"We've got to go get her!"
"Yeah! And if she's there! Nagare has to be there too!" Karma said, already racing to the door.
"You're serious?! You wanna skip school on PICTURE DAY?!" Cornelia asked incredulously.
"Hello! Will and Nagare have been seized by the forces of evil!" Taranee called out.
"We don't know that! We don't even know where to find them!" Edgar said.
"We may not know...but I think our little friend here does." Fraost said, gesturing to the Heart of Kandrakar, which was being held by Hay Lin as it pointed forward as if trying to direct itself to its owner.
"Well, let's get this show on the road!" Apollo said.
The eight teens snuck out of school, using the Heart to guide them, eventually going underground into the sewers.
"You know, I think I liked it better when I couldn't see," Taranee said.
Irma coughed. "So this is where they store all the world's dust."
Soon, the group saw a portal right in front of them, clear as day.
"Will and Nag are on the other side of that?" Apollo nervously asked.
"This is crazy! Until she puts that on, we don't have any power!" Cornelia pointed out.
"Well, you were able to use the elements pretty well before you found out about them." Edgar sarcastically pointed out. "So as much as I still don't get this magic nonsense...I say we take the risk."
One by one, everyone went through the portal except for Cornelia and Apollo.
"Apollo, if I'm last, I'll just chicken out!"
"Well then let's cut out the middle man!" Apollo said and with surprising strength, hoisted Cornelia up in his arms despite her being much taller than him and leaped through, making her shriek.
The others lightly chuckled at that before leaping in.
WITCH
"I'm gonna have to trust you," Caleb told Blunk.
"Trust Blunk. Yes!"
"Put your foot, or hoof, or whatever it is in here." Caleb said as he held the chains, which Blunk stepped on. "When I count to three, jump as high as you can. I'm gonna throw you out and…
"One… two…!"
"Listen!" Caleb exclaimed. "You're gonna find a rope and lower it."
"Rope. Yes. Good plan!"
"No, terrible plan." Caleb knew this was probably not going to work, but he was out of options. "But even if you betray me, at least it'll smell better down here."
Reptile snorted in amusement as Blunk frowned. Caleb then threw him into the air, the green gremlin screaming as he reached the top and quickly grabbed the ledge. However, he lost his grip and fell back down onto Caleb and bounced off him before landing on the floor.
"Guess we'll have to try that again." Reptile said.
Before they could, however, the three looked up once they heard the cage being lowered.
"That's right, Guardian of the Veil. You're going down there, with the rebel leader." Vathek said as the cage was lowered down. The cage opened as both Will and Nagare fell out and landed on Caleb before the cage was pulled back up.
"Well, this isn't the worst-looking dungeon," Nagare said. "Much better than the one Karma planned out in our last D&D session..."
Will noticed Caleb. "Wait… you're that guy from yesterday!"
"You're not one of the Guardians I saw. Where's your older sister?" Caleb asked and then noticed Nagare. "Well, at least I recognize one of the guys who tried to help me."
"Hey, think nothing of it," Nagare said, dusting himself off. "Besides, Will here is a full-fledged Guardian. She's just not in her Hero Costume yet."
"Wait, YOU'RE the rebel leader we're supposed to be saving?" Will questioned. "What are you rebelling against? Diaper rash?"
"Hey girly girl, I'm fifteen!"
"You're the same age as us?!" Nagare questioned. "You look like you're in your twenties for crying out loud! You must really pack your protein meals here."
Caleb shook his head. "Never mind that just activate the crystal and fly us out of here."
"Uh… we don't exactly have it," Nagare said, causing Caleb to look in disbelief.
"What do you mean you don't have it?!"
"Hey, give me a break, will ya?!" Will exclaimed. "Just yesterday, I was a normal girl who found out I have some kind of magic powers. Now I've been kidnapped, dragged through a magic portal, tied up, interrogated by a psychopathic prince, almost molested by some creepy dark shadow creature, and dropped into the bottom of a hole! Not exactly used to this kind of stuff!"
