â€‹As the casket was being lowered into the dim freshly dug grave Sydney fought hard to keep back the tears. It was a battle she soon lost. Her sobs became miniscule among those of her family and friends of her dear grandmother.

"'Ne pleure pas petite ange', is what Grammy would have told me", Sydney thought, "I have to be strong for her."

    As she clutched the silver chain around her neck she reminisced about all of the wonderful times she had experienced with her grandmother. Grammy was a tiny French-Canadian woman with a lot of personality and heart. Growing up in the small town of Rollet, Quebec made her quite ambitious. She wasn't afraid of anything. Even at the tender age of sixty-two Grammy had gone skydiving. Sydney was only sixteen and was still too wimpy to try it. She wasn't exactly a fan of heights.

    Sydney and Grammy had had such an unbreakable bond. Since Sydney's mother Claire worked most of the time, Sydney was practically raised by Grammy. The two had been inseparable up to the fatal heart attack Grammy had faced a few weeks back. The loss had hit Sydney pretty hard. Her mourning seemed to outlast others, and losing her Papa the previous year certainly hadn't helped.

Sydney's only comfort was the silver chain that she had inherited from her grandmother.

"It's all I have left of her", she continued to think.

    Grammy had worn that chain every day. Sydney couldn't remember a time when she hadn't seen her Grammy wearing it. The only time she had noticed that her grandmother had taken it off was when she went to bed. 

When Sydney had casually brought up this fact Grammy had just stated, "It's not good for you ma petite ange. This chain must be kept in a safe place while you sleep. We wouldn't want it to get lost now would we?"

Sydney noticed that Grammy would always say that last question with a definite smirk on her face as if she was remembering something amusing.

    The February air was dry and chill as the casket was lowered deeper and deeper into the grave. Sydney's head was now rested against her mother's chest. She could feel the quick rising and lowering of it as Claire was struggling to keep it together.

    Sydney continued to tightly grasp the chain as the lowering of the casket ceased. The rest of the ceremony seemed to drag on. Although she appreciated the kind words of everyone, she couldn't help but feel agitated. Her favorite person in the entire world had just been taken from her and all she wanted to do was mourn in peace and solitude. The situation was hard for her to accept. As she wiped away another tear she thought, "Don't worry Grammy I will always be your little angel."

 

2: I

    â€‹The smell was putrid. It was a mixture of rotting tomatoes and death. To anyone else it would make the hairs in their nostrils curl but, not the General. He reveled in the power of deciding life or death on the people of Guelder, Cantertine. He not only enjoyed but, looked forward to the executions he'd schedule. They would usually take place at least once a week.

This time the poor victim was Fendrel Emory, a wizard. He was a frail man, not much of a physical threat. He had been charged with High Treason.

    The General sat casually upon his red velvet and black steel thrown as he waited for the show to begin. He glanced down from his seat on the balcony toward the middle of the arena as a small crowd was beginning to form around the menacing dangling noose.

"Looks as though the sheep have begun to herd." The General muttered to Rowan, his loyal right-hand man.

Rowan replied solemnly, "Indeed. It seems death is something that attracts people; maybe not due to the devastation but, because of plain curiosity and wonder of the unknown. A search for the answer to the begging question, 'What lies beyond this world for us?'"

"A good question my friend but, sometimes it's better not knowing." The General held a deep breath and then let out a long sigh as he remembered something from a distant past. He was just about to fall into a reminiscent flashback when the sound of a high pitched horn interrupted him. It was time.

    The Recans looked ominous as they dragged the already limp body of Emory through the crowd and over to the center of the arena. They wore intimidating black uniforms including hoods that created a dark hole where their faces should have been. And if it wasn't obvious enough of their allegiance to the General, they were all wearing blood red badges to represent their status.

    As for the sorcerer, he only wore a tattered sheet over his pelvis and his hands and feet were shackled. Emory was emotionless as he was pulled towards his execution. Despite the noose looming closer and closer he seemed almost calm. It was as if he had already come to accept what was about to happen.

    Then, when they reached the platform Emory unexpectedly looked up at the balcony and flashed a toothless grin. His eyes gleamed. The General's heart rate sped up as he clenched his meaty hands into fists. 'What does this fool think he's doing? He's about to die for god's sakes!' his mind screamed; but deep down he knew. This was the last of the "planned" executions the General had arranged. Fendrel Emory never committed High Treason. The only "crime" the wizard had done was being a close friend of the General's father, Maxwell Warci.

    The father and son duo had never gotten along. Maxwell had been a famous sorcerer who was adored by many of Cantertine's population. When he was born, everyone, including Maxwell, had expected the General to effortlessly develop the skill to perform magic. When this didn't happen immediately, they had assumed that he was going to be a "late bloomer". At that point, the famous wizard was content with his son's lack of mystical growth but, that soon changed. Around his early teens it became evident that the General did not possess the magical gene; a situation that was highly unlikely when the parent was a fully fledged wizard. Maxwell had never said anything to his son regarding the circumstance but, the General had known. Whenever his father looked at him, there was no love or sparkle in his eyes; just a cold emptiness. In his younger years the poor boy tried his best to behave perfectly and impress his father with his vast knowledge but, when none of his great efforts had fazed Maxwell, his son eventually gave up. His yearning for admiration from his father quickly turned into a deep loathing and hatred towards him. His once innocent and loving heart had shrunk into a cold, dark and evil organism.

    The General's father had died from a heart attack about twenty years prior, at the ripe age of four hundred and sixty-five; just about the average life span of a healthy male in Cantertine. Ever since that day the General had fought hard to change his reputation. Without the burden of his beloved father holding him back, he could do whatever he wanted. He used his above average intelligence as well as his good manipulation and persuasion skills to gradually work his way to the top of Guelder's political food chain. When he received his new title and power the General had vowed to himself that he would get revenge on his father and all of the people that had belittled him during his childhood. This included Fendrel Emory.

    As his father's best friend and fellow wizard, Emory often questioned Maxwell about the integrity of his child. Not many people were able to meet the General's mother. She had apparently gotten into a tragic accident shortly after giving birth and wasn't there to raise him. This led to a lot of confusion as to who she was and where she came from; which in turn led to curiosity about whether or not the General's father was really Maxwell Warci.

"But if he wasn't really my father then why would he put up with the ridicule?" the General would always ponder.

"General! Contain yourself!" exclaimed Rowan as he was pushing the General back down into his seat, "He's a dead man".

    The General looked around. He was standing at the edge of the balcony grasping the rail so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. In the center of the arena Emory had the noose around his neck and was glaring at him.

The General took a deep breath, regained his composure and replied, "I know." This made him chuckle and he thought, "That's right Fendrel, you're in my house now and it's going to be your reputation that's tarnished. Despite your last efforts to get under my skin, I will revel as your airway is blocked and you gasp desperately for air to satisfy your screaming lungs."

He sat back down in his thrown and grinned.

An ominous silence erupted as the floor disappeared from underneath Fendrel Emory's feet.

 

3: II

"Sydney! Turn the radio down would you!" exclaimed Iris, Sydney's best friend of ten years, "You know I've got enough trouble focusing on the road as it is."

    The sound of Axel Rose wailing the lyrics of "Paradise City" was soon drowned out by the loud engine of Iris' used Honda Accord. The old car had been recently handed down to her by her mother.

"Thanks. Did you study for the English test today?" Iris asked.

Sydney didn't reply. She was sort of spaced out.

"Heellloooooo! Anybody there?"

Sydney took her gaze off of the passing scenery and turned her attention to her friend, "Yeah sorry, I stayed up pretty late last night."

    It had been three months since the funeral and the wound of Grammy's death was still fresh in Sydney's heart. She made sure to take great care of the silver chain. She wore it every day, and at night would place it in her ballerina themed jewellery box. It wasn't uncomfortable to wear or anything; in fact, it was so light weight it felt as though it wasn't even there at all. This feature led to anxiety for Sydney. She periodically checked her neck to see if the silver treasure was still there. The superstition of not having it on when she slept definitely came from Grammy.

She would always say, "It's not good for you ma petite ange."

"Why isn't it good for me?" Sydney often pondered.

Iris raised her left eyebrow in amusement. "Did you procrastinate again Syd?"

Sydney let out a brief sigh and then grinned, "Well...I've been really busy lately."

"Doin' what?"

"The usual." And by the usual she meant stuffing her face and watching anime. She'd needed things to distract her since losing her grandmother.

The pair continued to chat as the Honda pulled into the Pentin High School parking lot.

"Are you excited for the dance tonight?" Iris questioned.

Sydney chuckled softly and replied, " Of course, because who needs a date when you can show up alone."

Iris put the car in park and responded, "I said I was sorry Syd but, you know that I've wanted Charlie to ask me out for weeks now. I told you you're welcome to tag along."

"I know. I'm not mad, it's just annoying." Sydney looked down at the floor, then back at Iris and said, "You know that Logan and I have been friends ever since we were kids right?"

"Yeah"

"It's just that we've become so close and I'm getting feelings for him and he seems like he has feelings for me too."

Iris pondered this for a second and said, "I noticed that too. The way he looks at you with those cute blue eyes is definitely something to note."

"I just thought he would have asked me to the dance by now. " Sydney stated sullenly.

Iris leaned in and hugged her friend. During their embrace she whispered, "Don't worry Syd, if it's meant to be it'll happen." Iris was always saying sappy stuff like that.

    When they entered Pentin it was chaotic. It was like entering a zoo. Students of all shapes and sizes crowded the halls. Talking. Laughing. Yelling. Even Squealing. Iris and Sydney decided to stop by the washroom. Riding with the windows open usually did a number on their hair. As Sydney was running her fingers through her long dirty blonde locks she caught a surprising glimpse of herself in the mirror. There were two obvious bags under her eyes; boy did she look tired. She immediately dabbed some of Iris' make-up over the spot.

"That'll have to do for now" she thought.

    She glanced over at her friend who was reapplying her eyeliner and mascara, and flipping around her sleek black hair, teasing it every so often. Sydney looked back at her own reflection. Her blue-green eyes looked naked in comparison to Iris' big brown ones. Sydney didn't usually wear make-up unless it was a special occasion.

"Riiiinnnnnngggg!" screeched the 8am bell.

The pair, not wanting to be late, instantly packed up their things and hurried off to first period.

    Classroom number 309 was filled with squeaking noises as multiple chair legs were dragged across the floor. Everything was normal as Mr. Connors instructed the students, "Good morning class! I hope all of you are prepared for the Macbeth test."

There was a united groan from the students.

He carried on unscathed, "Remember that you should have studied the plot and characters so well that you know who says what particular line and at what point it was said in the play. You've done this before. All of the previous quizzes should have been enough preparation. There will be ten multiple choice questions, two short answer questions and one essay question. You have the whole period. Good luck."

