The Mystical Knights: The Sword of Dreams (7 page)

“Followers?”  A sudden chill swept between the two; Nia tugged at her vest, vaguely remembering the encounter she had endured the day before 
Who
is
this guy?  The Anti-Christ?

“His followers are people who are capable of doing the same things he can do.  The same things you can do with your mind.”  Something glistened from within Rowan’s eyes as he spoke, but as soon as Nia saw it flicker, it was gone.  “If Fiona says he’s bad news...”  Rowan trailed off softly, shaking his head in disdain.  “It’ll be a cold day in hell when Fiona gives us bad information.”

Nia snorted under her breath, a strange burning sensation frothed deep inside her.  “I think she’s going to invade
my
personal bubble,” she mumbled.  “She rubs me the wrong way.”

“Yeah—she certainly has that effect on people.”  Rowan laughed a little, keeping his laughter light and sweet. “But deep down, Nia, Fiona has a heart of gold.  She’s just a little rough around the edges.”

“A little?” Nia let out a sarcastic laugh. 

Rowan chuckled again, grinning as he spoke.  “You’re not the first to feel that way about her.  Trust me—each of us has had our little issues with Fi.  She’s just...” he struggled to find a word to fit, “...strong willed?  Too independent for her own good?  I’ve known her for just over two years now—and it’s only gotten a little better.”  Rowan held up his thumb and forefinger closed the space between the two.  “Very, very little.”

“Just fabulous...”  Nia laughed again, shaking her head so that a few strands of hair fell into her face.  Twilight was turning into night now; what little noise the bustling town had to offer was beginning to hush—even the soft calls from the birds began to diminish.  "How long have you known about all of this?"

"About two years." Rowan pressed his lips together and nodded. "Quinn's known for three years. Kenzie's known for...two and a half years. Thor's only known for about a year now."

"Is Kenzie your girlfriend?" Nia blurted out. A sudden warmth touched her cheeks causing her to flush.

Rowan clicked his tongue and teetered awkwardly. "Uh, yeah. She is."

"Yeah..."
Way to make things super weird, Nia,
she thought to herself.

“You should get inside,” Rowan pointed out, brushing Nia’s upper arm with his hand. “It’s getting quite cold out here.”

Actually, it's pretty warm over here...
“Do you need to borrow a flashlight?” Nia asked, stepping up onto the wobbly cement block that sat in place of stairs underneath the front door. 

“Nah, its fine,” Rowan said, shaking his head.  “I don't have far to go.”

“Alrighty then...”  Nia firmly pressed her lips into a smile.  “Have a good night, Rowan.”

Rowan gently bowed his head.  “You do the same, Nia.”  He turned away then, slipping through the darkness like a shadow in the night.  Nia watched until his tall form could be seen trotting through the trees before she wrenched open the flimsy wooden door and went inside.

All was quiet—the kitchen was still just as messy as it had been that morning, dishes overflowing from the sink and bills scattered every which way.  Nia breathed a quiet sigh, letting the door snap shut from behind her. 
After supper
, she mused to herself,
I’ll get those dishes
.

As Nia stepped over the threshold and into the living room, something creaked loudly from behind her.  She froze, her breath seizing up in her chest while she listened intently, peering around behind her so that she could search through the darkness.  Her eyes darted back and forth suspiciously in an attempt to catch something out of the normal but nothing jumped out at her—the only noise she could hear was the soft ticking of the old clock on the wall.  Letting her breath out in a loud
whoosh,
Nia let her body relax. 
Get a grip, Nia
, she told herself, taking in a soothing breath and turning back around. 
It’s not like you’ve never been alone in a house before!
Just before she went to slide her foot across the floor, a slithery rustling noise sounded from just inches behind her.

A sense of unease washed over her body.  Nia whipped her head around so quickly that she felt the blood rush from side to side while she squinted through the harsh darkness.  A large, dark shadow darted across the far wall, nimble and swift.  Nia blinked several times, trying to make sense of what she had just seen—making sure the bizarre shape wasn’t just from her slight head rush—and then she heard it; a sickening, slurping slimy sound—a sound that was very similar to the sound of wet smacking lips slapping loosely together.  A low guttural growl made Nia’s heart thunder in her chest so hard, it ached.  The growl ripped and rumbled, blowing hot and sticky breath across Nia’s face as she tediously strained to see into the gloom.  Every hair—every fiber of her very being—stood on end as she came to face the horrible truth that she was not alone—and whatever was in the house was standing merely inches in front of her face.

