Prince Phobos sat on his throne as Lord Cedric approached him. The shadowy figure that Phobos referred to as his 'Master' slithered by the throne and away from too many prying eyes that might be watching.
"Report."
Cedric turned back to normal first. "We have the rebel leader. But I was ambushed at the portal by the Guardians and their Knights."
"The Guardians are old women at this point, Cedric." Phobos pointed out. "And the Knights are dead."
"Oh, not so, my prince," Cedric replied. "They are now young girls and boys."
"A new generation?!" Snarled Phobos' Master in fury, razor-sharp teeth baring themselves from the shadowy mist. "So my enemies' legacy lives on!"
"And that also means the crystal has passed to a new generation." Phobos realized. "This could complicate the search for my sister. Finding her is essential if I am to maintain my power over Meridian."
The three villains turned to see Caleb being dragged in chains into the throne room by a large blue-hulking individual who bowed once he sat down near the throne, followed by a pair of guards.
"The trouble-maker Prince Phobos."
"Thank you Vathek." The Prince turned his attention to Caleb who glared at him. "You seem rather young to be leading a rebellion, far too young for you to waste your life on such a meaningless pursuit. However, that need not be the case. I am willing to overlook your transgressions, and all you need do is reveal to me the names of your fellow traitors in the rebellion. Do this, and I shall grant you a full pardon. So, what do you say? I'm making you a rather generous offer."
"You'll learn nothing from me!" Caleb snapped. "So take your so-called pardon and blow it out of your robes!"
Phobos' Master suddenly lunged forward, forming a pair of long, gangly arms from his shadowy mass with boney-clawed fingers, and grabbed Caleb by the neck, pulling him close so he could look straight into his merciless blood-red eyes.
"You best not bear your teeth, DOG! 'Least you be kicked!"
The Master then slammed Caleb hard into a pillar, his arm stretching longer than normal to do so. Caleb grunted in pain as he slid down against the pillar as the Master retreated back into the shadows.
"Escort him to the oubliette, perhaps the despair will soften him up," Phobos ordered.
As per Phobos' command, Vathek and the guards dragged Caleb out of the throne room.
WITCH
At Sheffield Institue, our ten young teens with attitude were eating lunch in the quad outside, talking about what they saw yesterday as well.
"That poor boy. I wonder who he was." Will said.
"Well, he's probably dead now." Karma shrugged.
"Karma, show some damn tact!" Nagare snapped at his twin brother.
"I wonder what that thing did to him." Hay Lin worriedly said.
"It's what it could have done to us that worries me," Taranee stated. "I mean, that's what we're supposed to fight with our so-called powers?"
"I'm sorry, but I'm far too pretty to end up as snake poop." Cornelia pointed out.
"Do snakes even poop?" Apollo questioned. "I mean, the food they eat has got to go somewhere right?"
Edgar sighed. "Snakes excrete their digested food in a mixture of feces and urine that is similar in consistency to bird poop. So yes, in a way, snakes poop."
"So they poop and pee at the same time?" Karma asked before chuckling. "Gnarly as hell."
This caused everyone else to laugh, even the normally stoic Fraost cracking a smile.
"And like that, you've killed my appetite." The giant boy mused.
"He says as he forks down another serving." Hay Lin smirked just as the bell rang.
"It's Class Picture Day tomorrow," Will said as everyone headed towards their next class. "Do you guys get dressed up?"
"I mostly just tidy up my hair and that's it," Nagare said. "It's a pain to get Karma to wear something more presentable that isn't Punk, Goth, or Freeloading."
"Hey, I resent that!" Karma pouted. "I'm a Drifter!"
"Again, what is the difference?" Nagare sighed.
"No difference, its all in one, depending on my mood." Karma explained. "With punk, you're saying, 'don't mess with me' and 'I defy authority.' With goth, you show you appritate the dark and 'scary.' And freeloading? Well, that's just your opinion."
"Huh. You almost sounded intelligent there." Edgar mused.
WITCH
Caleb was still in chains as he was being escorted by several guards, Vathek included, underground toward the dungeon. But he wasn't about to make it easy for them. He shoved his elbow into the guard on his right and used the sudden surprise to slide underneath the guard holding his chains and shove up both his feet into the chest of the guard in front of him before jumping up and over the guard that he slid under, landing on his head to knock him down.
He dropped and rolled out of the way to avoid an axe slice from another guard, only to be jumped onto by a Lurden and later several others. Within minutes, Caleb had been detained and was shoved into a small cage that was being lowered down into a deep pit. Once he reached the bottom, the floor in the cage opened and he fell onto the ground as the cage began to rise up.
"Let's see how eternity in the oubliette suits you, traitor," Vathek said to Caleb before slipping a key into a half-loaf of bread and dropping it into the pit before walking away with the rest of the guards.
