Barely able to move on the cold, hard cave ground, Heather looked up in shock as she watched the Black Knight about to strike down and end her life forever. Nothing she had ever been through came even close to the emotion she was experiencing now. Fear made her heart beat hard and fast...so hard that it felt as if her heart would burst out of her chest at any moment. Oh God! This is it! Heather thought desperately. I'm going to die here, all alone. I'm sorry guys...I'm sorry I wasn't as strong as you all...She squeezed her eyes shut, but couldn't stop the tears from leaking through and running down her pale cheeks.
But just then, a bright flash of light exploded right in front of her, and the Black Knight was so surprised, he stumbled backwards and fell on the floor with a metallic thud. But with her eyes still shut and trembling, Heather hadn't noticed the light and simply sat and awaited her fate. Instead of feeling the cold blade of the sword, she heard the Knight fall and muttering curse words as he struggled to stand. She opened her eyes in surprise, then blinked as the white light gently floated down to her eye level. "Wha...what's going on?" she said to herself. "Who.."?
"Heather, it's us!" a voice called out of the medium-sized ball of light. "We're trying to help you. But you have to be strong! You have to get up and try to fight. It's the only way!"
"J..Jeneta?" The blonde girl groaned painfully as she slowly got to her feet. But she nearly doubled over as the wound on her side stretched and began bleeding more. She finally stood on shaky feet and stared curiously at the white light. "Is that you?"
"Not just me. We're all here. Djoser harnessed his powers to help us get in contact with you, and to help you get out of here...."
"But it will only work if you believe and let us give you our strength. If you don't, you won't survive this!" Angeni's ever calm yet determined voice came through, giving more confidence in Heather's heart. But she then thought of the horrible things she said to Prya, and what nearly happened to her. "But....Prya...the awful things I said to her...She'll never forgive me -"
"Don't be afraid Heather, we're here for you. And I do forgive you." Heather could almost feel the shy girl smile at her, letting her know that she understood the pain she felt at losing Danji, and still wanted to be friends.
"Right, so let's get rolling and kick his metal butt!" Heather almost laughed out aloud at Ling's straight to the point attitude and bluntness. But she was right, they couldn't waste anymore time as the Black Knight quickly got up and raised his sword once more.
"Alright guys, I'm ready. Whatever your plan is, it's time to do it now!" Heather stood up as straight as she could, and then gripped the large sword Lumias tightly in her hand and close to her body.
"Just open your mind to us, and draw in our strength that we're going to send." Djoser said, his voice strong and firm. "I've only done this a couple of times, so there's no telling what will happen. Just believe!"
"I do believe. With you all here, I will defeat him!" But before Heather can say anymore words to give her more confidence, the Black Knight stood before her, his sword pointed at her chest and his red eyes blaring.
"Your friends are too late, little child. Nothing they can do will help you! There is no way you will ever win this! That sword belongs to me, and I WILL have it!" The Knight lounged forward, but before he could even come close to Heather, another blast exploded from the ball of light floating protectively in front of Heather. The light was so intense, the immense black colored figure screamed and backed away, shielding his eyes with his free arm.
But to Heather, the light was a comforting warmth, filling her body with an energy and power she had never felt before. Renewed strength flowed through her veins like rain on a parched land....filling her senses, making her come alive like never before. She closed her eyes and simply allowed the healing light to envelope her and gave her confidence the likes which she had never known. Even the wound on her side partially healed, and the pain she felt from it slowly ebbed away.
Finally, after a long moment, the light soon began to dim and finally dissipate. Heather's body cried out for more of the soft and gentle light, but in her mind, she knew she had a fight to finish. New strength now flowed through her body, and she felt ready to take on just about anything. Her sword still in her hand, she turned to face the angry Black Knight glaring at her, and looked at him determinedly. No words were even needed as the two glared at each other, each feeling the hate towards one another as enemies, each determined to come out the victor.
Suddenly, the Black Knight rushed forward and jabbed ahead of him, determined to plunge his sword through her heart. But now fully rejuvenated, Heather quickly jumped high and did a double twist flip over his head, landing right behind him. The knight turned and roared again, then swung his sword around madly, determined not to lose this fight to a mere girl. For each thrust that he gave, Heather blocked and parried, not giving him a chance to even come near her with the sword. Once more, the whole underground cave was filled with long moments of loud clangs of metal hitting metal. Sweat poured down Heather's face as she fought on, but she was not going to give up! In a bold move, the blonde girl smirked and kicked out her leg to slam her foot right into the knight's right leg. Then jumping high, she kicked with all her might into his massive chest.
As big as he was, the knight was taken completely by surprise and fell once more to the ground, then lay on unmoving. Calmly, Heather walked up to him, her sword still pointed at him. "I'd like to see you try and call me a little child now." she said, her voice strong and confident.
It was then that she noticed something shining on the knight's right shoulder. Because it was mostly dark in the cave, it was not as noticeable, but there was no mistake; it was a red jewel embedded in him, just like the jewel that controlled the god Jeneta had battled. This could be the thing that's controlling him! I've got to get it off! Heather moved forward to try and see if she could break it off, but just then, the Black Knight's eyes blared red as he regained consciousness.