Sydney twirled a piece of her hair in between in her fingers as the test papers were handed out. Iris looked at her and gave her a little wink and mouthed the words, "Good luck". Sydney replied with a "You too." and smiled.

The test paper landed on Sydney's desk silently. The big bolded letters at the top, "Macbeth Unit Test" immediately became intimidating to her. She stopped playing with her hair and was now fidgeting with the silver chain. She sighed and thought, 'Grammy would always encourage me to study. Without her I have no motivation.' She tried the first question.

It read, "At the dinner party, whose ghost did Macbeth see? A: Duncan, B: Banquo, C: The Messenger, D: Fleance".

Sydney racked her brain for the answer but nothing came to mind. She peeked over at Iris who was already way past the first question. "Why did she have to be so smart?"

By the time the bell rang for second period Sydney had just finished writing the last sentence of her essay question. "Phew, that was close", she thought.

Logan knew he was running out of time. The 'A Walk in the Clouds' dance was tonight and he was dateless. He knew who he wanted to go with but, he was just too scared to ask her.

    Her name was Sydney Noel. She had long wavy dirty blonde hair and eyes that seemed to change color every time he saw her. Sometimes they were blue and sometimes they were green. He was sure it had to do with the lighting. He had known her since the sixth grade, about six years now that they were both in grade 11.

    Logan and Sydney's friendship was pretty strong. They were always there for each other. Although Sydney hadn't been aware of it, Logan was head over heels for her. His crush on her had stayed with him throughout middle school and now high school. He never confessed his feelings for her in fear of ruining the great friendship they had built.

"I'm sick of not knowing" Logan thought, "even if she does say no it'll be closure for me."

    It was after school and Logan was standing by his locker. His hands were swiftly exchanging books and binders into and out of his backpack. As he was putting his French textbook away he looked up briefly and saw Sydney coming up the hall. His hands trembled and his heart raced. He almost dropped his bag.

"Be cool. Be cool. You can do this." Logan reassured himself.

    Sydney was walking with Natalie, a friend from her Psychology class. Her mind struggled to focus on the conversation but, was unsuccessful. She couldn't help but notice Logan standing at his locker staring at her. His shaggy black hair made his blue eyes the focal point.

"What's his deal?" she thought, "Oh my god he's coming this way what do I do?"

"Hey Syd, how's it going?" Logan asked cheerily.

Natalie looked at the two and quickly stated, "Later Sydney."

Sydney said bye to Natalie and returned her attention to Logan. "Good. Well, except for the English test I had this morning. I totally bombed it. What about you?"

He chuckled nervously, "I'm alright. My day was pretty normal so far." He paused. "Umm..."

"What"

"...Oh I was just thinking about the dance tonight...You wouldn't happen to be going to that would you?"

Sydney placed a lock of hair behind her ear and responded, "Actually I wasn't planning on it. The thought of being a third wheel to Iris and Charlie didn't really appeal to me." She smirked.

Logan inhaled sharply, "Oh I see. Well do you think maybe...I know this is kinda' last minute but-"

Sydney's mind was racing. Was this what she'd been waiting for?

"-would you want to go with me?" Logan put his hands in his pockets. He didn't want Sydney to see how nervous he was.

She smiled, looked straight into his icy blues and said "Yeah, I'd love too."

The two stood looking at each other for awhile. Logan was in shock. "Did she just say yes?" he wondered in awe. "Oh my god I better say something."

After picking his jaw up off the floor Logan grinned and said, "Great. I'll pick you up at 9pm."

Sydney was still smiling, "Cool. I'll see you then."

Following another awkward pause they both said goodbye and went their separate ways; Logan to the parking lot, and Sydney to Iris' locker to tell her the great news.

    Sydney could feel her face heat up like an oven as she waltzed through the Pentin halls. Her face would always turn red when she encountered instant changes of emotion like embarrassment, anger, or in this case, elation. "I can't believe it!" her mind kept squealing. "This is awesome!" She was so excited that she almost walked into the open door of Iris' locker.

"Watch out clumsy!" Iris exclaimed and shut the door.

Sydney told her the great news.

    Iris was so ecstatic for her friend. She knew that these past few months had been tough for her and seeing her this happy was reassuring. "That's wonderful! See, I told you that if it was meant to be it'll happen." She smirked.

Sydney gave Iris a playful punch and said, "Yeah, yeah. Little miss Wise Words is always right, isn't she?"

The two laughed and walked out the school doors.

    When Sydney arrived home she went straight upstairs to take a shower. This time when she looked in the mirror her reflection was more forgiving. Iris' make-up had done a good job covering the bags under her eyes and of course the huge smile on her face helped. She grasped the silver chain around her neck; her fingertips went back and forth feeling the smoothness of it. Doing this was comforting for her.

Sydney knew Grammy would be happy for her. She chuckled when she remembered something.

Hadn't Grammy already told her, "Ma petite ange, that Logan boy, I think he likes you."

    At the time Sydney had thought she was crazy. Grammy had said that right at the beginning of high school, when Iris and Logan had been waiting outside to walk with her. At the time Sydney had just laughed, not taking her seriously. She had replied, "Sure Grammy, whatever you say." and walked out the door.

"Oh those were the simpler times, weren't they?" Sydney thought.

If only she knew how right she was.

 

4: III

    â€‹The General was grinning from ear to ear, "Finally! Dead! They're all dead" his mind screamed. He chuckled softly as he walked back to his office on the top floor of the Recans castle. His mind raced and his hands shook slightly. Was this actually happening? Were all those people who had betrayed him in the past really gone forever? It all seemed too good to be true. It surely couldn't have been that easy; could it?

His train of thought was interrupted by Rowan, "Sir, about what happened at the arena today; you shouldn't let the prisoners get to you. When someone is moments away from death, they will do anything to get under your skin. By reacting that way you're just playing right into their hands."

The General inhaled sharply and replied, "Of course Rowan, my apologies. Even rocks like me have their weak moments." He winked. "And besides, they are the ones who are dead anyway. Their remains will decay and become one with the soil, while I continue to rule this land."

Rowan smiled hesitantly and the two walked up the rest of the spiral staircase in silence.

*

    Their chuckles roared as they cruised down Sydney's street and over to her house. At their arrival, Iris slowly came to a stop.

Through the quick gasps and wheezing Iris was surprisingly able to manage a few words, "Syd that was a great night wasn't it?"

Sydney regained her composure and replied, "Yeah." She wanted to say more but, was too consumed by a flood of flashbacks. The dance had been amazing; magical. She and Logan had been inseparable. Sydney grinned as she remembered the way she felt when they were dancing; recalling the closeness of their embrace made her blush. She was about to completely space out when Iris abruptly snapped her fingers in front of her face.

"Hey!" Iris exclaimed, lowered her hand and smirked, "I bet I know what you're thinking about."

"What?"

"I saw the way you two were looking at each other, there was definitely chemistry."

"Who?"

"You know."

Sydney put her hands over her cheeks to hide the redness, but her attempt was unsuccessful.

"See! See! I knew it!" Iris exclaimed. "Did you kiss him? You kissed him didn't you?!"

Sydney looked away and stated teasingly, "Unlike you Iris, I don't share all of the details of my personal life."

Iris chuckled dryly and said, "Fine, fine, whatever, I can interrogate you some other time."

There was a pause.

"It seemed like you and Charlie had a good time."

Iris' eyes gleamed, "Yeah we did. I really do like him Syd. Like, really really like him."

"That's great Iris, I'm happy for you." Sydney replied.

The two sat for a while longer reminiscing about the night until Iris mentioned that she should get home. She was expecting a call from Charlie.

"I'll see you at school okay!" Iris yelled out the car window as she drove away.

Sydney waved back and walked into her house.

    It was dark and silent. That meant Sydney's mom was either asleep or working late. Sydney's house key made a slight clunk noise as she placed it on the small table next to the door. "What a wonderful night" she continued to think as her mind began to drift. Her vision grew fuzzy and her eyelids drooped. Sydney knew it was time for bed so she made her way up the stairs, and without even changing into her pajamas, flopped onto her bed. She had no further thoughts. Everything was perfect as she drifted off to sleep.

    Sydney let out a huge yawn as she wiped the remaining sand from her eyes. She was exhausted. It was as if she'd only gotten less than an hour of sleep; but how could that be when it was already daylight? Her body felt like lead as she attempted to sit up. Her hand tingled as she ran it across the luscious grass.

"Wait. Since when did my bed have grass growing out of it?" Sydney muttered and looked around, "And when did I get outside?"

    Her mind raced as she began to take in her surroundings. She was sitting in a field next to a dirt road that was engulfed by trees. Their leaves were so dense that she couldn't see through them. They acted as walls for the road that led to a small town occupied with little stone houses and bustling crowds. "Wow" Sydney mumbled during an elongated sigh. Despite the calm breeze blowing pieces of hair into her face, nothing could tear her gaze away from what was placed before her.

"This is the best dream ever; it all seems so real" she thought. It was as though her elated mood had taken her mind to this sweet paradise. She smiled and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the scent of the forest. Sydney chuckled, "I should lucid dream more often".

    She sat there for a little while longer, embracing the warmth of the sun's rays on her skin, when she heard a sound. It was beautiful; gentle, yet full of tone and depth. It was a combination of a flute and a French horn. Sydney was drawn to it. She yearned to know where that sweet melody was being produced. Her legs buckled as she rose to her feet but, after taking a few steps forward she was able to maintain her balance. Her peach colored skirt flowed in the wind as she walked. She didn't know where she was going but, she didn't care. As long as she could find the music, she would be satisfied.

    After a little while she came upon a small clearing in the forest, and what she saw took her breath away. In the centre of the clearing, was a tall tree with thick branches that looked like they could support buildings, and sitting on one of the branches was a girl. She had short and sleek black hair that fluttered delicately in the breeze. When Sydney looked closer she saw that her skin was a mocha colour that contrasted and really placed emphasis on her violet eyes. She was holding what looked to be a wooden stick but, was holding and playing it as though it was a piccolo. Sydney was in awe. How could such a beautiful sound come from such an ordinary object? Then suddenly her trance was broken as the music stopped. The girl looked up at her and smiled confusedly. The violet shimmer in her eyes that was once there had faded, leaving a dark brown colour.

"Hello there friend, what brings you here?" she asked as she lowered the stick which had acted as an instrument just moments before.

Sydney was overcome with nervousness as she replied, "Your music. I heard it from a far and I just had to find out where it was coming from." She paused and inquired, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but how did you get that sound to come from that stick?"

The girl laughed softly and said, "It's called Minstrel Magic. It's the ability to turn any object into an instrument."