Chapter 6: The Girl in the Mirror

Nia’s breath hitched high in her throat while the dark ominous shadow loomed forward, its ugly snarl intensifying.  Its putrid breath smelled nearly rotten and sticky like sour milk. It towered above her, rumbling dangerously.  Eyes wide, Nia slowly slid her left foot backwards and then proceeded to do so with the right.  She shuffled back across the carpet, careful not to trip and fall over any of her father’s knickknacks that were cluttered across the living room floor.  With every step she took, her breaths became more shallow and heavy until she was gasping for air.  The shadow creature advanced quickly, its shapeless body spreading out widely like a black mist.

Nia’s back slammed against the wall.  Her fingers desperately gripped the small grooves between the separate planks of wood as if she could simply pry away the wall and run away into the night.  The shadow creature hissed, rearing back what looked to be its head, and swung its left willowy mist-like arm high above its head, its see-through fingers shimmering in the dark.

Nia cursed inwardly as she fell to her knees, crashing into the floor with all of her weight as the shadow creature narrowly missed her head.  A painful, tingling sensation travelled up and down her legs while she pushed forward and into the creature in an attempt to get away.  Nia breathed in the misty black fog that surrounded it; it tasted like dirt and putrid smoke.  Nia coughed, becoming dizzy and lethargic almost immediately as she army crawled underneath the shadow creature.  She could feel her limbs weakening slightly as she fought to stay conscious. 
What’s happening to me
? she thought woozily.  The creature roared loudly and Nia felt a brush of cold air hit her back as the thing spun around.

Help!
  Nia weakly grabbed her amulet and squeezed it with all of her might. 
You said...you’d be there in battle...
She coughed again, her eyelids fluttering heavily as if someone had attached little weights to her lashes. 

Nia...Nia...Come with us...
This strange voice reverberated through her mind...low, monotone. Where was it coming from? Go where?

Her hands feebly squeezed the amulet again as her head slowly slipped into the crook of her arm.  The monster was inches over her now—she could feel the frigid air wrap tightly around her thin frame, breathing in and out with raspy breaths—and a dark chuckle sounded from its invisible mouth...

The amulet, weighty and lifeless in her hand, jolted.  Nia’s half-closed eyes opened wider, trying to see through the smothering smog as it hungrily pulled her back into her dull stupor.  The amulet began to pulse wildly, as if its own tiny heart had been surged with adrenaline.  Nia tried to stare at it, watching in awe as the amulet began to grow hot and unfamiliar in the palm of her hand, its amethyst eyes glowing brightly through the oncoming darkness...

Call my name...and I will guide you...
This voice was different than the one she had just heard. It was warm, comforting. Like an old friend.
The amulet...

Nia struggled to think through the haze as it pushed her own conscious thoughts away. She struggled to sit up but her arms and legs suddenly felt like heavy lead.  She lightly squeezed her amulet again, willing it to speak more—wanting more than anything for it to guide her through the dark shadows—but it only continued to burn into her hand.

Then, when Nia was quite sure she had been hallucinating, she heard the distant squeal of tires as a vehicle braked in the driveway.  A number of coughs and chokes hit her throat, as Nia thought about her father coming home from a long day’s work to find his only child sprawled out across the living room floor, choking and sputtering.  She wondered if he would be able to see the shadow creature or if her father would just feel it's dark ill-omened presence instead.  Her chest ached as she sputtered some more, dizzy and disoriented....Through the dense haze that was as black as pitch, Nia could have sworn she had seen bright green and blue flashes from outside...but she reasoned that it must have been the bright hues of color that had began to dance in front of the backs of her eyelids...

“Nia!” a voice shouted, the front door slamming loudly from the kitchen.  Nia tried to open her eyes this time, but it just wasn’t worth the effort...it actually hurt to try.  The voice that spoke definitely belonged to a male—but it didn’t belong to her father.  She tried to groan so that she could let her savior know that she was alright, but her throat was too dry...her lips were too weak...

