I don't own W.I.T.C.H., it's from Disney.

10. The three keys

'It's too late to turn back.'

Kandrakar.

Yan Lin, Himerish, Orube and the four WITCH were sitting in circle. Taranee, Irma, Cornelia and Hay Lin were waiting for an explanation. Yan Lin had just been informed of what had happened and looked very worried.

"Grandma, could you tell us what happened? Why it's so serious? What has been stolen tonight? Hay Lin asked.

"I think that I will let Himerish talk, girls" the Oracle answered, "He has been Oracle for a longer time than me, and he witnessed the creation of the object which has been stolen tonight."

"True." The warrior said, "What was stolen today is one of the Three Keys which can be used to arrive at Kandrakar. The Red Orb, the Yellow Orb, the Blue Orb. They are three, they were created many thousand years ago and hidden in different places of the Universes, places that are full of magic."

"And why Kandrakar should have to spread around Keys to come here? Isn't this a bit imprudent?" Taranee asked.

"Yes, it is. It's risky. But the Keys were, and are, well-protected by guardians, even if tonight the protection had been useless. The Three Keys were created to allow the Sages of different worlds to reach the Center of Infinity.

Many years ago, the philosophers, the thinkers and the intellectuals who came to know the Secret started a course os study and sacrifice to discover the Orbs' location. And once they discovered it, they could use them to get to Kandrakar, the place of wisdom, and to be judged by the Oracle if they were worthy of becoming Kandrakar Sages. Once used the Orbs were moved to another place so the research could always start again from its very beginning. Usually the Guardians awake against who had evil intentions, just like tonight. But apparently the intruder was prepared, because he still managed to steal the Red Orb."

That guy didn't seem very philosopher" Taranee said, "I think someone sent him."

Himerish nodded: "I agree with you. That was a pawn. A dangerous pawn. There's soemone else who's pulling the strings behind all. And this someone is aiming for Kandrakar."

"We must enhance the protecions around the Keys" Yan Lin said, "it is essential to defend them. To get to Kandrakar, they only have to take two Keys. They mustn't take the other Orbs."

"They are without doubt those black-dressed guys who had attacked us two months ago." Irma said. "There's no mistake."

"It's true." Taranee nodded. "Also this guy was dressed in black."

"Girls" Yan Lin started, "this is the plan: you will return in Heaterfield for now, you'll be called at th right time. Be careful and never lower your guard. The enemy is sly, he acts in the shadows and doesn't come to light. We will try to discover something from here about this mysterious opponent."

"And Will?" Cornelia asked.

"I'll keep on looking for her" Orube assures, "you only have to focus on Kandrakar's defence. Leave her research to me."

"Thank tou...Orube." The girls nodded and dematerialized together with Orube, leaving Yan Lin alone with Himerish.

"What do you think?" the old lady asked.

"I'm worried." The other replied. "Someone wants to master the Keys by force. And he is succeeding, it had never happened. To defeat the Orbs' guardians a very strong magical power it's needed. That hooded warrior was really strong, Yan Lin. He was fast and well-trained. If there was more of a warrior of that level in our enemy's ranks I'd begin to fear for the girls' lives."

Yan Lin nodded: "Yes... I'll summon the Sages immediately. We will focus all our energies to identify our opponents. This time the girls won't be alone: this time Kandrakar will fight at their side."

"Perfect. Now I'll go where the Yellow Orb is kept to check if everything is all right. Fortunately for us, it's kept in Basiliade." Himerish said.

Will bowed in front of her master, she took off the hood and handed him the Red Orb. Rifel took it with his hands. As soon as he touched the Orb its light began to become weaker and weaker.

"Excellent." He smiled while he examined it. He looked up toward the girl, half-closing his eyes: "But who did this to you?" He asked, noticing the scratch on Will's cheek.

"Himerish of Basiliade, my Lord." She answered.

Rifel's eyes flashed with hatred: "Him! The ex-Oracle! I thought that he had gone to never come back, but I was wrong, apparently." He regained his calm and continued: "Well, maybe it's better. It means that among our victory's trophies there will also be his corpse. But now we will have to be more careful, his presence threatens to complicate things.

You will leave immediately and you'll bring me the second Orb, Will. It is kept just in Basiliade. We must not give them the time to organize a proper defence. Speed is essential to carry out our plan."

"Yes, my Lord." Will said. Rifel looked at her seriously. He approached her and brushed her scratched face, healing it. He bent over her as he had done the first time and whispered:

"You'll never let them hurt you in the face again, Will. Never more."