"Wow. That's amazing."

"Thanks."

"But your eyes, why did they change colour?"

The girl hopped down from her place on the tree branch and landed on the grass with a thud. Her attitude was upbeat as she responded, "I'm not exactly sure. It happens every time I perform the magic. I think it's the power infusing with my body."

"That really is amazing" Sydney stated and took a few steps forward, "Sorry for all the questions"

"It's alright. I'm Tai" the girl announced as she extended her hand towards Sydney.

"I'm Sydney. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise" Tai reciprocated with a grin. The two shook hands.

    It was at this moment, that Sydney noticed Tai was quite tall. She wasn't exactly above average height but, then again, Sydney wasn't the tallest person around.

"That is quite the outfit you have on." Tai said, "I've never seen anything like it here in Cantertine."

Sydney looked down at the peach coloured dress and white heels she had picked out a week prior to the dance and replied, "Really? Where I come from it's actually quite common."

Tai nodded understandingly and asked, "Where is it you come from Sydney?"

"Canada." she answered and thought, 'Wow, I've never had such a normal conversation with someone I'd just met in a dream before.' She then inspected the girl's outfit. Tai was wearing a violet cloak that bellowed in the calm breeze. It had swirls woven into it with indigo thread.

"That's a beautiful cloak you have" Sydney stated admiringly.

Tai quickly glanced at the ground and responded, "Thank you. My mother made it for me."

"Really? That's wonderful! If she's got more work, I'd love to go visit her and see it." Sydney responded excitedly. Even though she had just met this girl, she felt so comfortable with her, as if they'd been friends for a long time.

"I appreciate the offer, but that would be difficult as my mom was killed a year ago." Tai stated with her eyes still pointed toward the ground.

There was a short pause. Sydney placed a hand on Tai's shoulder and said consolingly, "I'm so sorry for your loss. I had no id-"

"Don't worry about it. Its fine," Tai interrupted and glanced back up. Her gaze was piercing as she looked into her eyes. "Trust me, I will do everything I can to avenge my mother's death," there was another pause before she continued, "but that's a story for another day."

    Sydney was just about to say something else when her train of thought was interrupted by a harsh noise. Were those hooves? Tai abruptly looked around and clutched her arm.

She scoffed and muttered, "Speaking of those pests." The clamouring of hooves grew louder."We must leave. Now." she stated urgently, "We aren't supposed to be in this area of the forest at this time."

The two ran from the centre of the clearing and over to the wall of trees that lined the road.

    Sydney's heart was pounding as the hooded figures came racing around the corner. What was going on? Who were those people? She looked over at Tai for answers but, she just raised a finger to her lips urging her to remain quiet. She could only watch in horror as the ominous figures passed. Their hoods had turned their faces into black holes and they were dressed in matching black uniforms with red badges.

    Sydney was shocked to see their mode of transportation. Did those horses have wings? To her they looked like an evil version of Pegasus; but what Sydney didn't know was that these weren't horses, at least, anymore. Enchantments had been cast on them to morph them into something else; Pods. Pods were creatures that had been impacted by the Contortment Spell, which when used in a negative fashion can make the Pod malevolent and non-contrite. This was exactly the case for the Recans.

    Their overall presence emitted fear. Sydney had chills running throughout her entire body. Her hand was immediately drawn to the silver chain around her neck, which she began to fiddle with uneasily. She wanted to look away but, was captivated. Then in her peripheral she saw something glimmer, and her heart stopped. Was that her shoe?! This couldn't be happening. In the excitement of being hidden quickly, she must not have noticed her shoe fly off. It was just as she was thinking this that one of the pods stopped. Its nostrils flared as it sniffed the air. The rider quickly noticed the white heel in the middle of the clearing and jumped off the Pod to go over and inspect it. He held it up to the sky confusedly as if expecting to see an answer about where this mysterious object had come from. The rider then summoned his creature and with its wings still tucked in, it trotted over and sniffed the shoe. Almost instantly, its face lit up.

"We have to get outta here." Tai whispered insistently as she grabbed Sydney's hand and began to lead her deeper into the forest. 'I'm gonna die!' Sydney's mind kept screaming as she followed cautiously. She couldn't breathe. It was as if the fear was pressing down on her lungs and blocking her windpipe. 'Could they hear us?' she inquired. Her bare left foot hurt as it was scraped and brushed against the small twigs and sharp bristles that scattered the forest ground.

"HALT!" sounded a deep bellowing voice behind them. Sydney's body was immediately paralyzed with terror. She could hear the increasing footsteps chasing after them.

"Keep going!" Tai shouted.

"I can't!" Sydney exclaimed. The Recans were closing in on them fast.

Tai let out a heavy sigh and stated, "We won't be able to outrun them so, we'll just have to hide."

    The two swiftly made their way behind a couple of trees. Sydney was beginning to feel light headed as the hooded figures surrounded them. She could practically feel her heart beating out of her chest. Tai looked frightened as well but, was able to give Sydney a comforting glance. The two stayed completely still.

Their bodies went numb when they heard, "Don't make us take you by force."

Sydney considered giving up but, then she saw Tai shaking her head wildly back and forth.

    The Recan in charge gave the signal and the Pod was brought out. It nudged its head in the direction of the tree that Sydney was hiding behind. From the angle that Tai had, she was able to witness this and instantly took action. Before the Recans could snatch Sydney, she grabbed a leafy branch and began strumming it. At this moment, Tai's eye's were violet flames and the situation was chaotic; the guards scattered themselves around the premises searching for the source of the sound. Tai was somehow able to make the music sound like it was coming from five different places. Sydney knew this was their chance so, when the Recans weren't looking, she grabbed Tai and they both sped off into the underbrush.

    This patch of greenery was a lot darker than the last one, which made it much more difficult to navigate through but, despite this, the girls kept on running and didn't look back. After a minute or so, Tai had ditched the leafy branch and her eyes had turned back to normal. Their pace had quickened and the murmuring voices behind them had slowly faded. They were starting to feel comfortable enough to stop when, from out behind a bush, appeared one of the hooded figures with a red badge. He seemed even more ominous with the heavy shadows of the forest encompassing him. The girls stopped running and looked at each other in panic. Was this the end?

The Recan chuckled dryly and stated mockingly, "Thought you could get away, did you?"

Silence.

"Aw, what's the matter? Don't be shy, I won't bite."

    Tai's hands turned into fists and they began to shake. She knew she had to hold back. This wasn't the time to get revenge, right now she had to save her new friend.

She turned to Sydney and muttered, "Run, and don't stop."

Sydney nodded reluctantly but, again her legs wouldn't move.

"Go!" Tai urged.

    So Sydney ran; her legs were lead as she swung them out from underneath herself. It was like running through water. She felt bad leaving Tai but, she would be fine, right? This was just a dream, wasn't it? Somehow her conscious didn't agree with her, so Sydney turned around to go back but, when she did, she collided with a low hanging tree branch. The wind was immediately knocked out of her and the world instantly became black.

 

5: IV

    â€‹Sydney's head ached and her body throbbed as she laid in bed. 'That was an odd dream' she thought, 'it all felt so real'. Her bed springs squeaked as she tossed and turned to find a more comfortable position. She turned to her clock radio; the bright red letters blinked 5:54am. Her heart stopped and she sat up abruptly as she remembered something.

"Tai!" she tried to say through a strained breath. Her body gave up and she fell backwards, her head just missed the pillow. She stared up at the ceiling confusedly. 'It was just a dream Sydney, don't be stupid!' her mind stated, 'Tai isn't real, and she doesn't exist, so there is nothing to worry about.'

But somehow she wasn't reassured.

    Sydney rested there for awhile, unable to shake the uneasy feeling the mysterious dream had caused her. It was like the more she tried to forget about it, the more it was engrained into her memory. 'Why?' her mind kept repeating.

    She wished she had someone to talk about this with but, she didn't think Iris would appreciate a desperate phone call at practically six in the morning. She sighed and thought, 'Grammy would listen to my crazy stories anytime. Why did she have to leave?' Her hand immediately was drawn to the chain. She smiled as her fingertips felt the cool smoothness of the silver but, then her hand immediately dropped back to her side. 'Oh my gosh, am I still wearing the chain!?' Sydney's mind inquired in a panic, 'Oh no! I must have been so exhausted that I fell asleep with it on.'

She had broken the tradition!

    This time when she sat up Sydney had more control over her body, it hadn't wavered like last time. In the darkness of her bedroom she could just barely glimpse the peach colored dress she had picked out for the dance. By this time it was almost 6:30am, her alarm clock would go off at any moment. Thinking intently about the dream had taken up a lot of time.

    Sydney stretched her arms up into the air steadily and then pressed the off button on her alarm clock; she was most definitely awake. She turned on the lamp beside her bed and the room was instantly flooded with a warm yellowy light. It illuminated everything from her night stand to her dresser, where the empty jewellery box was perched.

    As she made her way to the bathroom, Sydney noticed that her legs were quite sore and her head was still achy. 'That dance really did a number on me' she thought naively. When she flipped the light switch on in the washroom, what Sydney saw in the mirror shocked her. Her dress was tattered and torn with grass stains, and her hair had small twigs and leaves tangled into it.

Her heart was beating more quickly now.

"Is that a bruise?" she whispered as she brought herself closer to the strange reflection. Indeed it was. Right above Sydney's left eyebrow was a large circular spot of purple and dark blue. "C-c-could it b-be?"

'No, it's not possible!' her mind screamed. 'How could it be true? Am I insane?' Her hands were trembling as her gaze transitioned to the chain around her neck. The shimmer of it now seemed ominous. 'Is this what Grammy was trying to protect me from? This doesn't make any sense!' Her panic was interrupted by a stern voice.

"Sydney what happened?" questioned Sydney's mother Claire, who suddenly appeared in the doorway; her eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"Umm," she hesitated, "I fell outside last night after the dance and was too tired to shower when I got home." Sydney stated quickly, not making eye contact.

Her mother was unconvinced, "Is that really what happened sweetie? I was once a teenager too you know and I know more than anybody that-"

"Stop! Don't get all 'know-it-all' on me. Seriously, don't you think it's a little late to be giving me some motherly advice?" Sydney interrupted coldly.

Claire tried very hard to hide her anger at that last insult, "Excuse me young lady-"

"Oh my gosh, what is it with you? Now that Grammy is gone, you suddenly take it upon yourself to be a parent; what about the other fifteen years of my life huh?"

"Hey, I tried my best! You know how busy I am," she scoffed, "This just shows how ungrateful you are for everything I've done for you!"

Sydney chuckled dryly and muttered, "What have you done for me?"