The shadow monster roared beseechingly like a mother bear protecting its cubs.  The world had begun to tilt from underneath Nia and she could feel herself sliding away into the mist...

“I don’t think so, you oversized waste cloud!” the voice hollered threateningly.  Nia heard mumbling and the rustling of speedy footsteps inches away while she clung helplessly to the world she needed to belong in.  “
Tempest of Maelstrom!”

The monster’s roar rumbled loudly, the smog billowing out much thicker than before as a low chugging sound thrummed gently, vibrating through the tiny living space.  At first, Nia wondered if she were only imagining it—the sound of helicopter propellers that seemed to be getting closer and closer—but a violent breeze fluttered across the floor, knocking pictures and ol’ Bessie off the living room walls.  The fish plaque flipped through the air, as though caught in an invisible undertow.  Nia heard something smash loudly—maybe it was a lamp or quite possibly ol’ Bessie—and she felt her knees begin to rattle from the intensity of the wind.  The black mist wafted dangerously close to her face again; her nostrils tickled and twitched as she fought hard not to breathe in another breath of the vile pollution but her lungs began to wrack hard within her chest, pinching and suffocating her with what little fresh air she had left...

“Nia!”  Another voice had shouted—this one was very familiar and laced with concern.  Nia tried to call out, but her body felt as though heavy boulders were pinning it to the floor and her aching lungs wouldn’t allow her to speak. 

“
She is mine
,” the shadow thing hissed softly, its hoarse voice low and menacing.  A loud
bang
sounded shortly after—and Nia was certain that the monster was attempting to prove its point.

“Guess again!” his voice sounded closer to Nia, just hovering over her weak head.  A hand brushed her tightly balled fist, his fingers gently grazing her burning amulet.  A sigh, a quick rustle.  And then he fiercely spoke, “
Gold Lion, I awaken thee.
”

The most wonderful, most extraordinary shock softly buzzed through his finger tips, into her amulet and up her arm.  It wasn’t painful nor surprising— but warm and much welcomed.  A vital energy like no other surged through her veins, beating in time with the lion amulet clutched tightly in her hand.  Nia could feel bright white light shining down upon her and although she could still feel the floor beneath her back, she felt her entire body being lifted towards the heavens. 

It smelled of sweetness, like cotton candy and honeysuckle.  Nia could hear a soft humming from somewhere she could not see and as she went skywards, Nia felt the gentle touch of loved ones passed, reaching out and feathering her tired arms.  Just as the top was within reach, her mind’s Eye saw a kindly shadow looming from the light’s pinpoint far in the distance.  The ancient woman, dressed in vibrant purple and rich gold cloth swiftly floated forward.  Her face was still dark and hid the smile that was evident all throughout her voice.

“You are ready, dear one.” 

Nia felt her knees pull in tightly to her chest while her arms wrapped around them securely.  Her hair fell around her face as her neck rolled forward, the brow of her forehead pressed lightly into the crook between her knees.  The clothes she had had been wearing simply slipped from her body as if they had been wrapped loosely around her slight form but instead of feeling nude and out of place, Nia only felt a sense of great calm and serenity.

“Gold Lion—aid your guardian in battle.”

As slow and peaceful had the journey upwards had been, suddenly with a drop of her stomach, Nia could feel herself free falling from where ever she had been.  It was like being born again, except the rush of the fall was empowering and graceful.  Hands clenched tightly around her throbbing amulet, Nia fell, twisting and spinning through the air like a bird.  She could feel the seams coming undone from the unseen shield that had once protected her—she could feel her arms getting heavy as swaddles of cloth appeared out of nowhere, wrapping around her body, tightly binding her together.  Her hair pulled back, twisting gently into a tight bun, tiny curls framing her face.  Weighty armor was strapped over her chest and shoulders and she could feel something in the shape of a hilt pressing into her back.  Just before her sandal laced feet hit the ground, a sense of urgency overwhelmed her—
Place the amulet
.  Unthinkingly, Nia lifted the glowing lion up and pushed it into her armored chest where it snapped perfectly into place.  She felt something slide onto her head and then her feet graced the ground soundlessly.

