Defeat The Queen

Writer's disclaimer: This is a really old story (written in 2009), but wanted to share it regardless. It has not been edited, so be warned. It ends on a cliffhanger, and I've debated re-writing the existing chapters and continue the story. For now, here is Defeat the Queen.

The Real Dish on Magic

They say magic doesn't exist. But, if you think about it, how couldn't it? It could be all around us! Ghosts could really be stalking us in the shadows. Zombies could be creeping around every graveyard. Werewolves could be following the moon right now, as this is being read. The eerie feeling you get in the dark, all alone? The feeling you get that you're being watched? Well, that simply is because you are being watched! Yes, yes you are being watched! Haha, isn't that an amazing concept? Some other type of, shall we say, life form could be watching you, at this very moment!

Don't worry, the being does not judge. No, it does not at all. It is there to protect you. Yes, that's right; you're probably thinking this is all craziness, correct? Wrong. No, these beings are what some people call guardian angels. They come and protect you from the dangers of magic when you are most susceptible to it; at night. Yes, at night, you are the most vulnerable to dark magic. And, if you do not know the ways of light magic, a being called a Scout is sent to you. They look different to everyone. Some are visible, and some are not. Some take the shape of an elderly man, and some take the shape of a cat. You will know, however, but the color of their fur or the color of their clothes. The lighter, the more control over light magic they possess. The darker, however, shows how much of the dark magic they control.

Your Scout will aid you until you learn magic well enough to defend yourself. You yourself may not think you are ready, but do not doubt your Scout. They will only set you out into the magic world when they think the time is right. Now, you're probably full of questions, right? Ah, I assumed as much. But, I can only answer a few for now.

For one, not every person on the planet holds magic powers. In fact, only two thousand per year are born with the magic powers. They can be learned, but not nearly as easily as if you were born with magic running in your blood. Usually the powers make you sick. It stirs in your blood, not doing anything, just neutral magic sitting in your blood. It starts to attack you, wanting you to use it. It doesn't realize the harm it is causing and starts spreading rare diseases, such as River's Disease. Don't worry; you'll learn more about that later.

Soon, you will dive into the story of young Kaitlynn Knowles. You will learn all about her, her disease, and her future. You'll learn a little bit about her past, but all of that doesn't matter anymore. She's about to discover many new things that'll seem strange and foreign to her. Unfortunately for her, she's going to have to embrace those strange and foreign things and learn many, many unfortunate events and battles. Here, dive into her story. It is one you will never forget.

Chapter One

It's Christmas in the Knowls household. The snowy cabin up in Flagstaff, Arizona had never seen as much snow as they had that year. You'd expect the house to be buzzing with excited children and the constant barking of a lazy golden retriever, scolding its pups for pattering against the cold wood floor. No, this house was quiet this year. No tree was set up, no lights were hung, and no ornaments hung gallantly from the tree. There wasn't even a snowman sitting outside.

This year, Kaitlynn Knowls was all alone. Her parents had gone to Florida, taking their eldest son, Kaitlynn's little brother, along. She shook as she walked down the wooden stairs and into the bright kitchen. Kaitlynn was tall and very pale. She had short brown hair that went her shoulders in natural curls. Her eyes were a dull green, getting duller as every day passed. She was very skinny, only weighing in at 100 pounds and being five feet and seven inches tall, that was very little weight. She wore a long robe with a pajama set underneath. You could see a bulge in her left pocket from where her cell phone sat. She looked sickly, and rightfully so. Kaitlynn had a very rare disease hardly any doctor had heard of. There had only been one other case, Michael Rivers, who died at the age of nineteen with the same disease. They named the disease after that boy. It is now called the Rivers Disease. This disease was a painful one. It would attack your immune system first, and then make its way to your nervous system. It will sit and tie your nerves into many tiny bunches. It would cause involuntary spasms throughout your body. Soon, it'll make its way to your brain and attack every last thing it can before you go insane. The scariest part, no one knows how to stop it.

Kaitlynn coughed violently as she shuffled around the chrome kitchen, looking for painkillers. The dog, who was previously sitting on the couch, was tagging along right behind her, ready to help if she were to fall. The dog carefully watched Kaitlynn's feet, making sure they appeared to be stable. Kaitlynn stopped suddenly and roared in frustration. "I can't think straight. Where did I put these damn painkillers?" She cried as she flailed her arms about the cold counters. Her hands were very shaky as she examined the different bottles until she found her sweet medicine. "Finally," She huffed as she downed three of the pills. The dog kept watching her, especially as she became uneasy on her feet. The dog kept her balanced by putting his head on the back of her legs, the pressure keeping her stable. "Thank you, Dover." She sighed as she patted his head.

Kaitlynn began to make the long trek back to her room at the top of the stairs when the door bell rang in a dull roar. Kaitlynn growled as she slowly shuffled her way over to the wooden door. The door bell rang three more times before she made it to the door. She barely cracked the door, barely able to see outside. "Who is it?" She asked, not able to see a face. The person maneuvered around until their face was even with hers at the crack of the door. Kaitlynn's body froze; she couldn't tell if it was the fact her meds were kicking in, or the fact that she recognized the boy at the door. "Go away." Kaitlynn growled, Dover growled lowly at the door as well. The boy was no older than Kaitlynn, seventeen years old at most. "Kate, wait," the boy pleaded "No!" Kaitlynn screamed and tried to close the door. His hand blocked the door from closing. "You have no right to be here." Kaitlynn cried. Dover growled louder at the door. "Alright, I get the picture. You really don't want to see me anymore?" the boy asked. Kaitlynn didn't respond. That question always bothered her. She knew she should just tell him no. She knew she didn't need him. Or, did she? Kaitlynn hated thinking too long on things; it caused her more pain than it was worth.

Dover broke Kaitlynn's thoughts as he nudged her leg. Kaitlynn sighed and opened the door wider. "Come in, Josh." She whispered. The door swung open and there stood a very handsome young man. He was six feet plus a couple of inches. His black hair was short and spiked with gel. His blue eyes had a smooth, silky shade to them. His skin was creamy and the muscles underneath it rippled showing he was very athletic.

He walked into the house with a concerned look on his face. "You're alone on Christmas?" Josh asked her, hoping he was wrong. "No, Dover's here." Kaitlynn tried to laugh. Josh didn't return a laugh, creating tension in the room. Kaitlynn huffed and shuffled over to a recliner. "So, are you coming back to school?" Josh asked as he lounged on the couch. Kaitlynn shook her head with a frown. "I can't." She simply retorted as she sat back in the recliner, closing her eyes. Josh laughed for a few seconds before jumping up off the couch and crawling over to Kaitlynn's side. "Really, why can't you?" Josh asked as he rested his head on the arm of the recliner. Kaitlynn opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Josh. "I can hardly walk, Josh. I can't be going up and down stairs all day." She tried to explain. "I'll carry you," "You have your own classes to get to; I'll just stick with doing this online," Kaitlynn explained again. Josh sighed and slumped against the wall. He closed his eyes and started to think.

Hours went by and the awkward silence was broken every once in a while with a crazy idea Josh came up with to try and get Kaitlynn to come back to school. Soon, it was nearing nine o'clock at night. Josh got up and saw Kaitlynn had fallen asleep in the recliner. He gave her a brief smile before kissing her forehead and then departing the house. "Merry Christmas, Kate," He said before walking out the door.

Kaitlynn didn't awaken again until late the next morning, around ten. She looked around the room, still sitting in the now uncomfortable recliner. No one was there. She glanced at the couch to see that Josh was no longer there. She felt sad, but why? She didn't want to be around Josh anymore. Maybe that's why she never wanted to be around him; she always never wanted him to leave.

Kaitlynn grunted in pain as she slowly stood up from her chair. She wobbled over to the kitchen to get her meds, her dog following behind her just like the previous day. Kaitlynn stopped several times to try to catch her balance. She was getting dizzy far too fast; she had a hard time reaching the counter before almost falling. Dover watched her wobble and started to whine in worry. Kaitlynn tried to grip the marble counter, but she failed. Instead, she went tumbling down onto Dover, who yelped and jerked by accident, causing him to drop Kaitlynn. She lay on the ground, crying in pain.

Kaitlynn reached into her robe pocket and dug her phone out. She looked through the contact list and selected one quickly before putting the phone up to her ear. It rang once. Then twice, then three times before the person answered. "Hello?" The deep voice asked. "I need you to come by the house, I just fell, and I can't get up." Kaitlynn cried into the phone. The voice called out to someone and then spoke to Kaitlynn again. "I'm on my way; I'll be there in five minutes." The voice told her. "Stay on the phone with me until you get here, please, Josh?" Kaitlynn whispered. The voice didn't speak. "Hello?" Kaitlynn said. "Oh! Don't worry; I'll stay on with you." Josh said. You could hear his car's engine roar through the phone. His door slammed and tires screeched. Kaitlynn tried to hold back her tears. She didn't know what she did to herself, but she knew it was bad. She tried to look around the house. Everything was pulsating, even her vision. Dover snuggled by her back and tried to prop her up but with no luck.

"Hang in there, Kate. I'm almost there." Josh soothed into the phone. Kaitlynn tried to focus on his words rather than her pain. She closed her eyes and bit her lip to avoid screaming. Her breath quickened as spasms flew through her body. She dropped the phone onto the wood floor and curled up in pain. "Kate, Kate what happened? Are you still there?" Josh's voice called through the phone, becoming more and more distant. Kate fought to stay awake even though it became harder and harder each second. "Kate, hang in there, I'm almost there!" Josh's voice was hardly audible now. Kate gripped the floor in agony. She cried and prayed for Josh to be there already. She needed help; she needed to get to the hospital.

Kaitlynn was now in so deep she couldn't even hear the roar of the car in front of her house, the sirens of the ambulance, or the dog barking like mad at the now open door. Paramedics rushed in and around Kaitlynn. Josh was told to stand back, so he was still standing on the porch. "Ma'am, can you tell us your name?" one of the paramedics asked Kaitlynn as they put her on the stretcher. She couldn't hear him. She was barely conscious. "She's in shock; we need to get her to the hospital immediately." A voice said which Kaitlynn faintly heard.

As the paramedics passed Josh they asked him how he knew her. "I'm a really good friend of hers," He explained. The paramedic asked him to ride in the ambulance with them so they could ask him some questions about Kaitlynn. Josh agreed and they all piled quickly into the back of the ambulance. Josh explained to the paramedic Kaitlynn's condition, River's Disease. The two paramedics in the back shared a quick, nervous glance. "How long has she been diagnosed with this disease?" The male paramedic asked Josh. "Since she was born, why?" Josh asked, now in a panic. The male looked at the woman paramedic. Josh looked at the two paramedics. Neither of them spoke.

Finally, the woman paramedic looked at Josh. "She has a very weak immune system," she explained to Josh. "I know this, why are you telling me that?" Josh barked. The woman shook her head. "You don't understand, she has a very weak immune system and nervous system, it's causing everything else in her body to become weak. That fall could've just killed her." The woman explained to Josh, not breaking eye contact. Josh shook his head and looked at Kaitlynn. "You've got to be kidding me. Kate can't die! She just can't!" Josh cried as he took Kaitlynn's hand. The woman went to say something, but the man stopped her. "We're here," He said as he pointed out the window.

There they were, Flagstaff Medical Center. Josh held Kaitlynn's hand, rubbing it with his thumb. "It's okay, Kate, we'll get through this," Josh whispered. He hoped and hoped for a response from her, but the response never came. His heart started sinking more and more as the ambulance reached closer to the hospital. Soon, everyone was jumping out of the ambulance and wheeling Kaitlynn into the hospital and into a room to be examined. Josh was told to wait in the waiting room and to make any necessary calls. Josh nodded and reluctantly let go of Kaitlynn's hand.

Josh paced around the front of the hospital as he waited for Kaitlynn's mother to answer her cell phone. "Hello?" A young, feminine voice spoke into the phone. "Mrs. Knowls?" Josh verified. He hadn't heard her voice in a long time; it wasn't familiar to him anymore. "Yes, this is she." She said in a cheery, calm tone. Josh sighed before he began to explain to her. "This is Josh, Kaitlynn's friend from school." He began. "Oh, hi there, it's been a while since we've gotten to speak, hasn't it?" She started to ramble excitedly. "Uh, ma'am, Kaitlynn's been hurt," Josh explained, cutting her off. Josh heard nothing for a few seconds, and then a deep sigh. "What do you mean she's hurt?" She asked him impatiently. "She fell in the kitchen this morning, she couldn't get up, and so she called me. I called 911 on my way; she's in the hospital right now." Josh explained, trying not to upset the woman.

"What has the doctor said?" Mrs. Knowls asked. Josh sighed and shrugged, then realized she couldn't see his body language. "The doctor hasn't come out and said how she's doing. The paramedics seemed worried when I told them she has River's Disease."

The woman sighed on the other end. "I'll get on the first flight out there." The woman said as if it were a hassle to see her daughter. Before Josh could say another word, the woman had hung up. Josh shook his head as he shoved his phone back into his pocket and walked back inside the hospital. He sat there for hours. He sat in the uncomfortable plastic waiting room chairs and waited for a doctor to come report on Kaitlynn's health. He wanted to be with her, he wanted to know she was okay.

What if she was wasn't okay? Josh couldn't just sit there and wait. He needed to know what was going on at that moment. He started pacing around the room, coincidentally matching another man's pace. The man opposite of Josh wore peculiar clothing. He had an elegant purple robe on. He had curly-toed shoes that were purple with gold trims. He had long gray hair with a wispy beard.

Josh heard plenty of other names while he was observing the man, but none of the doctors ever uttered the name "Kaitlynn Knowles".

