《Swords of Eres》 Chapter 1- The Gate Middle of Nowhere, New Mexico- Monday Rylanpushed his motorcycle to a sixty miles per hour in the late day sun. ¡°Yay, go faster,Rilly!¡± cried his nine year old sister Chloe, as she held on tight from the bike''s rear seat. On the last mile of road leading to their house Rylan slowed the bike downand popped a wheeliebefore skidding into their front yard. Chloe hopped off the bikeexhilarated. ¡°Yaaa! Next time you pick me up do a wheeliein front of my school!¡± she laughed running ahead of her sixteen year old brother. Rylan smirked,¡°Ha ha! No! I don¡¯t think your teachers would like that- eh?¡± At that moment a surge of heat coursed through Rylan''s body. ¡°Oh no, Chloe!¡± he shouted, dropping the bike in the yard. ¡°Rylan? What is it?¡± Rylan clutched his gut as an amber colored light surrounded his body. Crap, this is happening again! He fell down next to his bike, consumed by the amber light. After a second, he floated above the ground. This is bad! ¡°Rilly, you¡¯re flying!¡± shouted Chloe. ¡°I know, get back!¡± Too late, the amber light expanded and surrounded Chloe, raising her off the ground as well. ¡°Ahhh!¡± she cried. As Rylan and Chloe defied gravity, the amber glow surged out of their bodies and re-appeared as a condensed oval shaped orb floating in their yard. The siblings dropped to the ground staring at the pulsating glowing oval orb in front of them. ¡°What is it?¡± whimpered Chloe. ¡°I don¡¯t know but-" Suddenly the glowing orb ejected a large black object directly at Rylan and Chloe. "Chloe watchout!¡± Rylan dove and pushed Chloe out of the way of the flying object. As Rylan clutched his sister he glanced at the ejected thing, and couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. What the heck? That flying object is a woman! A black haired woman hurtled through the air backwards and landed on her ass with a thud. ¡°Oww!¡± she cried. The woman wore all black leather and held a weapon in her right hand and a strange smartphone-like device strapped on her left wrist. Rylan gaped at her speechless. The woman raised herself off the ground and shot a glance at Rylan and Chloe, before walking toward them with a cold smile. ¡°Hello! So you¡¯re the grounders aren¡¯t you?¡± asked the woman. Rylan kept his eye on her weapon, a pistol of some kind, as he shielded Chloe behind him. ¡°Lady, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking ab-¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be stupid boy! I know who you are! It¡¯s not my first time here,¡± she said to Rylan before dropping to her knee and scrolling information on a screen on her left wrist. Satisfied, she turned and stared intently at Chloe. ¡°Oh my little girl, you are a strong grounder..Honey, would you like to come with me?¡± asked the woman to Chloe. Chloe hid her face in Rylan¡¯s back, ¡°Rylan!¡± she cried. ¡°Nobody¡¯s going anywhere with you lady!¡± yelled Rylan at the woman. The woman¡¯s face shifted to evil as she squinted and walked closer to Rylan, and he took full view of her beauty. ¡°Oh? Do you like what you see?¡± she asked. ¡°Uh¡­what?¡± answered Rylan, fully thrown off. ¡°Hee, silly boy, the only reason I haven¡¯t killed you- Eh? Oh crap!¡± she shouted turning toward the floating orb. The orb, still in the yard, ejected three large metal objects directly at the woman and the siblings. The objects, the size and shape of giant steel oil barrels, flew too fast for Rylan to dodge. ¡°Oh no! Chlo-¡± ¡°Shield full power!¡± yelled the woman throwing her left arm up and forming a translucent force field around her, and the siblings. The three barrel shaped objects slammed into her force field and bounced back spinning, attempting to stabilize in the air. ¡°Come on you cheap sentinels!¡± yelled the woman as she rushed at the closest object, a sentinel is what she called it, and fired a red blast from her hand weapon, destroying it. She fired two more shots at the remaining sentinels, but they deployed their own shields and returned fire at the woman from somewhere in their metal frames. With a shootout raging in his yard, Rylan grabbed Chloe and ran toward the house. One of the floating sentinels reacted to his motion and pursued him, but didn¡¯t fire. As it reached Rylan it stopped in mid air, refocused, and flew back to attack the woman in black. What?..It didn¡¯t attack me. Why? Rylan ran with Chloe into the house and hid her in his closet. ¡°Chloe, stay in here, and don¡¯t come out until I come back for you!¡± ¡°Rylan, don¡¯t leave me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t argue!¡± shouted Rylan as he reached under his bed and pulled a twelve gauge shotgun. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on out there but no one¡¯s taking my sister! Rylan pumped a round in the chamber and ran toward the open front door with a full view of the woman still fighting the sentinels. Only now her weapon changed from a handgun to.. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. A sword? When did she get that? The sentinels flanked and attacked the woman, one flying on each side. But the woman¡¯s speed and skill with her force field and sword were too much for them. ¡°Ha! You think these flying trash cans stop me you brats! Raaah!¡± screamed the woman, parrying and striking the attacking objects. Whoa..this lady can fight! Rylan witnessed the woman, spin, block, slice and completely destroy the remaining two sentinels, their metal corpses burning on his lawn. Satisfied, the woman faced Rylan and smiled as he aimed his shotgun at her. ¡°You¡¯re Rylan right? My name is Anya nice to meet you!¡± With the fires of the destroyed sentinels spewing smoke around her, the woman called Anya walked toward Rylan. ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer!¡± he shouted, ready to shoot. The woman stopped walking, her sword retracting into the base of the hilt. Whoa..her sword disappeared! The woman advanced toward him again, smiling. ¡°Eeh? But Rylan, why can¡¯t I come close to you? I won¡¯t bite you¡­unless you want me too, handsome, hee hee!¡± said the woman. Rylan wanted her to leave, but he needed answers. Trembling, he asked her. ¡°Anya¡­is that your name? ¡­Tell me what¡¯s happening here.¡± Anya stepped back perplexed. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Haha, You¡¯re a cute boy with no clue, but don¡¯t worry, I see your potential.¡± Anya¡¯s strange charm, and knockout looks, distracted Rylan. Why is this beautiful woman here? What does she want? The floating orb in the yard pulsated again, and Anya reacted. ¡°Damn! That rift¡¯s still open and I used too much juice!¡± she growled. Anya raised her left shield arm and fired a force field around the oval orb. On contact the orb vibrated violently, as something, tried to escape from inside. ¡°Those fucking brats are still after me!¡± yelled Anya, shooting an evil smile at Rylan before dashing toward his motorcycle and jumping on top of it. ¡°Hey! Wait, that¡¯s my bike!¡± he yelled. ¡°Sorry lover, I gotta go!¡± she yelled back, kicking the motorbike to life in an instant and taking off. ¡°What the- No, no! Lady, hey!¡± shouted Rylan running off the porch and firing a shot at Anya. Anya flipped her left arm behind her and blocked the buckshot with a force field. She spun right and her sword handle ¡®shifted¡¯ before Rylan¡¯s eyes into the ¡®handgun¡¯ she wielded before. Anya then fired a shot near his feet, blowing him sideways. ¡°Aaah! You thief, I¡¯m calling the cops!¡± he howled at Anya from the ground, unhurt. ¡°Don¡¯t worry lover, I¡¯ll get you a new bike!¡± she yelled back while flipping Rylan ¡®the bird.¡¯ As Anya disappeared down the road on his motorcycle. Rylan could only stare at her black hair whipping in the wind, in disbelief. ¡°Seriously? A beautiful woman from nowhere just stole my bike and flipped me off.¡± ¡°Rylan look!¡± shouted Chloe pointing at the glowing orb in the yard. ¡°Chloe? Why are you out here? I told you to stay-¡± A crash sound echoed in the yard as Anya¡¯s force field covering the orb shattered and two new flying objects hurtled into Rylan and Chloe¡¯s yard. Arriving the same way Anya did. The first new flying object was a young lady. ¡°Aaaaaah! Ooof!¡± she cried landing on her face with a thud. The second flying object, a young man, ¡°Siiiiiiis? Ooof!¡± he cried, landing on his side with a thud. And after that, the floating amber orb in Rylan¡¯s yard flickered and disappeared. ¡°What the heck? That orb thing is gone,¡± said Rylan to Chloe. ¡°Ya!¡± Rylan and Chloe turned their attention to the two new strangers now standing in their yard. The female stood up first, surveyed her surroundings, and spoke. ¡°Oi! I don¡¯t see her body anywhere, but I see three busted sentinels!¡± she said pointing at the three burning metal objects the woman called Anya destroyed. ¡°Of course, Sis! What¡¯d you expect it¡¯s Anya!¡± replied the young man, standing and dusting himself off. Rylan and Chloe observed the young strangers. Not in fear but in quiet curiosity. They wore similar dark leather garments as Anya¡¯s, form fitting and seemingly designed for combat. The two also displayed holstered weapons and smartphone like wrist devices on their left arms and Rylan could tell they were teenagers. He caught something else about them. Although the male stranger stood taller than the female, and had darker brown hair than hers, their faces were definitely.. Twins¡­ ¡°Rylan, they look like they¡¯re brother and sister!¡± said a sleepy eyed Chloe. ¡°Chloe, go in the house,¡± whispered Rylan to Chloe as he pumped another shell in his shotgun. Chloe inched her way back on the porch and her movement caught the eye of the teenage strangers in the yard. The female turned and stared at Rylan holding his shotgun, and whispered. ¡°Leif.¡± Her young male partner suddenly dashed straight at Rylan, a sword forming from the hilt of his weapon, the same way Anya¡¯s did. ¡°Holy he-¡± Rylan fired a blast from his shotgun at the speeding young attacker, but the attacker blocked the shot with a force field from his left wrist. Before Rylan could re-load, the attacker smacked the shotgun out of his hand with the broad side of his sword. Ah...he''s so fast! Too fast for Rylan, the strike forced him on his rear as the attacker drew his sword back¡­ ..for the finishing blow. ¡ª¨C Whew!..how¡¯s that for a first chapter ;) Edited by the awesome Chiisutofupuru the Yandere Darkling- Writer of Sasha Chapter 2- Strangers Strangers Rylan couldn¡¯t dodge the oncoming sword strike of the young assailant. Damn! But Chloe saw him coming. ¡°No!¡± she cried. Leaping to defend her brother, Chloe opened her hands and intercepted the young attacker by blasting him with a pulse of energy from inside her palms. ¡°Aaaah!¡± cried the young attacker, hurtling backward and hitting the ground with a tumble. Rylan glanced up at Chloe standing above him with her hands out protecting him. In her palms, fading pulses of amber light. ¡°Chloe...How¡¯d you do that?¡± he asked her. She stared at her palms. ¡°...I-I don¡¯t know.¡± Rylan stayed calm and lifted himself off the ground, and to his surprise he found the attacker and his female partner no longer hostile. ¡°Maya-baby-sis, I think they¡¯re grounders!¡± said the young male attacker gesturing at Rylan and Chloe and checking himself for injury. ¡°Yes, Leif, I can see that. That little brat can even control it, how interesting!¡± said the young female, named Maya, squinting at Chloe. ¡°Hey I ain''t no brat!¡± cried Chloe. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t call my sister no brat, and get out of our yard!¡± shouted Rylan. The strangers ignored him. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re out fifty thousand creds on these junk sentinels!¡± said Maya, her attention back on the burning metal destroyed by Anya. ¡°Then we¡¯ll salvage them!¡± said Leif. ¡°Salvage them? For what? We ain''t got the juice to-¡± Rylan watched stunned as the twin strangers argued, in his yard, for a full minute about their next move, before turning back to him and Chloe again. ¡°Hey, grounder, do you have a transportation unit?¡± yelled Maya to Rylan. ¡°It¡¯s called a ¡®car,¡¯ dear sister~¡± ¡°Shut-up-Leif, I got this. Hey yeah, we need your ¡®car¡¯!¡± she yelled again. Rylan¡¯s eyes twitched with annoyance. Who were all these people threatening him, setting his yard on fire, and stealing his property? ¡°No! You can¡¯t have our car! What the hell¡¯s the matter with you?¡± He yelled back, shotgun in hand. Maya and Leif reacted to Rylan with puzzled faces. ¡°Hunh? Maybe he has a death wish. Should I kill him baby-sis?¡± asked Leif flashing his sword. ¡°No, you can¡¯t kill him. Him and that little girl are like the only grounders on this planet. We need them alive.¡± ¡°Yeah, but we need his car too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry he¡¯ll give it to us!¡± said Maya with a grin. Rylan stood his ground while the young stranger named Maya walked toward him with a hop in her step. Wait, is she walking over here in a flirty way? As Maya neared him her face took on the same smile as the woman named Anya, who stole his motorcycle. She whipped her brown hair back as if... ¡°Wait!" said Rylan pushing his hand up to the advancing Maya, "Are you going to try to charm my car out of me? I don''t know, I''m sincerely asking?¡± he asked, sincerely. Maya stopped walking and stared at Rylan, perplexed. She then stomped her foot in annoyance and muttered something evil before straightening herself again. ¡°Hello, my name is Maya, and the fate of your world rests on you giving me your transp- er- your car! ¡± she said smiling from ear to ear. ¡°Fate of the world, hunh?¡± Rylan rolled his eyes. ¡°Too bad, no!¡± ¡°Yeah, and you called me a brat!¡± said Chloe. ¡°What?¡± squeaked Maya, stunned at their response. ¡°You heard her, you called her a brat, you should apologize!¡± said Rylan. ¡°Ya!¡± cried Chloe. ¡°Haha, yes, apologize dear sis!¡± laughed Leif in the yard. ¡°Shut-up, Leif!¡± growled Maya. ¡°Well, seems you''re outnumbered!¡± said Rylan to Maya. Taking a righteous stance, shotgun in hand. Maya, still defiant but betrayed by her brother Leif, ¡°I¡¯m gonna get you Leif!¡± forced a smile and apologized to Chloe. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I called you a brat, little girl,¡± Maya grumbled and faced Rylan, ¡°Now that that¡¯s settled, I need your car, and I don-¡± Rylan interrupted her with his hand up, cool and calm, ¡°You can borrow our car, but I¡¯ll need some collateral proving you¡¯ll bring it ba-¡± Maya¡¯s sword flashed in Rylan¡¯s face. ¡°Aaah!¡± he dropped back and pulled the trigger of his shotgun. But nothing happened. Except a clashing sound, as Rylan¡¯s entire shotgun barrel and half the chamber crumbled in pieces in front of him. Wha- She sliced it?...When..How? Rylan glanced at his severed shotgun parts on the ground. Lifting his head, he stared at her cruel scowl and...her pretty green eyes. Oh.... ¡°Rylan, give her the car,¡± said Chloe. ¡°Yeah Rylan....gimme the car,¡± mocked Maya, still scowling. ¡°Uh, the car, right...let me get the keys for you!¡± said Rylan, trembling. Ten Minutes Later -_- Rylan sat in the passenger seat of his car with a look on his face that read, ¡°This is not happening to me,¡± as Maya and Leif held him hostage and took turns practicing how to drive his 1986 Mercury Grand Marquis, station wagon. ¡°This primitive transport device fascinates me!¡± shouted Maya racing the car down the road. ¡°And such a handsome vehicle too!¡± said Leif from the back seat, sitting with Chloe. ¡°Eh? You really think so? Haha you guys are funny!¡± laughed Chloe. ¡°Not funny, you earth people are highly cultured in your art!¡± said Maya admiring the old dashboard as she practiced skidding into the yard. Rylan had enough. ¡°Stop the car!¡± he shouted. Maya screeched the station wagon to a stop and everyone in the car stared at Rylan. Rylan exited and opened the back door and let Chloe out. ¡°But I¡¯m having fun!¡± protested Chloe. ¡°I know, but you and I both have homework and I have to cook. So go on in the house and get started!¡± ¡°Aww!¡± she cried. ¡°Aw nothin, go on!¡± ¡°Ok, bye Leif, bye Maya!¡± smiled Chloe, waving goodbye. ¡°Bye Chloe!¡± yelled the twins from the car. Rylan watched Chloe run in the house before turning back to the twins. From outside the driver¡¯s side door he spoke calmly. ¡°Ok, I heard your story...you guys are bounty hunters from another dimension..and that lady ¡®Anya¡¯ is the one you¡¯re here to catch? Right?¡± ¡°Yes, and you and your sister are grounders, which means a ¡®trans-dimensional gate¡¯ cannot open without at least one of you nearby to ¡®ground the signal¡¯...and that means you and your sister are in danger grounder boy!¡± said Maya in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Grounder? Oh..my name is Rylan.. or sometimes my sister calls me ''Rilly''..¡± ¡°Eh? How wonderful! I wish my little sister showed me the same reverence. Hmph! I envy you Rylan-Rilly!¡± said Leif from the back seat, in a poetic manner. Maya didn¡¯t skip a beat, ¡°Well, whatever your name is, I told you I¡¯ll bring this transport vehicle-¡± ¡°Sis, it¡¯s a car-¡± ¡°Dammit Leif, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t revere you cause you¡¯re mean to me!¡± she pouted at her brother in the back then faced Rylan, ¡°See what I have to go through? Now, I don¡¯t have time for you anymore, Rylan-Rilly!" Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Eh? No, no, my name is Rylan. Rilly is a nickname-¡± ¡°Whatever! As soon as we catch Anya we¡¯ll bring your car back here because the trans-gate will only open here,¡± said Maya. After all he¡¯d seen in the past few hours Rylan was open to believing anything. But the strange teenaged girl named Maya, saying she would ¡®capture¡¯ that super bad woman Anya... ...and bring her back..... in the 86 Mercury station wagon.. ¡°Pffft hahaa!¡± Rylan clutched his stomach and keeled over laughing. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s so funny?¡± asked Maya. ¡°Heh Heh, nothing...you guys go do whatever it is you need to do. If you don¡¯t bring the car back I¡¯ll just report it stolen¡­.so yeah...good luck catching Anya or whatever...just, you know, go away!¡± Rylan turned and walked to his house asking himself the million dollar question. Who did me and Chloe piss off in the universe to deserve all this? Meanwhile, in the Mercury Station Wagon Maya watched Rylan walk away as Leif climbed in the front seat. ¡°Sis, I don¡¯t think he believes in us!¡± said Leif. ¡°He¡¯d better believe in us, if he knows what¡¯s good for him, hmph!¡± pouted Maya. With that she screeched the tires and peeled off in the ¡®stolen-yet-borrowed¡¯ Mercury station wagon. The mission: Capture Anya. Dead or alive. The Next Morning ¡°Damn, I¡¯m exhausted,¡± muttered Rylan at his desk in homeroom. He had five minutes to close his eyes before the bell rang and class began. He drifted in and out of sleep remembering what happened after the twins took his car. He recalled walking in the house and finding Chloe snoozing in her room and then him going to his own room, and passing out. ¡°Yo Bro, I didn¡¯t see your bike in the parking lot,¡± said Rylan¡¯s friend Carlos, who sat next to him in homeroom. ¡°Oh, I got a ride from a neighbor.¡± ¡°What do you mean bro? Your nearest neighbor¡¯s three miles away. What happened to your bike?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Then Rylan remembered and opened his eyes, ¡°Carlos, give me a ride to pick up my sister later?¡± he asked. ¡°Ha, eat shit and die bro, I got football practice today!¡± laughed Carlos. ¡°Man, what good are you then?¡± Rylan closed his eyes and dozed off while the rest of the homeroom students arrived. His mind drifted to yesterday¡¯s events. From Anya fighting those ''flying barrel'' things to Maya and Leif shooting out of the floating orb called, An Amber Rift. That''s what that girl Maya called that trans-dimensional gate. Rylan clenched his fist with his head on his desk. When he remembered the amber colored gate a phantom energy coursed through him. That energy..it takes a lot out of you...that¡¯s why I¡¯m so sleepy.. When the bell rang Rylan kept his eyes closed, and drifted. The homeroom teacher nagged the class to settle down, and they did more than that. They shut up. The silence snapped Rylan awake to a new reality. ¡°Eh? No no! What the fu-¡± ¡°Hush, Rylan!¡± shouted the homeroom teacher who continued her announcement. ¡°Class this is Maya and Leif and they¡¯re, umm, I¡¯m sorry are you exchange students or transfer students?¡± Maya stepped forward in her brand new school uniform. A navy blue blazer, white top, grey plaid skirt, bangs and twin tails. ¡°Good question professor!¡± she beamed. ¡°Professor? Oh no, you can call me Miss-¡± ¡°-Thank you Miss, I¡¯ll do that!¡± said Maya, cutting off the teacher. ¡°Now, as I was saying my brother and I are exchange students from the great nation of California!¡± The class gaped at her and erupted in laughter, with a chorus of rowdy boys adoring the snappy green eyed new girl. ¡°Bro she¡¯s fiery cute, I¡¯m a get her number!¡± said Carlos, slapping Rylan¡¯s arm. Rylan didn¡¯t care, he hid his face in the desk. He didn¡¯t want to talk to~ ¡°Rylan, why are you hiding?¡± asked Leif. ¡°Class, my name is Leif Alexander and I enjoy the pop music that you all listen too, and that¡¯s my friend Rylan-Rilly!¡± The whole class stared at Rylan, who turned blue. Oh no.. Rylan saw his whole social life vanish before his eyes, but the bad girls in the class rescued him by screaming for Leif. ¡°Aaaah! That new boy¡¯s so fucking gorgeous, yaaaa!¡± ¡°Class stop this rude behavior!¡± cried the teacher. Rylan sank in his desk until Carlos tapped him on the shoulder, ¡°Bro, you know that new guy?¡± ¡°Uh...kind of.¡± ¡°Yeah? He looks like he works out bro, I bet he plays football!¡± said Carlos admiring Leif¡¯s nice build. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°And his twin sister¡¯s a baby doll bro! Hey, you think she got a man?¡± asked Carlos while staring at Maya. Rylan peeked up at Maya, still talking in front of the class. ¡°Eh? A girl with an attitude like that? Who can say?¡± he answered. ¡°Nah bro, I like girls like that, she fiery,¡± laughed Carlos. ¡°Heh, you would.¡± Rylan sank deeper into his desk as Leif took an empty seat near the screaming girls. ¡°Aaaah!¡± they screamed, while Maya took the seat behind Rylan and Carlos. "Bro, she¡¯s sitting behind us!¡± whispered Carlos to Rylan. Rylan rolled his eyes, ¡°Then make your move Romeo.¡± ¡°Tch! Watch this bro!¡± Carlos turned to greet Maya, ¡°Hello, my name is-¡± ¡°Not now!¡± said Maya cutting Carlos off. ¡°But-¡± ¡°And turn around too, I need to have a private conversation with Rylan-Rilly!¡± ¡°Uh..Ok!¡± said Carlos, facing forward. Rylan ignored Maya and stared at the chalkboard in the front of the classroom while she pulled her chair close behind him and whispered. ¡°Rylan, I bet you¡¯re wondering why we¡¯re in your school?¡± ¡°Actually, I don''t care.¡± ¡°Well you better care, grounder! Because there¡¯s a change in plans and Leif and I may be here for about two weeks-¡± Rylan spun around. ¡°Two weeks? Why? I thought you were going to catch that Anya person last night and bring her back to your world...you know..last night!¡± he whispered. ¡°Right, it¡¯s too complicated to explain but let¡¯s just say that gate in your yard is out of gas, and needs two weeks to refill before it can open again.¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? So what are you guys going to do for two weeks?¡± ¡°Be good students, and protect you and your sister. What else did you think we¡¯d do?¡± ¡°..Ah..¡± Taking all of this in Rylan composed himself. ¡°Maya, you went looking for Anya last night, did you find her?¡± he asked. ¡°We lost track of her. But she won¡¯t stray too far away from the gate or you and your sister. Don¡¯t worry she¡¯ll pop up before that gate¡¯s ready to open, and I¡¯ll have something for her, hee hee.¡± ¡°Yeah you¡¯re laughing, but that woman seemed... really dangerous. Can you stop her?¡± Maya perked her head up with an evil smile, ¡°I guess we¡¯ll find out, won¡¯t we?¡± proofread by Chiisutofupuru Chapter 3- Chemistry Third Period Rylan sat in third period global studies with the weight of the world on his mind as he pondered Maya¡¯s warning. This can¡¯t be happening to me. There¡¯s no way a transdimensional outlaw and two bounty hunters have come to New Mexico to bother with me and my sister- "Rylan!¡± shouted the teacher above the heads of all the half-sleep students. "Yes ma¡¯am!¡± "Take that overhead projector down to gym storage and make sure you place it in the corner-¡± "Yes ma¡¯am, I know where it goes!¡± said Rylan, happy to take a break from class and do manual labor. Lab Coat Rylan hauled the overhead projector downstairs and through the empty gym. He whistled a happy tune as he stopped in front of the storage room door. "Whistle whistle, gettin outta class, whistle whistle, let¡¯s forget all the craziness!¡± He fumbled with the doorknob but opened it still holding the projector, but he couldn¡¯t reach the light switch. He stepped inside as the door closed behind him, leaving him in total darkness. But as he walked to the corner of the dark room and put the projector down, the door re-opened behind him. Eh, coach Watts?- The light switched on, and before Rylan could turn around... "Hello! Maybe I should lock us in here, lover!¡± said a familiar voice behind him. "No!¡± cried Rylan as he turned in terror, ¡°It¡¯s you again!¡± Breathtaking, black hair, glasses and a white lab coat. Rylan stood frozen in fear at the drop dead beautiful Anya, who blocked the door. "Rylan, how rude~¡± she said with an evil smile, gliding toward him. "Eeeeep!¡± Rylan stumbled backward to get away from her, ¡°What are you doing in this school? Why do you have me trapped in here?¡± squeaked Rylan, searching for an exit. Anya chuckled again. "Hee hee, oh silly! Why would I trap one of my precious students?¡± she said closing in, caressing his face. "Hey I..What?¡± Rylan frowned. ¡°What do you mean ¡®student¡¯?¡± Anya reached in her lab coat pocket and produced her school faculty ID. "I¡¯m your new science teacher baby face,¡± she said rubbing her nose on his cheek. "Wait!..T-That can¡¯t be right! You¡¯re lying!¡± he accused. "I¡¯m not lying silly, I¡¯m certified and everything. In fact, if I¡¯m not mistaken I have you and the twins for next period chemistry, hee hee!¡± Rylan gave up. He collapsed back against the storage room wall while Anya post her arm up, not letting him escape. "Lady...Anya..This is all coming at me too fast..just tell me.. what do you want with me?¡± he muttered, defeated. "Hmm?¡± she pushed her glasses up, ¡°Rylan, you sweet boy. I¡¯m sure you know by now that I¡¯m trapped here for two weeks, and even a girl like me has to earn a living-¡± "Earn a living? On a teacher¡¯s salary? Bullshit, you¡¯re here to kidnap me and my sister so you can, I don¡¯t know, do evil stuff!¡± Anya covered her mouth with melodrama, ¡°Rylan, how could you say these cruel things about me? Oh boo-hoo!¡± she hid her face to cry. "Lady, are you serious? You stole my motorcycle and you shot at me!¡± "Lies! I didn¡¯t steal-eh?¡± she remembered, ¡°Oh yeah, I did borrow your bike, but I told you I¡¯d get you anot-¡± In a blink of a fraction of a millisecond, before she finished her sentence, Anya drew her sword and blocked three strikes. Pong-Pong-Pang! "Yaaa! Too slow you fucking brat!¡± Anya fought her attacker out of the storage room and into the large empty gym. Rylan chased close behind and ran into the attacker. "M-Maya?¡± whispered Rylan. Maya stood between him and Anya, scowling at the raven haired villain. Anya shot an evil smile back at her. "Well, well, if it isn¡¯t little Maya. What¡¯s the matter baby girl, are you in need of guidance?¡± "Don¡¯t say anything to me you dead woman,¡± growled Maya, her hair clipped back in a wavy ponytail, ¡°Rylan, did she hurt you?¡± "N-No, not at a-¡± "Why would you ask him something like that you fucking brat!¡± shouted Anya, leaping at Maya with her sword swinging forward. "Bring it bitch!¡± Maya charged at Anya and their blades clashed at lightning speed. "No, No!¡± cried Rylan, to no avail. Before his eyes, the two warriors parried blows as Maya spun three sixty, striking and kicking in her plaid school skirt and black thigh high socks. "Getting slow in your old age Anya!¡± growled Maya as Anya fell back to blocking her strike, but Anya swung back and smacked Maya sideways. "Ooof!¡± cried Maya hitting the ground. "Aww, what happened little girl? This old lady too fast for you?¡± laughed Anya, twirling her black handled blade behind her back in a mock sword demonstration. "Grrr! I¡¯ll show you fast, yaaah!¡± yelled Maya, charging for her next attack. Rylan clenched his fist. Dammit, they¡¯ll kill each other here.. At that moment the surge returned to his body and an energy coursed through him. Eh? Is this happening again? He raised his hands and saw the flickers of light in his palm as his doubts waned and he became.. Unafraid.. Rylan turned and faced Maya and Anya. In an instant, he charged between them and knocked them to the gym floor while snatching the swords out of their hands. "Oww!¡± ¡°Ugg!¡± cried each girl landing on their rear, disarmed. Holding both swords, and glowing amber, Rylan yelled at both of them. "You two will not fight in my school! Do you hear me?¡± He glared at the ladies, who gaped back at him. He then dropped to his knees and released both swords. "Rylan!¡± shouted both ladies running toward him as he collapsed. Maya slid on her socks and caught Rylan before he hit the ground while Anya grabbed his collar and lifted his face. "Rylan, sweetie, I¡¯m here!¡± cried Anya holding his head up and checking his readings on her wrist device, ¡°Well hello~ you have enough ampsediun flowing through you to open three rift gates you stud of a boy!¡± Rylan regained consciousness while Maya and Anya helped him to a bleacher seat in the gym. "Take it easy Rylan,¡± whispered Maya. Anya checked Rylan¡¯s pulse while reading her scanner. "Hmm, a surge like that would have killed any average grounder, but it seems my Rylan here can control ampsediun,¡± said Anya turning to Maya, ¡°And I suspect you knew this already, didn¡¯t you Maya?¡± Maya glared at Anya and slapped her hands off Rylan. "Don¡¯t touch him you witch!¡± Anya smirked. "Why you little titmouse? Do I make you jealous?¡± "Stop it, you two!¡± snapped Rylan, now awake with angry eyes fixed on both of them, ¡°No more fighting...and let¡¯s get to class before the bell rings.¡± "Hmph!¡± pouted both ladies, but they behaved. Chemistry Rylan and Maya helped Anya carry a bunsen burner and other chemistry supplies from the gym storage room to the science classroom. "So was that why you were in that storage room, to get these supplies for class?¡± Rylan asked Anya as they set up in the class. "But of course!¡± she pushed her glasses up and pulled him toward her, ¡°Sweety, don¡¯t listen to Maya¡¯s lies about me. The truth is she¡¯s really the evil one, and I¡¯m just a-¡± "Ahem! I can hear you!¡± growled Maya, setting up the burner. "I know you can, and the truth hurts doesn¡¯t it?¡± snapped Anya. "Ladies, please!¡± begged Rylan. The bell rang and the chemistry class filled with students. Leif entered the room and instantly drew his sword before Maya grabbed him and settled him down. "Sis, you¡¯re kidding right?¡± asked Leif, wide eyed as Anya blew a kiss at him. "I missed you too, Leif!¡± cooed Anya. Maya dismissed Anya. "Tch! Just go with it Leif. We can¡¯t attack her in public, and besides,¡± Maya glanced at Anya and whispered, ¡°She¡¯s stronger than ever.¡± As Anya wrote notes on the whiteboard, every student awed at her beauty. "Now class, my goal is to make you the best chemists in all of New Mexico, isn¡¯t that wonderful?¡± cheered Anya, smiling and clapping. Rylan turned and gazed at all the slack jawed drooling boys. Oh good grief, what a bunch of simpletons! He raised his hand and Anya quickly called him. "Yes Rylan? Do you have a question?¡± "Yeah, do you have a name, Ms. science teacher?¡± Anya blushed, ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m so sorry!¡± she hustled in her black knee high skirt and low heeled pumps to the whiteboard and quickly wrote her name. "My name,¡± she faced the class and pushed her glasses up, ¡°..Is Ms. Cesar...It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you all, my precious students!¡± "Pleasure to meet you too, Ms. Cesar,¡± chorused all the zombified boys, slobbering with lust. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. "Hee hee, what a lovely class,¡± giggled Anya. *Ms. Anya Cesar Dismissal Bell The last bell of school rang and the noisy students hit the various exits heading for home. Rylan and Maya strolled to the parking lot to wait for Leif. "Hey Maya, how and why is that crazy lady Anya now a teacher at this school?¡± asked Rylan. ¡°Easy, because me, Anya and Leif can hack into any system on this planet. So she gave herself a job here so she can stalk you until that gate¡¯s ready to open,¡± growled Maya. "Rylan shook his head, ¡°Wait..so she¡¯s going to teach science for two weeks and then try to kidnap me and my sister?¡± "Yup!¡± "...So..what are you going to do to stop her?¡± asked Rylan. Maya turned to him, ¡°Eh? Just play along for a little while Rylan. I¡¯ll have something for her when the time is right,¡± answered Maya. Rylan frowned. "When the time is right? Yeah, that¡¯s not really comforting. I mean you say she¡¯s a dangerous woman-¡± "Rylan think fast, bro!¡± a shout from behind. Rylan turned and in the sky a perfectly spiraled football bulleted toward him. "Shit! Oof!¡± yelled Rylan as he jumped and caught the football in his gut. "Great catch!¡± yelled Leif who threw the pass. Rylan waved at Leif who stood with Carlos. Maya shook her head in disapproval. "So I see my brother has discovered the school''s sports team.¡± "Oh..yeah, we have a good football team here at Leadership High,¡± said Rylan with pride as he threw the football back to Leif. "So you play this silly game too?¡± she asked. "Heh heh, you kidding? All New Mexico boys play football, soccer and baseball!¡± laughed Rylan. "Wait, there are more sports? Ugh, please do not tell my brother!¡± she said walking off. Rylan chuckled and followed Maya as she pulled a set of car keys out of her bag and clicked the alarm button. Hunh? I don¡¯t have an alarm on my station wagon and- OMG! Maya¡¯s chirping car alarm didn¡¯t belong to an 86 Mercury Grand Marquis, station wagon, no. The car alarm unlocked a brand new¡­ "2015 Dodge Challenger? When-Where-What the fuck Maya? How did you get this car in one night? And where¡¯s my station wagon?¡± shouted Rylan, gaping at the brand new car. "Hunh? Oh, the junkyard answers all of your questions. Leif and I went there last night tracking Anya. While we were there we gave the junkyard owner two solid gold bars, and in turn he gave us this car and twenty thousand of your paper currency.¡± "Gold?..Twenty thousand? Maya, what are you talking about?¡± asked Rylan. Maya rolled her eyes and opened the car trunk, ¡°Do I need to spell it out for you? Man, you¡¯re as dense as my brother!¡± Rylan peeked in the trunk and inside sat a leather bag with twenty thousand dollars in cash and ten¡­ Gold Bars? "Maya...did you bring this gold from your world?¡± "Yes, it¡¯s currency there, but worth a whole lot more here. That Junkyard owner priced one bar at one hundred thousand of your dollars. So I gave him two, and he gave me the car and that cash. No questions asked.¡± "R-Really?..You know he ripped you off right?¡± said Rylan. "No he didn¡¯t, it was a fair price considering our circumstances.Technically my brother and I are illegal aliens on this planet. Now get in the car, I¡¯ll drive!¡± Cruise Rylan sat in the back with a disbelieving smirk as Maya raced the new car toward Homestead Elementary school to pick up Chloe. Leif blasted pop music through the stereo and yelled. "Wuuuuuuu! Yeah, I love this car, why didn¡¯t you let me drive sis?¡± Maya shot a glare at him. "Is that a rhetorical question or do you really want an answer?¡± she snarked. The trio pulled into the elementary school parking lot as the Homestead students lined up for dismissal outside. But the rumbling engine and candy paint job caused every student to focus on the vehicle. When Rylan exited the back he noticed all of the lined up elementary students staring. But not at him. All the little boys stared at Maya, and all the little girls stared at Leif. The only stares Rylan received were from the teachers and staff outside. Oh boy, I hope we don¡¯t make a sce- "Chloe who are those people with your brother?¡± ¡°Is that his girlfriend?¡± ¡°She¡¯s so pretty¡± ¡°Is your brother¡¯s friend in a boy band, he¡¯s beautiful!?¡± Tch! Dopey kids whispering...that¡¯s how rumors start. Rylan walked alongside Maya as Leif bee lined in front of them, having spotted Chloe. Chloe¡¯s Soldier Leif felt uneasy all day. When Maya and him decided to stay and protect Rylan and Chloe they didn¡¯t consider Chloe would be in a different school. Leif worried about Chloe, but now she spotted him and froze in place. "Leeeeif!¡± she cried, stars in her eyes. Three of Chloe¡¯s little third grade girlfriends watched her and watched him. "Chloe! Is he your boyfriend?¡± they chorused. "Ehh? No, he¡¯s a transdimensional bounty hunter from space!¡± said Chloe. Leif nodded in approval. "Ha! That¡¯s almost correct¡± he said striking a pose with mysterious eyes, ¡°And Ladies, my relationship with Chloe is professional, for I¡­¡± He locked eyes with the three little girls, holding them in suspense. "Am Chloe¡¯s bodyguard!¡± he said glancing away. "Eeeeeehhhh?¡± screamed the little girls. "That¡¯s right ladies, I¡¯m sworn to protect Chloe.¡± Leif bent down, cleared his hair from his light green eyes, and pulled an amber colored flower from out of nowhere, presenting it to Chloe. "Yaaaaaa!¡± cried the three little girls, who all fainted on the spot. Chloe glanced down at her unconscious friends, then back at Leif accepting his flower. "Leif it¡¯s so pretty, but why did you say you¡¯re sworn to protect me? Am I in danger?¡± "Not as long as I live little one!¡± he winked. "Ha ha, you¡¯re funny, but you aren¡¯t gonna die, right?¡± she asked sincerely. Leif opened his palm and displayed a marble sized circular object. "Chloe, my sister and I will be around for a little while. But I want you take this and keep it on you at all times.¡± She gazed at the glowing lights on the surface of the object before taking it. "Wow...is it a space marble?¡± she asked. "Yes, a very special space marble. I made it myself,¡± said Leif. "Oh, you''re very talented!¡± said Chloe, admiring the pretty object. "Ha ha, thank you, but Chloe, if my sister and I are not around, and you find yourself in danger, you throw this marble at whatever person or thing scares you, and it¡¯ll protect you, ok?¡± "Ok, I promise I¡¯ll keep it on me at all times,¡± she vowed. Leif smiled. "Good! Thank you Chloe, and um..maybe you should wake your friends up!¡± ... Proofed and edited by Chiisutofupuru, writer of Sasha ... Chapter 4- School Life Wednesday, The Next Day. Rylan sat in the front row of the empty school auditorium processing everything. As of last night Maya and Leif moved in with Chloe and him. And the dangerous lady Anya is now his science teacher. Seriously, this is all ridiculous and unbelievable! But I gotta keep Chloe safe for two weeks before that gate opens and those twins and that crazy lady Anya can leave! Then maybe my life can go back to normal. The school¡¯s last period was for club activities. Rylan, as president of the drama club, watched his two fellow club members operate a red painted dragon they¡¯d built from wood and paper mache. ¡°Raaaah!¡± roared the dragon on the empty stage as it lumbered forth flapping it¡¯s wings. ¡°Yes! That dragon is awesome!¡± shouted Rylan with a script in his hand. ¡°Joanna, Miguel, you guys did a great job!¡± The dragon pulled itself apart as Joanna and Miguel emerged from underneath, happy to be praised for their work. Joanna spoke first. ¡°Thanks, we knew you¡¯d like it ..but..¡± Rylan expected the ¡®but.¡¯ ¡°But what Jo? You¡¯re gonna ask me about the financing for the costumes and stuff, right?¡± replied Rylan, his head down. ¡°Hey Rylan man, missing the budgeting deadline for the festival wasn¡¯t your fault. But the science club has a budget surplus man,¡± said Miguel. The truth comes out. Rylan raised his head to respond when the rear auditorium door opened. Rylan spun in surprise when the beautiful sophomore Rebecca Li, stepped in. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the president of the science club. Hello Rebecca, we were sort of talking about you!¡± said Rylan, greeting her. ¡°Really? Good things I hope!¡± said Rebecca with a smile. ¡°Do you have a minute?¡± ¡°Uh? Sure!¡± said Rylan stepping to the side with the brown eyed Rebecca, who moved close to him. ¡°So, I¡¯m sure you know by now that my club can help you with your drama club¡¯s lack of financing for the festival,¡± said Rebecca. ¡°Is that so?" he asked, rhetorically. ¡°Yes, for as president of the science club, I can authorize you some money from our budget surplus to make sure your play goes on in the festival,¡± said Rebecca. She stood so close to Rylan he felt her body heat, and smelled her shampoo. Is she seducing me or insulting me..Damn she smells good! ¡°I always knew you could authorize the money, Becca...but I never asked you because, you know...I don¡¯t want to have to owe you anything. That¡¯s your club¡¯s money,¡± said Rylan. Rebecca stepped back surprised at Rylan¡¯s response. ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know you were so principled Rylan, how cute!¡± she giggled, and touched his face. Eh? So I am being seduced ¡°Listen hero, I understand you need an actress to play the main character in your play, the princess. Plus you need financing for sets and costumes before the festival. So I say one hand washes the other and, you know, I get the princess part and I approve some financing from the science club for you. A win-win for both of us, right?¡± Damn.. ¡°You know, Becca, you¡¯re probably right, but...can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Did you even read my script?¡± She backed off. ¡°Uh, I will read it..¡± Rylan¡¯s heart sank. He liked the idea of pretty Rebecca Li playing his princess, and was certain she would do well, but. ¡°...Bec..um..A lot of girls, boys too actually, expressed interest in the ¡®princess¡¯ role..and I promised them I would let them audition..¡± Rebecca squinted. ¡°Audition? For what? Rylan, you don¡¯t have the financing to get the play up!¡± ¡°Oh..well I-¡± ¡°Rylan, look at me. This is what¡¯s gonna happen. You''re going to give me that script and I¡¯m going to rehearse to be the best princess you ever directed, so you don¡¯t need to waste your time auditioning all those girls or boys for the princess part-¡± ¡°I think you¡¯d make a better villain if you asked me!¡± shot a voice from the sidelines. Rylan spun left and there stood Maya with her arms crossed and an evil smirk, glaring at Rebecca. ¡°How long have you been standing there?¡± asked Rylan. ¡°Long enough,¡± she growled and walked toward them. Rebecca crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. ¡°Maya? So you¡¯re the new girl I¡¯ve heard about, and rude at that.¡± ¡°Oh? I¡¯m being called rude by the girl who demands the lead role in Rylan¡¯s performance?¡± snapped Maya. ¡°Excuse me?¡± Rebecca glared at Maya. ¡°You need to mind your own business!¡± ¡°Why? Are you Rylan¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Maya smirked. ¡°What? No!¡± said Rebecca. ¡°Oh, is he that repulsive to you? I mean the way you just said no-¡± ¡°Maya, enough!¡± yelled Rylan, stopping Maya¡¯s outburst. ¡°Hello, my conversation and relationship with Rylan are none of your business, new girl! And I¡¯d watch my step if I were you!¡± barked Rebecca. ¡°So you two do have a relationship-¡± Yikes! Rylan jumped in and separated the cat-girls who damn near hissed at each other. ¡°Rylan, are you friends with this girl?¡± growled Rebecca, pointing at Maya. ¡°Uhh! Friends is a stretch,¡± he nudged her toward the exit, ¡°And I¡¯ll get back to you about the princess character-¡± ¡°What do you mean you¡¯ll get back to me? The festival is in ten days and you still don¡¯t have a princess, costumes or a set!¡± said Rebecca. ¡°And he said he¡¯d get back to you, didn¡¯t he?¡± interrupted Maya. Rebecca planted her foot and faced Maya. ¡°Excuse you, who do you think you ar-?¡± ¡°Maya Alexander, but you know that already!¡± Rebecca threw the hand at Maya. ¡°What I know is I won¡¯t let a nobody like you rile me up!¡± She turned to Rylan. ¡°Rylan, you don¡¯t have forever to think about this, and I will be the best princess for your play, so call me tonight when you''re not distracted by loud mouths who don¡¯t know you!¡± Rebecca kissed Rylan dead on his lips and shot a last glare at Maya before diva walking to the exit. As Rebecca left, Rylan watched all of her. Her hair, her legs, her red ponytail scrunchy. ¡°So, spoiled princesses are your type, hunh?¡± said Maya, staring at Rylan. ¡°Uh?..Well..You didn¡¯t have to talk to her that way, that was rude.¡± ¡°Oh get over her!¡± Maya scowled and grabbed his face, ¡°Lust is a stoic passion, Rylan. Remember that.¡± ¡°I will," he smirked. After a moment Maya released him and took in the full sight of the school¡¯s auditorium. ¡°So this is a performance hall?¡± she asked. Her innocent question threw Rylan off. ¡°Oh, yes it is, and I¡¯m the drama club president. Even though there are only three of us..in the drama club,¡± said Rylan, still red. Maya looked up at Joanna and Miguel flying the paper mache dragon on a string and pully across the stage. ¡°..Oh wow, how pretty~¡± she whispered. ¡°Yes it is!¡± agreed Rylan. Maya turned to him. ¡°Rylan, I need a club activity for last period. I would like to join your drama club. I don¡¯t need authorization do I?¡± she asked, squinting her sharp green eyes. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Oh my.. ¡°No, don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± said Rylan. ¡°Good, see that you do. Now, I understand you have a ¡®script¡¯ for a story about a princess and a knight?¡± asked Maya. ¡°Yes,¡± Rylan dug in his pocket and pulled out a folded script, ¡°It¡¯s the story we want to show in the school fest-¡± ¡°Very well, I¡¯d like to read it!¡± Cleats The school dismissal bell finally rang and Rylan and Maya went to pick up Chloe, while Leif hustled to the football field for tryouts. Leif watched a full game last night online and understood most of the rules, but now was the real deal. ¡°Hey Leif, over here!¡± shouted Carlos, waving Leif over. As a lineman, Carlos wore the crimson team jersey and Leif, seeing the uniform for the first time, wanted it. ¡°Wow, your shirt is lovely, where do I get one?¡± asked Leif, bright eyed. ¡°If you can catch the ball maybe you can earn one!¡± A deep voice shouted behind him. Leif turned and faced two students, a tall player in full uniform who made the statement, and a blue eyed muscular student wearing a manager¡¯s uniform. The manager student greeted him. ¡°You¡¯re the new kid, Leif?¡± ¡°Yes I am!¡± ¡°My name is Evan, I¡¯m one of the student managers and this is the team quarterback, Taylor.¡± ¡°Quarterback? Right! I understand, nice to meet you both. If you like I can quarterback as well!¡± said Leif, too innocent. ¡°What motherfucker? Just run out there and catch the ball you idiot!¡± snapped the quarterback, Taylor. ¡°Oh, sorry!¡± said Leif, who ran out onto the field waiting for the ball to fly his way. Taylor rolled his eyes, ¡°New kid¡¯s a fuckin idiot,¡± he muttered to Evan. ¡°Yeah, well that may be, but you¡¯re sounding like a sensitive little girl right now, so just throw him the ball!¡± growled Evan, scolding Taylor. ¡°Tch- Whatever yo~¡± As Leif ran straight and pulled a button hook, Taylor threw the ball to the other side of the field, away from Leif. ¡°Whoops, my bad dude! Now go and fetch it!¡± yelled Taylor at Leif on the field. Evan, standing near Taylor let him have it. ¡°You¡¯ve been an asshole since practice started, get off the field!¡± he yelled at Taylor. Taylor looked Evan dead in his face. ¡°Fuck you Evan, I¡¯m the quarter on this team, you can¡¯t te- OOOF!¡± The perfectly spiraled football that flew into Taylor¡¯s gut, knocked the wind out of him and keeled him over. Evan, startled, gazed out into the field where Leif, over fifty yards out, stood by the goal post, shouting. ¡°Hey! How come he didn¡¯t catch it? Did I throw it wrong?¡± yelled Leif. The football players, those practicing and those trying out, stopped and stared at Leif. The team coach ran over to Taylor and Evan, asking the burning question. ¡°Evan...did that kid kick the ball...or throw it?