Blunk walked over. "Why catch her, not catch Blunk?"
Will screamed as she jumped and clung on to Caleb while Nagare just looked confused.
"What the heck is that? Some kind of Gremlin?"
"Not Gremling, Passling!" Blunk stated. "Anything to trade?"
"Don't leave me out of this..." Reptile said as he walked over. "My name is Syzoth, but most prefer to address me as Reptile."
"He's also a member of the Rebellion and a Zaterran," Caleb said. "Though we never actually saw each other until now."
"…This Rebellion is sounding very disorganized." Nagare noted, then looked at Will. "Say, as much as I enjoy a pretty girl clutching onto me like Scooby would Shaggy, could you…? Maybe…?"
"Oh! Right. Sorry." Will chuckled weakly.
WITCH
Everyone had made it through the other side of the portal, Cornelia quickly curling up in Apollo's arms further to avoid getting any mud on her.
"Wow! That really wakes up your underwear!" Irma laughed.
"…Odd choice of words." Apollo noted.
"So this must be Meridian..." Fraost noted as everyone gauged their surroundings.
"Sheesh! Bloodborne had a cheerier atmosphere than this!" Karma said.
The Heart of Kandrakar quickly guided the group to where they needed to go.
"Cornelia, don't look down." Hay Lin said.
"That's for heights, nitwit."
Hay Lin smirked. "I know, but if you see your reflection, you'll like totally freak!"
The group soon found where the castle was they were right at the edge of the moat surrounding the dark fortress. Hay Lin looked into the water and saw something moving.
"Hey look, fishies!"
This proved to be incorrect as a massive serpent-like monster came out of it. Hay Lin screamed as it was about to bite down on her but Fraost suddenly rushed in front of it and held its jaws open with surprising strength, even for him.
"Weapon! Weapon! I need a weapon!" Edgar cried before forming a bolt of lightning in his hands. "Oh, guess that'll work!"
He then threw the lightning bolt into the water, which electrocuted the serpent, allowing Fraost to jump back and let go as the creature flailed in agony before retreating back into the water.
"My hero." Hay Lin said, hugging Fraost.
"Swimming is out of the question," Apollo stated.
"Then how are we goanna get across?" Taranee asked.
"Well, I sort of have an idea," Cornelia said as the others looked in surprise. "Oh, don't look so surprised."
Cornelia climbed on top of a large thorny root and outstretched her hand to concentrate her powers. She was able to pull a vine from a small outpost near the bottom of the castle. She smiled at what she accomplished as everyone else seemed impressed.
"Oh dang!" Taranee cheered.
"Me first!" Hay Lin excitedly said.
"Hold on, all of us together will be too heavy." Edgar pointed out. "I suggest we take turns swinging across."
Fraost grabbed onto the vine first as Hay Lin clung on to his back. He took a running start before jumping and swinging. When he reached the outpost, he grabbed the ledge with his right hand and pulled himself along with Hay Lin.
"Your turn, guys!" Hay Lin said as she passed the rope to Irma, who took it with Karma.
"I always wanted to do this!" Karma grinned as Irma hung on to him and they both jumped across, Karma letting out a Tarzan cry as he swung.
Edgar, Apollo, Taranee, and Cornelia went together last, the four of them swinging from the ledge and toward the outpost. Though they made it, Cornelia, being at the bottom, accidentally landed face-first into the brick wall.
Edgar and Taranee were already up and Apollo helped Cornelia get up as well. However, right as the group walked into the castle, they failed to notice something was watching them. A massive cyclops that appeared to be made entirely out of rock looked down from the wall he was embedded into and saw them enter.
WITCH
Phobos saw what the cyclops was seeing through the dark shadows his master was composed of. He then stood up and turned to Cedric.