Hours upon hours had passed. Josh's pace never slowed, and neither did the man opposing him. Finally, a doctor made his way into the now fairly empty waiting room. "For Kaitlynn," The doctor murmured through a mask. The doctor looked up from his clipboard to see two men staring at him. "Oh, uh, for Kaitlynn Knowles," He clarified with an apologetic look upon his young face. Both of the men kept staring at him, waiting to know what was to be known.

"Oh, okay then," The doctor said as he flipped through some of the papers on the clipboard. He was a new doctor and he seemed very nervous. "She is in ICU right now. She doesn't look too good right now," The doctor stated. "Well, I mean, medically she doesn't look good. She has a chance of surviving, although it is small." The doctor finished and looked at both of the men. Josh couldn't form any words; his mind was in a whirl. "May we go see her?" The older man asked with a very soft, yet firm tone. The doctor stammered around his words.

"I guess you can, but only for a little while. She needs to rest." The doctor tried to sound firm, but instead, let out a girlish squeal in anxiety. The two men were led down a narrow hallway that was filled with odds and ends of different carts and chatting doctors. Josh looked over at the old man. He looked far too graceful for his age. When he walked, he almost looked as if he were floating. The doctor finally stopped walking. "This is her room. Please don't get too excited, she really needs to rest." The doctor whispered. The two men slowly walked into the cold, awaiting room.

There she was. Kaitlynn was resting in an uncomfortable hospital bed all in white. She was even paler than she usually was. She opened her eyes as soon as she felt Josh's warm hand touch her cold palm. She looked into his eyes and a tear surfaced, but she quickly batted it away. She looked over at the old man that was sitting in the cornered chair. "How are you, Kaitlynn?" The old man asked firmly. "Uh," Kaitlynn stammered. "I'm getting there, I guess." She stated. The man nodded and rose from his chair. He was so tall! His presence bothered Kaitlynn, but she didn't know why. He pressed his bony index finger against his thin lips as he walked closer to the bed. "I have important information for you." He whispered as he crouched down to her level.

Kaitlynn said nothing and did nothing except for staring into the old man's deep eyes. "I know how you can get better." The man whispered in an almost psychotic tone. Josh jumped and Kaitlynn squeezed his hand with all the strength she could manage, which wasn't much. "And how could you know that?" Kaitlynn asked slowly, pacing herself as to not get too lightheaded. "First, let me introduce myself." The old man said as he slowly rose and walked towards the door.

The old man locked the door and turned back towards the two teenagers. "My name is Kaljim. Call me, Kal; it's easier to say, is it not?" The old man asked as he paced around the room. Kaitlynn nodded slowly. Josh was still slightly angered. "Alright, maybe I should tell you about who you really are." "What do you mean 'who you really are'?" Kaitlynn asked, followed by a strong cough. Kal smiled. "I was hoping you'd ask that. Your name is still Kaitlynn, you're still seventeen, but everything else has been a lie." Kal said now in his normal, firm tone. Kaitlynn shook her head. "I don't understand, are you saying my family isn't really my family?" "Well, they are Kaitlynn Knowles' family, but it isn't your family. You are Kaitlynn Shawln." Kal started to explain.

"You see, your real parents, Harold and Karoline Shawln, are royalty. They, as the king and queen, look, or should I say looked, over the kingdom called Hatherwell." Kal was interrupted by a question. "What do you mean 'looked'? Are they not king and queen anymore?" Kaitlynn asked, suddenly worried for her newly found parents. "That is correct. You see, this evil, vile woman named Eya took over the throne. She started a rumor that your parents had feigned their royalty and they were to be banished, which they were. As the rule in Hatherwell, the royalty's children must be taken away and given to mortals." Kal explained.

"Are you crazy, old man?" Josh asked, standing up. Kal shook his head. "Sit, boy. This isn't about you, not yet." The man's voice boomed and shook the room. "As I was saying, the rule is that the royalty's children must be taken away and given to mortals, as you children were." "Wait, 'children'. That means I have siblings?" Kaitlynn verified. Kal sighed and nodded. "My, we have a fast one on our hands!" He laughed sarcastically. "Eya made sure that you and your siblings never met, and so far, you haven't. You had two brothers, Tylen and Aven." Kal could see this interested Kaitlynn and answered her question before she could ask. "Yes, I said 'had'. Aven disappeared; we haven't a clue if he is dead or alive." Kal sighed as he gazed out the window. "You know the mountain towards the more barren side of the state?" Kal asked. "Which one do you mean? There are so many." Kaitlynn sighed in frustration. "The mountain that looks like a boy sleeping, that is the one I am meaning. That mountain is the portal to our world. Anyone can go through the portal, but mortals would never see the difference as we would." Kal explained. Kaitlynn was incredibly lost, but Kal seemed to realize this.

"Things will make more sense as our adventure continues. You must listen closely to this part, however." Kal warned. He closed the window and pulled the curtain closed. He made sure the door was locked and stooped closer to Kaitlynn. "You and your brother, Tylen, must find Aven. You cannot defeat Eya without him." Kal whispered. "What if Aven died?" Kaitlynn asked impatiently. She started to believe what the man was saying, but, was it real? "We shall figure what to do when the time comes," Kal explained as he walked over to Josh.

"You, my boy, you are to help Kaitlynn," Kal said as he laid his hands on Josh's shoulders. Josh shrugged him off. "Gee, couldn't figure that one out myself. What else?" Josh sneered. Kaitlynn squeezed his hand and pulled him closer so he wouldn't jump up. "My, you're feisty. Well, Josh, it seems that you don't have any magic. But, I could give you a sword." Kal said with a devious smile. "A sword, that's the best you got?" Josh rolled his eyes. Kal laughed.

"You don't understand, this sword can give you more powers than any normal sword would. It has magical powers, you see. It'll take a bit of getting used to, but once you've mastered it, you'll do many magnificent things." Kal finished with a short bow as he pulled the sword from his robe. It was crested with rubies on the hilt and had an ominous shimmer upon it. Kal laid it in Josh's hands. The sword burned with a warm, almost fiery, temperature. Josh felt a weird feeling inside him, almost as if the warm magic from the blade was controlling him. Kal took the sword back and put it back in his robe. "You will receive this when you start your journey. First, we need to get Kaitlynn trained. Are you ready?" Kal asked her.

Kaitlynn looked at Josh, and then Kal. "I can't train in my condition." Kaitlynn sighed. Kal smiled and jumped up real fast. "I forgot to tell you the important part!" Kal was now dancing around the room, his robes flailing about. Kaitlynn tried to suppress her laughs but it was very difficult. The old man pounced closer to Kaitlynn's bed and whispered very low. "The reason you're sick…it's because of your magic! You haven't chosen light or dark yet, nor have you trained you magic. All it is doing is sitting there, stirring in your blood. The magic gets irritable because it has no idea what to do, so it attacks your body. I can help you. If you train, your disease will go away. It will be hard at first, but you'll notice a difference almost immediately. Now, since you have had this disease since you were born, it might be harder to get rid of. We might not even fully get rid of it. But that's okay; you'll see a great improvement." Kal explained. Kaitlynn's heart started to pound as fast as a getaway train as Kal explained. No more River's Disease? She could live with that. "I'm in."

Chapter Two

"Hey, you, get back here!" a voice yelled after Tylen as he ran with a sack of goodies in hand. Little kids watched the boy run down the brick road while the store keep was following close behind him. "Come back here, you!" The keep yelled again, growing more and more irritated. Tylen snickered as he took a sharp turn into a dark alleyway, leaving the shopkeeper in the dust. Tylen pushed himself up against the brick wall as much as he could so he wasn't seen. The shopkeeper ran right past the alleyway, not even looking down it.

As soon as the shopkeep was a safe distance away, Tylen relaxed. He looked inside his sack to see quite a few items. Inside his cloth sack, he had a few gold coins, a small vase, and a silky purple cloth. Tylen sighed as he closed the sack. He looked into the sky to see dark clouds loom over him. "Great, rain," he mumbled as he lifted his hood over his head. He turned around to walk out of the alley when he was face to face with a figure in black.

"Who are you?" Tylen asked, clutching his sack tight. "I don't want your things." The figure said in a deep voice. Tylen didn't recognize the voice and became worried. "Who are you?" Tylen repeated. "You really don't know?" The figure said, putting its hands on its hips. Tylen watched the figure come closer. "I think you know me very well." The figure said, touching the brick wall. As soon as the figure touched it, it went to black.

Tylen didn't say a word; he just walked slowly away from the figure. His hood had fallen down to show his spiked brown hair that looked as if it defied gravity. He had sharp facial details, including a rigid jaw and a thin nose. He was so skinny he looked almost sickly. The figure let out a small chuckle. "W-what's so funny?" Tylen stuttered. "You're frightened!" The figure said in delight. The figure danced around the alley rapidly, causing Tylen to become confused.

Before Tylen could say another word, the figure came up behind him and covered his mouth. "You cannot scream now, Tylen." The figure laughed. Tylen watched the bricks continue to descend into darkness and realized his fate. He struggled against the figure's dark hand. Eventually, he broke free. Tylen fell to the ground in a coughing fit. His vision was now growing dark. The figure cackled as it watched Tylen struggle on the ground. "This won't be the last time you see me." The figure said before disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

Hours passed before Tylen woke up again. He looked around to see he was still in the alleyway, except the bricks had returned to their normal color and dozens of people surrounded him. "Do you think he's alive?" someone asked their friend. "Of course he's alive, look, his eyes opened!" the other called. Tylen sat up quickly to see everyone watching him, now silently. He shook his head as he struggled to get onto his feet, only to fall to his knees again.

"Out of my way!" a man's voice called. Tylen murmured several curses to himself. He knew that was his father. Everyone separated to allow the man through. Tylen looked up to see a rugged man looking down at him. The man looked angry beyond belief. He had a scar that went across his forehead and down his right cheek. He took Tylen by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to his feet. "Time to go home." The man said in a harsh tone. Tylen's stomach dropped and he admitted defeat. He followed the man out of the alleyway and back to a small cottage in town.

Tylen knew he was in for it now. He had disobeyed his parents and he knew the consequences. He knew that pleading would do nothing, and therefore he stayed quiet. Tylen and his father walked up the dirt road in silence. Tylen could see their run-down cottage in the distance. The roof shingles were flailing about in the wind while the window shutters were shaking in despair. The only thing about the house that looked even remotely sturdy was the door. As soon as they neared the house, Tylen's father started talking.

"I told you not to be out at night. A man said you took a sack from his store." The man said without looking at Tylen. Tylen looked at his father. "It wasn't his anyways! It was mine in the first place!" "That doesn't mean you need to steal it back." The man growled. Tylen put his gaze back onto the dirt road. "Look, I'm not trying to yell at you. You just need to be careful." The man looked around him before whispering his next sentence. "You know her lackeys are around. They'll kill you in an instant." The man warned. Tylen nodded. "We need to stop them, dad," Tylen admitted. The man nodded. "I know we do, but we can't do it without Aven--" "Or Kaitlynn," Tylen added quickly. The man nodded again. "Kal is informing her about us now. I just hope she believes him." The man said. Tylen laughed. "What's so funny?" "She'll believe him. Whether she wants to believe it or not, she knows we need her." "Tylen, you didn't…right?" The man asked sternly, looking at his son. Tylen didn't respond. "I told you to stop invading people's dreams!" The man burst. "Dad, we need her!" Tylen roared. The man calmed and nodded as he walked into the house. "You're right." He admitted. "We do need her."

Later that night, when everyone in the house was sleeping, Tylen woke with a fright. He looked out the window and threw a coat on and yet again left the house. This time, not into town, no this time he wandered into the garden on his property. He quickly walked over to an oak tree that had a reasonably sized hole in it. He reached in and pulled something that made a loud noise at first, but settled down and started to move part of the ground. There showed several steps down and underneath the earth. Tylen quickly leaped down the stairs, as not to get caught by Her Majesty's royal army.

Once down in the room beneath the great tree, he smiled at what he saw. Books upon books on shelves wrapped the entire room. Desks were scattered all along the floor. On one wall a map with markings all over it hung gallantly. Tylen made his way over to the master desk, the one with all the drawers. As soon as he got to it, he yanked open all of the drawers until he found what he was looking for; portfolios. Tylen flipped through an abundance of papers before he got to the ones he wanted.

There he sat reading all about his long-lost sister and brother. Apparently, after the three were born, their parents were killed in a deadly war with the Queen. The Queen took them with her, but managed to lose them in a busy town. That's where Tylen's father came in. He found Tylen in the blacksmith one night. Tylen had been screaming nonstop and was shivering on the cold floor. Later, another family found Kaitlynn and brought her to the mortal world. There were no documents on to where Aven went to. There were no documents of death, however, which gave Tylen some hope.

As Tylen put the papers back, he froze as he stumbled upon something. Inside the desk was a letter from the Queen's Army. It was labeled the day before. Tylen took out the paper and began to read it:

"Dear Mr. Sholow,

We are sorry to inform you that your son has broken many laws in the past few months. The Queen has decided it is time to take action. On the sixteenth of March, your son will be taken into our jail, located on the castle's property. Should you not allow him to come with us or try to hide him, you will be punished as well. We will find your son, he cannot hide from us. Do not doubt us, Mr. Sholow. You cannot win this battle.

We will see you soon,

The Queen's Army"

Tylen folded the letter and shoved it back in the drawer. He put his head in his hands. "They're after me." He whispered to himself. He shook his head and screamed. He got up and kicked a chair that was gathered around the wall by the map. He fell to the floor and thought. "The sixteenth…that's in only two days, I have to find Kaitlynn." Tylen groaned. He got up and ran outside. He needed to get back into the house before his father woke up. Tylen jogged down the pathway and crawled into the window that led to his room. He went running out of his room when he was met by his father.