¡± asked the coach. Evan paused before answering. ¡°I didn¡¯t see him do anything, but I saw the ball fly...and coach.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°....Kicked balls don¡¯t spiral like that.¡± The coach took his hat off and stared out at the smiling Leif, way out yonder. ¡°...No son, they certainly don¡¯t...wow!¡± From the field Leif saw all the players staring at him, so he politely yelled, ¡°Do you want me to throw it again?¡± Sportsmanship After practice all of the players and tryouts headed for the lockers to change. Today the boys were exceptionally rowdy after watching the athletic prowess Leif performed on the field. ¡°Ho-lee-shit, bro! You run, jump, throw, knock mothafuckas out! Yo, you must be the truth bro!¡± cheered Carlos and a bunch of other players who quickly gravitated to Leif¡¯s amazing skill, and innocent charm. Not everyone was impressed. ¡°Ya¡¯ll need to shut up with all of that! That pretty boy ain¡¯t the second coming of Tom Brady!¡± barked Taylor from his locker glaring at Leif. ¡°Yo Taylor, you sounding like the second coming of a little bitch, making all that noise over there, bro!¡± yelled Carlos, defending Leif. This only fired Taylor up, as he stepped in Carlos¡¯ face. ¡°Yo Carlos don¡¯t think I won¡¯t knock you out-¡± ¡°What? Try it bitch! See if I don¡¯t slap fire out of you!¡± Carlos pushed Taylor back. Taylor, furious, threw a cross punch at Carlos¡¯ face, only to have it blocked and a punch thrown in Taylor¡¯s gut, knocking him back. ¡°Uggh!¡± cried Taylor, absorbing the blow and raising his head, only to see Leif, completing the combo with a roundhouse kick to his face, ¡°Oh shit!¡± As Leif¡¯s foot neared Taylor¡¯s face, student manager Evan stepped between Taylor and Leif and blocked the kick with his elbow. After blocking, Evan thrust a forward kick at Leif¡¯s gut, but Leif blocked the kick. Not done, Evan dropped down, spun and swept Leif¡¯s leg, flooring the green eyed athlete. ¡°Ow!¡± cried Leif knocked on his ass and glancing up at, ¡°Hey! You¡¯re Evan the manager!¡± Evan, ignoring Leif, grabbed Taylor and scolded him about sportsmanship. Taylor tried to argue back to save face, but being totally in the wrong he fled the locker room. The players, boys being boys, all recovered and continued joking and yelling in the locker room as if the fight never happened. Leif joined the rowdiness, relishing the team camaraderie, but his curiosity overcame him. Leif watched Evan change by his locker and stepped away from the crowd to talk to him. ¡°Hi! I¡¯ve never seen an earth person fight like you! Do you train?¡± asked Leif. Evan, hesitant, paused before answering. ¡°Um..a little, it¡¯s no big deal,¡± he muttered, closing his locker and walking away. Leif¡¯s curiosity peaked. He grabbed Evan¡¯s shoulder, spun him around, and threw a lightning fast three punch combo at his chest. ¡°The fuck?¡± muttered Evan, who in three smooth blocks, parried all of Leif¡¯s strikes, and locked his body in position to fight. All the boys in the locker room stopped and yelled, ¡°Whoah, Whoah! Wassup ya¡¯ll? Knock that shit off!¡± Leif stared intently at Evan¡¯s fighting stance, and smiled, ¡°Manager Evan, you¡¯re amazing!¡± he said. Evan¡¯s face moved from anger to puzzlement. ¡°What?..Dude are you fucking with me? That¡¯s not cool-¡± ¡°Eh? No, I¡¯m not teasing you I¡¯m serious. We should hang out. I bet I can show you moves to enhance your style..and..you can teach me football!¡± smiled Leif. ¡°..I don''t know¡± said Evan, sincerely not sure of Leif. ¡°Oh, why don¡¯t I see you in class?¡± asked Leif. ¡°Because I¡¯m a junior and you''re a sophomore.¡± ¡°Right!¡± Leif blushed, embarrassed, ¡°Well, do you have a car? I need a ride home, and If we ride together we can discuss technique!¡± he said throwing a shadow box combo in front of Evan. Evan, although suspicious of Leif¡¯s intent, couldn¡¯t help his own curiosity. ¡°Are you asking me for a ride home so we can talk about football and fighting?¡± asked Evan. ¡°Yes!...And we should play pop music really loud!¡± said Leif smiling. ¡°Pop music? Ha ha, you¡¯re a weirdo Leif!¡± said Evan, turning and walking away from Leif. ¡°But it¡¯s cool, I¡¯ll give you a ride home.¡± ¡°Nice, what a great day today. I made the football team and I¡¯m making friends with a fellow warrior!¡± said Leif placing his hand on Evan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dude you¡¯re definitely a weirdo!¡± said Evan, still smiling. ----- Chapter 5- Rivals Thursday, The Next Morning ¡°Let¡¯s go you guys, we don¡¯t want to be late!¡± shouted Rylan to his sleepy household as he packed Chloe¡¯s lunch in the kitchen. Chloe came down first, rubbing her eyes. ¡°Well, at least you''re dressed!¡± said Rylan greeting her with a plate of scrambled eggs. ¡°Ya, I saw Leif, he¡¯s dressed too, but Maya- eh?¡± Chloe caught a glimpse of something in the front yard. ¡°Rylan, is that yours?¡± she said pointing out the window. ¡°Hmm?¡± he mumbled sliding the window curtain open. ..Ah?..Well that¡¯s just great. Rylan frowned and stepped out to the yard with Chloe who ran in front of him to marvel at... ¡°Yaa! It¡¯s a futuristic motorcycle from space!¡± she yelled. ¡°So it seems,¡± said Rylan. Before them stood an all black EBR 1190rs sports motorcycle. A high performance, barely street legal beast, capable of speeds over two hundred miles per hour. ¡°Why me?¡± muttered Rylan, shaking his head at the beautiful machine. Chloe hopped on the seat and grabbed the handles. "Rylan, I don¡¯t think this bike¡¯s from space..Oh, I know, maybe that pretty evil lady bought it for you! Remember she said she¡¯d get you another one?¡± Rylan cracked a smile for Chloe. ¡°Yeah, that pretty evil lady said a lot of things.¡± The house door slammed open and Leif charged out in his school uniform to ogle the new motorcycle. ¡°It¡¯s spectacular, I must ride it!¡± he shouted hopping behind Chloe. Rylan hesitated. ¡°Yeah, Leif..I don¡¯t think I can accept this bike-¡± Chloe cut him off. ¡°Leif, you have to give me a ride to school in time for everyone to see us because,¡± she blushed averting her eyes¡­ ¡°Because you¡¯re my boyfr- um..bodyguard and all and it¡¯ll be cool if we ride in together...I guess.¡± Her face beet red. Leif spun toward Chloe and gave her the ¡®nice guy thumbs up¡¯ and smiled with a gleam in his teeth, ding! ¡°Fantastic idea Chloe, but I¡¯ll only do it if you let me pop-a-wheelie in the parking lot in front of your friends!¡± said Leif. ¡°Yaaa!¡± cried Chloe. Rylan intervened. ¡°Um...I don¡¯t think that¡¯s such a good idea Chlo-¡± Rylan¡¯s words fell on deaf ears as Chloe ran back to the house to grab her bag, eyes sparkling in love. As Chloe hit the porch steps Rylan glanced up at Maya standing in the doorway, shaking her head in disapproval at him. ¡°What?¡± cried Rylan, ¡°You act like I asked for this!¡± Maya smirked and stepped back in the house. *Here''s the bike- EBR 1190rs Ampsediun Five minutes later, Rylan watched Leif and Chloe zoom down the road and disappear on the new motorcycle. As if they rode it all their lives. ¡°Man, is there anything Leif can¡¯t do?¡± ¡°Stop admiring my brother, he¡¯s always been like that,¡± snarked Maya walking out of the house carrying both of their bags. The duo hopped in the Dodge Challenger and Rylan, as usual, strapped his seatbelt on tight as Maya raced out of the yard screeching the tires on the asphalt. ¡°Jeez, do you always have to drive like this?¡± said Rylan holding his seat belt. She turned to him with a scowl. ¡°Rylan, you need to be careful around Anya.¡± ¡°Maya, I never asked her for that road-rocket, I asked her to give me my bike back. The one she stole!¡± ¡°Well that may be the case but now, because of the way you charged up yesterday, she knows how much ampsediun you can handle.¡± Rylan paused and faced her. ¡°What is ampsediun?¡± She slowed the car down. ¡°It¡¯s an extremely rare particle that fuels rift gates, thus allowing travel between dimensions...And ¡­ it''s the glowing amber energy you felt when the gate opened.¡± ¡°You mean the same energy I felt yesterday?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ok, so where does ampsediun come from?¡± Maya turned her head with a smirk. ¡°Where do you think?...Grounder.¡± Rylan took a moment. ¡°Wait...are you saying me and my sister...make this stuff?¡± She paused. ¡°Rylan¡­.you really need to be careful around Anya. Because right now all my brother and I can do is wait and play defense until that gate in your yard is ready to pop again,¡± said Maya. ¡°..I will-¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re not hearing me,¡± she calmed herself, ¡°...When that day comes, and that gate is ready to open, she will make you and Chloe a part of her plan,¡± said Maya. She stared at Rylan hard to sear the message. After a second he answered. ¡°I hear you..¡± Later At School Rylan took lunch in the auditorium while searching backstage for usable costumes. In a small dressing room he thumbed through garments hanging on a roller rack. I know there¡¯s a ¡®knight¡¯ costume in here, I saw it last semester. Damn, and there¡¯s only one week until the fes- ¡°Did you like my gift, lover?¡± That voice. Rylan spun and faced. ¡°No no no! Anya, you can¡¯t keep stalking me! I¡¯m calling the cops!¡± shouted Rylan, whipping out his phone. Anya stepped toward him, beaming with innocence. ¡°Rylan! What are you talking about? I came to discuss the finances of your play and,¡± her eyes drooped in despair, ¡°... I¡¯m always so happy to see you but you say these mean things to me, oh boo hoo!¡± she covered her face and cried. Oh good grief! ¡°Anya...Ms. Cesar..There, there,¡± he sort of consoled her, ¡°W-What about the play finances?¡± ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re interested in me now, hmph!¡± she pouted. ¡°Ms. Cesar...¡± Anya perked up, and closed in. ¡°Sweet Rylan, since I¡¯m the faculty in charge of the science club I can approve the surplus finances for you and your play...or disapprove them,¡± she said with an evil smile. He paused, but stood firm. ¡°I can go around you-¡± ¡°No handsome, you can¡¯t. Club charter states all club finances must be drawn from the school joint account. No outside financing. A way to prevent poor kids¡¯ clubs becoming unequal to rich kids¡¯ clubs in a festival.¡± ¡°How progressive,¡± said Rylan. He put his head down and calmly asked, ¡°What do you want Anya?¡± Her smile grew more sinister as she reached out and buried his face in her breasts. ¡°I want a lot of things Rylan,¡± she whispered, ¡°...In due time.¡± ¡°Mmph- I can¡¯t breathe-¡± ¡°But today I just want you to be happy with the things I can provide for you baby~¡± His eyes shot up from her bosom. ¡°Seriously? Do you think I¡¯m impressed with that motorcycle, ha ha no!¡± he pushed her away, ¡°Ms. Cesar, if you want to make me happy then gimme back the bike you stole.¡± Anya frowned. ¡°Baby, why do you want that piece of shit ba-¡± ¡°I just do, and it¡¯s none of your business why,¡± snapped Rylan. ¡°Ok, you don¡¯t have to yell at me!¡± she turned away in despair, ¡°Why are you always so mean to me?¡± Omg, this woman~ugh. ¡°Anya...I¡¯m not going to play your game. Now yes or no, are you going to return my bike and approve the finances for the play?¡± ¡°Hmm..¡± She caressed his face, ¡°All these things you want, but what if I say no?¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He tensed at her response, but Anya pulled him in and pressed her lips to his. ¡°Ahem!..Ms. Cesar!¡± ¡°Oh Rylan, you¡¯re such a prude, and yes you can have almost everything you want, since I''m an agreeable woman....that is...provided my needs are met,¡± she hissed in his ear. Rylan remained stone. ¡°Please don¡¯t confuse needs with wants, Ms. Cesar,¡± he whispered back. ¡°Heh heh, clever boy,¡± she chuckled, ¡°In that case, do make sure you follow your own advice.¡± ¡°Excuse me? What do you me-¡± ¡°Sssshhh~¡± Anya shut his mouth with her finger. ¡°Patience baby... you and me are gonna speak again real soon about how you can get what you want from me.¡± ¡°What?¡± snapped Rylan. ¡°Not now, and don¡¯t you dare tell Maya about this ¡®talk¡¯ if you don¡¯t want me to make trouble,¡± said Anya, locking Rylan in a deathly glare. He stumbled back. ..S-She¡¯s serious.. As Rylan stood frozen, Anya glanced at the exit door and straightened herself up. ¡°Hmm, someone¡¯s coming. Look sharp Rylan and remember to keep your mouth shut if you know what¡¯s good for you!¡± Buds Excited about his first official practice today, Leif ate lunch in the school weight room while he took an early workout. Carlos and a few other teammates joined him. ¡°I¡¯m telling you bro, Coach ain¡¯t replacing Taylor as Quarterback this season. But we need a running back real bad!¡± said Carlos while spotting Leif on the weight bench. ¡°Hmm..I guess that¡¯s fair, I¡¯ll play where the team needs me,¡± said Leif benching the heavy bar. The weight room door opened and Evan entered, stretching his shoulders. Leif glanced up and made eye contact with him, before they both turned away. ¡°Yo Evan you lifting today, bro?¡± asked Carlos. ¡°Just a little, I wanted to get some cardio in,¡± said Evan pointing toward the treadmill room in back. Leif sat up on the bench while his eyes followed Evan who fled to the rear. ¡°Carlos I¡¯m gonna stretch, and I know you want to put heavier weights on this bar,¡± said Leif standing up. ¡°Good idea bro, go stretch! I don¡¯t need you getting injured on your first official practice!¡± barked Carlos, prepping the bar for heavier weights. Leif smiled and headed for the treadmill room. When he entered his eyes caught Evan¡¯s, who evaded. ¡°Hey manager Evan, thank you for the ride yesterday and also I have my first practice today!¡± he smiled. ¡°Ha, it''s cool dude, and yeah I know about your practice, I make the roster,¡± said Evan smiling and setting up a treadmill. ¡°Oh right! Hey, remember when we discussed proper stretching techniques in your sports medicine training?¡± asked Leif ¡°Oh yeah, I remember, why? Do you need help with your warm up stretching?¡± ¡°Yes, I mean..if that¡¯s ok?¡± asked Leif, humbly. Evan stepped forward and lifted Leif¡¯s wrist to measure his pulse. ¡°Alright, before we get started let me at least make sure you¡¯re..hey...your heartbeat is a little- Oh!¡± Leif wrapped his arms around Evan, and kissed him. After a moment Evan resisted. ¡°Dude, what are you doing? I¡¯m not gay!¡± Leif stood befuddled. ¡°I don¡¯t know this word...Does it mean I am not your type?¡± asked Leif. ¡°Type? Dude? I ..I mean...we can¡¯t-¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t saying no!¡± whispered Leif. He pulled Evan again, and kissed him long and hard. Evan¡¯s defenses crumbled as Leif held him and ravaged his mouth and neck, before reaching below. ¡°Oh no!¡± Evan stepped back. ¡°Leif, I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re from...but here...we can¡¯t do this.¡± ¡°Do what? Kiss each other?..Well perhaps not in public since displays of affection-¡± ¡°Leif, we can¡¯t..not in New Mexico,¡± said Evan picking up his bag to leave. Leif stared at Evan, dejected, ¡°Evan...I¡¯m sorry if I upset you..I didn¡¯t know-¡± Evan put his hand on top of Leif¡¯s head to pat him, and smirked. ¡°Dude!..I know, it¡¯s cool. Just..don¡¯t be late for practice!¡± Evan tried to walk away but Leif held his arm, and the two stood in silence for a moment, before facing each other. ¡°Leif..I gotta go..¡± ¡°..Ok..I¡¯ll¡­.I won¡¯t be late for practice,¡± said Leif, releasing Evan. Evan walked to the door and half turned, as if to speak again, but remained silent then left the room. Conditions Maya ate and joked with a crew of cool sophomore girls at lunch, but after twenty minutes she grew concerned not seeing Rylan or her brother in the cafeteria. Stupid Leif, he¡¯s probably working out or something...but where¡¯s Rylan? Maya excused herself and bee-lined for the auditorium. As she reached the main doors Rylan, Rebecca and Anya stepped out in front of her. Maya waved, ¡°Rylan, you...why are you with Anya?¡± she said staring at the raven haired teacher. ¡°As opposed to being with you? Hmph!¡± pouted Anya. Rylan glanced at Anya then Maya and uttered, ¡°Uh, well..she-¡± ¡°Hello to you too Maya, and who¡¯s Anya?¡± asked Rebecca. Maya smirked. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry these days she goes by Ms. Cesar, ruler of chemistry class,¡± snarked Maya glaring at Anya. ¡°Heh heh, that¡¯s pretty funny,¡± laughed Rylan. Anya scowled at Rylan. ¡°It¡¯s not funny how she disrespects me Rylan, after all I did for her, hmph I¡¯m leaving!¡± Anya stormed off ten feet then spun around. ¡°Hi, all three of you have fourth period lab with me today, don¡¯t be late!¡± ¡°We won¡¯t Ms. Cesar,¡± chorused Rebecca, Rylan and Maya. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re all such fine students, except for you Maya!¡± barked Anya vanishing down the hall. Maya shook her head and faced Rylan. ¡°What did Anya want?¡± she asked him. ¡°Uh? She um-¡± ¡°She decided we have to be rivals and friends,¡± said Rebecca. Maya turned to Rebecca puzzled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what did Ms. Cesar decide now?¡± Rebecca reached in her bag and pulled out a handful of tickets, then placed two in Maya¡¯s hand. ¡°Ms. Cesar and I were girl talking,¡± said Rebecca. ¡°Girl talking about what?¡± snapped Maya balling a fist and nearly crushing the tickets. Rebecca jumped back, startled. ¡°Maya!¡± growled Rylan, defending Rebecca. Maya glanced at Rylan¡¯s angry face and composed herself. ¡°Hmph..What were you saying Rebecca?¡± asked Maya. Rebecca continued. ¡°I was just saying that Ms. Cesar told me that your tough girl act was just a front and you were a really sweet girl and a science nerd like me!¡± she smiled. Maya stepped back, unsure of Rebecca. ¡°Did Ms. Cesar really tell you that or is this a prank? Because if it is-¡± ¡°Eh? No no, Rylan tell her,¡± begged Rebecca. Rylan put his hand on Maya¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Maya it¡¯s cool. Ms. Cesar approved the funding for the play...provided we meet a few of her conditions.¡± He pointed to the ticket in Maya¡¯s hand. She read the print. ¡°Greater city fair? What is this?¡± Rylan and Rebecca smirked. ¡°Ms. Cesar bought all of us tickets to the fair...as part of those conditions,¡± said Rylan scratching his head. Maya crossed her arms and glared at Rylan with her eyes squinted shut. ¡°Tell me more about these...conditions..Rylan-Rilly!¡± ... How''s the story so far, please let me know ^_^ Chapter 6- Depleted Dismissal at Homestead Elementary Chloe laughed with her classmates as they stood outside the school waiting for their parents to pick them up. Her friend Lisa spotted Rylan and Maya in the parking lot. ¡°Chloe, who¡¯s that girl walking with your brother? She¡¯s so pretty!¡± said Lisa. Chloe spun around. ¡°Eeeh? Oh ya, that''s Leif¡¯s sister Maya. She¡¯s awesome too, but she¡¯s always serious,¡± said Chloe. ¡°Oh? She looks like she¡¯s happy today. Is she your brother¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Chloe paused with her finger on her lip. ¡°Hmm, she does look happy today, but no they¡¯re more like husband and wife, hee hee!¡± she chuckled and ran toward Rylan and Maya, ¡°Bye Lisa!¡± ¡°Bye Chloe! See you tomorrow!¡± Thespians Chloe dashed top speed and jumped on Rylan with her arms around his neck, pulling him down. ¡°Hi Rylan, Hi Maya!¡± ¡°Oww, Chloe you¡¯re heavy-¡± ¡°Stop crying Rylan and explain to Chloe that we¡¯re all going to the city fair on Saturday.¡± Chloe¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Really? We¡¯re going to the fair?¡± ¡°We sure are,¡± answered Maya, ¡°Because we have to go! It¡¯s part of the conditions your brother agreed to, to keep his mistress happy!¡± she said shooting an evil smile at Rylan. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s a mistress?¡± asked Chloe Rylan, red faced, took control of the conversation. ¡°Chloe don¡¯t listen to Maya, she¡¯s just mad because she has to compete with Rebecca Li for the princess part in the school play.¡± ¡°You mean make friends with Rebecca Li, don''t you Rylan?¡± said Maya, she then turned to Chloe, ¡°You see Chloe, if Rylan wants the money for his school festival play, Rebecca Li and I have to prove a documented friendship before we can compete for the princess part,¡± said Maya with a fake smile. Chloe laughed while she climbed in the car. ¡°You guys are silly! And I know Rebecca Li. She was in Rylan''s seventh grade play in junior high!¡± blabbed Chloe. Maya¡¯s smile grew. ¡°Ooooh? Is that right? So Rebecca¡¯s worked with your brother on stage before?¡± she turned to Rylan, ¡°Which means you and her have a history together, how interesting.¡± ¡°I mean, you know, small town and all,¡± Rylan mumbled averting his eyes. Chloe interrupted. ¡°So we''re going with Rebecca to the fair? I like her, she¡¯s nice to me. And Maya, you should be friends with her, she¡¯s smart and pretty like you!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± blushed Maya, not prepared for the direct compliment from Chloe. ¡°I mean if you have to compete for the princess part in the play, that¡¯s going to be hard because you both look like princesses, hmm..¡± she paused, ¡°But who¡¯s going to play the knight?¡± Maya chuckled and glanced over at Rylan, who turned to Chloe with a purple face. ¡°Uhh...as part of the financing conditions...I have to play the part of the knight,¡± he trailed off. Maya burst out laughing while speeding down the street, but Chloe figured it all out. ¡°Wait, so Maya and Rebecca have to become friends and then they have to compete to be the princess in a play?...Where they can kiss Rylan?¡± ¡°Um..I mean..in a roundabout way,¡± said Rylan squinting and avoiding eye contact with Maya. ¡°Roundabout? Oh you are in denial! Haha!¡± laughed Maya. Rylan tried to defend himself, but even Chloe laughed at him in the back seat. ¡°I have no friends,¡± he frowned. ¡°No, you don¡¯t! But you do have an evil mistress hell bent on causing trouble for you in school!¡± said Maya. ¡°What? Anya¡¯s not my mistre-¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I meant your lover!¡± Chloe lit up. ¡°Eh? Rylan has a lover?¡± ¡°No Chloe, I don¡¯t have-¡± ¡°-The good sense to say ¡®no¡¯ to that woman is what you don¡¯t have!¡± huffed Maya. ¡°And your friend Rebecca, just as bad as you, falls for Anya¡¯s plastic ¡®girl talk¡¯ and ¡®we should be friends¡¯ because we¡¯re science nerds-¡± Rylan shot a hard glare at Maya. ¡°Well at least Rebecca¡¯s making an attempt, and all you¡¯re doing is mocking her,¡± he said, dead serious. Maya stopped talking, and kept her eyes on the road. An uncomfortable silence befell the car. ¡°Maya...I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t mean-¡± ¡°No, Rylan..you¡¯re right...I seem to be the only one...mad about everything,¡± said Maya. More silence in the car, before. ¡°....Maya..¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Rylan paused and faced her. ¡°You...you agreed to these terms with Rebecca to compete for the part...Why?...I mean, you don¡¯t really have to do any of this.¡± Maya¡¯s face grew somber. ¡°I know, but I want to,¡± she slowed the car down, ¡°Because I read your play and I...I liked it a lot, that¡¯s all.¡± Rylan hid the pride swelling in his face. ¡°...Really? Thank you..I worked hard writing it, and I really want to present it,¡± he said in a low calm voice. ¡°I know you do Rylan...so do I.¡± She smiled with her eyes on the road. The Next Day- Friday Leif slipped out of his morning math class early and dashed for the second floor. As he walked the hallway the bell rang and he casually waited outside of a juniors¡¯ English class for a student named Evan. As Evan exited the class Leif spotted him and tapped his shoulder. ¡°Manager Evan~¡± he smiled. Evan turned, surprised. ¡°L-Leif?...What are you doing here dude?¡± ¡°Hi, I have tickets to the county fair and I think we should go!¡± Evan blushed. ¡°The fair? Oh...I don¡¯t know,¡± he said turning and walking away. Leif chased him. ¡°Evan, wait..you did not speak to me at practice yesterday..are you still upset with me?¡± ¡°No, not at all...you know how it is Leif, you¡¯re an awesome athlete so you don¡¯t need much instruction from me,¡± said Evan, slowing down his hurried pace. ¡°But Manager Evan, that¡¯s not true at all? I¡¯m still new to football and..¡± Evan squinted. ¡°Then..I don¡¯t know what to tell you Lief.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. He tried to speed off, but Lief grabbed his bicep and stopped him, cold. ¡°Evan, when I see you around other teammates and students you¡¯re always a leader amongst them...but when you speak to me...it is, ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ and ¡®can¡¯t¡¯...and I don¡¯t understand why?" Evan pulled his arm away and kept his back to Leif. ¡°Leif?¡± ¡°Yes Evan?¡± Evan turned halfway. ¡°I¡¯m free Saturday.¡± Evan said no more and walked away. Leif smiled, but remained calm, and strolled the other direction with a hop in his step. ¡°Cool~¡± Terms Before lunch Rylan headed for an empty chemistry lab on the fourth floor. He had a quick appointment with Anya and knew if he didn¡¯t meet her she would only corner him later. What kind of nonsense is Anya going to get me into? He opened the classroom door and found her sitting by the front desk correcting papers. ¡°Uhh..Ms. Cesar?¡± ¡°Come here Rylan, and lock the door behind you,¡± she said not turning away from her papers. He flipped the latch and walked toward her. She stood and greeted him, pushing her glasses up. ¡°Hello sweetie, I won¡¯t keep you, I¡¯m just gonna tell you what¡¯s gonna happen.¡± She paused, ¡°..You didn¡¯t tell Maya about meeting me today did you?¡± ¡°No! And only because I¡¯m curious what you have to say,¡± he answered. Anya¡¯s eyes narrowed as she moved closer to him. ¡°Baby...In a week or so the ampsediun in your yard should be replenished enough to open a gate. Now when that gate opens those two brats are going to want to haul me away, and collect a bounty on me...and I can¡¯t have that.¡± I see now. You''re making plans. ¡°Anya..From what I understand you¡¯re a criminal and capturing you is the twins¡¯ prerogative-¡± Anya grabbed his face. ¡°Rylan...you do understand that I can kill Maya and Leif and take you and your sister any time I want? That must be clear to you at this point.¡± Rylan hid all fear. ¡°Well, from how I saw Maya handle her sword against you-¡± Before Rylan could blink, Anya shifted her sword hilt to a handgun and stuck the barrel in his face. ¡°Oh shit!¡± He stumbled back and Anya holstered the weapon. ¡°The twins have no ammunition and I destroyed their useless sentinels, and your sweet Maya...is no sword fighter.¡± Rylan called her bluff. ¡°If that¡¯s the case then why haven¡¯t you killed them yet?¡± he barked. ¡°Kill the twins? Haha! Sweet Rylan, if I kill them now you¡¯d be uncontrollable. But if I use them as leverage and spare them,¡± she stared deep in his eyes, ¡°...and I leave your sister alone, I gather you¡¯ll be more accommodating of me.¡± Rylan glared. ¡°You would threaten my sister?¡± ¡°Hee hee, I don¡¯t have to. All I¡¯d do is call child services and have them ask why a nine year old girl is living in a house full of unsupervised minors.¡± A cold sweat ran through Rylan. The truth laid out before him. Anya is a sociopath with nothing to lose and I have everything to lose..Damn.. Anya pulled him close, her lips grazing his. ¡°Listen to me pretty boy, I need to do some less-than-legal things in an around this town, and for my own reasons...I¡¯m going to need you to accompany me.¡± Rylan balked at her request. ¡°Accompany you?...How would I get away from Maya-¡± ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn, she¡¯s not my girlfriend! You just make sure she keeps her pretty nose out of your business or I¡¯ll cut it off!¡± growled Anya. She''s serious. ¡°Ok...and if I accompany you...and help you do these things..what happens when the gate opens?¡± Anya calmed herself and pulled him close. ¡°Baby...then I¡¯m going to take what I intended from this world and I¡¯m going to leave,¡± she pulled his face to hers, ¡°...And you¡¯ll never see me again!¡± She kissed him. ¡°Mmph!¡± He tried to resist, but she held him down, and unfastened his belt. ¡°..Anya.. wait!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Rylan learned just how strong Anya was, as she pinned him on the lab desk and lowered his briefs. ¡°Anya, please..I .I¡± ¡°Ssh, you be quiet boy!¡± she growled in his ear, as she exposed him, grabbed him, and gently stroked him. ¡°..Ah..¡± ¡°Oh look who¡¯s awake now, mmm? You like that don¡¯t you baby? Yeah, come on!¡± She gripped him tighter and stroked faster. ¡°Anya..Ah!..¡± ¡°That¡¯s right Rylan, say my name, spill it out for me..¡± She kissed his face and neck, and stroked harder. After a moment. ¡°Aaaaahhh...oohh¡­.oh!..¡± ¡°Yaaas! There¡¯s my stud, all empty like a good boy,¡± she leaned into him. ¡°Now don¡¯t you feel better after momma gave you a tug..hee hee,¡± she cackled. Rylan, breathing heavy, pulled his pants up and sat back, depleted. ¡°Please don¡¯t ever do that again...¡± he said. ¡°Eh? Why baby? Are you over me already? Then I was just a fling, hmph!¡± She reached across the table and tossed him a roll of paper towels. ¡°Clean yourself up. And here¡¯s the deal. Sunday, the second half of the high school football game you and me are going to split early. We have an appointment with someone in town.¡± Rylan said nothing as he fastened himself and gathered his things. Without saying goodbye he stepped out the door. ¡°Rylan?¡± He paused and faced her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an experienced woman. And I can do terrible things to you to bring you pleasure and pain..¡± she stared in his eyes.. ¡°But if you cross me...just imagine what I¡¯ll do to Maya..¡± Rylan gulped and kept eye contact. ¡°..I understand,¡± he said. ¡°Of course you do Rylan, I knew you would..¡± Rylan turned away and exited the classroom, shutting the door behind him. ... Chapter 7- Date At The City Fair Saturday Rylan placed the city fair tickets he¡¯d received from Anya on his kitchen table. Why is that woman making us do this? As part of Anya¡¯s conditions, Maya, Rebecca and himself would attend the fair together as friends. They were required to snap photos of themselves having a good time, and show the photos to Anya on Monday as ¡®proof of friendship.¡¯ In return, Anya would release surplus club funds for Rylan¡¯s play. Whatever, I just need to be cool and find out what Anya really wants. He pushed Anya out of his mind and focused on the fun he¡¯d have today. In his yard a silver pickup truck pulled in and parked. Rylan walked outside and smiled as Evan exited the truck. ¡°Hey brother-man, what''ve you been up to?¡± said Rylan. Evan, wearing a tan cowboy hat, grinned as they bro-hugged. ¡°I¡¯m good dude! I just came to pick up the golden boy, Leif,¡± joked Evan. ¡°Yeah I know, you football jocks gonna take my baby sis to the rodeo in the fair?¡± teased Rylan. Evan chuckled ¡°Aaaayup! You know I''m just a cowboy!¡± ¡°Haha man you got that right with your pickup truck, your ¡®village people¡¯ costume and your high school football!¡± laughed Rylan pointing at his hat. ¡°Yeah I can''t argue. But speaking of football, how come you don¡¯t play no more, dude? The team could really use a receiver like you,¡± asked Evan. Rylan smiled. ¡°Nah bro, I¡¯m kind of a single parent these days with just me and Chloe here. But thanks for asking,¡± then he pumped his bicep and grinned, ¡°And yes, I still got the arm!¡± ¡°Haha I hear you dude, but this guy Leif...I¡¯ve never seen anyone move like him on the field. Are you guys related?¡± asked Evan. Rylan blinked. ¡°Uhh, no, Leif and his sister are exchange students from...another dimension.¡± ¡°Haha, yeah, he¡¯s certainly different,¡± said Evan. From behind Rylan Leif and Chloe raced to the front door, each shouting, ¡°I won! No you didn¡¯t, I won!¡± Chloe dashed down the steps first with her eyes on Evan. ¡°Hi Evan!¡± ¡°Hi Chloe, you remember me?¡± ¡°Of course I do, I told Leif you were the quarterback on my brother¡¯s team in junior high. I used to go to all your games!..Well, to watch my brother play~¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s cool too!¡± he high fived her. Leif gaped at Evan and smiled. ¡°Manager Evan? That¡¯s a cool hat you¡¯re wearing, and is this true? Were you a quarterback?¡± asked Leif. ¡°..Yeah I was a quarterback like a hundred years ago,¡± said Evan, turning away. ¡°Man, that was three years ago, I caught five of your touchdowns,¡± said Rylan. ¡°Five touchdowns? Wow, you both continue to amaze me. And Manager Evan...I shall study my football under you!¡± said a beaming Leif, locking eyes with Evan. ¡°That¡¯s cool, I guess,¡± said Evan, blushing under his hat. Rylan sensed something between them, but let it go. ¡°Evan, Leif, text me after the rodeo, we¡¯ll all meet up by the roller coasters or something.¡± Rylan handed the trio their tickets and waved goodbye as they pulled out in the pickup truck. He felt more secure with Evan accompanying Leif and Chloe since he¡¯d known Evan since elementary school and their years playing junior high football. Team Captain Evan, a responsible dude. I¡¯m glad you made friends with him Leif. Blue Doll Rylan stepped back in his kitchen and checked his watch. ¡°Hey Maya, are you ready? We¡¯re supposed to meet Rebecca-¡± ¡°Did they leave?¡± she shouted from the back room, hiding herself. Rylan smirked. ¡°Uh, you mean Leif and his boyfriend? Heh heh, yeah they¡¯re gone, why?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want them to see me!¡± she yelled. Rylan paused. ¡°See you what?-Oh my!¡± Maya emerged from the shadows wearing a thigh high blue baby doll dress and tan cowgirl boots. She smiled but kept her classic ¡®tsundere¡¯ pout as she twirled for Rylan. ¡°W-Well..do I look like a New Mexico girl?¡± she asked, humbly. Rylan sensed her vulnerability, and like an evil big brother, he frowned. ¡°Mmm..I don¡¯t know, maybe you can pass for an Oklahoma girl-¡± ¡°What?¡± her face went full scowl. ¡°Is that an in insult? Do the woman of Oklahoma not dress appropriately? I¡¯m going to change!¡± she stormed to the back. Rylan, barely holding his laughter, grabbed her wrist and spun her around. ¡°Maya, I¡¯m kidding, you look fine,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Eh? Fine? I don¡¯t want to look fine, I want to be at the beauty standards of a proper New Mexico girl..like..like..¡± ¡°Like Rebecca Li?¡± he asked. Maya averted her eyes. ¡°Uh...well, i-if she is the standard-¡± ¡°Maya, stop,¡± he said locking her gaze. Emotion flooded Rylan as he stared in her eyes, but he composed himself with maturity. ¡°Maya, in the five days I¡¯ve known you, you¡¯ve gone from an arrogant and unfriendly bounty hunter to a normal highschool girl worried about how you look in front of your peers.¡± Maya¡¯s eyes grew sad. ¡°You¡¯re right, this is bad, I¡¯m losing my way and-¡± Rylan laughed. ¡°No, this is not bad,¡± he smiled, ¡°Truthfully, I think you hanging out and making friends is adorable and normal, hahah!¡± ¡°Eh? Well...why are you laughing at me then?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m not laughing at you, I¡¯m happy you¡¯re taking an interest in things. Hell, until a day or two ago I wondered if you were even human,¡± he grasped both of her wrists, ¡°And now I see that you are...a little-¡± ¡°Excuse me? A little?¡± she asked, confused by his statement. Rylan squinted and grinned with evil. ¡°Heh heh, what I meant was you¡¯re almost there. I¡¯d give you another week before I can really call you human, and a month before I can call you ¡®Ms. New Mexico,¡¯ hahaha!¡± Rylan patted her head, grinning like an idiot, while Maya¡¯s eyes narrowed to thin slits. ¡°What did you just say to me?¡± she snarled with clenched teeth, and her hands balled into fists. Rylan¡¯s goofy smile turned to fear as he backed up. ¡°Oh Maya..uh..there¡¯s no need to make fists and-¡± Without another word he bolted out the front door. Eeeep! I gotta ditch this chick! He ran outside and jumped in the driver''s seat of the car. ¡°Keys, keys, keys!¡± he muttered rummaging through his pockets. As he fumbled for the keys, Maya strolled out of the house and calmly stood in front of the car. Staring at Rylan, she shifted her weight to one side of her leg, and with a cruel smile...dangled the car keys in front of him. Jingle! Jingle! Jingle! Rylan stopped moving and stared at Maya, in her new boots, and new dress, with her light brown hair down. Maya?¡­Wow.. Adrift in her eyes, he forgot himself. Until she threw the keys at the windshield. ¡°Aah! You crazy girl, I take it back, you ain¡¯t human!¡± As she grinned and walked toward the driver¡¯s side door, Rylan reached over and locked it, smiling in triumph. ¡°Haha, I¡¯m too slick for you girl-¡± She frowned, and unlocked the door. ¡°Oh no, I forgot she had the key! Eeeep!¡± Shinobi Leif, Chloe and Evan had a blast at the fair¡¯s rodeo. With the show over, they had time to kill before meeting with Rylan and Maya. Chloe walked between Evan and Leif holding their arms and pulled them toward the carnival games. ¡°Evan, Lief, you guys are sports heroes, you can win me a big bear hee hee!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll win you the biggest bear Chloe, and one for you too Evan!¡± said Leif. ¡°Ya, win won for Evan!¡± echoed Chloe. Evan smirked red faced. ¡°Thank you, I appreciate it but-¡± ¡°But nothing, Manager Evan! Today is a day of glory and conquest!¡± said Leif staring at the carnival games and balling a fist, ¡°I shall defeat these ¡®carnies¡¯ and win their precious bears for Chloe and you!¡± Leif stared at Evan with the nice guy thumbs up and a smile. Evan shook his head and laughed. ¡°Dude, you¡¯re so weird, heh heh!¡± ¡°I know, isn¡¯t he great?¡± shouted Chloe. Leif ignored their comments, ¡°Come my friends, glorious battle awaits us!¡± The trio wandered to the carnival area laughing and smiling. Chloe stopped them at one stand where vendors painted animal faces on customers. ¡°Ooh, I want to be a tiger!¡± she shouted. ¡°Indeed!¡± agreed Leif. As the trio sat Chloe down for her face painting Leif spotted a carnival game with patrons throwing darts at balloons. ¡°Evan, they¡¯re throwing shadow darts to destroy the balloons, and they are failing. Are they so weak?¡± ¡°Well, most of these games are kinda rigged so you have to be pretty deadly- ..hey Leif where you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m quite deadly Manager Evan,¡± said Leif in his most cool stride, walking five feet to the game. Leif bought ten darts from the vendor and glanced back at Evan and Chloe. ¡°Yay, Leif! Win us a teddy bear!¡± said Chloe. ¡°Yeah dude, don''t hurt yourself,¡± said Evan with a teasing fist pump. Leif puffed his chest out, stepped up to the counter with five darts in each hand...crossed his arms..and tossed the darts ninja style. A whipping wind sound struck all players as Leif chucked each dart like a frisbee from each hand, with blinding speed. Everyone around the game booth stopped and watched Leif miss nothing, striking all ten balloons. ¡°What the fuck?¡± muttered Evan, in disbelief. Leif chucked the darts so hard each stuck in the wall behind the burst balloons. Afterward, Leif high fived some cheering onlookers and spoke with the vendor before turning to Evan. ¡°Manager Evan, the vendor says if I do it again he¡¯ll give me his biggest teddy bear. Is that cool or what?¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Evan smiled, his eyes bright. ¡°Yer a freaking shinobi, dude!¡± Chloe, her face now a tiger, tapped Evan. ¡°He''s not really a shinobi!¡± she said. Evan grinned, staring at Leif. ¡°No, then what is he?¡± ¡°He¡¯s really a bounty hunter from another dimension,¡± whispered Chloe. Evan double took at Chloe, and smirked when he saw her painted face. ¡°Is that what he is? Well, I guess that would explain a lot of things.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± agreed Chloe, with her thumbs up. A moment later. ¡°Evan, Chloe, I did it again!¡± shouted Leif, surrounded by a clapping crowd. Fall Behind Rylan and Maya arrived at the city fair and wandered the grounds before meeting Rebecca. Mariachi bands singing, people laughing and the smell of food permeated the scene. ¡°Wow! There are many different types of earthlings on your world,¡± said Maya marveling at the lively crowd. ¡°Oh yeah, we earthlings are certainly diverse,¡± said Rylan with a smirk. A few minutes later he spotted Rebecca and two of her friends standing on line for the ¡®WildCat¡¯ roller coaster ride. ¡°Yo, Becca!¡± he shouted. Rebecca smiled and waved hello. She then dashed at Rylan and grabbed his arm, ¡°Hi you guys, come on!¡± she shouted, pulling him away from Maya and toward the roller coaster line. For a second Maya stood still as Rylan and Rebecca left her standing alone, a third wheel. But before Maya could move on her own¡­ ¡°Hey don''t fall behind¡± said Rylan, taking her hand and pulling her close to him. ¡°..I..ah..¡± said Maya. Her face bright red as she sandwiched Rylan between herself and Rebecca. As the friends all stood in line talking, Rebecca hugged Rylan¡¯s right arm and dominated the conversation. On Rylan¡¯s left stood a quiet Maya, having no need to hug Rylan¡¯s left arm since Rylan still held her hand. Maya lost herself in a daze, before. ¡°Maya, you ever been on a rollercoaster?¡± asked Rebecca. ¡°Eh?¡± she gazed at the full extension of the roller coaster track above her and scowled, ¡°No, but if you¡¯re implying I¡¯d be afraid of some childish ride like this you''re sadly mistaken!¡± ¡°No problem, I feel the same way sister!¡± said Rebecca, smiling. "Then I have allies indeed!" agreed Maya. "Haha, easy for you girls to say when you''re safe in line, heh heh," teased Rylan. "Hmph!" pouted both girls. Rylan chuckled as Rebecca and Maya put up a united front of courage as they entered the gate for the WildCat roller coaster ride. Five Minutes Later ¡°Aaaaaaaah!!¡± screamed a terrified Maya as the rollercoaster free falled down the first slope. "Aaaah!..Omg, there''s another hill nooooo!" screamed Rebecca, shutting her eyes. Rylan, seated in between Rebecca and Maya, laughed hysterically as each girl screamed their head off during the ups and downs of the ride. A ''scream queen'' competition is what this is, heh heh! After the ride Rylan strolled from the coaster exit like a boss, as now both girls clung to each of his arms trembling with exhilaration from the ride. Of course Rylan had to tease them. ¡°Hello, I thought ya''ll said that was a childish ride!¡± He poked each pouting girl. ¡°You be quiet Rylan, you know you were scared too!¡± said Rebecca, holding him tight but turning her face away. ¡°I was only momentarily startled by the steep drop, nothing more!¡± said Maya, also holding him tight, and trembling. Rylan¡¯s smug face said it all. ¡°Um hmm, ya¡¯ll keep telling ya¡¯ll selves that,¡± he laughed in a thick New Mexico cowboy drawl. For the rest of the day and into the evening Maya, Rylan and Rebecca, laughed, won teddy bears, rode more rides, and took pictures documenting it all for themselves, and Anya. End of The Fair By the early evening of the fair Leif and Evan dropped Chloe by Maya and Rylan and went their own way. And as the sun set for the later evening Rebecca and her friends said their goodbyes. "Rylan, Maya, I had such a good time with you guys!" beamed Rebecca standing in between them. "Yes, we did too!" smiled Maya. "But guys, don''t forget we have to go shopping tomorrow for the princess dress before the game since Anya released the drama club funds on friday," said Rebecca, while kissing Rylan and Maya on the lips, "Mua! Call me tomorrow, we''ll meet at my place before the game, bye guys!" With that Rebecca ran off with her other friends while Rylan and Maya both watched her vanish in the crowd. Chloe broke their silence. "Rylan, she kissed you and Maya on the lips!" "What?" he turned to Chloe, "Yeah she did, she''s just friendly that way!" he said patting her head. The trio picked up the three stuffed animals Leif and Evan won for Chloe and left for home. Maya and Rylan Once at the house Rylan carried four jumbo sized bears from the car into the kitchen. Three belonged to Chloe and one, the smallest, belonged to Maya. While Maya tended to Chloe. ¡°Chloe honey, go ahead and start washing your face paint off,¡± said Maya. "Ok!" said Chloe running to the back. Rylan sat the bears down on the table then presented Maya with the bear he won for her. ¡°Hey, I''m sorry I didn¡¯t win you won of those super big bears,¡± he said with a smile. She also smiled and spoke. ¡°That¡¯s ok! I really don¡¯t want one that big!¡± she laughed but grew serious, ¡°Rylan...I really had a good time today with you and Rebecca. And she''s actually nice once you get to know her.¡± ¡°Yeah she is. But sometimes she has trouble expressing it, but she¡¯s getting better...Like another person I know,¡± he said staring at her. Maya turned away. ¡°Mm..I don¡¯t like when you compare me to her, but during the fair she held onto your arm...and when we left..she kissed you on your lips...and she did that before in the auditorium,¡± said Maya. Rylan evaded the implication. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. I¡¯ve known Rebecca since junior-¡± ¡°Do you want her to be your girlfriend?¡± she asked, her eyes locked on his. Rylan paused before answering. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t thought of it...but the way things are .. Why are you asking me this?¡± ¡°To hear your answer,¡± said Maya They stood silent. ¡°Mayaaa! I can¡¯t get all the paint off!¡± cried Chloe from the back bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± shouted Maya. Still staring at Rylan, she walked toward him and gently grabbed his face and kissed him on the lips. ¡°Eh? Why did you do that?¡± asked Rylan. Before she answered, she kissed him again. ¡°...Hmm...Rebecca kissed you twice in front of me. And I just wanted those kisses back..that¡¯s all.¡± Rylan didn¡¯t speak as Maya turned and walked to the back bathroom to take care of Chloe. A moment later Rylan¡¯s phone vibrated, and when he checked the phone number he let it buzz a few times before answering. Click, ¡°.....Hello¡­¡± The caller remained silent for a moment before speaking. ¡°Well aren¡¯t you the happy playboy with your harem of girls competing for your heart, hm hm hm,¡± the voice snickered. ¡°...What do you want...Anya?¡± whispered Rylan. ¡°Me? Oh sweetie, I won¡¯t keep you and make your wife jealous. I just missed you and wanted to remind you that you and I have an appointment tomorrow to go meet someone during the football game.¡± ¡°Yes..I¡¯m aware,¡± he muttered, checking if Maya and Chloe were still in the bathroom, ¡°..And I¡¯m ready, so goodnight Anya-¡± ¡°Aww, hanging up on your mistress so soon? Well, let me give you some advice before you go. Those two little girls, Rebecca and Maya, don¡¯t love you Rylan. They¡¯re just competing over you because that¡¯s what little girls do...and hence, they can never love you like I can, stud! Hee hee hee, mua!¡± She blew a kiss threw the phone and hung up. Damn.. Rylan stood in silence. After a wonderful day Anya reminded him that she was dangerous, and he needed to do things to prevent her from hurting anyone he cared for. Evil woman. And she also voiced out loud what Rylan suspected were Rebecca and Maya¡¯s true motivations for behaving so affectionately toward him. "They¡¯re just competing over you because that¡¯s what little girls do." Yeah Anya..I kinda thought that too¡­ Leif and Evan A few hours later Evan drove toward the house to drop Leif off. Leif suggested they stop a little ways up the road, and park on the side away from all traffic. Alone, in Evan''s truck in the dark, the teen athletes caressed each other and kissed passionately. ¡°You will no longer resist me!¡± whispered Leif, removing Evan¡¯s shirt. ¡°Yes I will, cause that''s how I am!¡± said Evan, pulling Leif¡¯s pants off. The alpha males ravaged each other and rocked the pickup truck on it''s chassis. Astray and complete in the throes of young lust. ¡­. At Three Thousand words this is the longest chapter I''ve ever written. I hoped you liked it~ ^_^ Chapter 8- Sunday Night Lights Sunday Night- Half Time The deafening cheers from the Leadership high school football fans drowned every conversation in the stands. The new kid, Leif Alexander, scored three touchdowns by halftime for his team the Crimson Kings. Leif¡¯s plays whipped the fans into a frenzy. In the stands Rylan, Maya and Chloe cheered along with Rebecca and her friend Stacy. ¡°Yaaa! Leif is so awesome!¡± Chloe screamed. ¡°Wooo, hell yeah he is!¡± shouted Rebecca¡¯s friend Stacy, her eyes starstruck at the young beautiful athlete. ¡°So, ¡®Maya¡¯ right? Leif is your brother?¡± she asked. Maya smirked. ¡°Yes, technically he¡¯s my older brother by a few minutes,¡± she said glancing down at Leif on the field. ¡°Oh, you guys are twins? That is so cool, and you¡¯re so pretty. So what are you guys¡¯ signs?