    Claire flinched as the bathroom door was slammed in her face; conflict like this had become a reoccurring thing at the Noel house. Was it so bad that she was trying to mend the gap in their mother-daughter relationship? Claire knew that she had made some, well a lot, of mistakes in the past with her only child. It was hard balancing her law career with raising a kid, and it was just easier to let her mother take care of the baby but, because of the extra time they spent together, the two had grown a stronger bond than Claire could have ever thought tangible. She sighed and made her way to bed, she had spent the night working overtime on a case and was exhausted. She'd just have to try to resolve this another time.

    Sydney was somewhat grateful for the distraction her mother had provided briefly from her insanity. Had her mom actually thought that she could just waltz back in and start being a good parent? I mean, they had their moments but honestly, this was getting old. Sydney had already built a wall as tall as the Eiffel Tower between her and her mother; there was no getting through it. At this point, Sydney could brush off disappointed feelings about her mother without even thinking about it. Fortunately though, the whole tension between them just then had allowed Sydney to detach herself from her current freaky situation. She had managed to shower and get ready for school despite the constant fear and confusion concerning the dream.

    By the time Iris arrived to drive her to school, Sydney actually looked somewhat presentable. She had used concealer to cover the bruise, although the slight bump was still visible, and found some comfy sweats to wear. On her way out of her bedroom, Sydney's feet were tripped up by a white heel. She scanned the floor for the other shoe and shuddered when she was unsuccessful. She tried not to think about anything as she made her way out to the car.

"Good morning!" Iris greeted cheerfully as Sydney entered the navy blue Honda, "Are you ready for a bright day of learning?"

Sydney laughed and replied sarcastically, "Of course, there's nothing else that I would rather do."

"Oh really? Not even some special alone time with a certain special someone?" teased Iris.

Sydney blushed, "Shut up"

Iris giggled, "Alright fine, I'll leave you alone, for now."

"Thanks" said Sydney gratefully as she looked out the window and began to space out. There were so many questions running through her mind. Did her grandmother's chain really have something to do with the dream, or was it just a weird coincidence? Or, was she going crazy? In an odd way Sydney kind of hoped it was the third option. At least that could be treated with therapy and prescribed medication.

    It was lunchtime now. The morning periods had seemed to drag on for Sydney. She was sure that the clock in her Pysch class was running slower than usual. For every ten minutes that she felt had past, the clock had only shown five. And it didn't help that they were discussing Psychosis. At one point Sydney actually thought she was Schizophrenic. Her mind was wandering off again when she spotted Iris down the hall walking with Charlie. He had his arm around her and a confident smile on his face. Iris saw her as they approached and broke away from his grasp. She whispered something in his ear, giggled and glided over to Sydney. He waved and walked off.

"Hey Syd!" Iris said beaming. "C'mon let's go eat" she instructed.

    The friends sat in the music hallway; they enjoyed the instrumental entertainment as they ate. The sound of their munching was quickly interrupted by Iris, "So Syd, you've been really quiet today. I mean you're usually quiet but, you're more than usual today. Is anything wrong? You seem really distracted."

Sydney swallowed and replied hesitantly, "It's about last night."

"Did something happen with Logan?"

"No, no. Something weird happened to me last night."

"What happened?"

Sydney didn't know how to word it. Iris would think she was nuts for sure but, she had to tell someone.

    So Sydney told Iris a brief synopsis of the dream and how she had awoken all marked up and bruised (she left out the part about the chain; that was too personal and would make her sound way crazier- if that was even possible). Throughout her dialog Iris seemed lost and her eyes had glazed over. Was she even listening? Sydney grew very nervous. The moment she stopped talking she would have to wait for a response, and that response could be positive or more likely, it could be negative. Iris might think she was a basket case and never talk to her again, who knew?

Sydney finished explaining what had happened and waited. Her heart was beating out of her chest. Had she really just risked their decade of friendship over some silly dream?

'No, it wasn't silly. It was real!' she reassured herself.

Iris cleared her throat and said, "Syd, I don't know what to tell you. I mean, do you really expect me to believe that you somehow travelled into your own dream? Couldn't you have just been lucid dreaming?"

Sydney looked Iris straight in the eye and stated, "No, I thought that at first but, I wasn't. I woke up and had twigs in my hair, grass stains on my dress and I have a bruise on my forehead; how do you explain that?"

Iris was silent for a moment and then suggested, "Maybe you were sleep walking."

    Sydney pondered this. It was true that she could have wondered outside in the middle of the night and stumbled into some bushes; it would also explain the lost shoe. 'This is so confusing' she thought.

"But I've never had a history of sleep walking before." explained Sydney.

    Iris' worry for her friend was increasing. Ever since the death of her grandmother Sydney had withdrawn quite a bit, and Iris understood that. She was there for her friend but, this was on another level. Saying that people can travel into their own dreams? It couldn't be true. Iris didn't know how to proceed. She had to do whatever she could to be there for her friend during her time of need. Her mind desperately searched for an answer.

She put an arm on Sydney's shoulder and replied, "Trust me Syd, everything's going to be fine. I'm sure it was probably just sleep walking or something like that. If you want, you could sleep over at my house tonight and we could figure this thing out?"

Sydney considered this briefly and answered, "Yeah, that'd be great. I know it's a school night and everything but, I'm sure my mom won't care."

"Cool!"

Sydney took a deep breath and said, "Hey Iris, I'm sorry if I scared you."

Iris hugged her friend tightly and replied, "Don't worry its okay."

    As Sydney walked to her third period class, she replayed the conversation between her and Iris over and over. She wasn't quite sure how her friend had taken everything but, she was relieved to get all that off her chest. Some of the weight she was carrying had been lifted. 'Hopefully everything goes okay tonight.' she thought.

*

    The General's bronze coloured locks blew slightly in the musky breeze as he stared out of his office window. He couldn't help but admire the beauty of Guelder early in the morning. He enjoyed seeing his citizens arouse from slumber and start their days; the blacksmiths, the farmers, all of them. It reminded him of the new start he had achieved by killing off that last traitor.

'If only father could see me now' he thought and chuckled; the sound mimicking that of a snarling beast.

The General felt somehow revived; "Finally" he whispered, "finally."

    His emerald eyes glimmered as the rising sun reflected off of them. He was just about to start humming one of his favorite melodies when he heard the knob of his office door turning. Someone was here. He turned around just as his right hand man Rowan strutted in with a small procession of soldiers.

"Mornin' Sir!" his deep voice quickly filled the room, "I didn't want to bother you last night because you had mentioned that you didn't want to be disturbed but, one of our men have something to report."

"Proceed."

A young man in a Recans uniform, without the cloak, stepped out of line with the others and stated, "General Sir, yesterday evening we encountered a disturbance outside of Temes. There were two scoundrels trespassing in the forest and the Pods sniffed them out. We tried our best to apprehend them but, one got away."

"I see. Have you dealt with the other delinquent?"

"Yes Sir."

The General looked to Rowan and said, "It's unfortunate that we lost one of the trespassers, but why don't we just send out a looking squad for them?"

Rowan sighed, "Well, the situations more complicated than that."

"How so?"

Rowan leaned in and whispered, "You see, one of our men here states that the girl disappeared out of thin air."

"But that's preposterous!" replied the General.

"He assures us Sir that it's the truth."

"Well then, let me speak to this guy. Send out the other Recans."

"As you wish" Rowan replied. He promptly gestured one of the men to come forward and sent the others out. The heavy door made a loud clank noise as it closed. Only the three of them were left.

    The Recan left behind was a big guy, he was tall and broad. Although his facial expression was hard, it looked like he was having trouble maintaining it. He was clearly spooked.

The General cleared his throat and said, "Alright son, can you explain to us exactly what you saw?"

The Recan hesitated, his words came out as a croak, which was odd because his appearance was so intimidating, "Th-the girl. Sh-she disapp-p-peared."

"How? Start from the beginning."

There was a pause as the man regained his composure.

"We spotted a strange shoe in a clearing; the Pod was able to identify the owner. It was a strangely dressed girl and her friend. I've never seen attire like it Sir. Anyways, a chase then ensued..."

    The General's mind grew weary as he listened to the rest of the young man's story. He'd heard a similar one a long time ago; about eighty-five years if he wasn't mistaken. That was a more difficult time for the General; he was facing ridicule from his citizens and enduring his father's disappointment. All he had to comfort him was his own personal army, the Recans. They always had faith in him and fought for him. He remembered a day when a young lad like the one standing before him, came and told him a similarly outrageous story; a story about a strangely clothed girl that would appear and disappear all over the place. Her diction and gestures too differed from those of the people living in Cantertine.

    The girl's name was Helene; a strange name befitting of a strange girl. Upon further investigation the General was able to predict the girl's whereabouts and captured her. She was feisty but, after some prying he discovered that the silver chain around the girl's neck had acted as a gateway; one that transported the wearer back and forth between worlds; from Cantertine to an odd place called Earth. Apparently on Earth there was no magic, instead there was technology- whatever that was. This intrigued the General and he ended up creating an elaborate plan to steal the chain and use it for his own personal gain. He figured that if he could transport between the worlds, then he could bring forth magic and mystical creatures. People would either love him or fear him, resulting in him becoming their ruler. He would hold all the power and decide everything; he would rule an entire world! The General had felt giddy at the thought of what his father would think. 'That'll show you' he had thought.

    Too bad it didn't work out. Helene had disappeared soon after being caught, before the chain could be confiscated, and never returned. There weren't any more reports of her wandering around. This angered the General very much. How could he let an opportunity like that slip through his fingertips? He had never been able to forgive himself for it. The chance to rule a whole other world was too exquisite. He somehow moved on but, deep inside the General vowed that if he ever got the chance to do it again, he wouldn't mess it up.

The wide eyed Recan finished telling his story and let out a long breath. The General immediately snapped back to attention.

"Well, what do you think Sir?" asked Rowan.

    There was an awkward pause as the General looked from Rowan to the young man, and then back at Rowan. He brushed his maroon cloak back and unsheathed his sword. With a very serious expression the General asked Rowan, "Has this soldier told any others about the strange occurrence?"

"No Sir" Rowan answered with a confused look, staring at the newly exposed blade.

"Good."

    The young Recan cried out as the sharp steel sliced into his chest. The General pulled the blade back out with just as much force as he used to plunge it in, and the soldier's body immediately slumped forward, making a loud thump as it hit the ground. Rowan was shocked.

"S-sir?! Why?"

The General put away his sword, turned to his comrade, and said, "I won't let this opportunity pass. Do you remember what happened eighty-five years ago?"

"What-whatever do you mean Sir?"

"That girl! The chain! The gateway!" exclaimed the General.

