In her mind, Jeneta lay comfortably in her bed, thinking that she had a few more minutes of sleep before school. It was so nice, so warm. She didn't want to get up, not just yet. She sighed contently, hoping that instead of a few more minutes in bed, it was the week-end, and she could get up anytime she wanted.
Then, she felt a gentle hand shaking her, trying to get her to wake up. "Jeneta? Come on, you have to wake up!" said a soft voice filled with urgency.
"Aww Mum, can't I just have a few more minutes?" the girl sighed, trying to turn away. But the shaking did not stop.
Instead, the voice and the shaking got a little louder and rougher. "Jeneta! Come on! Please, you have to get up now!"
A flash of memory suddenly entered her mind; a memory of a strange man and a creature attacking her and her friends in the British Royal Museum. Immediately Jeneta's body tensed, and she slowly opened her eyes. Sunshine like none other flashed and made her wince and shut her eyes again. She tried to turn away again, thinking she was still home, but the strange images flashed in her mind again. Oh man, what a weird dream! the dark-skinned girl thought to herself. I can't wait to tell Ling and the others that....
"JENETAAAAA!" screamed a voice right beside her ear. Her eyes snapped opened then, and Jeneta nearly jumped up a few feet with a startled scream. When she finally calmed down a little, taking deep breaths, she saw her friends looking down at her with worry. Each of them still had their school uniforms on, only now they were covered with leaves and bits of twigs and branches. High above them, a bright, glaring sun shone down from a strange, violet covered sky.
"What the....the heck?" Jeneta got up shakily with Angeni's help and looking around wildly. They were in some sort of forest clearing, trees surrounding them from all sides a few feet away. The trees were very tall and majestic, with branches that seem to touch the very sky itself. Strange, scurrying little creatures hopped and ran about. Some creatures Jeneta recognized as rabbits, others she had no clue. Some were colored maroon and light tanned or light orange. Above, brightly-colored birds with various sizes flew about, singing in their high, flute-like voices.
She blinked her eyes for a few moments, then looked at the other girls standing with her. "What the bloody hell's going on here? Where are we? What happened? I...I thought it was all a dream!" Panic entered her then, and her heart began to beat loudly in her chest. She certainly didn't expect the boring, old school trip to end up like this!
"Jen, calm down!" said Heather, ever the calm and logical one of the group. She laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, and then looked around at the other girls. "Evidently, it isn't a dream as we all thought when we started to wake up. We're....we're in a strange part of the country. How we got here, I'm not sure."
"Well, where ever we are, we HAVE to get back to the museum before we're in BIG trouble!" said Angeni, worry showing in her eyes. "We can't risk getting caught and being blamed for leaving our teachers!" Always the cautious one, she didn't want to be the reason to tarnish her or her school's name, even if she didn't like it at first. She reached in her pocket and clutched her signature yellow feather, where she kept it from other teachers' prying eyes. Although she couldn't wear it in her hair, she vowed to herself she would always have it with her. It gave her courage in trying times such as this.
"She's right," said Ling, nodding her head. "Sorry to have screamed at you like that Jeneta, but we had to get you up and head back, AND try to figure out what happened."
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid that can't be possible right now." said a deep sounding voice. The girls all turned together in surprise at the sound of the voice, and watched as a dark figure walked up to them. Just as they remembered, the dark-skinned man wore a long trench coat, flapping gently in the breeze, and his hair braided in thick cornrows all the way down to the middle of his back. His dark eyes were sad, yet there was a spark of hope shining behind it as he looked calmly at the girls.
When he was right in front of them, he was about to say something more, but Ling narrowed her eyes and shouted out "YOU!" With lightning quick moves, the Chinese girl knocked the man's feet from under him, and quickly landed her foot right across his throat. "What the heck's going on here buddy? And tell the truth, I'm not in the mood for any games!"
"P..P..Please! Let..me..ex..explain!" the man managed to growl out, struggling to breath. He reached up and tried to lift Ling's foot from his throat, but already he could feel a black out coming on.
"Where are we?" Ling demanded, pressing her foot down harder.
"You're...you're..on...Cy..Cy.." The man's dark coloring began to pale as he barely managed to get in a breath. Ling narrowed her eyes more.
Sighing, Jeneta stepped up and waved a dismissive hand. "Let him go Ling. We won't get any answers if he can't talk," Ling turned to look at her for a moment, then with a roll of her eyes, lifted her foot off the nearly unconscious man. "But no tricks, or else I might change my mind and let her have a go at you again." Jeneta gave him a warning look.
Slowly, he got up on his feet, and took a couple deep breaths. After a moment, he looked up at the girls apologetically. "I'm sorry, I know how strange this must be to you all, but you have understand how serious I am when I tell you that I desperately need your help. My home, my planet, is in the grips of a terrible evil, and if you're all who I think you are, only you can help free us...."
