As they made their way north, Halt quietly left small markers, not enough for someone without a Ranger's skill to see it, but enough to mark the trail back as he'd been doing since the journey began. Halt suddenly heard the howling much closer than before.
"Will, take Tug and Buck. Travel to the Redmont Castle and get Sir Rodney and Baron Arald. Their swords are the only things that might stand a chance against the Kalkara."
"But..."
"Go now. That's an order from your mentor."
"Alright." Will traveled through the desert to Redmont Castle, alternating between riding Tug and Buck, giving them 5hr shifts to rest. As night fell over the desert Will steadily got more and more nervous. He rode through the night, too on-edge to sleep. Every time he thought of getting off Tug his mind conjured up hidden enemies and howls. He was much too afraid to get off of Tug and when the morning came he regretted it.
Tug was shaking and sweating. He hurriedly got off the horse and whispered sorry to him over and over again. He got on Buck and with an hour's rest for Tug, set off again. He soon arrived at Redmont and raced through the town to the castle looming in the distance. Villagers stared, wondering why the Ranger, for all they could see was the mottled cloak, was in such a hurry. The guards initially blocked him from entering but when they saw his mottled cloak, they let him in and he raced towards the study. The Baron was sitting at his desk and he jumped when Will stormed in.
"Will, are you alright?"
"The Kalkara are back! Halt and Barry are hunting them and they need assistance! They asked for you and Sir Rodney!"
"Well then. I'll get the horses ready and alert Sir Rodney. Why don't you sleep while I get ready?" He pointed to a door that led to a small sleeping area.
"But..."
"You won't be doing anything anyway and you look as if you were about to drop dead!" Will unwillingly took some rest while the Baron raced around in a hurry. A few hours later the Baron woke Will up, nearly resulting in a life threatening injury for the poor Baron and they set off.
Meanwhile Halt and Barry had found the howls coming from a strange ruined castle in the desert.
"What is that?"
"Morgorath's castle. It used to be his while he was a Baron. He still stays here, mourning over his past mistakes."
"You sound like the beginning of a horror movie."
"What's a horror movie?" Barry realized his slip-up a little too late and quickly corrected it.
"I-It doesn't matter." Halt noted the stuttering which was very rare in Barry and filed it away, pretending to be satisfied with the comment.
"Alright. Now, let's stick together. If we're picked off one by one, no one will be able to warn Will." Barry's face gained a steely expression, like he fully knew what was at stake here. Halt laughed in his mind. There was no way he could possibly grasp the full concept of this battle. It was his first and he would never realize till years later.
Unknowingly to Halt, Barry did know what was at stake here, most important being Will's life. He was the only real juvenile around here, not even being a teenager yet. He hoped to kill the Kalkara long before Will ever got here.
They got off their horses and told them to stay far away from where the action was happening. They could not risk them getting hurt. There would be no treatment if they did for a long time.
They stalked towards the ruin where the howls continued to come from and Barry silently snuck away from Halt, in the process coming close to meeting face to face with the 1st Kalkara. He heard Halt whisper "Barry?" before he stood silent.
Barry quickly slid his vibrating hand in and out of the Kalkara and he watched it fall to his knees and onto the dirt. The eyes were no longer effective so he used the opportunity to closer examine the corpse. It had long claws likely used to slice into opponents and Halt had been correct, it had an ape like face. It was also completely covered in long matted and oily fur that was probably flammable when ignited.
Barry never noticed but the other Kalkara was creeping from behind him as he bent over to look at the downed beast. Halt arrived just in time, having accidentally taken a few turns that led him in front of Barry. He immediately shot an arrow at the Kalkara which did virtually nothing except alert Barry who quickly got up and together Halt and Barry ran in the other direction. Unfortunately Halt was slashed at and he now had a lot of blood gushing out of his side, specifically in the upper chest area. Barry quickly tuck him into a corner he would be partially defended in and opened up his canteen. Halt's voice was shaky but sure.
"What are you..." Barry made a grabbing motion and the water in the canteen flew out, making a shell around his hand. He then held his hand over Halt's wound and the water started to glow blue.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie, water-benders can do this with water to heal people. Katara, one of the friends of the main character, the Avatar uses this power at one point to use some REAL HOLY WATER to bring the Avatar, Aang, back to life.
Halt's eyes widened and Barry used his other hand to put a pointer over Halt's lips.
"Don't talk much, you need to save your strength." Barry removed his finger.
"How?"
"I-Well you've probably noticed that I'm a bit weird." Halt nodded, instantly regretting it when his surroundings started to turn fuzzy.
"I'm from the far future." Halt's eyes widened a second time today.
"Time travel?"