"We need to talk," The man said sternly. Tylen nodded in agreement. "Tell me about it! When were you going to tell me I'm being arrested?!" Tylen yelled harshly. The man shook his head. "Let me explain…" The man tried to reason. "No! There is no way you're getting out of this one! I'm being arrested and you have done nothing to save me!" Tylen screamed as he flailed his arms about to show dramatization. His father grabbed Tylen's shoulders. "What do ya want me to do?! Do ya want me ta fight them off ya or somethin'? Do ya wan' me ta just go erratic on 'em? I can't do that Tylen!" Tylen knew his father was mad. Whenever he was, his voice would slip into the more countryside of the man.

"Dad, why didn't you just tell me?" Tylen was too angry and tried to be rational. His father didn't say a word. "You don't think I can find her!" Tylen screamed at his father as he pushed him. "What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Tylen's father questioned, his anger growing with each word. "You don't think I can find Kaitlynn! You think you'll just be rid of me. Well, you know what? I'll just leave!" Tylen exclaimed as he slammed his door in his father's face. Tylen ran to his closet and started to throw things into a dark duffle bag. He threw as many clothes as he could fit into the bag, but left enough room to put other things, such as his wand, his money sack, and a small book.

Tylen's father didn't bother with the door. Instead, he barreled through it, knocking it off the hinges. "Look here, young man, if you don't stop this instant…" "What're you gonna do?" Tylen yelled, interrupting his father's scold. Tylen's father took hold of Tylen's neck. His grip slowly grew tighter. "Stop…Old man! You're…Beyond insane!" Tylen gasped as he tried to pry his father's hands-off. After about fifteen seconds of struggle, Tylen broke free and kicked his father in the shin. The man winced in pain and grabbed Tylen by the foot before he could reach his bag again.

The man pulled and tugged on his foot, causing Tylen to slide across the floor. Tylen shook his foot, trying to pry loose. He also tried to kick his father with his free foot, but to no avail. The man dragged Tylen out of the room and into the living room and kitchen area. He grabbed the rope that was sitting on the counter and started to tie Tylen's feet together. Tylen started to scream, hoping his father would try to hush him. No luck. The man continued to tie Tylen's feet as if it were totally normal. As soon as the man was done tying his son's feet, he went for his hands. Tylen showed his wrists to his father, admitting defeat. That was, until he head-butted his father when he came close. The man tumbled down onto the wood floor in a cold sleep.

Tylen just sat there for a few minutes, his head throbbing in pain. "I just knocked out my own dad," Tylen whispered to himself. He then remembered the strangulation that occurred in the previous room and all guilt fled from his body. He sat up and untied his feet. He quickly made his way to his room, not sure how long he'd have before his father woke up, and grabbed his back. He high-tailed it out of the house and started to walk down the path to the road.

Tylen rubbed his head as he kicked rocks down the narrow dirt road. He looked around him to see a shabby shed a couple of yards away. "'Wonder what's in there," Tylen said as he ventured over to the rusty slab. As he neared, he realized the shack was much smaller than he originally had thought. He heard a dull humming noise coming from inside. He opened the creaky door just slightly to see a light inside the room. Before he could open the door more, he heard something rustling behind him.

Tylen looked all around him, but saw no one. Afraid that the Queen's Army could be after him earlier than they had said, which wouldn't be out of the ordinary for the crude army, he quickly hid in the shed. Once inside, he realized he had not picked the safest shelter. He looked around to see sharp weapons everywhere, anything from daggers to swords. He examined each blade and observed that one of them had a fresh bloodstain on it. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his short hair. "You're working yourself up, it's nothing." He tried to assure himself.

The rattle from the door didn't help Tylen at all. Someone-or worse, something, was rapping at the door. Tylen's idea of an animal was confirmed when a low, angry growl was heard. He had assumed it was a stray dog until the being threw itself at the shed, causing a gigantic dent to form. Tylen was shaking furiously now as he was looking all around the shed for a way to hide. He fell to the ground and started to feel the bottom of the shed. To his luck, he found a door just big enough for him to get through. He swung it opened and jumped down the hole just before the being had crushed the front part of the shed.

"That thing is going to get in," Tylen whispered to himself as he ran down a pitch-black corridor. He had no idea where he was going, but it had to lead somewhere. He kept running, not knowing if there were any turns in front of him, any traps, or even people. He kept running, afraid the beast behind him would soon be on his tail. No matter how much his chest burned or how much his muscles ached, he would not stop. His heart was screaming and his lungs were crying by the time Tylen decided it was time for a break.

He looked down from where he came and noticed the light had gone out. The door must've been closed. Tylen also now noticed the humming had gotten louder as he was running. It sounded like that whatever was humming was right next to him. Tylen started to feel around the ground and felt something wet and cold. He felt in all directions to see how big the object was. It was small, but it was something alive. Once he heard a small hiss, he took his hand back. "My apologies," he whispered to the reptile. Tylen got back up to his feet and continued to walk around the corridor, following the humming noise.

The humming noise soon turned into a slow, melodic beat. Tylen's heart raced as he quickened his pace. The beat soon turned into music and then, soon, the music had words dancing in time with the beat. Tylen was almost in a sprint as he ran into a wall. He fell onto his back from the force of the collision. Tylen jumped up again, out of breath and confused. He felt the wall in front of him in search of a door. What he heard next made him stop looking and fear for his life.

"The boy will be taken tomorrow night, your Majesty." A muffled voice pleaded. "That's not good enough! He should have been there tonight! What if he has already found his sister and brother?" another voiced scorned. Tylen heard a few scatters across the floor. "You're Majesty, please excuse these foolish men. We last saw the boy was at the shed…" The voice was cut off with a cruel scream. "The shed, are you mad?! Why didn't you follow the twit?" The woman scorned yet again. Tylen had concluded that the woman's voice was the Queen. "We had our biggest beast try to knock down the shack…" He was cut off yet again. "Why didn't you just open the blasted door? Is your job too hard for you? You, you…Uhg," The woman muffled. There was a long pause, and steps came closer to the wall. Tylen spun around to leave, only to be met face to face with a man. "Turn around." The man ordered. Tylen spun around again to see a small girl looking at him. "Quick, this way," The girl whispered as she took Tylen's hand.

Chapter Three

"You said the pain would go away!" A male voice yelled in a world of black. He was standing in the middle of a dark road, covered in black clothing that covered all of his skin. All the buildings were different shades of black. It was a dark and frankly scary world to be in. You heard no sounds. The daily sounds of vehicles driving were now gone. You heard no birds chirping or children laughing. All you could hear was the loud voices of anger, even if they weren't meant to be angry. That was the way of the Dark Arts. You must be angry at someone or something to be consumed in Dark Magic.

"Answer me!" The voice yelled again. He looked around at all the buildings around him, yet heard no response. His eyes were covered with a black blindfold. The only thing you could see on his face was his button nose and his frowning mouth. His mouth pursed as he began to yell again. "Hush!" Someone called out, this time, a female. The male looked around, even though he could not see a thing. "Who's there?" The male called out in paranoid anger. "Hush!" The female repeated. Her voice was coming closer.

Before the male could say another word, someone was holding his shoulders. "You must find her!" The female voice yelled in disparity. "Find who?" The male boomed. "You must find..." The female was cut off. Something started to drag her away. "Don't fall too deep! It'll consume you and you'll never be able to be free!" The female yelled, but her voice seemed distant. The male, confused on all terms, fell to his knees. "Why am I still hurting?" He scorned the skies. "Tell me, tell me now!" He scolded and scolded. Soon, the rain was pattering on his face, and then it poured. The male, for the first time in a long time, heard the rain falling. "I…I can hear it." The male whispered. He gasped. He could whisper. How was this possible in such a horrible world? The male undid his blindfold to see the rain illuminate the road before him. In delight, he stood up and let the rain pour down on him.

Finally, he was saved. Or, was he? "Stop that, stop that right now!" A male yelled as he ran closer. "You shall not be rejoicing, Aven." The man barked. "That's my name? I had forgotten…" The boy said in a remorse tone. "Enough of that follow me." The man barked as he took the boy by his arm. "What if I don't want this anymore?" Aven asked. "It's too late to change your mind. You're too far deep now. You'll begin to trust us soon enough, don't worry."

"What about that girl?" Aven asked the man who was dragging him. "What girl?" "The girl who told me not to fall in too deep, what did she mean?" Aven was now fully thinking for himself again. "Don't worry about her, she didn't belong here." The man answered. "Why am I still hurting?" "Shut up! You must train to not hurt!" "I've trained all my life!" Aven yelled at the man. His anger was coming back. "You need to train harder! You must be consumed by the dark!" The man said as he shook Aven's arm. "Fine, fine, whatever you say! Train me, help me!" Aven pleaded. The man kept tugging on him. "I am trying to, Aven." The voice murmured. Aven could hardly hear him. Aven suddenly felt his whole body pulsating.

Aven became dizzy with each step. His body became slowly more immobile, and eventually, he could not move his legs anymore. He fell to his knees and held his chest in pain. He could hardly see the man who had been dragging him. "What is happening?" Aven said, though his voice seemed distant. "You're being consumed by your own anger…" The man barely whispered. Aven couldn't see nor breathe at this point. Black wisps of magic were coming from the ground beneath him, dragging him down. Aven couldn't speak anymore. He threw his hands up, hoping the nearby man would help him, but he didn't. Aven was left to struggle for his own life against the dark. No one was there to guide him. No light would be at the end of his tunnel.

Darkness, that's all Aven would see. "Aven," A strong voice called out to him. He could hear it clearly, but he could not respond. He felt himself sinking farther and farther down as if he were sinking in water. He felt useless and angry not being able to move or breathe. "Aven," The voice called again, this time louder. Aven tried to respond but couldn't. It was hopeless; he'd never be able to. "Aven," The voice repeated, this time booming and shaking. Aven grew with anger but still could not respond. "Aven," The voice said a final time, their voice causing a mass eruption in Aven. Aven jumped up and yelled on top of his lungs, calling out a name. "Kaitlynn," Aven kept yelling over and over again. Someone was shaking Aven violently. "Wake up!" The person yelled as they shook him. Aven opened his eyes as he jumped up out of breath. He saw a figure standing over him in dark robes, just like the ones he was wearing. "You had a nightmare." Someone explained as they helped him off the ground. "Why…Why am I in the middle of the road?" Aven asked puzzled. The person shook their head. "You don't remember, do you?" The being didn't wait for a response. "You almost died. You were battling the darkness. You almost didn't make it." Aven walked around aimlessly. So it wasn't a dream.

Aven looked all around him. Everything was dark. Black sky, black road, gray buildings, his dream was a reality. He really was consumed by the dark. He really was stuck in this for life. Aven grinned devilishly. "Carmen," Aven asked the person, who was now identified as a woman to Aven. "Yes, Aven," "Come closer, will you?" Aven beckoned without looking at the woman. Carmen walked closer to Aven. Aven was facing one of the gray buildings as he felt a tiny raindrop hit his cheek. "Do you believe in destiny?" Aven asked her. Carmen didn't answer. "I asked you a question." Aven barked. Carmen jumped. "Oh! Uh, sure I do. Why do you ask?" She answered quickly, wrapping her hands around her arms. Aven laughed deeply. "What's so funny?" Carmen became more nervous. Aven turned around and looked at Carmen. His eyes were as dark as the sky was. He smiled as he slowly walked closer to Carmen. Carmen shook her head as she slowly backed up.

"Aven, what are you doing?!" Carmen yelled at him. Aven put his finger to his lips and hushed her. "Ah-ah; wouldn't want to cause a scene, would you?" Carmen shook her head. "That's what I thought. Now come here." Aven beckoned as he gestured his finger to a spot in front of him. Carmen mindlessly walked back to Aven. Aven held his arms spread out, waiting for Carmen to be lured into his trap. Carmen walked into his arms and embraced him. Aven wrapped his arms around Carmen and embraced her back, only to take a knife she had hidden in her robe's pocket. He jumped backward and played with the small knife in his hands. Carmen looked at the knife and gasped. "I…I wasn't going to hurt you, Aven!" Carmen pleaded, falling to her knees. Aven shook his head.

"I'm tired of your lies!" He yelled as he backhanded her across the face. Carmen fell to the ground in tears. Aven hovered over Carmen. He kneeled down to look at her face easily. "All of you are trying to kill me and I won't take it anymore," Aven whispered in Carmen's ear. "I will rule this world, and I will help the queen. Long live Eya." Aven clenched Carmen's knife again. Carmen closed her eyes and pleaded. Aven didn't heed any of her words. With one quick motion, Aven had cut Carmen's throat, hitting a major artery.

"Don't tell me you didn't expect this," Aven scoffed as he threw the knife down next to Carmen. Carmen was squirming and trying to stop her bleeding. There was no use. No one was around to help her and she could not scream. Aven clapped his hands together as if trying to pat away dirt and walked towards the grand castle off in the distance.

"Eya will need me, I know it."

Carmen continued to struggle. It was no use, trying to survive. Aven planned on killing her all along; how could she be so oblivious? Carmen's mind was flooding with recent memories. Who was Aven calling? Who was Kaitlynn? Why did Aven really think he needs to help Eya? Why did he think the organization was out to kill him? Was he more powerful than they had expected? Carmen found the strength to wrap her fingers around the knife Aven had thrown. She started to scratch the road, hoping to be able to leave deep enough scratches to give a message. It was her only chance to warn the organization, it was the only way she could communicate.