"What? Just hold on a minute there!" said Angeni, stepping forward. "Just what do you mean 'your planet'"?
"Yeah, what are you, off your rocker or something?" Jeneta folded her arms over her chest and glared at the strange man, anger among other emotions raging within her.
"Please, allow me to finish," The stranger's soft voice was filled with desperation, and hearing it, the girls allowed him to continue. "My name is Djoser, and you are on the planet called Cyphyrus. I've been given the task to go to Earth and find the legendary ones who will help free us all from an evil that threatens to destroy all that is good here. If it is not stopped....if it destroys everything here, it will only spread through out the galaxies, and soon, nothing will be left."
"But...if this is true, what does this have to do with any of us?" asked Heather, looking at him with interest.
"Because long ago, the ones who have protected us for many years were sent to a small planet called Earth, and I have been sent to find them. If my suspicions are true, then you five are the ones we need. Please, you must help in any way you can." Djoser looked at them pleadingly, hope showing in his eyes.
"We're...on another planet?" Jeneta's eyes grew wide as she looked around, suddenly understanding the many differences she saw in the sky, animals, and trees...trees much taller than any she had ever seen or heard about. Oh my gosh! He's right, we're not on Earth!
"Another planet? But... if we're not on Earth, how are we supposed to get home?" Prya, quiet the whole time, finally spoke up, her voice sounding small and frail. "I don't understand. How...how did this happen to us?" Shuddering, the Indian girl hugged herself as tears ran down her cheeks, and she sank down slowly to her knees to the forest ground. "Please...I don't want to do this anymore. I just want to go home. Please!" The girl's body shook softly as she sobbed.
"Prya!" Jeneta immediately rushed over laid a comforting hand over the girl's shoulder. "Come on, it'll be okay." She held the Hindu girl close to her, trying to give her strength in all the confusion.
Prya looked up with tearful eyes at the dark-skinned girl as she sniffled and tried to compose herself, then sighed. "I...I'm sorry Jeneta." the girl whispered. "I wish I was brave like you and Ling. I wish I was...I was..." But before she could say anymore, she sobbed softly again as tears once more spilled down her cheeks.
As Jeneta continued to comfort her with encouraging words, Heather turned to Djoser as he looked at the scene with the two girls curiously.
"Well, as long as we're stuck in this situation, we might as well make the best of it." the blonde girl sighed. "I'm Heather, and this is Ling and Angeni," she said, pointing to herself and the other two girls standing with her. "Over there is Jeneta...who we call Jen sometimes, and Prya."
When she was done with the introductions, she looked Djoser with very serious eyes. "Look, I'm not sure I know what's going on here, but you're scaring my friend Prya....as well as the rest of us, and that's something I don't appreciate. Is there any way you can take us somewhere and tell us more about this...evil or whatever you're talking about, and how we're supposed to help? And we'd also like to find way to get back home to England when this is all done...
Djoser took a deep breath and nodded his head. "Yes, if I remember this area correctly, there's a small village not too far from here. There's a woman there who I think can help us and explain more. But we must hurry, I think by now...."
But Djoser never finished, because a loud, fierce screech pierced the quiet, forest air. Another screech followed it immediately, making the girls cover their ears and look around frantically.
"What in the world was that?" Ling yelled out. Seconds later, her question was answered as two, immense creatures flew into view above them. They were very big, with tanned skin and leather-like wings that seemed to grow from their arms right into the sides of their bodies. They also had very long tails, and at the end of it was a ball with metal spikes growing out of them. Their heads where very long, with long beaks that seem to grow out from the bottom of it. Medium sized horns stuck out in lines along their backs, as well as along down their beaks.
"Oh my gosh! Are those...are those, pterodactyls?" said Heather, looking up at them in wonder.
"No! They're tendrilias and they're hunters sent to find us! We have to go, NOW!" Djoser cursed softly under his breath and dashed away to the right. "Damn! How did he find us so fast?"
Not needing anymore encouragement, Ling, Heather, and Angeni followed close behind, while Jeneta grabbed Prya's hand and dashed after them. "Come on Prya, time to go! Man, we've only been here for about ten minutes, and already we're being chased!"
For long moments, the Djoser and the girls desperately tried to stay under the cover of trees and bushes, but each time they tried, it seems as though the creatures knew where they were and used their tails to either smash a tree or knock aside a loose bush. The girls screamed as one of the creatures, almost right on top of them, swung its tail downward and swiped the air where their heads just were as they dropped to the ground. While the creature made ready to strike again, Djoser picked up a long and heavy branch, and smashed it against its head, as it didn't see him coming from the side. The tendrilia went down with a painful groan.
"Run!" he yelled out. Not waiting to be told a second time, the girls dashed off into another small clearing with Djoser not too far behind them.