"The Heart of Kandrakar, it's here. Along with the other Guardians and Knights."
"Cedric, you know what to do."
Cedric hissed as he transformed into his Serpent Form.
"It's lunchtime!"
WITCH
The eight teens walked through the castle, letting the Heart of Kandrakar continue to guide them. Soon, they exited the tunnels and entered the dungeons, where the Heart quickly pulled Hay Lin along to one of the pits.
"Will?" Taranee called down.
"Nagare?" Karma called as well.
"Hay Lin! We're down here!" Will called with a wide grin.
"I never thought I'd be so happy to hear my brother's voice!" Nagare beamed.
"Catch!"
Hay Lin released the crystal as it flew down into the pit and straight to Will. Nagare smirked as he knew what was going to happen next, turning to Caleb, Reptile, and Blunk.
"Watch this, you're goanna love it."
"GUARDIANS UNITE!"
Will was enveloped in a pink flash of light that shined straight upward to envelop the other girls as all five of them had transformed into their Guardian forms. Nagare then perked up, remembering the other important artifact.
"Hey! Do you guys have that amulet thingy?!"
"Yeah! Fraost decided to keep it with him!" Edgar said as the gentle giant of the group took out the amulet and pressed the center Yin-Yang crest, causing the five boys to transform into their Knight forms.
"Oh yeah! Ninja Gaiden Kamen Rider is back!" Karma cheered, striking a pose.
"Grab on!" Will told Reptile and Caleb as they both held onto her body. Using her wings as well as her enhanced strength, she took flight with both of them, along with Blunk who leaped onto her and caught her legs.
Nagare just crouched down and sprouted his own wings, taking flight after Will as they all flew out of the pit in no time at all.
You guys really came!" Will said elated. "You really are my friends."
"Well, we couldn't leave a cute girl like you alone." Karma chuckled. "Besides, Nagare is my brother and as much as I can't live with him, I just can't live without him either."
Nagare grumbled back his brother's words before smiling and hugging Karma.
"Speaking of which...WHY WOULD YOU GO AND FIGHT THE BIG BAD BY YOURSELF, YOU DOLT!" Edgar snapped at Nagare, who rolled his eyes.
"Please, that pretty boy couldn't even scare a newborn kitten." He then frowned behind his mask. "But that shadowy monster he was with...that's what really worries me."
"Who is this?" Apollo asked, referring to Caleb.
"The rebel leader, believe it or not," Nagare responded.
"You're the rebel leader?" Cornelia asked him. "He's actually kinda cute."
Apollo looked between Cornelia and Caleb, seeing the eyes his blonde-haired friend was making, and frowned.
"I do not like where this is going."
"I am Syzoth, though you can call me Reptile." Reptile introduced as he picked up Blunk by the back of his collar. "And this...is Blunk."
Blunk shook free of Reptile's grip and turned to Hay Lin. "Take Blunk! Blunk knows tunnel! Secret way out!"
"Awww, he's kinda cute!" Hay Lin smiled.
"Yeah, for a Gremlin." Nagare snorted.
"Not Gremlin, Passling!" Blunk corrected.
"The day I trust a Passling is the day I die! You can't trust… OW!" Caleb's protests were cut off by Reptile delivering a dope slap to his head, turning his arm into its reptilian form.
"He is the only one with the way out. I say we trust him!"
"Well, if we're all in agreement, let us go," Edgar said. "Eh… Blunk was it? Lead the way."
"Yes trust Blunk. Blunk lead you all out of castle."
Unfortunately, two dozen guards and Lurden soldiers poured into the dungeon via the stairs along the walls or descending on the chains from the ceiling.
"Why do I have the feeling these guys were expecting us?" Karma asked.
"We need to cover our escape!" Edgar said. "But how do we use our powers?"
Suddenly, the boys all glowed before stacks of cards appeared. All of the cards had symbols of the various elements they could use, including the branch elements.