Hours later, Carmen's body was found. When she was found, she still had the knife in her now limp right hand. Her left hand was covering her throat. Reyes, the head of the organization, removed her hand from her throat to see a ghastly gash. He picked up the knife to see bloodstains all over the blade. "Did she kill herself, sir?" Another member of the organization asked. The man shook his head. "No, Carmen didn't kill herself, but someone did." Reyes looked around Carmen's body. "Are those scratches in the road?" The member asked. Reyes looked to where the member was pointing. "Probably scuffs from boots or something, Jeska." Reyes shrugged and continued to examine Carmen's body. "No, sir, they make letters! I think it's a message." Jeska shouted, and then quieted herself. Reyes stood up and looked closely at the scratches Jeska had pointed out.

Reyes' eyes opened wide when he finished reading the message. "What does it say, sir?" Jeska asked him. Reyes looked at Jeska, looked at Carmen, and then the message again. "It…it says Aven did this." Reyes choked. Jeska shook her head. "Aven's too new; he wouldn't have the heart to kill someone yet, would he?" Jeska asked. Reyes shook his head. "Not usually. He must've had prior training. Why would he kill one of his own though?" Reyes scratched his head as he tried to think. Reyes looked around. "There's nothing to tell us where Aven went…We're at a dead end." Reyes rubbed the bridge of his nose. Jeska shook her head as she looked down on the road. "Eya," Jeska whispered. "What did you say?" Reyes barked. "I said 'Eya,' sir! He probably went to see the queen!" Jeska jumped up and down as if someone had just told her she had won a grand prize. "Don't be so quick, Jeska. Why would Aven want the queen for?" "Maybe to gain her trust, if I were a cold-blooded killer, I'd want to be allied with the highest form of authority, too," Jeska explained. Reyes nodded.

"You've got a point. But we're banished from there; we can't send anyone to retrieve him." Reyes sighed deeply. "Then we will lure him here," Jeska exclaimed and began to jump again. "A war of some type, us against the queen's army, we could take her!" Jeska tried to motivate Reyes. He kept shaking his head. "Sir, we've got to try! We don't have any choice." Jeska explained as she walked closer to her leader. Reyes looked up at Jeska. "Fine," He gave in. "But you are the head of training them. They must be ready to use their magic, they must be able to withstand many casualties, and you must prepare them." Reyes ordered. Jeska saluted her leader and nodded briefly. "I can do that, sir!" She said eagerly. She ran back into the organization's building to get started.

Reyes knelt down by Carmen after Jeska had left. "I should've come out here instead of sending you," He said in remorse. He picked up Carmen's right hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry," was all he said before he stood back up, saluted his deceased love, and walked back into the cold, gray building. Rain hit the ground and Carmen, washing her blood away from the road and her body.

Aven was finally to the castle. He was stopped at the gate by two guards. "State your name, boy." One of them said in a deep voice and a foreign accent. "Aven," Aven simply stated. "You're from that organization down the hill, you're not allowed here." The other guard said in a higher, but manly, voice. "Oh, but I'm not here to cause trouble, boys," Aven said as he slid his hands into his robe pockets. "You're not, are you?" The first guard repeated. "No, not at all, I am here to report a crime," Aven said with heavy body language. He spelled the word 'crime' in the air in a bright orange glow. The guards looked at it and winced. "Magic's grand, isn't it?" Aven yawned as he continued to spell. "You see, General Reyes," He said as he began to spell the man's name. "He killed one of our members, Lieutenant Carmen." He spelled her name as well. "All I am here to do is report it," Aven said. The guards were studying the words Aven wrote carefully. Aven blew them away with a sudden quick breath.

"Listen, boys, can I go speak to the queen or not?" Aven asked as he shoved his hands back into his pockets again. The guards nodded and opened the gate for him without another word. The castle grounds were very run down. Brown, dry vines were growing up the walls and towers. Bushed grew over the once nice sidewalk to the front doors. The windows were cracked and the doors were slightly off their hinges. The stone the castle walls were made with were cracking and look like they could tumble any minute. The roof looked unstable, almost as if it were about to slide off the castle. Aven reached the front door finally and gingerly rapped on it. It creaked open to show a run-down foyer. The carpet was frayed and shaggy. The wallpaper was peeling and the paintings were ruined. Thick smoke hung in the air, there must've been a lot of smokers in the castle. Aven walked up to a man who was quietly standing against the wall. "Excuse me, how do I get to the queen?" Aven asked the man. The man looked Aven up and down and rolled his eyes. "The queen is busy." The man retorted. "Oh, that's a shame," Aven said as he took a hand out of his pocket. He started to trace shapes and letters in the air with magic again. "You see, I'm here to report a crime." Aven, again, went into his long speech as he did to the guards. The man had been mesmerized as the guards had been. "So, may I see the queen now?" Aven asked. The man nodded and pointed down the hall to a grand door at the end. "That is her court. She is almost always in there." The man whispered. Aven blew the words he traced away and casually walked down the hallway, shoving his hand back into his pocket.

Aven looked at the walls as he walked down the hallway. The paintings were all of the people, but something was odd about them. All of the portraits featured people in pain, inflicting pain, or screaming. To the normal person, they'd be quite gruesome and terrifying. But, to Aven, they amused him. He passed a painting of someone being hung in front of the entire town. Aven cackled at the thought and rapped on the grand door.

The doors opened and Aven walked through. He walked up to the throne, with grace, and kneeled before the queen. "You're Majesty," Aven requested for permission to speak. The queen was dressed very elegantly and stood out from her castle very much. Her dress trailed down the stairs to the thrown in a gray train. The dress itself was a dark grey with lighter gray sequins. Her black hair was thrown up into a messy-looking, yet elegant, bun-type style. She wore dark red lipstick upon her lips. A dark eye shadow was applied to her upper eyelids. She looked dark and evil, but yet….inviting. "Stand up, boy." The queen barked in a surprisingly high tone. She had a very strong, old English accent. Aven stood.

"My, your royalty, you are mighty elegant," Aven said in an attempt to flatter the one he must manipulate the most. "Thank you, but, boy, what is your name?" The queen asked. "I am Aven. I'm originally from that organization down across the hill, but I left their cruel acts." Aven lied through his teeth. The queen looked puzzled. "What are you here for? State your business." She barked at him. "Oh, ma'am, you need not worry about me. I am only here to report a crime!" Aven told her casually as if he were telling her the weather or something. "A crime, what do you mean a crime?" the queen asked, she was now enticed.

"You see, the general of the organization, General Reyes, has committed a murder." Aven blatantly lied. The queen gave Aven a peculiar look. "Whom did he murder?" she asked Aven. "He murdered one of our, or shall I say, his own. His own love, Lieutenant Carmen, that's who he murdered." Aven shook his head as if it disgusted him. The queen shook her head as well. "The only killing around here should be from my authority! Not some bum general!" The queen was enraged. "He kicked me out the minute I told him I thought he was a monster and should own up to what he did, your royalty." Aven tried to sound choked up. The queen beckoned Aven to come closer. "Boy, will you stand trial against this man? Will you serve as a witness in court?" The queen asked him. Aven nodded. "If that's what it takes to bring this to justice, then yes, ma'am," Aven agreed.

"Good," The queen smiled at Aven. As soon as she turned to her trusted guard she frowned. "Send our army to retrieve the General! I want him alive!" The queen barked. The guard sped out of the room and ran down the halls, calling for the royal army. "There may be a war starting soon, boy. You best train up." The queen explained. Aven nodded and bowed again before leaving. A guard showed him to the room he would be staying in, it was right below the queen's bedroom. "Thank you, sir," Aven said as he flicked a coin over to the guard. "Did you just tip me?" the guard asked. Aven waved his hand out. "Do you not want my money?" "Have a good night, sir." The guard said before he scurried out the door with his newly earned coin.

Aven looked around his newly acquired room. The walls were covered in rich red color. The furniture was all done in a dark redwood that complimented the walls very nicely. The floor was wood as well, but a lighter wood than the furniture was. Inside the room sat a good-sized bed right underneath the south window. A desk was in the corner adjacent to the bed with a comfy but fancy-looking chair sitting in front of said desk. There was a very large bookshelf that took up the entire left wall. Books were pouring out from each cubby, all filled to the brim. Aven plunked down on the bed and laughed to himself.

"They believe me, how foolish," Aven whispered as he gazed at the ceiling. He got up and walked towards the window, fidgeting with his cloak as he did so. He gazed down to the courtyard to see the royal army lined up in three lines. Each line had at least fifteen soldiers. Aven was pleased with himself; he had ruined Hatherwell for all its worth. He knew, and hoped, that he soon would take the throne.

Chapter Four

"You must duck, Josh...I said duck!" Kal scolded Josh as he almost got nailed in the head with another strong, yet not lethal ball of fire. Josh threw his sword down in rage as he stormed up to their trainer. "Why don't you stop trying to kill me!" Josh yelled at the old man. Kaitlynn ran up and pulled him back, handed him his sword, and told him to behave. Before Josh could testify, Kaitlynn would have already turned around and helping the younger fighters in the group.

The group consisted of five people: Kaljim, Josh, Kaitlynn, Tyson, and Ellie. Tyson and Ellie were twins that were only ten years old. They were the only other people in Hatherwell who would agree to help them fight the queen. Everyone else thought they were foolish. Kal watched Josh slump over to the rest of the group and continue practicing. Kal looked up at the sky through the golden tree branches that had silvery leaves. The sun was setting behind blue and purple mountains that were covered in a layer of pink clouds. Kal looked at the group once again and sighed. How could they defeat the queen with only five people, two of them barely big enough to hold their weapons? "Let's go, it's getting dark." Kal ordered. Immediately, the children stopped and rushed back to the hut the team lived in. Kaitlynn and Josh tagged along with Kal.

"Why do we always have to go in before dark?" Kaitlynn asked as they avoided golden tree roots that were jutting out of the bold green grass. Kal looked at Kaitlynn as if she had seven heads. "Don't you know?" he asked. Kaitlynn stared at him blankly. Kal chuckled to himself. "Of course you don't. If you did, you wouldn't have asked!" He continued to chuckle like a little school girl who had just found out her best friend was in love with a boy in a grade higher. "Great, can you tell us why now?" Josh asked, impatient with this man. "Oh, yes. You see, we have to go in before dark because shadows lurk at night." Kal started to whisper. "These shadows can take control of people and make them do horrible things. However, they can only control people who have magic in their blood. See, our friend Josh here would be safe, as he has no magic in his blood." Kal explained. "But you, Kaitlynn, you and your brothers would be very much in danger as you three contain so much magic in your blood, the shadows crave it and must have it."

Kaitlynn shook her head. "Great, glad I asked." She said sarcastically. Kal smiled at her. "Now you know why it's important, it's good to learn things." He said before he pranced off to catch up with the children in the hut. Kaitlynn giggled as she watched the old man prancing like a young girl. "How is that man fit to train us when he's borderline crazy?" Josh asked as he angrily kicked a jutting root, only to tumble over it. "He's been involved with magic a lot longer than we have, we just have to trust he knows what he's doing." Kaitlynn reminded. Josh got up and brushed himself off, taking the few silver leaves off his shirt. He didn't say a word, he just grumbled to himself before turning on his heels and storming to the hut.

The hut was very small and made of a sturdy wood. The hut stood on the outside of the nearest town, giving them seclusion and privacy. They had access to water and fire. Electricity wasn't needed when magic was around. There were two bedrooms, one for the boys, and one for the girls. Tyson was polishing his sword in the living room while Ellie was in the girls room practicing her spells. Kal was hovering around the kitchen, preparing their evening meal. Josh sat next to Tyson and helped him carefully clean the long sword. Kaitlynn just sat back and watched everyone, wondering when and how they were going to find her siblings.

Kaitlynn tried to think if she could remember what they looked like. She knew it was useless, she knew they were separated at birth. She ran through her thoughts, thinking of any of her dreams she could remember. What if she had dreamed about her brothers, but never remembered them? What if her dreams were her only communication with them, and yet, she could never remember a conversation? Her thoughts and wonders were diluted when Kal called everyone to the kitchen for supper. The youngest children ran in faster than ever while Kaitlynn and Josh quietly made their way into the tiny kitchen.

The kitchen consisted of two halves. One half held the stove, two counter tops, a sink, a trash can, and a refrigerator. The other half included the table and chairs. There was a small decline on the right side of this half from where the ceiling swooped down, so whoever had to sit on that side of the table had to slouch down as to not hit there head. Somehow, Josh, being the second tallest person in the house, was always stuck with the seat. The two kids would sit on the left side while Kaitlynn sat with Josh on the right and Kal seated himself at the end of the table of which he could see the entire hut.

That night's supper consisted of a quick roasted quail and corn bread, like most nights. It was the easiest and quickest thing Kal could make. The conversations held at the table never were about training or the war. It was just never brought up, as if they knew this was the time everyone could relax. They would talk about the new animal they saw roaming around or the latest town gossip. Kaitlynn couldn't focus on tonight's topics, however, as her mind was flustered with thoughts of her long lost family. Kaitlynn's thoughts were again broken when she felt Josh squeeze her knee, as if he were trying to get her attention. "Kate?" Josh asked, as if he were repeating himself. Kaitlynn snapped back into reality and looked at Josh. "Sorry, what were you saying?" she asked, shaking her head as to try to focus. "I was asking you if you heard anything about the lady in town who's husband disappeared." Josh repeated calmly. Everyone was now quietly staring at Kaitlynn. "Oh, no, I didn't. Isn't that the third disappearance this week?" Kaitlynn asked, fumbling with her napkin in her lap.

"Yes, it's a shame, isn't it? It's always the same type of people, however. Fit, young men. Never the older men or children." Kal pondered as he twisted his fork into his quail. Kaitlynn rubbed her head and decided now would be as good time as ever to ask Kal about her siblings. "Hey, Kal?" Kaitlynn asked. Kal looked up from his food as he was shoveling quail into his mouth. He murmured something that Kaitlynn assumed was him acknowledging her. "I was wondering...When are we, or even how are we, going to find my brothers?" Kaitlynn carefully worded. Kal finished the bite of quail in his mouth before answering.

