certainly don’t remember being this difficult... Running from me isn't going to make things change, you know!”

              Nia spun around and stared at him, now holding the pepper spray tightly against her chest.  Rowan stared too, his right eyebrow raised slightly higher than the left.  “Took you long enough,” he said, a hint of laughter evident in his voice.

              “What is this all about?”  Nia stood on the balls of her feet to make herself bit taller and more threatening; she was tall, but Rowan stood a good head taller than her.

              “You already know,” he replied softly. “You sent us the message through your dream last night—”

              “You're delusional!” she said loudly, and the violent tremor in her voice made her uneasy.  She swallowed hard, trying to work her heart down from her throat, and carefully continued.  "Who's
us
?  What are you talking about?"

              Rowan leaned his shoulder against the pine tree he was closest to.  He crossed his legs casually, surveying Nia’s hostile body with amusement.  Nia couldn’t seem to find her voice; the surrounding darkness made the trees look like towering ominous shadows.  She shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her body.  “Okay...” she trailed off, trying to find the right words, “so you won't tell me what you're talking about, but you want me to talk to you."  She took a deep breath and stepped toward him.  "What about the dream I had?  Tell me about it.  I'll talk if that's what you want, but I need to understand what's going on.  What message did I send?"

              Rowan lithely pushed himself away from the trunk of the tree, his arms still tightly crossed over his chest.  “The message,” he repeated, searching the forest floor absently in thought.  “Your dream took place in Hollow Hills Park and you were surrounded by our guardians.”

              Nia perked a little bit.  So he had gotten the place right.  Lucky guess.  “Go on,” she said, giving him a nod.

              “There was a woman—she greets us all—she is always wrapped in dark purple and gold cloth.  She came forward with a lion that had eyes the same color as yours.  She gave you your amulet—"  Rowan stopped, his brow furrowing incredulously as though someone had stepped on his foot.  He looked around the wooded area, looking tense.

              “Okay,” Nia said, warily shifting her gaze around the forest, following Rowan's eyes  “So we had the same dream.  But what was the message—”

              “Where’s your amulet?” Rowan rushed towards her, his face abruptly wild with concern.  Nia stumbled, taken back by Rowan’s sudden flash of anxiousness.  “Why aren’t you wearing your amulet?”

              “I—” Nia shut her mouth quickly, unsure of what to say.  “It's in my pocket!"  She pulled it out, dangling the chain between her fingertips.

              “You were told to wear it!” Rowan waved his hands in front of her face as he spoke.  “That was the message!  It's no good to you if it's kept inside your pocket!  We're connected now, all of us, bound together as one-”

              The trees behind Nia rustled; something had moved quickly from behind them.  Nia sharply turned her head to look into the shadows.  Straining her eyes, Nia couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary.  It must have been an animal.  But the tingling feeling in her stomach told her otherwise as did Rowan’s taut shoulders.

              “Great,” he muttered, grabbing Nia’s wrist.  “Just wonderful...get behind me,” he told her roughly, yanking her arm.  “And stay behind me, no matter what happens.”

              “Why?” Nia demanded.  “What is—”

              A loud ear piercing shriek broke through the dusk; something big and scaly sailed through the bushes.  Something with huge, razor-like incisors and scarlet red eyes.

              Nia’s eyes bulged and her lips trembled; she gasped, nearly stumbling backwards over a large rock that was at her feet.