"Oh, this totally fits our Kamen Rider theme!" Apollo said before taking a card with the symbol of a wisp of smoke and slotting it into his belt. "SMOKE!"
Apollo then thrust his arms out as smoke exploded out of him, blinding the guards and soldiers as they began coughing, trying to wave the vapor away. This allowed the group of thirteen to make their quick escape, Cornelia turning around briefly to slam the massive gates shut behind her with her powers and grow large thick root vines from the ground to seal it shut.
"Nice job, darling," Apollo said, making the blonde blush.
"Tunnel, yes! Under moat!" Blunk moved a large piece of wood he used to hide the tunnel, only to find it blocked by bars. "Bars! NO!"
"Stand back!" Taranee said, snapping her fingers as a torch of flames protruded from them, which she used to burn through the bars.
"Ah, a clever use of your powers." Edgar said in approval.
Suddenly, a loud furious roar echoed through the tunnels as everyone got on guard.
"I'll hold them off!" Caleb said as he prepared to run off but was stopped by Nagare.
"Hold on there, Pedro! We're all escaping together!"
Caleb gave Nagare a reassuring smile. "Guarding the Veil is more important than one rebel fighter."
"Then in that case...Allow me to accompany you." Reptile said.
"Well...good luck, you two." Edgar sighed.
Taranee finished burning through the bars, allowing Irma to kick them off and grant the group passage through the tunnel, Blunk leading the way. Caleb and Reptile then ran out into the opening, goading Cedric to chase after them.
The group soon made their way out of the castle, they were about to make their escape but Will stopped.
"I'm going back for Caleb and Syzoth!"
"Wait, I'm faster!" Apollo said. "Well, I don't know who's the fastest since we're all still new to this but I'll rescue them!"
"I'll go too!" Hay Lin joined in.
"Just stay safe, you two..." Fraost said gently, getting a reassuring wink from Hay Lin and a thumbs-up from Apollo in response.
Back with Caleb and Reptile, the two were leading Cedric around until they came across a large open chasm with multiple cave entrances leading to them. Cedric was soon upon them and raised his tail to strike, only for a fireball to hit him in the face, making him screech as he covered it.
"We got ya!" Apollo said as he and Hay Lin grabbed Caleb and Reptile before flying them out while Cedric was still stunned.
WITCH
Blunk continued to lead everyone else to the still-open portal, now being joined by Apollo and Hay Lin still carrying Caleb and Reptile.
"There's the portal!" Nagare exclaimed.
"Hell yeah! We are home free baby!" Karma shouted with joy.
However, right as she said that a massive Cyclops monster appeared to be made out of stone with a mushroom cap head. Its left hand was bone-think, while its right hand was massive. It had a large left leg with a skinny right leg.
"I know that creature, it is a guardian of Phobos!" Reptile exclaimed. "That is Gargoyle!"
"Doesn't look like a Gargoyle, looks more like an ugly inbred mushroom monster," Apollo noted.
The monster roared and tried to crush the heroes with its massive hand, making everyone quickly scatter. Reptile quickly turned into his Zaterran Form and formed a ball of acid which he threw at Gargoyle, disorienting it briefly before it tried to lash out at him with his massive hand.
"Look out!" Fraost cried as he inserted a card into his belt and pulled his fist back. "GRAVITY!"
Punching forward, Fraost released a purple wave of gravitational force that caused Gargoyle's fist to be lifted upward as if gravity had decreased on it. Karma inserted a card into his belt and formed a lightning bolt he held like a javelin before throwing it into the back of Gargoyle's head, making it turn and snarl as it tried to swat him out of the sky.
"Back off my man!" Irma snapped. "WATER!"
The Water Guardian created a large water ball with her hands and threw it right at Gargoyle's eye, knocking it away from Karma. Hay Lin followed through with a gust of wind from her mouth before flying around Gargoyle to create a whirlwind, which actually began to blow back the large monster and knock it over onto the wet ground.
