Serenity sat up with a scream. She had just had a terrible dream. Tristan had been shot and kidnapped. Then she herself had been lured into a duel, which she lost, and Tristan died. Thank goodness it was just a dream! She was unaware of Tristan's current predicament. Slowly she swung herself out of bed. For some reason she was totally happy. Then as she stepped into the shower, she remembered. Saturday! That meant she was spending the day with Tristan and the gang. And no Duke to bother her! OH JOY! He had been such a pain lately. Probably couldn't cope with her being Tristan's best mate. Now however he had found an old spark (she's connected to Serenity but that's for another story), and was spending time with her. Just as she was dressing, her cell phone rang. She picked it up.
CALLER: TRISTAN
VIDEO PHONE
"Hello Serenity Wheeler here," she said, while she pulled a comb through her long reddish chestnut hair. She paused. The image on the small screen was of a large black haired man wearing dark glasses and suit. He was in a dark room.
"Who are you? Where's Tristan" she demanded.
"Miss Wheeler, I am Hokio Daro. The boy is quite safe, though unless you come and rescue him, he might die from his injuries, or if that takes to long I kill him," the man said. His voice was deep and menacing. Serenity felt her heart pounding on her breastbone.
"Where is he? What have you done to him?" she screamed. The man smirked. The picture panned to a corner, where Tristan lay still, bleeding from his chest wounds. As she watched a second kidnapper put a revolver to his forehead.
"I repeat, if you don't come to Dragon Skull House before noon today, he dies." The phone cut off. Her own safety or her friends life. Tristan's life. The one boy she thought she could marry. Stupid question.
Tristan moaned. His chest hurt bad. Slowly he opened his eyes. He struggled onto his elbows. Two people stood over him, a man and a woman. He was burly with short black hair and white skin. The woman was the opposite. White hair, jet black skin, slender figure, a drow from a different world, Leona probably. Tristan was used to other worlds. He and Serenity came from one. (I'll write a fan-fic explaining Tristan's wolf powers and Serenity's lightning powers.) That was one of the reasons they were close, they came from the same world, Ortex, a highly advanced civilisation ruled by Cormi, the most powerful beings in the triverse (explain later, again!). Humanity was primitive compared to their society.
"Where am I? Who are you?" Tristan asked. The woman smiled. Her jade eyes were dangerous.
"You're in an first-floor Dragon Skull House," she said. "I am Jecria, this is Hokio."
"What do you want?" Tristan growled. His wolf side was coming back. He would be dangerous if he transformed. Already his teeth were longer. The woman crouched beside him. A needle pushed into Tristan's arm. He felt dizzy as the tranquiliser reached his brain. He fell back in a faint.
Serenity was pulling on her new Storm Ranger coat. It fell to her ankles in a cascade of black dragon-hide. It reminded her painfully of Tristan, who had put it round her shoulders at her 16th birthday. She picked up her giant sword and checked its blue blade was sharp. She sheathed in over her shoulder. She went downstairs. A deep roar came from the garage. Her jet powered flying motor bike had sensed she needed it. Joey came running out of the kitchen to greet her.
"Is something wrong?" he asked. You bet. Why else would the bike activate and I dress like this.
"Tristan's been kidnapped. He's hurt bad. I'm going to get him," she said.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, thank you Joey. It's gonna be dangerous," she replied going down to her underground hanger. The bike inside was roaring like a lion. Serenity pushed the door open. The shining metal creature stood between a small jet that flew twice the speed of sound and a high-speed deep-driller, a machine that could burrow through solid rock at 150km/h. Being a Storm Ranger meant she had the best machinery around. The bike was her favourite machine. Her silver, black and blue paintwork never faded. The metal was shaped to a giant tiger with a machine gun that came out of her mouth. Serenity stroked the leather saddle. I've not rode with you for ages buddy. The machine seamed to purr. She swung her leg over the seat. Joey cranked the door open. Serenity revved the bike. She shot out of the hanger.
Dragon's Skull House towered over KriototaForest. Serenity swung off the bike. The heavy oak door was shut. She walked up to it. Tensing her developed leg muscles, she landed her famous KO kick on the centre lock. The door swung open with a splintering of wood and screeching of twisting metal (you can guess that Serenity is not someone you want to get on the wrong side of!). Serenity went inside.
"OK I'm here! You can let the boy go!" she yelled.
"Serenity! I'm upstairs!" came Tristan's call. There was a sound like crunching bones. Tristan cried in agony.
"Shut up boy!" Serenity ran up the stairs 4 at a time. Being 7' 3" and mostly leg it was easy. She ran to a door where the cry came from. She punched a way through. Once again she fully appreciated her powers as Storm Ranger. What lay behind made the Cormi blood in her veins thunder with fury.