The Island With No Parallel

Revett (Part 2)

Yunara tried to think quickly. Then she remembered the items the Ancient Ones gave her.

“What happened to Yunara?” Kailu exclaimed.

Manuel didn’t understand what she was talking about until he realized that Yunara was gone. He looked around, but didn’t see her anywhere.

Then, over the father appeared a sword of water that pierced one of the riders through the side. It reformed into a spear and went through another’s horse, the horse screaming and running away a short distance before falling over, taking it’s rider with it. The third horse was startled by all the ruckus, rearing its rider off and running off into the woods behind the house. Yunara appeared, bringing the water back into her hand as a sword, standing over Kailu’s father with a handkerchief in her hand.

The rider that remained tried to swing at Yunara. She held up a shield, and was startled as an orb of protection appeared in the air around her for the instant that the sword made contact with the shield, the Dark One’s blade bouncing off of her, the Dark One recoiling. So that’s what Fernando was talking about. But she didn’t have time to admire the amazing properties of of the shield. She replaced the handkerchief over her face, vanishing as she did. The sword floated in the air alone, fighting with the hog.

The Dark One hovering over Manuel howled, pounding his chest, then tried to come swooping down with it’s heavy blades. Manuel rolled to the side and got on his feet. The Dark One came at him with both swords, Manuel having to switch to defence more than offence. His movements were concentrated on fluid blocks. Then Manuel shouted as one of the Dark One’s blades found flesh on his shoulder. Kailu came in from the sword with a long slice that cut into the Dark One’s side. It squealed and tried to swing at her, but she easily blocked the strike. Manuel used the as much strength as he could to take advantage of the moment and deliver a lethal upward slice to the neck that sent it to the floor.

Just then a watery blade emerged from the back of the Dark One Yunara fought invisibly, and it fell to the floor beside Kailu’s father. Yunara took off her handkerchief and became visible again.

At that moment, a crow’s screaming went out again. As the crow shrieked, it tickled a memory of Yunara’s. But she couldn’t think of why. Just then she realized the smell of smoke had filled the air. Below them, the town was up in flames. The screams of people sounded throughout the air. And more Dark Ones were on their way.

Manuel said, “We can’t face the entire army like this. We have to leave.”

Kailu said, “How can we leave my father here?”

“I don’t know if we have to fight the army,” Yunara said all of a sudden.

“What do you mean?” asked Manuel.

“Look.” she pointed to the air above the village, perhaps a dozen crows were circling. Their high-pitched screams filled the smoke-filled air. She remembered why the crow’s call stood out to her now.

“What about them?”

Yunara didn’t answer. She looked up at the crow that was circling above them now. In a moment, the water in her hands formed a bow and arrow, and she took aim. A watery arrow took flight, and and curved to follow the crow as it tried to fly away. The arrow pierced it, and the crow fell to the ground.

Yunara looked back down at the village. The monsters that were on their way up the hill towards them had vanished into smoke. Manuel was left with his mouth open.

“I knew it,” she said. “I thought I recognized these Dark Ones. I remember seeing them when I was a little girl. The crows control them. Their calls are instructions. The crows are the real enemy. They’re Dark Ones too. These are just their minions.”