Rowan's face lit up, "Oh my, I see it now! His story is just like the one from before."

"That's right."

"So what are we gonna do?"

The General walked closer toward Rowan until their faces were nearly touching and muttered, "There will be no mistakes this time. Only you and I must know of the plan, until we are in a stable enough position to reveal it. Do you understand?"

Rowan's gaze was unfaltering as he replied, "Yes Sir."

The General took a step back and stated, "Good, now let's dispose of this corpse."

 

6: V

 

       Sydney's hands were warm as she held the hot cup of cocoa that Iris' mom had so graciously given her a few minutes prior. Her comforting smile was something she had missed seeing since Grammy's passing.

      Iris was unusually calm as she sat beside  her friend on the comfortable sofa in her living room; they both remained silent as they sipped their cocoa. The only other sounds were coming from the kitchen as Iris' mom cleaned the dishes.

     As Sydney drank, her mind wandered to Tai. She hadn't wanted to think about her at first, but she knew that the pending thoughts wouldn't leave her mind until she brought them to the forefront.

‘Was Tai still alive?’

Oh no, she had done it. As soon as the question came up, she immediately regretted it. “No! How could someone who didn't even exist be alive?” she thought. Sydney's brain was about to go down in a spiral of insanity when she felt Iris' hand on her shoulder.

"Hey!" Iris urged as she shook Sydney, "I saw that look on your face."

"What look?"

"Oh come on, you were thinking about your dream again; weren't you?"

Sydney glanced at her feet and replied, "Well-"

"Well nothing." Iris interrupted, "Trust me, it was just a weird dream brought about by a little trauma after losing your grandmother."

Sydney's hands turned into fists as she glared at Iris angrily and exclaimed, "How could you say that?! You have no idea what I've been through! You don't know how it feels to-"

"Woah, woah! Calm down, I didn't mean that!" Iris stated reassuringly; immediately regretting what had just left her mouth.

Sydney slammed down her cocoa onto the coffee table, leaving splatters of dark liquid in an abstract pattern on the surface. Her brows were furrowed with rage as she continued to spew out every deep, dark issue that had been bothering her since the death of her grandmother. It took a few minutes of ranting but, by the end it was as if a giant weight had been lifted off of Sydney's shoulders. There was immense relief, and then exhaustion. She felt faint.

 

     Iris' eyes grew wide. In the midst of everything, her friend had started pacing back and forth rigidly and was now standing in one spot, slowly swaying from side to side. Iris was instantly distracted from her wounded moral; she put down her cocoa gently and went to aid her friend.

Iris put her arms out to steady Sydney and asked her, "Are you feeling okay?"

"I-I'm fine. I j-just need some rest" Sydney stammered.

"Okay, let's go upstairs and I'll prove to you once and for all that there's nothing to worry about."

"What are you talking about?" Sydney asked confusedly.

"You're going to sleep, with the chain on."

"No way!" Sydney yelled, "I can't! Grammy told me never to do that! Last night was just a mistake!"

Iris started walking toward the staircase and stated calmly, "Don't worry, I've got your back. Nothing's gonna happen to you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes" replied Iris, approaching the first step, "I'm gonna stop this mess right now. I don't like seeing you this way. You're my best friend Syd and I really care about you. "

Sydney grinned and said, "Thanks Iris. I knew I could count on you."

 

     As the two made their way to Iris' bedroom, Sydney instantly felt bad. How could she dump all of her problems on her friend like that? Iris hadn't done anything wrong. Sydney sighed and thought, “I need to make it up to her. I'll do it. I'll sleep with the chain on. Cantertine couldn't possibly be real, could it?”

   

  It was almost 8pm, and the shadows generating from the blinds of Iris' room were beginning to form an ominous pattern on the wall. Sydney was lying under Iris' pink sheets, staring at the ceiling; waiting. She fought the urge to stroke the silver chain around her neck for comfort, which was ironic because the chain was what caused her anxiety in the first place. Iris was focused on the homework that she had spread out all over her light mahogany desk. Before starting, she had instructed, "Okay Syd, just go to sleep and I'll watch over you."

 

     Sydney had been staring at the ceiling for almost half an hour now and was growing impatient. How could she still be awake? She was exhausted! It was like she hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. Obviously, her mind was blocking her from falling asleep; it was flooded with nervous thoughts and fears of the unknown. What was going to happen to her? Would anything happen to her? Was it real? Were Tai and those black hooded figures real?

 

     Iris looked up from her work and saw her friend’s blank stare. She said smugly, "I know what you need." and walked out of the room. She returned later with a steaming mug. Sydney hoped that it wasn't more hot cocoa, so was relieved to find out it was just herbal "sleepy tea". Sydney downed the tea quickly while Iris returned to her desk. The warm liquid coursing through her body made Sydney feel relaxed and calm. Her eyelids steadily grew heavy, and she eventually fell into a deep slumber.

 

*

 

      Sydney felt cold; the icy air sent chills throughout her entire body. “This dream is so vivid” she thought. Sydney held up her hands in front of her face and saw nothing; it was pitch black. Where was she? What was this place? She took a step forward cautiously and grazed her forehead on something rough; it felt like tree bark. Sydney stopped. She was paralyzed. Her hand was drawn toward the bruise on her forehead that she had covered up this morning. She flinched as her fingertip applied a slight pressure to it.

"No it can't be," Sydney whispered, "H-how? Wh-why?"

As her eyes readjusted to the darkness she could tell that she was in the last place she was from her dream the night before. Although this was odd, it didn't prove anything. “It couldn't!” she thought anxiously, “This couldn't possibly be true!” Sydney tried her best to remain calm and navigate her way through the underbrush. If she could just get to the dirt road and over to the town, then maybe she could find Tai; hypothetically of course. It was just a dream, right?

 

     It took a little while but, Sydney was eventually able to navigate through the forest and over to the road without much trouble. As she walked down the middle of the wide path, she began to feel exposed. Except for the occasional cricket chirp, it was silent and Sydney was all alone. The only thing to accompany her was the warped shadow of her silhouette, cast by the moonlight, trailing along behind her. She checked periodically for those figures with the dark hoods. “So far, so good” she thought relieved when she saw that nobody was following her. The will to find closure about Tai was what pushed Sydney to continue on. Roofs of buildings were starting to emerge as she drew closer to the town.

 

     Sydney felt a drop of wetness land on her arm as the dirt road transformed into a cobblestone street. The buildings that inhabited both sides of it were various shapes and sizes, almost medieval looking. There were a few dimly lit windows, but other than that it appeared as though whoever lived here was fast asleep. The streets remained vacant as more and more rain plummeted to the ground. Sydney's hair and clothing were getting drenched. Again, she ignored the vividness of the dream and continued on.

 

     Sydney observed the different features of each building, searching for anything that reminded her of Tai. She saw a small hut with a wooden sign perched overtop the entrance that read Potions & Elixirs. Sydney then observed some of the other signs as well; Charms for Charmers, Temes Best Blacksmith, Odds & Ends. As she continued to walk down the moonlit strip she noticed other structures, larger and made of stone, which looked to be houses. There seemed to be many of those placed in among the strange shops. She saw that pasted on the side of some of them were posters with the dark hooded figures on them wearing red badges that read, "THE GENERAL FIGHTS FOR YOU!" and below was a crescent with a blood red R in the center. She shuddered at the thought of running into one of those guys.

 

    The rain was getting heavier now as Sydney neared the end of the street. Her bare feet were starting to splash in the puddles that appeared beneath her. She was about to turn around and go back when she noticed something familiar. In the window next to her of a shabby building, was a cloak which had a delicate spiral pattern of emerald thread on it. The pattern looked exactly like the one Tai had had on her indigo cloak. “Could it be?” she wondered. It appeared to be a shop that had gone out of business with its seemingly worthless merchandise left behind. From the cloudy sign above, she could barely make out the letters, "MOM'S TAILORING SHOP”. “Was this the place that Tai's mother had worked before she was killed?” Sydney inquired. Her curiosity begged her to go inside and investigate further, when she heard heavy footsteps approaching from behind. Sydney abruptly felt her heart drop into her stomach.

 

      The Recan named Bevis who had been on patrol of the small town Temes for almost five hours now, was intrigued when he saw a strange person wandering around. He first spotted the girl while she was inspecting the different shop windows only minutes before, and decided to follow her; he had felt too tired to make an arrest for her being out past curfew. She had had on the oddest attire he'd thought; a short sleeved top with oversized bottoms. “Such a weird thing for a young girl to be wearing,” his mind had perceived.

As he stalked her to the end of the street, he felt his mouth go dry as he remembered something a comrade had mentioned to him earlier in the day, "If you see a strangely dressed girl with yellow hair you must apprehend her immediately and bring her to the General. Despite how difficult it may be to catch her, do not harm her. The General wants her alive and competent."  Then, it was as if something had awakened in Bevis; he woke up from his haze, unsheathed his blade and pursued the girl.

 

      Sydney turned around, and what she saw stole the breath from her lungs. It was a tall figure dressed in all black with a large hood that hid his face. Her eyes were drawn to the blood red badge of an "R" presented on his chest, and then to the gleaming blade he held in his left hand. She couldn't help but imagine that the water dripping off of it was blood. He was charging at her at a fast pace that quickened the beat of her heart with every step. Sydney felt the same way she had the night before, paralyzed. Then, without realizing it, her legs had moved out from under her. She was running. Sydney whipped around the corner of the tailoring shop. The Recan was closing in. Then suddenly, her feet were no longer on the ground and she was pulled into the shadows.  

    

*

 

     Iris' hand was starting to cramp up as she answered questions about Shakespeare's Macbeth. She had wanted to get through her homework quickly so, she had written faster than usual. She periodically glanced behind her to check on her friend. In the beginning, Sydney seemed too frazzled to fall asleep but, after Iris had given her the sleepy tea she had become more relaxed. As Iris turned her head this time, she fully expected to see Syd lying there fast asleep but, unfortunately that was not the case. Iris was shocked to see the empty sheets on her bed, still crinkled from Sydney’s body weight. Her brain was in shock, desperately searching for an answer. “Where could she have gone?!” her mind screamed. There was no possible way she could have snuck out; Iris' desk was right next to the door, and Sydney couldn't have gone out the window because Iris' bedroom was on the second floor. This was crazy! She was just there a second ago! Iris was panicking. She paced through her room; her palms were sweaty and shaking. She was afraid. She had no idea what to do. Iris refused to believe that this was true. How could someone travel into their own dreams? Even the thought of that freaked Iris out, she couldn't imagine how she would feel if it was actually true. “But it is true!” her minded blurted out.