¡± asked Stacy. Maya, unsure of the question, turned to Rylan who whispered in her ear, ¡°She means your date of birth.¡± ¡°Oh! According to my calculations, Leif and I would¡¯ve have been born on this world on August eighth, sixteen years to the day,¡± said Maya. Everyone stared at her with confused looks. Except for Rylan who covered his mouth to hold his laughter, and Stacy who understood Maya clearly. ¡°Ok, so you guys are Leos. Which means your strengths are: creative, passionate, generous, and cheerful. Your weaknesses: arrogant, stubborn, lazy, and inflexible,¡± said Stacy to Maya. Maya¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Wow! How do you know so much about my brother if you¡¯ve never met him?...Do you have special technology?¡± she asked Bright eyed. Rylan lost it. ¡°Ha ha! Maya, all horoscopes say that about people, it¡¯s not special,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s not true Rylan!¡± said Stacy, upset. ¡°And you should talk because I¡¯ve known your Pisces butt forever and-¡± Rylan¡¯s phone buzzed, and as he checked the message his smile vanished. ¡°Uhh..ladies, I¡¯m going to have to leave you guys early. I have to go to work for a little while at the motorcycle shop,¡± said Rylan, collecting his bag. This surprised Rebecca. ¡°Motorcycle shop? I thought you stopped working for Mr. Rios a year ago?¡± she asked. Thanks Rebecca, why don¡¯t you blab about me a little more. ¡°No, I never stopped. I just help him when he gets overwhelmed. Anyway, I¡¯ll see you guys later.¡± Maya gazed at him with a concerned face. ¡°Rylan, call me I¡¯ll pick you up¡± she said. ¡°No, Maya, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get a ride...I¡¯ll just be a few hours.¡± The girls waved goodbye, but Maya squinted her eyes at Rylan before he vanished from the football stadium. ¡°Hmph!¡± she pouted, before re-joining Rebecca and Stacy¡¯s conversation. Parking Lot Rylan hustled out to the stadium parking lot where a black SUV pulled alongside of him and honked. He opened the passenger door and entered the truck only to be grabbed and kissed by the driver, Anya Cesar. ¡°Anya? What the hell?¡± he growled pushing her away. ¡°Stop crying Rylan, how else am I gonna make a man out of you?¡± she cooed. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything for me...Let¡¯s just go do what you need, ok?¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a sour puss!¡± she giggled, ¡°And that¡¯s why I painted my sweet cherry lipstick on your mouth!¡± ¡°What?¡± He tried to check his face in the visor mirror but Anya smashed the gas pedal and raced out of the parking lot, forcing his head back into his seat. ¡°Good gravy! Why do you outer dimensional girls have to drive like this?¡± ¡°Hee hee!¡± Bent Spoke Anya and Rylan jumped on the expressway enroute to the industrial side of the city. When they arrived Rylan recognized the Junkyards and bars of the area since he would ride his motorcycle to this section hunting for used bike parts. ¡°This is not the nicest part of town,¡± said Rylan. ¡°Whaaa? I hope you aren¡¯t scared, ya stud. I need you to protect me!¡± She squeezed his cheek with a smirk. She pulled the truck into the parking lot of the ¡®Bent Spoke¡¯ biker bar, the main hangout spot of the Son¡¯s of Fire biker club. In front of the bar a row of Harley Davidson motorcycles lined the black painted dive. An ominous sight to any outsider ¡°Anya, I don¡¯t think we¡¯re allowed in that bar,¡± said Rylan. ¡°Nonsense, it''s a free country, come on I¡¯ll buy you a drink.¡± Rylan shook his head while Anya exited and strolled to the back of the truck wearing tight black jeans, black boots and a slim white blouse that hugged her breasts when she stretched. She pulled a black leather ¡®bowling¡¯ bag from the vehicle rear, then walked to the passenger side to let Rylan out. But he sat still. ¡°I¡¯m not going in there-¡± ¡°Oh yes you are, now come on!¡± She grabbed his arm, yanked him out of the passenger seat, and dragged him through the parking lot. As they reached the bar entrance the sound of drunken laughter and jukebox country rock filled the air. Anya opened the door and the two stepped inside and faced a large bouncer. She glared at the big man and he recognized her. ¡°Yeah, Jed¡¯s in the back waiting for you. Wait, this kid with you too? He ain¡¯t supposed to be in here!¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things that ain¡¯t supposed to be in here,¡± she retorted. She grabbed Rylan¡¯s hand and walked through the crowd of grizzled bikers, who all cat-called her but none dared touch. ¡°Heh heh, these idiots won''t grope me because they think I¡¯m Jed¡¯s girl,¡± said Anya. ¡°Who¡¯s Jed?¡± asked Rylan. ¡°You¡¯ll see, hee hee!¡± They reached the back of the bar and the owner, and leader of the Son¡¯s of Fire biker gang, Jed Litey, sat amongst his crew. He gestured for them to leave when Anya approached the table as he stood up to greet her. ¡°Hello beautiful, I truly hoped I¡¯d see you again soon, have a seat!¡± His voice a raspy western drawl. Rylan sat while Anya placed the bowling ball bag on the table. ¡°Hello again Jed. Now you said you had what I wanted and I promised you that I would do that little extra thing for you..¡± she reached in the bag and pulled two slim gold bars, each worth a hundred thousand dollars. Jed, a tall, bald and ruggedly handsome man, smiled at the gold bars. ¡°Heh, yeah, we agreed to the gold. But I don¡¯t quite remember the other thing you said you promised.¡± Anya lowered her head, wearing a cruel smile. She opened the bowling bag and displayed the contents to him. Jed backed up startled, but kept his cool as he stared in the bag. ¡°Jesus H Christ lady...I was kidding about that-¡± ¡°No you weren¡¯t, and this your property now!¡± She dropped the bag on the table and glared at Jed. Rylan lifted his head and peeked in the bag. ¡°Oh my god,¡± he muttered. Inside the bag sat the decapitated head of a man he¡¯d later find out was the leader of the Thracians, a rival biker gang to the Son''s of Fire. Anya killed him, and lopped off his head. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take that cock-suckin¡¯ Thracian¡¯s head heh heh..now let¡¯s get to business,¡± said Jed. He reached in his pocket and placed a black cloth on the table, wrapped in the cloth were two yellow diamonds. Anya lit up. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°You got two for me, thank you Jed,¡± she said lifting one of the diamonds to the light. ¡°Hell darling, seeing what you did for me it wasn¡¯t no trouble,¡± he said placing the bag with the head on the floor beside him. ¡°Now, are those diamonds the ones you wanted?¡± he asked. Anya blinked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯ll just have to ask my partner here,¡± she said while opening Rylan¡¯s hand and placing the two diamonds in them. ¡°Close your hand Rylan, and tell me if these are the diamonds I want.¡± Rylan looked at her confused, ¡°How would I know if these diamonds are...what-¡± A small surge of energy coursed through his palm. In moments his hand glowed a dim yellow. Whoa! He immediately dropped the diamonds on the table in front of a stunned Jed. ¡°What in the fuck happened to his hand? It was glowin yella!¡± Jed barked, staring at Rylan and his now normal hand. Anya ignored Jed and faced Rylan, ¡°Honey, did you feel power?¡± she asked him. Rylan opened and closed his hand, ¡°Yeah, there was a surge...the same surge I felt in the gym that day when you fought Maya.¡± Anya, staring at Rylan, rose from her chair and laughed loud and long. ¡°Hahahahaha! Yes Jed, these are the diamonds that I want you Son of Fire!¡± said Anya. Jed smiled. ¡°That¡¯s the right answer, beautiful. And I can get em!¡± ¡°Good! And I need em sooner than later!¡± said Anya. ¡°Then sooner it is then! About fifty of them diamonds gonna park right here in Las Cruces at the Aneke vault on Tuesday. The owner rents his vault space for traveling collections, and these diamonds right here!¡± he pointed at the two diamonds, ¡°They gonna be in the vault.¡± Anya¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits. ¡°Tuesday at the Aneke vault...good...my partner and I will be there-¡± ¡°Waitaminute lady, whaddya mean you gonna be there? The crew I hired don¡¯t need no help-¡± ¡°You hired?¡± Anya glared at Jed and stood up. ¡°I think you oughta show more respect to my employer, Jed...My employer who plans on giving you bonus gold. Provided everything goes the way I want it to go, are we clear?¡± growled Anya. Jed picked up the two gold bars off the table and turned to Anya. ¡°Normally I¡¯d a slap the sass out of a bitch like you,¡± he snarled at her, ¡°But it sure ain¡¯t often one as pretty as you come in here with somethin¡¯ like this,¡± he waved the gold bars at her. ¡°Thats right,¡± she purred, ¡°And there¡¯ll be more gold for you on Tuesday and afterwards. Because if this goes right Jed, my boss and I are gonna need you for another score!¡± said Anya, with a smile. Jed grinned. ¡°In that case beautiful, you are welcome to go on that heist with the boys on Tuesday,¡± from under the table Jed caressed Anya¡¯s leg, ¡°But taggin¡¯ along is gonna cost you extra!¡± Anya smiled at his touch and leaned in. ¡°Sounds lovely handsome, add it to my bill. But only after I have the diamonds!¡± she said. She then grabbed Jed¡¯s face and jammed her tongue in his mouth, kissing him hard. The entire bar, full of Son¡¯s of Fire gang members, erupted in yeehaws and cheers for their dear leader. Anya released Jed who stood back with an alpha dog presence as his members high fived him for ¡®owning¡¯ and kissing a beautiful girl like Anya. ¡°Heh heh, that¡¯s right Anya darling, you sealed that deal with a kiss,¡± said Jed with a smirk. ¡°Yes I did,¡± she stood up and turned to Rylan, ¡°Were done here, let¡¯s go.¡± Anya picked up the two diamonds and dragged Rylan out of the bar amidst the cheering and jeering. In the fresh air of the parking lot she chuckled at the situation. ¡°Damn idiots think I¡¯d fuck a fool like Jed, Hmph!¡± she said. Rylan smirked. ¡°Well, you seemed convincing!¡± ¡°Yes, that was the point. Now get in the truck!¡± The Ride Back While Anya drove back to the football stadium Rylan continued to open and close his hand. ¡°What¡¯s up baby, you still feel something?¡± asked Anya, concerned. ¡°No, not really. Just weird,¡± he faced her, ¡°What¡¯s up with those diamonds?¡± She gave a sinister smile. ¡°Those diamonds are infused with ancient ampsediun from when this world was born. There¡¯s nothing like them anywhere. And certainly not in my dimension,¡± she said. Rylan paused. ¡°Wait...so are those diamonds worth a lot where you¡¯re from?¡± he asked. ¡°They¡¯re priceless baby, and I need all of them!¡± ¡°You...what? Anya are you a jewel thief?¡± asked Rylan, almost laughing. Anya sat back aghast. ¡°A jewel thief?..I ..I..I¡¯m much more than that!¡± ¡°Yeah you¡¯re a motorcycle thief and a killer too!¡± he said. ¡°Baby? Where is all of this coming from? Do you want to make me cry? Oh boo hoo!¡± she cried. ¡°Oh please Anya, I ain¡¯t buying that. Truth is you¡¯re trouble and I don¡¯t want you hurting anyone else.. So if you want to steal diamonds and go home,¡± he took a deep breath. ¡°Then who am I to not help you?¡± Her face lit up with joy. ¡°Really? Oh baby, I love you so much!¡± She caressed his face but he pulled away. ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡± he growled. ¡°Yes I do! And I love you more than that little bitch Maya does. Speaking of which Rylan, you make sure you keep all of this qui-¡± ¡°Yeah-Yeah, I¡¯m not saying anything to Maya about any of this as long you hold up your end. When the gate or rift or whatever opens, you take your diamonds and you go quietly...and don¡¯t hurt anyone else or chop off anybody else''s head...please! Ok?¡± ¡°Rylaaaaan,¡± Anya whined. ¡°Don¡¯t yell at me, I¡¯ll be good!...or at least I¡¯ll try for you baby!¡± she pinched his butt. ¡°Hmph!¡± he pouted staring out the window. Anya smirked and segued the conversation. ¡°Rylan, I know you think I¡¯m being funny about Maya but you have to believe me when I tell you that you can¡¯t trust her. And there¡¯s a reason you need to keep our little affair a secret from her.¡± Rylan laughed. ¡°You really are something. You do all this evil stuff and then have to nerve to tell me I can¡¯t trust the girl who¡¯s done nothing but right by me-¡± ¡°Has she Rylan? Seriously?...What has Maya done for you?¡± Rylan back tracked. ¡°Well..I mean¡± ¡°Think Rylan, what has she done? Steal your car and move in with you? Hmm?¡± Rylan shrugged and Anya continued. ¡°Let me ask you something baby. If Maya¡¯s here to bring me back dead or alive, much easier dead, then why am I still alive? And how come she hasn¡¯t come for me by now? Hmm?..and her brother Leif..What¡¯s he doing? Fucking cute cowboys and playing football?..Is that his motive for being here?¡± asked Anya. ¡°Well...I mean..the gate won¡¯t open for another week,¡± muttered Rylan. ¡°Hahaha listen to yourself! You don¡¯t even know the answer. Now I¡¯m not saying I know Maya¡¯s motives, but killing me absolutely isn¡¯t one of them,¡± she grabbed his face, ¡°So ask yourself Rylan, what does Maya really want?¡± Rylan sat quiet in the passenger seat. His mind raced. Anya¡¯s right. If Maya wanted to kill Anya she had plenty of opportunities.....So what are Maya and Leif doing here? What do they really want?... He¡¯d ponder this question for the rest of the ride. ....... Hi guys, are you diggin the story so far ^_^? lemme know~ Chapter 9- Golden Boy and The Princess Monday The next morning after the game Evan and Leif arrived early to school and parked on the far side of the lot, away from the other cars. They sat inside Evan¡¯s truck killing time before the first bell rang. ¡°Mmm...Leif- mmm! Leif, goddammit, stop kissing me before somebody sees us!.Mmm!¡± Leif ignored Evan and pulled him closer. ¡°No, I won¡¯t!¡± Evan gently pushed him back and smirked. ¡°Dude, after last night''s game you¡¯re the hero of this school, so you need to act like a professional,¡± said Evan poking Leif¡¯s chest. ¡°Hero? That¡¯s silly! I only executed the plays that you told me to run after you told Taylor to hand the ball to me. So how am I the hero if the whole team participated in the plays?¡± Leif asked with true befuddlement. Evan¡¯s jaw dropped with lust. ¡°That¡¯s the sexiest thing you¡¯ve ever said to me, Leif.¡± Evan pushed Leif under the seat and climbed on top of him, pinning him to the truck floor. The young studs kissed and dry humped, until Evan remembered himself. ¡°No, no, dude, we have class in five minutes and everybody in the school is going to cheer at you when you walk in there because as of last night you¡¯re a football hero! So you have to walk in there like a manly man and not some fruit who just came from making out with your teammate in a pickup truck,¡± said Evan, lifting himself off of Leif. Leif turned away frustrated before grabbing at Evan¡¯s hard on. ¡°But Evan, you¡¯re good for another three minutes!¡± Evan stomped his foot. ¡°No dude, you¡¯re not listening so I¡¯m pulling rank. I am your upperclassman and your team manager, and I order you to straighten yourself up and behave!¡± Leif lay flat on the passenger seat and stared up at Evan¡¯s sharp blue eyes. He then clutched Evan¡¯s shirt and pulled him down. But Evan resisted. ¡°Leif, mmm, you have to behave!¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s stay here,¡± he bit Evan¡¯s tit. ¡°Ouch! Dammit!¡± Leif buried his face in Evan¡¯s chest, hiding. ¡°(Sigh)..Leif..¡± ¡°Yes Evan?¡± ¡°We have to go to class.¡± Evan opened the passenger side door and stood firm, and Leif slinked out of the truck with a smirk. ¡°Ok fine, Manager Evan, I¡¯ll behave.¡± The Hallway Leif walked ahead of Evan and barely made it to the school entrance before a swarm of cheering students accosted him. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s all the fuss?¡± cried Leif, as screaming girls rushed him. ¡°Aaaah! Leif you can score a touchdown with me baby cause I love you!¡± yelled the girls. ¡°Oh, I love you too!¡± he replied, running away. ¡°Aaaah, come here!¡± They captured him and kissed him. Soon after the crowd swelled and more football players arrived on the scene to include the quarterback Taylor who hugged Leif. ¡°Yo Leif, we the dynamic duo!¡± shouted Taylor as the crowd of students grew more rowdy. ¡°Ok cool! But uh, I have to get upstairs.¡± Leif fought his way through the hallway crowd but stopped to take pictures, high five fans, and get love. He finally made it to the fourth floor where he headed for the chemistry lab and knocked on the door. ¡°Anya...you busy?¡± asked Leif peeking in the door. Anya, surprised to see him shot up from her desk. ¡°Leif? What a rare treat, come in honey!¡± She dashed toward him while scrolling the video function on her phone. ¡°Look, I filmed you the whole first half of the game see. You were so awesome, hee hee!¡± She showed the video of him scoring and tried to kiss his cheek but he politely blocked her. ¡°Anya..I just stopped by to tell you that I found your mites hiding behind Rylan and Chloe¡¯s beds.¡± Leif opened his palm and displayed ten microchip sized bug bots, called mites. Anya stepped back with a cruel smirk. ¡°Well aren¡¯t you clever today Leif. Well I supposed you figured out I used these mites to force Rylan and Chloe to open the gate a few times before you brats chased me here,¡± said Anya. ¡°That¡¯s no secret. Maya and I figured that out when we arrived and all of the ampsediun had been depleted from Rylan¡¯s yard...which meant you¡¯d been making multiple trips and forcing Chloe and Rylan to open the gate without them knowing,¡± said Leif, pointing at the mites on the table. ¡°Heh heh, yes, that¡¯s why they¡¯d wake up glowing while inadvertently opening a gate for me.¡± She cocked her head sideways, ¡°So now you caught me, good for you. But let me ask you golden boy, how are you and Maya going to get Rylan or Chloe to open the gate without a catalyst like a mite? Do you have another way?¡± she asked. Leif smirked, and ignored her question. ¡°Don¡¯t bother salvaging those mites. I pulled their power cores and got myself enough juice,¡± he flipped his weapon in Anya¡¯s face, ¡°For three full powered shots!¡± Anya didn¡¯t flinch, and Leif didn¡¯t fire. But her eyes narrowed as he smiled and sheathed his weapon back under his uniform. She pushed her glasses on her face and shifted her weight to one side. ¡°Is there anything else I can do for you Leif?¡± she asked with a deep growl, glaring at him. Leif turned his back on her and walked to the door, before stopping. ¡°Yes. When it comes to my sister, Rylan and you...you all seem to be enjoying some catty game with each other about a school play or something. And that¡¯s fine because Rylan is a big boy and Maya can certainly handle you¡­... However-¡± Leif paused. ¡°However what?¡± asked Anya, staring at his back. ¡°-Anya, I swear to the gods of the four winds of this planet.¡± He turned and glared at her, ¡°If you put Chloe in any danger I will kill you!¡± Anya flinched, and the two stood in silence a long moment before she conceded. ¡°Don¡¯t be late for class, Leif Alexander.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. Nice talking to you Ms. Anya Cesar.¡± He turned and exited the classroom, shutting the door behind him. Anya stood still a moment before walking back to her desk and inspecting the dead mites Leif brought to her. ¡°God-damn you Leif, how the hell did you find all of them? Those mites were the only ones I had in this world!¡± she growled slamming the desk. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to use plan B then.¡± Princess Auditions During fourth period lunch Anya and two other teachers were to meet in the auditorium to grade Maya and Rebecca¡¯s audition for the princess role in Rylan¡¯s festival play. Anya arrived early hoping to speak with Rylan. Time to remind Rylan we have a ¡®diamond heist¡¯ tomorrow night. When Anya walked in the theater Rylan wasn¡¯t there. Only one club member stood on stage slashing and thrusting a prop-sword. Anya locked eyes with the club member, who greeted her. ¡°Hello Ms. Cesar, are you here to vote against me for the princess part?¡± said a smirking Maya. ¡°Hmph! As much as you¡¯d like that I¡¯m here to vote for the best actress for the part...and since you¡¯re no actress this¡¯ll be easy, hee hee!¡± Anya laughed with contempt. Maya continued smirking. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯ve been rehearsing with Rebecca...I¡¯m sorry, My best friend Rebecca, thanks to you bringing us together, and I believe I have the character down perfect,¡± she said parrying and thrusting her prop-sword. Anya turned away from Maya, unimpressed. ¡°Yeah, whatever. Where¡¯s Rylan, I want to talk to him?¡± asked Anya. ¡°He¡¯s in the back with Rebecca re-stitching the knight costume, he¡¯ll be out in a minute,¡± said Maya looking down at Anya from the stage, ¡°Oh, and Anya?¡± ¡°Yeah, what?¡± ¡°Leif told me he gave you back your useless mites today, and that you asked how we¡¯d get Rylan or Chloe to open the rift gate without a catalyst.¡± Anya squinted her eyes, suspicious of Maya¡¯s topic. ¡°...So what if I did ask Leif?...Are you now going to tell me how you¡¯re going to open that gate without mites?¡± Maya paused with an evil grin. ¡°Not at alI, I just wanted to confirm with you that it could be done. And from your answer it seems you know how,¡± said Maya. ¡°Tch! You don¡¯t know a goddamn thing Maya-¡± ¡°-I know what you taught me Anya!¡± Maya barked, prop-sword in hand. Anya crossed her arms and glared at Maya. Both ladies stood silent for a long time before the backstage hallway door opened and four people entered the auditorium. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Anya glanced at the newcomers, who included Rylan with a costume in hand, Rebecca dressed in a beautiful white ¡®princess¡¯ gown, and two teachers. Eh? Those are the judges! The two teachers, Ms. Rothschild and Mr. Perez, waved at Anya from the stage. ¡°Hey Ms. Cesar, these students told us everything! You''re amazing!¡± said Mr. Perez, hustling down to praise Anya. ¡°Eh? I-I¡¯m amazing...how?¡± asked Anya smiling, not sure what they meant. Ms. Rothschild dashed toward Anya. ¡°Ms. Cesar, your concept and your vision are spectacular! Instead of having the two best friends competing for-¡± Anya cut her off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ms. Rothschild, who and what best friends?¡± she asked. Ms. Rothschild stepped back. ¡°Hmm? Why Rebecca and Maya of course! Rebecca told us how you insisted they become friends after arguing over the princess role and suggested that Maya play the part of the knight in the performance!¡± said Ms. Rothschild, smiling ear to ear. ¡°I suggested what?¡± asked Anya. ¡°A fantastic idea Ms. Cesar!¡± echoed Mr. Perez, ¡°You know, I see now why the students all love you. It¡¯s your kind of progressive thinking that¡­.¡± As Mr. Perez droned on Anya heard nothing. She turned and faced Rylan, who shrugged, and Maya who grinned back at her with pure evil. ¡°Heh! Well to be honest Mr. Perez, it was all Maya¡¯s idea,¡± said Anya, staring daggers at Maya onstage. You little titmouse bitch¡­ Rylan, sensing Anya¡¯s fury, handed Maya her newly stitched ¡®knight¡¯ costume and quickly motioned Anya to follow him. ¡°Ms. Cesar, I need your advice about some things,¡± said Rylan. He approached her humbly, as if she were in charge. Anya read his gesture and excused herself. ¡°Mr. Perez, Ms. Rothschild, I''m sure Rebecca and Maya will put on a spectacular performance for you, but if you will excuse me for a moment, I need to confer with the director about a few costume changes,¡± said Anya, stepping onstage. She walked from the front of the stage to the small changing room behind the curtains. Rylan accompanied her while Rebecca and Maya stayed behind to provide the judges a rehearsal performance as the Princess and her Knight. Seldom Do When Anya and Rylan entered the room Anya shut the door, but Rylan spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m not going to apologize for this. You¡¯re gonna have to deal with it.¡± ¡°Deal with what Rylan?...Did you imagine I wanted to see Maya cry when she didn¡¯t get the part? And then watch her friendship crumble with Rebecca as Rebecca kissed you on stage?¡± asked Anya. ¡°From your mouth to god¡¯s ears lady,¡± said Rylan. ¡°Oh you think you have it all figured out don¡¯t you?¡± barked Anya. Rylan looked at her confused. ¡°Umm, yeah! It ain¡¯t rocket science what you were trying to pull, Anya...I mean seriously, are you this much of a bitch that you need to-¡± ¡°-Need to what Rylan?" she growled, ¡°What did I do? Hmm? Provide more financing for your play than the science club would allow? Hmm..Made sure that evil bitch Maya made friends, met a nice boy like you, went to a fair and had a good time?...Is that what you''re accusing me of doing?¡± Rylan paused. ¡°But, I¡¯m sure all of that was part of your scheme for Maya and Rebecca to fight-¡± ¡°-And the result was they didn¡¯t fight, they compromised and all of you are the best of friends now...where had this gone any other way you would¡¯ve all been competitors,¡± she stated, with calm composure. Rylan, thoroughly confused, balked at her explanation. ¡°...No, no..you¡¯re evil...you didn¡¯t do this to bring Maya and me or Rebecca together...or to make sure Maya had friends...No, that doesn¡¯t make any sense, you don¡¯t make any sense Anya! you-¡± ¡°Parents seldom make sense, Rylan.¡± The room went quiet as Rylan replayed what Anya blurted. ¡°..Did you just say parent?¡± he whispered. ¡°You heard me,¡± she responded. She grabbed his belt buckle and pulled him toward her. Rylan didn¡¯t resist, but fought to get his words out. ¡°M-Maya and Leif...are they your..children?¡± he asked, his eyes wide. Anya turned away. ¡°I think I¡¯ve said too much to you baby,¡± she responded. At that moment, everything hit Rylan. He slumped down on a stool and took it all in. ¡°That¡¯s why you haven¡¯t killed them...that¡¯s why I saw you at the football game cheering and recording Leif with your phone. I thought you were acting...but no..you were serious! Y-You were truly cheering for Leif!¡± Anya smirked, and Rylan continued. ¡°The money for the play...you released it after Maya joined the drama club.¡± He stood up and shook his head, ¡°Anya...I don¡¯t understand you...why do you have to do all of this evil shit when-..Mmmph! She kissed him and pushed him back on the stool. ¡°Sssh...Rylan, just forget about all of that for now. You and I still have things to do tomorrow night at a certain vault in the city, don¡¯t we?¡± Rylan took a moment, and resisted. ¡°Anya...I don¡¯t understand...maybe if you cooperate with Maya-¡± She grabbed his face and shut his mouth. ¡°Rylan, stop fucking talking and stop thinking, because if you had any sense then you would see that Maya and Leif are gunning for me, and not the other way around! And you¡¯re too stupid to see the truth that Maya¡¯s playing you!¡± ¡°Dammit Anya, no! You keep saying this but with what proof? Seriously, what is Maya¡¯s sinister plan that I can¡¯t trust her? Hunh? Like you said I am too stupid to figure it out so just tell me!¡± Anya backed up and smirked. ¡°Honestly sweet Rylan, even I don¡¯t know what her plan is...But I know she has one, or I¡¯d be dead by now, or at least she would¡¯ve tried to kill me, hee hee!¡± she laughed. ¡°Yeah? And how the hell are you so sure Maya has a plan?¡± asked Rylan. Anya, satisfied with her conversation walked out the door, but before she left, she half turned to answer him. ¡°Rylan, I¡¯m sure because she¡¯s my babygirl, and as you say on this planet, ¡®The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree.¡¯¡¯¡± Rylan¡¯s heart sank. ¡°No...that¡¯s not true,¡± he said. ¡°Well stud, believe what you want. But I suggest, like all of our conversations, you keep all of this quiet and keep your eye on her,¡± said Anya, ¡°Oh and Rylan, don¡¯t forget about our appointment tomorrow night.¡± Rylan faced the ground and spoke in a low voice, ¡°How will I get away from Maya tomorrow?¡± ¡°Oh that¡¯s easy!¡± said Anya, ¡°You know that girl Stacy Danner? Really pretty, rich, went with you to the football game and wants to suck Leif¡¯s cock?¡± ¡°Stacy? err..yeah..what about her?¡± ¡°Well, through Rebecca I arranged for Stacy¡¯s mom to throw a private party for a few of Stacy¡¯s friends tomorrow night. Stacy told her mom it was academic club related stuff. Just a handful of friends...maybe a little alcohol..maybe some drugs..who knows.¡± ¡°What?...You don¡¯t even know Stacy or her mom...I mean..how do you pull this kinda shit off in one day?¡± cried Rylan. ¡°Because I¡¯m amazing baby. It¡¯s high time you figured that out. Now, you¡¯ve all been invited to Stacy¡¯s party tomorrow in her mansion in Sedona Hills. You go with Chloe, Maya and Leif and you have a good time. And when I¡¯m ready to pick you up, I¡¯ll call you and you ditch them!¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me Rylan! I¡¯ll see you tomorrow!¡± barked Anya, slamming the changing room door behind her. As Anya walked out to the stage the two teachers Ms. Rothschild and Mr. Perez clapped vigorously at the rehearsal performance staged by Rebecca and Maya, the princess and her knight. The girls bowed and curtseyed and Maya spun around as Anya approached from behind. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a great show, Anya!¡± said Maya. ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be Maya, do break a leg!¡± said Anya. She diva walked off the stage, waved goodbye to the two teachers and Rebecca, and no one else, before exiting the auditorium with a secret smile, ¡°Heh heh, my clever little girl!¡± And quietly closed the door behind her. ... Chapter 10- Poppin Mollies! Tuesday After classes ended on Tuesday, Anya drove to the Aneke Vault and Jewelry Exchange in the middle of the city. Parked out of camera distance of the establishment she shouted verbal commands to her wrist device while casing the block from her truck. ¡°System, security scan. How many cameras, alarms and emergency vehicles in a ten mile radius?¡± The device crackled to life. ¡°Good, how long to crack them all?¡± ¡°Hey Hey! Did I ask you all of that? How long?¡± ¡°Good, compile them all, I want control of every camera in the city.¡± ¡°Hahahaha! I love this planet, everything¡¯s mine for the taking. Hey, run an ampsediun scan, are those diamonds in that building or what?¡± She pointed to the structure as if her device could see it. ¡°They¡¯re in the vault that¡¯s why your readings are low...Ok, get Jed on the line. I gotta make sure everything is set for tonight..hee hee!¡± Laced Let me hear that bass drop! Boom! Boom! Boom! Leif pumped the music loud in the Dodge as Rylan, Maya and Chloe danced in their seats on their way to Stacy Danner¡¯s house. They pulled into the Sedona Hills neighborhood and marveled at the higher end homes on the blocks. ¡°Is Stacy a noble?¡± asked Leif as he drove. Rylan smirked, ¡°With the money her family has she¡¯s as close to royalty as it gets around here. Oh, there¡¯s her driveway pull up here!¡± Leif slowed down and parked outside of a western style two story Mcmansion house. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s gaudy and pretty at the same time,¡± said Maya gazing at the large home. As they exited the Dodge they walked past fifteen cars parked in the spacious driveway and into a wall of music that grew louder as they approached the house. Before they reached the entrance the front door opened and a little blonde girl popped out smiling. ¡°Hi Chloe, Hi Rylan!¡± said the little girl. Chloe ran to her and hugged her. ¡°Hi Elsie, look I brought my Magical Girl Rika discs!¡± Chloe said displaying the bright colored anime dvd cases. ¡°Oooh! That¡¯s season one, I have season two! Come on we have to watch them all now now now!¡± cried Elsie. ¡°Yaan!¡± cried Chloe. The excited little girls ran in the house leaving the teenagers standing outside, gaping at each other. ¡°Umm..that was Elsie, Stacy¡¯s little sister. She goes to school with Chloe,¡± said Rylan to Maya and Leif. The trio all shrugged and entered the loud, dimly lit house. Inside they bumped into thirty kids from various schools hanging out, with half of them wearing swim suits. Whoah! Helluva scene for a Tuesday night. As they walked from the front to the back of the house Rylan picked up the vibe that most partying kids were having too good a time. One girl from Rylan¡¯s class dashed over and kissed Rylan on the lips, and one of Leif¡¯s football teammates spotted Leif and gave him a long passionate bro-hug. Hunh, they¡¯re all tripping on Mollies. Maya and Leif responded to the overly festive atmosphere by taking readings on their wrist devices. ¡°Rylan, the people in this house, their heart rates and body temperatures are elevated...have they been drugged?¡± asked Maya, scrolling the screen on her device. Rylan chuckled. ¡°No, they took drugs,¡± he said. Before they reached the back of the house Rebecca and Stacy emerged from nowhere greeting them in revealing bikinis. Stacy in white, Rebecca in dark blue. ¡°Hey, you guys finally made it you¡¯re late!¡± cried Stacy, latching her naked arms around Leif¡¯s neck, while bobbing from side to side. ¡°Hi Rilly,¡± said Rebecca, running up hugging and kissing Rylan. Rylan backed up with a smirk. ¡°We¡¯re not late, you guys started early. And from the looks of both you...you really started this party,¡± he said lifting Rebecca¡¯s chin and checking her rapidly dilating pupils. ¡°Jeez Rylan, stop sounding like a parent,¡± said Rebecca dangling from his neck. Rylan smiled and shifted Rebecca to Maya. Rebecca, fueled by the drug Molly, molested Maya on contact. ¡°Maya~, I missed you!¡± said Rebecca. ¡°Oh, um..but I saw you in school just a few hours ago,¡± said Maya. ¡°No, no, you don¡¯t understand because you have too many clothes on, did you bring your swimsuit?¡± asked Rebecca, attempting to unbuckle Maya¡¯s jeans belt. ¡°I did, but umm..¡± Maya spun around to find Rylan smirking, and Leif standing nearly naked. ¡°Leif? What are you doing?¡± asked Maya. Leif didn¡¯t answer right away as Stacy Danner stripped him down to his swim trunks. ¡°Dear sis, I think I have to jump in the pool with Ms. Danner,¡± said Leif. Stacy¡¯s sleepy eyes snapped open. ¡°Don¡¯t call me Ms. Danner, I¡¯m not my mother. And no pool yet, me and you are going in the hottub you green eyed bandit,¡± she said with her lips touching Leif¡¯s. On Stacy¡¯s tongue lay a fresh Molly pill. When Leif tried to speak, Stacy stuck her tongue in his mouth and forced the pill down his throat. ¡°Oh, Ahem..cough..gulp...yuck, that tasted terrible,¡± said Leif. ¡°Heh heh, give it a few minutes, you¡¯ll change your mind,¡± said Stacy, kissing Leif¡¯s neck. Maya, fighting off the advancing Rebecca, scolded Leif. ¡°Leif, did you consume the pill?¡± she whispered. ¡°Live a little baby sis, the chemical compound of these Molly pills contain concentrated methylenedioxy-methamphetamine,¡± said Leif, dodging Stacy¡¯s kiss. Maya¡¯s face perked. ¡°Oh? Similar to our planet¡¯s love pills, no?¡± she asked. ¡°No, this concentration is much higher. I think you should try one,¡± whispered Leif. Maya frowned at Leif and then stared at Rebecca, who blew her a kiss. ¡°Most curious. Yes, I think I will try one!¡± she smiled. Rebecca, hearing Maya, pulled a fresh pill out from her bikini bottom, and held it on her fingertip. ¡°Here, stick out your tongue, and drink this water, it¡¯ll go down better,¡± said Rebecca handing Maya a bottled water from the table. ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± said Maya turning to Rylan, ¡°Are you going to try one of these pills?¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good,¡± said Rylan abruptly as he scanned the scene of the party. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Where¡¯s Stacy¡¯s mom?...And where did Stacy get all of these pills? In a corner couch near the back pool entrance sat a burly teenager in a leather jacket. Two kids approached him and handed him money, in exchange he gave them pills. Rylan recognized the burly teen, a juvenile delinquent named Kane, a biker wannabe. Rylan pulled Stacy over to him. ¡°Rylan, take your cloths off!¡± said Stacy. ¡°I¡¯m not staying. Stacy, did you invite that guy Kane?¡± he asked pointing at him. ¡°Hmm...not really, he came with David and those guys, but he¡¯s been giving away as many pills as he sells, generous I guess, heh heh,¡± laughed Stacy. Rylan didn¡¯t laugh, he just stared at Kane. Generous my ass, no one gives away pills. A certain science teacher must have pre-bought all these drugs and made sure Kane the wannabe ¡°Son¡¯s of Fire¡± biker showed up at this party to give them away¡­.fucking Anya! ¡°Rylan come on!¡± said Maya, while Rebecca pulled her toward the back. Scene Girls The group walked past the pool and into a waiting hot tub. Maya, already less inhibited than before, wiggled out of her tight jeans revealing a sea-green, slim cut bikini. ¡°Sis, when did you get that?¡± said Leif, pointing at his sister¡¯s barely there suit. Maya smirked. ¡°Not for your eyes, big bro.¡± Maya turned to Rylan and struck a pose. Her green eyes highlighted by the aqua of her suit. ¡°Heh, that pill hitting you already?¡± Rylan asked teasing her. Maya smirked and put her arm around his waist, and within seconds Rebecca tugged at Maya. ¡°No! give me your attention!¡± said Rebecca to Maya, ¡°And stop trying to kiss my ex-boyfriend.¡± Maya stopped all action, and turned to Rebecca. ¡°Who¡¯s your ex-boyfriend?¡± she asked. Rebecca, her eyes opening and closing, stared at Rylan and started laughing. ¡°Oh my god Rylan! You never told Maya we dated?¡± Maya, caught in the effects of the pill, took a somber tone and faced Rylan. ¡°You guys dated?¡± she asked him. Rylan understood the condition Rebecca and Maya were in and wanted to nip any hostility in the bud. ¡°Yeah three years ago. And we dated the way all thirteen year olds date. Steal a kiss here and there, and if you¡¯re lucky you can cop a feel!¡± he smiled making a squeezing breast hand motion, ¡°But me, I wasn¡¯t so lucky. So calling me her ex-boyfriend is an embellishment,¡± said Rylan with a smirk. Rebecca squinted at him and pulled Maya toward the hot tub. ¡°Rylan¡¯s not being nice, come on, I¡¯ll tell you all the sordid details of our relationship in the tub!¡± she said to Maya. Maya turned and caught eyes with Rylan as Rebecca whisked her away. Rylan stood still but muttered the words, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re good,¡± to Maya. Maya smiled, and under the influence of the Molly, his words released a flood of euphoria in her body and soul. ¡°Ok~¡± she whispered back, and entered the tub. Safe With the siblings drugged and occupied by Rebecca and Stacy, Rylan walked to the west wing of the big house and a small kitchen near the garage. Inside the kitchen watching television sat Mrs. Danner. Rylan interrupted her. ¡°Hi Mrs. Danner!¡± The very pretty older woman spun around and her face lit up. ¡°Well if the sky isn''t big! Rylan sweetie, how are you? Stacy told me she invited you and that you have exchange students from another country living with you!¡± she hugged him. ¡°Yeah, something like that. Um.. Mrs. Danner I¡¯m gonna have to split for a little while, I have to work, but I¡¯ll be back in a few hours.¡± ¡°Oh sweetie it¡¯s ok, you know I¡¯ll take care of Chloe till you get back! She¡¯s always welcome here,¡± she checked around and whispered, ¡°And I¡¯m keeping an eye on Stacy¡¯s party to make sure there¡¯s no drinking¡­.you didn¡¯t see any booze did you Rylan?¡± ¡°No ma¡¯am, just water.¡± ¡°Good, you¡¯re such a fine young man Rylan! Don¡¯t worry about Chloe, I got her.¡± ¡°Thank you Mrs. Danner-¡± His phone buzzed, a text message from Anya: I¡¯m outside, let¡¯s go! He shook his head, ¡°Always on time, aren''t you lady?¡± ¡°Honey was that the job?¡± asked Mrs. Danner. ¡°Uh, yeah my ride is here, thanks Mrs. Danner.¡± He kissed her on her forehead. ¡°Oh no, call me Brenda!¡± she cooed, as Rylan slipped out the kitchen exit to meet his ride to work. Ecstasy Stacy and Leif, Maya and Rebecca, were all caught in the dizzying rush of the narcotics. They sat in Stacy¡¯s hot tub massaging each other and laughing. Rebecca rested her head on Maya¡¯s breasts, as Maya stroked her hair. ¡°Where¡¯s Rylan?¡± asked Rebecca. ¡°He had to work a few hours,¡± said Maya. ¡°Aww...why does he always work when we¡¯re together?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know...So..was Rylan a good boyfriend?¡± asked Maya, changing the subject. Rebecca laughed and raised her head. ¡°Well, we were in seventh grade and both virgins, and..I don¡¯t know..Rylan is sweet, he never pressured me or anything..we used to just hold hands a lot...and make out, second base stuff I guess,¡± said Rebecca, smiling ear to ear. ¡°Oh, did the relationship last long?¡± asked Maya. ¡°Mm..about six months...I kinda cheated on him with this kid Danny,¡± she frowned, ¡°He was older, a freshman in high school and way more aggressive than Rylan...real bad boy...he took my virginity.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t sound very nice.¡± ¡°Nope, we didn¡¯t last long, once we did it he lost interest and dumped me..I was so stupid.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not stupid, this is life,¡± said Maya caressing Rebecca¡¯s face. Rebecca squeezed Maya tight. ¡°Mmm..you feel so good Maya, but no. I am stupid. And I¡¯m gonna tell you why. I only gave it up to Danny because he kept pushing it...But the truth is, in hindsight, I''d have been happy to let Rylan take my virginity,¡± she said. ¡°Why?¡± Rebecca grinned and averted Maya''s gaze. ¡°Because....Rylan is a good guy, and he would¡¯ve respected it...and me. But instead I broke up with him for an idiot who dumped me...And ever since then, Rylan¡¯s never treated me the same way...I¡¯m so stupid!¡± she whispered. Maya smirked and squeezed Rebecca¡¯s cheek. ¡°No, stop talking like that. As Rylan would say, ¡®Hey, nah, come here ya not stupid,¡¯¡± said Maya doing her best Rylan impression while hugging Rebecca. ¡°Ha ha, oh wow, that is so funny, you totally nailed him..ha ha..so um...are you guys fucking?¡± The question nearly knocked Maya sober. ¡°W-What? N-No...we don¡¯t have that kind of relationship¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°Really? But you live together...I thought you liked him?¡± asked Rebecca. ¡°I do¡­.it¡¯s just..as you say...Rylan doesn¡¯t ..try anything with me...so I assume he doesn¡¯t like me..¡± said Maya. Rebecca¡¯s eyes narrowed as she stared at the mighty Maya, vulnerable...beautiful. ¡°Maya, that boy...that¡¯s the way he is...but I don¡¯t want to be that way anymore,¡± she moved in, and touched Maya¡¯s face, ¡°Are you a virgin Maya?¡± Maya¡¯s face flushed red at Rebecca¡¯s question. ¡°Um...yes, I am,¡± she meekly answered. Rebecca displayed a cheshire grin, and moved in. ¡°Good..¡± Rebecca raised Maya¡¯s face, held her and kissed her. Maya didn¡¯t resist, and allowed Rebecca to have her way, ¡°Maya you are so pretty, I cannot believe..mmm..¡± kiss. Before the scene grew heavy, Stacy, holding Leif¡¯s hand, interrupted Rebecca and Maya and whispered. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the guest house, I have the key.¡± ... Chapter 11- Sex and Murder Diamond Heist By nine p.m. Anya and Rylan met with the three safe cracking thieves hired through Jed. Together the five discussed the diamond heist plans from inside of the thieves¡¯ black van, parked a block away from the Aneke Jewelry Exchange. Inside the van the leader of the three thieves, Macky, did the talking. ¡°So you claim you got the alarm and the camera¡¯s turned off inside the vault? How fucking good are you lady?¡± he asked Anya with disbelief. ¡°Good doesn¡¯t come close. I¡¯m beyond anything this planet¡¯s tech can handle,¡± she snapped. ¡°Yeah, so why¡¯d you hire us?¡± he asked. ¡°Because I don¡¯t own a big drill or the acid pellets needed to crack that analog vault those diamonds are in. Now I told you the camera and the alarms are down, so let¡¯s get in there and get my diamonds,¡± she snarled. ¡°Whatever lady, it¡¯s your money,¡± said Macky, shaking his head at her. One of the three thieves, Eddie, asked about Rylan, who sat quietly the whole time. ¡°What about that kid?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, I need him, now let¡¯s go!¡± snapped Anya. Twenty Minutes Later After snapping the locks and breaking into the Jewelry exchange. The third thief named Wolf stood lookout near the entrance and scanned the police frequencies, while Macky and Eddie drilled away at the tumblers of the large vault inside. ¡°One minute,¡± said Eddie as he increased the drill¡¯s power. ¡°Lady, we heard you had another job for us after this one. What is it?¡± Macky asked Anya. ¡°The large exchange in Albuquerque, I hear they¡¯re are two hundred more of these types of diamonds, and I need them,¡± said Anya as she monitored the drill¡¯s progress with her wrist device. Macky shrugged, ¡°Lady, these diamonds are not the highest quality and damn near impossible to fence. The gold you¡¯re paying us is worth more than these rocks on the black market,¡± he said. ¡°The diamonds are worth a lot to me,¡± said Anya. ¡°Well, they¡¯d better be, because breaking into the main exchange in Albuquerque is a fool¡¯s errand!¡± said Macky. At that very moment the vault tumblers opened, and so did the vault door. ¡°Yes!¡± cheered Macky, slapping five with Eddie. Rylan, a spectator to the heist before him, watched as the thieves opened the closet sized vault and emptied all of the jewelry housed within. Anya grabbed the amber colored diamonds she found inside, shoving them in a small cloth bag. Walking to Rylan she placed five diamonds in his gloved hand. ¡°Here baby, test these for me,¡± she said watching his reaction. As soon as the diamonds touched Rylan¡¯s glove a surge of energy shot through his arm. ¡°Aaah..these are what you want,¡± said Rylan, grimacing in pain. ¡°Hm hm hm hm hmmm!¡± cackled Anya, ¡°Yes~ they''re exactly what I wanted.¡± She stood up and poured the remaining diamonds in the bag, and turned to speak to Macky...But Macky had no words for her, nor did Eddie or Wolf. They all held guns and aimed them at Anya. ¡°Da fuck?¡± she mumbled. Macky grabbed Rylan and put the gun to his face, and smirked. ¡°Jed was right, you are out of your mind lady!¡± he said squeezing his forearm in Rylan¡¯s neck. Anya cocked her head and smirked. ¡°Eh? Now why would you say a thing like that when I¡¯m offering all this gold?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the thing bitch. You have gold and we want it, and there ain¡¯t no way nobody¡¯s breaking into that safe in Albuquerque for no yellow diamonds,¡± said Macky. He cocked the hammer of his gun and pushed it into Rylan¡¯s temple. Eddie reached out and snatched the bag of diamonds from Anya¡¯s hand. ¡°Now this is how it¡¯s going down,¡± barked Macky, ¡°You want these diamonds and this kid, you bring more gold to Jed and-¡± ¡°You see baby,¡± interrupted Anya, speaking directly to Rylan, ¡°Now you understand why I told you before we got here...that I would have to kill these fucks!¡± she snarled. Rylan¡¯s eyes narrowed as he reluctantly accepted her early warning. ¡°Yeah, you did say that,¡± he whispered. ¡°What motherfucker?¡± yelled Macky, who raised his pistol to bash Rylan¡¯s head. But Rylan, composed and without fear, clutched Macky¡¯s gun hand and blasted a surge of amber energy into the thief, melting his hand on his pistol.. ¡°Aaah my hand!¡± screamed Macky as he stumbled backward, his hand fused to his weapon. Eddie turned to his injured partner as Anya dashed at Eddie faster than sound, and sliced off his gun hand with her razor sharp sword. ¡°Raaaah!¡± screamed Eddie. Still moving, Anya spun one eighty and with her back turned to the last thief Wolf, she thrust her blade through his heart...impaling him on the wall by the door. He gurgled and died in seconds. While Glaring at the injured Macky and Eddie, Anya yanked her blade out of Wolf. His corpse dropped to the floor behind her. ¡°Baby, you ok?¡± she asked Rylan. Rylan, still maintaining amber energy in his palms stared emotionless at Macky and Eddie. ¡°I¡¯m good Anya...do what you want,¡± he said turning his back on the thieves. Anya, hearing the cold words from Rylan, laughed a villainous laugh as she stared at the two injured thieves who staggered backwards in fear. ¡°Muhahahahah! Ahh, my sweet Rylan...your transformation is complete!¡± In a blink she split Eddie¡¯s head in two, then turned to Macky, who backed up pleading. ¡°Lady wait, listen to me, we can make a deal!¡± he screamed. ¡°Hahaha! but Macky,¡± she raised her sword over her head, ¡°This is your deal! Hee!