"Yeah, it's possible. And I have the unique ability to do this. It's basically healing you but it's super slow. Btw, not everyone in the future has this power, only a few."
"Okay. So any other secrets?"
"I'm a speedster, that's how I made it back here in the first place. Speedsters are people who can run at super-speeds and if fast enough, can travel back in time."
"Wow."
This is probably the first and last time Halt will say that word.
"I know right!" They heard horses clip-clops in the distance.
"Oh no. Will made it back."
"Hopefully he got help." The Knights charged the last Kalkara who was already riddled with arrows. Sir Rodney struck it with his sword and was immediately tossed aside like a toy. Baron Arald wasn't so lucky however. He made the mistake of looking it in it's eyes. He was frozen to the spot, unable to move. The Kalkara plunged one of its long claws straight through the Baron's stomach and held him up with its other hand. Will saw a nearby fire and quickly made a plan.
He took one of his arrows, wrapped a piece of cloth around it, and lit the cloth on fire. He then, aiming perfectly from 30 yards away, shot it and it plunged right into the beast's heart. It screamed and dropped the Baron who went down like a sack of potatoes. It tried to stop the fire in vain, the fire coursing up and down its body quickly. Will decided not to watch as it tumbled to the ground and let out its dying breath.
Will and Barry soon found each other, called Tug, Buck, and Abelard who waited as Barry explained everything to Will and healed the three men. They were good as new, if not a bit tired. They mounted their horses and headed back to Araluen where the country congradulated their great accomplishment in killing the last Kalkara.
I just realized that in killing the Kalkara, Will just got rid of the last of an extremely endangered species.
They were met with a party and a few days later, all the wardmates were free at the same time. They headed to a restaurant to eat in peace but were not met with it.
People stared profusely at Will and Barry's cloaks and then at their faces. They immediately recognized them an a lot of people started pointing at them.
They were lucky they aren't in our times. If they had, a reporter team would probably have shown up, along with WWF.
Alyss yelled at them before they stopped staring. They were able to enjoy a good meal in peace, and after the foo they had a conversation.
"What you did was so heroic Will! You stood up to the Kalkara and killed it fair and square!" said Jenny.
No he didn't but whatever.
"I was 30 yards away the whole time, it wasn't that brave." Barry spoke up.
"No, it was brave that you didn't back down and kept a cool head during the intense battle. I know many people who've fallen to the adrenaline and ended up dead. And most of all, you didn't even have any super powers. I had the guarantee of being able to run out of the battle at any time but you were on your own." said Barry.
"He's right you know, you were super brave." said Horace.
"You were brave too Barry. You could have run out at any point and even brung Halt along with you but you didn't. You killed the first Kalkara who didn't even have any damage to him before you attacked him."
"I guess." The rest of the conversation passed much the same and they eventually went home.
"Halt, what are you doing up?" Rangers understood the importance of having a good nights sleep so they always went to sleep at 9, mostly because they usually woke at the crack of dawn and sometimes even before that.
Halt silently gave them two bronze oak necklaces. Barry and Will looked at each other before accepting them and putting them around their heads.
"So, you too are officially apprentice Rangers."
"I can't believe I'm wearing the actual Rangers symbol right now!" said Barry with a (strange for Will and Halt to see) childish glee.
Halt chuckled and said "It's only the apprentice symbol."
"I know! And it's so cool!" Barry went to bed soon after and Halt explained how he had known Will's father to Will. The next day they attended a meeting where the Baron asked Barry and Will if they still wanted to be Knights. The apprentice knights were sitting in the front row.
"I think you both have shown that we were fools for not accepting the two of you into our apprenticeship. Do you still want to be knights?" Barry and Will looked at each other and said different things.
"Sorry, I'll pass." said Barry.
"I think I prefer the Ranger lifestyle better." said Will. A few years later, long after they had both received their actual Ranger symbols, Barry and Will hugged each other.
"I'll miss you so much." said Will.
"Me too. But I have to go back."
"I understand. But, promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
Okay, so a normal person would just say sure or of course but Barry, going off of my favorite theory that Adrien Agreste is the past Barry Allen, has been betrayed enough for him to ask What is it even with someone he knows he can trust.
"Promise me you'll always wear your Rangers Symbol, as a memento."
"Of course." Barry sped off at super speed, the first time he'd used it in about 10 years. He made it back to his place and lied down on his perfectly comfortable bed. He still wished a little bit that he was back with Will and Halt. For his friends he hadn't been gone for 30 mins since he'd traveled back in time as well as the dimensions. Barry always looked about 20, since the lightning bolt. It had stopped the aging of his body so he still looked 18 after who knew how many years.
He then had a completely common conversation with the Justice League. He still travels back and forth to visit Halt and Will.