 

      In the insanity of it all, Iris grabbed her cell phone and started dialing. She held back the urge to call 911 and report a missing person; she would be no good to Syd if she was in a mental institution. Instead, she called Logan. The two of them hadn't talked much since middle school when she, Sydney and Logan had been a tight-knit group but, she knew that he would have a solution. He always did. That was the way Logan was. When he answered, Iris immediately detected the surprise in his voice.

She took a deep breath and explained, "Logan I know this is gonna sound crazy but, Syd is missing."

"What?!" Logan responded confusedly.

"I don't know how to explain it. She was here a second ago in my room but, then she disappeared. I think something bad might have happened to her. I need your help."

"Just wait a minute! Is this some kinda joke?!"

"No, I'm serious!"

There was a pause, Iris could hear Logan’s sharp breathing on the other side of the line.

"Alright. I'm heading over to your place right now." Logan stated.

Iris felt a slight sense of relief and replied, "Thank you so much! I'll see you soon."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye"

      Iris hung up the phone and sat on her bed.  How could she let her friend be in danger like that? Regret flooded her senses. Her bodied shuddered when she felt that the covers were still warm. She really hoped that wherever Syd was, she was safe.  

 

*

      Imogen knew that she had to act quickly. When she saw that the yellow-haired girl was being pursued by the Recan, her instincts had immediately kicked in. As Sydney passed the secret entrance to the tailoring shop, Imogen reached her arms out of the shadows and grabbed her. Before Sydney even knew what was going on, the secret door had been closed gently in front of her. Everything was dark and she couldn't speak. The fight or flight instincts were slowly draining from Sydney's body and exhaustion was again, becoming prevalent.  She could barely make out the features of her savior but, was grateful to be out of harm’s way. The two girls were like stone as the intense footsteps passed.

 

      The crackling of lightning made Sydney flinch and she suddenly became self conscious of the enormous amount of water dripping off of her. When Imogen was sure that the Recan was gone, she lit a lantern and turned to face the strange girl. She saw her sitting there shaking, with both arms criss-crossed over her chest.

Sydney took a deep breath and stated gratefully, "Thank you for saving me." Her mind was still trying to wrap itself around what had just happened. Who was this girl? And why did she save her? Could she even be trusted? The lantern had helped her to get a better view of where she was. It looked to be the interior of the abandoned shop where Tai's mom worked. Sydney glanced at her savior and noticed that she had wildly curly dark hair and light skin. Her eyes were warm and her smile was inviting. "This girl can't be dangerous" she thought.

"It's no problem." Imogen replied with a grin, "I had to make sure they didn't get you."

Sydney grew nervous and inquired, "Who? Those guys dressed in black?"

"Yes, the Recans."

"Recans?" Sydney paused, "But why would you risk yourself to save me?"

Imogen looked toward a cluster of dusty cloaks and explained, "Because you are Tai's friend, and any friend of hers is a friend of mine,” she paused briefly and continued, “You see, when we were younger everyone penalized Tai for being able to manipulate objects to create sound."

"You mean the Minstrel Magic?"

"Yes" Imogen continued, "I was one of the only people, along with Tai's mother, who nurtured and supported her gift; and then you came along and immediately accepted her with open arms. That meant so much to her. She would often run off to practice in the forest to escape the harassment, which is where she met you, I believe."

Sydney was stunned. Then, a light bulb went off in her mind, "Wait, if you know so much about me, then you must have had some contact with Tai! You must know where she is! Is she okay?"

From the look in Imogen's eye, Sydney could tell that she had bad news. Her heart sank as Imogen explained what had happened.

 

      After Sydney had run off into the underbrush, Tai and the Recan were alone.  A brawl had ensued. Tai had grabbed the nearest thing to her and started playing.  She had to distract the bastard long enough for her new friend to get away, and then when she had the chance, she would escape too. Her eyes shined violet as her fists banged on the stone she'd just grabbed off of the forest floor. The Recan put his hands to ears to lower the volume of the intense noise but, couldn't prevent the body rattling effect of the vibration. His sword fell from his hands and hit the ground. Tai was invigorated as the power flowed through her. She had so badly wanted to finish off this monster right here and now, but knew that it wouldn't accomplish the goal that she ultimately wanted to achieve. No; she would save that sweet revenge for the General himself. Then, just as she was about to drop the drum, she was ambushed from behind by a bombardment of dark hooded figures. Tai was instantly shackled and thrown into a small cage befitting of a small animal.

 

      The enormous amount of power she had just expended had caused Tai to go unconscious. She was passed out for a while as they took her toward the ominous castle inhabited by the General. When she gained consciousness again, she saw the red flags bellowing from the towers.  They mocked her as she lay limp and helpless in her tiny prison. Despite her desperate attempt to remain strong, Tai was afraid. What was going to happen to her? She really didn’t want to think of the worst case scenario. They wouldn’t execute her, would they?

 

      When they neared the castle, the Recans took a swift left turn down a graveled path leading to a giant rock. “Is that a cave?” Tai wondered nervously. At their arrival, a Recan lifted her cage off of the Pods back and along with another man, carried her through the heavy metal doors and into the dark gaping hole that enveloped the forefront of the rock. Inside, they stood in what seemed to represent a foyer, and leading from it she could see various tunnels and hallways. As they removed her from the cage, they explained that she had been arrested for trespassing on private land. “These idiots think they own the whole frikkin’ universe!” Tai had thought, annoyed. She resisted the urge to fight back as they led her down a narrow corridor and into a small cell with a hard wooden bench.

 

     She had heard stories about this place. It was the Cantertine Village Jail; Tai had assumed that she'd been taken to the Temes section. People from her village had been arrested before for stupid crimes that broke the irrational laws of the precious General. As they closed the barred cell door, Tai’s fear was quickly turning into anger. How long were they going to hold her here for trespassing? She looked out of the tiny rectangular, poor excuse for a window, beside her and sighed.

 

      Sydney felt a lump growing in her throat as Imogen explained what had happened. Tai had been arrested and taken to that horrible place because of her. She had sacrificed her freedom, for her.

She held back tears as she said, "I can't believe this. It's terrible. "

Imogen nodded.

"But if Tai's in jail then how did you talk to her?" Sydney asked.

"Well, despite all of the General's oppressive laws, he does allow prisoners to have visitors,” Imogen scoffed then continued, “It's probably so that the visitor will hear the prisoners story and become fearful, thus making them more obedient in the future."

"I see"

"Yeah. When I got to the visit, Tai told me what had happened with you and urged me to protect you. I asked her why she was so persistent but, she was very vague with her answer. She told me that if you came back that I had to make sure that you weren't arrested."

"Wow, she really does care about me" said Sydney, amazed.

"Yeah, and also, Tai hates seeing the corrupt government get their way." Imogen stated with a smirk.

Sydney uncrossed her arms and asked, "So what now?"

"I should return you home. Where is it that you live again?"

Sydney's hand immediately was drawn to the silver chain; she had a moment of panic when she thought it wasn't there. "Well, it's kind of a long story" she said.

Imogen raised her eyebrows in confusion and replied, "Hmmm, we have some time now if you wanna share."

So Sydney explained the entire situation with Grammy and the chain, and how her friend had thought she was crazy. Imogen's reaction was definitely a lot better than the one she’d gotten from Iris.

"I see, so the chain is a gateway activated by the wearer being unconscious. Very interesting; and this chain transports you to another world. That is brilliant."

"I guess" replied Sydney in a daze. Her mind was wandering to thoughts of how Grammy had gotten a hold of the chain in the first place. All of this fantastical stuff was so overwhelming.  She decided to push away those thoughts for now and focus on her current situation, returning home.

"Will Tai be alright?" Sydney inquired.

Imogen stood up and said, "Yeah, she should be released in a few days. Trespassing punishment isn't too severe around here. It's more of a pet peeve if anything." She walked towards the back of the shop and stated, "Wait here."

When she returned she was carefully holding a tiny bowl. It appeared to have some kind of liquid in it.

"It is a special elixir to help you sleep," explained Imogen, "While I have no magical abilities, my knowledge of potion and elixir crafting is quite extensive.” Before handing the bowl to Sydney, she led her to a small corner with four pillows sprawled out. "I want you to be comfortable before you leave." she said.

 

     Sydney sat on the first cushion, took the bowl from Imogen and drank. She was hesitant but, knew she had to do this. At the same time, she couldn’t believe how well Imogen had taken everything. The elixir tasted bitter at first, and then sweet. She could instantly feel the effects of the liquid. Imogen watched as Sydney grew more and more lethargic; her eyelids drooped and her body slumped onto the four pillows below her. Before Sydney passed out, she was sure she could see a dark figure standing behind Imogen. She tried to fight the elixirs effect to get a better look but, was unsuccessful. "It was probably just a shadow," she concluded as her mind plummeted into darkness.

 

 

7: VI

    â€‹How long have I been here? Tai's mind was swarming with anxieties that stung like hornets.  She was back in her cell after her day-long excursion to the basement. Her visit with Imogen the previous night had given her a glimmer of hope that she might return to the outside world soon, but that flame was quickly doused early this morning.

 

            The Recans had shackled and dragged her out of her cell and left her sitting in a depressed room even deeper underground. "Will I ever feel the sun on my skin again?" Tai had thought despairingly. She had been forced to sit on a tattered wooden stool- the memory of the splintered surface against her body  made Tai shudder- she was confused and aggravated at the entire situation; all of which was elevated when a familiar face walked into the room. It was Rowan; the devil's sidekick himself. His face was like stone as he approached her. She glared into his dark eyes, hoping that it would somehow injure his soul. He paced in circles around her. Tai scoffed at his intimidation tactic; could the General's puppet not come up with something better?

"I fail to see what's so humorous about this situation." Rowan stated dryly, stopping mid-pace directly in front of Tai.  

"And what situation would this be exactly? Why did you bring me here?"

"Well, you were trespassing." replied Rowan.

"Yes, but why would you go through the trouble of separating me from the others if all this was about was my trespassing charge?" Tai smirked.

Rowan was amused. This girl's fate was clearly in the hands of him and his men, yet she still seemed unscathed.

"I see. Then let's get right to it then." Rowan paused, ordered the guards to wait outside the door, and continued. He leaned in closer to Tai and stated, "My men reported there being two girls out in the forest, one of which was oddly dressed. You must remember to whom I am referring?"

Tai said nothing and remained composed. 

Rowan let out an elongated sigh and continued, "Don't be so quiet, I'm intrigued to hear what you have to say."

Nothing.

"Alright then. Let me rephrase that; the other girl, the one that disappeared out of thin air, where is she?"

Tai's mouth went dry. What was this man talking about? Disappear out of thin air? Sydney had run off, leaving her with the Recan but, what had happened to her afterwards was still a mystery to Tai. Her expression was faltering.