¡± ¡°No-¡± She dropped her sword....and sliced Macky in half¡­ Thirty Minutes Later Anya reached Stacy Danner¡¯s block and parked in front of her house. Rylan unbuckled his seatbelt and prepped to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± said Anya, stopping his exit. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, his eyes on the house. ¡°Rylan...you¡¯re gonna go in there and what do you expect to find? Hmm? Drugged up teenagers making out...fucking?¡± she asked. He smirked and faced her. ¡°You paid for the drugs so you¡¯d know.¡± ¡°Haha, well aren''t you perceptive!¡± Anya laughed and climbed on top of Rylan on the passenger side. He turned away as she straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck. ¡°Ms. Cesar, you have your diamonds, you have your murders...I think we¡¯re good for the night.¡± Anya smiled and leaned back. ¡°Ehh? But Rylan, I saved a few Mollies for me and you,¡± she displayed a ziplock bag with ten white pills. ¡°And I heard you used to sell these things, is that true my little bad boy?¡± she asked dangling the bag. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Rylan avoided her eye contact. ¡°I just..needed the money once,¡± he answered. ¡°Wow boy, I¡¯m falling more in love with you everyday,¡± she chuckled, and tongued him. ¡°Mm!¡± He wanted to resist her, but he allowed her kiss until she stopped. He then opened the truck door. ¡°Ms. Cesar..I hope we¡¯re all done now,¡± his eyes focused on Stacy¡¯s house. Anya scowled, and leaned in. ¡°Rylan, in time...you¡¯ll learn to appreciate me...and to love me. And I¡¯ll show you.¡± She climbed off of him and out of the truck. ¡°Go and get your little sister. I¡¯ll wait out here to give you a ride home-¡± ¡°No thank you, I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t-¡± ¡°I insist!¡± she said. ¡°Now go ahead and get your sister. I¡¯ll wait.¡± Rylan paused, unsure of Anya¡¯s intent. Without a word he exited her truck and hiked up Stacy¡¯s driveway. Guest House Rylan re-entered Stacy¡¯s house and found eight kids still partying. Mostly couples making out and a few dancing. He knew Stacy did her bad behavior in her guest house, so he marched straight there. When he opened the guest house door he viewed the aftermath of debauchery. A dark room lit by scented candles and low volume dance music. On the couch, Stacy and Leif lay naked under a sheet. Behind them on the bed, Maya and Rebecca lay naked under a sheet. And all having a good time. ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m just gonna get Chloe and head home,¡± he said in a low calm voice, not wanting to interrupt. Both twins raised off the couch and bed, fully nude, and accosted Rylan. ¡°Big brother Rylan, no! you must stay and enjoy our revelry!¡± said Leif, pulling Rylan to the couch. Leif forced him to sit and in a moment, Stacy, Rebecca and Maya, cuddled against Rylan. ¡°Rilly, I thought you were coming back to hang out,¡± said Rebecca rubbing his hair. ¡°Yeah, we waited for you,¡± said Maya, kissing his neck. Rylan smiled and lifted Maya¡¯s chin. ¡°Ahh, I see you took another pill,¡± he said inspecting her eyes. She blushed. ¡°Well..you took so long,¡± she replied, burying her face in his chest. ¡°I know, I¡¯m sorry...but listen, I¡¯m not gonna interrupt your good time, it¡¯s late and I need to get Chloe ready for tomorrow-¡± ¡°No Rylan, stay, we¡¯ll leave soon!¡± cried Maya. Rylan consoled her. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s ok Maya...don¡¯t worry..someone¡¯s giving me a ride home..¡± Maya¡¯s eyes opened. ¡°Who¡¯s giving you a ride?¡± she asked. Before Rylan could respond Rebecca intervened. ¡°Rylan stop taking her attention from me!¡± she pouted. Rylan smirked. Thanks Becca, now I can slip out of here. With the twins occupied by Rebecca and Stacy, Rylan left the guest house and collected his half asleep sister from Elsie¡¯s room. Just a Ride Chloe rubbed her eyes and held Rylan¡¯s hand as they stepped outside to meet a smiling Anya. ¡°Hi honey! Do you remember me?¡± she asked Chloe, bending down to greet her. Chloe recognized Anya and hopped behind Rylan. ¡°Ya, you¡¯re the lady that stole Rylan¡¯s motorcycle!¡± ¡°Haha, yes I did. I¡¯m sorry about that but I really needed it..but don¡¯t you like the new motorcycle I bought for him?¡± Chloe took a second. ¡°Yes, but Rylan doesn¡¯t ride it, only Leif rides it!¡± said Chloe. ¡°Is that so? Well then I¡¯ll keep buying new ones for Rylan until he rides one-¡± ¡°No! You can¡¯t buy my brother like that!¡± said Chloe, defending her big bro. Anya smiled and leaned closer to Chloe. ¡°Oh is that so? Well please tell me pretty little Chloe, how can I win your brother¡¯s heart?¡± ¡°You can start by bringing back his motorcycle! Him and grandpa built that motorcycle before grandpa died...and you took it!¡± shouted Chloe, jumping back behind Rylan. Anya stood up staring at Rylan, who said nothing. ¡°...So, that¡¯s who you really are, Rylan...and the more I discover the more I want you¡­.¡± She glared at him with lust. Rylan ignored her comment. ¡°Anya...can you give us a ride home?¡± he asked, without malice. ¡°Of course baby, come on.¡± She turned to Chloe, ¡°Honey, do you want to ride up front with me and we put Rylan in the back?¡± ¡°Oh yesh, I have to watch you!¡± said Chloe. ¡°Of course you do, you adorable thing!¡± chuckled Anya. Within minutes they left the Sedona Hills neighborhood and drove to Rylan and Chloe¡¯s house. Surge The siblings arrived home before midnight and settled in. Chloe fell asleep in her room and Rylan found a moment to take a shower. Mmm.. hot water feels good!...and so does this energy. As he soaked he raised his palms in front of him and concentrated. In less than a second, ampsediun surged through his body and his hands. Hmm..raise the temperature. On command he increased his power, and shortly after decreased it. In the process he felt the euphoric effect of.. Invincibility. The shower curtain opened behind him. He turned and there stood Maya, arriving from nowhere, wrapped in a towel. Rylan smirked. ¡°Seems you can¡¯t keep your clothes on tonight can you?¡± he asked, showing himself to her. ¡°No, I can¡¯t.¡± Maya dropped her towel and Rylan basked in her full form. Her untanned skin and slim muscle toned frame aroused him to no end. He reached behind her waist and palmed her lower back and ass while pulling her close. ¡°..Rylan..aaah..¡± she cried, and closed her eyes as he ravished her breast, legs and beyond with quiet care. Holding her captive under the shower he laid her on her back. There he mounted her and kissed her. ¡°Maya..¡± he whispered. ¡°...Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m taking you.¡± ¡°..Ok..¡± And he took her, repeatedly...for the rest of the night. ... Chapter 12- Grovel Before a God The Outlaw- Anya Cesar. Four A.M. Wednesday Jed Litey and his five toughest Son¡¯s of Fire crew members met in the rear of the Broken Spoke bar. The men engaged in a heated discussion over the murders of the jewel thieves Macky, Eddie, and Wolf. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake Jed, how do you not know where that bitch Anya is? She sliced up our brothers like pigs in that jewelry store and it¡¯ll be all over the news in a few hours!¡± shouted Jed¡¯s second in command, Danny. ¡°Speakin¡¯ a pigs, the cops gonna be on us like flies on shit, Jed. What do we do?¡± asked another member. All five men, wearing their biker colors, stared at their leader. Jed scowled back at them as they waited for orders. ¡°First of all, ya¡¯ll need to shut the hell up cause I already got the word out to the boys in El Paso so the cavalry¡­¡± Jed stopped talking. Above him and the five men, a translucent dome formed before their eyes. It stretched from the back of the building and covered the ceiling and entrance. Jed and his men stood up gaping at the strange clear bubble surrounding them and the building. ¡°What¡¯s happenin¡¯ to my bar?¡± shouted Jed. His men scattered to inspect the dome wall. Jed stuck by the table and watched Danny reach out and touch the surface. ¡°Danny, what the hell is it-¡± But before Jed could blink a dagger flashed before his eyes and an arm strangled him in a chokehold from behind. ¡°Gaah!¡± growled Jed as the assailant pressed the dagger to his throat. Jed¡¯s men spun around and Danny and another man pulled handguns. All of the men gaped at the beautiful black haired woman holding their leader hostage. The woman, Anya Cesar, stared back at them with malice. ¡°Hold up lady! You¡¯re Anya, right?¡± asked Danny, trying to distract her. Anya ignored Danny and pressed the dagger into Jed¡¯s neck, pricking a trickle of blood. Jed¡¯s cautious men stood still while Anya offered a sinister smile. ¡°Hm hm hm hm,¡± she snickered. ¡°You fools. I¡¯ve placed a force field around this building so that no one can hear us..and none of you can escape, hee hee...¡± She clutched Jed¡¯s neck with her forearm. ¡°Gasp...Are you here to kill me bitch?¡± growled Jed. Anya¡¯s eyes opened with wonder. ¡°Kill you? Why no Jed, I¡¯m actually here to pay for your life!¡± she said, waving her dagger in his face. Jed¡¯s men stared at Anya with blank expressions. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®pay for his life,¡¯ lady?¡± asked Danny, aiming his gun at her head. ¡°Simple,¡± she said facing Danny. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill all of you, and take this man alive. Thus paying for his life, with yours!¡± She loosened Jed¡¯s chokehold, and he took advantage. ¡°Kill this bitch!¡± he barked. On his order all five men advanced on Anya. ¡°Yes! Come and kill me!¡± she snarled. Two men charged at Anya from each side. She whirled back with Jed as a shield and pointed her dagger at the man advancing on her right, and extended the dagger blade to sword length.. ¡°Grraah!¡± gurgled the man, as Anya¡¯s blade shot from six inches to four feet, impaling his skull. She yanked her sword out of his head and swung left, slicing the second advancing man¡¯s jaw off. He grabbed at his face and collapsed. Jed pulled free of her choke in the commotion and turned to punch her. ¡°You dead bitch!¡± he yelled, throwing his fist at her chin. But Anya sidestepped Jed¡¯s punch and bashed his temple in with her sword hilt, knocking him to the floor. ¡°Damn you Lady!¡± howled Danny. Danny charged forward firing his revolver at Anya, who dodged all of his shots, spun, and sliced his gun hand in half. He reeled back screaming in agony as the other gunman fired three rounds at the still spinning Anya. She evaded each of his shots, but his bullets flew behind her and struck Danny¡¯s chest and neck. ¡°Aaah, you shot me!¡± Danny said in shock, his last words as he hit the floor. The man with the gun fired two more rounds at Anya, who sliced both bullets in the air and swung her blade across his large gut, disemboweling him. ¡°Whut?¡± The gunman looked down at his intestines spilling out, then up at Anya, ¡°What the hell are you lady?¡± he asked her, and fell over dead. Anya lost sight of the fifth man, who positioned behind her and struck her in the back with a metal chair. ¡°Fuuuck!¡± she cried as her body smacked the floor. Anya dropped her sword, and in moments the man raised the chair high above his head and swung it down at her. But she rolled out of the way and countered with a back knee kick, tripping the man. ¡°Oof!¡± he cried as he hit the floor. And Anya followed by cracking his nose with a boot kick. ¡°Ahh my nose!¡± In the confusion Jed ran to Danny¡¯s body and retrieved his revolver. He aimed the gun at Anya, now up and charging at him. ¡°Not so fast Jed!!¡± she yelled. Jed fired at her, but Anya ducked low and flipped a table up crashing it into him and knocking him back. ¡°Fuck me!¡± he shouted as he stumbled backwards, pushing the table away. But he still held the gun, and when he cleared the table he raised the weapon again. But Anya leapt at him and crushed his jaw with a flying knee. Jed¡¯s head bashed into the wall behind him and he crashed to the floor unconscious. ¡°..Jed?¡± said Anya¡¯s voice. Jed¡¯s eyes flickered, and when he came to his senses Anya punched him in his nose and eye. He almost stopped breathing as she stood above him with balled fists. ¡°..Crazy bitch,¡± he whimpered, and blacked out. ¡°Hm hm hm hm, what a fool you are Jed...I mean how could you believe I wouldn¡¯t kill you after your thieves tried to double cross me...and kidnap my dear Rylan?¡± Anya recovered her sword in the front of the bar, then turned to the fifth man. He clutched his broken nose and stared at her. ¡°Oh, I see one of you is still alive,¡± she said to the man. The man raised up and ran out the front exit of the bar, and smack into the force field wall surrounding the building. The man fell on his knees, his broken nose and face a bloody mess. He turned to Anya, now three feet away from him. ¡°L-Lady..I ain¡¯t got no problem with you...you could take Jed, I ain¡¯t gonna say nothin-¡± Anya slashed the table in front of him, shutting him up. ¡°Do you know what you are?¡± she twirled her sword and pointed in his face. ¡°I..Me?..No...what am I?¡± he asked, bleeding and trembling. ¡°You....are nothing but a caveman groveling before a god! Hahahahaha!¡± The bleeding man stared into her maniacal eyes as she laughed and raised her sword above her head. He threw his hands up. ¡°Wait! No-¡± She sliced him in two, without mercy. Test in the Desert A few hours later, Anya kidnapped Jed and held him captive in a trailer in the middle of the New Mexico desert. ¡°Wake up Jed!¡± she threw a glass of water in his face and slapped him awake. Jed¡¯s blackened eyes opened to an unfamiliar room. He lay flat on his back with his hands and legs handcuffed to a bed frame. ¡°Where am I?¡± he asked with a graveled voice. ¡°You¡¯re at my place genius. I need to run tests on a human subject, so you¡¯ll do.¡± ¡°...What the hell are you talking about?¡± Jed struggled against the restraints and mouthed obscenities until Anya stabbed him with a morphine injection and gagged him. In moments the drug settled him down. Anya rigged him to a heart monitor and sat a strange instrument next to his chest. The instrument appeared to be a tabletop laser gun. ¡°You see Jed, my terrible children destroyed my mites, and took my ability to control my grounder, Rylan. So now I need to find out if this crazy new device I¡¯ve created can force Rylan to open a rift gate,¡± said Anya. Jed didn¡¯t understand a word she said, but she kept talking. ¡°But here¡¯s the thing Jed, I don¡¯t want this thing to kill my Rylan. So I need to test it on you first.¡± She pointed the device at his chest, ¡°Oh, and this will hurt.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. She flipped a switch and the device fired a yellow beam of energy into Jed¡¯s captive body. He screamed in agony for a minute. When she stopped he tried to speak. ¡°Mmmph!¡± ¡°Eh? You want to say something?¡± asked Anya, removing his gag. ¡°Cough, you fucking cunt...my guys are gonna take that boy toy of yours hostage¡­so you better be nice to me or- Aaaaaaaaah!¡± she zapped him with the device again. ¡°You¡¯re body is handling this well, good!¡± she said, ignoring his statement. ¡°..But..I just told you my guys are going after your boy Rylan!..We know where he lives!¡± he gasped. ¡°Um hm, I heard you Jed, and I¡¯ll head out there in about an hour and clean up the mess she¡¯s gonna make of your men,¡± said Anya trailing off. Jed tried to keep up. ¡°What? Who is she? Cause ain¡¯t no fuckin broad gonna make a mess out of my men-¡± ¡°Like how I made a mess of your men, Jed? Hmm? No, I guess that was your your imagination,¡± she growled and Jed shut up. ¡°Now, as I was saying...Your cavalry , meaning the cavemen you must have sent to kidnap my sweet Rylan?¡± she zapped him again. ¡°Aaaaaaah!¡± he screamed in agony. ¡°Ha ha ha! Trust me Jed. Those men are as good as dead.¡± Cavalry Eight a.m. Rylan awoke groggy. Next to him lay Maya, naked and still asleep. Oh crap we¡¯re super late. I don¡¯t want to wake Maya, but I gotta get Chloe dressed for school. Rylan threw on his Jeans and walked down to the kitchen. On the table sat a note in Chloe¡¯s handwriting: Rilly, I made peanut butter sandwiches for you and Maya. Leif is taking me to school. See you guys later :) -Love Chloe Rylan opened a container on the table. Inside lay two sandwiches with toasted bread. ¡°Chloe! You¡¯re the best little sis-¡± At that moment the kitchen door burst open from outside, and a large man ran inside the house and charged at Rylan. Rylan spun and backed up as the man, wearing a Son¡¯s of Fire jacket barreled toward him. Reaching forward he grabbed Rylan by the collar as Rylan kicked and punched back. ¡°Get the fuck off of me!¡± shouted Rylan, fighting off the attacker. While Rylan struggled, four more men entered the house. ¡°Get the girl too, she¡¯s a fuckin beauty!¡± shouted one of the intruders. The man fighting with Rylan bear hugged him and a second intruder assisted, attempting to pull Rylan to the ground. ¡°Come on, I got the tape, we¡¯ll hog tie him once he¡¯s down!¡± yelled the first attacker. Dammit, they¡¯re trying to kidnap me!...and they¡¯ll assault Maya! As Rylan struggled his body temperature rose, and in his hands. The surge...I feel it. A gunshot from upstairs and a scream. The two kidnappers holding Rylan stopped struggling and listened. Two more shots and a blood curdling howl. ¡°Arrrrgh, you fucking bitch, gaaa!¡± screamed one of the intruders upstairs. Above Rylan on the second floor a stampede took place as two of the three intruders ran back downstairs, toward the kitchen. Rylan and his captors eyed the action as both fleeing intruders turned to fire their guns helplessly at their half naked pursuer. Maya? Running into the kitchen with her sword in hand Maya hacked one gunman¡¯s shoulder off, spun one eighty and gutted the third man. Her speed and fluid movement no longer surprised Rylan. ...Maya, Anya...Leif...this is how they fight¡­ Rylan¡¯s two captors released him to turn their attention to the sword swinging Maya, who wore nothing but a grey t-shirt that barely covered her panties. The two kidnappers backed out of the kitchen entrance door and fired nine millimeter pistols at both Rylan and Maya as they exited. But Maya bolted in front of Rylan. ¡°Shield up!¡± she yelled and her force field ricocheted the shooter¡¯s bullets back at them, striking one in the eye. He screamed for dear life as both men ran off the back porch toward a dark blue van with two more men inside. ¡°Rylan, stay here!¡± yelled Maya as she raced behind the two fleeing kidnappers, raised her blade, and cut them down with one stroke. The last two men in the van gunned the engine and ripped the vehicle out of the yard and back on the road, fleeing from the half naked girl with the sword. But Maya wanted them dead. She ran forward and pointed her left wrist device at the speeding van and barked an order. ¡°Shield on point!¡± A blue beam fired from the device and formed a large force field dome directly in the path of the van. The van smashed into the force field and flipped on its side. Maya, barefoot, ran down the road toward the crashed van. The van rear door opened and one man stumbled out injured, but Maya showed no mercy and severed the man from shoulder to hip. With her t-shirt now a bloody rag, Maya entered the van and yanked the last man out. He hollered in pain as the vehicle¡¯s crash pulverized his legs. ¡°Maya!¡± shouted Rylan, sprinting to the scene. The sword girl ignored Rylan and jammed her blade against the crash survivor¡¯s neck. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked him. ¡°Aaah...my legs..they¡¯re broken,¡± he squealed, and Maya stomped his thigh. ¡°Gaaaah,¡± he screamed. ¡°Answer me or I¡¯ll cut your legs off, then they won¡¯t hurt you anymore,¡± she growled. Rylan arrived on the scene as the tortured man pointed at him. ¡°That kid, him and a lady killed our guys in a jewelry heist...We was comin¡¯ to take him hostage.¡± ¡°Who sent you? Jed?¡± asked Rylan. ¡°Yeah, we came from El Paso-¡± Maya narrowed her eyes and raised her sword above the man. ¡°Hey, wait little girl! hold on ya-¡± ¡°Fuck you and El Paso!¡± she yelled, and cleaved him in half. Raising her sword again she shot a glance at Rylan, who stared back at her. And for the first time he saw proof in her face of Anya¡¯s words. That scowl, the same as the first day I met you..the same face as Anya¡¯s. All this time he couldn¡¯t see it, but now he couldn¡¯t deny it. Maya¡¯s features were fair. Light hair, light eyes. Where Anya bore a tan complexion, dark eyes and ink black hair...but Maya¡¯s face shape, nose structure, eye shape¡­. and her killer instinct. ¡°So, you¡¯re a butcher like your mother,¡± he muttered, expressionless. Maya spun and glared at him for a long time. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything about me Rylan,¡± she said. ¡°No, I really don¡¯t,¡± he glanced at the dead bodies, ¡°But I¡¯ve seen enough to know that you really are Anya¡¯s daughter.¡± Maya smirked with her eyes low. ¡°Hmm, did she tell you that? I bet she said that to control you. Make you do whatever you two were doing behind my back,¡± she muttered in a low voice. Rylan put his head down. ¡°That may be. But is it true? Is Anya your mother?¡± Maya evaded the question. ¡°I knew she was using you, Rylan.¡± Rylan stepped back.. ¡°..Yeah? So, if you knew Anya was using me then why didn¡¯t you say something? Is it maybe because you have your own agenda, Maya?¡± he asked, staring at her. Maya said nothing as her eyes shifted to the road. A mile down a black suv sped toward the house. Rylan recognized the truck. ¡°Speak of the devil, that¡¯s Anya,¡± he said. Maya¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Rylan! Stay close to me!¡± she shouted, grabbing Rylan¡¯s hand and pulling him back toward the house. ¡°Eh? Why? Do you think Anya¡¯s gonna attack us?¡± Maya scowled and glanced at the truck on the horizon. ¡°I know she will!¡± ... Chapter 13- Anyas Baby Girl Atomizer Anya¡¯s SUV pulled into Rylan¡¯s yard as he watched from the kitchen door. Maya, now dressed in a clean grey t-shirt, skinny jeans and a ponytail, posted herself on the porch with her sword in hand. As the teens waited for Anya, Rylan¡¯s adrenaline sank and the gravity of the situation hit him. Anya¡¯s killed and caused the death of a lot of people. And I¡¯m just as guilty. As of now I¡¯m in so deep I can¡¯t call the cops anymore.. so how do I stop all of this? Anya parked her truck in the yard and called out to Maya. They exchanged words and Anya exited the vehicle with her hands up in a mercy display to Maya. ¡°Maya, I¡¯m unarmed. I told you I¡¯m here to help you!¡± said Anya keeping eye contact with Maya. Anya carefully reached in her pocket and pulled out a grenade of some type. ¡°You see, I brought an atomizer grenade so we can dispose of those dead bodies and that van.¡± Maya squinted with suspicion, and lowered her sword. She stepped toward Anya and examined the grenade. ¡°That atomizer will cause an earthquake in this desert and the city. We¡¯ll have to put two force fields around it to contain it. And doing that will suck us dry,¡± said Maya. ¡°That¡¯s not a problem dear daughter-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± snapped Maya. Anya smirked. ¡°Heh, heh...As I was saying. Even if you and I pass out from using our force fields our sweet Rylan will take care of us,¡± said Anya glancing at Rylan in the doorway, ¡°Won¡¯t you baby?¡± Rylan didn¡¯t catch Anya¡¯s meaning. But Maya turned and stared at him, waiting for his answer. They¡¯re going to pass out using their force fields? What are these ladies talking about? ¡°Um, sure...I¡¯ll take care of you both, I guess,¡± he said looking at Maya, who accepted his answer. ¡°Good!¡± said Anya, ¡°Now Rylan, we need you to drag all the bodies into one pile behind the house, and Maya come with me. We have to flip that van over before some cop drives through here!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± pouted Maya, but she followed Anya to the van. The Suck Rylan, fully aware of his situation, set about his grisly task of dragging the murdered corpses out of his home and toward a hidden corner in his backyard. His mind raced over his next step. I can¡¯t talk to anyone about this. I just have to clean this up and stay cool. But damn, I think I¡¯m in a lot of trouble.. How could I let all of this happen? He looked out at Maya and Anya by the flipped van. And those two...one is a remorseless killer...and her daughter.. An image of a scowling Maya standing over a terrified biker framed in his head. ¡°Fuck you and El Paso,¡± is what she said to him, before she struck him down without a thought. ¡°The apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree,¡± is what Anya told me about you, Maya...But what can I say? Nothing...you saved our lives. Out on the road Anya and Maya used their force fields to flip and move the van behind the house. Afterwards they helped Rylan pile the corpses of the dead Son¡¯s of Fire biker gang. However, Rylan noted that as the ladies used their force fields they grew physically fatigued, forcing a five minute break on the porch. ¡°Hey Maya, why are you and Anya so tired when I¡¯m the one lifting the bodies?¡± asked Rylan. Maya smirked. ¡°...On this planet we don¡¯t have the external power charges that our gear needs to work,¡± she said displaying her wrist device, ¡°So instead our gear uses our own body energy to function.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called The Suck...because it truly sucks your life force to get these things working, hee hee!¡± joked Anya, leaning back in a chair with her eyes closed. ¡°Is that right? Even your swords?¡± asked Rylan. ¡°Heh, well in the case of our strikers they¡¯re completely powered by our body energy,¡± said Maya, extending her sword blade. ¡°See? This means my striker¡¯s blade dies only when I die. However, the gun part relies on external energy.¡± She shifted her striker from a sword to a handgun for Rylan. He examined the dark chrome colored pistol. The weapon had the same appearance as every sci-fi movie blaster he¡¯d ever seen. ¡°When you say external energy do you mean bullets?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, in a manner of speaking. Our pistols convert raw external energy into projectile energy,¡± said Maya pointing the weapon at the recovered van. ¡°Basically if you charge it up it¡¯ll create an energy blast.¡± Anya chuckled at the conversation as she stood and stretched. ¡°Yes, yes, all good information. Oh and Rylan, our planet is called Eres, and it¡¯s a beautiful world, similar to earth, you¡¯d like it,¡± said Anya walking toward Maya. ¡°Now let¡¯s go My-My, those bodies won¡¯t atomize themselves!¡± Maya scowled. ¡°Yaan! Don¡¯t call me My-My either,¡± she whined. ¡°My-My? How cute!¡± laughed Rylan. Maya balled her fists and squinted at Rylan. ¡°You keep laughing, I¡¯ll show you-¡± ¡°Show him what? Baby pictures of you and your brother?¡± snapped Anya, ¡°Don¡¯t worry I have them all on my phone and I¡¯ll show them to him later. I even have naked pictures of you Maya-Maya-pants-on-fiya!¡± sang Anya. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a pedophile!¡± snapped Maya. ¡°What? Rylan do you see how she disrespects me?¡± cried Anya. Maya and Anya exchanged insults and Rylan laughed at them. Still, in all of their bickering and violence, he failed to understand how a mother and daughter could become such bitter enemies. What the hell happened between you two? The trio concluded their cleanup moving the van and dead bodies to one spot. When everything was set, Anya tossed the atomizer grenade on top of the van. Afterward Maya and Anya both covered the van and corpses with a combined full power force field. The grenade inside exploded so violently it cracked the wall of the force field. ¡°Shit! Maya don¡¯t let up!¡± shouted Anya. ¡°I know!¡± replied Maya. Maya and Anya pushed their own body limits and maintained the field¡¯s integrity, but the power drain forced them to their knees in pain. After seventy seconds the van and the bodies inside the field swirled into a crushing vortex and vanished without a trace. Maya and Anya both retracted their force fields, gasped, and collapsed in the yard. Rylan ran to help them. ¡°Maya? Anya? Oh crap you guys really passed out!¡± he shouted at the unconscious ladies, their life force drained. Rylan attempted to revive them but failed, so he carried them to his living room and placed them on the couch. He spread blankets on them, and sat their strikers on the coffee table. While they rested he inspected Anya¡¯s black striker. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Wow, Anya¡¯s weapon is scary looking... These people from another world and their strange weapons. Oh well, they¡¯ll be hungry when they wake up, so it¡¯s time to make my famous ¡°Green Chile Beef Stew!¡± Three Hours Later While the ladies slept, Rylan cleaned the house from top to bottom, wiping away all blood stains. Afterwards he went back to the kitchen to taste his simmering stew. ¡°Oh, this is to die for! So good!¡± He patted himself on the back. As he placed the ladle down a beeping sound echoed in the living room and Anya awoke from her sleep. In a daze she checked her wrist device and glanced at Rylan. ¡°Baby? How long have I been out?¡± she asked Rylan. ¡°Awhile! So I¡¯ll make you a plate of this great stew cause I know you¡¯re hungry!¡± said Rylan with pride. Anya pulled herself up and sat next to the still sleeping Maya. She continued reading her wrist device while placing her hand on Maya¡¯s head, and rubbing it. Rylan noticed and said nothing. ¡°My-My, sweet baby, you¡¯re always so angry at me...but you just don¡¯t understand...there are just things momma needs to do...things I have to do,¡± she whispered to Maya. Rylan watched Anya touch Maya, and for the first time ever he felt sorry for Anya. ¡°Hey Anya...when¡¯s the last time you-¡± ¡°Three years,¡± she snapped, ¡°I haven¡¯t hugged my children in three years. Because they hate me.¡± Rylan didn¡¯t want to press, but curiosity. ¡°Um...may I ask ...why Maya and Leif hate you?¡± ¡°Heh heh, it¡¯s a long story. But if I had to tell you from Maya and Leif¡¯s point of view, it¡¯s something like this: Five years ago someone murdered my husband, their father, during a war. The war ended and now there¡¯s peace...but I know who killed my husband and I won¡¯t let it go...even if it means starting another war to get that person.¡± She walked toward Rylan and stared dead in his eyes, ¡°My husband¡¯s name was Erik Alexander, and I won¡¯t let his murder go unavenged...There, now you know from my kid¡¯s pers-¡± ¡°Of course you won¡¯t let Daddy¡¯s death go, Mother! Because It¡¯s always about you and what you want. That¡¯s how you¡¯ve always been,¡± barked Maya, now awake on the couch. Rylan intervened. ¡°Maya, it¡¯s cool. I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked,¡± said Rylan. ¡°Come on, get some of this stew.¡± Maya, starving, walked to the table and sat across from Anya. Rylan ignored the tension and served both ladies hot plates. The ladies showed their appreciation by ravaging the food, and asking for seconds. ¡°Rylan this is so good! Oi, I just want you to cook for me all the time!¡± said Anya. Rylan blushed and nodded in approval, ¡°Well I do my best. You know I cook for Maya, Leif and Chloe every night!¡± ¡°Now why would you tell me that Rylan? You know I¡¯m jealous of you and Maya, hee hee!¡± ¡°You would be!¡± said Maya with a smile, but she kept her eyes on Anya, waiting for her to¡­ ...stare at her wrist device again. ¡°What are you scanning, Mother?¡± asked Maya, glaring at her. Anya glanced back with a false innocence. ¡°Why nothing, I was just checking something-¡± ¡°Yes, the atmospheric ampsediun readings you¡¯ve been checking and referencing since you drove in the yard?¡± shouted Maya. Anya smirked and turned to Rylan. ¡°Rylan honey, when you explained to Maya what happened today...about us stealing the diamonds. How I killed the three bikers. Did Maya seemed surprised at all?¡± she asked Rylan. Rylan, still eating his stew, glanced at both ladies and with his head down he answered, ¡°No..Maya didn¡¯t seem surprised at all.¡± ¡°Of course she didn¡¯t¡± said Anya, placing a tiny flat object on the side of her wrist device under the table. ¡°Do you know why?¡± she asked him. ¡°......No..¡± The table grew silent as the ladies locked eyes. ¡°Because, dear Rylan, unlike my beautiful son Leif, who takes after his father in every way¡­my beautiful daughter Maya, on the other hand, is Mommy¡¯s Baby Girl ...and takes after me-¡± ¡°I¡¯m nothing like you!¡± shouted Maya. ¡°Oh? Is that a fact? So then why are you lying to Rylan about why you¡¯re here, Maya,¡± said Anya, tilting her head with a smirk. ¡°It certainly isn¡¯t to collect a bounty on me...is it?¡± Rylan, not sure who to believe, slowly turned to Maya. ¡°Um..Maya..is there something you¡¯re not telling me?¡± he asked her. But Maya kept her focus on Anya, who raised her left arm and displayed an external attachment on her wrist device. Maya recognized the attachment. ¡°Oh no- Rylan! Get down!¡± screamed Maya. Anya fired a force field blast directly at Maya, but she saw it coming. Maya leapt on the table and slashed Anya¡¯s force field blast with her striker. Charging at Anya, Maya swung her sword down for a direct slice. But Anya flashed her own blade and deflected Maya¡¯s strike, forcing both ladies back. Now they faced each other in Rylan¡¯s kitchen. ¡°I knew you were scheming the minute you got here, Mother!¡± ¡°Hm hm hm hm! I¡¯m sure you did dear daughter. But there¡¯s nothing you can do about it...because I know your force field is down to twenty percent,¡± Anya raised her left arm. ¡°But I¡¯m over three hundred percent!¡± Anya aimed her left fist at Maya and fired multiple force field blasts. Maya deflected the blasts with her lightning fast sword, but knew she couldn¡¯t keep this up. ¡°Dammit!¡± she cried and bolted for the kitchen exit, under fire from Anya. ¡°Come back you titmouse!¡± screamed Anya as Maya escaped the house. Rylan ran toward Anya in hopes of reasoning with her. As he approached she tossed a tiny round object at him. A marble? The tiny object instantly multiplied in size and transformed into a giant transparent bubble. The bubble sucked Rylan through it¡¯s clear walls and trapped him inside. ¡°What the fuck- Aaaah!¡± he screamed as the bubble shocked him with energy. Rylan fell to the floor of the bubble prison and figured it out. This bubble is a force field, an external force field from that little marble she threw at me. Rylan tried kicking the clear wall, but nothing. He had an idea. He sat down in the force field and concentrated. Feel the surge. In seconds ampsediun energy swelled in his glowing palms. Heh, I¡¯m getting good at this! With his energy surrounding his fist, Rylan punched the force field wall, however. ¡°Graaaaaah!¡± He howled in agony as a blast of counter energy erupted inside the force field, stopping him cold. He collapsed clutching his chest and gut. Of course Anya figured out how to stop me...what the hell was I thinking? From inside his force field prison in his Kitchen Rylan couldn¡¯t see or hear the outside battle between Anya and Maya. The only thing he could do was sit still and have faith¡­ ..that Maya could actually beat Anya. Hey...You never know. Chapter 14- No Swordsman Melee Maya bolted out of the house running for cover. But Anya fired multiple force field blasts, forcing Maya to deflect with her striker sword. As Maya ran Anya pursued her and jeered. ¡°You can run all you want My-My! I¡¯ll still catch you because I-¡± The ground exploded under Anya¡¯s foot. ¡°Oh what the fuck!¡± she yelled as a force field bomb surrounded her. A trap laid by Maya. ¡°You little witch!¡± cried Anya as she fell inside the force field prison. ¡°You know this cage won¡¯t hold me!¡± Anya raised her left arm and created her own force field from the inside, causing the outer field wall to shatter. As Anya retracted her field, Maya¡¯s striker blade cut the air in a downward slice, aimed at Anya¡¯s head. Anya blocked the strike, slashing at Maya¡¯s blade. From that point the women engaged in a ruthless sword fight. The violent clash of their striker blades echoed in the yard as each combatant jockeyed for the killer blow. But after a minute of parrying both winded fighters backed off to take a breath. ¡°Give up Maya, you¡¯re no sword fighter. If you want to take me you¡¯d better get serious!¡± growled Anya. ¡°Aww, you tired already old lady? Well guess what? It¡¯s about to get real bad for you!¡± snarled Maya. Above Maya, a tiny marble sized object zipped through the air. When Anya caught sight of the tiny flying object it exploded to the size of a large trash can and dove straight for her. ¡°A sentinel? Maya you bitch!¡± screamed Anya as the flying machine swooped down and opened up twin blasters at her. Anya fired her force field at the sentinel, hoping to block the shots and knock the flying machine off course. But as soon as Anya raised her shield Maya charged at her with an overhead slice. ¡°Here Mother!¡± howled Maya, slashing down at Anya. ¡°No!¡± shouted Anya. Anya blocked Maya¡¯s slice with her own sword, while still firing her force field at the overhead sentinel. But the sword block pulled Anya off balance. ¡°Dammit!¡± she cried, dropping backward from Maya¡¯s blow. The sentinel advanced on Anya, pressing her to keep her force field up. With Anya¡¯s attention focused above, Maya shot her own force field blast at Anya¡¯s gut. A direct hit. ¡°Aaaah!¡± yelled Anya as she tumbled back from Maya¡¯s shot, landing on her stomach and losing her striker in the melee. The sentinel hovering above her, dove for the kill. ¡°Die you flying trash can!¡± she growled and managed one force field blast at the sentinel from the ground. Her shot struck the underbelly of the flying machine and it crashed in the yard, bursting into flames. From the ground Anya shot a glare at Maya. ¡°You tricky little witch... with your cheap sentinel,¡± she mouthed off before she blacked out. Three minutes Later Anya opened her groggy eyes to a new commotion in the yard. Rylan, freed from his force field prison, stood near Anya''s SUV. In his hand he held Anya¡¯s wrist device. ¡°You took my gear Rylan? How troublesome,¡± muttered Anya as she attempted to stand up, and only reached one knee. Maya, behind the SUV, opened the back hatch door. She pulled out the table laser gun machine Anya used to torture, and later kill, Jed Litey with. Maya held the machine up in triumph, glaring at Anya. ¡°I found it Mother,¡± she said examining the laser machine, ¡°The item you killed to create. Filled with ampsediun diamonds...diamonds that don¡¯t exist on our world.¡± Anya stood up and cleared her throat. ¡°Yes sweet Maya. Go ahead and gloat. For now you¡¯ve proven to Rylan that you¡¯ve been lying to him the whole time, hm hm hm hm,¡± she laughed. Rylan, quiet and still shaken from Anya¡¯s force field prison, turned to Maya and stared at the laser gun thingy in her hand. ¡°Maya?...What¡¯s Anya talking about? Were you just waiting around to take the diamonds and that machine from her? Did you know she was stealing those diamonds the whole time?¡± Rylan asked Maya. Maya cradled the laser machine and faced Rylan. ¡°Rylan¡­.This machine Anya created for these rare diamonds... it¡¯s too dangerous...I need to stop her-¡± ¡°Stop her? Then why didn¡¯t you stop her before she dragged me into stealing the diamonds? Before she killed all of those people?¡± he asked Maya. Anya Laughed. ¡°Hahaha! Of course she didn¡¯t stop me Rylan! Can¡¯t you see? Maya wants that machine and the diamonds for herself! Don¡¯t you Maya you lying bitch! ¡± shouted Anya as she walked toward the teenagers. Maya extended her striker blade and pointed at Anya. ¡°Don¡¯t you come any closer you demon!¡± she growled. Anya stopped walking. ¡°Eh? But Maya, who are you to take a righteous stance? Instead why don¡¯t you tell Rylan the truth? That you really work for the Kellan government back on Eres-¡± ¡°Your government and mine, Mother! Or are you not a Kellan?¡± shouted Maya. Anya smirked. ¡°Yes Maya. I¡¯m a proud citizen of the mighty Kellan nation, and I raised you and your brother to be the same. But I do not recognize that commoner government led by peasants created after the war-¡± ¡°A war that the Cesars and the Alexanders started!¡± screamed Maya. Rylan stood back as the ladies argued over ties to a world, a nation, and two families he didn¡¯t know. And the squabbling between them had nothing to do with him. ¡°Maya, Anya...I really don¡¯t give a damn about your problems back on your messed up homeworld. What I want is for you two complete, lying, whack jobs..to leave my yard, and never come back.¡± Both women evaded Rylan¡¯s eye contact and stood silent. ¡°Rylan, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not that simple and it¡¯s you who will need to make a choice,¡± said Anya. ¡°You see, my brat kids are new government lap dogs and want to please their new masters by taking the diamonds from your world, and my invention, back to their incompetent leaders.¡± Maya scowled. ¡°I have to, Mother. If I don¡¯t you¡¯ll use it for-¡± ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake, Maya, are you that stupid child?¡± howled Anya. ¡°If your precious government truly wanted to keep the diamonds out of my hands then why didn¡¯t they order you to kill me before I got them?¡± Maya said nothing. Anya continued. ¡°Yes Rylan, wake up to Maya¡¯s lies, since you seem to be the smart one here,¡± she said staring at him, ¡°Now what do you think her government would do with such a device? Hmm?¡± Rylan, staring at the ground turned to Maya, who didn¡¯t look at him. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°I don''t even know what that machine does, but Maya. Is what Anya said true?¡± he asked. Maya cautiously faced Rylan. ¡°...Rylan, our government is peaceful...I would never let-¡± ¡°Liar!¡± yelled Anya. ¡°Rylan, don¡¯t be a fool! Once Maya hands that thing over to the Kellan government it won¡¯t be two months before more visitors start arriving on the planet earth-¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± asked Rylan, his eyes on the laser machine. ¡°What the hell does that thing do, Anya?¡± Evil flooded Anya¡¯s face as she stared at Rylan. ¡°Rylan baby...I hoped you¡¯d asked me that.¡± Anya¡¯s eyes moved to her wrist gear in Rylan¡¯s hand. And from where she stood, she barked an order to the device, ¡°System, show Rylan what you can do!¡± Anya¡¯s wrist gear in Rylan¡¯s hand crackled to life, it said aloud. The laser machine in Maya¡¯s arms turned on and burst into a bright yellow light. Startled, Maya dropped the machine as the light around it grew hot and blinding. In less than a second the machine pulsed a force in the air that knocked Rylan and Maya six feet back. ¡°Aaah!¡± the teens shouted, and as Rylan hit the ground he dropped Anya¡¯s wrist gear. ¡°Hahahaha!¡± laughed Anya, as she ran to recover her wrist device, and watched as the ampsediun energy from the pulse coursed through Rylan¡¯s body. ¡°What is this?...It..Aaaaaaah!¡± Rylan screamed and writhed on the ground. ¡°Rylan!¡± yelled Maya. She charged Anya with her striker in hand, but it was too late. The air between Anya and the teens crackled like thunder as a large yellow orb formed in the yard. Maya stopped and backed up staring at the orb. ¡°A rift gate?¡± shouted Maya in disbelief. ¡°Even with that device there shouldn¡¯t be enough ampsediun in the atmosphere to-¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± laughed Anya, with villainous eyes on Maya and Rylan, ¡°You¡¯re right dear daughter, with any ordinary grounder this would have been impossible...but my sweet Rylan is special! Hahaha!¡± Rylan, unable to escape the ampsediun energy surrounding him, lay in pain on the ground. Maya ran to help him. ¡°Rylan!¡± she turned to the laser machine in the yard, ¡°Dammit, I gotta stop that machine!¡± Maya fired a force field blast at the laser machine hoping to knock it over and turn it off, but the ampsediun energy around it deflected her blast. Then things turned for the worse. As Maya stood defending Rylan, a big man suddenly stepped out of the transdimensional gate wielding a striker weapon. After him, six more striker wielders exited the gate. Five men, two women. ¡°Oh no! This is bad!¡± muttered Maya. Anya smiled and faced the seven figures as they stood shoulder to shoulder in the yard. ¡°You¡¯re out of your league now, Maya! I¡¯ve called on the Seven Barons!¡± she taunted. Each baron a striker blade master who wielded either a sword, lance, or battle ax. The leader of the barons, the six foot eight, Hannibal Ox, stepped forward. ¡°Duchess, what will you have us do with the grounder and... "His dark brown eyes stared menacingly at Maya, ¡°Your daughter?¡± he asked. Anya barked a command to her wrist gear and the laser machine sputtered and shut off abruptly on the ground. The transdimensional rift gate in the yard collapsed and vanished, releasing Rylan from the effects. ¡°Hannibal?¡± Anya called out. ¡°Yes m¡¯lady?¡± ¡°My daughter is still a Marchioness and a Cesar, and you will respect her as such,¡± said Anya. ¡°Yes m¡¯lady.¡± Hannibal bowed in deference. ¡°Good. Now, although the Lady Maya has no ammunition and a force field at less than twenty percent, I assure you she¡¯s a dangerous striker fighter,¡± said Anya, glaring at Maya. Maya ignored Anya and helped Rylan lift himself off his rear. As Rylan regained his composure he took full stock of the situation. ¡°Um..are those tough looking people friends of yours?¡± he asked. Maya stared at the barons, who all grinned at her. She raised her striker. ¡°They¡¯re loyal knights to my family,¡± she extended her blade, ¡°And no. They¡¯re no friends of mine.¡± ¡°Ha!¡± Anya laughed at Maya¡¯s display of courage, ¡°Barons! I want you to take my daugher and the grounder alive. You are not to harm them. But my ladies and lords, do not be fooled!¡± Anya glared at Maya. ¡°For the Lady Maya is no swordsman!¡± she yelled. Rylan took offense to Anya''s statement. "If she isn''t a swordsman than what the hell is she?" he asked. In answer to both Anya and Rylan, Maya''s striker shifted and extended into a long, double bladed spear. Rylan gaped in awe at her frightening new weapon. ¡°Holy Darth Maul!¡± he blurted, as she twirled the long deadly staff over her head, behind her back, and snapped into a lancer¡¯s stance. ¡°That¡¯s right Mother! I don''t rely on the Cesar''s Whirling Blade style...your style.. When I fight I use daddy¡¯s style, Dragon Tailed Lance!¡± yelled Maya. The seven barons hailed Maya. ¡°The Lady Maya is Erik Alexander''s daughter, The Alexandrian spear technique! This will be fun,¡± roared all seven. "Hmph!" pouted Anya. But one baron stepped forward. Slim, with long dark hair, he slid beside Anya and bowed. ¡°My Duchess, I, Zane, Baron of Atrein, and master of the Iron Lance style, will not harm the Lady Maya,¡± he glanced at Maya from his bow, ¡°I will merely...teach her a lesson.¡± Anya smirked. ¡°Of course Baron Zane,¡± she said glancing at Maya, ¡°But I assure you, the Lady Maya is still a Cesar, so she won¡¯t be easy to tame.¡± The barons laughed at Anya¡¯s statement, while Zane and Maya locked eyes. Rylan, in better shape now, stood next to Maya. ¡°Are you sure this is a good idea? That Zane guy looks pretty tough,¡± he asked her. ¡°He¡¯s more than tough, and It¡¯s the only idea we have at the moment,¡± she answered. Rylan squinted and shook his head in disapproval. ¡°These odds ain''t so good. But I take it you''re pretty good with this scary looking spear you¡¯re holding?¡± he asked, plucking her weapon with his finger. Maya grinned. ¡°Meh! I¡¯m ok with it,¡± she said, making a fifty-fifty hand motion. ¡°Are you shitting me dude? You¡¯d better be more than ok-¡± Before Rylan could say another word Maya dashed toward baron Zane. And baron Zane charged at Maya with his lance ready to strike with.. ...an intent to kill. Proofed and Edited by Chiisutofupuru, writer of Sasha ... Chapter 15- Still A Cesar Fight Maya Alexander, The Marchioness of Caria. Her opponent, Zane Daidor, The Baron of Atrein. Two warrior nobles engaged in brutal striker combat in Rylan¡¯s front yard. ¡°Raah!¡± shouted Maya as she thrust, slashed and parried her striker lance against her foe. But baron Zane moved fast and struck hard, countering Maya¡¯s strikes blow for blow. For a full two minutes Maya attacked, engaging in high speed lancer combat using her Dragon Tailed technique against his fiercely aggressive Iron Lance style. ¡°My Lady, you¡¯re Dragon Tailed Lance is no match for me. I suggest you give up peacefully and with your dignity,¡± taunted Zane, blocking her next strike. Maya sneered at Zane¡¯s proposal. ¡°I¡¯m too young for you, pervert!¡± she growled. Maya feigned a forward thrust, then twirled her lance in a downward strike, slicing Zane¡¯s left shoulder. ¡°Grraah!