"You will pay for your insolence, wench!" he growled out, grabbing her at the ankle.
"Stop! Let go! I'm trying to help you!" Heather shouted, but her words fell on deaf ears as the knight yanked and she fell hard on the ground. He started dragging her towards him, but before he was able to have her in his arms to finally destroy her, Heather desperately raised her sword with both hands and smashed the blade down on his right shoulder.
A loud, cracking sound...as though a mirror was breaking, erupted from seemingly out of nowhere, and the Black Knight began to scream horribly as he let go of Heather and stood painfully on his feet. Heather watched with wide eyes as the scene unfold before her.
Suddenly, he was surrounded by a brilliant white light as he continued to scream. All the black on his armor began to slowly melt away, just as wet paint washes away in rain. Under the blackness, a new armor, now coated in white, began to emerge. His flowing cape turned from black to a silvery-white, and the lining a soft gold. Soon, instead of the infamous Black Knight, there stood a valiant knight dressed in white. The screaming stopped and the white light flickered out, and he fell to his knees in exhaustion.
Breathing heavily, the now White Knight reached for his armor helmet, and slowly took it off. When he looked up at Heather, she was met with a pair of piercing blue eyes and very handsome face framed by jet black hair. He blinked a few times as he got to his feet and looked around him. "What..what's going on here? Where am I? I...I barely remember anything..." He looked with confusion into Heather's eyes.
"I...I'm Heather, and...well, it's a long story. A really long story." Heather said as she walked over and helped him stand. "But I'm sure once we get back to my friends, we can explain everything, and..." But she never got to finish as the young man looked over pass Heather and saw the Lady Liandra still unconscious on the floor.
"Lady Liandra!" he shouted. He rushed over to her side, Heather following close behind. He gently took her head in his hands and stroked her pale forehead. "Oh my Lady Liandra, forgive me! I don't know what I would do if I lose you now. Please do not leave me, milady." The young man's eyes misted as Liandra lay still for a few moments. Then, just as they were about to give up hope, she moaned softly and her eyes fluttered opened.
"Oh my God! Lady Liandra, are you alright?" Heather said, falling onto her knees next to her. "Please, say something!"
But when her eyes fully opened, it widened at the sight of the man holding her, and she gave a joyous cry. "Gadion!" With tears streaming down her eyes, Liandra sat up and hugged him very tightly. "Oh thank the gods! I thought I had lost you! I thought you were dead when you went to fight Kumraa!"
"No my Lady. I'm here now. I don't understand it all, but I'm here now." Gadion said, emotion in his voice. He lowered his head and gently kissed the woman on her lips.
"Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt this touching scene, but I'd like to know what's going on?" said a flustered Heather, blushing a little as she shyly stood by.
When the kiss finally ended, Lady Liandra stood up with the help of Gadion and laid a hand on Heather's shoulder. "Forgive me brave one. This is Gadion, the White Knight who also protected this lake and this whole forest. For many years we worked together to keep it peaceful here, and over time..." She looked deep into his eyes. "Well, we fell in love. But it was forbidden, for I was a demi-goddess, and Gadion....he was a mortal, descended from a line of many knights who protected this land. He was given the powers to protect this place by the gods who created this world, yet was still human. Then when Kumraa freed himself, he was sent to try and fight him. I hadn't heard from him since. I thought he had perished, and....I just couldn't bear to live on without..." The woman sighed sadly, and the knight took her hand in his, understanding in eyes.
Heather nodded, then felt sadness in her heart as she thought of her love that she lost recently. How she wished he would come back to her as Gadion did!
"It seems I was turned into one of that demon's henchmen," Gadion finished. "But that is all in the past now. Now we must find a way to defeat Kumraa once and for all."
"Which is why she is here." Liandra said proudly to Gadion, then turned back to Heather. "You have freed Sir Gadion, and now we are able to summon the second Sacred Medallion. I remember everything, now that Gadion is here. Only the two of us can call it forth, as its protectors. As each of your friends get the medallions, our hope to save our world grows more and more." With that, Liandra and Gadion faced each other, then held one another's hands. Closing their eyes to concentrate, they were soon surrounded by a gentle, blue light, swirling all around them. Then in a shimmer of white light, a gold-colored medallion appeared above them, hovering in mid-air for a few moments. Then as Liandra raised her arms, the medallion slowly floated down and landed gently in her waiting hands.
The light faded and Lady Liandra turned to face Heather, a gentle smile on her lips. She placed the medallion around Heather's neck, where it glowed brightly. It was similar to Jeneta's, but shaped like a lion's head surrounded by the rays of the sun. In its eyes was a pair of bright and sparkling rubies. "Brave one, you have done well. You have gained the second Sacred Medallion, and now our dreams and hopes of freeing our home of this evil grow with each success. But you and your friends still have many obstacles to face...many perils to overcome. But never forget that you have each other. Be strong, and know that love is the strongest weapon of all. The sword Lumias will serve you well." She looked at the sword that was in Heather's hand and nodded.