Will didn't return the look and remained silent. She put on her hood and vanished without a sound directed toward Basiliade.

Rifel sat down at his desk, contemplating the Orb that was now in his possession. The Red Orb, the Destruction. It was the Orb that suited him the most. He smiled as he stared at his reflection in the Orb's opaque red colour.

Himerish arrived in Basiliade. The fire red suns lit his way while he headed quickly toward the Garden where the Yellow Orb was kept. Once arrived he could have organized a defence strong enough to stop everything. The Guardians were ready and only waited for Kandrakar's call, but they were always four. Incomplete, without Will.

The ex-Oracle adressed a worried thought toward the Heart Keeper, and he hoped with all his heart that she was all right wherever she was. He would have found her no matter what, once the alarm had returned. He owed it to her for everything Will had done when he was Kandrakar's lord.

He arrived at the Garden and entered immediately in the Palace where the Keys was kept. Nobody came to greet him. In the hall, in the rooms, all around, nobody was there.

Bad sign.

Himerish quickened his pace and walked stealthily to remain unseen. He had a terrible feeling. When he came to the Orb's room he stopped, and then saw:

More than ten warriors lay in the ground without moving. The swords lay abandoned on the floor, broken.

The floor was red with blood, the air filled with its smell. And in the middle of the room there was him, again, the hooded intruder. In a hand he had the Orb, and with the other he was slowly strangling an eleventh warrior.

This time Himerish lost no time. He throwed himself against his enemy pulling out his sword and infusing it with energy. The other saw him and dropped his victim on the ground, he lowered quickly and took one of the broken swords on the floor. Then he attacked back.

The blades clashed. Blue sparks sprang from Himerish's, while reddish discharges surrounded nervously the hooded's blade. The two fighters tried to penetrate in the other opponent's guard, a moment of distraction could be fatal.

The hooded's hands were red with the warriors' blood. Himerish and him took distance at the same time and remained still, both in guard, and faced each other.

"Who are you?" Himerish asked, trying to probe the darkness under his hood. "Who did send you?"

The other didn't say anything.

"Who did send you?" The warrior the asked again, "Someone controls you, right? You're nothing more than a pawn, someone higher than you pulls the strings of everything!"

And once again the other didn't answered. But Himerish saw him slowly pull out something from his pocket, and then throw it to him. Himerish grabbed it.

It was a chess pawn.

A bishop.

How ironic.

It was then that the other started again to attack, with greater enthusiasm and with more deadly accuracy.

Him again. Himerish again. Will was not surprised to see him in Basiliade since it was his homeland, but it was still annoying to find him again so soon. Will had easily defeated the warriors that had tried to stop her, but they had still managed to slow her enough to give Himerish the time to catch her in the middle of the theft.

Himerish was really strong. Until that time Will had never met someone so powerful... maybe apart from Rifel. But she had no fear. Fear slows your moves, blinds your perception and causes your defeat. And the defeat is for the weaks. She attacked with calculated coldness trying to catch her opponent with down guard and to thrust her sword.

But she hadn't considered a little particular. The last warrior that Will had tried to strangle was still moving and she hadn't noticed that he was approching her crawling. The warrior grabbed her ankle and unbalanced her. Himerish took advantage of it and stuck his sword in her shoulder.

Will let out a groan and dropped the Orb. Himerish was immediately on her, but she pushed him away with a kick. She rolled away holding her injured arm. The mission had failed.

Himerish had grabbed the Orb and now he held it firmly in his hands. It was impossible to retrieve it. Will then vanished an istant before that an energy blow throwed by Himerish hit her.

When Himerish saw that the hooded had run away for the second time he approached the fallen men. They were all wounded to death, but a warrior from Basiliade is hard to die. The ex-Oracle knew what he had to do:

He raised high the Yellow Orb and a golden light lit all the room, healing every wound and restoring all their energies. The warriors moaned and slowly recovered their senses. The one who had grabbed Will's ankle kneeled in front of Himerish:

"We beg your pardon, Sir!" he exclaimed with tears in his eyes, "but he was too strong."

"It's all right. The Orb is safe now." The other replied.

"What are we going to do now, Sir? He ran away."

"Yes… once again." Himerish said to himself, "She ran away." He had heard his enemy's moan when he had wounded her.

I want to sleep. But I wanted to update this first. I hope you'll enjoy it, now I'm going to bed. Goodnight guys... or maybe good afternoon to you xD.

P.S. Wow, lots of review for my last chapter... thank you!

Next one: The last key must be protected.