¡± he cried and backed off clutching his wound. ¡°Hmph!¡± pouted Maya. She then twirled her lance above her head and behind her in a contemptuous display. Boasting her precision control of her striker lance. She concluded the dance with a loud, wind cutting, downward slash. An insult to the barons and Anya. ¡°So who¡¯s next Mother? You?¡± scoffed Maya, pointing her lance at Anya. Anya smiled and faced the barons, ¡°Hm hm hm. I told you all, my daughter is still a Cesar.¡± She turned back to Maya, ¡°But enough games gentlemen. Set your blasters on stun, we¡¯ll cage her-¡± But Before Anya could turn around. ¡°Shields up!¡± Yelled Hannibal to the barons. In an instant the ground between the barons, Anya, and Maya ripped open from two grenade explosions. The barons and Anya formed shields, but the blast knocked them all backward. Maya formed a shield protecting her and Rylan, and caught sight of the grenade thrower, who raised her spirits. ¡°Leeeeif!¡± she screamed, as her big brother rushed to her rescue. The agile Leif launched himself at the three closest barons. Engaging and clashing their blades he slowed their advance on Maya and Rylan. ¡°Maya, run!¡± he shouted, as he blocked three swords and a blaster shot, trying to buy time for his baby sister. ¡°No!¡± yelled Maya. She raced toward Leif, firing her force field to defend him from the attacking barons. ¡°Maya, take Rylan and escape,¡± shouted Leif. ¡°No! I won¡¯t leave you here!¡± Slashing and defending each other, the twins stood back to back. But were quickly surrounded by five barons. One baron, the swordsman Vesh, slipped behind Maya and raised his blade for a killing blow. Anya, standing on the sideline, saw Vesh¡¯s movement. ¡°What the hell are you doing? You¡¯ll kill her!¡± she yelled and tried to throw a force field up to shield Maya from his strike. Before Anya could fire, Rylan jumped between Maya and Vesh. And with his head down, Rylan smashed his palm against Vesh¡¯s chest, and blasted a full burst of ampsediun energy through the baron¡¯s heart. ¡°Gaaaaah!¡± howled Vesh. Like a cannon shot, Rylan¡¯s blast exited out of Vesh¡¯s back and hurled the baron through the air. Vesh crashed to the ground with a gaping hole in his body, dead. The remaining barons stopped charging as Rylan turned and faced them, his hands glowing amber. But Leif intervened with one last trick. He reached under his belt and tossed the remaining item he held. A flash grenade. Boom! An explosion of white hot light stunned every fighter in the yard. Everyone, except Leif, dropped to the ground, blinded by the blast. Leif grabbed Maya and Rylan and dragged them to the Dodge, while the sightless Anya and her barons frantically slashed their blades at anyone near them. In seconds the muscle car rumbled out of the yard and vanished down the desert road. ¡°Dammit you brats!¡± shouted Anya as her children and Rylan escaped. The Ride Leif raced full speed away from the yard while Rylan tended to Maya in the back. She lay across the seat exhausted and wounded with cuts on her arms and legs. ¡°Maya, you got a few scratches. Let me help you,¡± said Rylan, removing and ripping his t-shirt. ¡°Rylan..I..¡± Maya trailed off and turned away from him, with a look of shame in her eyes. But Rylan didn¡¯t care about her guilt as he wrapped bandages around the wounds on her arms and legs. She grimaced from the pain, then pulled Rylan under her, laying on his lap. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about all of this,¡± she whimpered. ¡°Ssshh, not now Maya,¡± he quieted her and stroked her hair. In moments she blacked out as he caressed her face. Stubborn girl. All that fighting and force field use from your wrist gear...It must¡¯ve sucked you dry. Leif drove off the road and into open desert. The ambient hot air and sand blew in Rylan¡¯s face. ¡°Leif, where are we going?¡± he asked. ¡°To a safe trailer Maya and I rented in the desert. Chloe is there, she¡¯s ok,¡± said Leif. ¡°Chloe?¡± Rylan¡¯s eyes popped open, ¡°How do you know she¡¯s ok?¡± Leif smirked. ¡°Because she¡¯s with someone I trust.¡± The Desert Four miles away from the open road, in the middle of the desert, stood an eighties¡¯ era jumbo sized trailer home. An eyesore of boxy angles and dirty tan colored paneling. Inside the trailer Chloe and Evan drank lemonade and waited patiently for Leif, Maya and Rylan. ¡°So now you believe me Evan? I told you they were from another dimension!¡± said Chloe. Evan laughed and patted her head. ¡°Yeah you did, and so did your brother, heh heh!¡± he said turning toward the proof of the story. Inside the kitchen, a dented sentinel hovered in mid air. The combat veteran robot displayed a tiny radar antennae it used to scan the outside of the trailer. Evan shook his head at the barrel shaped machine as he remembered a frantic Leif pulling him out of class today, claiming an emergency. ¡°An emergency? Dude you have a flying robot,¡± he mumbled to himself. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s crazy right!¡± laughed Chloe, who also gaped at the floating barrel shaped guard. Then the sentinel crackled to life. From inside it¡¯s body four laser cannons thrust forward and the machine flew out the door and above the trailer. ¡°That means someone¡¯s coming,¡± said Chloe. Evan and Chloe ran to the window to see a dust colored blue car racing toward the trailer home. Chloe squinted to make out the vehicle. ¡°It¡¯s Leif! He¡¯s driving the Dodge!¡± she cried and ran out the trailer. ¡°Good,¡± said Evan as he breathed a sigh of relief. Chloe shouted up to the sentinel on the roof. ¡°Mr. Sentinel, It¡¯s ok! It¡¯s Leif!¡± The sentinel understood Chloe and flew down in front of her. Taking no chances, the sentinel aimed its lasers at the approaching blue Dodge, ready to protect Chloe. When the car reached fifty feet of the trailer, the sentinel recognized Leif and retracted its guns back into its body. The Dodge skidded to a stop and Leif jumped out and helped Maya out of the car. Rylan stepped out and ran to Chloe. ¡°Chloe! Are you ok?¡± blurted Rylan, grabbing her and hugging her tight. Chloe, not stupid, understood her brother was afraid, and hugged him tighter. ¡°I¡¯m fine Rilly! Don¡¯t worry, hee hee, I¡¯m ok...but is Maya ok? And why don¡¯t you have a shirt on?¡± she asked. ¡°Uh, my shirt got ripped...And yeah, Maya is ok, but we should take care of her,¡± answered Rylan, almost in tears. Chloe accepted Rylan¡¯s answer and dutifully helped the boys take care of Maya. Leif ordered the sentinel to patrol the desert as an early sensor in case they were followed. After an hour the commotion in the trailer settled and everyone took a moment for peace. Far Out Evan stepped outside the trailer to take a breather from the heavy story Rylan and Leif just told him. Before now he¡¯d never heard of interdimensional travel. But now warriors from a planet called Eres were in New Mexico to steal rare diamonds, and kidnap Rylan and Chloe. Yes, too much for him. ¡°Evan?¡± said Leif with a worried face as he followed his friend out of the trailer. Evan smiled and let Leif catch up. ¡°Hey dude, it seems you got a lot on your plate with your sister and your mom and stuff, so I¡¯m gonna go ahead and take off, ok?¡± Leif clutched Evan¡¯s hand, and said nothing. But stoic Evan understood his golden boy teammate and grabbed Leif¡¯s belt buckle, pulling him close. ¡°Stop worrying, Leif. Your secret''s are safe with me.¡± ¡°Thank you Manager Evan, I¡¯m ashamed that I had to get you involved,¡± said Leif, his eyes downturned. Evan scowled and cupped Leif¡¯s face. ¡°Hey! Look at me, don¡¯t you ever say anything like that to me again, Leif. We¡¯re bros, and that means I got your back-¡± Leif grabbed Evan¡¯s face and kissed him. After a minute Evan fought him off. ¡°Dude get off me, you fucked Stacy Danner!¡± laughed Evan. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°What? You heard about that? Are there rumors?¡± said Leif with a smile. ¡°Yeah, the whole school''s talking about it. And dude, I had a crush on Stacy since eighth grade and you came from another dimension and nailed her in a week!¡± laughed Evan. ¡°Wow, what a big mouth that girl has hahaha! I¡¯m sorry, was Stacy special to you?¡± asked Leif, biting Evan¡¯s face. ¡°Not any fucken-more, dude! Besides she¡¯s your girlfriend now, and I don¡¯t take hand-me-downs, you man whore!¡± teased Evan. "Is that what I am? Aaah!" cried Leif. The two joked and cuddled for a few minutes more before Evan jumped in his pickup. Leif stood outside the driver¡¯s side door while the engine started. ¡°Leif, don¡¯t bullshit around. Call me if you need me alright,¡± said Evan. ¡°Thank you Evan. But I don¡¯t want you in any danger-¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you all of that, dude. I said call me if you need me.¡± Leif blushed, sincerely guilty of asking anything of Evan. ¡°....Why manager Evan? Why would you risk your life for m-¡± ¡°Sorry dude, it¡¯s just the way I¡¯m built. That¡¯s all there is to it,¡± said Evan with a tip of his cowboy hat. Leif lost control and kissed Evan again. He wouldn¡¯t let Evan go. ¡°Mmph, Leif, behave and take care of your family! Okay?¡± asked Evan, holding Leif¡¯s hand. ¡°Yes manager Evan, I¡¯ll behave, see you later!¡± Evan nodded and sped off into the desert, leaving a dusty swirl behind him. Leif scanned the area and then called the sentinel on his wrist device. ¡°Sentinel, I need you to do something for me!¡± said Leif. His wrist gear squawked and a robotic voice answered. The Plan Leif re-entered the trailer, finding Maya and Rylan re-energized. They sat at a dining table while Chloe watched TV. ¡°Dear sister, how are you?¡± asked Leif, pinching Maya¡¯s cheek. "I''m fine," she said grabbing Leif''s hand and biting it. "Oww, baby sis!" he cried, as she caressed his hand. "Thank you for saving us Leif," said Maya, and she bit his hand again. ¡°Ow!" ¡°Leif, Rylan thinks we should be jewel thieves!¡± she said. "Jewel thieves? I saw a jewel heist movie with Evan, we rented it online. Tell me what are we stealing?¡± asked a wide eyed Leif. Rylan shook his head at the twins¡¯ demeanor. Even in a dire circumstance, seven warriors out to kill them, they still maintained their unique bond and breezy vibe. ¡°You two don¡¯t scare very easily do you?¡± asked Rylan. The twins looked at each other and chuckled at Rylan¡¯s statement. ¡°Haha, Rylan you¡¯re so cool. But my brother and I were born on a battlefield. And our mother is Anya Cesar!¡± said Maya. Rylan slapped his hand on his head and laughed. ¡°Riiiiight! How could I forget? You guys must have had some childhood with her?¡± ¡°We wouldn¡¯t even know how to begin that story!¡± said Maya as they all erupted in laughter at the image of mother Anya. ¡°But Leif, like I told your sister. In order to stop Anya you gotta take what she wants. Now we know she needs me or Chloe to ground her rift gate. But she also needs more ampsedium diamonds to make her laser machine device work the way she wants it," said Rylan. ¡°Right. Also with that machine Mother was able to open a gate back to Eres with minimal atmospheric ampsediun. That¡¯s how she brought the barons to earth.¡± ¡°Hmm....¡± Leif pondered out loud. ¡°So you say we steal the diamonds from the jewelry place before Mother does and we''ll hold all of the cards...With that leverage we may be able to get her and those barons to leave earth peacefully...well...maybe,¡± said Leif. ¡°Yeah, I know it¡¯s a stretch, but It¡¯s sort of a plan,¡± said Rylan. Leif nodded in agreement. "It¡¯s a good enough plan. Because if we stay here mother and the barons will find us. And although Rylan killed that sadist Vesh. My sister and I are still no match for the remaining six barons. So we need an angle.¡± ¡°Right, each baron is as strong as Mother, and they have guns,¡± said Maya as she rubbed her bandaged cuts. ¡°That may be so, but on this world they¡¯re sneaking around and don¡¯t want to be found out about. So we¡¯ll use that to our advantage,¡± said Rylan. He checked the time on his phone, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s five p.m. now, and it¡¯s a three hour ride to where the diamonds we need to steal are.¡± ¡°And where is that?¡± asked Maya. Rylan smiled. ¡°Why in the coolest city in North America.... Albuquerque!¡± Baron Talk Back at Rylan¡¯s house, Anya and the remaining six barons disposed of Vesh¡¯s body and made themselves at home. They ate the remainder of Rylan¡¯s prized stew and watched movies on cable. ¡°Kind of primitive these earthlings,¡± said one female baron, Sorcia, as they all caught an action film in the living room. ¡°Yes, but they¡¯re certainly more entertaining than we are, ha ha!¡± said another baron named Icas. In the kitchen, Anya and Hannibal held a private conversation. ¡°My lady, I think it¡¯s wise to split our forces. One team steal the diamonds, the other captures the two grounders,¡± said Hannibal to Anya. ¡°No, we only need one grounder, the boy Rylan,¡± said Anya. ¡°I know my lady, however it would be prudent to capture both for insurance reasons...along with your children.¡± Anya squinted at Hannibal, she wasn¡¯t used to all of this second guessing. ¡°Hannibal, earlier today Vesh nearly delivered a death blow to the lady Maya, my daughter!¡± she glared at Hannibal, ¡°Why would Vesh do such a thing? Betray my command so openly, and risk harming my child?¡± ¡°My lady, had Vesh harmed Maya, I would¡¯ve personally-¡± ¡°That''s Lady Maya to you! And I don¡¯t care what you would¡¯ve done you fool, because Vesh is dead now. I¡¯m asking you why he did that?¡± she snarled. The other barons glanced in Anya and Hannibal¡¯s direction. Sorcia smirked at Hannibal and Anya. ¡°A lover¡¯s quarrel?¡± she joked, and all the barons laughed. Anya stood up and shot a glare at Sorcia, ¡°What did you just say?¡± she barked. ¡°Easy, my lady. She¡¯s just teasing you,¡± coaxed Hannibal. Anya did not like that answer. ¡°Teasing me? So I¡¯m here for your amusement?¡± said Anya, glaring at Sorcia. ¡°Come here, Sorcia Brisbane, Baron of Wulfsend.¡± Sorcia stood up in the living room and walked to Anya and Hannibal in the kitchen. The other barons laughed. ¡°Yes, my lady?¡± said Sorcia, her head bowed to Anya. Anya, stared Sorcia up and down. ¡°Show me your striker, Sorcia,¡± Anya ordered. Sorcia extended her sword and revealed a cutting edge designed striker with short and long blade extension and super fast ¡®pistol shifting¡¯ capability. She handed the blade to Anya. ¡°Well, this is a fine weapon. In fact the earthlings would say it''s the Ducati of strikers,¡± said Anya, admiring the handle and razor sharp blade. ¡°My lady,¡± said Hannibal, ¡°The baron Sorcia is as deadly with her blade as she is beautiful.¡± Anya smirked and stared at the bowing Sorcia, who wore a long French braid in her black-brown hair. ¡°Really? Well I guess we¡¯ll see then. Won¡¯t we baron,¡± said Anya, returning Sorcia¡¯s weapon. ¡°Yes my lady,¡± said Sorcia, bowing and returning to the living room. Anya turned to Hannibal. ¡°Hannibal, you keep these nobles in check, or I will,¡± she whispered. ¡°Of course, my lady.¡± The big handsome warrior bowed in deference. ¡°Now, how do we find the grounders and your children?¡± Anya turned away from him with a scowl. ¡°Hmph! My son¡¯s boyfriend will have that answer,¡± she said. ¡°Oh? Then we¡¯ll capture the boyfriend and make him talk,¡± said Hannibal clenching his fist. Anya walked to the back kitchen window and placed a reading on her wrist gear. The information lit up in her screen and reflected in her face. She shut the reader off. ¡°Yes Hannibal, and the sooner we locate them all...the better.¡± ¡°Of course, my lady.¡± Hannibal raised his head from his bow, and met eyes with Anya, who stared into his soul. ¡°....What is it my lady?¡± he asked. Anya glared at him for a long time, before answering, ¡°Nothing Hannibal....Nothing at all.¡± ... Proofed and Edited by Chiisutofupuru, writer of Sasha Chapter 16- Combat Veteran Not So Fast Sundown in the desert trailer. Rylan and the twins sat at a table and discussed the plan to infiltrate the Albuquerque jewelry exchange. ¡°We just use the same tactic Anya and I used to steal the diamonds in this town. First we hack the city¡¯s cameras and-oh, excuse me.¡± Rylan¡¯s phone buzzed interrupting his statement. He read the caller ID. ¡°Eh? It¡¯s Rebecca. I wonder what she wants. Hello?¡± ¡°Hi Rylan, I got a phone call from Ms. Cesar a minute ago. She said she¡¯s been trying to reach you but you weren¡¯t picking up...are you ducking her?¡± asked Rebecca. ¡°What? No, not at all!¡± he lied. ¡°Well...What did she say?¡± ¡°Oh, she said to tell you...hold on..I wrote it down..She said that you shouldn¡¯t go to Albuquerque because the gate can¡¯t open until saturday..Rylan what gate? What the hell is she talking about?¡± ¡°Umm...business...what else did she say?¡± ¡°.....Do you have something going on with Ms. Cesar?¡± asked Rebecca with mischief in her voice. ¡°Dammit girl! No! It¡¯s just, you know, sometimes I need work so she hooked me up with a gig..in Albuquerque to do...some work,¡± said Rylan. ¡°Right...Anyway she said to tell you that if you aren¡¯t in school tomorrow for that gig and you decide to go to Albuquerque that she would hire me instead haha!¡± laughed Rebecca. ¡°Did Ms. Cesar say that to you? What a devious woman,¡± he said in a monotone mutter. ¡°Is she? Well now I¡¯m curious. What kind of job is she offering? I¡¯m interested. Does it pay well?¡± asked Rebecca. ¡°Uhh...don¡¯t worry about it Becca, I¡¯ll be around tomorrow to do¡­that job. So don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Eh? Okay Rilly, I won¡¯t press you about it...And Ms. Cesar didn¡¯t come to school today...Neither did you...Are you sure you don¡¯t have anything going on with her?¡± asked Rebecca. ¡°No, I don¡¯t! So stop implying that I do. Now I gotta go. Thanks for calling!¡± ¡°Oh, well you-¡± Rylan hung up. Maya and Leif stared at him, waiting to find out why Rebecca called. ¡°Um..I think we should be cool and not steal diamonds in Albuquerque tonight,¡± said Rylan. ¡°Why? What did Rebecca say?¡± asked Maya. ¡°She relayed a message from Anya reminding me that she can and will hurt anyone in this town if I step out of line...I guess.¡± Leif scowled and turned to Maya. ¡°Dear sister, Mother is holding back. You know damn well she would¡¯ve just kidnapped Rebecca by now. But she didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°She¡¯s being cautious, Leif,¡± said Maya. ¡°Kidnapping any civilian will draw attention to her and those barons. But she can still hold the threat of hurting innocents over our head.¡± ¡°Dear sister, you give Mother¡¯s humanity too much credit,¡± said Leif. ¡°No dear brother, I don¡¯t. But she isn¡¯t a stupid woman by any means,¡± said Maya. ¡°Nope, she¡¯s just evil!¡± laughed Rylan. ¡°Haaa!¡± Leif laughed and slapped the table in agreement. But Maya didn¡¯t find them funny, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t talk about my mother!¡± she laughed, feigning insult. The trio chuckled until Chloe ran in the kitchen demanding to hear the joke. But their laughter only masked their fear. Combat Veteran Anya and three barons, Hannibal, Sorcia, and Icas sat inside her SUV. They parked on Evan¡¯s tree lined block, down the street from his house. Anya spoke with Rebecca on the phone a moment ago and Hannibal grew interested in the conversation. He scanned Rebecca¡¯s photo and information on his wrist device. ¡°This Rebecca Li is very pretty. Her eyes...they are shaped different,¡± said Hannibal, showing the image to Icas and Sorcia in the back seat. ¡°That¡¯s because she¡¯s Asian. We don¡¯t have such a nation on Eres. And why are you checking her information? She doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Anya. ¡°Every leverage we can use matters, my lady,¡± he replied. Anya narrowed her eyes. ¡°...Whatever, listen up. We need to slow all of this down. Opening that gate and letting you barons into this world extended the atmosphere¡¯s recharge time. So the gate in Rylan¡¯s yard can¡¯t open again until Saturday,¡± said Anya. ¡°But my lady,¡± whispered Hannibal, ¡°I believe with two grounders we can open a gate any-¡± ¡°And I think you shouldn¡¯t second guess me, baron,¡± snarled Anya, glaring at Hannibal. ¡°...Yes m¡¯lady,¡± he lowered his eyes. In the back seat Sorcia and Icas muttered between them. Anya turned to them. ¡°Do you two have a problem?¡± she asked. ¡°No m¡¯lady. Baron Sorcia and I agree with you,¡± said Icas. ¡°It¡¯s best we bide our time and get a layout of the diamond vault-¡± ¡°Your desire to gather information is wise baron Icas, and I appreciate it. But we needn¡¯t be conservative on taking the diamonds. We¡¯ll merely smash through the vault and leave this planet before the earthlings know what hit them. ¡°But my lady- Oof!¡± cried Icas as Sorcia elbowed his rib. ¡°Quiet fool, the duchess gave you your orders,¡± growled Sorcia. ¡°Hmph!¡± pouted Anya, staring at Sorcia in gratitude for her loyalty. ¡°Heh heh,¡± Sorcia chuckled, with a bow. But all motion stopped in the SUV when Evan¡¯s porch light turned on. Evan exited his front door and walked to his truck. Anya started her SUV, and keeping her headlights off on the dark block, she drove toward his driveway at a creeping pace. ¡°As soon as we get close, hit him with a force field,¡± said Anya to Hannibal as they pulled up to Evan¡¯s house. Hannibal popped open the driver¡¯s side door to leap out at Evan, but Sorcia saw it first. ¡°A Sentinel!¡± she screamed from the back seat. Appearing from nowhere and flying fast behind the SUV, Leif¡¯s dented sentinel opened fire on them. Anya and each baron reflexively surrounded the vehicle in force fields, as the sentinel¡¯s powerful laser blasts bounced off their shields with sparks. ¡°Fuck! That thing will bring cops, we gotta go!¡± yelled Anya. But outside Evan witnessed the commotion on the street and jumped in his truck. Before Anya could leave the scene Evan peeled out of his driveway and sped down the block. ¡°My lady, follow him!¡± cried Hannibal! ¡°I know!¡± Anya floored the pedal in pursuit of Evan. And above them the sentinel stopped firing and flew fast in front of Anya and toward Evan¡¯s pick up truck. When it reached Evan¡¯s pick up it faced its lasers toward Anya¡¯s pursuing SUV then dropped its body out of the air and into Evan¡¯s flat bed. Inside the SUV the barons gaped at the sentinel¡¯s actions. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°That sentinel is conserving its power by riding in that boy¡¯s vehicle, but not firing,¡± said Icas, ¡°Why?¡± Anya smiled. ¡°Hm hm hm, my clever son must have programmed it. He upgraded it with a higher performance learning processor,¡± said Anya. ¡°Eh? You mean that old beat up sentinel learns faster than your standard sentinel?¡± asked Hannibal as he watched the machine bounce around in Evan¡¯s pick up truck, still ready to fire its lasers at them. ¡°Yes, and from the looks of that trash can, it¡¯s a combat veteran so it''s learned strategy from previous battles. It failed to kill us when it first ambushed, so it¡¯s not going to fire on us again in a public place,¡± said Anya with a prideful grin. ¡°A smart sentinel, how interesting. It seems the Marquis Alexander takes after his mother in engineering and science,¡± said Icas to Anya. ¡°Thank you, baron Icas. My son Leif is a bright young man when he¡¯s not acting a fool with his sister,¡± said Anya. She then turned in her seat and faced Sorcia, ¡°And a handsome young man as well, in need of a bride.¡± Sorcia blushed full red at Anya¡¯s comment. ¡°Yes, m¡¯lady...he¡¯s quite handsome indeed,¡± said Sorcia with a smile. Anya slowed her SUV and allowed Evan¡¯s pickup truck to advance a full block distance. She continued her pursuit, but kept a safe range from the sentinel¡¯s laser cannons in Evan¡¯s truck bed. ¡°As soon as he drives out of public view that sentinel will fly up out of his truck and fire on us again, so be ready,¡± said Anya to the barons in her SUV. ¡°Aye m¡¯lady!¡± they answered. Night in the Desert Leif¡¯s wrist monitor lit up as the sentinel in Evan¡¯s pick up truck sent real time reports to him about the chase. The sentinel provided complete data, to include how many pursuers in Anya¡¯s SUV, and current distance from Evan¡¯s truck. ¡°Damn you Mother, I knew you¡¯d go after Evan simply because you disapprove of him!¡± Leif shouted, slamming the table with his fist. He explained the situation to Maya and Rylan, who understood they needed to help Evan. Rylan considered the options and took command. ¡°Leif, there are only three barons and Anya chasing Evan. And I think we can call a truce with Anya!¡± said Rylan. ¡°What? Why would you think that, my mother is a killer?¡± shouted Maya. ¡°I know!¡± said Rylan, ¡°But something¡¯s not right¡­.It¡¯s like Leif said...she¡¯s holding back for some reason and I think we might be able to talk to her!¡± Maya shook her head in disagreement, but Leif considered Rylan¡¯s statement. ¡°I have three shots left in my pistol, and if I can get that sentinel back in one piece he can be an ally...but we literally need higher ground to negotiate with Mother,¡± said Leif. Rylan snapped his finger. ¡°Table Rock! Leif, text Evan right now, tell him to drive out to Table Rock in the desert. He knows where it is,¡± said Rylan. ¡°Is it high ground?¡± asked Leif. ¡°A little bit, it¡¯s a rocky area and provides us cover to make our demands!¡± said Rylan. Maya shot up from her chair. ¡°That¡¯s a terrible idea,¡± she shouted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell him to drive to an open public place and we set up a meet there?¡± ¡°Because Anya won¡¯t have any leverage that way and will just kidnap or kill someone else we know if she can¡¯t have Evan...But if we make our stand now and force her hand in the desert, we might bring her to reasonable terms,¡± said Rylan. ¡°What reasonable terms Rylan?¡± barked Maya. Rylan paused. ¡°...I open the gate, her and her goons leave,¡± he answered. Maya smirked. ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy!¡± she said. Rylan nodded in agreement, and stared at his palms. ¡°I know. But I think I can persuade her,¡± he said as his hands pulsed with ampsediun energy. Maya stared at Rylan¡¯s hands and hugged him. ¡°Rylan, you don¡¯t want to go against the barons or my mother..they¡¯re warriors,¡± she said. ¡°I know, Maya,¡± he caressed her face, ¡°But I¡¯m not going to run from them...and I will protect my sister and you!¡± Maya blushed and felt Rylan¡¯s strength in his touch. But she feared the events to come. ¡°Right, so we¡¯ve no choice, sister!¡± growled Leif, prepping his leather armor for battle. ¡°What about Chloe?¡± asked Maya, clutching the little girl who sat quietly watching television. ¡°She¡¯ll have to come with us!¡± said Rylan. Chloe sat up and faced them. ¡°It¡¯s okay Maya, I¡¯m not afraid,¡± she said, understanding the gravity of the situation. ¡°We¡¯ll protect her,¡± said Leif rubbing Chloe¡¯s head. ¡°And as soon as we meet Evan the sentinel with him is programmed to guard Chloe on sight!¡± said Leif. ¡°Yay! Mr. Sentinel will defend me!¡± Chloe cheered trying to convince Maya. Maya held her reservations and smiled for Chloe, while the Rylan and Leif formed a plan. Orders Anya kept her distance while pursuing Evan¡¯s pick up. Suddenly his pick up took a right turn off the road and barrelled full speed into the pitch black desert. An unforeseen move by the barons. ¡°Where¡¯s he going?¡± asked Sorcia. Anya smirked. ¡°Hmph...he¡¯s taking us to them,¡± she said. ¡°So it¡¯s a trap?¡± Hannibal asked with a smile. ¡°I hope so, let¡¯s spring it!¡± shouted Icas. Hannibal turned to Icas in the back and communicated something to him with a look. Icas understood Hannibal clearly. From his seat behind Anya, Icas dug in his pouch and extracted three tiny marbles. ¡°You know what you have to do,¡± he whispered to the marbles. Icas lowered his window and tossed the marbles into the desert night. The marbles took flight and exploded to the size of oil barrels, becoming sentinels. ¡°Go,¡± Icas whispered into his wrist device. The three sentinels shot across the black desert sky, with one absolute order¡­. Assassinate Anya¡¯s son, Leif Alexander¡­.and no one else. ... Chapter 17- Battle at Table Rock The Scene Table Rock, a formation of boulders the size of buildings on a hill in the New Mexico desert. Giant crags surrounded Table Rock, with large crevices between them. Perfect defensive cover against blasters and swinging blades. Rylan, Leif and Maya stared out at the night desert on top of a twenty foot high boulder on the hill. They watched Evan¡¯s headlights race toward them from two miles out. Behind Evan, a second set of headlights pursued him. ¡°Nice! Evan knows the area. We used to race our dirt bikes out here when we were kids!¡± said Rylan with a smile. ¡°Hmm...It seems Evan has a plan,¡± said Leif, anxiously viewing the chase in the distance. ¡°I¡¯m sure he does. Like I said, he knows the area.¡± Chase Evan raced his truck across the dark desert like a baja buggy. Once he reached the Table Rock area he slowed down, allowing Anya and the baron¡¯s to catch up behind him. ¡°You people want to chase me in my desert? Fine, you bitches eat rock!¡± said Evan with a smirk. Once Anya pulled within twenty feet of his rear, Evan floored his gas pedal and whipped a hard left. Anya did the same. ¡°Duchess look out!¡± screamed Hannibal, raising his knee to his chest as Anya¡¯s SUV smashed into a jutting rock in the desert floor. ¡°Dammit,¡± shouted Anya, as all four airbags deployed. ¡°Is anyone injured?¡± she asked. ¡°We¡¯re good m¡¯lady¡± chorused the barons as Anya attempted to start the truck with no luck. By the third try her SUV turned over and limped back in pursuit of Evan, now over a mile away and racing up the side of the desert hill. Hannibal took stock of the situation and turned to Icas in the back. ¡°Are we good, Icas?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh yes, we¡¯re perfect,¡± replied Icas with a nod and a sinister smile. Their gesture didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Anya. But she said nothing and continued pursuing Evan¡¯s truck. Suddenly Anya¡¯s phone rang. She read the ID. ¡°Eh? Rylan? Hmm...I bet he¡¯s calling to negotiate, heh heh!¡± she laughed, and answered the call. Hide From atop the boulder Rylan saw Anya crash her truck, restart it, and limp toward Table Rock in the night desert. He spoke to her on the phone, confident she¡¯d answer with reason. ¡°Anya, I see you and your people out there and I know what you want. But I can only help you on my terms!¡± said Rylan as she drove closer to his location. At the bottom of the boulder, Maya jumped down and placed Chloe in a hiding spot in a crag ditch. ¡°Chloe, if you hear fighting don¡¯t come out. Just hide here, ok!¡± said Maya, kissing Chloe¡¯s forehead. Chloe tucked herself in the hiding space. ¡°Ok..I¡¯ll stay here, but Maya be careful!¡± Maya rubbed Chloe¡¯s hair and cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t worry honey, I¡¯ll come back for you!¡± she assured her. Sentinels Leif leapt from the high boulder to greet the incoming Evan, who sped up the hill to Table Rock. In a flat clearing Leif waved at Evan¡¯s truck, trying to guide his friend in the dark. Evan flashed his high beams in a I see you code for Leif. But Leif¡¯s cheer ended when his dented sentinel flew up and out of Evan¡¯s truck and fired its laser cannons at something in the black sky. Leif scanned the night horizon as Evan exited his pickup. ¡°Evan!¡± Leif shouted running to his friend, ¡°Hide in the rocks, go now!¡± ¡°What dude! I-¡± Evan turned and glanced above his truck, ¡°Holy shit there¡¯s four-¡± ¡°SHIELD UP!¡± Leif activated a full body force field as two large sentinels dove and opened fire with powerful laser cannons on him and Evan. Leif jumped on top of Evan while his shield exploded out in defense, deflecting the laser blasts. The two barrel shaped assailants flew back in the sky, preparing to attack again. ¡°Leif..I have a bat in the truck,¡± said Evan, on the ground under Leif. ¡°No! They¡¯re after me! Get some cover and hide!¡± Leif shouted and jumped off the ground, running away from Evan. As soon as Leif took off running, the two sentinels chased him. But behind Evan¡¯s truck, Leif¡¯s dented sentinel engaged Icas¡¯ third sentinel. Leif smirked at his loyal dented sentinel helping him fight. ¡°Spunky little machine I built, ha!¡± laughed Leif as he dodged the blasts from the two sentinels chasing him. Anya Less than a mile away in the SUV, Anya hung up the phone with Rylan and assured him they came in peace to negotiate. ¡°Good, you see Rylan is a good boy. I know I can get him too-¡± Anya stopped talking as she witnessed the laser light show with three sentinels engaged in battle with Leif¡¯s dented sentinel and someone else. ¡°Leif? Why is he under attack?¡± Anya faced Hannibal. ¡°What the hell is going on out there?¡± she growled. Hannibal smirked. ¡°What¡¯s going on, my beloved Duchess...is the changing of the guard.¡± As Hannibal spoke, Sorcia shifted her blade to a pistol and aimed it at the back of Anya¡¯s head. Anya frowned with grief. ¡°I see now,¡± she muttered as Sorcia pulled the trigger. But in a blink of an eye, Anya formed a full force field inside the SUV. ¡°Shit!¡± shouted the three barons as Anya¡¯s shield wall extended and pressed them against the SUV passenger doors. In seconds, the doors burst open and the three barons flew out of the truck and tumbled on the jagged desert floor. ¡°Traitors!¡± Anya screamed, almost in tears. Her force field damaged her steering column and she managed to get the SUV up the hill before she lost control and crashed into the back of Evan¡¯s pick up. Anya kicked her door open and jumped out of the vehicle landing on the ground in pain. ¡°Fuck!¡± she screamed and grabbed her right knee. Fifty meters behind her truck, the three barons recovered and raced toward her, with weapons in hand. Dammit, those barons aren¡¯t holding back. They want me dead. Means they¡¯ll kill my kids too..Fuck! Anya opened her back door and grabbed her only leverage, the ampsediun laser machine. As soon as she took it, the barons fired on her. ¡°You¡¯ll all pay!¡± she screamed and returned fire with her striker pistol, scattering them. As the barons took cover one taunted her. ¡°Run pretty duchess, but I will catch you!¡± shouted Sorcia. Anya ignored Sorcia and fired two more shots at them as she ran toward the battle in front of her. The sentinels attacking her son. Hannibal The three barons kept pace with Anya, keeping a safe range from her blaster. Hannibal glanced up and watched the commotion between one of Icas¡¯ sentinels and Leif¡¯s dented sentinel. The dented sentinel clearly had the tactical advantage, smarter and a faster learner. But Icas¡¯ sentinels were stronger, faster, and heavily armed. Icas¡¯ sentinel fired a simultaneous force field and laser blast at the dented sentinel, scoring a direct hit. The force of the blast hurtled the dented sentinel out of the sky and sent it crashing to the desert floor. ¡°Hmph!¡± shouted Icas in triumph, ¡°Those kids have nothing now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate so early Icas. Now order that lone sentinel up the hill, locate the two grounders and stun them. I don¡¯t want them hurt, we need both of them!¡± ordered Hannibal. ¡°Eh? What of the lady Maya?¡± asked Icas. Hannibal shot an evil grin. ¡°The plan is the same, kill Anya and Leif!¡± he said. ¡°And we take the lady Maya alive...Hm hm hm.¡± ¡°Tch! Maya will never accept you, Hannibal¡± barked Sorcia. ¡°Haha!¡± laughed Hannibal, ¡°As if she has a choice!¡± The three barons ran faster, and closed in on the limping Anya. The Grounders. Rylan wasn¡¯t sure what happened. He just spoke with Anya who agreed to not shoot at them, but a second after he hung up two sentinels attacked Leif. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± shouted Rylan. ¡°Leif¡¯s in trouble!¡± screamed Maya as she leapt from the boulder and ran to defend her brother. ¡°Maya, wait-¡± before Rylan could say another word, Icas¡¯ lone sentinel appeared from out of the night sky and fired a stun blast at Rylan. ¡°Dammit!¡± Rylan jumped back as the blast struck the boulder top. He stumbled but caught his balance as he leapt down to the boulders base and behind rock cover. That thing is after me and two of them are chasing Leif...This is bad! I gotta do something. Icas¡¯ sentinel flew over the giant boulder, tracking Rylan¡¯s position below. The sentinel dove and hovered a few feet from the ground as it navigated the jutting landscape. The floating machine armed its force field prison to fire at and capture Rylan, but Rylan had a plan. ¡°Die Motherfucker!¡± he shouted as he leapt from behind the rock cover, and fired a ten foot blast of ampsediun energy at Icas¡¯ sentinel. The sentinel instantly threw up a force field shield, but Rylan¡¯s blast knocked the machine backward into the sky. The sentinel spun in the air before stabilizing. Now a good thirty feet away, the sentinel reassessed its situation, turned, and flew north away from Rylan. ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s going after-..Chloe!¡± Rylan screamed as he chased after the sentinel, now hunting his little sister. In moments the sentinel spotted Chloe hiding under a rock face and dove after her, firing it¡¯s force field blasts. ¡°Yaaah!¡± cried Chloe, leaping from her hiding spot and ducking under a different rock. ¡°Chloe! I¡¯m coming,¡± yelled Rylan. As he ran he concentrated his ampsediun energy in his palms and fired two blasts at the sentinel. But the machine tracked Rylan¡¯s shots and pulled back to twenty five feet, past Rylan¡¯s effective range. Shit, it knows how far I can shoot! Still. Forming as much energy as he could muster he fired another blast at the sentinel as it blocked with a force field. But this time Rylan¡¯s shot burst the sentinel¡¯s shield. The sentinel flew up firing stun blasts, but Rylan reached Chloe. ¡°Rilly!¡± she cried as he guarded her with glowing yellow palms. ¡°Chlo, I¡¯m gonna kill that thing!¡± Rylan snarled, ready to fight. The sentinel distanced itself from Rylan and dropped to a low altitude. From behind the rock cover on the dark hill the sentinel fired it¡¯s stun and force field blasts at Rylan. Damn thing learned to use the rock cover, and I can barely see it out there! Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Rylan, what do we do?¡± shouted Chloe, still confident in her brother. ¡°We sit tight, if that thing wants to catch us it has to come close!¡± he answered. But still, maybe it¡¯s buying time for something else! As Rylan tried to formulate a plan B, the sentinel advanced on him and Chloe. It flew from one rock cover to the next, firing its stun beams. Rylan pushed Chloe deep in a rock hole to cover her while he concentrated his palm blast. ¡°Come a little closer you- Eh?¡± Rylan focused his eyes behind the attacking sentinel, ¡°There¡¯s another one!¡± he shouted. Before Rylan could form a blast, Leif¡¯s severely dented sentinel darted behind Icas¡¯ sentinel and opened fired. Icas¡¯ sentinel took a direct hit from behind and burst into flames. ¡°Yaan, that¡¯s MR. SENTINEL!¡± Chloe screamed, recognizing the damaged machine that stood guard in the trailer earlier. Icas¡¯ sentinel, now a raging fireball, still had enough power to hurl itself directly at Rylan and Chloe, and fired a last force field prison blast. No you fucking trashcan, you¡¯re not catching us tonight! ¡°Raaah!¡± Rylan clapped his hands together and shot a powerful ampsediun blast at the sentinel¡¯s force field, destroying it and the rest of Icas¡¯ burning sentinel. The sentinel¡¯s debris scattered on the hill as Rylan shielded Chloe from the fallout. After a second Rylan checked his surroundings. In the distance Leif¡¯s machine, Mr. Sentinel, flew at a low altitude toward him and Chloe. As it moved closer, Chloe ran out to hug it. ¡°Oh no, Mr. Sentinel you¡¯re all beat up, no no you have to be careful!¡± she cried and hugged the damaged protector as it hovered low to accept her affection. Rylan pointed his phone flashlight at the sentinel. He examined the machine¡¯s busted outer hull with two of its four laser cannons blown off. ¡°Wow buddy, you¡¯re in real bad shape. But you came to rescue us anyway hunh? Thank you!¡± said Rylan, deeply appreciative. The dented sentinel, with Chloe still hugging it, turned to Rylan. crackled the machine. ¡°Yeah? And what are your absolute orders, sentinel?¡± Rylan asked. The machine raised itself to Rylan¡¯s eye level, and a slit of an optic sensor beamed red in its frame. Rylan smiled. ¡°Good, then stay here and do that, and thank you again!¡± said Rylan. ¡°Rylan no! Don¡¯t go out there. They¡¯ll kill you!¡± Chloe grabbed Rylan¡¯s leg and held him back. Rylan hugged her. ¡°Chloe, Mr. Sentinel will stay with you. But I have to help Maya and Leif, and I don¡¯t even see Evan.¡± ¡°No!¡± she screamed, ¡°Take Mr. Sentinel with you-¡± He kissed her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re the best Chlo, stay here!¡± he ignored her plea, and ran toward Evan¡¯s pick up and Anya¡¯s SUV. The only light in the black desert. Maya ¡°Leif!¡± Maya screamed as she reached Evan¡¯s pickup. Her brother, pursued by two sentinels bolted to the cover of high ground and fired a blast from his striker. His shot hit one of the sentinels but it blocked with a force field. Dammit! He¡¯s too far from here and he only has two shots left! But Maya¡¯s concern was short lived as she spun to her right and faced. ¡°Mother?¡± Anya scrambled from behind her crashed SUV cradling the laser machine in her left arm. She turned and fired three blasts from her striker at the barons. But the barons evaded Anya''s shots, and returned fire. ¡°Maya! Run!¡± shouted Anya as she formed a shield defending herself and Maya. But Maya ignored the order and charged at the three barons converging on Anya. ¡°Raah!¡± she cried and slashed her lance at all three warriors at once. Maya¡¯s strike separated Sorcia from Icas and Hannibal. But the two males backed off, pulling Maya away from Anya before surrounding the lance wielding teen. ¡°Hooo, she¡¯s all yours now, Hannibal,¡± laughed Icas, thrusting his sword at Maya from behind. While Maya defended her rear, Hannibal extended his bardiche ax pole from four feet to eight feet. ¡°Ha, hello again Lady Maya. How long has it been, you pretty thing?¡± growled Hannibal through grinning teeth. ¡°Not long enough you disgusting ox! Pthu!¡± She spit on the ground. ¡°Hm hm, you¡¯ll adore me in time Marchioness, I assure you,¡± said Hannibal with narrowed eyes. ¡°And now my pretty... I¡¯ll take you alive!¡± Hannibal twirled his fearsome bardiche and charged at Maya. Behind her, Icas fired his force field at her. Caught in a pincer on both sides, the teen girl warrior jumped straight up in the sky and fired her force field at Hannibal, stopping his charge. ¡°Not so fast my lady!¡± shouted Icas. Icas fired another force field blast at Maya as she landed from her high jump. She tried to block the shot with her striker lance, but the blast punched her backward. ¡°Aaah!¡± she cried, tumbling on the desert floor and losing her weapon. Hannibal and Icas, laughing, ran toward the felled Maya. ¡°Icas! I¡¯ll disarm her, prepare a force field cage!¡± ¡°Right!¡± said Icas, reaching in his pouch for a force field prison bomb. Maya, dazed from the earlier blow, jumped back on her feet while Hannibal raced toward her dropped striker lance. ¡°No!¡± she screamed and fired a force field blast at him. Hannibal smirked and deflected her force field with his bardiche. But Hannibal couldn¡¯t block the second force field fired at his side by Leif. ¡°Baaah!¡± Hannibal yelled as Leif¡¯s blast smashed his armor and knocked him five feet in the air. Maya recovered her striker and bolted toward Icas, who shifted his striker to a pistol and fired at Leif. The fast moving Leif dodged Icas¡¯ blast, leapt up and slashed at the two sentinels that still pursued him. Charging at Icas, Maya assessed the entire battlefield. In the distance directly ahead Anya kept Sorcia at bay with a gun battle. Anya¡¯s blaster prevented Sorcia from entering the fray with Hannibal and Icas. ¡°Thank you, Mother,¡± whispered Maya. In the center, Leif ran at top speed dodging and blocking the blasts from the attacking flying sentinels. On the far right, Hannibal stood on one knee, dazed from Leif¡¯s force field blast. Leif is in trouble, Mother is occupied with Sorcia. That means it¡¯s up to me to stop Icas and Hannibal. Maya grabbed the lowest end of her long striker handle and swung her lance at Icas like a baseball bat. Icas, not expecting the length of the weapon, barely raised his sword in time to fend off the strike. ¡°Ho, ho, you missed your chance, pretty lady!¡± he heckled her as he backed into a defensive stance. ¡°Night¡¯s still young!¡± she yelled, slashing and driving him back. But Icas quickly recovered, and charged at Maya. The two warrior nobles then clashed in high speed mortal combat. Maya of the Twin Dragon Lance style and Icas of the Silent Saber style. Damn, he¡¯s faster than that lancer Zane I fought! But if I don¡¯t take him out Hannibal will kill Lei- From behind Icas an amber colored light burst through the sky above him and her. The brilliant flash streaked toward Leif and destroyed one of the two sentinels attacking him. The force of the explosion stopped Maya and Icas¡¯ fight as they both turned to view the source of the light blast. What the hell? Rylan did that? Maya stood in awe as Rylan charged at both her and Icas. He flashed his palms forward and fired a blast of ampsediun energy at Icas. ¡°Aaah!¡± yelled Icas, ducking Rylan¡¯s attack. As Icas jumped, Maya dashed behind him to finish him off. But Icas didn¡¯t fall. He stumbled and recovered while slashing wildly at Maya, halting her attack. Maya stopped dead in her tracks, and while glaring in Icas eyes, she smiled. Icas immediately faced forward only to find Leif Alexander charging him at top speed. ¡°What? you tricked-¡± Icas raised his force field and blocked Leif¡¯s initial sword strike, but Leif didn¡¯t stop. ¡°My turn Icas!¡± he shouted as they clashed blades. Above the fighters, Icas¡¯ sentinel positioned for a dead shot at Leif. But as soon as the machine hovered to a stop, Maya leapt straight up and sliced it out of the sky. The sentinel fell in two burning pieces. When Maya landed she engaged the recovering Hannibal, with Rylan following her. Leif vs Icas ¡°You boy you are nothing!¡± howled Icas as he charged Leif with overwhelming strength. Icas¡¯ blows and strikes pushed Leif back. As their swords thrusted and parried, spinning and kicking in a blinding dance, Leif jumped back, spun¡­.and hurtled his striker sword like a dagger straight into Icas¡¯ heart. ¡°Gaaah..¡± Icas gasped as Leif¡¯s striker blade pierced his heart, and exited out of his back. The blade, no longer powered by Leif¡¯s body energy, maintained its integrity for less than three seconds. After that the blade vanished and the striker handle plunged to the ground. But the damage was done. Icas fell to his knees and dropped his sabre. He placed his hands over the hole in his heart and looked up at Leif. ¡°Lord Marquis...how could you...throw your sword?¡± he asked, and then collapsed...dead. Leif said nothing and recovered his sword. He turned to assess the battle. To his left, Anya took cover behind a rock and fired her pistol at Sorcia, pinning her down. On the right, Hannibal and Maya clashed in combat. ¡°Dear sister!¡± Leif charged toward the fight, his blade at full long sword extension. His mission, protect his baby sister Maya, at all costs¡­ Next chapter Leif Vs Hannibal! @_@ !! ________________________________________ Author¡¯s Note: Title change. SWORDS OF ERES is now the name of this web novel. The title AMBER RIFT bored me to tears and on top of that this story isn¡¯t about a rift gate..it¡¯s about these three SWORD FIGHTERS from the planet ERES ^_^ Chapter 18- Desert Light The intense fighting at the bottom of Table Rock hill proved too much of a draw for Chloe. The nine year old pushed her black bangs from her brown eyes and lifted herself out of her hiding hole in the rocks. Her sentinel disapproved. squawked Mr. Sentinel. ¡°No, Rylan and everyone are in trouble, we have to help them!¡± she cried. ¡°Sorry Mr. Sentinel. If you want to protect me you have to help everyone!¡± Chloe barked trotting down the hill behind cover. Mr. Sentinel quickly flew in front of her. His orders absolute. Chloe reached the hill bottom and hid behind a boulder. Twenty feet in front of her, Anya Cesar huddled behind a large rock and fired her striker at Sorcia. ¡°Mr. Sentinel look! It¡¯s Ms. Anya!¡± Chloe squinted further out in the dark, ¡°She¡¯s shooting at that pretty lady with the ponytail and- Eh? Oh no, I think Ms. Anya¡¯s hurt!