Cornelia was next as she pulled out a massive gathering of mud from the ground around Gargoyle and lifted it into the air before dropping it onto the behemoth with the snap of her fingers. Taranee delivered the finishing move, producing a flame and throwing it at the mud-covered Gargoyle, while telekinetically moving the hot flame around him to quickly heat and solidify the mud into thick rock to imprison the monster.
"That won't hold him for long, so let's extend the time limit!" Nagare said, inserting his own card into his belt. "TIME!"
A glyph in the style of a clock formed on the trapped beast, leaving it temporarily frozen in time, as evident by the clock hands ticking down.
"Everybody amscray!" Karma cried as everyone ran through the portal. As soon as everyone had made it across, Will took out the Heart and used it to close the portal behind them.
With the danger over, the ten teens with attitudes transformed back to normal, all of them looking quite shaken but at the same time excited.
"Can you believe what we just did…?!" Cornelia breathed, still feeling the adrenaline.
"Yes...We came, we saw, WE CONQUORED!" Edgar laughed, running an absolute power high.
"That was so cool! Talk about teamwork!" Irma cheered.
Will laughed a bit as well but noticed Cornelia's bruised face. "What happened to your face?"
"When we swam across the moat, Cornelia 'George-of-the-Jungled' into the wall. Wham!" Hay Lin chuckled, still in a hype herself.
Cornelia just chuckled in embrassment, Apollo patting her on the shoulder.
During this, Blunk looked around at his new surroundings before crawling toward the empty street and crawling down into the sewer drain.
"Well, guess he'll find his own way home," Apollo noted.
"I suppose I should thank you all for saving me," Caleb said.
"No problem, we're heroes, it's what we do." Nagare smiled, shaking his hand.
"What dangers do you suppose reside in your world?" Reptile asked, quite curious of this strange new land he had found himself in.
"Well, there's the cafeteria food," Taranee said playfully.
WITCH
After miracously making it through picture day, Will made a quick stop back home, finding her worried mother and little brother William working on missing posters of her.
"What happened? Where have you been? We've been worried sick" Miss Vandom asked, before she spied Nagare, who'd decided to go with her to help explain what had happened. "And who are you, young man?"
Nagare began to fumble and sweat, but Will came to his defense.
"Mom, wait! This is Nagare: the first friend I met at school and the guy who saved me from…"
Her mother had stopped listening after 'saved me' and got a better look at the boy; tall and strong, yet fearful…and not just because of her being in 'mama bear' mode. No, whatever her daughter and this boy had gone through? It was something awful.
William however, looked at Nagare like he was the coolest guy he'd ever seen and hugged him for saving Will.
Miss Vandom then recomposed herself and listened to Will's cover story: She'd been kidnapped on the way home and Nagare had tried to help her, only to be grabbed himself. They'd managed to escape before the worst could happen, but one kidnapper had been a little…handsy.
Anger, worry and disgust filled the mother for what her daughter had endured, but so also was elated and grateful her daughter had a friend who'd go that far for her. She hugged Nagare, thanked him and told him he (and Karma) were welcome whenever they wanted.
WITCH
Later that night, everyone had regrouped at the Silver Dragon as Yan Lin brewed them all tea.
"I'm telling ya, I could get used to this!" Karma laughed as he and Irma had their arms around each other's shoulders.
"Do you think that Blunk guy will be okay?" Hay Lin asked.
"Passlings are resourceful creatures." Reptile said. "I'm sure he will be fine."
"If he comes up through the girls' bathroom, I'm switching schools," Taranee said.
"What say we can pass him off as a pet?" Edgar suggested, only to be glared at and cower in his seat. "Just a thought, of course."
"Hey guys, look what I figured out our initials spell!" Hay Lin showed them what she wrote on her hand: WITCH.
"Hey, what about the rest of us?" Karma asked with a pout.
