"Toivo! When are we going to reach?" Galena asked for the sixth time.
Toivo sighed, "Just a few more steps, Galena". He took a final turn into a quiet and dark alleyway.
Roaches crawling, sounds of wild street animals and the smell of dirty trash filled the most disgusting alleyway we have stepped feet in. No sign of a person anywhere.
"Toivo, Are you sure this is a good place to be at?" Galena asked worriedly, looking around and seeing a person staring out of a window at us.
"Not, but don't worry we will not be here for too long." Toivo replied "Oh! And be cautious, the place we are going to will not be as welcoming as we may think."
He took out a harmonica from his pocket and played a not-so-melodious tune. Suddenly, a gush of wind escaped from the barred sewers below us. It revolved around us, slowly turning into a tornado. The ground beneath our feet started to break and created a hole but we didn't fall because we were held up in the air by the powerful winds.
"Toivo! What did you do now?!" I screamed but he didn't reply instead gave me a sly smile on his face.
The wind took us through the hole which was filled with dense white fog before dropping us there. Toivo made a perfect land with Flubber back in his hands, Galena didn't land perfectly but still better than me because...well-I landed straight on my face of course.
"Ouch," I exclaimed, rubbing my nose as I stood up.
We were surrounded by the thick white fog and stood with our backs again each other, so we won't get away from each other and lost in the thick fog.
"What exactly are we doing here?" I questioned in a feeble voice 'cause of the eerie silence.
"Stay Alert!" Toivo warned, taking out a sword from his pocket.
Galena took out her dagger from her satchel, ready for the unknown threat Toivo was talking about. I too stood my ground, prepared with my fist weaker than one of a rat, clueless about what was happening.
An arrow out of nowhere swiftly came towards Toivo, ready to hit him at the back of his head but Galena sprinted and sliced the arrow half in mid-air using her dagger.
"Extranscer!" Galena murmured, extending her dagger into a sword as many more arrows started to shoot toward us. We were unable to see who was shooting it but we knew we had to protect ourselves.
Galena and Toivo swung their blades, slicing the arrows as they came. And I stood there scared like a wet cat, covering my head with my arms out of fear of getting shot.
Swish!
An arrow sharply came towards me, it would have hit me if I wouldn't have ducked and dodged the arrow.
I need to do something too to protect myself! Or else I will become the aim board of these arrows.
I started to search over on the ground in a hurry for anything I could use to defend myself with, but instead just found broken arrows.
And then finally, I found a peculiar-looking red crystal on the ground. Out of curiosity, I picked up the stone and started to shriek like a banshee as the crystal melted into a sizzling hot liquid, somehow getting absorbed into my skin.
"What in walnut-?" I thought aloud, looking at my hand as the stinging pain slowly lessened.
When suddenly, I felt as if something was coming towards me as a strange electrifying feeling brushed under my skin. I quickly turned my head to find an arrow in the air a few metres in front of my eyes, but the weird thing was that it was moving at a very slow speed as if the time had slowed down.
I simply grabbed the arrow in mid-air and snapped it in half.
Wait...what?
I looked at the broken arrow on the ground with my eyes wide open.
"How the-?" I muttered out of shock and confusion. I gazed at my arm to find a strange mark formed with my veins. It was red and shaped like a lightning bolt. I gently touched it "Ouch!" I exclaimed from the piercing pain.
Another arrow came towards us at the tortoise's pace, and once again I simply towards it, simply took it off the air as if it was lying on a shelf, broke it in half and threw it over on the ground.
Perhaps, that red crystal gave me some sort of superpower or something. Noice.
I broke some more arrows and more and more. Everything was feeling as easy as plucking flowers from a garden when I reached the hard level of the game. The arrows started to come more, and faster that, even with such great speed I wasn't able to block all the arrows. They came like rain-not stopping for even a nanosecond. I was feeling tired. We were gonna lose.
I snapped one more arrow in half, but suddenly, something was not feeling right. There were no more rains of arrows, nor sounds of blades swishing in the air.
"Galena? Toivo?" I yelled out their names, as I wandered in the thick white fog, looking for them until, I bumped into cold metal bars.