¡± she said noting Anya standing with her weight on her left leg and rubbing her right knee. Chloe further scanned the scene. Away from Anya, in front of the headlights of Evan¡¯s pick up and Ms. Anya¡¯s black SUV, Rylan, Leif and Maya surrounded and attacked a tall big man. The big man defended himself with a long, scary looking, meat cleaver on a pole and appeared in control of the fight against the teens. Hannibal¡¯s bardiche* ¡°What a terrible weapon...Do you think they¡¯ll beat that scary guy?¡± asked Chloe, her eyes focused on the battle with Hannibal. <.........Their chances of success against the baron Hannibal are less than fifty percent,> said the emotionless Mr. Sentinel. ¡°Eh? Well that¡¯s not good!¡± Chloe shook her head and turned back to Anya and Sorcia. But as Chloe squinted hard in the dark, she saw something...no...someone...behind Sorcia. ¡°Oh no! Mr. Sentinel! It¡¯s Evan!¡± The sentinel peered out with it¡¯s night optics and spotted Evan with an aluminum bat in his hand, crawling down a hill behind Sorcia. Chloe jumped up. ¡°What? No! Mr. Sentinel, help him I order you, please go help him!¡± she shouted and pushed the floating sentinel toward the fray. ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Furious, Chloe sprang from her rock cover and ran toward Anya. ¡°Ms. Anya!¡± she screamed. Mr. Sentinel chased her, The sentinel burst in speed and flew after Chloe as she ran toward Anya. As Chloe reached Anya, the raven haired duchess spun around surprised. ¡°Chloe? What are you doing here?¡± shouted Anya as she grabbed the little girl and pulled her down behind the rock. ¡°Did Rylan bring you out here?¡± Before Chloe could answer, Mr. Sentinel arrived and hovered behind Anya with his laser cannon aimed at Anya. he squawked. ¡°What? Shut up you dumb dumpster, you need to be helping my kids out there!¡± Anya barked pointing toward the teens fighting Hannibal. ¡°Ms. Anya, Evan is behind that lady you¡¯re shooting at!¡± cried Chloe. ¡°Eh?¡± Anya peeked from behind the rock and squinted out at Sorcia, pistol in hand and advancing. Behind her crept Evan with an aluminum baseball bat, ¡°Tch! Stupid boy, she¡¯ll kill him!¡± she muttered. Anya turned to Mr. Sentinel. ¡°Go draw her fire you manic robot!¡± she commanded Mr. Sentinel. ¡°Mr. Sentinel please!¡± cried Chloe. The sentinel paused and computed. Without another word, the sentinel flew straight up into the sky and opened fire on Sorcia. Before Evan could attack with his bat. Mr. Sentinel blitzed the unsuspecting Sorcia, who reflexively formed a force field and fired back at the flying attacker. Evan, almost on top of Sorica, jumped backwards and ran for cover with his bat as the sentinel swooped down on the warrior baroness. ¡°Good, kill that bitch!¡± mumbled Anya as she turned her attention to Hannibal, fighting with her children. Her eyes squinted with hate, ¡°Now I deal with you!¡± The Baron Hannibal, a battle hardened veteran, kept his three teenage attackers at bay swinging his bardiche. But when Leif¡¯s sentinel attacked Sorcia, he noticed. Oh? The battle is against us now? Hmm.. After blocking an attack from Maya and Leif, Hannibal glanced over at Anya, who stared at him as she advanced on him, striker pistol in hand. Ho? Now you join the battle, duchess? Hm hm hm, I''ll send your soul to hell. As Anya advanced on the baron, Hannibal stepped up his attack on the teens. His first move, he fired a force field off the ground which blasted sand in the eyes of both Rylan and Maya, halting their attack. ¡°Crap!¡± shouted Maya as her and Rylan backed off blinded. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He then fired his force field directly at both of them. Maya reacted and blocked with her own force field, but the blunt impact of Hannibal¡¯s shot knocked her and Rylan on their asses. But Hannibal¡¯s actions left him open for an attack from behind from Leif. And Leif took advantage. ¡°Eh?¡± shouted Hannibal as he spun around to find Leif swinging his sword down at Hannibal¡¯s head, with all of his might. And Hannibal smiled. ¡°Did you think I didn¡¯t see you, boy?¡± he mumbled, stepped clear of Leif¡¯s strike, spun, and smacked Leif in the back with his bardiche pole. ¡°Oof!¡± cried Leif as he keeled forward trying to keep his balance. But Hannibal leapt in front of Leif, and with a forward thrust, extended his bardiche pole¡­. ¡­.into Leif¡¯s rib cage, and out of his back¡­ ¡°Gahh!¡± cried Leif, his eyes wide open, as he grabbed the pole impaled through his body. Then Leif stopped moving and dropped his striker as Hannibal retracted the bardiche pole out of his body with a laugh. ¡°Hm hm hm, didn¡¯t see that coming did you little prince? Haha!¡± cackled Hannibal as he turned back to the fight. Behind Hannibal, Leif dropped to his knees, coughed blood and fell over, not breathing. No Anya watched her son hit the ground. Leif? Her face turned white as summit snow. No...No¡­.. ¡­.. ¡°LEEEEEEEEIF!¡± ¡­.Anya¡¯s scream pierced the black desert. On her bad knee she bolted at top speed firing her striker pistol at Hannibal until it emptied. In an instant she shifted her pistol to a sword as she reached Hannibal and slashed at him. ¡°Get away from my son!¡± she yelled. But Maya, also in berserker mode, swung viciously at Hannibal, pushing him back on the defensive and away from Anya. ¡°Leif!¡± Anya screamed again as she skid on the sand and lifted her precious son, ¡°Baby, Momma¡¯s here, baby please!¡± She scanned him for vitals and found him eighty five percent dead. There¡¯s still a chance. Chloe, in tears, ran behind Anya and dropped down trying to help. ¡°Ms. Anya, we have to get him to a hospital, now!¡± Anya, with eyes sullen, looked out at her daughter locked in vicious combat with Hannibal in the dark desert. ¡°Maya! Mommy loves you..but dammit child, don¡¯t you forget you¡¯re a Cesar!¡± Chloe stared at Anya puzzled. ¡°Eh? But Ms. Anya, we have to get Leif-¡± Anya grabbed Chloe¡¯s hand. ¡°Honey?¡± ¡°Y-Yes Ms. Anya?¡± ¡°You have to trust me.¡± ¡°Eh? I-¡± Anya swung her wrist device to her mouth. ¡°Activate, now!¡± In a fraction of a second the ampsediun laser device behind the rock burst into an amber light. A moment after that, Rylan on the battlefield and Chloe next to Anya, dropped to the ground screaming. ¡°Aaaaah, Ms. Anya, aah..what¡¯s happening?¡± Anya didn¡¯t answer as everything from that point happened in a blink of an eye. Behind Anya and Chloe a swirling amber rift gate opened in the night desert. Anya lifted her son and pushed him into the transdimensional portal. From there the battlefield shifted. Both Maya and Hannibal stopped fighting as the bright glow from the gate lit up the scene. Leif¡¯s sentinel, now aware of the disturbance, rushed toward Chloe who screamed in pain on the ground. Behind the sentinel Sorcia charged with her striker, her eyes fixed on Anya. "You''re not getting away, duchess!" she yelled. But Anya wasted no time. She lifted the crying Chloe in her arms, and gave one last look to Maya, then jumped in the gate. Immediately after her, Mr. Sentinel flew in followed by a leaping Sorcia. After that, the gate closed, and the desert night returned. Aftermath Hannibal stood in awe of the event. ¡°I knew it!¡± he yelled at Maya, who stopped fighting to aid Rylan. ¡°Your mother is a genius! Haha!¡± Maya ignored Hannibal as she helped Rylan to his feet. Hannibal turned to them and lowered his weapon. ¡°Well..now that it¡¯s just us lady Maya, it would be wise-¡± Evan¡¯s truck rammed Hannibal on his left and sent him flying ten feet. "Raaah!" he yelled as he tumbled on the rocky ground. Evan stopped the truck in front of Maya and Rylan and leapt out. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get outta here!¡± he yelled. As Maya and Rylan jumped in the front, Evan floored the pedal and raced the truck away from the scene. Hannibal recovered as the teenagers escaped. He stood up watching them flee in the only light source left at Table Rock...Anya¡¯s crashed SUV. ¡°Heh heh, Don''t worry lady Maya. We''ll meet again.¡± ... Chapter 19- Breathe Recover ¡°Dude, why did she pass out?¡± Evan asked Rylan as the two carried an unconscious Maya from the truck to the trailer hideout. ¡°Because she ran on pure adrenaline that whole fight, and this thing on her wrist took her energy,¡± said Rylan attempting to read the cryptic words displayed on her wrist gear. How is it these strangers speak ¡°English¡± but their alphabet looks like gibberish? Go figure. Unable to decode Maya''s gear, Rylan lay her on a bed while Evan ran to his truck and returned with a six pack of electrolyte water. Rylan raised Maya¡¯s head up, while Evan opened a bottle and gently tapped her face, waking her. ¡°Eh? Manager Evan?¡± she whimpered with her eyes half closed. ¡°Hi Maya, drink this sports water for me, ok?¡± He held the bottle while she drank all sixteen ounces, ¡°Cool, you¡¯re an awesome girl. I¡¯m gonna let you sleep now, ok?¡± Maya nodded her head, and drifted off. Rylan tucked her in and turned to Evan, not smiling. ¡°Evan..Thank you so much bro.¡± ¡°What? Come on Rylan, we been buds since junior high!¡± ¡°I know, but Evan..¡± Rylan paused, ¡°I...I have to get my sister back...right now!¡± Rylan stared through Evan. ¡°Dude...do you mean go through one of those gates?¡± asked Evan. ¡°Yes, whatever it takes,¡± said Rylan, his emotion rising. Evan paused and nodded. ¡°Dude...do you need my help?¡± asked Evan. Rylan turned and looked at Maya on the bed. ¡°That girl Maya...her mother, they...¡± He closed his eyes, ¡°Hey Evan?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Do you still have your brother¡¯s sniper rifle?¡± Evan perked up and stared in Rylan¡¯s eyes. But Rylan never blinked. ¡°Yeah dude, I still got that rifle,¡± said Evan, displaying a sinister grin. ¡°Ayup¡­..and I got a night scope and everything.¡± Through The Gate Dazed, Chloe felt herself carried by Anya into the glowing amber rift. Yellow and green flashes of light surrounded her and Anya, but only for a second. Before Chloe could blink, she and Anya emerged from the rift into a gymnasium sized machine shop, or something. Chloe raised her head and saw the gate, now behind her, remained open in the strange shop. However this gate appeared different from the one in Chloe¡¯s yard or in the desert. This gate formed inside of a machine in the large room. And as soon they exited, Anya screamed. ¡°Come on line now, triage kit and a leech immediately!¡± Anya put Chloe down on her feet then clutched the lifeless body of Leif Alexander, who lay in his own blood on the ground before them. ¡°Brute Men! One through six, all you fucking guys get here now!¡± Anya howled while limping and dragging her son behind a solid partition. Responding to Anya¡¯s yelling, six giant machine men, armed with tall rectangular force field shields on their left arms, and fearsome striker pistols in their right hands, jumped out of the walls. Chloe jumped back gaping at the metal men. ¡°They¡¯re Terminators!¡± she yelped, as the Brute Men ran past her and Anya and opened fire on a force field bubbled projectile leaping out of the amber rift, just as the gate closed. *A Brute Man Chloe spun wide eyed as the six Brute Men surrounded and fired on the force field bubble that landed on the middle of the floor. Above the Brute Men, Mr. Sentinel appeared and also fired on the force field bubble. But then the bubble jumped in the sky, exposed herself, and fired back. ¡°Eh! That¡¯s the pretty lady with the ponytail...why is she here?¡± yelled Chloe recognizing the baron Sorcia, as the Brute Men attacked her. ¡°Sorcia¡¯s got plenty of juice, but those Brute Men are tough!¡± growled Anya behind the partition. Chloe ran behind the partition wall, joining Anya, and gaped at the ghastly medical scene before her. On the ground, Leif lay shirtless with his armor sliced open. On the right side of his body, a bug-like machine wedged itself in the hole in his chest and sprouted tiny wires and foam inside his open wound. Another bug crawled in his mouth and appeared to breath for Leif. Anya read the display of a third bug that dug it¡¯s six legs in different parts of Leif¡¯s body, including his heart and skull. ¡°Oh no, Leif!¡± cried Chloe as she covered her mouth staring at the grisly scene. But Anya focused on her son. ¡°Hurry up, he almost has a pulse!¡± she screamed at the bug-bots. squawked the third bug-bot. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re forcing it in, get his heart going!¡± she shouted. But Chloe only viewed this for a moment before an explosion rocked the battle scene on the other side of the room. Chloe peeked out to check the fighting. It wasn¡¯t good. ¡°Oh no! Ms. Anya, that lady killed three of your terminators!¡± The remaining three Brute Men and Mr. Sentinel viciously attacked sorcia with both pistols and swords. They forced Sorcia on the defensive and kept her away from Anya, Leif and Chole. But the Brute Men were losing. ¡°Rah!¡± Sorcia howled as she blocked, ran and smashed a Brute Man¡¯s shield, slicing through him from chest to hip. ¡°Yaah! Ms. Anya, there are only two left!¡± yelped Chloe. Anya didn¡¯t answer, her son her only priority. ¡°Dammit Leif, I need your heart to beat on its own...I need you to breathe for Mommy...please Leif...I¡¯ll do anything...please baby...just breathe for Mommy!¡± ¡°Yes, again, because you¡¯re pumping for him! I need him to come back without you!¡± she yelled at the bug-bot. On the other side the battle raged. Sorcia feigned an attack on the remaining two Brute Men, leapt up and fired a point blank striker blast at Mr. Sentinel. The veteran sentinel raised his force field in time to deflect, but the impact hurtled him to the floor. He crashed a few feet from Chloe. ¡°Oh no!¡± Chloe shouted. She dashed toward Mr. Sentinel as the barrel shaped robot attempted to start itself and float off the ground. After a few tries it raised itself and assessed the battle. Chloe stared at him confused. ¡°What? No, I can¡¯t leave Leif, or Ms. Anya...or you!¡± cried the nine year old hugging the battered sentinel. As Chloe said the words, Sorcia destroyed the last two Brute Men. Mr. Sentinel extracted his last working laser cannon from his shell and turned to Chloe. ¡°Mr. Sentinel?¡± The dented machine turned and flew at Sorcia, firing a barrage of laser and force field at the fearsome Sorcia. Chloe, unsure what to do, ran back to Anya. ¡°Ms. Anya-¡± ¡°I know child,¡± she said with her face touching Leif¡¯s face, ¡°You¡¯re almost there Leif...please I¡¯m begging you..¡± She wiped Leif¡¯s face with a wet towel, then pulled a syringe out of the bug-bot. Placing the needle tip on her bad knee, she jammed it in her leg. ¡°Gaaarrrh,¡± Anya growled as the syringe chemicals raced through her body. Anya didn¡¯t stand up right away. She leaned over Leif and lay her face on his, and whispered, ¡°Please baby...please...just breathe for Mommy..¡± ¡­.. ...And he did.. ¡°Leif!¡± shouted Chloe, as he took a second breath and his pulse jumped on the bug-bot¡¯s monitor. But as soon as his heart beat struck a second chord, a crash echoed in the large room. Chloe peeked from behind the partition, as Mr. Sentinel hit the ground in two pieces..destroyed. ¡°Mr. Sentinel!¡± Chloe screamed with tears in her eyes, and Sorcia noticed. Surrounded by the sliced and smoking corpses of the six mighty Brute Men and Mr. Sentinel, the baroness stared at Chloe with a smirk, but didn¡¯t move. Breathing hard, Sorcia took a moment to rest. Chloe turned back to Anya, who watched Leif¡¯s progress. ¡°Good, stitch him and wrap his wound, we gotta get him to a friendly hospital!¡± said Anya. She took a deep breath and picked up her striker. ¡°Chloe, stay here with Leif...talk to him, he¡¯ll hear you.¡± ¡°Ok!¡± she said jumping down next to the now breathing, but comatose, Leif. Anya, no longer limping, stepped from behind the partition and glared at Sorcia. Sorcia, twenty feet away, glared back. Chloe jumped up and grabbed Anya¡¯s hand. ¡°Ms. Anya, you have to be careful,¡± she glanced at the menacing Sorcia, ¡°That lady¡¯s really strong,¡± she whispered. Anya¡¯s eyes narrowed as she rubbed Chloe¡¯s head, ¡°I know she¡¯s strong, honey,¡± Anya turned back to Sorcia, ¡°But so am I!¡± Sorcia, now ready, smiled. ¡°Duchess Anya, your Brute Men were the best sparring partners credits can buy,¡± said Sorcia, lowering her eyes in a sinister glare, ¡°But in the end that damn flying sentinel proved more trouble than all of them...too bad fo-¡± ¡°Are you stalling Sorcia, or do you need more time to rest?¡± growled Anya. ¡°I¡¯ll wait...baroness.¡± Sorcia stopped smiling, and in a blink of an eye, formed a large round force field shield on her left arm. The middle of her shield bore the banner of the clan Brisbane, the Charging Wolf. Anya formed her own round shield on her left arm. In her shield she bore her family banner. The Black Eagle of the clan Cesar. Both warriors extended swords and tapped their blades against their shields while circling each other in a ritual display. Each lady pulled their shield in front of their faces with only their eyes visible. ¡°Why, Sorcia? Why did you betray me and my cause?¡± Anya abruptly asked. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. From behind her shield Sorcia smirked. ¡°Hmph! My lady I will admit your cause is righteous. Restoring the power of the nobles in the House Trident should be every Kellen¡¯s responsibility!¡± said Sorcia glaring, ¡°However duchess...the times have changed and Kella has become weak and corrupt since our defeat against the Cambians.¡± ¡°Sorcia, I can change that, we can change Kella!¡± ¡°With what Anya? Thousand year old noble policies? Look around you, the monarchies of the other nations have fallen-¡± ¡°We are not a monarchy, we are republic of- ¡°Republic of landed gentry? Hmm? Some families more powerful than others. Right, exactly Anya...We Brisbane''s are always under the yoke of the Alexanders and the Cesars...the same families who caused the war-¡± Anya smashed her shield against Sorcia¡¯s ¡°And here I offer one solution but all you do is cry. Then what should we Kellan nobles do, baron Sorcia? Resort to piracy and raiding?¡± Sorcia backed off and continued to circle Anya. ¡°My lady, whatever it is I think Kella needs is irrelevant. For I am at peace with my choice,¡± said Sorcia. Anya stopped circling and lowered her shield. ¡°And what choice have you made, dear Sorcia?¡± Sorcia¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°To cash your noble head in for the bounty the Trident guard has offered...dear duchess¡­¡± Without another word Sorcia charged Anya¡¯s shield and smashed into her with brute strength. ¡°Fuck!¡± yelled Anya. Pushed back, Anya spun and slashed at Sorcia, halting her charging advance. The two gladiators faced each other again with shields covering all but their eyes. ¡°Fine Sorcia, you¡¯ve made your choice¡± Anya narrowed her eyes, ¡°Now we dance.¡± Black Eagle vs Charging Wolf Anya crashed Sorcia¡¯s shield and slashed at her head. The baroness smirked and responded with her own strike as the warriors locked in gladiatorial combat. Chloe, holding Leif¡¯s hand, stretched out to watch the warriors, with her mouth dropped in awe. ¡°Wow, your mom can fight,¡± she mumbled to Leif. The combatants ran throughout the room. They leapt in the air, clashed swords, dropped, and used the elements around them. Anya dashed behind a giant machine and emerged throwing saw blades at an unsuspecting Sorcia. One hit her foot. ¡°Ow, you bitch! Rahh!¡± howled Sorcia, slashing at a fleeing Anya, ¡°Why do you run? Do you fear my blade?¡± Anya, bolting in front of her, grabbed an iron work stool and flung it behind her at Sorcia¡¯s legs. ¡°Aaah! Oof!¡± cried Sorcia as the stool swept her knees and knocked her to the ground. During the fall she dropped her striker. ¡°Hahahaha, what blade should I fear, baroness?¡± cried Anya charging at the fallen and disarmed Sorcia. But Sorcia fought back. Using her considerable strength advantage she blocked Anya¡¯s slashes with her shield and pushed the shorter duchess back far enough to recover her striker. ¡°Hmph! You were saying, lady Anya,¡± Sorcia taunted, re-extending her striker blade. Anya smirked and took a defensive crouch. ¡°You are strong, Sorcia. But you¡¯re young, and need guidance...and I can provide it!¡± Sorcia laughed. ¡°Guidance from you? If I¡¯m not mistaken your children were trying to capture you and turn you in for the bounty, lady Anya!¡± she stopped advancing, ¡°Meaning the only thing I need from you is your head.¡± The warriors collided again. Behind the partition Chloe wiped Leif¡¯s face with water and held his hand. ¡°Leif...your mom is amazing, but if she loses against that lady...that lady will kill you! But don¡¯t worry!¡± Chloe unbuttoned her jeans pocket and removed a tiny metal marble with little lights. ¡°I still have the magic space marble you gave me, so if anything happens...I¡¯ll throw it at her.¡± Still comatose, Leif said nothing. But his vital readings on the bug-bot monitor improved. The bug turned its mechanical head to Chloe. ¡°Eh?¡± Chloe looked at the bug-bot perplexed. ¡°Can Leif hear me?¡± Out on the floor the noble ladies continued their violent battle. Fighting in intervals, they took simultaneous breaks to catch their breath, and size each other up. Their endgame, victory by attrition. ¡°Old lady, you¡¯re looking tired, and I see you favoring your knee again!¡± said Sorcia, pointing her sword at Anya¡¯s limping leg. Anya pulled her shield in front of her. ¡°Right, keep worrying about me, baroness. When you should be guarding your head.¡± ¡°Eh? You take my head? Ha! how unlikely!¡± Sorcia barked. Sizing Sorcia up, Anya crept back for a launching attack. But Sorcia charged first and crashed Anya off balance. ¡°Shit!¡± Anya fell back and spun, slashing her blade down at the charging baroness¡­.but that¡¯s exactly what Sorcia wanted. When Anya¡¯s sword slashed down, Sorcia sliced up with her shield, and shattered Anya¡¯s blade, causing her striker to shut down. ¡°What the fuc-¡± Anya belted as she lost balance and crashed into Sorcia¡¯s shield. Sorcia used the advantage and bashed Anya backward with blow after blow from her sword and her shield. Anya, on the complete defensive, pulled back and hit a wall. While blocking with her shield she struggled to create a new blade with her damaged striker. ¡°Fuck, fuck!¡± Anya screamed as Sorcia smashed her shield, depleting her energy. As Anya hit the wall, her knee gave in and she went down exposing her torso, and Sorcia pounced. ¡°Heh, die duchess!¡± Sorcia thrust her sword at Anya¡¯s chest. And just as Sorcia¡¯s sword tip touched Anya¡¯s breast...the duchess, in a blinding maneuver, spun and slashed Sorcia¡¯s neck and shoulder with a hastily formed gladius short sword from her striker. ¡°Gaaah!¡± screamed Sorcia as she fell forward and crashed her shield against the wall. She then bounced off the wall and spun back slashing wildly at Anya, ¡°No..no..I had you!..You were..down!¡± gurgled Sorcia as blood streamed out of the gash in her neck. Anya spun back into a defensive crouch with her gladius short blade and glared at Sorcia. Sorcia stopped advancing and in moments her shield disappeared and she dropped her striker. Raising her head she locked eyes with Anya. ¡°You..y-you lured me...you dirty fighting Cesar...you¡¯re all filth!¡± she gurgled and spit blood at Anya¡¯s feet. Anya cocked her head at Sorcia and lowered her own shield. ¡°Well if you knew that, dear baroness¡­then why did you go against me?¡± Sorcia glared at Anya and said nothing. Losing blood, she fought with all of her strength to remain standing. Until her legs wobbled and she fell...on her knees, before Anya. Anya, her face cold, retracted her own sword and shield. ¡°Too bad, Sorcia,¡± said Anya with her eyes closed, ¡°I remember you as a child..you were a beautiful girl from a proud family. And although you¡¯re eighteen, I¡¯d hoped to marry you off to my son.¡± Sorcia¡¯s red eyes glazed over as Anya spoke. Then Sorcia Brisbane, Baroness of Wulfsend, fell on her face dead...in a pool of blood. Anya kneeled by Sorcia¡¯s body, and stroked her hair, ¡°Your death won¡¯t be in vain child.¡± As Anya stood up a flying table descended from the ceiling toward Sorcia''s body. Anya glanced at the floating rectangular robot. ¡°Ay! Listen up! I want her body stitched and sent back to her family the way a noble should, so don¡¯t fuck around!¡± said Anya, picking up and examining Sorcia¡¯s striker. ¡°Damn Sorcia, your striker is amazing.¡± asked the flying table. ¡°What do you think? I want to know everything she knew, decipher the memory and send the hardware and the info to me!¡± said Anya. ¡°And one more thing!¡± Anya placed Sorcia¡¯s striker on the flying table. ¡°Wipe that striker clean and recalibrate it,¡± she said in a hushed tone. Anya lifted the striker again and admired it, ¡°Calibrate it for a female child.¡± She placed it on the flying table and walked toward Leif and Chloe. The flying table fired a force field blast at Sorcia¡¯s body and lifted her corpse inside its frame. In moments three bug-bots scurried from the wall to Sorcia¡¯s blood stain on the floor. They cleaned the mess and wiped the floor dry in under a minute. Anya, now exhausted, found Chloe holding Leif¡¯s head up and talking to him. And Leif, listening and answering. His wounds now stitched and wrapped and a bug-bot dripping saline in his veins, Leif looked up at his mother and nodded. Anya said nothing and collapsed on top of him crying uncontrollably. ¡°Leif, you spiteful son! You¡¯re worse than your father! You want my heart to break because you hate me, yaaah!¡± she cried on his stomach, avoiding his wound. Leif smirked. ¡°Still always about you, eh Mother?¡± he joked in a whispered raspy voice. That made Anya''s crying worse. ¡°Leeeif, my beautiful baby!¡± She crawled on him and pushed her face on his, kissing him and drenching him in her tears. Leif tried to raise himself up and a bug bot assisted him. Leif stared at the little bot and turned to Anya. ¡°Mom..why are we on Eres?¡± Anya pulled back wiping her tears. ¡°It was the only way I could save you. However, since we¡¯re here,¡± she glanced over at Chloe who hugged Leif¡¯s arm, ¡°There are a few things I need to do.¡± ¡°What? Mom...They¡¯ll arrest you-¡± ¡°Ssssh! baby,¡± she closed his mouth with her finger, ¡°You need to see a doctor and rest. So stop talking.¡± Anya raised herself on one knee. Chloe tugged her hand. ¡°Ms. Anya...um...everything¡¯s gonna be ok right? We''re going back home soon right?¡± she asked. Anya reached out and hugged the little girl. ¡°Of course we are honey,¡± she cleared Chloe¡¯s bangs and kissed her on her forehead. ¡°So don¡¯t worry, Ms. Anya¡¯s gonna take care of everything.¡± ... Proofread by Chiisutofupuru the Yandere Darkling- writer of SASHA Chapter 20- Expressionless Cousin Chloe stepped outside the large machine shop building with Anya, and into the dry night air of wherever they were. The machine shop building stood in the middle of nowhere surrounded by grass. Above, a large red moon beamed a beautiful red haze into the deep blue night sky. Chloe gazed at the foreign colored heavens and the billions of stars lighting the dark horizon. ¡°Oh wow, so pretty..Ms. Anya, are we still in New Mexico?¡± she asked, wide eyed. Anya bent beside her with a smile. ¡°No honey. We¡¯re on the planet Eres, and that¡¯s our moon. Her name is Kaves,¡± she whispered pointing at the brilliant red sphere above. Chloe¡¯s face paled. ¡°Um..Ms. Anya, are we far from Rylan and my house?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Anya knelt down. ¡°Sweety, we are but once we get that gate back open we¡¯ll be right back in your yard. But right now I have to get Leif medical treatment and take care of a few things. You want him to get better don¡¯t you?¡± asked Anya. ¡°Oh, yes I do!¡± Chloe answered and turned to Leif laying on top of the flying table behind them. Leif gave Chloe a thumbs up and pointed past her in the dark. ¡°Behind you Chloe,¡± he said. Chloe spun around to view a flying box shaped van with bright round headlights approaching the trio. The vehicle, without wheels, hovered above the ground and advanced almost soundless. Black with brass trimming, the vehicle reminded Chloe of the old-timey trucks in the black and white pictures in school books. The van stopped and a loading ramp extended down the side. The passenger door opened and a handsome black haired teenager jumped out with a smile. ¡°Aunty!¡± shouted the young man running toward Anya. ¡°Jasper! Come here!¡± Anya shouted hugging and greeting him. ¡°Oh my beautiful nephew, how have you been? Kave¡¯s love?¡± ¡°Kaves always shines on our family, Aunty!¡± he said hugging Anya. ¡°Of course she does, now tend to your cousin!¡± Jasper glanced behind Anya at Leif on the flying table. ¡°Leif!¡± Jasper shouted and ran to embrace him. The second person in the van stepped out after adjusting the interior. A black haired woman who resembled Anya. She walked in front of the van with her arms crossed and a scowl across her face. ¡°I¡¯m only here because my nephew is in trouble, Anya!¡± growled the woman. Anya smirked. ¡°And my dear elder sister?¡± If I lay dying before you, would you give your life for me?¡± The woman¡¯s face grew furious and tears streamed down her eyes. ¡°The fact that you know that I¡¯d lay down my life for you little sister enrages me so!¡± Anya sprinted at the woman and they embraced in tears. Chloe stood back startled, behind her Leif and Jasper laughed. Chloe turned to them. ¡°Leif? Is this your family? Are they always so..¡± ¡°Over dramatic like the reality television stars on earth? Yes, that¡¯s the Cesar way!¡± joked Leif with a weak voice. Chloe and Jasper laughed as he stared at her with a puzzled expression. ¡°Leif? This child? Her long black hair, glass brown eyes and so pretty! She must be a Cesar. Our cousin perhaps?¡± asked Jasper. Leif smirked. ¡°Aaah... She¡¯s definitely family!¡± He said smiling at Chloe. Chloe blushed and averted her gaze from the two beautiful teenage boys smiling at her. Jasper extended a greeting. ¡°Hello little one, my name is Jasper Alexander, I''m Leif''s cousin. And that¡¯s my mother, Sofia Cesar. She¡¯s Anya¡¯s older sister,¡± he said pointing at the still crying and hugging ladies. ¡°Ya! I figured because her and Ms. Anya look alike,¡± said Chloe. She turned back to the boys, ¡°You all kinda look alike.¡± ¡°Yes, inbreeding does that!¡± said Jasper. ¡°Haha, you''re terrible!¡± Leif chuckled. But Chloe didn¡¯t know the word. ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t get-¡± ¡°No worries little cousin," said Jasper. "Come on, help me get Leif in the hover.¡± ¡°Oh, ok!¡± said Chloe with a smile. The family placed Leif in the hover vehicle and went on their way. To Chloe, the inside of the vehicle appeared similar to the outside design. Brass colored controls with lights and dials resembling old radio technology like she remembered from a world war one movie. How weird this all looks, like it''s in the wrong time. When the van reached a road it flew faster than any motorcycle Chloe ever raced on. In seconds the vehicle left the dark countryside and flew into, what appeared to Chloe, the largest city she¡¯d ever seen. Brightly lit tall buildings on the ground and shorter buildings floating in the sky. And almost everything held ornate designs of gold or bronze trimming. ¡°Oh! I bet New York City looks like this,¡± said Chloe, staring awe struck out the window. Anya, who sat in the front with her sister, turned to Jasper behind her. ¡°Jas! Did you bring what I asked?¡± ¡°Yes Aunty, Leif¡¯s finalizing it!¡± said Jasper as the teens adjusted a small computer screen in the back of the vehicle. ¡°Good,¡± said Anya turning to Chloe, ¡°Honey, come here for a second.¡± Chloe stepped to the front of the large vehicle as Jasper passed Anya a familiar item. Anya unwrapped the item and presented it to Chloe. ¡°Here baby, put this on your left wrist,¡± said Anya as she placed a sparkling new wrist gear device on Chloe. Chloe, surprised, gaped at the super cool toy. ¡°Oooh! Just like the one you and Leif have Ms. Anya!¡± she cheered, not sure what the device did exactly. ¡°Um¡­is it like a smart phone?¡± ¡°Hee, hee, better!¡± said Anya. She pulled Chloe onto her lap and placed the device on her wrist with a very comfortable metallic cloth band. ¡°Chloe, this is a computer device called a Geteroplasmic Energy Amplified Receiver, but we just call it Gear or Wrist Gear.¡± ¡°Oh ok,¡± said Chloe, admiring the device. ¡°Does it create a shield weapon like yours?¡± Anya smiled. ¡°Yes honey, but you don¡¯t need to worry about that now. I just wanted you to say hello to someone.¡± Anya switched on Chloe¡¯s gear and a blinking dot appeared with a strange alphabet. Anya gave the device a voice command and the text changed to North American English. Then a voice crackled. Chloe covered her mouth in disbelief staring at the device as her eyes watered. ¡°M-Mr...Sentinel?¡± she whispered to her wrist. Chloe cried, ¡°Mr. Sentinel, I don¡¯t know what you just said but I¡¯m so happy you''re alive,¡± she covered her face. ¡°Sentinel, shut up, she¡¯s happy to see you,¡± barked Anya. Mr. Sentinel paused and computed. ¡°Haha, Mr. Sentinel you talk too much!¡± said Chloe. Her face a teary mess she glanced up at Anya. ¡°Thank you for saving him Ms. Anya.¡± Anya hugged Chloe tight. ¡°I had to save him, honey, he¡¯s your friend. And I don¡¯t want you to be sad, because that makes me sad,¡± she whispered in her ear. Chloe buried her teary face in Anya¡¯s breasts. ¡°Sssh, don¡¯t cry honey, I got you,¡± Anya whispered in her ear. Within minutes the exhausted Chloe fell asleep on Anya who held her for the remainder of the journey. Their destination, Eiten Manor. The home of Anya and Sofia¡¯s parents. The Grand Duke and Duchess of Eiten, heads of the clan Cesar. The Hill In the black of night Evan parked his pickup truck in the open desert and hustled a quarter of a mile to a small hill. The hill stood two hundred meters from Rylan¡¯s yard and porch. Once Evan reached the base of the hill he crawled on his belly and mounted and aimed his APM5 sniper rifle at Rylan¡¯s front door. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Come on brother, where are you?¡± mumbled Evan, scanning the dark road leading to Rylan¡¯s house with his night scope. After a moment he spotted Rylan walking on the road. ¡°Good! There you are...I got your back man, go ahead,¡± he muttered as Rylan reached his own porch and banged on his own house door. Evan watched as the big man Hannibal opened the door and he and Rylan appeared to have a civil conversation. Then Hannibal stepped outside on the porch and sat down listening to Rylan...and nodding his head. They even shared a laugh. ¡°Hunh? What in the hell are they talking about?¡± muttered Evan. ¡°They may have more in common than you think!¡± said a girl¡¯s voice behind Evan. ¡°What?¡± yelled Evan as he jumped up from the ground and pulled and pointed a handgun in the blackness behind him. ¡°S-Show yourself or I¡¯ll shoot!¡± he waved the gun from side to side. Right before him a dim light illuminated the full face and body of a girl standing five feet behind him. The girl created her own light from a wrist device resembling Maya¡¯s and Leif¡¯s. Evan backed up aiming his gun at her chest. ¡°You came with them didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked. The girl, expressionless, raised her head and stared in his eyes. Evan stared back at her. She was a beautiful girl with short white hair and dark streaks. And she wore a slim body hugging, thigh length black music band t-shirt..and black boots. ¡°Your question is irrelevant as you¡¯ve no say in the matter...Evan Kiley,¡± said the girl. Evan cocked the hammer on his semi-auto handgun. Of course she knows my name...these people have the technology to do whatever they want. ¡°Little lady, I may not pose a threat to you now, but if anything happens to my friend Rylan-¡± ¡°Anything happens? Evan Kiley your statement makes no sense. We would do nothing to the grounder Rylan. We need his help,¡± said the girl. ¡°See for yourself.¡± The girl walked past Evan and pointed down the hill to Rylan¡¯s front porch. Evan glanced down and saw the porch light on and Rylan conversing with three male visitors on his porch. What in the world is going on down there? ¡°Sheathe your weapon Evan Kiley, you¡¯ll only hurt yourself with it,¡± said the girl staring at him, monotone and expressionless. Evan looked down at the porch and back at her. After a moment, he lowered his weapon. The girl walked backwards and spun with a pose for him. ¡°Evan, do you like my shirt and boots? I bought them from the mall,¡± she asked. Evan, truly thrown off, gaped at her. ¡°Um..excuse me...I don¡¯t quite git-what¡¯s happenin¡¯ here-¡± ¡°Oh! Your cowboy drawl! You speak like the men on television,¡± she said, with a glimmer of an expression. ¡°Earth¡¯s culture is curious.¡± Evan, not sure of his next action, remained still while she stared at him, expressionless. Then his phone rang in his pocket. Keeping his eye on the girl, he answered. ¡°Yo?¡± ¡°Evan, it¡¯s Rylan. Drive down to my house, and put away your rifle.¡± ¡°Umm..What?¡± Evan turned away from the girl and squinted down at Rylan¡¯s porch. Rylan stood in front of his house with his phone to his ear waving up at Evan on the hill. Around him the other three visitors started Anya¡¯s crashed SUV, turning on the headlights. ¡°Dude, what¡¯s going on?¡± asked Evan. ¡°Strangest thing brother...I think I kinda made a deal with these people,¡± said Rylan. Evan looked perplexed in the dark. He walked away from the staring girl for phone privacy. ¡°Dude, what do you mean you made a deal with them? Those people are killers,¡± whispered Evan. ¡°I know bro, but they don¡¯t seem interested in killing me...or anyone else,¡± said Rylan. Before Evan could listen to Rylan¡¯s explanation the staring girl popped up in front of Evan, startling him. ¡°Hey!¡± Evan yelped, jumping back. ¡°You''re right Evan Kiley, we are killers. But not without reason. And I told you, we have no intention of harming Rylan, and we need his help.¡± ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Evan paused and squinted, ¡°And you think that¡¯s a good answer?¡± ¡°Then what answer would you like to hear, Evan? I mean, why did you come here in the first place?¡± she glanced at his rifle, ¡°Did you really think you could threaten us?¡± Her poker face forced Evan to measure his words. These people are strong, and I know this girl is too. He lowered his eyes. ¡°I mean...I guess we hoped to level the playing field,¡± he said looking at his mounted rifle on the ground. ¡°Your weapons won¡¯t give you leverage, Evan Kiley. And now...if you don¡¯t mind...can you answer my question?¡± she asked. Evan looked at her, still illuminated in her own light and still posing in her, slim form fitting, t-shirt dress. ¡°What question? Are you referring to your...clothes?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, I liked the graphic on this shirt,¡± she looked at her own shirt, ¡°Are they a terrible music group?¡± she asked. He read her shirt. ¡°The Clash? Um...No, they are absolutely not a terrible band...But ...they¡¯re from the eighties so-¡± ¡°Oh, I see,¡± she said, and lowered her face, seemingly dejected. Evan¡¯s mouth dropped. Is this girl serious right now? The girl¡¯s wrist device beeped. She checked a message on it and glanced back at Evan. ¡°I have to go now Evan...but before I go, may I ask you another question?¡± Evan shook his head. ¡°What?¡± he asked. She moved closer to him. ¡°Evan...is Leif Alexander a gentle lover?¡± ¡°Hunh?¡± he yelped. ¡°I mean...he chose you. That means you must be special...Is he gentle with you?¡± With that question, Evan turned his back on the girl and gathered his things. He picked up his rifle, and walked past her heading to his truck. But the girl followed him. ¡°You said you had to go, so go!¡± he barked and turned around...but she wasn¡¯t there, ¡°What the-¡± When he turned to his front, he nearly walked into her, ¡°Aaah, how the fuck?¡± he yelped and fell backward¡­Good lord, how fast can she move? ¡°I¡¯m sorry I asked such a personal question Evan, but it¡¯s rude to walk away from someone like that,¡± she said staring in his eyes. ¡°Even worse to walk away from someone like me¡­.¡± This girl scared Evan. ¡°W-What do you want?¡± he asked in a low whisper. ¡°Hmm...My name is Darna,¡± she said, and for the first time since he spoke to her, she displayed a real expression. A smile. ¡°And I want¡­.everything,¡± she whispered, and switched off her wrist light. What the hell? With her light gone, Darna vanished before his eyes. Evan stood up and frantically searched around him. But she wasn¡¯t there. Then his phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hey Evan, where are you?...Those guys left my house!¡± said Rylan on the line. ¡°Oh, good!¡± said Evan, nervously looking around. ¡°Bro, are you still up on that hill? What¡¯s going on over there?¡± asked Rylan. Evan stopped moving. ¡°I don''t even know what''s going on dude,¡± he said with his hand on his head. ¡°But it¡¯s like you said... ...It''s the strangest thing..¡± Evan''s Aero Precision M5 .308 Chapter 21- Wicked Daughter Wicked Daughter Chloe awoke from a happy dream, but didn¡¯t remember it. When she opened her eyes she didn¡¯t recognize her surroundings. ¡°Where am I?¡± she yelped looking around. She lay on a large soft bed surrounded by plush toys of strange colorful animals that she couldn¡¯t name. Is this thing a bear or a monkey? And why does it have six legs?¡± Her jeans, sneakers, and jacket sat on a chair across the room. Checking herself under her covers, she wore a white night gown that stretched to her calves. ¡°Eh? Somebody stripped me!¡± she mumbled. said Mr. Sentinel from Chloe¡¯s wrist gear on the night table beside the bed. ¡°Mr. Sentinel!¡± Chloe grabbed the wrist gear and hugged it like a teddy bear. ¡°I¡¯m happy you¡¯re with me.¡± Mr. Sentinel understood the stress in her voice. Chloe, half listening and holding her wrist gear, walked to a window to gaze outside. ¡°Eh? The sky, the grass, it¡¯s all so pretty..¡± The manicured lawns sprawled outside the window in the Manor¡¯s garden. And not just green grass, but blue, yellow, and purple red grass, with flowers on all edges. On the horizon clouds formed, but the sky behind burned a deep saturated blue like the postcards from the caribbean on earth. ¡°The sky here is so blue,¡± said Chloe. ¡°Oh, that''s interesting,¡± said Chloe, not understanding a word he said. Voices rang out from the hallway behind her. A second later the bedroom door opened and two women walked in arguing. The first lady was Anya, and she wore a similar white sleeping gown to Chloe¡¯s, only hers...barely reached her thighs. The second lady was older and sort of looked like Anya. She wore a light blue dress and lots of makeup. She followed behind Anya fussing. ¡°Why Anya? Why is my beautiful grandson hurt? And where¡¯s Maya?¡± said the older woman chasing Anya into the room. ¡°Oh Mother please! I don-¡± ¡°No Anya! There is no explanation except the simple truth: You¡¯re a wicked daughter who¡¯s sole purpose in life is to put pressure on my heart until I die, because you hate your mother, oh boo hoo!¡± cried the woman. Anya spun around to face the woman, but during her spin her gown flew up and Chloe saw Anya¡¯s skimpy black panties. ¡°Eeep!¡± muttered Chloe at the sight. ¡°Stop it Mother! Leif will walk again by the end of the day and Maya is a good girl~¡± barked Anya. As Anya spoke a bearded and fearsome older man in a military uniform walked in the room. ¡°Anya! Don¡¯t upset your Mother!¡± growled the man, who resembled Anya a lot. Anya faced him. ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t take her side! Hmph!¡± she pouted. ¡°Pumpkin, I¡¯m not taking sides-¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you taking sides when you should be taking my side, Stellan, and you know it!¡± shouted the mother at her husband, The Grand Duke, Stellan Cesar. ¡°In fact, the very reason Anya¡¯s like this now is because you spoiled her to no end!¡± she growled staring daggers at him. Stellan Cesar lowered his head in shame. Anya jumped in between him and her mother. ¡°What? Mother, leave Daddy alone!¡± growled Anya. Anya¡¯s mother squinted evil at both of them. With the exact same face Anya and Maya wear when they squint evil. ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s where they get that evil face from, hee hee!¡± Chloe chuckled to herself. But Anya¡¯s mom commanded the room. ¡°I¡¯ve had my fill of you and your father. And right now the only people I want to see in this house are my grandchildren!¡± said the mother. She suddenly turned to Chloe, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry my dear, I meant my grand nieces too!¡± she said floating over to the little girl. Chloe, now on the spot, turned red as Anya¡¯s mother knelt down and caressed her face. ¡°And which one of my beautiful grand nieces are you, darling?¡± cooed Anya¡¯s mother, now soft and kind. ¡°Umm..my name is Chloe,¡± she answered with a kneeling courtesy greeting. ¡°Oh my, you are a pretty one,¡± said the mother, who turned to Anya. ¡°Is she your ward, dear?¡± Anya smiled and slithered behind Chloe, holding her. ¡°Yes Mother, she¡¯s from Vicker¡¯s side of the family, but she¡¯s all mine now,¡± Anya lied. Mother stared at Chloe. ¡°Vicker Cesar? Our poor dead cousin?¡± Mother knelt down to Chloe, lifting her chin to examine her, ¡°I didn¡¯t know Vicker had any children, let alone a lovely daughter like this. That¡¯s just as well, give her a title at-¡± ¡°Of course mother. The Sayerglades are without an estate holder,¡± said Anya. Mother perked up. ¡°Eh? Chloe Cesar, Baroness of the Sayerglades? Yes, that¡¯s an excellent idea Anya.¡± Mother rubbed Chloe¡¯s hair, ¡°Anya, I want you to teach Chloe to be wise and good like Leif and Maya. And not prideful and arrogant like you!¡± she snapped. ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s how you raised me mother!¡± Anya pouted. Mother ignored Anya¡¯s barb and kissed Chloe¡¯s head then stood up and hugged and kissed Anya. ¡°Like I said Anya, my grandchildren and grand-niece here can stay, but I want you gone today.¡± ¡°But Mother!¡± Anya cried. Mother brushed off Anya and walked toward Stellan Cesar with a stern look. ¡°Stellan, I¡¯m going to my grandson¡¯s side for his muscle therapy. And you are not to spoil Anya anymore. Because I blame her behavior on you!¡± she said poking his chest. ¡°Yes dear,¡± said Stellan. ¡°Da-deee!¡± shouted Anya in protest. ¡°Hmph!¡± pouted Mother with a self righteous smile as she exited the room and vanished. Stellan Cesar bowed and attempted to leave, but Anya grabbed him and pulled him in. ¡°You¡¯re not getting away, Daddy! What news do you bring from the Trident?¡± she asked. He paused and his brow grew furrowed. ¡°...Sigh...corruption on an unspeakable scale. The corporatist in the House Planter have usurped the people¡¯s voice and force laws in favor of the richest men with no morals or respect for traditions or the populace at large..¡± ¡°Daddy! Those corporatists are traitors to Kella and I can prove it! They were in league with the Cambians-¡± ¡°As was your husband and your brother, Anya. And now you¡¯re a wanted outlaw by the Trident Guard. And dammit Pumpkin, neither I nor the Alexanders can protect you-¡± ¡°Protect me from false leaders and traitors to the people of Kella? Daddy what is happening to our nation that I must-¡± ¡°You must what? Anya, do you think your title gives you permission to do what you please? No, we are a nation of laws and if you can maybe prove the corporatist faction are truly in criminal-¡± ¡°Not just criminals, Daddy, they¡¯re traitors! And I will prove it!¡± shouted Anya. Stellan grabbed Anya¡¯s shoulders to calm her down. ¡°Yes, child. You do what you need to do. I merely ask that you not involve our family or my grandchildren and for Kave¡¯s Love, stop upsetting your mother, please! You make life miserable for me,¡± he mumbled shaking his bearded face. Anya grabbed him and pinned him against the door, burying her face in his chest with little girl love. But he stood firm. ¡°Anya, your tricks won¡¯t work on me anymore-¡± ¡°Dad-dee!¡± she shouted. ¡°Oh for the love of Kaves, what child?¡± ¡°I need credits,¡± she mumbled in his chest. ¡°...Anya...one day..I will say no to you-¡± ¡°Daddeeee!¡± she stomped up and down. ¡°Aaargh, you wicked child! Fine, I¡¯ll put two hundred thousand credits in the secret account, but don¡¯t tell your mother-¡± Anya attacked him with kisses, ¡°Daddy do you love me the best?¡± ¡°No Anya, I love all of my children-¡± ¡°Dad-deee!¡± ¡°Yes, yes you''re the best, ok? Now release me, I need to see my grandson,¡± he suddenly noticed Anya¡¯s near naked frame, ¡°And dammit child, put some clothes on!¡± Stellan Cesar wiggled out of Anya¡¯s grip and scowled at her. He managed a last, ¡°Hurumph!