"I don't know how our initials would work. NKEAF? I dunno what a NKEAF is..." Nagare muttered.
"Eh, we'll keep brainstorming." Apollo shrugged.
"And the important thing is, the bad guy didn't get our new best friends." Irma said as Will smiled and hugged her.
However, Yan Lin put the celebrations to an end. "Oh, Prince Phobos didn't want Will. Only her powers."
"And what about that dark creepy shadow monster he had as a pet?" Nagare pointed out, Yan Lin looking at him curiously. "Yeah, he had this shadow monster helping him out. When I tried to rescue Will, it stopped us."
"Yeah, and he was touching me in ways I REALLY don't want to remember..." Will shivered. Nagare reached to comfort her, but when he saw her tense a little more, just held out a hand for comfort. A hand that Will took.
Yan Lin seemed to have a deeply troubled expression on her face before looking to the teens, Caleb, and Reptile.
"Children?" Yan Lin said getting their attention. "Did this…shadow creature have razor sharp teeth, red eyes and…hints of green armor?"
Caleb, Will and Nagare tensed: That fit their attacker's description to a 'T!' And the old woman realized this, beginning to shake and sweat.
"Oh no…No, no, no, no! Not him!"
"Grandma!" Hay Lin and Froast called out, catching and bringing her to the table as Reptile grabbed her some water and a rag to clean off her sweat.
"Do not stress yourself, old one." The humanoid reptile cooed warmly. "I think I know who he is…"
"I still need to say this." Yan Lin said, steeling her resolve. "Children, Caleb? That creature?...If he is who a I believe he is, than this has become far, far more dire. And darker."
"Who is he, grandma?" Hay Lin asked, beginning to grow fearful herself.
"His name is Velhallen Beo." The old woman began her tale. "Once, he was a grand wizard and warrior, nearly peerless as he was ruthless. In times of war, his mere presence ceased battle and in times of peace, his name killed rebellions."
"…Oh, I don't think I like where this is going." Nagare grimaced.
"But as grand and respected as he was, Beo wanted more. Especially when the Elemental Warriors legend began to grow. The eight, who were his best friends and of which he was the ninth and most powerful, became known, feared and adored across worlds. And as their fame grew, so did Beo's want to have EVERYTHING: Kingdoms, weapons, spells…slaves of all kinds."
Will trembled at that.
"So, in his jealousy and resentment, he turned to forbidden and dangerous ways, transforming into a being of pure evil before his former friends were forced to imprison him when he refused to see reason."
"Sadly, they couldn't bring themselves to kill him or completely seal him away: His body is long lost, but as we saw with Phobos, his mind and spirit are still free." Reptile continued.
"So that Velhallen Beo guy is Prince Phobos' boss?" Nagare asked.
"Yes...and I fear your battle is yet to come..." Yan Lin grimly said.
WITCH
Back at the castle, the shadowy Beo overlooked the lands his protégé rule as he reminisced what he had seen these new guardians and knights do.
"…They're disappointments for now." He smirked and then began to cackle maniacally.
Knightmare Lord A/N:
And so, we have finished the first two episodes of WITCH. I hope you all look forward to whatever new twists and turns show up with the addition of five handsome young men with the powers of the dragons.
Also yes, I am having Reptile and plenty other Mortal Kombat characters have a prominent role in the story. But they won't be the only crossover foreigners put in the world of WITCH.
Mrotrax A/N:
Another great job, buddy!
I added the scene with Will's mom and brother meeting Nagare and finding out an edited version of what happened, so as to hopefully minimize some of grounding Will goes through throughout the story and give Nags some 'brownie points'….along with bits of Will being traumatized by Beo's touch to build up her hopefully getting revenge on him later on.
And of course, after building up our TRUE Big Bad, a little scene of him being evil and telling us that the kids have a LONG way to go before he considers them problems.
Until we meet again! Read, Review and stay safe, would ye kindly?