Nia’s eyes snapped open.

The scene before her seemed to burn brighter than it had before.  Standing just inches in front of her was Rowan, sword at the ready and his right fist tucked neatly at his hip.

Another Mystical Knight was there as well, fighting the shadow monster; he was tall, dressed in long, billowing robes of emerald green that seemed to shimmer like water in the dull light, casting dark green shadows across the walls.  The shoulders of his robes came to sharp triangular points and white cloth was striped down the front with embossed thick black swirling designs, looping and curlicuing down its entire length.  His normally short ash colored hair was long now, pulled back into a low ponytail that stopped just below his shoulders.

Quinn.

In his hands, Quinn held a tall wooden staff; at the most top, where the wood had been knotted and carved out, sat an enormous emerald stone, wedged perfectly inside the staff.  It was glowing brightly and it seemed to be moving, rotating in a slow circle.  Nia could just make out the outline of something carved inside the stone—but there was no time now to decipher what it was.

“You alright?” Rowan muttered, shooting a sideways look at Nia over the brim of his helmet.  His hand tightened around his sword, the gems glittered brightly.

“Never better.”  Nia—as though she had done this a thousand times before—reached behind her and pulled out her sword as well.  The metal hissed as it slid from its sheath.  Her sword wasn’t like Rowan’s thick and heavy battle sword; her sword was long and nimble, curving gracefully at the end.  It felt nowhere near as heavy as Rowan’s sword looked either.  Tiny amethyst gems—much like the eyes of her lion pendent—decorated the hilt, and three more, a small one, a medium sized and a larger stone, had been set perfectly into the thicker part of the blade.  Just underneath the smallest stone, engraved into the silver metal, was the marking of a very familiar shape that seemed to twinkle in the dim light.  The Eye of Horus.

Nia held the mighty sword expertly in her right hand and curved her fisted left hand just across her forehead.  Her knees bent slightly and she reached outward with her left hand, wrapped it tightly around her other hand and swung the sword high into the sky, her knees snapping together as she stood up straight and tall.  A new found confidence surged through Nia’s veins—one unlike any she had ever encountered before.  Fighting felt like second nature to her—the very way hunting prey is second nature for lionesses.

Sword of Horus, be my Light!
a voice riddled through her mind while her own voice shouted out the command.  There was a loud crack and a beam of white-purple light showered down, encompassing the sword and filling it with its supernatural power.  Nia could feel her hands shaking from the intensity of the light—she could feel the hilt of the sword growing hot and scorching underneath her palms as energy raced up and down her arms like vibrant electricity surging through a live circuit.  The Eye of Horus began to glow bright lavender as the sword trembled.  And for a moment it was so silent, Nia could hear a high-pitched ringing in her ears.

The shadow monster suddenly flung Quinn aside like a lifeless ragdoll, its endless black eye sockets finding Nia’s face.  It roared loudly, sounding much like the loud whistle a train made before taking off from a station.

Nia glowered darkly at the shadow monster, silently willing the thing to come closer.  It did, inching its way over slowly, the dense smog clouds billowing out from underneath it like the swelling waves from the wake of a ship. It growled, waving its vapor-like arms high above its massive head.  Nia stood her ground, gripping the sword tightly in her hands.

Do not strike the poor soul—focus with your mind
, the voice instructed softly.  Nia’s eyelids fluttered a bit while she stared the monster down, baiting it with her vulnerable motions. Her heart began to beat wildly in her chest although she was not frightened.  She felt her eyes narrow fiercely while she stared, trying to focus all of her energy on the dark minion that stood before her, ready to attack.

If empty eye sockets could blink, the minion’s did just that, staring beadily down at her, as if it meant to ask a question.  Nia slowly lowered the sword so that it was pointed directly at the minion’s heart.  With steady hands, Nia gazed at the monster, fascinated by the way it merely stood in front of her, watching her with vague interest. 
One wrong move, a single twitch
, Nia thought mildly, taking in deep and even breaths,
and you’re dead.
  Nia gulped. 
You can die, right?