Caleb reached for the bread, but a pair of slimy green hands also reached for it. Caleb pulled the wrists of the hands to toss the creature the hands belonged to; revealing a small, green-skinned, goblin-like creature.
"Blunk not steal! Trade!" The creature named Blunk pulled out a dead rat. "Rat for bread? Good deal, yes?"
"Blunk?" Caleb recognized the name. "You're that smuggler!"
"Businessman." Blunk corrected as he held the bread in his hands.
"I didn't fight for freedom this long to die in a hole with a talking pickle!" Caleb stated as he looked around at his new surroundings.
"Well, at least it's not just him..." A slithery voice spoke as Caleb turned to see a young man wearing green ninja-like robes with a black hood, a reptile tattoo over his left eye, and open-toed shoes.
"And who are you?"
"I go by many monikers but the name I was born with is Syzoth." The man introduced himself. "Though others prefer to call me Reptile."
"And why do they call you that?" Caleb asked.
Reptile smirked and suddenly his body shifted and rippled before changing into a tall muscular reptilian humanoid with a strong crocodile-like tail, sharp teeth like a komodo dragon's, and a long whip-like forked chameleon tongue.
"You're a Zaterran!" Caleb gasped as Reptile let out a deep throaty chuckle before shifting back into human form.
"Yes, my people can shift between our natural beastly forms and more human-like appearances to better mingle amongst others." Reptile said.
"And what are you in for?" Caleb asked.
"Believe it or not, I am also a member of the Rebellion." Reptile explained. "I was captured weeks ago and have been here ever since, bidding my time to find an opportune moment to escape."
"He stares at Blunk like food!" Blunk said but went ignored as Caleb looked up the walls.
"Saw the new Guardians and their Knights. It looks like a long wait to get rescued. I'll have to get out of here myself."
Blunk picked up a skull. "Same thing he said. He mostly out of here, aren't you?" He laughed as he used the skull like a puppet.
"Death was the most merciful release that fool could have made." Reptile sighed, folding his arms.
As they conversersed, Caleb tried to climb the wall.
"I've been in tougher places than this." The prince muttered, only to grimace at a whiff of the air. "Okay… not smellier places…"
"Too high. Never make it." Blunk said as he began to eat the bread.
"I can attest. I've tried climbing myself." Reptile added. "And he told me he's tried 3700 times already."
Blunk nodded, taking a bite of the bread as Caleb inevitably fell down. Suddenly, Blank gagged and spat something out in front of Caleb, it was the key Vathek hid inside.
"Well, you've released your cuffs, but we're still stuck down here." Reptile said. "What do you intend to do now."
"One thing's for sure; I don't intend to be here for dinner," Caleb said firmly.
WITCH
"Prince Phobos, we've located a portal," Cedric said as he and Vathek stood in front of Phobos.
"Use it to bring me THIS girl." The evil ruler said as he cast a spell, releasing white sand-like dust that swirled around until it formed a vision of none other than Will. "She is the one who bears the Heart of Kandrakar. Find her and bring her to me."
WITCH
Back on Earth, School was over as the gang of ten walked along the sidewalk of the streets. Hay Lin seemed more chipper than usual.
"So, when do we go? Tonight?"
"Whoa, slow down Tinker Bell," Cornelia told her. "Maybe we can rescue this rebel leader after Picture Day, right?"
Taranee seemed to agree. "Call me a wimp, but in the school yearbook, I'd still like to have a face."
"I'd honestly like to still have a functioning lower body..." Edgar mumbled.
"Forget Picture Day," Irma stated. "I don't care what I look like. I care about who I am. Let's go kick some Meridian butt!"
"Yeah! I'm all for kicking butts!" Karma cheered.
"I wanna go, but I don't know how much help we're gonna be by soaking him and covering him with garbage," Will said. "Let's practice again tomorrow. Taranee, don't you normally go this way?"
"My dad's cooking tonight, I'm going to Irma's place," Taranee said.
"Ditto for me. Taranee's Dad is a good man...but cooking is not one of his strong suits." Edgar sighed. "We'll all see each other tomorrow."
Everyone headed off to leave as Will watched them go, a tinge of sadness aching in her heart. A part of her wanted to go with them, but it still felt a little awkward. Despite sharing the same experience as yesterday, she still felt a bit of an outsider. So, with a sigh, she decided to head down an alleyway to take a shortcut.
Unbeknownst to her, Nagare had stopped and watched her leave the other way with a worried expression.
"Yo bro, what's up?"
"Nothing...you guys go, I'll catch up."
Nagare then backtracked to where Will was going.
"Hey, Will!"
The red-haired girl heard her name being called and was about to turn around when suddenly a pair of hands grabbed her with one clasping over her mouth to prevent her from screaming as she was pulled into the alleyway.
Nagare came just in time to see this happen, his eyes widening in horror as he ran to where she was taken and saw a portal with Will's backpack on the ground in front of it.
"WILL!"