"I sent scouts out a couple of days ago to fetch them. I sent two scouts after Tylen, and one after Aven. I don't know the names of the scouts I sent after Tylen, but I do know that they are trusted and worthy. I do know the scout who went after Aven, however." Kal explained as he shoveled some cornbread into his mouth. "Carmen is her name. I taught her how to use her magic, too." he mumbled through his food. "You see, word is Aven's at a organization that helps beings of magic, light or dark. However, they try to woo the dark magic beings over to the light. All of the members were once dark magic beings, but left their ways and changed to the light. However they are exiled by the queen, they must stay in the dark lands with their facility. They may seem shady, but they are very punctual and trust worthy, believe me." Kal said as he collected everyone's dishes. The sun was now fully set behind the mountains. Nothing could be seen outside except for the glimmer of the silver leaves from the moonlight.

"You all best be going to bed, we have more training in the morning." Kal warned. Everyone silently got up and walked to their appropriate rooms. Josh and Kaitlynn lingered in the hall, one last hug for the night and one last goodbye. The doors would close, lights off, and everyone would be off to sleep, if it were a normal night. But this night Kaitlynn could not sleep. She started thinking about what Kal had told her. Scouts and organizations. It was all so confusing, yet it all still made sense. Kaitlynn got out of bed and looked out the large window in the room. She saw someone running at the edge of the forest, and then two other figures following behind. Would shadows flock so close to each other? Kaitlynn's mind made her grow bolder and bolder and she opened the window carefully and slipped out just as carefully.

Kaitlynn watched the figures run in a zig zag pattern and come closer and closer to the hut. She stayed hidden behind a tree to watch the figures. They didn't seem like shadows, they seemed to organized and loud to be shadows, but, she also never encountered one. She could hear whispering coming from one of the figures, although she could not make out what they said. One of them walked up to the hut's door and tapped on it ever so lightly. The figured looked around, and Kaitlynn turned around to slip back into the window. She gasped as she felt her nose brush up against another. Her mouth was covered before she could scream.

"Hush yourself." It whispered. Kaitlynn tried to calm herself. She should've listened to Kal, what if this was a shadow? The hut's door opened to show a small orange glow flow down the path and around the hut a tad. She could see the face of whatever was holding her mouth, and new for sure it was not a shadow. The being had brown hair that was spiked. He had a jagged jaw and a thin nose. "Shh," the boy still warned. Kaitlynn nodded, now feeling a bit safer. The front door had closed and Kaitlynn could hear chatting inside the house. Her mouth was released. "Who are you?" Kaitlynn whispered. The boy's white smile could be seen in the moonlight. "I'm Tylen." He stated very confidently. "And you are?" he asked as if he was trying to remember her name. "Kaitlynn," Tylen's smile grew bigger. "So you're my sister!" He said in a normal tone, picking Kaitlynn up and swinging her around. Kaitlynn started to panic, this was her brother, a crazy loon! "Put me down!" Kaitlynn scolded in a whisper. "We need to get inside before--" "Oh calm down. Shadow's aren't keen on coming into this area." Tylen cut Kaitlynn off. "Just lets get inside, your scouts are probably wondering where you are, anyways." Tylen sighed and agreed as he opened the window and let Kaitlynn jump in first. "Kill joy," Tylen whispered. "What was that?" Kaitlynn asked him. "Oh, nothing."

The door to the girls bedroom flew open just as they were closing the window. "Oh, hey." Tylen said with his cocky, excited tone. Kaitlynn looked to see Kal looking into the room, puzzled. "Tylen, get in here, we need to let you in on our plans so far." Kal said in the most official tone Kaitlynn's ever heard him speak in. Kal gave Kaitlynn a weird look before he left, almost as if he were confused on why she was in her room. Kaitlynn shook her head and watched Tylen leave the room. Kal closed the door behind Tylen. Kaitlynn scuttled over to the door and sat on the floor with her ear pressed against it.

"Did you two hear anything from Carmen at all?" Kal asked to assuming the two scouts sitting in the living room. "No, but I did hear there was a murder at the organization." One of the scouts said. Kaitlynn could hear Kal pacing. "That's a shame. I wonder if I could get into contact with Reyes." Kal muffled as he made the floor creak as he sat back down on the couch. "You all need to get some sleep. There are two beds in the boys room, I will take the sofa." Kal offered. The two scouts thanked him and retreated to the room. Tylen lingered in the living room. "Sir, may I ask you a question?" Tylen asked politely. Kaitlynn rolled her eyes. What could he want from Kal? "Sure, boy," Kal invited him to sit on the couch. "Before the scouts found me, I...I saw a person in all black. He said he knew me, and that I should know him...but I didn't. He turned everything he touched to black. He didn't harm me, but he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke." Tylen explained to Kal. Kal didn't say anything. "I'm sure it was just a kid playing around with magic, is all." Kal said quickly. Kaitlynn could tell he was lying, but knew it was for a reason.

Kal rose to turn off the lights and usher Tylen to his room. "One more thing," Tylen said. Kal looked over at Tylen who was nervously rocking back and forth on the couch. "On the day the Scouts found me...I found a letter that the Queen's army wrote to my father. They told him they were going to arrest me, mister Kaljim. I...I didn't really mean to break any laws...I...I'm sorry." Tylen tried to apologize. Kaitlynn could hear Kal pace back over to the couch. "Do not worry about the queen's army right now...we're almost ready to fight her...we can win...but you..." Kal's voice became too muffled for Kaitlynn to hear. She gave up and returned to her bed, although she was not tired in the slightest. She laid there wondering who the person Tylen saw was and where Aven could possibly be. Kaitlynn's eyes closed eventually and took her into a deep slumber.

Kaitlynn awoke to loud voices and rustling coming from the next room. She looked around, seeing Ellie's bed was empty and the sun was shining high in the sky. Kaitlynn jumped out of bed and ran out the door. She saw a strange man in the living room, sobbing. Kal was comforting him while Josh entertained the little kids to distract them from asking the man why he was here. Tylen was leaning against the wall in the hallway right outside of Kaitlynn's room rubbing his forehead. Kaitlynn walked up to stand next to him. Kaitlynn looked at her brother, but did not say a word, his face said it all. It wasn't a message they were prepared for. It wasn't what they were expecting. Kaitlynn opened her mouth to ask Tylen what was going on, but heard Kal and the strange man discussing funeral arrangements and she shut her mouth.

"It's not Aven..." Tylen explained roughly to Kaitlynn. Kaitlynn just watched her brother idly shift his weight between his feet. "Who..." Kaitlynn whispered. "Who died?" She finished, her eyes looking at the ground. "Carmen...The scout sent to get Aven." Tylen whispered, a serious demeanor on his face. His bright, cheery smile was no longer there. Kaitlynn didn't get a chance to ask another question. Kal had beckoned her over.

Kaitlynn took a deep breath before walking up to her trainer. Kal's face was dark and distraught. The man sitting next to Kal was also distraught. "Kaitlynn, this is General Reyes. He is the operator of the organization I was telling you about." Kal said in a deep, saddened tone. Kaitlynn greeted the sad man. "Carmen, the scout we sent to find Aven, has been killed..." Kal said, taking a deep breath between his long pause. Kaitlynn didn't like his sudden break, she knew this meant bad news. "Who do you think did it, sir?" Kaitlynn asked Reyes in the most calm manner she could muster. "We..." Reyes sobbed. "We think it was your brother, Aven." he finally admitted, wiping his tears away with his tissue. "How...he was supposed to help us! Why would he..." Kaitlynn didn't finish her sentence. She knew what that meant. "Aven's gone to the dark," Tylen butted in, walking towards them. "Tylen now please--" Kal tried to warn Tylen. Tylen took no heed. "No, we shouldn't sugar coat things. Aven's bad news. He won't help us get anywhere." Tylen protested as he threw his hands up. "We can do this without him."

"No, Tylen," Kaitlynn shook her head as she spoke. "No we can't. The power of all three of us together is whats supposed to defeat her..." Kaitlynn reminded him as she wagged her finger in her brother's face. Tylen pushed her hand away and shook his head at her. "You don't understand. That thing is not our brother, not anymore. Our brother wouldn't harm a woman, let alone kill one, nor anyone." Tylen explained as he shuffled around the floor. "If we try hard enough, we can defeat the queen. We just got to believe we can." Tylen explained to his sister, the look of plead across his face. Kaitlynn shifted her eyes between Kal and Tylen. They both looked at her without saying a word. "Fine," Kaitlynn said finally. "We need to train more, then." "Oh, but there is no time," Kal added. Kaitlynn swiftly turned towards Kal. "What do you mean?"

This time, Reyes spoke up. "You see, Aven headed off to the queen after he killed Carmen." His voice was still quavering with remorse. "He's telling her and her army I killed her. She wants me dead. I cannot return, and she'll destroy my organization. We need to act soon, and we need to act fast." Reyes ordered. "How long will it take us to get to the queen's castle?" Tylen asked the general. The general shifted his weight to each foot as he thought to himself. "About a week, maybe two." he finally answered after a couple of minutes. Kal stood up and clenched his fists. "We better get going then. Grab your things, children." Kal's voice boomed on a higher magnitude than they were used to. The small group shuffled around the room before running to their appropriate rooms and packed their things into sacks. Within minutes, the team was ready. Fast and punctual, as always.

Tylen's eyes were glazed over and very serious. Just looking at him sent chills down Kaitlynn's spine. He had no smile anymore and his cheerful anxiety was gone. He stood as still as he could, quiet as can be. Kal, as well as Reyes, shared the same expression. "This war seems to be starting sooner than we had expected." Kal finally spoke, breaking the tension in the room. Josh took Kaitlynn's hand and gave it a small squeeze. "We need to get to the Queen's land as soon as possible, and most likely that will take us a week." Kal continued as he paced around the living room, eying his team that stood in a line. "We must be stealthy, we must be cunning. We only travel in day light. As soon as the sun sets, we stop. We will NOT be endangered by the shadows, is that understood?" Kal asked. Everyone nodded their head quickly, except for Tylen, who's stare was still cold.

Kal didn't say another word. He opened the door and walked out, not looking back to see if his team was following him. General Reyes tipped his head down with his hat and left out the door, following Kal. Tylen was next to leave. His joints looked stiff as he quickly followed the adults. Josh sighed, pulled Kaitlynn's hand, and led the rest of them out the door. This, was the start of their new adventure. This, was what would end their lives or begin a new dawn. All they knew was that they had to defeat the queen, under no circumstances should she live.

Chapter Five

"Sire, I didn't mean to anger you!" A small, childish boy pleaded. "Too late!" Aven responded. With a quick, fluid motion, Aven struck the child across his face. "Now, leave my presence before worse happens upon you!" Aven yelled as he watched the child fly across the room. "Imbecile, saying I am not the boss around here. I'll show him. A short, stocky man ran up to Aven in fright. Aven rolled his eyes as he saw the man. "What do you want, fat man?" Aven questioned, grinding his teeth in anger. The man squirmed in anxiety and shook with nerves. "The..ah...the queen..." He mumbled, stumbling over his words. "Spit it out, Jensen!" Aven yelled, clenching his fists. "The queen...ah..sir she beckons you!" he finally spat, collapsing to the ground in fear. Aven simply walked past the man, kicked him swiftly in the shin, and continued to walk to the Queen's quarters. "What an ass..." Jensen whispered as soon as he knew Aven was out of ear shot.

Aven could hear the queen screaming at someone in her chamber. He couldn't make out what was being said, but he heard loud yells and banging noises coming from the room at least five hundred feet away from him. Aven took his sweet time arriving to her chamber, admiring the pictures on the wall and the newly painted walls. "They patched that up nice," Aven commented as he felt the wall where he had thrown a servant into the previous week. Aven's gaze met the queen's chamber door. "What do you mean General Reyes wasn't at the Organization?!" Aven could hear her fuming. Aven's heart skipped a beat. Surely he wasn't seeking help. Aven pushed open the grand doors and smoothly walked his way in. He pushed the man before the Queen aside and walked up to her and granted her a small bow.

The queen looked at Aven sharply. "Took your sweet time, did you?" She screamed. Aven didn't wince at her voice, but instead he sat at the chair next to the queen, taking her hand into his. He tenderly kissed the top of it. "My queen, what is all the fuss about?" Aven rubbed her hand softly. The queen took her hand back and placed it in her lap. "General Reyes has left the Organization, word is he's looking for help." She explained sharply, not looking at Aven. Aven situated himself into a comfortable position in his throne before responding. "I wouldn't worry. How many allies can that foolish, cruel man have?" The queen shook her head. "That doesn't matter, he can make them. He is a dangerous man, Aven. You must destroy him and his team." She explained, her tone never letting up. Aven leaned forward in his seat, gazing at his queen. "Eya, if I may, why run after him if he's coming straight to us?" Aven whispered, leaning closer to her face.

"How dare you address me by my name!" The queen barked, more in shock than disgust. Aven winked at her and the queen blushed slightly before snapping back straight up against her throne. "Fine, we shall wait for them to come here. Have the army armed and ready, they could be here any time." The queen tried to sound as mean and demanding as she could, but her tone broke, still in shock from Aven. A man ran from the queen's chamber to warn the army. The queen looked at Aven again once it was only the two of them in the chamber. "Don't do that in front of my servants!" She barked. Aven grinned at her. "Like they would say anything, they adore you." Aven complimented as he took her hand again. Eya shook her head and sighed.