¡± before escaping the room and darting down the hall. As he left Anya spun toward Chloe with an evil smile. ¡°Hm hm hm hm,¡± she chuckled at Chloe. Chloe, holding on to her wrist gear smiled back at Anya. ¡°Y-You¡¯re family seems...um.. really nice,¡± she said. ¡°I agree, they¡¯re the best,¡± said Anya smiling and reaching for Chloe¡¯s hand. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go eat breakfast and take a bath!¡± Chloe¡¯s belly rumbled. ¡°Oh, ok!¡± Shampoo After breakfast Anya and Chloe entered the main bathroom upstairs. The bathroom, like the mansion, was spacious and ornate. The walls were edged with brass and gold designs and the room held a large inset hot tub. As soon as the girls entered the room, Anya dropped all of her clothes in front of Chloe. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Oh my,¡± said Chloe, turning her face away. Anya chuckled. ¡°Haha, come child, no need to hide your goods,¡± said Anya as she gently removed Chloe¡¯s gown and underwear. Chloe, now red faced and naked, attempted to cover her parts. But Anya, beautiful and shameless, took Chloe¡¯s hand and led her into the hot bubbly water. ¡°Ohh..this is nice!¡± said Chloe as the warmth surrounded her. After a minute in the massaging bath Chloe forgot her nakedness. She submerged under water and re-emerged with just her eyes fixated on Anya¡¯s well formed breasts. And with mischief in her heart, she poked Anya¡¯s right tit. ¡°Hey!¡± laughed Anya, as Chloe submerged again. ¡°Come here you little cutie, I need to wash your long hair!¡± Anya captured her. ¡°Nya!¡± cried Chloe, accepting her fate. While Anya shampooed Chloe¡¯s hair she planned her next move, but needed help. ¡°Hey Sentinel, where are you?¡± shouted Anya. said Mr. Sentinel¡¯s voice from Chloe¡¯s wrist device on a table away from the tub. Anya smiled. ¡°Good, cause I need your help you robot. I need a bodyguard and I can¡¯t ask my family...I can¡¯t...get them involved.¡± ¡°Why limited? Why won¡¯t you listen to me? Why can¡¯t I fucking hack you?¡± ¡°Yesh! Protect me,¡± laughed Chloe in the water. Anya smiled at her. ¡°Heh, heh, of course..That¡¯s how my kids are. Leif designs something wonderful, and Maya quietly perfects it for him.¡± She rinsed Chloe¡¯s hair. ¡°Chloe honey, could you ask Mr. Sentinel to protect me too~¡± ¡°Haha, he¡¯s messing with you Ms. Anya. Mr. Sentinel wouldn¡¯t let anything happen to you,¡± said Chloe with a smile. ¡°But Ms. Anya, are we going home today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying honey, I need to get a certain part that I know will make that gate go backwards.¡± Anya spun in the water. ¡°It¡¯s more than a hypothesis you stuffy math teacher. On earth Chloe and Rylan¡¯s ampsediun build up always affected the other. Even at great distance,¡± said Anya. Mr. Sentinel computed her statement. said Mr. Sentinel. ¡°Hahaha!¡± laughed Anya, ¡°Two things wrong with your conclusion Sentinel. One, if I can get that part to work with the transmitter I can send out to any universe or anyplace in real time.. And two.¡± She hugged Chloe in the water, ¡°Rylan and Chloe¡¯s bond is so strong...she¡¯ll find him anywhere...and she¡¯ll open that gate right to him and earth..regardless of atmospheric ampsediun...but damn..if I had those diamonds..." Chloe understood nothing. ¡°Umm..This all sounds really complicated,¡± said Chloe. Anya kissed her, ¡°No honey, it¡¯s very simple. Do you love your brother Rylan?¡± ¡°Yes, very much!¡± said Chloe, wide eyed. ¡°I know you do, and your love will get us back to earth. That simple,¡± said Anya. ¡°Now come on, let¡¯s dry off and get dressed!¡± ¡°Ok!¡± said Chloe popping out of the water and grabbing a towel. Anya raised out of the water and turned to Chloe¡¯s wrist device. ¡°Hey, Sentinel. Why didn¡¯t you argue against my hypothesis?¡± she asked in a low voice so Chloe couldn¡¯t hear. Anya stared at the wrist device a moment and smirked. ¡°That¡¯s a good answer, Sentinel. And I definitely need your help. So hurry up with your new body and meet me in my room.¡± Anya¡¯s Crew When Chloe reached Anya¡¯s room there were new, super cute, matching outfits laid out for Anya and her. ¡°Ooh! New clothes!¡± beamed Chloe. The girls put on thin grey military style jackets with gold buttons. For bottoms they wore black tight pants and knee high leather boots. Anya styled Chloe¡¯s hair in bangless twin-tails, while Anya wore a ponytail. ¡°Hee, do you like your look?¡± Anya asked Chloe as the two stood in front of a mirror posing and smiling. ¡°Oh yes, I never get to wear cute girly clothes like this coz Rylan just buys me jeans and sneakers coz he really wants a little brother!¡± said Chloe. ¡°Haha, no honey, Rylan loves you just as you are. It¡¯s just a young male parent like him wouldn¡¯t know what to buy for you.¡± She knelt down, ¡°But you know Ms. Anya¡¯s always fashionable, so I¡¯ll always know how to dress you, hee hee!¡± she squeezed Chloe¡¯s cheek and winked at her. Chloe turned away red faced, but smiling. Then someone knocked on the door. ¡°Come in!¡± yelled Anya. The door opened and in stepped the most beautiful man Anya or Chloe had ever seen. ¡°Whaaa¡­?¡± said Anya, her eyes wide open. Chloe stared at the man stunned. ¡°Ehhh? You can¡¯t be here on this planet ..you-¡± Without another word Chloe fainted and fell to the floor. The six foot two, beautiful, man cocked his head at the passed out child. said the man, Mr. Sentinel. Anya ran to him. He was tall, gorgeous, with a lined beard. ¡°Kave¡¯s love, Sentinel! They made you so real...I can barely tell that you¡¯re not human...wow, and why are you so gorgeous?¡± asked Anya, caressing his face and chest. Anya stepped back with a laugh. ¡°Yeah, you don¡¯t look too dangerous, but you sure need to be on my arm,¡± she whispered in his ear. Mr. Sentinel turned to her. She cupped him down below and he stopped talking. ¡°Ooooh, they gave you that too..does it work?¡± she whispered, squeezing him below. She jammed her finger in his mouth. ¡°I see they programmed you with no tact! But uh...maybe I¡¯ll check under your hood later, heh heh,¡± cackled Anya. Chloe woke up off the floor and stared at Mr. Sentinel. Chloe smiled as Anya hugged the gorgeous robot¡¯s arm, like a giddy girlfriend. ¡°Mr. Sentinel? Is that you?" she asked. "Oh...cool..Um, so are you and Ms. Anya boyfriend and girlfriend today?¡± she asked. Anya laughed. ¡°Hell no! What fun would that be?...How about...he¡¯s my secret lover, and you Chloe, are our love child! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Yaah!¡± laughed Chloe, ¡°I like that!¡± ¡°Good, then let¡¯s go out. We have things to do!¡± Anya extended her hand out to Chloe as the strange trio happily set about their fantasy role play and headed downtown. ¡­¡­ Author¡¯s note. 1. Mr. Sentinel took the face and body of this certain sexy Mexican soap opera actor (Rafael Amaya): 1. Anya and Chloe''s matching outfit: 3. It wasn''t mentioned in the scene above since it never came up. But Anya¡¯s mother¡¯s name: Elania Cesar- Grand Duchess of Eiten. Of course she is not a born Cesar. Her Maiden name is Benzian (she is from the same family as Baroness Darna - the girl that scared Evan on that hill last chapter ^_^). ... Chapter 22- Back on Earth Thursday Morning Rylan awoke startled from a bad dream he didn¡¯t remember. What? Oh right, I¡¯m back home. He rubbed his groggy eyes as he lay on his own bed in his own room. When he sat up the events of the last two days raced in his mind. He remembered Leif struck down in the desert, Chloe kidnapped by Anya, and the deal he made with Hannibal. Right...Hannibal...But where¡¯s Maya? He stepped out to the hallway and walked down to the large guest room Maya slept in. He tapped on the door and opened it. ¡±Hello?¡± He found Maya sitting at the edge of her bed staring out the window. ¡°Maya? I didn¡¯t hear you come in last night.¡± ¡°I got in late,¡± she replied, still gazing outside. ¡°Alright, how¡¯re you feeling?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m good, my strength is back.¡± ¡°Ok, good. I¡¯ll make some eggs. Let¡¯s not be late for school,¡± said Rylan, waiting for her response. ¡°Right, let¡¯s not be late.¡± The Ride Rylan drove as the duo headed to school. Maya kept quiet, except to ask Rylan details of the deal with Hannibal. ¡°Not really a deal as much as it¡¯s simple self interest. Hannibal needs to use two grounders to open a gate to someplace called Cambia on your planet, but he wants to use earth as a launchpad to get there,¡± he said. Maya faced him. ¡°Hannibal told you a half truth. He wants to launch attacks from earth because no one can reach him here, especially if both grounders are here...but he¡¯s not telling you everything,¡± she said. Rylan nodded. ¡°I know. But like I said, it¡¯s in Hannibal''s best interest to get me and my sister back together and back to earth. Even if he has messed up plans later,¡± said Rylan. ¡°Yes, he will. So what are you going to do when it comes time for him to enact his messed up plans?¡± Maya asked. Rylan bit his lip. ¡°I don¡¯t know...I¡¯ll just have to cross that bridge when I get to it. But right now I need to get Chloe home. And it seems Hannibal can help, and he¡¯s willing to help. Even if it¡¯s for his own reasons,¡± said Rylan in a low voice. Maya gazed out the window at the moving scenery. ¡°Rylan?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Do you trust me?¡± she asked. Rylan didn¡¯t respond and turned on the radio. ¡°The Las Cruces police department are in a joint investigation with the Texas Rangers concerning the massacre of five members of the Son¡¯s of Fire biker gang. The gang is believed to be behind the diamond vault heist in the Aneke exchange where three men were murdered-¡± Click! He turned the radio off. ¡°Maya?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I trust you more than I trust Hannibal,¡± said Rylan. Maya smirked. ¡°That¡¯s not saying much,¡± she said. ¡°Well, you asked.¡± They drove the rest of the way in silence. Recess After missing a day of school, Maya found herself playing catch up as Rebecca kept her and Rylan busy finalizing the sets, script, and costumes for tomorrow¡¯s school fair drama performance. The ladies worked until five pm getting the auditorium set up before calling it a day. When they exited the building they noted how empty the school became. ¡°Like a ghost town, hee!¡± chuckled Rebecca as the two strolled to the parking lot. ¡°Yeah, almost,¡± muttered Maya. As the girls walked to Rebecca¡¯s car, a motorcycle raced into the lot. Behind the motorcycle a big black four cab pickup truck, with a large ram¡¯s head on the front, rumbled toward Maya and Rebecca. Rebecca stared at the motorcycle and the white haired helmetless rider as it skidded to a stop in front of Maya. ¡°Eh? Hey isn¡¯t that Leif¡¯s motorcycle?¡± asked Rebecca. ¡°Yes. It is,¡± answered Maya as the white haired baron Darna Benzian hopped off the bike wearing a short jean skirt, cowboy boots and a black leather jacket. She walked toward Maya, expressionless. ¡°Hello cousin Maya. It¡¯s good to see you again,¡± said Darna, staring at Maya. Maya completely ignored Darna and looked past her at the black pickup. ¡°Well, if you¡¯re going to be rude to family, I¡¯ll just go find my friend,¡± said Darna as she strutted out of the parking lot and walked toward the football field. Rebecca turned to Maya with a puzzled look,¡°Did she just call you cousin?¡± but Hannibal stepped out of the pickup truck. ¡°You must be Rebecca?¡± he asked. Rebecca spun and gazed at the big handsome man checking her out. Hannibal wore jeans, a peach shirt with a collar, and cowboy boots. ¡°Oh, umm, nice to meet you,¡± she extended her hand, ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Hannibal Ox,¡± He bowed. ¡°I¡¯m an old acquaintance of Maya¡¯s.¡± ¡°Oh? from California?¡± asked Rebecca. Hannibal smirked at her with narrow eyes. ¡°Sure, beautiful, why not,¡± he answered in a low rasp staring at her. Rebecca turned red. The truck''s passenger doors opened and the giant baron Tidus and the slim baron Zane stepped out. Each man also dressed in earth casual with jeans and stylish boots. They bowed to Maya. ¡°Lady Maya,¡± greeted both men. Maya scowled at all of them. ¡°I see you idiots went shopping, bought you a new truck,¡± she said to Hannibal. She turned to Rebecca, ¡°Hey, go ahead without me, I¡¯ll call you tonight. I gotta talk to these guys.¡± Rebecca glanced at all three men, who stared at her. ¡°Umm..ok, call me later,¡± she said and walked to her car. The three barons watched Rebecca leave. Afterwards they turned to Maya, who glared at Hannibal. ¡°Are you here to kill me?¡± she asked. Hannibal lowered his gaze. ¡°No lady Maya. Quite the opposite. I¡¯m here to tell you the truth,¡± he answered, meeting her eyes. ¡°And offer you aid, Marchioness.¡± Maya¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°I¡¯m listening. What do you want?¡± Hannibal stepped closer to engage privately. ¡°Lady Maya. We...nay...I was hired to kill your mother, your brother and you...and I¡¯m afraid you know who hired me.¡± Maya trembled with rage at Hannibal¡¯s presence. But she heard his words. ¡°Who hired you?¡± she asked him. ¡°The same man who offered you the living bounty on your mother. The one who hired you,¡± he answered. Maya cocked her head. Her expression warped from anger to confusion. ¡°What?¡± she got in his face, ¡°Do you mean the man in charge of the House investigation?¡± Hannibal nodded his head. ¡°Yes my lady. Faustino, the lawyer for the House Planters,¡± he lowered his head. Maya¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°But..that doesn¡¯t make sense...I was working with Faustino to bring the nobles on board with-¡± ¡°-With legislation to help the poor or something like that?¡± he asked. Maya stepped back surprised. ¡°Hannibal? How would you know that, they haven¡¯t even begun-¡± ¡°My lady! Faustino lied to you! He has no interest in your legislation or your feel good politics. The only things he wants are the Alexanders and the Cesars dead. That way the corporatist can ratify the legislation to limit almost all noble senatorial power.¡± ¡°What? He can¡¯t do that! Our constitution would never allow it. No, what he¡¯s doing is-¡± ¡°Treason, my lady,¡± said Hannibal. Maya glared at him in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re lying to me!¡± she screamed and punched his chest, pushing him back. ¡°If that¡¯s true then why did you betray my mother and Leif! The Ox¡¯s are our sworn bannerman Hannibal!¡± Hannibal lowered his head and behind him, Zane and Tidus walked away from the two. They sat in the grass at the edge of the parking lot. ¡°My lady, for reasons I cannot discuss with you, I...did commit serious actions against your mother and brother. However, I¡¯m here now to tell you that I can get you close to Faustino and you can...ask that traitor whatever you like.¡± ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± Maya fumed. ¡°You attacked my family and then come to me with this?¡± She balled her fist. ¡°Hannibal, I¡¯m tired of looking up at you so if you want to talk to me you get on your fucking knees, you murdering sack of shit!¡± Without hesitation the tall Hannibal Ox dropped to his knees in the parking lot, with his head down. ¡°My lady, I have no interest in traitors like Faustino and the corporatist saboteurs who hired him from gaining power in our beloved Kella¡­.and,¡± he slowly raised his eyes, ¡°I have no interest in harming you, Marchioness. I never did.¡± ¡°So what is your endgame Hannibal? Why are you even talking to me?¡± ¡°My lady, aside from the business with your mother...I plan on using that dimensional device for my own gain.¡± ¡°You mean for plunder and murder you pirate!¡± she barked. He paused. ¡°Alas, nothing that would concern you. But my point is, I have struck a deal with Rylan to reunite him with his sister. And, with or without you, I will go back to Eres and I will kill these traitorous people.¡± Maya stared at him for a long time. Hannibal stayed on his knees and lowered his head. ¡°Hannibal, why are you saying any of this to me? Why would you offer to help me after what you did?¡± ¡°My lady, we are both Kellans on a strange world. And we are both nobles. And I don¡¯t believe any good will come from killing you¡­.my lady.¡± Maya turned away from him. ¡°Hannibal...I don¡¯t know..just tell me what you really want.¡± Hannibal jumped to his feet and opened his truck door. ¡°My lady, I need you to see something.¡± Hannibal reached in his back seat and pulled out the laser machine device. ¡°My lady, it¡¯s damaged,¡± said Hannibal. ¡°What?¡± snapped Maya, as Hannibal displayed a burned out section of the machine. She snatched it from his hands and examined the area, ¡°Oh fuck!¡± she barked. ¡°Yes my lady. I am no engineer, but it seems this section is made from earth metal and could not withstand the pressure of the device,¡± said Hannibal. Maya used her wrist gear to light the section of the machine and run a reading. She grimaced. ¡°Hannibal, this is bad,¡± she said digging her fingers in the machine. ¡°This part is new magnesium alloy. It¡¯s the strongest metal on this planet.¡± ¡°Hmm..not strong enough for Eres technology. But can you fix it, my lady?¡± he asked. ¡°I can, but it¡¯s gonna take a day or two to get the part. So just leave the machine with me and-¡± As she said that, Hannibal gently pulled the device from her hand and placed it back in the truck. Maya squinted at him. He smiled at her. ¡°Lady Maya, you¡¯re a genius like your mother, but we all need leverage don¡¯t we. But like I said. I am not all talk. I will help you on Eres.¡± But Maya remained befuddled at his sincere gesture of help. She stared at him as he covered the item in his truck. ¡°Hannibal?¡± ¡°Yes, my lady?¡± ¡°..Why do you want to help me? I don¡¯t see how that benefits you,¡± she asked. Hannibal paused and said nothing. Then turned to her. ¡°My lady...I understand you have a performance tomorrow. You are playing the knight and Rebecca is your princess...from what I understand.¡± ¡°...Yeah, so what? It¡¯s small town news,¡± she answered. ¡°Mmmm,¡± mumbled Hannibal, with his eyes averted. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Maya raised her eyebrow, ¡°Hannibal...are you asking if you can come see me perform tomorrow?¡± she almost whispered. Hannibal gulped but didn¡¯t answer. Maya shook her head and reached in her bag. She pulled out one ticket and handed it to him. ¡°Hannibal, this is one ticket. You can come, but you are not to address me. Do you understand, baron?¡± Hannibal accepted the ticket and stared at it. Admittance One, stamped on the front. ¡°I understand. Thank you my lady. And I will cheer for your performance.¡± Maya narrowed her eyes. ¡°Even if I¡¯m terrible?¡± she asked. Hannibal gaped at her. ¡°My lady, I will slay any man who jeers at you!¡± ¡°What? Haha!¡± she laughed but quickly scowled again. ¡°You may watch the performance. But you are not to slay anyone,¡± she said with a spin as she walked back toward the school, without saying goodbye. ¡°Yes, my lady...I won¡¯t!¡± he shouted. She half turned and glared at him, ¡°Hmph!¡± she pouted. He blushed. Hannibal¡¯s Pickup Hannibal stood still and looked at the ticket in his hand. He then turned and whistled for Zane and Tidus to join him. Once the three entered Hannibal¡¯s new pickup, he peeled out of the parking lot with a roar of his engine. ¡°What¡¯s the plan, Hannibal?¡± asked Tidus. ¡°Simple gentlemen. Lady Maya will fix the device and she will join us. In the meantime we need the other diamonds from the vault in Albuquerque.¡± ¡°So let¡¯s crack it tonight!¡± said Zane. ¡°We will. But let¡¯s wait for Darna and we¡¯ll leave before midnight. By the way, where is she?¡± asked Hannibal. Tidus smiled, ¡°Seems she¡¯s found an earth boy. Heh, heh!¡± he laughed. Hannibal grinned, ¡°Oh? ¡± He glanced at Zane, ¡°So Darna¡¯s chosen a weak earth boy over a pretty baron. I think some nobles will be upset, hahaha!¡± Tidus and Hannibal laughed, while Zane sat in the back scowling, unamused. Cheer The football team emerged from the locker room dressed after practice. Evan walked with them, having spent the day explaining that Leif had to fly back to California for a family emergency. I didn¡¯t want to lie, but I have people to protect. Evan¡¯s face wore a heavy gloom as his teammates cheered and laughed around him. He didn¡¯t even notice Stacy Danner walking up to him. ¡°Hi Evan! Is this true about Leif?¡± ¡°Eh? Oh Stacy, hey...uh..yeah I don¡¯t know the details. He just called and was like I gotta go to California for a bit.¡± As Evan spoke, his teammates walking in front of him cheered loudly and wolf whistled at someone sitting in the bleachers near the locker exit, Darna. She stood up and waved at Evan. ¡°Oh shit!¡± he muttered aloud. ¡°Yo Evan, you know that girl?¡± yelled one of his teammates. Evan opened his mouth to speak but another teammate yelled out, ¡°Of course he knows that girl, pretty dudes like Evan always know bitches like that hahahahaha!¡± The whole team laughed. Darna stared at the jeering boys, expressionless. ¡°Hey! Knock it off!¡± Evan barked at his rowdy team. The team snickered and joked at Evan¡¯s threat, but they toned it down. The expressionless Darna ran toward Evan, and nodded to Stacy. ¡°Evan Kiley, hello again,¡± she said. ¡°Hello,¡± Evan muttered and kept walking. But Stacy stopped him, ¡°Evan? Don¡¯t be rude!¡± Stacy turned to Darna, ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Stacy!¡± she greeted. Darna stared at her and blinked. ¡°Hello Stacy, are you Evan¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Evan stepped back startled at the blunt question. But Stacy answered, ¡°Me and Evan? No, he¡¯s like my brother!¡± she said, ¡°Why, you like Evan or something? Hee hee!¡± she giggled. Darna blinked, ¡°Yes, I like the way he talks.¡± ¡°Ha, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s just pillow talk,¡± said Stacy with a laugh, ¡°Anyway nice meeting you whoever you are, and nice hair, I mean it!¡± Stacy walked away and Darna watched her. ¡°Is there somethin¡¯ I can help you with, maam?¡± asked Evan. Darna spun hearing Evan¡¯s cowboy drawl. She reached in her tiny purse and pulled out a glossy restaurant menu. ¡°Do you know this place?¡± she handed him the menu. He read it. ¡°Cafe A Go Go?..Yeah it¡¯s on Commerce,¡± he answered. ¡°Oh, ok,¡± she said, and just looked at him. After a moment Evan understood her silence and responded. ¡°Darna, right? Do you want me to take you to that cafe?¡± he asked her, softly. Her eyes grew wide and her expression....changed. ¡°Yes. I want green chile wontons and bubble tea,¡± she said, and blinked. ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll take you. But promise me you won¡¯t do anything weird,¡± he said. Darna blushed, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t do anything weird.¡± Her monotone response snapped Evan awake, and he laughed. ¡°Yeah, that was weird, but we''ll let it go.¡± He smiled and walked to his truck. Darna followed him. Still blushing. Cafe A Go Go Evan and Darna walked into the crowded Cafe A Go Go. A Tears for Fears song blared on the speakers. The countertops and tables were covered in eighties era new wave band photo tablecloths. ¡°What in the heck?¡± said Evan smiling at the kitsch theme decor in the usually pretty and not as crowded restaurant. A hostess explained the eighties theme and how customers keep piling in to hear the music and drink beer. After speaking with the hostess Evan turned to Darna. ¡°You knew about all of this eighties stuff happening here tonight, didn¡¯t you?¡± he asked her. ¡°Yes. I want to drink bubble tea, and hear the songs,¡± she answered. ¡°Oh. But you didn¡¯t need me to come with you,¡± said Evan with a shrug. Darna blinked. ¡°But Evan, I didn¡¯t want to come here with anyone else.¡± Evan didn''t know what to say. He met this girl last night and she scared him to death. Now I¡¯m in a restaurant with her and she¡¯s saying what? Dude, I hope this chick ain¡¯t bat shit crazy. ¡°Kiley, table for two,¡± said the hostess. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s us, were the Kileys!¡± said Darna with a smile. With the Bangles¡¯ Walk Like an Egyption blaring on the speakers, Darna clutched Evan¡¯s hand and did an eighties girl two step dance move and a spin. And to Evan it was sexy as hell. ¡°Hey, where¡¯d you learn to do that?¡± he laughed. ¡°Hee, I watched the videos online! That wasn¡¯t weird was it?¡± she asked. Evan blushed and their eyes locked. ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t weird at all. Actually... ...that was kinda hot!¡± EXTRA STUFF IF YOU''RE INTERESTED ^_^ Hi guys ^_^ You don¡¯t have to read this below to follow the story. This is for readers who would like to understand how the Government of Kella, known as the House Trident operates. This is just a basic explanation. The nation of Kella on the planet Eres, is a large representative republic and the largest economy on the planet of over one hundred nations. Most smaller nations on Eres are monarchies, limited democracies, theocracies or autocracies. Most larger nations of Eres tend to be ¡°Strong-Man-Lite or Tribunal.¡± Meaning they are committee run dictatorships that respond to the needs of their restless republics...most of the time. The House Trident of Kella: A thousand year old three party balance of power similar to eighteenth century British parliament on the planet earth. With commoners, nobles and a thoroughly vetted legal wing unbeholden to noble and common houses. 1. House Planter: The commoners. This branch of the house debates and selects legislation for law in Kella. The house consists of non-noble freely elected citizens from the Kellan prefectures. These would be professionals, farmers, narcissist, academics, citizens, etc. 2. House Noble: A senate of appointed prefecture Dukes all the way down to Barons, inherited by family. This branch of the trident can vote on or can veto planter legislation (with a bicameral majority) and in some cases present their own laws voted by the House Planter. Although there are over one hundred families of gentry in the large country of Kella, only nine are recognized as the top families. 3. House Magistrate Arbiters- Elder judges who have served elected judgeships for over thirty years on the republic level are then appointed by joint committee by the House Planter and the House Noble and approved to lifetime positions as Magistrate Arbiters. (Supreme Court). 4 The Grand Duke Presider: Typically the House Noble selects the Grand Duke Presider of Kella and she or he is approved (or disapproved) by the people¡¯s electoral college vote. This position holds the exact executive power of a prime minister or president with direct control of the military (the Trident Guard), and foreign affairs and diplomacy. The Grand Duke Presider is usually a noble from the nine strongest noble families, but not always. The people of Kella and the House Planters hold a lot of power in the republic of Kella and have voted for ¡°colorful¡± non-noble Grand Duke Presiders in the past. But historically this position stays within the nine families. Kellan¡¯s are traditionalist like that. There are over one hundred noble families on Kella. But nine represent the strongest families. The nine families (clans) and their banner. 1. Alexander (Leif, Maya) Banner- Sky Dragons 2. Cesar (Anya) Banner- Black Eagle 3. Ox (Hannibal)- Banner- Taurus Major 4. Brisbane (Sorcia)- Banner- Charging Wolf 5. Daidor (Zane)- Banner- Rock Lion 6. Garsen (Icas)- Banner- Scorpion. 7. Peret (Vesh)- Banner- Spitting Viper 8. Nyban (Tidus) - Banner- Steppes Bear 9. Benzian (Darna)- Banner- Fire Hawk ... Chapter 23- The Greatest City on Eres Downtown Chloe marveled at the sights and sounds of the big city. She spun in circles on the sidewalk gaping at super tall buildings, wheel-less hovering cars, cute little robot bugs flying around fixing things, and crowds and crowds of people. ¡°Wow!¡± she cried, absorbing it all. Anya held Mr. Sentinel¡¯s arm as they walked behind Chloe. ¡°That¡¯s right honey, we¡¯re in Dacia, the greatest city on planet Eres!¡± said Anya. Chloe turned to Anya smiling. ¡°Oh? Were you born in Dacia, Ms. Anya?¡± ¡°I most certainly was, how¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°Cause you said it was the greatest city on Eres,¡± laughed Chloe, running away. ¡°What? You little brat come back here!¡± Anya teased, shaking her fist at the fleeing child. ¡°Who asked you?" said Anya, punching Sentinel¡¯s arm and facing him, ¡°Hey, did my son give you a name? Because you need one, I can¡¯t keep calling you Sentinel.¡± ¡°Ahhh! I don¡¯t care!¡± Anya shouted,¡°But wait! Let¡¯s work with that, Sam!¡± Mr. Sentinel computed. ¡°I like Sam!¡± yelled Chloe running back and hugging him, ¡°That¡¯s a puppy''s¡¯ name!¡± Anya chuckled. ¡°Yes, Sam The Sexy Sentinel Puppy! From now on!¡± said Anya. Anya jumped in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck, ¡°We¡¯ll call you Sam for short,¡± she whispered then groped him.¡°And I do know what you¡¯re packing stud, hee hee!¡± Chloe frowned at Anya and wedged herself in between them. ¡°Ms. Anya, you¡¯re naughty! I have to protect Sam from you!¡± she pulled his arm. Anya grabbed Sam¡¯s other arm and pulled him the other way. ¡°No way little girl, he¡¯s mine!¡± Sam The Sexy Sentinel Puppy, now a tug of war rope, computed a solution. Anya stopped pulling and searched past the crowd. ¡°Chloe I see the cafe, come on!¡± she shouted and the two girls ran ahead of Sam. he muttered. Tea and Motorcycles The trio sat in the cafe and sipped the famous blue grass tea near a large window. Sam watched the news on the three-D pop up screen at the table while Chloe admired the design of the establishment. Outside three flying motorcycles zipped by. ¡°Cool, my brother would love a flying motorcycle,¡± said Chloe gaping at the fast moving machines. Chloe turned to Sam. ¡°That¡¯s cool, but why does everything here look so...old fashioned with golden gears and pipes and stuff?¡± she asked. Anya smiled. ¡°Because Kella is an old culture and like most Erens, we are traditionalist. We like keeping our old ways in everything we craft.¡± ,> said Sam. Anya displayed earth photos of steampunk aesthetic to Chloe from her wrist gear. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve seen movies that look like this, yeah~¡± said Chloe. As Anya scrolled the photos her wrist gear buzzed. She checked a message and turned to Sam. ¡°Ok good, the guy I need to meet is in his shop. Bring the hover around we gotta go!¡± she turned to Chloe, ¡°Here baby, pay for the tea!¡± she gave Chloe four gold coins. Chloe walked over to a gold spider robot at a register, ¡°Here you go!¡± she placed the coins on the counter. replied the robot in a friendly female voice. The Cleaners Chloe held Anya¡¯s hand as the trio parked and walked into a not-so-nice section of the city called, The Cleaners. The neighborhood buildings were flat and warehouse-like. The streets not as bright as the city center and the locals had the look of maintenance men and factory workers. said Sam as he pulled Chloe closer to him. ¡°Stop worrying, Bimmy is an old friend of mine,¡± said Anya as she pressed the door buzzer on a windowless, building. Within a second the door opened and the trio stepped into a busy machine shop with bug bots, brute-men, and a few people repairing and moving things about. A slim, balding, middle aged man appeared with a smile and hugged Anya. ¡°Bimmy!¡± she shouted. ¡°My lady, it¡¯s been too long, follow me!¡± As they headed for his office Anya described the part she needed for the gate device in her facility. ¡°It¡¯s not a gate per-se, but a transmitter. It can find and link with gates opened by grounders in other worlds. However, if I had a reverse transformer I can rig it-¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware that you can make it work as you¡¯ve always been a clever one lady Anya,¡± Bimmy interrupted, ¡°And as for the part you seek, It¡¯s a military grade part...and I don¡¯t have it.¡± Anya cocked her head with a frown. ¡°What? But Bimmy, you said you-¡± As she spoke Bimmy glanced over at a hiding robot bug that responded to his look. The bug sent an encrypted message to Anya¡¯s wrist device: My Lady. The House Planter Guard arrived before you. They are outside waiting for me to give you the part. They want you and the little girl. ¡°As I said my lady, I don¡¯t have anything like that, and I¡¯m not sure I can get it either. I¡¯m an honest business man-¡± Anya kept silent and let Bimmy ramble. She forwarded the message to Sam. He quietly turned to her. he whispered. ¡°I know, but you have to get Chloe out of here and back to my parents. There¡¯s a way into the city sewer from this building.¡± As they whispered, Bimmy droned on about being a good businessman and motioned his bug bot to lead Sam and Chloe toward the back. said Sam and nudged her. ¡°Ok!¡± she turned to Anya. ¡°Ms. Anya, are you coming with us?¡± she asked. Anya looked at Chloe with a heavy heart. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there honey...I just have to talk to Bimmy, ok?¡± ¡°Ok!¡± Chloe smiled and followed the flying bug that urged Sam and her toward the back. ¡°Chloe?¡± yelped Anya. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°...Ms. Anya loves you...remember that.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± asked Chloe confused. Then she smiled ¡°Hee, hee I love you too Ms. Anya!¡± and she walked to the back with Sam. When Chloe vanished, Anya pulled her striker. ¡°My lady, please don¡¯t fight them. They¡¯ll kill you,¡± Bimmy begged, urging Anya to exit the building quietly. Anya smirked and stared at the front entrance. ¡°As if those traitors could,¡± she growled and turned to Bimmy, ¡°Bim, I need one last favor!¡± Bimmy stared at her, and understood. ¡°But of course, and I have a tiny one for a fair maiden like you!¡± ¡°Hm hm hm, I bet you do!¡± she cackled. Burst One minute later Bimmy took a reading on his wrist gear and determined the building was surrounded by ten men and four brute men. Anya left instructions with him to quietly secure what she needed. ¡°My lady?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Bim...I need that part so I¡¯ll be back to get it!¡± she said running toward a freight exit that lead to an alley. She took a deep breath, and with her force field surrounding her, she burst out the exit door to a hail of stun-blasters and howling by House Planter guards. ¡°It¡¯s Anya, take her alive!¡± the guards shouted. ¡°You have to catch me first you fake cops!¡± she yelled. Anya jumped on a stack of metal parts in the alley and climbed on the roof of Bimmy¡¯s building, pursued by the guards and their brute men. Her goal: distract her pursuers and get as far away from the building, and Chloe, as possible. ¡°Don¡¯t let her escape!¡± yelled the commander of the guards. ¡°Ha! Fuck you all!¡± she cursed back. Anya leaped from roof to roof. The guards kept pace firing but she dodged and blocked their stun shots. ¡°You can¡¯t catch me!¡± she screamed as she jumped to the street and dashed into moving traffic. Hopping on cars with her shield raised, she stood on top of a parked vehicle below a Mag Lev public bus rail. She checked down the rail as a bus streamed toward her. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Ho, now¡¯s my chance! With the bus above about to fly past her, Anya leapt to grab hold of the fast moving vehicle. But one of the guards fired a force field blast knocking her out of the air. Oh no! She formed a shield before she hit the ground, absorbing most of the impact. But she dropped her striker. She tried to get up and run to the sidewalk but found herself surrounded by guards. One fired a stun blast at her leg, dropping her back on the ground. ¡°Stop moving or we will fire again!¡± yelled a squad leader who shot his weapon in the sky to get Anya¡¯s attention. In seconds a brute man and three guards pinned Anya¡¯s arm on the street, ripping off her wrist gear. ¡°Fuck me!¡± barked the wiley duchess, still struggling. ¡°Put her in chains!¡± huffed the squad leader as the guards finally subdued the mighty Anya Cesar. Time The guards placed the bruised Anya in an armored transport hover. A moment later a man in charge arrived on the scene. Late forties with a long face and dressed in a dark green garrison uniform. The man opened the hover transport door to view Anya. She turned to him and smirked. ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t the head of the foreskin House Guard himself, Alonso Go-Fuck-Yourself, or something like that, right?¡± said Anya. The man climbed into the van, ¡°Major Alonso Gother,¡± he corrected, ¡°And if I were you duchess Cesar, I¡¯d be more cooperative as we have you on a serious charge-¡± ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡± barked Anya in chains, ¡°You don¡¯t have shit but a trumped up conspiracy charge with zero evidence-¡± ¡°Correct, and that¡¯s all we need to take you into custody!¡± he snapped. ¡°You can¡¯t hold me!¡± she growled. ¡°Oh no? You¡¯d be surprised at what I can and cannot do, lady Anya. So just sit tight and watch your whole world fall apart hm hm hm!¡± he cackled. Anya¡¯s face dimmed and her eyes narrowed. Alonso glared at her. ¡°Oh, not so fast with a comeback, my lady?¡± he asked. Anya¡¯s eyes, now steely slits, locked on Alonso. ¡°Alonso Bayer Gother, son of Frand Bayer Gother, a committed and loyal civil servant,¡± she hissed in a low voice. Alonso stared at her, ¡°So you do know me, duchess?¡± Anya smirked evil. ¡°Of course I know you, you fucking tool. You¡¯re one of the men on my list. Because I know who you really are you murderous traitor, hm hm hm hm hm!¡± Anya cackled. Alonso stood back. ¡°You know nothing, duchess!¡± he whispered. ¡°Ohhhhh? Is that right? Then why are you so scared when I¡¯m the one in chains Alonso, hmm?¡± She raised her handcuffed arms in front of him, taunting him. Alonso smirked. ¡°Your desperate threats mean nothing. And don¡¯t worry, we will catch your synthetic and that child grounder momentarily,¡± he said. Anya¡¯s expression went cold as she glared at him. ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t think we knew about the sewer access in that building? Heh heh, well, I see that got your attention, duchess¡± said Alonso. Anya turned to him and smiled. ¡°All you said was you haven¡¯t caught them yet,¡± she said. ¡°Patience my lady, their capture is inevitable,¡± said Alonso. Anya''s face perked up. ¡°Hahahaha! Ah Alonso, you''re definitely a fool!¡± she laughed. Alonso said nothing, his face stern. ¡°One more thing, Alonso. Something I learned on earth,¡± she smiled gazing at her chains. Alonso ground his teeth and raised his eyebrow. ¡°Amuse me, duchess. What did you learn on earth?¡± he asked. ¡°What you will soon learn Alonso, that Karma is a Bitch!¡± she turned to him with a cruel smile, ¡°And so am I! Hm hm ha haha!¡± she cackled. Alonso slammed the hover door closed. Leaving Anya chained in the dark armored vehicle. Still laughing. ¡­.. Eres Technology (only If you are interested ^_^ ) Two hundred years more advanced than earth technology. Eren technology consists of practical applications as we would imagine. Machines, computers and robots that do most if not all manual labor that does not consist of human intuition or human leadership. Advanced A.I. (but still not perfect). Also the Erens have moved past the digital age into the Neuro Age, with the creation of Neuro Tech tools. Neuro Tech: is ¡°Thought Technology,¡± which allows weapons such as strikers and wrist gear to create blades, shift, and become pistols and form various types of force fields and shields with just a thought. Neuro technology is what also allows the human body to work as an energy source to power up weapons and force fields. Geteroplasma: Weapons and force fields are created from a state of matter not yet discovered on earth called Geteroplasma. A thousand times stronger than earth¡¯s plasmic energy. Geteroplasma is a malleable state of energy that on it¡¯s own can form force fields, shields and even blunt and edged weapons. Strikers: When the striker weapon appears to form a blade, the blade forming is actually a soft and brittle steel created inside a geteroplasmic casing. So basically yes, you do see a steel blade forming when fighters extend, however the blade itself is no stronger than a child¡¯s toy. But the geteroplasma surrounding it gives the steel the capability to cut through... well...just about anything on earth if the wielder is strong enough...but not as many things on Eres (their metal is too strong). When you saw Anya¡¯s blade shatter, that was because Sorcia smashed Anya¡¯s striker handle so hard with her geteroplasmic shield, it rattled the geteroplasmic converters in Anya¡¯s striker. Thus causing Anya¡¯s striker plasma levels to drop, leaving her soft metal sword exposed and easily broken. (Yup, Sorcia was a fast strong chick). Forming Weapons from Thought: It takes practice. But as you can see they can speak to their weapons and tell them to form whatever. Or they just form the weapon. Typically this is not the case with new gear or new strikers, as the Neuro tech has to ¡°get used¡± to the user as he she repeatedly uses thought patterns to form certain fields or shields or types of striker blades. So why do the Strikers use Soft Metal? Good question! 1. Geteroplasma uses less energy to maintain it¡¯s shape if it has a casing (a shaped blade) to wrap itself around. Hence when Striker blades are formed it sucks a fraction of energy from the wielder since it has a stable metal blade to wrap itself around. 1. Why soft metal? When the plasma wraps itself around the metal it binds to the metal at a subatomic level and increases the metal¡¯s mass. If it were a true steel sword blade, no man on Eres or earth could lift it. By using soft metal, the strikers become incredibly light and strong, hence adding to the blinding speed of fighters as their weapons are so light. Why Does Gear Suck You Dry 1. Wrist gear is doing a whole lot more than a striker. They are advanced computers (your smart phone two hundred years in the future). They need constant energy. 1. It¡¯s actually the Geteroplasma that sucks as we can see. The fighters are shooting it, forming bubbles, shields. Because the plasma needs to maintain it¡¯s shape without a casing it takes a massive amount of energy. Artificial Intelligence- IS STILL NOT PERFECT on Eres. Mr. Sam Sentinel is fairly advanced, however machines, no matter how fast they can compute, still lack intuition, touch, leadership. The A.I. of Eres (as it does on earth) operates on a probability system to make their decisions. But in order to create their ideal decision they need more and more information. In the case of Sam, you see him becoming more human as he is constantly being exposed to more situations that force him to make decisions. As he experiences more in life he is able to compute more diverse outcomes. Example: He was able to conclude what would upset Chloe in the bath based on being around her and judging her reactions from the past. The more information he can receive, the more experience, the more...human like...he can become. Whew. I hope that¡¯s enough for now. Ask me anything else I will explain in the comments ^_^ Next time, the difference between Erens and Earthlings ^_^ Chapter 24- Big Cousin ¡°Chloe?¡± yelped Anya. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°...Ms. Anya loves you...remember that.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± asked Chloe confused. She then smiled, ¡°Hee, hee I love you too Ms. Anya!¡± and walked to the back with Sam. Sam and Chloe Chloe followed the flying bug-bot down to the building basement. Nervous, she grabbed Sam¡¯s hand. ¡°Sam? What do you want to show me down here?¡± she said, stopping in the dark room. Chloe pushed him back. ¡°What? No, we can¡¯t leave Ms. Anya-¡± An explosion of blaster fire shook the upstairs floor and the building. Sam pulled Chloe behind him as the flying bug zipped faster, urging them further into the basement. Sam and Chloe followed the bug into a narrow hallway in the dark, until an energy blast from the end of the hall blew the bug to pieces. ¡°They¡¯re down here!¡± screamed Chloe. Sam raised his shield and fired his striker blaster at four brute men emerging from the dark hallway. The brute¡¯s raised their shields and the first one dashed straight at Sam who charged back at him. Sam shouted as he crashed shields with the first brute man in the hallway, blocking the three behind him. ¡°Right!¡± She raised her wrist gear in front of her face, ¡°Shield up!¡± she yelled. Her gear wrapped a force field around her, protecting her from the brute men¡¯s stun blasts as she ducked behind a boiler. While Sam engaged the brute men Chloe put her gear to use. ¡°Is there another way out of here?¡± she asked her wrist device, and it displayed an instant response. ¡°Oh! Send that info to Sam now!¡± she cried. Chloe¡¯s gear transmitted the message to Sam who received it instantly. He turned and nodded at Chloe and reeled back from the first attacking brute man. As soon as the brute stepped forward, Sam shifted his pistol to sword and slashed the brute and the second one behind it, destroying them both. He shifted the sword back to pistol and aimed at the basement wall on his right. He shouted and blasted a hole to the next building. ¡°Ok!¡± With her shield raised Chloe jumped through the blast hole. Sam followed her while firing at the remaining brute men in the hallway. As he caught up to her he lifted her in his arms, Running through the building, crashing into people and machines, Sam and Chloe made it to a far wall. Still clutching Chloe, Sam blasted the wall and dove out to the open sidewalk. He tumbled on the ground, recovered, and sprinted down the block carrying her. As they reached a corner Sam charged at four men posted on hoverbikes and fired his force field at them. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s him-¡± yelled one of the men as the field knocked him off his hoverbike. Sam grabbed the man¡¯s bike and fired his pistol at the remaining three men, who pulled back forming shields. Chloe, a veteran back seat rider, leapt on the hoverbike Sam held. ¡°Come on let¡¯s go!¡± she shouted. Sam mounted and spun the bike in the air, and took off down the near empty backstreet, clocking zero to one hundred mph, in two seconds. ¡°Yaaaaaaaan!¡± screamed Chloe holding on for dear life as Sam darted the vehicle through intersection traffic. Chloe turned her head in the blinding wind to see the three men on hoverbikes closing in fast, and firing blasters. Sam slowed down as traffic grew heavy. He dashed on the sidewalk and zig zagged through vehicles and people, but the men kept up, and kept firing. ¡°Sam, they¡¯re really close!¡± she screamed. So close the pursuers shot Sam twice in his right leg while he concentrated his force field around Chloe. Sparks flew from his leg and smoke plumed from the hoverbikes'' engine. The smoke flew in Chloe¡¯s face as she checked Sam¡¯s damage. ¡°Sam, your leg is hit!¡± she cried gaping at his burned metal skeleton. Sam turned down an alley and flew straight at a dead end wall. Chloe peeked in front and turned pale. ¡°Sam, that¡¯s a wall! What are you doing?¡± He raised his blaster. ¡°Eh? Oh, Yes!¡± she remembered. He fired a high energy blast at the wall, and crashed the hoverbike through the hole and into the building. ¡°Yaaah!¡± Chloe screamed, flying off the bike. Sam released the hoverbike and grabbed her in mid air. He formed a shield and absorbed their crash as the bike smashed apart on the building floor. Behind him the three pursuers couldn¡¯t stop in time and slammed their hovers through the building hole. Thrown from their bikes they landed on their faces. Chloe, shaken, pulled herself from Sam, who stood limping on his damaged leg. ¡°Sam!¡± she yelled, as six soldiers flew into the room yelling and aiming pistols at the three crashed bikers and at Sam. ¡°Put your hands on your head!¡± they screamed. Sam and the three bikers complied, and a female soldier with a cobra banner patch on her arm knelt beside the frightened Chloe. ¡°Hey, take it easy,¡± she said in a calm voice. Chloe trembled and stood still. yelped Sam. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Chloe snapped out of it and faced the soldier, ¡°Right! Um, Miss..my name is... Chloe Cesar and I''m Baroness of the Sayerglades.¡± The female soldier¡¯s eyes widened and she bowed her head to Chloe. She then stood up and called out to a tall man already running toward them. The man knelt down next to Chloe. On his right arm he wore the patch of the Cesar¡¯s Black Eagle. Chloe recognized his Cesar family patch as Sam turned to the man. said Sam. The man, Leopold Cesar, acknowledged Sam and faced Chloe. ¡°Little cousin, did those men hurt you?¡± he asked. ¡°No big cousin, I¡¯m ok, but they shot Sam!