"Thank you, Lady Liandra. I will never forget you." Heather said gratefully. She reached over and hugged the woman, and then smiled at Gadion. "And you too, Sir Gadion. I hope that you two will be happy together."
Lady Liandra smiled softly, then reaching down, gently kissed Heather on the forehead. The next thing Heather knew, the sword in her hand absorbed into her body as Jeneta's did, and she was surrounded by the same light that carried her beneath the lake. It rose higher and higher until it disappeared in the water overhead....
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The surface of the Mystic Lake was calm and peaceful...almost as still as the surface of a mirror...when suddenly it began to bubble as something began to rise up out of it. A moment later, breaking through the water was a ball of violet light with Heather inside. It hovered over the lake for a moment, then floated over to the forest ground where Jeneta, Djoser, and the other girls waited.
The ball gently floated to the ground, then disappeared in a gentle shimmer, leaving Heather in its place, looking proud and unharmed.
"Heather!" Jeneta shouted, rushing forward and grabbing her in a big hug. "Oh my gosh, for a moment, I thought we were going to lose you! I'm so glad you're okay!" the dark-skinned girl gushed out.
"I'm fine now. Thanks to you and everyone else." Heather smiled as she hugged back her friend.
"Hey, save some for us too!" said Ling, stepping foreword and smiling broadly. She giggled and enveloped the blonde girl in a big hug with the rest of the girls.
"I knew you could do it! You're the smartest one out of us, it was only a matter of time before you saw that mind-controlling jewel!" Angeni said.
"Yes, and now we know what to look for when we go looking for the other medallions." said Prya, nodding her head.
"Right, but most of all, let's promise to stick together, no matter what. Promise?" Heather said, sticking her hand out palm down.
"Promise!" the girls answered, placing their hands over one another's on Heather's. They smiled at each other for a moment, feeling their friendship grow with each heartbeat.
"Alright girls, we should get going," Djoser said, a smile on his own face as he looked at them. "If we travel tonight, we could get to a village by morning..."
"Excuse me..." a voice said. Everyone turned around in surprise to see an older looking man walking towards them. "Forgive the intrusion. I am Kern. I couldn't help overhear." He looked at the girls with gratitude with kind, blue eyes. "You have done a great good in freeing our village of the Black Knight. For years he has been terrorizing us, killing for no reason. Our village is free now because of you. Please, let me take you to my village so can celebrate! It is not too far from here." The older man nodded and smiled kindly at them, his greying, blonde hair swaying in the early evening wind.
"Thank you kind sir. A good place to rest for the night would be most appreciated." Djoser said. The girls squealed with delight, happy to not have to spend the night riding or sleeping on a forest ground, and followed the middle-aged man to his village. They arrived about an hour later, and were welcomed to a simple, yet stylish village of a moderate size. The houses were mostly made of wood and bricks, and resembled a story out of the Middle Ages. But here, the people dressed slightly more modern, with silk and even velvet and suede. The people who were still outside looked curiously at them at first, but when Kern walked around and explained how they were freed of the Black Knight because of them, everyone began to come out of their houses to meet and greet them, and offer their gratitude.
Soon, the news spread, and a celebration was set up within the next hour. Outside in the middle of the village, a huge bonfire was set, and the fire blazed high and bright into the night sky. Moments after it was lit, people began to dance around the bonfire, clapping their hands and singing as loud as they could. Women swayed their bodies, swung their skirts and raised their hands high to the sky, thanking the Gods. To the side, men were beating loud drums and swinging and tapping tambourines. Even the children, laughing happily, joined in the dance. Food was brought out and everyone rejoiced at being free.
"Wow, this is great!" Jeneta said, clapping her hands in time to the music as she and the other girls stood to the side watching. "It's just like the Mayfair back home!" She then got a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I'm gonna join in!"
Before any of the other girls could stop her, Jeneta rushed out and joined in the dance.
"Jeneta!" Heather shouted out, completely shocked.
"Well, if she's going to have fun, so am I!" Ling laughed and ran off to join Jeneta.
Heather sighed and rolled her eyes, then shrugging her shoulders, quickly rushed off to join them.
"No sense in being left out! Come on Prya, don't be a stick in the mud!" Angeni giggled, grabbing the Indian girl's hand.
"But....oh my!" Prya managed to get out before being dragged away and finding herself in the circle with the other girls.
Within moments, the girls learned the dance steps and were laughing and dancing along with everyone else to the beat of the music. For just a few hours, the girls were content in just having fun and being themselves, not the saviors of a world. They happily forgot all their troubles and just danced the night away, living in the moment and having a wonderful time.
Not too far away, Djoser leaned against an old tree and watched them, a contented smile on his face. For now, he was happy in letting them forget their troubles...even if it was just for a few hours. They deserved that much. He just hoped that the light in their eyes and hope in their hearts would never be extinguished as easily as the flames from the big bonfire would.
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