The thick fog slowly started to disappear and I found myself trapped in a metal cage alongside Flubber who was back in his regular size and I realized my disguise had come off. And so, did Galena's and Toivo's.
Galena was surrounded by some people in black ninja-like clothing with their swords pointed toward her. Toivo stood with his blade pointed towards a person similar to other people in all black. He was taller than Toivo with black hair similar to his, piercing silver eyes, and espresso-brown skin. And he and his companions wore masks that covered half of their faces.
Toivo's neck was too pointed by the sword of the strange person as they glared holes into each other's eyes.
They both broke into laughter as the person removed his mask, revealing his face with a blue scar near his jaw, others as well followed him and removed their masks, they were not grown-ups but teens and kids with swords and armour.
"That was a good one, Cepheus," Toivo remarked, engulfing the person in one of those hugs that guys do when they meet each other.
The guy patted Toivo's back. "Remove the cages and welcome them with open hearts. They are no enemies but long-lost friends." the guy instructed his companions, beckoning them with his sword.
The cage lifted, and I sprinted back toward my mates alongside Flubber. "Toivo! What. Was. All. this?" I demanded, furiously.
"Sorry", Toivo began, chuckling, "But I may have forgotten to tell you about the creative ways my brother welcomes his guests".
The boy raised his hand and offered me a handshake "I am Cepheus, Cepheus Roberts. May I know yours?" he said, giving me a small smile, "And, who may you be?".
I accepted the handshake "Kyrah, Kyrah Wilson." I replied trying to sound stern as I wasn't happy by the prank.
The place was large with serpent green walls, a bronze door was on each of the four walls, the ground was hard with reflective black marbles, and threads of sun rays made their way into the place through small holes in the grilled ceiling.
"Delighted to meet you, Kyrah." he moved towards Galena, offering a handshake to her as well "And yours?"
"Galena, Galena Mikellar" Galena replied, smiling like welcoming spring.
"Galena Mikellar? The lost princess?" He chuckled, "Toivo, Are you double pranking me?"
Toivo asked Galena for her dagger and showed it to him "Check it out for yourself".
Cepheus gently took the dagger from Toivo's hand, his eyes growing bigger with every second he stared at it. He raised the dagger high up his head, and a string of sunray hit the blades of the dagger. The reflected light from the blade shone upon an area on the ground and created a shining black stone with green and gold glitter.
Everyone gasped seeing the shimmering stone form out of nothing but light. "No way!" Cepheus marvelled, "That must mean-! You are the princess! And you...?" He looked at me excitedly before turning slightly disappointed, "-Must be the Younger Sunrise Sister...The prophecy is true!".
He kneeled on one of his legs, holding his sword by his side with his head lowered as his companions did the same, "I deeply apologize your majesties, for our hideous behaviour!"
Galena awkwardly looked around before saying, "No issues at all. Uh...It's nice to see that you all have put so much great effort into preparing for the great battle and how you have kept your faith alive and strong even through these horrific times, I am more than happy about that. So...rise faithful soldiers of ours!" Galena chanted and everyone stood back up.
"Thank you, your majesties. So, how much have you completed on your great quest?" Cepheus eagerly asked.
"Till...here." Toivo disappointedly replied.
"Till where?" Cepheus asked.
"We have figured out the first clue," I replied, smiling sheepishly
"And may I know what it is?" Cepheus asked.
"Sunrise-Sunrise is the first clue." Galena replied, "The sun rose in the direction of the Main City so, we came here, the next clue must be somewhere here."
"Oh", I could clearly see a look of disappointment cross his face, "So, you have just started?".
We nodded in guilt and he sighed, "Why have you come here?" His voice turned from friendly to stern.
"We came here for your help in finding the next clue as you have been staying here for a long time and you would be knowing a lot about this place." Galena replied.
"Well, I could help you-" he replied.
"Really?!" I excitedly exclaimed.
"Uh...yeah...but-''
Toivo's brows furrowed, "But what?"
Cepheus sighed regretfully, "Only on a condition."