Knights of Riona Read online

  The earth shook again as I rounded the corner heading toward the Hard Rock. I stopped cold as the amulet began to glow and vibrate. A chilling thought hit me like ice cold water spilling over my body. The earthquake intensified and the sound of groaning metal broke through the shattering of glass. Buildings that were barely hanging on before had finally reached their breaking point. A metallic rumbling erupted behind me and high-pitched squeals sent chills down my spine, covering my skin in goosebumps.

  One glance over my shoulder sent me reeling. The Empire State Building was leaning. I didn’t think it was possible to run any faster, but I did. Due to the height of the building, its collapse would cause a chain reaction with no end in sight; even worse, I was right in the path of destruction. Eyeing the road in front of me, I tried to estimate my chances of reaching the rendezvous point before the structures around me collapsed.

  Something moved up ahead. I tried to focus on it as I ran. It was a car, weaving in and out of debris and powering over the buckled sections of road. I waved my arms to warn them away, but they kept coming. Not only did the driver ignore the collapse happening behind me, he swerved directly into the path of destruction by heading straight for me. I had nowhere to go. He was going to hit me. Instinctively, I threw my arms up to protect myself, not that it would help if the car hit its intended target.

  My eyes were closed as the tires squealed closer. Time seemed to stand still.

  “Get in you idiot!” Gerrit’s voice was tense.

  I opened my eyes to find my men piled in a car with Gerrit behind the wheel. Rafe threw open the back door and slid closer to Solon. I couldn’t believe they were there, I couldn’t believe Gerrit was driving a car. There wasn’t a moment to waste. I practically leapt through the open car door and we were moving before I closed it behind me.

  Gerrit had never driven before and it was evident as we whipped back and forth, accelerating quickly. We sped through the streets as the world came crashing down around us. I didn’t dare ask Gerrit if he knew where we were going because I was afraid I already knew the answer. At that point, he was just driving, hoping against hope that we’d make it out alive.

  I watched out the back window as we put more distance between the collapsing buildings and our overfull car. My stomach turned as I thought of the all the lives that were lost as businesses, hotels, and apartment buildings crumbled to the ground.

  “We’ve got to do something to stop this,” I insisted.

  “We were thinking the same thing before we saw you. Where are Lonzo and Orin? Have we found the princess?” Solon asked urgently.

  “Lonzo is with Delia now, though I am unsure when we’ll see them again. I’ve been unable to reach them. Orin went home to make sure his wife was safe.” I paused, unsure how they would take the rest. “We found Sophronia.”

  Confusion settled on the faces of my men. I quickly explained how we’d gone to meet the mystic and instead came face to face with the Great Alchemist herself. They too were outraged to learn of her cowardly decision to leave Riona behind. When I told them about the new amulet, the car was abuzz with excited chatter.

  “That’s just what we need. We may not be able to save Riona, but we can stop the Sideon and Gorum from invading and destroying Earth,” Philo insisted.

  Rafe gestured around us. “If their arrival did this to such a massive city, imagine what they will do to the rest of this world.”

  We were out of danger for the time being, but even the outskirts of New York City were sporting evidence of the damage caused by the earthquakes. The people of Earth had no idea that this was only the beginning. If they were deeply troubled by unexplainable quakes, I could only imagine how they would react to the invasion of our enemies.

  “We need weapons,” Gerrit said.

  Before I could question where we would find anything strong enough to fight the Gorum or hold off the Sideon, Rafe slammed a hand on the dashboard. “We need construction equipment, I have a plan.”

  We would find construction sites and borrow anything that could be used against the Gorum. We were familiar with the tools, and no one would be trying to work on buildings while the others around them were collapsing. Gerrit pulled over, bringing the car to a stop with one wheel on the sidewalk. We piled out of the vehicle and agreed to meet at Central Park within two hours. It was time to put a stop to the Gorum invasion on Earth.

  I felt it in the ground before the tunnel began to shake. We didn’t have much time to get to the other end of the tracks. We set off at a run as the sloped walls began to collapse around us. The only thing going through my mind was the terror of being trapped underground. I pushed my legs harder; my lungs felt as though they might burst, but I couldn’t give up.

  Lonzo matched me stride for stride. Up ahead I could see the soft light that meant we were nearing the platform. It was a small relief to know we still had a platform to climb onto. I was already thinking about how I could get up on it by the time we approached the yellowed ledge. Lonzo hoisted himself up with ease before turning to pull me up behind him. I clambered to my feet in time to feel the whoosh of air explode from the tunnel we’d just left. I coughed against the dust threatening to invade my lungs. Lonzo took my hand and pulled me through the haze towards the stairs that would be our savior.

  We made it to the top, followed by the enormous debris cloud. Both of us collapsed on the ground, coughing out black globs of saliva and mucus. Lonzo helped me to my feet and urged me to keep moving.

  “We’ve got to find your friend so we can get to Taeren. Things are getting worse.”