¡± she said pointing at her limping bodyguard. Leopold scowled, and turned to the female soldier. ¡°Lieutenant Peret, take her and her synthetic to the back, and contact my uncle.¡± As he spoke he removed his gear and striker and handed the weapons to the female lieutenant. ¡°Colonel? What are you doing?¡± The lieutenant asked. ¡°Forgive me lieutenant,¡± he said, patting Chloe¡¯s head, ¡°But I need to question the bastards who dared to fire blasters at my little cousin here,¡± he growled. Leopold smiled at Chloe and urged her to leave with the lieutenant. But as soon as Chloe walked away she saw his smile vanish. He glared pure hate at the three men with their hands on their head, and cracked his knuckles. Three Hours Later Leopold arrived at Eiten Manor with Chloe and Sam. Anya¡¯s parents, The Duke and Duchess met them in the entrance room. ¡°Leopold! Kave¡¯s love, you brought Chloe back safe!¡± cried Anya¡¯s mother, duchess Elania, as she hugged Chloe. Leopold bowed in his Uncle and Aunt¡¯s presence, ¡°Aunty, you know I value our family¡¯s safety and honor above all else.¡± Duke Stellan bade his nephew to rise. ¡°Leo, how did the child find you?¡± asked Stellan. ¡°It seems Anya provided the synthetic the location to our military office downtown,¡± he said pointing at Sam. ¡°A smart move by cousin Anya.¡± Stellan scowled, ¡°Your cousin Anya has been arrested by the House Planters on a conspiracy charge of treason against the House Trident.¡± Leopold¡¯s face raged, ¡°Uncle, those charges against her are fraudulent and meant to wedge the people against the nobles!¡± he snarled. ¡°I know, nephew,¡± he moved close to Leopold. ¡°Did those men you captured talk?¡± Leopold displayed his bruised knuckles to his uncle. ¡°But of course they talked, uncle. As if they had a choice,¡± he said with an evil smile. Stellan frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t need the details of how, nephew. But come, let¡¯s discuss matters in private.¡± As Leopold and Stellan stepped off a lean young man in a t-shirt entered the room. Chloe turned to the young man. ¡°Leeeeeif!¡± she cried and jumped on him, squeezing him tight. ¡°Leif I was so worried about you!¡± ¡°Worried about me? Why?¡± He hugged her and teased her, ¡°Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m hard to kill? heh, heh!¡± Leif spent the next few minutes hugging his family, and being lovingly scolded by his older cousin Leopold. ¡°I heard you took a fatal blow from Hannibal. I know I taught you better than that, boy!¡± growled Leopold. Leif puffed his chest out, ¡°I won¡¯t give you any excuses, cousin. Hannibal did get the better of me, but he won¡¯t again!¡± said Leif with conviction. He spoke to Leopold with the deference of a beloved older brother. Duke Stellan smirked at Leopold and Leif. ¡°Foolish boys, the both of you. Come, we must discuss matters in my office,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there, grandfather,¡± said Leif. He turned to Chloe, ¡°Chloe, go ahead with grandma and get something to eat, I¡¯ll be back to talk you later.¡± Chloe frowned, ¡°Ok¡­.will we be able to see Ms. Anya?¡± Leif paused. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll go see her tomorrow. I promise.¡± ¡°I believe you,¡± said Chloe. Leif patted her head and dashed after his grandfather and cousin. Afterwards two servants and an engineer entered the room. The engineer helped Sam, and the servants walked with the grand duchess and Chloe. ¡°Cheer up little one, we¡¯ll have tea and I¡¯ll tell you all about Leif and Maya, and Anya when they were little like you!¡± said duchess Elania. Chloe smiled, ¡°Ms. Anya was little like me? No way!¡± she looked up at the duchess, ¡°Was she a bad little girl?¡± she asked. ¡°Was Anya bad? Hahaha, my dear child!¡± The duchess squeezed Chloe¡¯s face, ¡°Bad would be a compliment!¡± ¡­. Pointless Trivia if you''re interested ^_^ The Female Lieutenant- her name is Lt. Eva Peret- (23, gold-brown hair, brown eyes, very pretty) She is from the Noble Clan Peret (Banner: Spitting Vipers). Baron Vesh Peret (the sadist) was killed by Rylan in chapter 15. Vesh was Eva''s second cousin. Lol, told you it was pointless ^_^ Chapter 25- Hannibal Ox! The heavy bass music blasting from the speakers shook Hannibal¡¯s room. Rebecca Li, naked under a silk red robe, danced in front of Hannibal. He stared at her until she stopped and faced him. ¡°I get high, I get a little crazy,¡± she said with a hazy smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be shy girl,¡± Hannibal whispered, and clutched her hand, pulling her toward him. His lust swelled as she turned away, swaying with the music. He opened her robe, and caressed her tits. Rebecca pulled back, while Hannibal wrapped his arm around her, stopping her. ¡°Don¡¯t you move!¡± he warned, and she froze as he palmed her ass and ravaged her from her breasts down. She tried to pull away, ¡°I¡¯m sixteen,¡± she whimpered. Hannibal ignored her and grinned. ¡°You girl..your eyes...we don¡¯t have girls like you where I¡¯m from.¡± He tasted her, ¡°You¡¯re coming back with me.¡± ¡°No!¡± Rebecca cried, then scowled and pointed behind him at someone in the room. ¡°What''s she doing here?¡± Hannibal spun and stared at the new girl dancing in his room. ¡°M-My Lady?¡± he gasped. Maya, naked before him, two-stepped to the music. Her long brown hair covered her front like Lady Godiva. Hannibal, in disbelief, released Rebecca and dropped to Maya¡¯s feet. ¡°There are none before you, my lady,¡± he whispered with his head down. Maya smirked and stroked Hannibal¡¯s hair. Then she pulled his face into her womanhood. ¡°Hannibal?¡± ¡°Yes, my lady?¡± he answered, inhaling and wrapping his arms around her. She raised his chin, ¡°The last man who tested me failed..So please study hard, study long, and don''t fail," she said. He gazed at her wanting to answer, but she vanished. And he woke up. ?? I get high, meditate like a monk, preposterous when I get drunk¡­?? ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± Hannibal shouted at the music blasting in the living room. He hopped off his bed and barked, ¡°Tidus?¡± ¡°What?¡± yelled Tidus from the living room. ¡°Turn it up! I like that track!¡± The barons kept a hideout on the other side of the desert, away from the city. A two bedroom shack. Darna took the master bedroom, Hannibal took the small bedroom. Tidus and Zane slept in the living room. It neared midnight and Hannibal wanted to hit the road to Albuquerque to steal the ampsediun diamonds. He strolled in the living room and found Tidus staring out the window. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± he asked peeking out. In the front of the house Darna shouted at Zane at the top of her lungs, ¡°You are not my man and have no say in what I do you fucking asshole!¡± The two went back and forth. ¡°Huh?¡± Hannibal turned to Tidus, ¡°Hey, were those two ever a thing? You know...were they ever together?¡± he asked puzzled. Tidus shook his head and laughed, ¡°Ha ha, no! Darna rejected Zane a month ago, and now he¡¯s jealous of her earth boy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Hannibal frowned, ¡°Zane, you¡¯re a punk!¡± Hannibal opened the front door to console the fighters. ¡°Hey you two! Shut the fuck up and let¡¯s go!¡± Two minutes later they hit the road to Albuquerque. Heist The barons reached Albuquerque before three a.m. Outside the city limits they split into three vehicles. Hannibal and Zane drove a stolen grey car into the city. They¡¯d break into the jewelry exchange and steal the diamonds. Darna followed four cars behind them on Leif¡¯s motorcycle. She would scan for police cars as a rear lookout. Tidus parked outside the city limits in Hannibal¡¯s black pick up. As the final getaway driver he shut down every alarm and camera in a fifteen mile radius using his wrist gear. With everyone in place, Hannibal and Zane circled the block of the Albuquerque jewelry exchange. The building stood on a corner with a parking lot behind it. ¡°Pull into the lot,¡± said Hannibal scanning the small structure. Wearing black jackets and jeans, the two barons exited the car and hid in the dark behind the building. Darna rolled by on the street and gave them the all clear. They placed an explosive charge on the door and muffled the explosion with a force field. In seconds they were inside the exchange. Scrambling in the building Zane read the ampsediun reading and pointed to a large vault. Again they muffled an explosion and cracked the vault. And the alarm went off. ¡°What the hell?¡± shouted Hannibal as bells rang in every direction. Zane lowered his head and grabbed the ampsediun diamonds from the opened vault. ¡°It¡¯s a mechanical alarm, not connected to a computer!¡± ¡°How efficiently low tech!¡± laughed Hannibal as the two raced out of the noisy building. Intercept Two policemen in a squad car heard the alarm three blocks away. The officers hit their lights and raced to the scene. The passenger cop radioed to dispatch. ¡°Dispatch, this is car twelve checking on a ten-fifty two, audible alarm on the ...dispatch?..hello dispatch?..Hey, the radio¡¯s not working!¡± ¡°No time partner, let¡¯s go!¡± barked his partner driving the squad car. He then floored the pedal with the sirens on. Stolen story; please report. As soon as the cops hit the block they both spotted Hannibal and Zane jumping in the grey stolen car. "That''s them!" shouted the passenger cop. But one second later the back of their squad car lifted off the ground and the whole cruiser tilted forward. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± shouted the officers as the car flipped over and landed on it¡¯s roof with a crash in the middle of the street. ¡°What the fuck just happened?¡± yelled the driver cop. Both cops were upside down and trapped in their car. Neither barely had a description of the two suspect. Amazing Zane raced away from the scene while Hannibal watched the police car flip over in the rear window. Behind the squad cruiser, Darna sped down a separate block. Hannibal slapped Zane¡¯s shoulder, giddy. ¡°Ha ha! Did you see what Darna just did?¡± he shouted. ¡°She¡¯s amazing like that,¡± answered Zane. Hannibal stared at him and smirked, ¡°How the hell would you know? Haha!¡± Driving to the city limits they passed parked squad cars of police talking to each other in person, with non-working phones and radios. Hannibal laughed at the carnage. ¡°Ha, a child¡¯s hack can shut this entire city down like this? Hooo...That means there¡¯s nothing stopping me from taking this planet.¡± Zane turned to him,¡°One thing at a time, Hannibal!¡± he warned. ¡°I know baron. We have business on Eres. And once we get both grounders together¡± he took a deep breath and smiled, ¡°Then we¡¯ll be gods! Hm hm hm!¡± Hannibal took the bag of diamonds out of his pocket and defiantly threw them up on the dash board. ¡°Damn earthlings don¡¯t even know we¡¯re here,¡± he grunted. The barons drove the stolen car to a field outside the city and torched it. Tidus maintained his communication shut down of the whole county, then raced to pick up Hannibal and Zane with Darna behind. Hannibal jumped in the passenger seat of the pickup, ¡°Tidus! play some loud metal and don¡¯t stop driving until we reach¡­¡­..¡± ?????? Truth or Consequences, New Mexico The barons stopped at a truck diner off the twenty five in the small city of Truth or Consequences. They all squeezed in a booth eating pancakes and everything else. Darna wanted to visit the Rock Canyon Marina, a famous attraction in the city. ¡°The websites say it¡¯s beautiful this time of year,¡± she said to the barons. They all chuckled. ¡°Maybe when we return, baroness. Right now I want to get some sleep,¡± said Hannibal. ¡°Why?¡± asked Darna,¡°So you can be fresh to see my cousin this afternoon at her school performance?¡± Everyone stared at Hannibal. He gulped and blushed. ¡°I¡¯m attending because lady Maya is the Marchioness of C-¡± ¡°You seem fond of her,¡± said Darna, expressionless. ¡°What?~¡± gasped Hannibal, wide eyed and caught off guard. Tidus and Zane burst out laughing and Hannibal pouted. Darna remained expressionless, as she noticed the cop outside the diner. Pursuit Trooper Pat Sanchez of the New Mexico state patrol entered the diner as the barons paid their bill and exited. They brushed passed him and stepped out to their black pickup, with Darna¡¯s motorcycle in the truck¡¯s bed. To trooper Sanchez there was just something off about them. The way they reacted when he entered the Diner. And their look. All dressed in black. Possible Alburquerque suspects? The trooper called his dispatch, ¡°Dispatch be advised, one white male and one hispanic male possibly fitting the description-..dispatch? Sandy are you there?¡± His radio didn¡¯t function. Outside the barons sped off down the highway in their pickup truck. The trooper, alone and without a radio, ran out to his patrol car and raced after the barons with his lights blaring. He tried calling dispatch from his cruiser radio. ¡°Sandy? Dispatch?¡± Nothing. He tried his cell phone, no signal and his dash camera no longer recorded. ¡°La verga!¡± he cursed at the electronics in his car. But kept pursuit of the black pickup. Without a radio or backup, Trooper Sanchez hoped his blaring lights would draw attention to him. He closed in on the pickup truck and shouted a warning on his loudspeaker. ¡°Driver! Pull over!¡± The Trooper warned one time and backed off allowing the pickup to pull over on the shoulder. But the black truck never slowed down. A second later the truck passenger window opened and thunderous metal music screamed from the vehicle. ¡°What the hell?¡± muttered Sanchez as he unstrapped his sidearm in his holster. He lifted the walkie to his mouth to issue another warning. As he prepared to shout he witnessed a large male open the passenger door of the speeding vehicle, and step on the ledge. What''s he doing? The large man on the door ledge pointed a weapon at the trooper¡¯s cruiser, muttered something, and fired. Trooper Sanchez slammed on his brakes and turned his wheel to avoid the shot- ¡­..The red beam that hit the cruiser, blew the hood off the car, and set the engine on fire. One second later¡­ The New Mexico state police cruiser, exploded in a fireball on the dark highway. Leaving no recording, radio dispatches, or witnesses. .... Chapter 26- Man of Culture ? You used to call me on my cell phone ? Late night when you need my love ? Friday afternoon. Hannibal peacocked in front of his wall mirror as R&B music pumped in the living room. He checked himself from head to toe in his new clothes: Dark dungarees, cowboy boots and blazer. ¡°Look at you, a man of culture!¡± he said smiling at his own reflection. Outside of his room, Darna passed in the hallway, talking on her pre-paid mobile phone. Hannibal eyeballed her wearing a sexy midriff shirt and short black leather skirt. He squinted in suspicion. "Ay! Why you dressed like that? Who you talking too? That earth dude?" He shouted at her. ¡°None of your business!¡± she yelled back. He smirked, ¡°Ha ha, you dumb bitch, he¡¯ll break your heart and I¡¯m gonna laugh!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± She stormed in his room, paused, and sniffed the air, ¡°What¡¯s that nice smell?¡± she asked. Hannibal grinned, ¡°It¡¯s my new cologne. It¡¯s expensive. I paid a hundred dollars for it at the mall!¡± he displayed the silver bottle. ¡°You can¡¯t get a bottle for your earth boy cause this scent is for men,¡± he said grabbing his crotch. Darna glared at him, expressionless. ¡°Are you dressed so nice for my cousin Maya or the pretty girl with the strange eyes...Rebecca?¡± she asked. Hannibal checked his teeth in the mirror and smiled at Darna. ¡°I look nice for all you bitches! Now move!¡± Glowing, he walked out the hideout and toward Anya¡¯s banged up SUV in the driveway. Darna chased him, ¡°Where are Tidus and Zane?¡± she asked. Hannibal started the vehicle, ¡°They went grocery shopping or something. But I told them to get rid of that pickup truck!¡± he said. ¡°Oh,¡± she answered in a pigeon toed pose. He raised his eyebrow. ¡°What about you, what are you doing? Do you have a date with that boy or what?¡± he asked. Darna turned away red faced, ¡°It¡¯s not a date!¡± Hannibal laughed, ¡°Ha ha, whatever baroness. I¡¯ll be back in a few hours!¡± Well dressed and smelling good, Hannibal peeled out of the driveway. Leaving Darna to her own problems. The Green Knight Hannibal grumbled at the packed school auditorium. Rylan¡¯s play, with Rebecca and Maya as leads, sold out that morning. The play served as a beacon to role-player fantasy nerds from all over the city. More than a dozen audience members arrived in cosplay warrior armor. ¡°Hmph. Posers!¡± Hannibal mumbled to himself. But all attention turned to the stage in the third act as the action reached it¡¯s climax. Maya, the Green Knight, defeated the four princes in glorious combat, befitting a noble of her stature. But now she faced the dragon. The red beast flew across the stage spitting red paper fire. The audience cheered. Maya, the Green Knight, twirled her mighty prop spear in a magnificent martial arts display and struck the dragon, running him through. The cosplayers exploded in applause and rowdy screams of, I love you Green Knight! Hannibal fumed with narrow eyes at the howlers. I should slay them for disrespect. On stage the Green Knight defeated the dragon to the roars of the crowd. The thankful Princess Rebecca rewarded her Green Knight with a girl on girl kiss. The audience roared and jumped to their feet demanding an encore. ¡°It can¡¯t be over, it¡¯s too good, I love you Green Knight!¡± cried the cosplayers. When the curtains dropped the actors walked off stage to greet the audience. Hannibal, politely, shoved his way through the crowd to greet Rebecca. Fuck outta my way! When he reached her, their eyes met and she smiled. ¡°Hi, I remember you!¡± she said. Hannibal bowed, and from behind his back he presented Rebecca six roses. Three white, three red. ¡°Oh my, thank you!¡± She blushed, accepting his gift. He grinned a bad boy grin. ¡°My lady Rebecca, had I been your Knight, I would¡¯ve brought you that dragon¡¯s head.¡± Rebecca covered her mouth and laughed, ¡°Ha, I¡¯m happy to know that, sir. And thank you for the roses,¡± she said, with a sparkle in her eye. Hannibal, drugged by Rebecca¡¯s gaze, tried to respond. But a hand grabbed his and yanked him away. He turned startled. ¡°Eh? Lady Maya?¡± Maya dragged him to an empty hallway behind the stage. ¡°Hannibal, what are you doing here? You and Zane are all over the news?¡± she cried. Hannibal smirked. ¡°No we¡¯re not. Just some vague eyewitness descriptions.¡± Maya frowned. ¡°You killed a cop on a highway and blew up his car. You can¡¯t keep walking around in public!¡± He smiled, ¡°Why? Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°What?¡± Maya blushed. ¡°N-No! Why would I worry about you?¡± she squeaked and turned away. Hannibal smirked, ¡°My lady, I brought you a gift.¡± He reached in his blazer and presented her a box of Tuscany Chocolates. Maya gaped at the box, ¡°Hannibal...this is ¡­.thousand dollar chocolate...where did you?...when did you?¡± Hannibal moved close to her as she cradled his gift. ¡°My lady, we don¡¯t have chocolate on our world. So it¡¯s only fitting you receive the best from this world.¡± Maya kept her eyes down. Hannibal, gently, lifted her chin. Their eyes met. ¡°My lady...I..¡± She pulled away. ¡°Hannibal?¡± ¡°Yes, lady Maya?¡± ¡°You have to go home. And stop being seen, I command you.¡± She spoke softly. Hannibal bowed, ¡°Forgive me.¡± He turned to leave. ¡°Oh, one last thing!¡± she said grabbing his arm and stopping him. ¡°Yes?¡± Her eyes squinted. ¡°I saw you give Rebecca those roses.¡± Hannibal¡¯s face paled, he dropped to one knee, ¡°My lady, she...uh.. it is my duty as a noble-¡± Maya burst out laughing, ¡°Ha ha, I¡¯m messing with you fool! Go home!¡± Hannibal stood up embarrassed, ¡°Lady Maya!¡± he whined in protest. She just laughed, ¡°Hee Hee, did you like the show, baron? And don¡¯t lie!¡± Hannibal smiled. ¡°Heh, heh I loved it. And of course you had to show off your Alexandrian spear technique!¡± he teased. ¡°Ha! You caught that?¡± she beamed. ¡°I was the only one out there who could!¡± he joked. Then he clenched his fist and scowled, ¡°And I showed restraint by not slaying your loud fanboys!¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t go bullying my fans!¡± Maya laughed and pushed him to the exit door, ¡°Now go home, baron. And behave yourself!¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Always, my lady,¡± he chuckled and bowed to her, and she curtseyed back. Afterward he exited to the parking lot and strolled to Anya¡¯s SUV with a hop in his step. ¡°Good times,¡± he mumbled as he started the engine. ? Hi, if you play guitar, you¡¯re not a musician! ? The metal lyrics blasted from his speakers as he raced out of the parking lot. On top of the world. Bad Boys Hannibal jammed to the music as he drove north on Sonoma Ranch Blvd. Ahh, I forgot to tell Maya I¡¯d bring her the machine lat- Sirens and lights suddenly grabbed his attention. A county police car rolled behind him fast and flashed him to pull over. Oh, what is it now? Hannibal ran the hack program on his gear and shut down the cop¡¯s camera and radio. The police cruiser wobbled in pursuit as the cop tried to call anybody on anything. ¡°Fool!¡± grunted Hannibal as he watched the cop fumble in his rearview mirror. The officer in the car yelled on the loudspeaker to pull over the SUV. Hannibal floored the pedal and raced down the blvd. While speeding away from the cop he called Zane on his gear. ¡°Hey! I gotta cop chasing me, where are you?¡± asked Hannibal. ¡°On the way back to the house, I just dropped Tidus by the mall with Darna,¡± said Zane. ¡°What? You still have the pickup? I told you to atomize it!¡± yelled Hannibal. ¡°We needed to drive it! Besides I¡¯m not the one being chased by an earth cop, Hannibal! So kill that weakling and meet me at the house!¡± said Zane signing off. Hannibal punched the dashboard and checked his rearview. The cop closed in fast as he raced down the blvd and into the desert. ¡°Stupid cop, I got something for you!¡± he grunted. Once Hannibal eyed no witnesses, he slowed the SUV down and shifted his striker to a pistol. The cop kept pace behind him but didn¡¯t get too close. Frustrated, Hannibal slammed on the brakes and skidded to a stop. But the police cruiser, moving too fast, crashed into the back of the SUV. ¡°Fuck!¡± yelled Hannibal as the cruiser¡¯s impact smashed his head into the SUV windshield and he nearly blacked out. After a second Hannibal regained his senses and kicked his way out of the passenger side of the now totaled SUV. The cop pulled himself from his own wrecked cruiser and ran around the back of it with his weapon drawn. Shouting from cover, the cop ordered Hannibal to get on the ground. Oh please. Hannibal aimed his pistol at the cop and blew the back of the police cruiser away. But he blasted the gas tank and the cruiser lit into a fireball on the empty desert blvd. Along with the cop. Hannibal jumped clear of the explosion. Damn, that¡¯s gonna draw attention. And I can¡¯t wait here and try to steal another car. Out of options Hannibal ran out into the open desert and toward the mountains. As long as he kept the hack on and vanished into no-man¡¯s-land, he stood a chance. Baron Zane As Zane drove home to the four barons¡¯ hideout, he pondered the call he¡¯d just received from Hannibal. Now the city police are looking for him, and me! I told Hannibal not to shoot that cop in public last night. The earthlings are not as primitive as he goes on!....But how did they know we were he- Within sight of their desert shack, Zane spotted three, no five, police cars with their lights on outside of the barons¡¯ hideout shack. ¡°Kave¡¯s fire!¡± he cursed. He couldn¡¯t stop on the road and turn the big pickup truck around. Too suspicious, the cops would notice. He had to drive past them and the house, and play cool as if he were a random motorist. He rolled up his window and drove at the legal speed. But as soon as he reached the house, two officers spotted his truck, and pointed at him. Crap! Zane drove past the house checking his rearview mirrors. Three police cars pulled out of the hideout driveway and raced after him. Zane mashed the gas pedal, and called Darna. ¡°Darna, the cops are chasing me and Hannibal!¡± he shouted to his wrist gear. ¡°I know! Hannibal just called. He''s running in the desert to Rylan¡¯s house! That¡¯s the rally point!¡± Darna replied. ¡°Tidus and I have shut this entire city down. No earthling can communicate!¡± she said. ¡°Good, we¡¯ll meet at the grounder¡¯s house!¡± yelled Zane, ¡°However, I have to destroy this entire police force or they''ll chase me to Rylan¡¯s yard!¡± shouted Zane. As he spoke, shots rang out from the police cruisers pursuing him. They fired and struck his rear tires. Dammit all! Zane lost control of the pickup and slowed down. Like Hannibal before him, he prepared his striker and¡­ A force field? As Zane tried to maintain control of the pickup, a force field formed around the vehicle. Panicked, he checked his settings on his gear. I¡¯m not creating this force field, it isn¡¯t coming from me...wait..It¡¯s a prison! The pickup truck, completely engulfed in a force field prison, stopped dead on the street. Zane pulled his pistol and fired at the force field walls in frustration. He couldn¡¯t communicate with his gear inside the prison. But when his gear beeped a warning he settled down. Oh, I see now..An atomizer..How devious of you¡­ Only then did Baron Zane Daidor of Atrein, banner of the Rock Lion, master of the Iron Lance technique...accept his cruel fate. Witness Later that evening the six police officers pursuing Zane, would all share the same story of what they witnessed. Every cop wrote the same exact report, as if they practiced a lie to perfection. In pursuit of the suspect pickup truck, all three cruisers chased blind with no radio communication or video capture. In moments, the suspect vehicle stopped driving, surrounded by a bluish translucent bubble. After the bubble formed around the vehicle, a soundless explosion occurred inside the bubble. The officers all swore they witnessed the black pickup truck and the suspect explode and then implode inside the bubble. Afterwards the bubble, and everything inside of it, vanished¡­ ¡­.without a trace¡­or a sound. ... Chapter 27- Bastard Sword Scorch Hannibal ran through the desert for ten miles toward the squaw mountain base. The sun blazed down on him as he repeatedly tried to make contact with his fellow barons on his wrist gear. Damn, why can¡¯t I raise anyone? And this heat...even for a Kellan officer...this is too much. Panting and approaching dehydration, Hannibal shuffled to a shaded rock to map his progress to Rylan¡¯s house. I made good time. From here it¡¯s only four miles to Rylan¡¯s yard...Haha stupid earth cops. No earth-man can survive in this desert. So they never searched for me out here. Still winded, the veteran warrior stood up and jogged another ten feet, trying to stay in the shade of the rocks. But he stopped when voices echoed in the mountains. Crap, cops! Hannibal jumped behind a boulder and listened for their location. The next sound, a flute chord, followed by bass music, and lyrics, ? Live fast, die young, bad girls do it well..? Hannibal crept out of his hiding spot and peeked around a rock at a path to Rylan¡¯s house. In the path, twenty feet away, a blue Dodge Challenger parked in the sand and blasted music. And in front of the car stood.. ¡°Eh? Maya?¡± Hannibal muttered, surprised to see her. Lady Maya danced to the bass track. Hannibal emerged from the rock cover with a confused expression. Maya, still dancing, turned and smiled at him with a wave. Hannibal, perplexed, waved back and tepidly walked toward her. ¡°Hannibal, what the hell took you so long?¡± she shouted over the music. Hannibal cocked his head. ¡°Eh? I um..Wait, what are you doing out he-¡± He never asked his question as Maya aimed her gear at him and blasted him with a force field shot. ¡°Graaaah!¡± he howled as the shot knocked him ten feet backwards into the base of the mountain. He barely blocked the blast with his own shield, but took all of the impact. ¡°Ouch,¡± He grunted as he tried to stand up and pulled himself to one knee. Maya strolled in front of him, with her twin dragon lance formed, and a cruel smile on her face. ¡°Hannibal?¡± She spoke softly. ¡°You must be exhausted and thirsty after running in that desert for what? Ten miles now?¡± Hannibal pulled his striker, but didn¡¯t extend the blade. Still groggy, he stalled. ¡°Maya, wait!¡± ¡°Oh it¡¯s Maya now? Not My Lady? Damn, baron, can you get your story straight?¡± Hannibal bit his lip and fired a force field blast at Maya. She sidestepped it. ¡°Too slow!¡± she yelled, and fired a counter blast at him, blowing him back into the mountain base. ¡°Aaaah!¡± he shouted and bounced off the rocks. The impact of her second blast hurt every bone in his body. Again, he tried to stand up, ¡°My Lady...I only meant-¡± Maya wasted no words and swung her spear at his head. Hannibal leapt up and extended his bardiche, blocking her swing. But Maya continued her attack, forcing him on the defensive. He formed his banner shield and blocked strike after strike, panting at each of her blows until he fell to his knees. Maya stopped her attack. ¡°Hm hm hm hm,¡± she cackled in her mother¡¯s voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter baron? Did I do to you what you did to my brother? Hmm? Don¡¯t you remember when you sicked those sentinels on him the other night? You ran him to exhaustion and stabbed him with your blade?¡± Without warning Maya jumped forward and cracked Hannibal¡¯s jaw with a flying knee, while song lyrics blared from her car ? Girl, you got me down, you got me stressed out ? Hannibal hit the ground, but jumped back up ready to fight. He glared at Maya while wiping his bloody lip. ¡°You fucking cunt! I spared-¡± As he swore, Maya thrust her spear in his face, and he dodged the strike by a hair. Pushed off balance, he swung wildly at her. But the well rested and super fast Maya, countered with a slice to his striker arm. ¡°Gaaah!¡± Hannibal yelled and dropped his bardiche. He stumbled back clutching his bleeding arm. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Maya, stared at him, expressionless. ¡°I¡¯m sorry baron, but what did you say? You spared me?¡± she asked in a mocking tone. ¡°And why exactly did you ¡°spare¡± me, hmm?¡± Maya smirked and cocked her head sideways. He glared at her. ¡°Hannibal, did you really think I¡¯d let you Fuck Me?¡± He said nothing and Maya burst out laughing, ¡°You aren¡¯t too bright, are you?¡± Her words cut him like a knife. Enraged, Hannibal charged at her firing his force field. Maya evaded his blasts as he recovered his striker. Now panting, he extended his bardiche. ¡°You Cesar bitch!¡± he shouted, and sliced at her. She smiled, blocked his strike, and thrust her spear through his right shoulder. ¡°Raaah!¡± he cried and stepped back scowling. Maya twirled her spear the way she did on stage earlier. When she stopped, he glanced at her face and saw¡­ Anya? Hannibal stared in Maya¡¯s cruel green eyes, fully aware of his situation. Even at his full strength the lightning fast Maya would prove a fearsome fighter. And now he faced her exhausted, dehydrated, and bleeding. ¡°Heh heh!¡± he chuckled to himself and raised his shield. He knew Maya was toying with him, and that ultimately, he was fucked. Hannibal panted and took a defensive stance. But he couldn¡¯t lift his striker arm above his waist. He shifted to pistol. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with this!¡± he growled, trying to hold the weapon steady. Maya frowned at his desperation. ¡°Baron?¡± she whispered. ¡°You understand I¡¯m not here to fight you, right?¡± she twirled her spear in front of her and pointed it at him. ¡°No sir, I¡¯m here to kill you!¡± She shifted her spear to a double-handed bastard sword. A blade not used since- ¡°No!¡± Hannibal howled and fired his pistol at Maya from the hip. Maya blocked every shot he fired with her sword and speed. ¡°What?¡± Hannibal growled at Maya. He couldn¡¯t believe her skill level at her age.¡°You demon!¡± He shouted and charged at her, shifting and thrusting his bardiche at her chest. Maya leapt and spun, evading Hannibal¡¯s strike. And as she spiraled in mid-air, time slowed to a crawl. Her eyes met his, and he looked at her with longing, as her blade... ...sliced his neck. ¡°Gaaah!¡± he gurgled. Hannibal fell to his knees and clutched his throat. A stream of blood, and the sound of wailing wind, echoed in the sands. Technique Maya stood over Hannibal, her bastard sword held with both hands. Hannibal squinted at her. ¡°The Whirling Bastard Strike...Lady Maya...you mastered Anya¡¯s technique..graahh!¡± He spit blood on the sand. Maya smirked, ¡°No baron. I¡¯ve perfected her technique!¡± Hannibal, now seconds from death, forced a bloody smile. ¡°Hm hm hm..gaaah...you treacherous Cesar.¡± He glanced up at her, ¡°You truly are¡­....your mother''s child!¡± Maya said nothing, as Hannibal''s eyes rolled back and he stopped smiling. His hands released his neck, and his body collapsed in the sand, dead. Maya stared at the lifeless baron. Then retracted her blade, and knelt beside him. ¡°Yes Hannibal. I am my mother''s child...and I am a Cesar!¡± ¡­¡­.. Maya''s Bastard sword Chapter 27.5- What Exactly Happened? Rewind back to Thursday. The Night Before The Play. After sundown Maya and Rylan drove to Cafe A Go Go to meet Evan. While walking through the dark parking lot Maya reached out and clutched Rylan¡¯s hand. He slowed down and pulled her close to him. ¡°Hello your highness,¡± he teased her. She pinched him, ¡°Ouch!¡± and they stopped walking. ¡°What¡¯s up girl?¡± he asked Maya stared at him with sad eyes. ¡°Rylan...I¡¯m really sorry about everything that¡¯s happened the past few days. And I can¡¯t stress to you enough how devoted I am to helping you get Chloe back.¡± As she spoke tears welled in her eyes. ¡°Maya?¡± He pulled her by her waist, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s cool, I believe you.¡± Maya buried her face in his chest and sobbed, ¡°Rylan, I know I don¡¯t deserve your trust. But please tell me here and now that you don¡¯t hate me.¡± ¡°What?¡± He hugged her, ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie~¡± Rylan smirked and hugged her tight. That¡¯s what she wanted. ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± he whispered. She hid her face, ¡°Then why are you so...distant?¡± He sighed. ¡°If I¡¯m distant with you, Maya, it¡¯s because I have family on my mind. And from what I¡¯ve experienced...you Cesar girls are nothing but trouble.¡± Maya raised her head, ¡°Yes, we are trouble, but that¡¯s because¡­¡± She turned away. ¡°Because what? Why are you girls so bad?¡± he asked. ¡°Because our love is so strong!¡± she cried. Rylan smirked, ¡°Oh stop! I¡¯m onto you and your mom. Two seductresses who make trouble for men to get what ya¡¯ll want, um hm!¡± he said in his western drawl. ¡°If that¡¯s true then why do you hold me now?¡± she asked, staring at him. His face grew serious, ¡°Because..I..¡± He turned away. Maya caught him, and made him face her. ¡°Because what, Rylan? Am I really so bad?¡± ¡°Yes, you are.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± She clutched his hand and placed it under her skirt, on her warm spot. ¡°So why don¡¯t you resist me?¡± she asked. He paused. ¡°I¡¯m trying to resist you, with everything I got,¡± he grunted. ¡°...It¡¯s not easy.¡± Maya read his expression and purred on his chest, ¡°Rylan?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can I be your girlfriend?¡± she asked. He squinted at her, ¡°Why? I thought you loved Hannibal, since you invited him to our play, heh heh!¡± Maya pinched him, ¡°Shut-up!¡± ¡°Ow!¡± He winced and grabbed her by her shoulders, ¡°What do you mean, be my girlfriend? Is this some kind of trap?¡± Her eyes narrowed. ¡°So what if it is?¡± She smiled and caressed his face, locking him in her green eyes. ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do about it? Except be trapped!¡± Rylan scowled, ¡°I¡¯m not that easy, Maya!¡± ¡°I know you aren¡¯t,¡± she said with an evil smile, and pushed him between two parked cars, ¡°This wouldn¡¯t be fun if you were.¡± Rylan backed up in defense,¡°You know you really sound like your mom, right now!¡± Behind him lay the dark grassy edge of the parking lot. No light and trees. A perfect spot for a man to be raped. ¡°Wait, I see your plan! And no! I won¡¯t let you-mmph!¡± Maya held him against the car, tongued him and unzipped his fly. Then pulled him out and stroked him. ¡°Maya..ah..¡± Not content, she tasted him. ¡°Oh~..that¡¯s nice...¡± Rylan checked for bystanders. The parking lot was dark and empty. He reached under Maya''s skirt and slipped her panties down. She smiled and flashed him a peek of her sweet goods underneath before laying him on his back and mounting him. ¡°Ssh, we gotta be quick, but make me feel good, ok?¡± she whispered with her knees on the grass. ¡°I got you, don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, and after some gentle play, he entered her. ¡°Aaah, Ryla-!¡± ¡°Ssh! Be a good girl..¡± He covered her mouth. She gasped, clutched his chest, and enjoyed the ride. Cafe A Go Go Five minutes later, a glowing Maya and Rylan entered the crowded restaurant holding hands. They spotted Evan by the bar dancing with his arms around a white haired girl. Maya smirked, ¡°She hasn¡¯t changed a bit.¡± Rylan focused on her. ¡°Oh that¡¯s the girl that spooked Evan. Do you know her?¡± he asked as the white haired girl also spotted Maya and ran toward her. ¡°Of course I know her!¡± said Maya, ¡°Darna¡¯s my-¡± ¡°Cousin!¡± cried Darna with a full faced smile as she grabbed and kissed the one inch shorter Maya. ¡°You believed in me, you knew I wouldn¡¯t betray you!¡± Kiss, kiss. Maya smiled, ¡°Of course I believed in you Darna, we grew up wearing each other¡¯s clothes. And I knew you weren¡¯t with Hannibal when you and Tidus didn¡¯t attack me out of the rift gate.¡± Darna hugged Maya. ¡°Tidus and I were lied to by Hannibal!¡± Maya nodded, ¡°I know. Before my mother jumped through the gate she sent me her plans, and everything she had on you barons,¡± she said displaying her wrist gear to Darna. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Hee hee, Anya¡¯s always so clever!¡± said Darna, swaying to the Cafe¡¯s music. ? Look around, leaves are brown, And the sky, is a hazy shade of winter ? ? Maya and Darna caught the groove and danced like eighties girls while Evan and Rylan talked by the bar. ¡°How¡¯d you know I¡¯d be here?¡± Darna asked Maya. ¡°Evan texted me. He¡¯s cool like that,¡± said Maya waving at Evan. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a cowboy!¡± ¡°He¡¯s also Leif¡¯s boyfriend!¡± said Maya with a smirk. ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± said Darna glancing at Evan, ¡°Since Leif won¡¯t sleep with me, I¡¯ll have to take his cowboy,¡± she pouted. Maya frowned, ¡°Leif won¡¯t sleep with you because incest is not his thing, cousin!¡± Darna chuckled, ¡°Oh please, Maya. What¡¯s a little wink-cest between cousins, hm!¡± she felt Maya¡¯s ass. "Yaan, you''re terrible!" said Maya laughing, "But listen, don¡¯t tell Tidus you met with me tonight.¡± Darna blinked, ¡°Why not? You know Tidus would kill any man for you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why. Tidus is good people, and I don¡¯t want his hands dirty in our family business,¡± said Maya. Darna reached out and pulled Maya close. Their foreheads touched and their white and brown hair mingled. ¡°Hmm...I agree,¡± Darna whispered. ¡°So what is your plan? Would you prefer I assassinate Hannibal and Zane? Hm hm hm, I don¡¯t mind, ¡± she cackled. ¡°Heh, if you want you can kill Zane since I know you hate him. But Hannibal,¡± said Maya, her expression sadistic, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of baron Ox myself.¡± Darna nodded. ¡°I''ve no doubt you will. And don¡¯t worry about that misogynist Zane. I have something devious for him.¡± She glanced at Evan and Rylan talking. ¡°But come Maya, introduce me to your handsome grounder boyfriend standing there like....¡± ¡°My boy Rylan?¡± said Maya, eyeing him like¡­. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s a cutey.¡± ¡°And I hear he cooks and rears children?¡± asked Darna, staring at him. ¡°Yes, he does.¡± ¡°Oh? But does he know how jealous we Cesar girls are?¡± Darna teased. ¡°He¡¯ll find out,¡± said Maya escaping Darna and dancing toward Rylan. For the next hour the girls danced, caught up, and laid out a plan to dispose of Hannibal and Zane. ? Hang onto your hopes my friend, that''s an easy thing to say, but if your hopes should pass away Simply pretend..? ..That you can build them again.? ¡­. Baroness Darna Benzian: (Age 19) Daughter of Furious Benzian and Lenora Cesar. Lenora is Anya¡¯s first cousin. Making Darna and Maya second cousins. THE MUSIC FOR THE PAST SEVERAL CHAPTERS Maya''s Dance Playlist Azealia Banks - 212 (The music when they walked into Stacy¡¯s Molly party) https://youtu.be/UDIealZCXDw M.I.A. - Bad Girls https://youtu.be/Iw3aoIIKPps Jhene Aiko 3:16 am https://youtu.be/0pWgLPOgwNc Hannibal''s Metal Tracks and Playas Music. Sea of Trees Metal (first cop) https://soundcloud.com/ryan-strain/sea-of-trees-the-path-2015 Metal Megan Massacre (second cop) https://soundcloud.com/bxmmusic/metal-megan-massacre Drake- Hotline Bling https://youtu.be/uxpDa-c-4Mc?t=29s Lil Wayne- You Guessed it. https://youtu.be/-xkpCw-Snro Darna''s Cafe A Go Go 80''s Music Bangles Walk like an Egyptian. https://youtu.be/Cv6tuzHUuuk Bangles Hazy Shade of Winter https://youtu.be/TxrwImCJCqk Tears For Fears Head Over Heels. https://youtu.be/NYx8IHJ9dWE Chapter 28- Skinny Dragon Resolution After atomizing Hannibal¡¯s body, Maya raced the Dodge out of the desert and back to Rylan¡¯s house. With her music pumping she skid into Rylan¡¯s yard, like she always did, and hopped out of the car dancing. Rylan, Evan, Darna, and Tidus sat on the house porch clutching their stomachs in raucous laughter. Tidus spun and pointed at Maya and they all clapped and cheered at her. ¡°Oi, Skinny Dragon!¡± bellowed Tidus, ¡°Did you handle that Ox bullshit?¡± Maya covered her mouth and laughed, ¡°Of course I handled him you Big Dumb Bear!¡± ¡°Oh! I told you boys, lady Maya¡¯s ruthless!¡± said Tidus to the snickering Rylan and Evan. He then faced Maya, ¡°I was just telling them about the time you got into that fight with that red-headed Garsen girl when we were kids in academy. What was her name again?¡± He asked with a goofy smile. Maya smirked, ¡°You mean Yaara Garsen, the Scorpion Princess!¡± she shook her head laughing. ¡°Haha, right, she hated you but your brother adored her, if I recall!¡± laughed Tidus. Maya sucked her teeth, ¡°Leif¡¯s an idiot! And Yaara was a bitch. That¡¯s why I threw a cake at her in the lunchroom, hmph!¡± she pouted. Everyone erupted in laughter at Maya. The giant Tidus ran down the porch steps and squeeze hugged her, lifting her off the ground. ¡°Ugh!¡± cried Maya, hugging and punching him, ¡°Tidus, you¡¯re bigger than ever, you Bear!¡± punch, punch. Tidus smiled and flexed his biceps, ¡°That¡¯s how I smite enemies, Skinny Dragon!¡± he cackled. Maya laughed and joined them all on the porch as Tidus shared stories of their time in academy, the Kellan equivalent of Junior High. Fun memories. But Seriously After an hour of laughing and eating, the five sat in the living room and discussed their next move: Rescuing Chloe. ¡°What Hannibal, or none of you barons knew, was my mother had plenty of parts for that laser machine in her evil lab in the desert,¡± said Maya. Rylan turned to her, ¡°Anya¡¯s place? You know where it is?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, she sent me all of her information right before she jumped through the gate.¡± Maya displayed data on her gear, ¡°She also sent Leif¡¯s vital readings...he was...barely alive when she took him back to Eres...But I know he¡¯s alive now.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± asked Evan with worried eyes. Darna smiled and squeezed Evan¡¯s cheek, ¡°Don¡¯t worry cowboy. If Maya says Leif¡¯s alive than he is.¡± ¡°Have faith,¡± Tidus nodded to Evan, ¡°Leif¡¯s tough.¡± ¡°So, do you have all of the parts to repair the machine?¡± Darna asked Maya. ¡°Yes. The machine is a shell with four components, but only one part is Eren tech. The rest is earth material. I¡¯ll fix it in five minutes. I only told Hannibal it would take a few days to stall his dumb ass.¡± ¡°So what¡¯s the plan?¡± asked Rylan. Maya faced Tidus. ¡°First things first. Tidus, I would never ask you to fight my battle-¡± ¡°What?¡± shouted Tidus, stopping Maya¡¯s statement. He jumped up and extended his mighty Battle Axe striker. All four mouths dropped as they gaped at his fearsome, and large, double edged weapon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry lady Maya. Were you about to ask your strongest bannerman to stand down and not fight for you?¡± asked Tidus, with his eyebrow raised to Maya, ¡°Or perhaps I just misheard you?¡± While everyone stared at Tidus¡¯ axe, Maya smiled at him warmly, ¡°Tidus...I would never ask you something so selfish.¡± Tidus retracted his axe and bowed to Maya, presenting her his striker. ¡°Marchioness, I''m Tidus Nyban of of the Steppes Bear clan. Your strongest bannermen. And our axe''s belong to you.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Maya smiled and ruffled his hair, ¡°In that case you¡¯d better protect me with that scary weapon you big dumb bear!¡± Tidus smiled, ¡°My lady!¡± "Are you proposing for marriage, Tidus," Darna snarked, "I''m sure my cousin Maya can be swayed!" Everyone laughed at Tidus and Maya''s display. "Heh heh, shut up, Darna!" Maya snapped with a laugh. Rylan turned to Maya, ¡°You were explaining the plan.¡± The Plan ¡°Simple but difficult¡± said Maya. ¡°You see, from what my mother sent me about the machine, we should be able to leave it here on earth with the two hundred diamonds and use it as a transmitter.¡± She faced Rylan, ¡°And if we don¡¯t do that then you cannot come with us to Eres, Rylan.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a grounder. You¡¯re the one actually opening the gate by grounding the ampsediun on earth. But if you are not on earth then there¡¯s nothing that will open a gate here.¡± Darna smirked, ¡°But you think by using the machine as a transmitter on earth, Rylan can open a gate in his yard even if he¡¯s on Eres?¡± ¡°Almost,¡± Maya answered, ¡°Rylan is the one of the strongest grounders I¡¯ve ever seen!¡± Rylan beamed with pride, ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a powerful man!¡± he laughed high fiving Tidus and Evan. Maya smirked, ¡°But he¡¯s not strong enough.¡± ¡°Aww!¡± cried Rylan as the others laughed at him. ¡°You said one of the strongest grounders,¡± Darna said to Maya, ¡°So who is the strongest?¡± ¡°Easy,¡± said Maya, ¡°His baby sister, Chloe.¡± Everyone turned to Maya with, ¡°Whaa? Is that the truth? The little girl is stronger than Rylan?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Maya, ¡°And my mother knew that. And she also concluded that when Rylan and Chloe fused their ampsediun together, they could open a gate to any world...in theory anyway.¡± ¡°But what if the theory is incorrect?¡± asked Evan. ¡°Well...Then Rylan and Chloe will be stuck on Eres until me or my mother can figure out a way to open a gate on earth without a grounder, from Eres.¡± ¡°That¡¯d be impossible,¡± chimed Darna. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Rylan, ¡°Because I¡¯m going to Eres to find my sister, regardless if I can make it back to earth or not!¡± he growled. ¡°And I¡¯ll help you Rylan,¡± said Maya standing up. As she stood, her bannermen stood with her. ¡°We¡¯ll all help reunite you with your sister,¡± said Darna. ¡°Aye!¡± agreed Tidus, ¡°And I doubt your sister will be hard to find, for the Duchess Anya is a crafty one,¡± he assured Rylan. Rylan gazed at everyone with watered eyes. ¡°I appreciate everyone¡¯s help, so what¡¯s our next move?¡± he asked Maya. Maya took a breath, ¡°Tonight I¡¯ll repair the machine.¡± She faced everyone, ¡°And tomorrow morning, bright and early, we open the rift gate. Our destination¡­ ...Planet Eres!¡± END OF BOOK ONE. ____________________________________________________________ Thank you everyone for reading this story. But I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to have to take a hiatus before contemplating a book two, or any other story. Why? Because book two is not fully developed and because real life sucks and I have a lot to do these days :¡¯( If you liked this story and the direction it went I¡¯m super grateful ^_^ If you hated the story no worries, I hear you too. Thank you for making it this far. I love you all ^_^ Later space cowboys~ -JayDirex