It was then that the creature decided it had enough, and with its partner flying down beside it, they both opened their mouths and let loose a stream of dark colored fire aimed right at them. "Quick, get down!" shouted Djoser. Not even a second later, he and the girls all dropped and covered their heads at the same time as the hot and furious dark fire raced above them, scorching the air where they were just in before they fell to the ground.
"Time to end this, right now," The dark-skinned man got up on his feet, and turning around, glared at the two monsters. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and brought his hands together as though he was saying a prayer. He began muttering a few words in a strange language, then snapped opened his eyes. He stretched his arms out before him as hands began to glow a soft blue, then shouted out "Incantatus Dislarvium!"
A burst of dark blue energy shot out of his hands, looking like a large ball surrounded by blue flames, and smashed right into the two creatures as they were about to let loose another stream of their flames. Instantly the tendrilias erupted into dark flames and began to thrash about as their flesh was being burned away. Soon, all that was left was a pile of bones, black smoke rising from them in a slow dance.
For a few moments, the girls could only stare in shock at Djoser as he stood on shaky legs and panted hard, his energy nearly spent. He gave a small sigh of relief, then turned back towards where the girls were slowly beginning to stand up.
"Are you alright?" he asked, looking at each of them in concern as he walked up to them, but his eyes lingering a little longer on Jeneta for some reason.
"How...how did you do that?" breathed out Heather, fascinated beyond belief at what she just witnessed. She blushed at her behavior and ran a hand through her hair. "OH! Umm...yeah, we're all fine I guess." She looked around at her friends.
"Yeah, we're fine, thanks," Angeni shuddered and hugged herself against the chill she suddenly felt. "But I have a feeling we shouldn't stay around here. We need to leave, now." From ever since she could remember, she always knew when danger was on the way. But what she felt right now was like nothing she had ever felt before, for she felt a danger coming that made those two creatures look like small insects.
"Yes, we must leave. Please, follow me. We have no time to waste." With a nod, Djoser turned and walked fast ahead of them, determination evident in his stride.
The girls looked at each other for a moment, then sighed. "Well, we might as well follow him. He's the only one that can tell us what's going on," Jeneta said, turning to follow Djoser. The rest of the girls nodded, and rushed off quickly to catch up with the young man.
I just hope there isn't anymore danger like the one we just faced, Jeneta thought to herself. But somehow, I don't think this is over. This is a long way from over, and I only pray that we'll all live through it somehow, and that we'll get to go back home soon.
Above them, the sun shone as brightly as ever, almost as though lighting the way for the adventure ahead for the girls. The strange birds continued to fly ahead, filling the sky with motion and life. But deep in the souls of the girls, they knew that whatever strange fate had brought them here, unless something was done, all of it...the life of the whole planet, even their own lives, would be gone, as well as their chance to go home.
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Lord Zain walked into the black and dank throne room as he left his men to guard the immense doors, his head held high and his arms rigidly at his side. When he came to the figure sitting on the large throne made of human bones, he went to one knee and bowed. "My Lord Sovereign, I have found out that Prince Djoser has indeed come back to Cyphyrus, and he has brought five strangers with him. I had my top soldiers send the tendrilias after them, but he somehow defeated the creatures. Don't worry, I have punished them severely for the defeat, and..."
"FOOL!"
The voice that shouted out from the shadowy figure was very deep and gravelly, as though the throat it came from was as ancient as time itself. The figure leaned forward, and Zain couldn't help by shudder once again at the skeletal face beneath the black hood staring out at him with red, glowing eyes.
"I will not hear another report of failure! He must be stopped at all cost, do you hear me? ALL COST! He must be destroyed, or YOU in his place!"
"Yes, of course my Master! I have a feeling I know where he is headed! He will be stopped, this I promise!" With that, Zain hurriedly stood up, saluted, and rushed out of the throne room, his men struggling to keep up with him.
When he was alone, the figured chuckled to itself, loving the feeling of fear the emanated off the grey-skinned man. The sweet smell of fear. Yes, that was what he fed off of. That was what he needed if he was to gain the strength to rule the entire galaxies, not just this one planet. And soon, with the death of the prince, he will begin his conquest. At that thought, the figure laughed louder, feeling victory at the tips of his bony fingers.
The figure then thought about what Zain said, about five strangers traveling with Djoser. An image...an old memory, flashed in the figure's mind then; of five strong women using all the powers they had to seal him away in that abominable realm where he suffered for countless years before he managed to escape. No, it can't be. I made sure they would never be able to come back! he thought to himself. The figure pushed that thought out of his mind, and he thought once again of Djoser. Fool, chasing after a worthless legend. Soon, I'll destroy you like I did to your parents and those who you loved most.
The figure smiled, his cracked and yellowed teeth appearing beneath his red and glowing eyes. "And soon, I shall be THEE ultimate god among mortal men!" He laughed deep in his throat, his voice resounding throughout the dark castle. Yes! He would be victorious, he could almost taste it in his foul mouth. All will know soon that anyone who dared to oppose him, will be destroyed!
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