  “I know. The real question is, how do you propose we get back to the city?” I asked, gesturing to the destruction behind us.

  We were interrupted by the sound of approaching footsteps. I heard my name being called through the dusty haze. Paula. The relief that flooded my heart was more intense than I’d expected. She was safe, we were together. I ran as fast as I could, colliding with her in a tight hug.

  “Paula, I’ve got some things to tell you,” I told her as I pulled away.

  “Well, let’s get back to the house and we can talk.”

  Lonzo cut in. “I don’t mean to be rude, ma’am, but we don’t really have time for that.”

  Before Paula could give him a piece of her mind, I stepped in to introduce them. “Paula, this is Lonzo. Lonzo, this is my, well, she’s basically my mom…Paula.”

  Her first reaction was to throw her hand over her mouth in surprise, her second was to recognize the name of the man I’d introduced her to.

  “I’ve seen you at the hospital. Your name is Lonzo?”

  He nodded. “Yes. I am Sir Lonzo, Knight of Riona.”

  Paula looked at me with an expression that mingled pity with anger. “This has to stop. You have no idea what you people are doing to her.”

  “You don’t understand. It’s real. I’m going to show you. First, we need the amulet.” I tried not to seem overly excited.

  She eyed us suspiciously. It was obvious I wouldn’t get her to understand until she saw it with her own eyes. “Do you trust me?”

  Her nod was all I needed. We headed for the car. The damage wasn’t as extensive on the outskirts of the city. We took the opportunity to tell her about the state New York was in when we left. Paula turned on the radio so we could hear the latest.

  “The Empire State Building has collapsed taking a number of surrounding structures with it. The National Guard has been working on emergency evacuations since earlier today. Rescue efforts continue for much of the city as countless buildings have been leveled as a result of these strange earthquakes. If you’re still in the city, stay away from Central Park. There appear to be large, unidentified creatures wandering out of the park, destroying everything in their path.”

  “The Gorum,” I whispered.

  “The Sideon.” Lonzo shuddered.

  Paula switched off the radio. “Are you going to tell me what is really going on?”

  I looked to the Knig
ht for guidance. I didn’t know where to begin. As long as I’d known Paula she’d been patient with me, but she was always firm in her reassurance that Riona wasn’t real. She would want proof before she changed her mind. I had no proof to offer, only my gut feeling that it was true all along. A long-forgotten memory returned to me as we turned onto our street. It was a moment I thought I’d never forget, but ECT treatment had assured it would be lost indefinitely. I can’t say what caused it to resurface; perhaps the idea that I had never belonged on Earth brought it back to me.

  “Do you remember what I asked you when I first woke up? I asked where I was and you told me Earth. That’s a weird way to answer that question, isn’t it?”

  Paula looked into my eyes. “You seemed so lost. And you told us your story. I knew you believed what you were telling us. I wanted you to feel comfortable, safe.”

  “I know. What I’m trying to tell you is I didn’t suffer from a psychotic break. My dreams are memories. Riona needs me and I want you to go with me.”

  We’d arrived at our house. As we got out of the car I tried to ignore the look of concern that crossed Paula’s face in response to my words. She was worried about me, and I understood. Soon, we would both have to face the reality of what was happening to Riona. Most of all, I hoped that soon we would both see that I was never crazy after all.

  Once we were inside, I instructed Paula to gather some things she would want to have with her if we never returned to our home. I appreciated that she didn’t argue or question my directions. It was obvious that she didn’t believe me yet; I didn’t even know that I believed myself. Lonzo waited impatiently in the living room, repeatedly attempting to contact Taeren. I stood in my bedroom staring at the bookshelves that held my notebooks. There was no way I would be able to take them with me. No way I would be able to finish the story I’d shared with the world.

  As I stuffed a few of my favorite clothing items into a backpack I realized that I was never meant to finish the story on paper. I was meant to finish the story in the real world. In my world. No wonder I had no idea what to write next. I glanced at my lap top. We were in a hurry, but this was my last chance to do my story justice. I sat down and began to type. Words flew out of my mind and onto the screen as though they’d been waiting to be written all along. I heard Paula come in, and instinctively I knew she was sitting on the edge of my bed as I wrote. She liked to watch the story pour out of me, she always had.

  When my fingers finally stopped flying across the keyboard, I realized I’d written a record number of words in a record number of time. It wasn’t the ending readers would be hoping for, but it was the only ending I could give them. I uploaded the file and sent it to Lisa with a note telling her how much I appreciated her friendship and support. It was a goodbye and she would recognize it as such. I put my phone down next to the computer and turned to find tears tracing the curves of Paula’s face.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head once and wiped her cheeks. “You’ve just grown into such an amazing woman. I’m ready to go and see what you need to show me. Where are we going?”

  “Back to where it all began, Central Park.”

  “What? You heard the news report! There are wild animals of some sort out there.”

  Lonzo appeared in the doorway. “No, not animals. Much, much worse. I spoke with Taeren.”