 

"'I've struck a chord, haven't I?" Rowan chuckled fiendishly. He could tell from the poor girls’ eyes that she had some deep connection with the runaway; knowing this would definitely make this whole process easier. He began pacing again and stated, "I need you to tell me everything you know about this girl immediately. I would hope that you would willingly divulge this information but, if not, I have other means of collecting it. "

 

     Tai's heart was pounding. She didn't know what was going on. Her mind was fighting itself, wondering whether to just tell this animal what he wanted to know, or to protect one of the only people that had embraced her abilities full heartedly.  Rowan had stopped pacing, this time he was standing behind her. She could feel the sweat enveloping her palms. Her breathing was becoming sharp. She wanted to turn and face her foe but, at the same time didn't want to provoke him any further.

"Come on let's hear it!" Rowan exclaimed.

Tai's mouth opened but, no words emerged from her parted lips.

Rowan waited shortly and after what felt like a millennia for Tai, stated "I assume I won't be getting much information from you like this. What a shame, for you. I could care less either way."

"Either way?!" Tai's mind screamed. What was that supposed to mean? Then, before Tai could even blink, the air in front of her had changed colour.

 

      Rowan had presumed that the girl would not talk; especially judging by the way she was acting before. So, he had been forced into using his best information gathering strategy, The Revealer charm. The one inflicted with it never stood a chance. It was a powder that had been woven with a truth telling spell that turned it green. Whoever ingested it is instantly forced into revealing the truth in everything they say.

 

             Tai was coughing wildly. She had suddenly been surrounded by an emerald cloud of dust and could feel the particles lodging on to her throat. What was going on?!

 

"Now, I'm only going to ask you to do this one more time. Tell me everything you know about this girl." Rowan stated solemnly.

"I only met her in that same day." Tai started, shocked at the words automatically leaving her mouth, "She was so nice, even admiring me. I didn't care about her strange garments, which I remember her saying were from Canada. I didn't ask her any more about where she was from though, besides that."

Tai's head slumped in defeat.

Rowan glared at Tai and asked, "Really? That's all you know of her?"

 

             Tai shuddered as her mind was shot back into reality. Reliving that brutal morning had sent a shiver up her spine. She didn't want to remember anymore of the hours of questioning she had endured. All her mind was focused on now was leaving the jail and warning Sydney.

 

When she had spoken to Imogen the previous day, she had given a request for her to watch over her new friend but, with what Tai knew now, Sydney definitely needed protection. Rowan seemed intensely intrigued by Sydney and this worried Tai greatly. She didn't know what the General was planning but, she knew it was dangerous.

 

             Tai let out an elongated sigh as she continued to wait for any news of freedom.

 

*

 

Sydney's body felt like lead as she awoke startled in Iris' bed. She was alone. Her head was pounding and the room had begun to spin. "What was in that elixir?" she wondered.

 

            When she was finally able to compose herself, Sydney heard a familiar voice from out in the hall. "Logan!" she thought excitedly. Her feet felt cold as they hit the icy floor. She had made it from the bed to the hall in less than two seconds.

 

             Logan's heart nearly stopped when he saw her. He had been listening to Iris ramble on for nearly three hours now about the disappearing act that Sydney had managed to pull off. He couldn't believe what he'd heard and yet was worried sick. "Nobody can just disappear." he had thought sternly, but all of that was halted when he saw Sydney's smiling face.

"Oh my goodness what are you doing here?!" Sydney exclaimed as her and Logan embraced. His arms around her were comforting.

They separated and immediately Iris yelled, "Where were you?! How could you do that to me?! I was so worried about you!" while at the same time squeezing the life out of her friend. 

 

            When Iris finished scolding, Sydney turned to them and said, "I'm sorry. I guess I was telling the truth after all." She turned to Logan and then back at Iris and asked, "How much does he know?"

"Just that you disappeared." Logan replied while running his fingers through his dark hair.

"I see." Sydney stated. "How about we go somewhere comfortable to talk about this?"

"Well my mom is visiting my aunt tonight so; we have the house to ourselves. We could go to the living room." Iris suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Sydney replied.

 

             The three made their way to the living room in silence. It was as if the excitement of seeing each other after all of the stress and worry, had drained their energy.

 

            Logan was confused as he sat on Iris’ sofa cuddled up beside Sydney. “Was this some kinda’ joke?” his mind kept repeating. He was elated to see his best friend and soon-to-be girlfriend out of harm’s way but, at the same time he couldn’t comprehend what she was explaining to him.

 "So this chain," Logan paused, took a deep breath and continued, "it can transport you to another world?"

"Yes it's a gateway." Sydney replied with a serious expression. She felt the nervousness well up inside her as she saw the beguiled expressions on her friend’s faces.

 

      Iris was tightly clutching one of the pillows from the chair she was sitting on beside the sofa. Even though she had heard Sydney explain this to her before, she was more afraid this time. Her tone was more serious. This time, there was proof.

 

"I know that you guys probably think I sound utterly insane right now but-" Sydney started.

"Stop it!" interrupted Iris, "This situation is definitely insane; but you are NOT!  I'm sorry I didn't believe you before but, when you disappeared I was so scared. I felt so guilty for forcing you to do what you did. I should've never made you sleep with the chain on. "

Sydney left Logan's side and squeezed in next to Iris on the chair. "It's alright" she said in a soothing voice, "It wasn't your fault."

Tears were streaming down Iris' face as she stuttered, "I-It was-sn't m-my f-fault?"

"No of course not; how could you have known? I mean, I even convinced myself that it wasn't real."

"It'll be okay Iris." Logan said gently, still not knowing exactly what to think about all of this.  Unlike the other girls, he hadn't witnessed any proof.

 

     Sydney got up and stated, "How about you stay here while Logan and I make some hot tea for everyone. What do you think?"

Iris nodded in agreement and began to clear some of the wetness from her face.

 

     Logan eagerly left his place on the couch and followed Sydney into the kitchen.

 

*

 

          "Where am I?" Bevis muttered. He remembered that he had been chasing one of the most wanted fugitives through the streets of Temes, and he was really close to catching her. In fact, he had traced her to the abandoned garment shop. Bevis distinctly remembered shoving another girl out of the way and grabbing onto the strangely dressed girl. He knew that for sure, because he recalled at the time wondering why she appeared to be sleeping.

 

He had caught her! Hadn't he?

 

            Bevis scanned the area cautiously. It was night-time. He appeared to be standing in a fenced off square flooded with grass and flowers. In front of him was a building; it looked to be two stories and constructed from a brick-like material. Its style was one he didn't recognize from anything he'd been exposed to in Cantertine. Not to mention the vibrant lights illuminating from the inside.

 

                Around him were similar buildings, with tall rods standing in the front that emitted light. Even though this confused Bevis, he was grateful for the extra light because now he would be able to find the girl a lot easier. He was not going to fail this mission.

He unsheathed his blade and muttered, "I will find you."

 

            Bevis put on his dark hood to shield his face, and went off in pursuit of his prey.

 

*

 

      

             Sydney was relieved to finally be alone with Logan. She felt as if she hadn't seen him in months, even though it had only been a day or two. Looking into his icy blue eyes made her feel reassured. They both smiled at each other awkwardly, not really knowing what to say as they waited for the kettle to boil. 

The silence was broken when Logan joked, "So are you like some kind of super explorer now? Do you have to defeat the big boss?"

Sydney chuckled nervously and didn't reply. She hadn't mentioned the Recans to her friends; she thought she'd scared them enough already.

"So what kind of tea do we want?" Logan asked while scanning through the cupboards.

Sydney placed a lock of her golden blonde hair behind her ear and answered, "Anything's fine."

"Chai tea it is."

More silence.

"Okay, can you really tell me what you think about all of this? You didn't say very much in there." Sydney stated while gesturing to the living room. 

 

             Logan didn't know exactly how to reply. He leaned up against the counter and eventually said, "This sounds very corny but, my heart thinks what you're saying is true but, my mind doesn't. Do you follow?"

"I guess so." Sydney replied with a sigh. She was about to say something else, when all of a sudden the kettle was at its peak and there was glass everywhere. The screaming of the kettle had masked the sound of the kitchen window being smashed.

 

            Logan's heart was racing and he immediately grabbed Sydney to shield her.  The pair shuffled over to the mess cautiously. Someone had thrown a rock through the glass.

 

There was another loud crash, and a deep voice bellowed from behind them, "HALT! Hand her over now!"

 

             Sydney couldn't feel her limbs as Logan turned their bodies to face the intruder. He’d used the rock as a diversion to blast through the back door. She wanted so desperately to at least stroke the chain for comfort but, couldn't get her arms to move; this paralysis was becoming all too familiar.

 

            The sight of a black-cloaked figure with a massive sword shocked Logan. "What the heck was going on?!" his mind wondered frantically. He noticed the maroon logo on his chest and presumed that possibly it was a gang attack but, that idea was completely shot when he realized that a) this was too good of a neighborhood and, b) since when did gang members carry swords?

 

"I'm warning you! If you don't hand her over I will arrest you for harbouring a wanted fugitive." yelled the Recan menacingly. He took a few steps forward toward the pair.

"Arrest me?!" Logan screamed, "What are you talking about?!"

Sydney couldn't speak. It was like there was no air left in her lungs.

"Alright, if you get in the way boy I'm going to have to kill you." Bevis stated as he raised his sword.

 

            Logan was starting to get very angry. He had no idea what was happening but, what right did this guy have to barge in here and start uttering death threats?!

 

            Then, suddenly the blade was heading right for his head. Logan abruptly shoved Sydney to the ground and dodged the attack. He felt like he was in a video game; it was a mix of fear, adrenaline and excitement. The blade was heading for him again so, instinctively, Logan grabbed a steel pan from the counter and used it to shield himself. The sound created from the two hard materials making contact hurt his ears.

 

            "I'm not giving up!" Bevis muttered as he placed more pressure on his sword. "This kid doesn't stand a chance." he thought certainly. He continued to apply more pressure, and the dark haired boys arms had started to shake. The pan was instantly flung all the way to the other side of the kitchen.  Bevis chuckled fiendishly. He struck the boy in his right arm, with enough force causing him to fly into the wall back-first; knocking him out. Blood was getting all over his clothes and the floor.

 

            Bevis continued to chuckle as he made his way over to the girl. She was sitting limp on the floor with her eyes wide.

"I've got you now." he murmured evilly.

 

             "This is it." Sydney thought, terrified. She stared at the Recan in defeat, knowing that in just a few seconds, she would be taken.

 

8: VII

        Sydney's hands shook in fear as her heart raced. Her body was immobile on the cold floor as the large cloaked figure approached her. "This is it." her mind repeated. The Recan was only a few feet away from her now; his sword was raised threateningly as if to deter her from making any form of escape.

