Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga - Lady Adellandra Dratianos (electric book reader TXT) 📗

you?
“Mine was, and still is, the Dark Magic.” Ariana said. “Once I saw it almost destroying me, I took the Crystal for myself.”
To learn but not use?
Ariana nodded. “That’s right.”
Are you sure you were not tempted to use it for its full powers?
“She already said no!” Katherine yelled.
Dare you interrupt me again! The Gatekeeper bellowed. Leave at once! Both of you!
“Take the Crystal from me and I will!” Ariana yelled back. “I won’t even bother you on my patrols.”
In the blink of an eye, the Crystal disappeared from her hands.
See that you do not. The Gatekeeper’s words were final. It disappeared, leaving the girls alone again in the Abyss.
“How that thing ever got to be Gatekeeper is beyond me.” Katherine hissed.
“Leave it alone, Kat.” Ariana stared at the spot it disappeared from. “It’s not worth the trouble.”
“For once, I agree.” Katherine supplied. “Let’s go home.”
The girls held hands and disappeared.
Story #4:
Within the Unknown

Aaron couldn’t sleep. He tossed and turned in his bed, tangling the sheets around him.
In the Dream Realm, he fell from the sky, clutching his arm in pain. He hit the ground hard, landing on his arm. The pain jolted his sensors to life. Between the sudden headache and the pain in his arm, he felt he was in hell. Immediately, he felt a rush of Unicorn Magic give him a warning. Just as it had years ago, the Magic in Aaron’s blood gave him visions of the other Crusaders in trouble.
He stood in his Dream Realm, trying to walk without stumbling in pain. The feeling of pure evil grew more intense with each passing moment, intensifying into a strong headache. Another rush of pain hit his arm and the horrifying vision began.
Something was going to happen. He could feel it from the center of his being.
Damian and Shenara were in the dungeons of the Old Dominion with Shenara’s sister Albrath. The trio poured over a book, the caverns lit by candles around them. With Damian in the middle, they held hands, chanting something Aaron couldn’t hear.
He paid close attention to the scene, watching and waiting. A voice, Damian’s no doubt, rang in his head.
Poor, pitiful Crusader. You are still quite young in what you think is power. Pathetic, you are. You may think you have Unicorn Magic, but you do not. What you have is merely an echo of a Ancient Mystic’s Magic.
The chanting was of the Ancients, that Aaron knew. What he didn’t know was how Damian was able to get to him from afar.
The bubble was growing in Aaron’s system. The Magic heated up with each passing thought. Aaron let the Unicorn Magic take over his emotions. The pain Damian and his consorts had caused made Aaron determined to take on the former Dominionite Merchant by himself.
If Damian wanted to mess with a Crusader, then let him.
“I’m not afraid of you anymore Damian.” Aaron both whispered aloud and thought in his mind courageously.
Darkness surrounded him in his Dream Realm, the usual gentle warmth turned to a darkening chill that went up his spine. The chill raced to his head, making him wishing to shake the pain away.
Simple minded idiot. Damian’s voice echoed. You have a weakness most do not. Your lover loves another, and that makes you angry. Hurt.
“Stop it. Stop it now.” Aaron could feel something from the bottom of his soul, itching to get out. It was the Unicorn Magic, active after all these years. Now, he wanted to use it. “Before I do something you might regret.”
Damian laughed. I regret nothing. Only mortals revel in that emotion.
Damian used imagery to make the pictures in the book jump to life. Even the sisters on either side of him were impressed, eyes wide and staring at the book in front of them.
Aaron didn’t like what the Merchant was making him see. The Empathy kicked in when he saw the images up close. It was Ariana and Derrick, caught in a cage somewhere Aaron had never been to before. The images of them made Aaron’s head ache, his heart aching for his Ariana Moon.
Like what you see, Ancient Mystic wannabe? Shenara’s voice cooed. Your lover and her Protector in peril.
How quaint. Albrath sneered.
Damian and the sisters stared into the book, chanting louder. Another picture came to life. Luna and Shane. Again, they were caught in a cage. One by one, with each chant, each picture sprung to life. Next were Anna and Jake, then Mary Ellen and Michael Ashburn. Even Claudia and Craig were caught.
Let us see how powerful you think you are. Shenara replied.
Come and get them. Damian severed the link between them, forcing Aaron to snap open his eyes.