"More like they're scared of me." Eya's whole demeanor changed being alone with Aven. Aven leaned closer to her, now his whole upper body hanging over the left arm of his throne. "My queen, this kingdom needs a queen like you. Do you really want our past royalty here?" Aven asked. Eya looked at him, her eyes tearing slightly. Eya batted them away and looked straight ahead. "I think you should watch what you say. You have no idea about previous royalty." Eya barked. "I want you to leave." She ordered. Aven stood and straightened his clothes. "If that is what you wish." He bowed before walking out of the chamber.

Aven eyed up and down the hall as soon as he left the chamber. There was something she was hiding from him, and he had to know what it was. Once Aven was sure the coast was clear, he swiftly and stealthily made his way to the library. Aven closed the door lightly behind him and began searching for books about the previous rulers of Hatherwell.

Soon Aven found books upon books about previous rulers. He skimmed through pages for hours, trying to figure out what upset Eya so much. Finally, after several long hours of skimming through old dusty, crusted pages, he found a page that sparked an interest.

"In the late 1900s, The Javia family was defeated in war by the Shawln family, leaving only their youngest daughter behind. The Shawln family over took the kingdom and became the new rulers of Hatherwell. The Javia family's last survivor was sentenced to prison for fifteen years of her life. When she was sixteen she was released and was sent to an organization that sat on the border of the castle's property. The organization was to help convicts learn the way of the light and become a better magical being as a whole. The young lady stayed at said organization for only a few months before killing one of the therapists and running away. She was chased after for years, but soon the royal army gave up and dropped her charges. Nothing has been heard from the young woman since."

Aven skipped through a few more pages and found an old newspaper clipping.

"In 1997 , young Eya Javia created her own army of dark magic users and over threw the Shawln family, torturing them as much as possible in the process. She left the three children, triplets, unharmed. After their parents were slayed and their bodies disposed of, Eya herself took the three children and ran off, trying to find somewhere to be rid of them. However on her trip she lost the three children in a small town. They each were picked up by different families and taken to their own homes. Two are reported to still be in Hatherwell while one is reported to be living in the mortal world. When Eya was confronted about the children being lost, she shrugged it off, saying that now the children are seperated, they would never defeat her."

"My siblings...We're more powerful than Eya." Aven grinned. "I wonder which magic they practice..." Aven wondered. He then thought of his parents and sighed. He shoved the books he had taken out and threw them back on a dusy book shelf. Aven walked into the corridor to see a few guards still at their posts, though dozing at their steps. He swiftly, yet gallantly walked up to the queen's chambers. He cracked the door silently to see Eya was still seated in her throne, whispering to one of her guards. Aven swung the door open wider and walked with stride down the aisle.

Eya saw Aven strutting down the runway and shooed the guard to return to his assigned post. The guard scrambled for a minute before running out the door that was to the left of Eya. "Shouldn't you be in your quarters sleeping?" Eya mused as Aven reached the throne that stood next to Eya's. He seated himself next to her. "What type of magic do my siblings practice?" Aven questioned without answering Eya's question. Eya repeated her question sternly, almost yelling. "Not tired. What type of magic do my siblings practice?" Aven questioned again. Eya sighed and turned slightly in her throne to face Aven.

"They practice Light magic...Why?" "I was hoping you wouldn't say that." Aven sighed. He stood from the throne and positioned himself so he was standing in front of Eya. He began to paint in the air with his fingers. "You see, I was hoping they would practice the dark. Because then, we'd have more, powerful people to fight against Reyes's army." Aven drew his words in the air as he said them. Eya was watching his fingers carefully write each letter perfectly. "Well, unfortunately they practice the Light." Eya sighed. Aven smiled and knelt before his queen, his face inches from hers. "Have no worries, my queen." Aven whispered. "We will conquer anything that comes at us." He grinned as his face became closer and closer to Eya's. "Did you...Did you read everything?" Eya whispered. Aven nodded, his eyes closed. "Shh, that's all the past." Aven whispered. "I have no want to practice the Light." Aven admitted before lightly brushing his lips against Eya's. Eya froze, unable to decide if she should be angered at the foolish boy, several years younger than her, or if she should finally succumb to the feelings that were starting to progress for this young man. Aven pulled back, looking into Eya's eyes, trying to see if he should continue or not. She backed away and tried to compose herself. "It's late." She stammered. Aven sat up and sighed. "Your majesty...if my actions bother you, please, allow me that information." Eya shook her head. "It's...It's not that." She hesitated. "I just...I don't know how you can want to be around me...Follow my rules...Listen to every command I say...after what you've read..." Eya found herself remembering the old days yet again. Aven smiled and knelt down, his face by Eya's again. "Do not fret, my queen." He said as he caressed her cheek. "That is all in the past. Besides, If that never happened, I'd be forced to practice the Light...I've never wanted to." He admitted as he leaned closer to her. Eya leaned her forehead against Aven's. She looked into his eyes and could immediately see he was truthful. Her heart got the best of her and finally closed her eyes, slowly. Aven grinned again before brushing his lips against Eya's again. He continued to do so, applying more pressure each time. Eya didn't pull away, and soon began to return Aven's kisses. Each kiss became more and more passionate. Soon, without either of them really noticing, Aven had positioned himself to be sitting in the throne with Eya. Their lips never parted, and their eyes never opened. After what seemed like eternity of frolicking, the doors to the chamber were thrown open. "Your royalty...Oh..." One of the guards stammered. Eya's demeanor changed yet again as she shoved Aven off of her. "The boy was uh...Choking. He needed CPR." Eya lied. The guard eyed Aven. "Is he alright?" "Yes, yes don't worry about that. What are you here for?" Eya barked as she stood from her throne. Aven picked himself up off the floor and straightened his clothes.

"We heard word about Reyes's team. Word around the town at the base of the mountain is that Kaljim is on his team." "How would Niteshire know about Reyes?" Eya questioned. "Word goes around, I suppose." The guard assumed. Eya rolled her eyes. "Kaljim is an old man. We can take him. Now go, rest. Everyone should be doing so at this hour, aside from the night guards outside." Eya ordered. The guard nodded before running out the chamber. As soon as the door slammed, Aven touched the queen's shoulder, causing her to turn around to look at him.

"That ashamed?" Aven questioned her. Eya shook her head. "You know I can't admit what happened..." She said as she bit her lip. "Right. I'm off to bed, good night, your royalty." Aven bowed before storming out the chamber. The door slammed behind him. Eya sighed in rage and kicked the nearest thing possible, which happened to be a stool that the servants used when they were polishing trophies and statues. The stool flew to the other side of the room, crashing and splintering against the tile. Eya walked back to her throne and slumped down in tears. She sat in the throne room and cried herself to sleep.

The next morning, Eya woke up to see Aven sitting stiffly in the throne next to her. She immediately sat up straight and straightened herself out. Eya eyed Aven, wondering why he was in her throne room. "You're interviewing for new guards, remember?" Aven coldly stated. Eya didn't say anything. She continued to straighten herself. "You look fine." Aven stated in the same cold voice. Eya stopped fiddling with herself and sat there, waiting for the royal adviser to bring in the first interviewee.

After what seemed like hours, which was only a few minutes, of waiting, a young man was escorted into the throne room. The boy reached a reasonable distance and bowed to Eya and Aven. "Your royalty, I wish to become a loyal guard for you." The boy spoke in a quavering voice. "Have you had any training? You look quite young." Eya questioned. "I have. You see, I was raised in Niteshire, my father used to be a knight. He trained me as much as he could around home." The boy explained. "Have you ever practiced against skilled men?" Eya asked. The boy nodded. "Yes ma'am." "Alright. You may stay with us and train for a week with our guards. If you seem fit, you may stay as one of the royal guards. And perhaps, if you seem worthy, you may be upped to a knight. Fair enough?" Eya offered. The boy smiled. "Yes, ma'am, that would be amazing!" He said as he jumped up. "Just don't get too excited yet, boy." Aven stated, his voice booming. "You are young, you wouldn't want to get your hopes up too high only for them to be dashed." Aven looked at Eya out the corner of his eye. Eya's entire body froze, she knew exactly what he meant by his words. The royal adviser looked at the two, confused at why they were acting so oddly. "Okay, take him to go train, please." Eya quavered as she waved her hand towards the door. The royal adviser shuffled the young boy out and closed the door behind him.

Eya turned to look at Aven after a few moments of silence. "What are you being like this for?" Eya questioned. Aven didn't look at her. "I am talking to you!" "You are ashamed of what happened last night." Aven said as calmly as he could. "Aven, it's not that." Eya tried to explain. "What is it then?" He asked, his voice harder to control. Eya sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "I'll seem weak, Aven. Any one trying to destroy us could take you from me and I'd crumble into a million pieces. They'd over throw me faster than you could believe." Eya explained. Aven shook his head. "How would you know what people would do?" Aven questioned, finally looking at Eya, only to glare at her. "I've done it, Aven! You read the book, my family was destroyed by yours. I couldn't take it anymore, so I did what would hurt your father most. I took your mother, hid her away! I convinced your father she was dead and he backed down. The place I had your parents captive in killed him and your mother relentlessly." Eya explained. Aven shook his head. "I don't care! I don't care about the past!" Aven screamed. "Well I do, Aven! I don't want to lose you, okay? I don't want Reyes's army to find you and take you from me." Eya cried. Aven looked at the doors before looking back at Eya. "You're...You're crying..." Aven noticed.

Eya wiped her tears away and shook her head as she threw her hand up in the air. "Now you notice

something." A slight knock at the door was heard before the door was swung open. "Your royalty, you have one more interviewee, would you like to see him, or are you finished for the day?" The little man inquired. Eya sniffed her tears away. "Let him in. I've only seen one man today, I can see one more."

As soon as the little man let the next interviewee in, Eya wished she had said no. The boy could've been no older than three, maybe four. "Ma'am...I mean...your highness." The boy stammered as he knelt down before her. "You wish to be a knight?" Eya asked as genuinely as she could manage. The boy nodded slowly. "Yes...Yes ma'am...I mean your royalty! I didn't mean to be disrespectful." The boy had a large vocabulary for someone his age. "What about your parents? Won't they be missing you if you become a knight?" Eya asked, shifting her weight in her throne. "I'm an orphan." The boy sighed.

Eya stood from her throne and walked down a few small steps to the young boy and knelt down in front of him. "Your vocabulary is extraordinary for someone your age. Do you study?" Eya inquired. "All I do is read, ma'am. I have nothing better to do at the orphanage." The boy softly admitted. Eya smiled and tried not to show the boy her tears. "How about you live with me in the castle, and when you're old enough, you can begin to train. Does that sound good?" Eya asked, her voice a tad shaky. "You mean...You'd be my mother?" The boy asked. Eya looked at the royal adviser and then back to the boy and smiled. "Of course. Only if you want me to be."

The boy jumped up and hugged Eya. "I do!" He cried with happiness. Eya froze for a minute, surprised by the sudden hug. After a few moments of digesting exactly why he was hugging her, she started to hug him back. "You'll have your own room, right by mine." Eya whispered to him. "Do you want to see it?" "Yes, I do!" He smiled at his newly found mother as their hug parted.

"Would you like me to take him to his room, your royalty?" The adviser asked. Eya stood and shook her head. "That will not be needed, thank you. I will show him myself. This boy is royalty now—He's a prince, and he should be treated like one." Eya explained. She looked down at the boy who took her hand and grinned. Eya led the boy out the chamber and they were off down the corridor, almost skipping to the stairs.

Aven sighed softly before standing up from his seat. "You alright, sire?" The adviser asked, awkwardly standing in the chamber, wondering what to do now. "As alright as I'll get." Aven groaned as he walked out the chamber's doors. As soon as the door closed, the adviser sighed in confusion. "One day, I'll find a woman who'll want lots and lots of kids, and then I'll be out of this damned place." The man assured himself. He lightly kicked a stool before scampering out the chamber door and lightly closing it as to not cause noise.

Eya and the young boy were finally arriving to his newly obtained bedroom. "You never told me your name, young prince." Eya questioned as the two casually walked down the corridor. "Oh, my name's Nathan." He said with the biggest grin the boy's face could manage. Eya smiled and lightly squeezed the boy's hand before stopping at one of the last doors in the corridor. "This room," Eya said as she pointed to the door in front of her. "Is my room. This door, however," She now motioned to the door to the right. "That one is yours." "Who has the one to the left?" Nathan asked. "That's Aven's room, the man who was sitting in the throne next to me." Eya explained. Nathan just nodded and waited for Eya to show him the inside of his room.

Eya opened the door to show a very spacious room. The walls were dark purple and the floor was a rich, dark wood. The bed was a twin size, which had purple sheets and wood framing. There was a desk in the corner by the window. Paper and quills sat on the desk, as well as some human world pencils. There was a huge wardrobe that could almost fit an elephant inside, it was made of a dark wood that matched the floor. Nathan looked around his room in awe. "This is all mine?" He asked, shocked and overwhelmed. Eya smiled and put a hand on Nathan's shoulder. "All yours. Now, the wardrobe only has a few children's clothes, but they should fit alright. The stylist will have a wardrobe ready for you tomorrow in the early afternoon." Eya explained as she eyed the wardrobe. Nathan spun around on his heels to face his mother. "Thank you...Thank you so much." He cried before jumping into her arms. Eya picked him up and spun him around as she hugged him close.

Finally, she felt comfortably complete. She didn't have to hide this love in her life. She didn't want to hide it at all. Finally, she had what she always wanted.

A family.