Looking at the backpack, then at the portal, then behind himself, Nagare weighed all of his options before taking a deep breath and then jumping straight through the portal.
"THIS IS CRAZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" were his last echoing words as he disappeared to the other side.
WITCH
"You hypocrites!"
It was the next day at school and Irma, Taranee, and Hay Lin were gathered with Karma, Edgar, Apollo, and Fraost.
"What?" Irma asked.
"What do you mean 'What'?" Cornelia asked incredulously. "'I don't care what I look like, I care about who I am'!"
"Nah, she just wanted to try this style," Karma said while also subtly taking pictures of Irma with his phone, making her smirk playfully at him as she decided to indulge her friend.
"Why even bother with the school picture when we've got Karma as our personal paparazzi?" Edgar sarcastically commented.
"Come on, work with me, work with me! More pout, less pose!" Karma said as he took as many pictures of Irma as he could. "That's so great, inside of you is a fashion model just waiting to throw up!"
"Say, Karma, where is Nagare anyway?" Fraost asked.
"I don't know, he never came home last night. Maybe he decided to hang out with Will, get to know her more." Karma shrugged.
Suddenly, Taranee ran up with Will's backpack in her hand, breathing heavily.
"Taranee, what's up?" Apollo asked.
"It's Will's backpack, I found it lying on the sidewalk, the crystal's still in it!"
"M-Maybe she just dropped it?" Hay Lin worriedly suggested.
"And didn't notice?! Get real! Her Science textbook alone must weigh 20 pounds!" Taranee pointed out as she took out the Heart of Kandrakar.
WITCH
Phobos watched as Cedric along with a pair of guards, entered the large chambers, along with the captive Will with both her hands tied behind her back and a thick cloth tied over her mouth. She was dragged in and forced onto her knees just before the throne.
"The bearer of the Heart, Prince Phobos." Cedric presented with a hiss.
The bound and gagged Will looked up in fear towards Phobos. While he appeared a normal human, there was something very intimidating about him. Looking into his eyes was almost like looking into the dark, never-ending abyss.
"Please… please just let me go…" She shook with fear once her gag was lowered.
"I will, provided you give me the Heart of Kandrakar," Phobos told her. "Hand me the crystal, and I promise you will be returned home safely."
"But…I don't have it." Will stuttered as Phobos narrowed his eyes. "I swear… I don't have it! I don't know where it is!"
Phobos' Master suddenly appeared and snaked around Will menacingly, his red eyes glaring at her from all angles as shadowy wisps branched off to touch her in certain places, some of which made the poor girl very uncomfortable.
If she was unnerved by Phobos, this guy truly terrified the young girl. The Prince was unnerving and slimey but with some class to him. Whoever this fellow was? Will felt like she was a soon to be murder victim being eyed by a killer, and that bug toothy grin, all razors, didn't help either.
"Unfortunately dear prince, she speaks the truth. Perhaps she kept it hidden somewhere before she was taken."
"Well, then I guess she's free to go!"
This came from Nagare as he swung in from a vine and kicked Cedric square in the face to knock him down before noticing the two guards charging at him. Quickly, he ducked under their attempts to grab him and kicked one of them in the groin, making him wince and fall over his comrade, pinning him to the floor.
"Nagare?!" Will gasped. "How did you-?!"
"No time for that, let's get out of here!" The amber-eyed boy said as he took the redhead's hand and pulled her away to escape, only for Phobos' Master to manifest in front of them as a massive shadowy wall with a single giant pulsating red eye glaring hatefully at them.
"You're not going to be escaping that way!"
A giant clawed hand shot out of the shadowy mass and slammed into Nagare, making him let go of Will as he was smashed into the steps of Phobos' throne. The Evil Prince stood up and looked down at Nagare as the young man met his gaze.
"Hello, handsome." He said sarcastically.
"I can sense your energy...you are one of the Knights."
"Yeah, and I like to think I'm more handsome than you too."
Phobos scoffed as he telekinetically lifted Nagare and threw him across the ground.
"Take them both the oubliette with the rebel leader," Phobos ordered. "I do not tolerate defiance."
The guards did as their prince requested as they picked up the downed Nagare along with Will and escorted them out of the chamber.
"Why didn't you let me kill that pathetic waste of flesh?!" Phobos' Master demanded, taking on a more humanoid shape as he approached his protege.
"Because it is too soon, Master. You'll have your revenge when ALL of the Knights are gathered. No doubt their friends will come looking for them soon enough."
"I hope so, boy..." The Master snarled as he slithered back into the shadows with a hiss. "For your sake, I hope so..."
TO BE CONTINUED!
Mrotrax A/N: WOOOOOHO NELLY! THINGS ARE GETTING TENSE!
Knightmare Lord did 100% of this chapter, I just added a few funny lines between the brothers and hopefully described the feeling Phobos' master gives off with some justice.
Read and review and keep safe, would ye kindly?
And check out Knightmare Lord's other fics!