Upon waking, Aaron’s head ached even more. As did his arm.
He forced his racing heart to slow. He was forced to sit up, holding his head. The pain in his head stopped, heading directly to the scar on his arm. He rubbed it to ease the pain but it didn’t work. It itched so much he couldn’t stop rubbing.
Itch was a light word to describe the way the scar on his arm felt. It didn’t itch, it burned.
Once again, the Unicorn Magic was telling him the other Crusaders were in trouble.
No, not in trouble. Missing.
His twin Aimee came to his silent call.
“They’re gone.” Aimee replied, scared. “Where’d they go?”
He shrugged. “I can’t feel them anywhere.”
“You don’t think they could be in the Old Dominion, do you?”
“No chance.” Aaron shook his head, watching her sit next to him on the bed. “Those three may be there, but that’s not where the trio took the Crusaders. I know it.”
Aimee noticed her brother holding his arm. “I saw you fall. Are you okay?”
Aaron rubbed his arm, looking at it.
It was glowing red and hurt like hell.
“I will be, yeah.”
Aimee examined it. “Too bad Ariana’s not here to heal you.”
“Aimee, we don’t need her Magic or advice anymore.” He told her. “We can do this on our own.”
“Do you really think so?”
“We healed Ariana and Kelly on our own, didn’t we?”
“We did have help from the twins.”
“Just for the flame and oil burner.” Aaron said. “The rest, we did together. On our own.”
Aimee smiled.
A jolt of pain brought Aaron back to the problem at hand. Even Aimee clutched her arm with him, yelping in pain.
“What the?” Aimee noticed the scar on her arm glowing deep red.
“Does it burn?”
Aimee rubbed it, nodding. “It’s warning us, Aaron. Something is going to happen.”
“Too late, Aim. It already has.” Aaron supplied softly.
“It’s never done this before.” Aimee supplied, leaning into the crook of his arm. “I’m scared, big brother.”
He hugged her, trying to comfort both their fears. “So am I.”
“What about the kids? Are they okay?”
Aaron closed his eyes and used the Magic to sense them.
“Sound asleep.” He said. “Caleb, Meredith and Logan across the street as well as Kelly, Mark, Andrew and Melody next door.”
She shook her head. “What about Bradley and Angel?”
“Right here, Aimee.” Bradley’s fourteen-year-old voice was concerned. Angel clung to him in tears. As soon as the girl saw Aimee, she rushed to hug her.
“Don’t ask me to go back to bed, because I won’t.” Bradley replied. When they didn’t respond, he continued. “I’ll do anything to help find them.”
“Why, son?”
“I care about my family.” Bradley announced.
The twins exchanged looks. “Where to first?” Aimee asked.
“I’ll go next door. You go across the street.”
“What about me?” Bradley asked.
“You can come with me if you like, Bradley.” Aaron supplied, to which Bradley nodded.
“I’m coming with you, Mom.” Angel said.
They went their separate ways.

II

He opened his eyes, the view slowly becoming clearer. He tried to sit up but found himself tied and gagged. Only his wrists were tied together, and he lay against a cold wall.
What the hell happened? He thought to himself. Where am I?
His eyes tried to focus, but it was blurry. Where were my glasses?
He heard a groan a few paces from him. His head ached from squinting to see who it was. It was male, he knew. Who was it and where were they?
“Hey, are you okay?” He heard a voice above him. He recognized it as being his brother-in-law Shane.
Derrick could see Shane bend down to his side, untying the knots around his wrists. Someone beside Shane untied the gag.
Derrick nodded. “What’s left of me, that is.”
“I hear ya, bro.” Jake whispered. “Where are we?”
“Caverns of the Unknown.” Shane supplied. “Oh, Michael and Craig are here, too. They’re still unconscious.”
“You know this place more than I do, man.” Jake began. “Tell me how we get out of here. My head is pounding.”
“I only know it’s the Unknown because I’ve had visions of it.” Shane said.
“Visions? As in, the Pendant?” Derrick asked.
“You got it.” Shane supplied. “As for getting out of here, your guess is as good as mine.”
“Were you tied up, too?”
Shane nodded. “I used the Locket to untie myself, going over to Jake next.” He said. “As for your glasses Derrick, think about it. Where are you?”
“In the Unknown. What does that have to do with my glasses? I still can’t see.”
Shane pointed to the Life Line watch on his wrist. “You don’t need them here, just as you don’t in the Dream Realm. Haven’t you learned that by now?”
Derrick felt silly. He’d been Crusading for years and never noticed until now he didn’t wear glasses on assignments. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“As for getting out of here?” Jake brought the two back to attention.
“I tried the locks and bars before you woke up.” Shane said. “Each are locked with powerful Dragon’s Magic.”
“According to lore, doesn’t Unicorn Magic break all spells used with Dragon’s Magic?”
“That’s right.” Shane supplied.
“Wait a minute. You’re confusing me, man.” Jake said. “In standard English this time.”
Derrick and Shane looked at each other. “Do you remember what the Dream Realm is?”
“Vaguely. Go on.”
“In the Dream Realm are different animals we call Companions.” Shane said.
“Okay.”
“Each species of Companion has its own kind of Magic.” Derrick replied. “The five basic being Gargoyle, Dragon, Hawk, Wolf and Unicorn. Each of these five can be used on a cardinal point on a map.”
“You know, north, south, east, west?” Shane asked him. Jake nodded.
“To make it easier, each point has its opposing side. Unicorn Magic is for North and Dragon Magic is for South.” Derrick continued.
“In order to break any spells or enchantments used by Dragon Magic, you have to use the Unicorn’s.” Shane concluded. “Understand?”
Before Jake could answer, the three heard a muffled male scream from behind them. When they turned, they saw Michael Ashburn trying to wriggle free.
“Hey – Mike, it’s us.” Jake said, helping Shane with Michael’s ties.
When the gag was off his mouth and his wrists free, Michael broke from Jake’s hold and ran to the bars. When his hands touched them, they came back burned. Michael screamed in pain.
“Woah, are you okay?” Jake asked.
“What the hell is going on?” Michael demanded. “Let me out of here!”
Shane looked at the wound, or tried to but Michael winced in pain, snatching his hand away.
“Do you want to know what’s going on?” Shane insisted. Michael stared, nursing his hands. “I need you to chill out, okay Mike?”
“How can I chill out, Shane?” Michael asked, whispering. His voice was