 

Then suddenly a loud, "CLANG!" sounded abruptly from behind the man.

 

               Sydney watched in horror as the body of her enemy all of a sudden slumped towards her, landing on the ground with a huge, "Thud!” He had just missed her by a few inches; she stared at the now unconscious body lying beside her in confusion. What happened?!

 

               Her eyes were immediately drawn to Logan, still lifeless against the wall, and then back to where the Recan had just been on his feet.

"Iris?!" Sydney exclaimed, glaring in bewilderment at her friend who was standing there with the frying pan still perched over her head. "Y-You did it! You stopped him!"

"I-I wa-what?" Iris stuttered in shock. She was so confused.

 

               Moments earlier, Iris had been recovering from her little outburst when she heard the commotion coming from the kitchen.  She saw the black cloaked figure pointing the sword at Logan and Sydney, and was terrified.  At first, she had no idea what to do but then, the frying pan had been flung in her direction.  It took all of her courage not to turn and run the other way; she had to save her friends. She figured out a plan; Iris had had enough of being scared.  Her hands were quivering as she snuck up behind the intruder but, somehow she was able to get a sturdy grip as she smacked him upside the head with the frying pan; knocking him out.

 

"I-I c-can't believe it." Iris stated. "I did it."

Sydney's legs buckled as she rose to her feet. She carefully removed the pan from her friend’s hands and said, "I'm so sorry."

Iris put her arms around Sydney, who was now trying to hold back tears but, was unsuccessful. Iris could barely make out what she was saying through her sobs.

 

               Sydney's face was red hot from fear, embarrassment and guilt. Her tears were emerging so fast that they had begun to sting her eyes. She was trying to apologize but, nothing that came out of her mouth even resembled a word, so she gave up. The two stood embracing each other for a while. Sydney had wished that Grammy would be there to comfort her, but that option was impossible.

 

               When they had regained some sense of self, Sydney finally yelled, "Logan!" dropped the frying pan, and went over to his side. She kneeled down next to him, inspecting his wound in the process. His right arm had been sliced open and blood was still pouring out.

"We have to stop the bleeding." Sydney instructed, attempting to stay composed. She knew she could easily fall back into a panicked state if she wasn't careful. Now wasn't the time for sitting around, Logan's life was on the line, and it was all her fault.

Iris grabbed a first-aid kit and hurried over. She applied some sort of medicine to help prevent infection and then sealed the wound with a cloth that would apply pressure and help slow the bleeding.

"The wound actually isn't extensively deep," Iris stated, "He will need stitches but, it's not life-threatening."

 

Sydney let out a long sigh of relief; all of that blood had made her think the worst. 

 

Iris stood up and said, "We should get him to the ER as quickly as possible."

"But what about him?" Sydney asked nervously, gesturing toward the fallen soldier. She was surprised that Iris hadn't demanded an explanation about his presence already; but then again, Logan's life was definitely the main priority right now.

 

"Don't worry, I've got an idea." Iris stated with a smirk.

 

                            *

 

               Logan was slowly regaining consciousness and was confused about his surroundings. It was dark, and scenery was flashing rapidly before his eyes; he was in a car. He winced in pain as he noticed the intense throbbing of his arm.

A familiar voice soothed him, "Hey Iris! I think he's waking up!" exclaimed Sydney.

"Really? That's great!" sounded Iris cheerfully from behind the wheel; Logan was seated behind her.

Logan looked into Sydney's blue-green eyes and asked, "Wh-what h-happened?"

"You don't remember?" Sydney replied confused, her body still turned to face him; she had been sitting with him in the back seat, ensuring that he was okay.

Then, it was as if his mind was hit by a tidal wave as Logan recollected everything that had happened at the house. "How did you guys escape the intruder?!"

"It's kind of a long story" explained Sydney.

"Well that part actually isn't.” Iris chuckled, "I knocked the guy out with a frying pan."

Logan was in utter disbelief. Iris? Really? That was insane. "No way!" he replied.

"Yep!"  Sydney confirmed. Iris continued to giggle away; it seemed that the shock of the situation was wearing off on her.

 

Sydney clutched the silver chain between her fingertips and continued, "That's not all she did."

 

Logan listened intensively as Sydney explained what had happened. Iris had thought up a clever plan to get rid of the strange intruder, and to account for his injury and the damage to her house. Apparently, explaining that the damage was caused by an evil soldier from another world wouldn't be a good idea.

 

               While Sydney was watching over Logan, Iris had made a convincing call to 911 saying that a stranger had broken into her house and hurt one of her friends. The authorities had arrived within minutes and apprehended the semi-conscious Bevis. He came around as soon as the handcuffs were snapped on. The confusion and shock was clearly depicted in his facial expression, which was visible due to the dark hood being lifted off of his face. It took three officers to force him into the back of the squad car. Iris' mom was called back to the house to deal further with the police while the teens drove Logan to the hospital.

 

"Wow" Logan sighed and leaned back in his seat. He had missed a lot but, he was relieved that everyone was safe. "So this wasn't just a regular criminal, huh?"

"That's right" affirmed Sydney.

Iris, with her eyes still focused on the road lit up by the Honda's headlights, stated "I didn't want to bother you with this earlier because of all the commotion but, now that it’s calmed down a bit, could you explain more about this intruder Syd?"

 

Sydney extended her hand toward Logan's, and while clasping it, said genuinely, "I’ll answer that in a minute, but first of all, I just want to say thank you for defending me," Logan felt as though Syd was staring into his soul as she continued, "I don't know what would've happened if he’d gotten to me right away."

Logan blushed and replied humbly, "It was nothing, seriously. Iris was the one who defeated him."

Sydney tightened her grasp and stated urgently, "Logan, without your quick thinking, Iris wouldn't even have been able to get her hands on that frying pan."

"Yeah!" Iris shouted in agreement.

Logan just smiled, but on the inside he was upset. He wished he felt heroic but, the truth was, he felt guilty. He wasn't able to protect one of the most important people to him. The wound in his arm was a constant reminder of that. The statement, "I am weak." repeated like a broken record, over and over in his mind. All he wanted at that moment was to do everything he could to become stronger. If only he'd known that his friends shared the same insecurities.

 

Sydney let go of Logan's hands and continued in a more serious tone, "You guys are right about the intruder, he's no ordinary criminal; he is a Recan."

"A Recan? What is that? You didn't mention anything about this before." Iris inquired.

"I know." Sydney sighed, "I already knew how crazy I sounded, so I left out a lot of the details."

"Like what?"

“Well, these Recans are a part of some corrupted organization that rule over Cantertine. They are led by a man who goes by the alias, "The General". The first time I was in Cantertine, I met a magical girl in the forest, her name was Tai." - Sydney winced as soon as the name left her mouth -"When the Recans tried to capture us she distracted them so I could escape, and now she's being imprisoned. Then, a few hours ago I was wandering around a town and that dark cloaked guy came after me. I was rescued by one of Tai's friends who helped me to get back here. But I have no idea how the Recan was transported along with me."

 

Logan didn't know what to say, he was deep in thought.

 

"So what are you going to do now?" questioned Iris.

Sydney didn't need to ponder the answer, "I have to go back."

Iris was in shock, the car swerved a bit to the left before she snapped back into attention.

"You can't be serious!" Logan exclaimed, "You said it yourself, it's dangerous!"

"Why?!" yelled Iris, "Why not just destroy the chain and forget about it?!"

Sydney glanced out the window and explained, "I doubt something this powerful can be destroyed, otherwise I'm positive Grammy would've gotten rid of it years ago. She obviously took it upon herself to not let it fall into the wrong hands, and now that duty has been passed down to me. And besides, I can't abandon Tai." She took a deep breath and continued, "I know I only knew her for a short time but, we had this instant connection, like we knew each other a long time. If it weren't for her I wouldn't be here right now. I know she's in danger; the General is planning something big and she's gotten caught up in it because of me. She saved my life, and now it’s time for me to save hers. I'm tired of being scared and running away. This time, I'm not going to run away."

 

               The three sat in a reluctant silence as they pulled into the hospital parking lot. It seemed like the decision had already been made.

 

*

 

Rowan sighed as he examined the blank parchment in front of him. He was sitting in his office, which was about half the size of the General's. It was lined with multiple bookshelves’ that reached the ceiling and was lit by a dripping hot wax candle. He had just gotten back from reporting to the General about his interrogation with the trespasser, during which he was told to document a secret record of every detail regarding the chain. The General didn't want to miss any information that could help him obtain the silver treasure this time around. Now Rowan would have to write out everything that the resilient girl had said. "Her name was Tai, wasn't it?" his mind questioned, and then shrugged it off.

 

               In his hand he gripped a quill, and dipped it delicately into the ink pot that was placed in front of him.  As he wrote, his mind wandered to the past.

 

               Rowan had been friends with the General since childhood. They had bonded over the fact that they both had no magical abilities, and became very close. Rowan had been there when Maxwell's neglect was the strongest. This had meant the world to the General. In the beginning, no one understood why the two boys were friends, since the General's family was so prestigious and Rowan was just a mere orphan but, that never bothered the boys. It was as if the General had taken in Rowan as a form of gratitude for being so supportive. Their deep relationship had continued to grow immensely over time and developed into that of two brothers. They seemed to owe each other everything. As the General's power grew, Rowan continued to remain loyal at his side.

     

               Rowan smiled as he remembered how much simpler being young was; there was hardly as much responsibility. Now it seemed like there was an overwhelming pressure to maintain authority over Cantertine. This was especially the case for the General; the pressure to surpass his father was exponential. At one point, it was getting so bad that Rowan could hardly stand being around his comrade. Rowan had thought that the death of Fendrel Emory would cause the General to finally be satisfied and allow him to return to his normal self but, the reappearance of the chain had given him a new standard to reach, and he wouldn't be appeased until he surpassed it. Rowan knew that the General would never be happy if he always wanted more.

 

        The dazzling shine of the mysterious white shoe lying on the corner of his desk brought Rowan back to reality. It was the one that the Pods had sniffed out when the mysterious girl was first spotted. "How could someone walk around in footwear that elevated them so high off of the ground?" he wondered. His eye was drawn back to the parchment paper, and Rowan noticed he'd only been able to fill about half of it. "That'll have to do." he thought. The prisoner really hadn't known much about where the yellow-haired girl had come from and the chain. Rowan contemplated why the General hadn't ordered the prisoner's death yet; he'd killed that soldier the other day almost effortlessly for witnessing the girl's disappearing act, so why did he leave this person unscathed?

 

                Rowan's mind continued to search for an answer as he completed the finishing details of the document.