  I stood quickly and swung my backpack into place. “They’re here, aren’t they?”

  “Our men are heading to the portal. They’re going to try to fight them off until we get there with the amulet.” Lonzo glanced at the empty spot where the necklace should have been.

  “I’ll go get it!” Paula jumped up and rushed to the door.

  She and Lonzo stepped back and forth as they tried to avoid running into one another. It reminded me of an awkward dance. I stifled a giggle as Lonzo finally stepped aside and gestured her through with a low bow. He caught me grinning at the two of them and instantly straightened his posture and his face. I could tell he was intrigued by Paula, but I wasn’t about to point it out.

  Paula burst back through the door, not bothering to avoid Lonzo this time. “Delia, I swear I didn’t do anything to it, I just put it in my jewelry box.”

  She handed me the necklace with a devastated expression. The stone had changed. The pink and orange hues had been swallowed up by the deep purple that had once been around the edges. Now, the edges of the stone were black and that darkness was slowly devouring the purple hue. I turned my panicked eyes to Lonzo. His terror mingled with heartbreak when he caught sight of the necklace in my hands. A tiny glimmer of hope appeared in the form of a pinprick of pink that seemed to be fighting against the darkness. I put it on and rushed out the door.

  “We have to get to the portal, now,” I told them both.

  When I turned around to make sure they were following, Paula had Lonzo up against the wall with a finger buried in his chest. He put his hands up in surrender. It looked like she was threatening him, and while his body language indicated surrender, his eyes were alight with humor. It was clear he found her protective behavior to be amusing and possibly a little endearing. I cleared my throat to remind them I was still there. I would be perfectly fine if the two of them found a way to one another, but now wasn’t the time.

  “Paula, how fast can we get to Central Park if we drive? The tunnel is toast.”

  “Delia! Your necklace.” Paula’s eyes were wide as she stared at the place the heavy amulet rested against my chest.

  I looked down to find it glowing; the miniscule pink and orange spot had spread while I wore it. Lonzo locked eyes with me and we both grinned stupidly. There was still hope. We still had a chance to make it back and save Riona.

  “Paula, I know this isn’t your fight, but we need your help.” Lonzo was staring into her eyes.

  She looked at him and nodded her head, “It may not be my fight, but it is Delia’s. We’re family. And I’m not sure how things are in Riona, but on Earth, family is important.”

  It was the first time Paula acknowledged the existence of the world I loved so much. I couldn’t help but feel like the warmth emanating from the priceless amulet was somehow partially responsible for her acceptance.

  “So, what do you think? Can we get to Central Park? We don’t have much time.”

  “I’m not sure, but we have to try, don’t we?” Paula said with determination.

  “If you think the Gorum are scary, wait until the people of Earth see the Sideon. We can’t let that happen. We have to fight.”

  Paula looked between Lonzo and I for a moment. “You wrote about the Gorum, but I don’t remember you including the Sideon in your stories.”

  I shuddered. “That’s because I didn’t think any words could do them justice. They’re like soul suckers for the entire world. Imagine living in a world without life, without a soul. You’re fine, but your world is an empty shell. You waste away and die because they sucked the power from everything.”

  Her eyes were the size of saucers when she looked to Lonzo and he didn’t rebuff my statements. The far off look in his eyes told me he was thinking about all the things they’d done to Riona. I couldn’t imagine what it looked like now. If the amulet was any indication of what awaited me when I returned home, I knew it wouldn’t be as I remembered it. Without further discussion, we climbed back in the car and headed towards the city.

  Earth had much stronger weapons than we were used to. My men were armed with sledge hammers and battery-powered nail guns. They would do far more damage against the Gorum than our swords and daggers. It wasn’t much, but we had a fighting chance of distracting the enemy long enough to reunite with Lonzo and bring Delia home. We stood at the edge of the park, watching the lumbering figures of the great brutes we’d fought for years.

  When we met at the park, Rafe didn’t show up. It wasn’t like him to let us down; I couldn’t shake the feeling that something had happened to him. We knew it wouldn’t do us any good to storm C
entral Park without the amulet or Delia. But, we couldn’t just let the Gorum lay waste to the city, killing people to make way for the Sideon. We had to do something.

  We’d never tried to fight the Sideon; they weren’t entirely physical beings. If I couldn’t hit it, I didn’t know how to hurt it. Sirens blared around the park as the police arrived to form a barricade. They had no idea what they were dealing with, and would most likely tell my men and I to vacate the premises. We had no intention of leaving. Our enemies had followed us here, and we had to help the people of Earth fight them off. One of the Gorum noticed us and flashed a grimace. I’m sure it was meant to be a grin, but they just weren’t made for that kind of expression. We readied ourselves for his attack. As he swung a massive fist in my direction, Philo charged between his legs. He only paused for a moment before swinging his sledgehammer in an upward motion, hitting the Gorum right between his legs.