Chapter Six

"We've been traveling for five days now, Kal. Are we close?" Josh groaned as he kicked a rock along a rugged dirt path. Kal did not respond. Instead, he continued to hum a song and touch random rocks along the dirt path with his staff. Josh's anger was building towards the old man. He grumbled a few coarse words under his breath and continued to walk. Reyes shook his head as he sighed. "We're stopping at a town at the base of the mountain." Reyes explained, though not looking back at Josh. His hands flew in the air as if he were trying to grasp the sun. "We have someone we need help from. She owes me a favor, and the reward from her help would be very generous." Josh moaned as Reyes explained. "Great...MORE people!" Kal chuckled at Josh's anger. "You fret too much, Joshua. You must learn not everything can be rushed.

"We can't just rush up to the castle." Kal mused as he continued to tap random rocks with his wooden staff. "Just wait til you meet this young lady, she's very motivated, she'll help us immensely." "Yeah, we'll see about that." Josh huffed. Kaitlynn sighed as she pushed past Josh, ending up next to her brother, Tylen. She looked at him, not surprised to see Tylen still had his glazed over, blank expression. She sighed as she continued to look ahead of her. "You think he's one of them?" Kaitlynn whispered. Tylen didn't say a word. He just continued walking. Kaitlynn looked at him quickly, and saw Tylen was giving her a strange stare. Almost as if he were trying to tell her something. Kaitlynn gave up on trying to figure it out and continued to look ahead of her. She couldn't figure out why her brother was ignoring her, why he wouldn't say a word after hearing about the accusations against their brother. She knew it was a pretty big situation to digest, but she needed to talk to him about it, to know what he thought about it.

The group wandered in open, deserted fields for hours. The grass was dead, firm, and yellow. The shrubs were brown and dry. The mountains around them were covered with burning rocks. It was amazing how the weather differed so greatly from the mortal world to the magic world. It was winter time in Arizona, but in Hatherwell, it was mid summer. They were following a narrow, rugged dirt path that twisted around every once in a while, but for the most part it was straight on through the fields. The two young children were giggling as they skipped along the path a little bit ahead of Kal and Reyes. Josh kept complaining about the heat or the unevenness of the ground. Kaitlynn still continued to try and speak to her brother, but he wouldn't murmur a word. He wouldn't even acknowledge her. "Are you going to ignore me this whole trip?" Kaitlynn finally asked with a defeated tone. Tylen sighed as he looked at his sister. "Please. I'm trying to think." He finally whispered. Kaitlynn shook her head and caught up to Josh, annoyed with the cold shoulder she was receiving from her brother.

"I can't believe him." Katiylnn grumbled as she kicked a rock that bounced into the slowly swaying grass. "He won't even talk to me." "Maybe he's just trying to collect this all. The fact that your brother could be evil, and possibly want to kill us all is a little unsettling, you know." Josh explained as he fiddled with a stray thread on his jeans. Kaitlynn sighed and looped arms with Josh. She put her head against his shoulder as they walked down the path in sync.

Clouds were forming above the group's heads as it grew later and later into the day. The sun was barely peeking above the mountains when loud claps of thunder rumbled through the air, followed by bright flashes of lightning. Tyson and Ellie ran to hide behind Kaitlynn and Josh. "It's going to rain!" Ellie cried as she pulled on Kaitlynn's shirt. Kaitlynn unhooked her arm from Josh's and picked her up and hugged her. "Kal, is there anywhere we can stop for the night?" She called to the head of the group. Kaljim gestured to Kaitlynn to tell her to follow him, apparently knowing a place they could rest.

The children sprinted through the grass, following Kaljim, who was now skipping off to the east. The grassy fields had a narrow path that was created by the group, showing the exact way they moved, each curve, each stride, the grass carefully folded to record it. The rain was pelting their skin as they hurried to follow Kaljim, his strides growing wider and wider.

Kaitlynn and the younger kids found it harder to keep up with him, with the strength of the wind and the intensity of the rain, it was almost impossible to see in front of them. They struggled through the wind however, speeding up when they heard a loud clap of thunder or saw a bolt of lightning right in front of their eyes. "Keep up, the shadows will be out soon." Kaljim called behind him. Kaitlynn heard sniffles coming from the younger children. "Are you two scared?" she asked them, gripping their hands tighter as they sped up. The two children simply nodded, too terrified to speak. Kaitlynn sighed and pulled them up farther, finally catching up to Josh and Tylen.

"Are we anywhere close?" Kaitlynn asked Josh. Ellie ran up to Josh and tugged on his shirt to be picked up. Josh shrugged as he picked her up. "I have no idea where that senile old man is going." Josh groaned. "I heard that!" Kaljim sang cheerfully as he clicked his heels in a mid-air jump. "Kal, we need to get to shelter, now!" Kaitlynn cried as loud as she could muster. Tyson took Kaitlynn's hand and squeezed softly, as if to show her she had support. "Calm yourself down, we're almost there." Kaljim breathed. Kaitlynn rolled her eyes as she watched the man jump back into a skip and trotted down the field.

As the group dredged on for what seemed like hours, and was only around ten minutes in reality, Kaljim announced they were finally at shelter. They were in front of a beaten down, shabby shack. The entire shack was made of wood, aside from the tin roofing. The door looked like it was about to fall over any minute as it swung on its hinges. The windows were cracked and the shutters had long blown off. Kaljim smiled at the group, pointing at the shack as if he had found a wonder of the world. "See, shelter, just like you wanted!" He boasted. The group groaned as he lightly tapped the door, setting the door fully open. The group hurried inside to get out of the rain. They could hear the mighty drops pelting the tin roof violently. Surprisingly enough, there were no leaks at all. The more they looked at it, the more peculiar the shack became.

The inside was much nicer on the eyes than the outside. The wood looked brand new, nice and dark colored and sturdy looking. The furniture inside looked as if it were made for royalty, with rich colors and silky materials. The longer they stayed inside, the less and less they heard the rapping of the rain against the tin roof, but they knew fully well it was still pouring outside. The shack seemed a lot bigger than it originally appeared. It seemed to have at least four rooms, and a long corridor that appeared to twist in several different corners. The dark brown walls had paintings and photographs hung upon them, most of them of the same family, but Kaitlynn didn't recognize them. Just as Kaitlynn was about to ask Kaljim exactly where they were, and who's home they were in, she heard someone stumble out of one of the many rooms, causing a bit of ruckus. "I said down, Cornellius!" A female's voice barked. She slammed the door and turned around to see her guests and jumped slightly. "Oh, Kaljim, I didn't know you were bringing friends." The woman smiled eagerly at each person of the group. She took a longer glance at Tylen and Kaitlynn. "Are...Are they them?" The woman inquired, gazing up at Kaljim.

Kaitlynn was mesmerized by the woman's light appearance. The woman wore a long, flowing white dress. It looked formal, but not wedding-like, more like a royalty theme. The woman had black hair that flowed to the middle of her back, which somehow seemed to fit with her kind, sweet appearance. The most bottom layer of her hair was a platinum blond, however. Her makeup was light, but still visible, giving her face a younger, pinkish look to it. She held herself proudly and selflessly. She could only of been a few years older than Kaitlynn; perhaps maybe in her early twenties.

"Yes, that's them." Kaljim smiled. "Everyone, this is Lady Melissa. She was part of your parents' royal army, that is, until Eya took over." Kaljim explained as he introduced the woman before them. Lady Melissa walked up to each member of the group, learning their names quickly. She took time with each person, getting to know them a little bit, telling a joke or two to make things more comfortable, and then she'd move on to the next person in the line. When she came up to Kaitlynn, she took the longest to talk to her.

"I know you," Melissa smiled as she took Kaitlynn's hand. "You're the daughter of Lady Karoline and Sir Harold, right?" She asked. Kaitlynn just nodded. "Ah, yes, I knew it! You look just like your mother, you know that?" Kaitlynn shook her head. "Hmm...That's a shame. I'm sure I have pictures around here somewhere. I'm sure you'll agree once you see some of them." Melissa smiled. Kaitlynn just nodded, trying to seem enthusiastic. Lady Melissa was about to move on to Tylen before Kaitlynn stopped her. "Oh, I just wanted to ask you a question." Kaitlynn said as she fidgeted around. Lady Melissa just watched her, waiting for her question. "Right, uhm. Who's Uh...Who's Cornellius?"Kaitlynn Asked softly. "Oh, you heard me lecture him, did you? Cornellius is just my pet pig, you'll see plenty of him in a little while." Lady Melissa explained cheerfully, as if having a pig named Cornellius was completely normal. Granted, nothing here in Hatherwell was normal. "You...You have a pig as a pet?!" "Of course I do!" Lady Melissa gave Kaitlynn a look as if she were off her mind.

Lady Melissa now stood before Tylen. "Well, you're a Shawln if I've ever seen one!" She smiled as she patted his shoulders. "You look just like your father, very quiet, but very, very smart. Am I right?" Tylen nodded stiffly. "Relax, you're home now, Tylen. We'll worry about your brother tomorrow." Lady Melissa soothed as she lightly rubbed his shoulder. "I just can't picture him practicing Dark Magic is all." Tylen finally admitted. "Unfortunately, not everything that happens will be to our liking, but we'll do with what is to our liking. We can still win, Tylen, you just have to believe you can. Otherwise, they'll defeat you the first moment they can manage." Lady Melissa's tone suddenly turned serious, which caught everyone a little off guard. "Do you believe we can win?" She asked him. Tylen didn't respond. Lady Melissa nodded and patted his shoulders again. "No worries, you will believe in yourself soon enough." Tylen didn't respond, he just watched Lady Melissa back up a few steps as to see everyone in the room.

"Make yourselves at home, we have plenty of rooms in the house as well as food. Be careful if you go into the first room on the left, Cornellius loves to meet new people." Lady Melissa informed before dragging Kaljim and Reyes into another room to speak privately. "Do you think they're ready?" Kaljim asked Lady Melissa as soon as he knew it was safe to speak freely about his trainees. "I believe they have the potential to be. Tylen needs to realize he's smart enough and strong enough to endure this. He can get through this war, I know he can. He just needs to realize that." Lady Melissa explained as she paced around the small room they were in. The wood was still a dark color, but this time only a few photographs were hung and a huge gaping window was in the wall, which somehow did not looked cracked from the inside. She walked over to a cage that had a bright purple and yellow bird inside. She pet the bird as she spoke to the two gentlemen before her. "I think you need to take them to the castle as soon as possible, Eya won't stay around much longer." "That's the thing, M'lady. We wanted you to join us." Kaljim proposed. Lady Melissa eyed the two men. "Honestly?" Kaljim simply nodded. Reyes nodded as well, but he seemed thoroughly out of the loop. "Alright, I will be happy to join you. But why do you request my attendance?" She asked, confused on why they chose her to tag along. "You have experience being in a royal army, your knowledge could be very helpful inside that castle. You know all the ins and outs of that enormous building, and that means you know the quickest ways to get to the Queen's chambers." Kaljim explained. Lady Melissa nodded as she listened to Kaljim's reasoning.

"Prepare yourselves, Kaljim. This won't be a simple walk in the park, you know. I'm wanted by the queen, if one of those army men see me, I'm done for. We have to be sneaky and evasive. I can get you in there, but you must be positive of you and your team. You have to have hope." Lady Melissa explained, putting the bird back into its cage. "We can't waltz around, expecting to lose." "They will be ready. We'll all be ready. We'll leave tomorrow morning, agreed?" Kaljim stretched his hand out to shake Lady Melissa's. She thought for only a moment before shaking his hand. "Agreed."

Kaitlynn was wandering around Lady Melissa's house, amazed by how different it looked on the inside rather than the inside. The hallway she was in seemed to grow as she was walking down it, never ending. She watched the pictures on the walls, some of them had moving people inside. One picture had a couple giggling and tickling each other, happy as could be. Kaitlynn watched that picture the longest. She recognized the couple, but couldn't remember where, couldn't remember who they even were. She just knew that that woman's smile was so familiar, so fresh in her mind. Kaitlynn lightly touched the picture. She sighed as she remembered her home world, back in Arizona. Things were happening so fast, and now she was hundreds of thousands miles away from home. She ran her fingers over the glass covering the picture, tracing the movements of the couple. "Do you remember her?" Kaitlynn turned around to see Lady Melissa behind her. "Oh...Is this...?" Kaitlynn trailed off. Lady Melissa just gave her a heart warming smile. "I wish I remembered her." Kaitlynn sighed as she continued to trace her parent's faces. "You were young, it's not surprising that you don't remember her. I grew up with her, she was a great lady." Lady Melissa explained, watching Kaitlynn watch the picture intently. "Are you saying you're old enough to be my mother? You don't look it." Kaitlynn looked at Lady Melissa as if she were crazy, but only for a few seconds before returning to the picture, afraid she'd forget their faces again.

"I assume that's a compliment?" Lady Melissa laughed, moving away from leaning against the wall and walking up close to Kaitlynn, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Take the picture. It'll still move without the frame. You'll always have your parents right with you then. You'll never forget." Lady Melissa offered. Kaitlynn looked at Lady Melissa and shook her head. "I can't take that from you." "Oh, just take it. I have more of them, don't worry." Kaitlynn grinned as she gingerly took the picture off the wall, undid the back of the frame, and slipped the photo out of it. Lady Melissa took the frame from her and stored it in one of the many hall closets. "So, is this hallway never ending? It almost seems like it grows the farther I walk down." Kaitlynn asked as she carefully folded the picture and put it in her pocket. "That's because it does grow. I never know how many people I'm going to be housing, so I have a spell upon the house so it'll grow if I need room. Recently, it's been growing a few feet everyday, I don't really know why, however." Lady Melissa tapped her cheek as she began to think. "The greatest part, is you can't tell from the outside. It looks like a run down shack, when in reality it's a whole lot nicer than that."

Kaitlynn and Lady Melissa looked at more pictures as they took a small tour around the house. Melissa showed Kaitlynn the room she'd be staying in. "This room is special," Lady Melissa said excitedly as she opened the door. With a quick flick of Melissa's wrist, the lights turned on and brightened up the entire room. The walls were a deep purple color, with carpet to match. The room was massive with loads of room. The bed sat on the far wall, right in front of the window. The bedding was a dark purple with golden threading. The headboard was a rich cherry wood color. There was a desk that sat on the wall immediately to the left of the door. The wood matched the wood of the headboard. On top of the desk sat some parchment paper as well as a few containers of ink and a few elegant quills. There was an enormous dresser that stood at an angle in the farthest right corner of the room. The handles were gold while the wood, like all the other wood in the room, had that cherry color. A vanity stood proudly against the right wall. The mirror had golden etching around the border as did the wood framing the mirror. The seat for the vanity was made of wood and had a purple cushion on top of it. Upon closer examination, Kaitlynn noticed a piece of paper on the vanity. Lady Melissa saw Kaitlynn notice the paper and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Go ahead and go read it; it's for you." "How...How do you know?" Kaitlynn asked, her heart racing, anticipating what it had to say. "I've read it a thousand times. Your mother wrote it for you when you were young. She wanted me to hold on to it for safe keeping, knowing I'd see you again someday. It's almost as if she knew what cruel things were coming...Almost as if she knew what Eya was planning to do." Lady Melissa's voice became remorseful as she finished her sentence. She played with the ends of her hair as she watched Kaitlynn walk to the other end of the room, carefully picking up the paper.

Kaitlynn's eyes started to water as she gazed at her mother's handwriting. "Dear Kaitlynn, I know you're probably crying while reading this, so please darling, stop. You have to be strong now more than ever. If you're reading this when I think you will be, there is probably a war going on. You and your brothers have been found by Kaljim, and you are now at Lady Melissa's home, preparing to battle against Eya. Even though I am not alive now, you have to know I have faith in you. I'm making this so much ahead of time, is it scary I know I'm going to die? I don't want to scare you, my lovely daughter, but you must be brave. Eya will try to run if she gets the chance, you must chase after her. She will come back and try to dominate when you least expect it. You MUST over throw her. You must win this battle, Kaitlynn. Not just you, but your brothers, Kaljim, Lady Melissa, and any other help you have recruited. I believe in you, and even though you're only a tiny toddler as I am writing this, I know when you read this, you will be a strong, powerful young adult. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you growing up, but I love you.

Mom." Kaitlynn read aloud, crying and smiling the entire length of the letter. Kaitlynn looked up at Lady Melissa to see her tearing up as well. "You think I wouldn't cry at that letter anymore," Melissa sniffed, straightening herself out. Lady Melissa excused herself and left Kaitlynn alone in her room. As soon as the door closed Kaitlynn exhaled deeply. She gingerly set the letter back down on the vanity and plunked down on the stool in front of it. She buried her head in her hands as she silently cried. She ran her fingers threw her hair and wiped away her tears as she propped her head up and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She took the picture out of her pocket and gazed at her mother's face, and then back up at the mirror, counting each similarity they shared. Kaitlynn began to trace her mother's movements in the picture again. She sniffed away her tears and put the picture back safely in her pocket as she heard someone lightly tap on the door. "Come in," Kaitlynn coughed.

Kaljim opened the door and stepped inside the room. He closed the door silently and sat at the edge of the bed. "I heard Lady Melissa gave you a picture of your parents." He said after a few seconds of awkward silence. Kaitlynn simply nodded. "Are you keeping it with you all the time?" Kaitlynn nodded again. "Are you going to be ready for tomorrow?" Kaljim finally asked. Kaitlynn looked at him with the most serious expression Kaljim had ever seen upon her face. "More than ever." She simply stated. Kaitlynn looked at Kaljim and quickly wiped a tear from her eye. She didn't say anything, she just looked at him, reading his face.

Kaitlynn could see he was worried about the upcoming battle. She could see he had a glimmer of fear in his eyes, but that motivated her even more to do what was right. If she wasn't sure before, she knew now that this was the most important thing in her life at the moment. She knew this was life or death, and hoped that it'd be Eya's life on the line, not hers or her team. She knew that he knew Aven was on the dark side. She knew he was sided with Eya, and that alone made her that much stronger. "We'll defeat her." Kaitlynn finally said. Kaljim gave her a short smirk before standing up from his seat. "Good. Now rest, tomorrow we fight." He left the room barely leaving the door open.

"Mom!" Kaitlynn cried as she saw her mother being dragged away by a strange man in all black. "Mommy, don't leave me!" she kept crying. She watched as her father was dragged away as well. "Daddy, no! Don't go, I love you!" She kept yelling after them. The strange men wouldn't even look at the young girl desperately wanting her parents. Her parents tried to fight their way out of their captor's hands, but had no such luck. "Do not worry, Kaitlynn. We will see you again, take care of your brothers!" Her mother called to her, a single tear streaming down her cheek. Kaitlynn sniffed her tears away as she nodded. Kaitlynn watched her mother's face turn completely white, a blank face plastered upon her. Kaitlynn turned around to see what her mother was looking at. There stood before her was a woman looking down at her with a devilish grin. The woman already had her brothers firmly by the hand. The boys tried to wiggle themselves free, but they had no luck at all. Kaitlynn looked around the room she was in, desperate for help. The room vanished to a huge black mass. Nothing was existent, only the strange woman before her, her brothers, and desperate screams from her parents. Kaitlynn cried for help. "Help me, this woman has my brothers!" She cried as the woman roughly grabbed her by the wrist, dragging her away. Kaitlynn kept screaming, begging for help. "I need help! I need help, someone, please!" She watched her parents slowly fade away from her into the black nothing. Soon, their voices faded. Soon, Kaitlynn was numb to everything. She could hardly hear herself screaming anymore. She couldn't hear the woman barking at her to be quiet anymore. She didn't feel the sharp pain the woman was pressing onto her wrist. She couldn't hear her brothers calling her name.

All Kaitlynn could hear was a small, elderly man's voice. "Don't fret, young Kaitlynn. You will get out of this. Just think...think hard." He told her. Kaitlynn slowly looked around everywhere, finally grasping her surroundings. It was nighttime, in a middle of a grassy field. She was being dragged down a dirt path by the woman still. She looked around on the ground and saw a small, thin blade jutting out of the ground. "Grab it." the voice instructed her. Kaitlynn did as she was told and took hold of the blade as she passed it. Kaitlynn gripped it tightly before stealthily stabbing the woman in the calf with it. The woman screamed in anger, releasing the children in shock. "Run!" Kaitlynn ordered in unison with the voice in her head. She ran as fast as she could, not looking back once. Soon, she could hear nothing. Soon, all she saw was blackness again. Soon, she found it hard to breathe and she was shaking uncontrollably. She fell to the ground, trying to hold herself together. She started falling in the empty black. She tried to scream for help, but nothing was heard. All she heard was that small voice again.

"Breathe, Kaitlynn. Breathe, you're going to be okay." The voice tried to sooth, but had an urgent tone. Kaitlynn fought to keep her eyes open. She slowly started to breathe again, slowly stopped shaking, and slowly regained collection of her surroundings. She was unaware of the room she was in. She looked to her left to see strangers sitting in seats next to her, staring at her with joy. She looked to her right to see a strange machine with numbers and lines on it as well as a strange man in a long white coat. He wore a blue mask that covered his mouth and nose. He wore white rubber gloves and held a clipboard. "This is the second time I've ever seen this disease." the man muffled through his mask. "Is our daughter going to be okay?" One of the strangers to Kaitlynn's left asked. The doctor didn't say anything, but eyed his clipboard again. He sighed and looked at the strangers remorsefully. "Maybe with the right medicine. However, I don't see her living past eighteen or nineteen years old. It's attacking her immune system and nerves. Eventually, it'll attack her brain. It could cause strokes, heart attacks, seizures, and eventually, it'll probably make her brain dead." The doctor bluntly said. The woman next to Kaitlynn started to bawl. Kaitlynn was so confused, where was she, who were these people? "Where am I?" Kaitlynn asked. The woman grabbed Kaitlynn's hand and tried to smile. "Oh, sweetie, you're in the hospital. Looks like you won't be starting Kindergarten tomorrow like planned." The woman tried to joke. Kaitlynn shook her head. Was this woman trying to be her mother? Was she her mother? Were the people she saw before just a dream? "Where are my brothers?" She asked. "Oh, sweetie, you don't have any brothers...You must've been dreaming." The woman looked at Kaitlynn confused. "Oh...I guess so."

"Kaitlynn...Kaitlynn..." That voice was back. Kaitlynn looked around, hoping the owner of the voice was somewhere in the room. "Do you hear that?" She asked the woman. "What?" "Someone's calling my name...I can hear them!" The doctor shook his head as he scribbled on his clipboard. "Shall I prescribe a therapist as well?" He offered. The woman sighed, shrugging. "You don't think she's crazy!" "I'm not crazy, I hear the man talking to me, you guys! I hear him all the time, he helps me!" Kaitlynn tried to explain. The woman looked at the doctor worriedly. "Don't worry, I know the best therapist in town." "I don't want a therapist! I can hear him, he's calling my name!" Kaitlynn cried.

"Kaitlynn...Kaitlynn..." The voice kept calling her name. Kaitlynn called back to the person, trying to find out who they were. The doctor tried to calm Kaitlynn down and told her she needed to rest. Kaitlynn shook her head and tried to jump out of the bed. "I can hear him, he needs my help!"

"Kaitlynn, Kaitlynn come on, wake up." Josh whined as he shook Kaitlynn. Kaitlynn's eyes fluttered open and as soon as she saw Josh she lurched forward and hugged him tightly. She was silently crying, but Josh could feel her tears soak through his shirt. "Calm down, it was just a nightmare." He tried to sooth as he held her in his arms. Kaitlynn sniffed a couple of times before speaking. "I...I think I remember how my parents were taken...In my nightmare...They were being dragged away by these strange men...They wouldn't let them go. This woman...She had my brothers and she took me...I kept screaming for my parents, I kept screaming for her to let go of me...But I heard a voice in my mind...I think it was Kal's...me and my brothers escaped...But not to the same place...I was in the hospital, some strangers were claiming...my old family...the fake family I had in Arizona...The doctor thought I was crazy...No one would listen, they didn't realize I honestly heard someone talking to me..." Kaitlynn explained to Josh. He kept holding her, listening to every word. "Maybe it's good you had that nightmare. Maybe now you'll be even more prepared to fight the Queen today." Josh hoped. Kaitlynn sighed. "I hope so."

The two ended up falling asleep in each others arms on Kaitlynn's bed. The sun was beaming through the window, waking Josh up. He saw Kaitlynn was still snuggled in between his arms and was holding on to him nearly for her life. He smiled as he carefully played with her hair, gently as to not wake her up. He lightly kissed her cheek before Ellie burst through the door, ready to charge in to wake Kaitlynn up. "Josh! What are you doing in Kaitlynn's bed?" Ellie asked, crazed. Josh jumped up real fast, waking Kaitlynn up. "Oh, Ellie, what are you doing here?" Kaitlynn asked as she rubbed her head. "I was coming to wake you up, but looks like Josh beat me to it!" Ellie whined. Josh exhaled deeply in relief. Kaitlynn shook her head. "Don't worry, Ellie, it's okay. Both of you go, I'll be out in a minute." Kaitlynn assured as she shooed Josh and Ellie out of the room. Josh quickly scampered out of the room and Ellie followed him immediately, closing the door tightly behind her.

Kaitlynn ran her fingers through her hair as she slowly exhaled. She brushed her hair quickly before changing into a comfortable pair of jeans and a light blue t-shirt. She decided to throw on her black jacket and zipped it up. She threw on her sneakers quickly and shoved everything else she owned back into her bag and retreated to the living room.

Kaitlynn walked into the living room to see Cornellius eating cereal out of a bowl that was sitting at the dinning room table. He pulled his head out of the bowl, looked at her, greeted her in perfect English, and went back to his cereal. "He talks?!" Kaitlynn asked Lady Melissa in amazement. "Of course he does!" She laughed. "He's a chatterbox, too. Most of the time I can NEVER get him to shut up. That's why he's so fat, I feed him so he'll be quiet for a couple of minutes!" She explained. Kaitlynn just nodded, still not exactly used to the strange aspects of creatures in Hatherwell. Kaitlynn saw everyone standing by the door with their bags and weapons in hand. Tylen looked at her and smiled at her briefly, which had been a first for him in days. Kaitlynn joined him in the somewhat line that was formed at the door. Josh was behind her, oddly quiet. Lady Melissa grabbed her bag and walked to her pig before joining the line. "Will you be okay by yourself, Cornellius? I won't be back for a while. It might be a couple of weeks, maybe months." Lady Melissa explained. Cornellius lifted his head from his bowl. "I'll be fine, just leave all the cereal where I can reach it." He mumbled through a mouthful of cereal. "Don't worry, I already took care of it." Lady Melissa laughed. "Okay, have fun." Cornellius muffled through the bowl. Lady Melissa joined Kaljim and Reyes in the line. "Ready?" Reyes asked. Everyone nodded silently.

As soon as the door opened, a little piece of each of them died. The saw the once blue sky was now dark and polluted with dark magic. There was a dark purple haze over the mountain where the castle sat upon. The grass had turned black and the plants had turned to piles of ash. The sky was filled with clouds of fire, burning off of the gaseous magic. The realized this was war, and it was finally in motion. They could see a small black line in the distance; an army marching down from the mountain, hundreds upon hundreds of the royal army was coming towards them. No one spoke, no one moved. They all knew this was going to be hard, but now, they had no choice but to live it. They stepped out into the new world of Hell, hoping they were prepared for the battle that was soon going to be upon them.

This was war, it was now or never.