Knights of Riona Read online

  We’d rebuilt a quiet civilization within the Western Wood. We lived underground. The Outliers had created a complex tunnel system that had enough room to support the surviving citizens of Almandine. More survivors from the villages in the outlying country had trickled in through the months that followed the fall of our capitol city. Not a day went by that my heart didn’t yearn to return to the family bakery in Almandine.

  At nineteen, I knelt before Chancellor Tilda to become the youngest soldier to join an ancient order. The Knights of Riona have been the elite force behind the protection of the throne for centuries. It was an honor to be chosen as one of their number, but it felt like an empty formality. Since the death of the royal family, there was no throne to protect. Everyone knew it, but no one wanted to say it. We sat together around a table that once stood in Godfrey Tower, waiting for the Chancellor tell us why we had been summoned.

  “Taeren, this is your seat.”

  I took my spot next to Lonzo, a knight nearly fifteen years my senior. His blonde hair was cropped close to his head and his blue eyes sparkled with youth. While I was never certain if he blamed me for the death of the royal family, we’d put aside our differences long ago. Lonzo had been instrumental in the treaty we forged with the Sideon. It didn’t give us much freedom, but it allowed us to live a semi-normal life. Our enemies knew we had the stone somewhere, but we weren’t going to tell them where. We’d come to an agreement that allowed us to rebuild our society away from them so long as Riona continued to give them the power they craved for survival.

  “Welcome to the Knights of Riona.”

  I grinned. “Thank you. It’s an honor to be here.”

  “We haven’t had a meeting since the royal family died. There must be something big going on if Tilda has gathered us together again.”

  As if on cue, the woman strode through the door. Her chocolate colored hair was peppered with gray; she had aged much in the past few years. She approached the table with grim confidence; she was going to deliver bad news.

  “Riona is dying.” Chancellor Tilda uttered the last words we expected to hear.

  She was right. Even though I’d kept the Bloodstone with me all these years, the magic seemed to be draining from our world. I was certain it had to do with the Sideon who had spread through Riona like a fungus. They’d allowed the Gorum to remain in Riona as their slaves; they were almost worse than their masters; they were dirty, destructive and wasteful. It was no surprise that Riona was rejecting their presence.

  “It does us no good to fight the Gorum or the Sideon. Even if we eradicate them from our world, we would still be facing an apocalyptic end.”

  “Then what should we do?” Lonzo asked.

  Tilda stared blankly at the knights around me. She had taken on the duties of the Queen, but refused to be called by the title.

  “The time has come for me to tell you something Queen Isadora told me long ago. In order for you to help me come up with a viable solution, you need to understand why this is happening.”

  Even with all the things I had accomplished, I didn’t think I was worthy to protect the citizens of Riona. I worked harder and tried to find more ways to redeem myself for the death of the royal family. When I wasn’t engaged in my duties to the kingdom, I spent my time reading and re-reading the journals and log books I’d found in Godfrey Tower. I studied the maps and learned everything I could about Earth, desperate to reassure myself that Delia was safe.

  Everyone thought I kept to myself because I was traumatized by the deaths I’d witnessed, but that was only partly true. To keep Delia safe from further pursuit, I told everyone she was dead. After her disappearance, we grieved the royal family and honored them as though they had perished at the hands of our enemies. For all I knew, that could very well be true; but privately, I held on to hope. I couldn’t tell anyone my secret.

  “Taeren, I know you still have the amulet and I appreciate that you’ve kept it safe. However, the Bloodstone is only one piece of the puzzle. Without Delia or Isadora, Riona will die.”

  I furrowed my brow, “But, they’re both dead. So, you’re telling us there’s no hope at all.”

  “Yes.”

  A few quiet gasps escaped the men around me. Through all the challenges we’d faced, we had never given up hope that we could reclaim Riona from our enemies. I could hardly believe that Chancellor Tilda was encouraging us to do just that. She took a deep breath and plopped down in the chair that should have been occupied by the Queen. Her body radiated defeat.

  “I can tell you what I know, but I’m afraid it won’t be enough to explain. All I truly know is that the Bloodstone must be worn by a blood relative of the alchemist who created it.”

  “So, Queen Isadora was a blood relative of that alchemist?” I wasn’t sure if I should be interrupting, but I needed clarification.

  “That would be the likely conclusion. With that being the case, we have to assume that the only other living person that could rightfully wear the amulet was Delia. But, since they are both gone, Riona will die.”

  I pondered her words. Now that I had that bit of information I knew why Queen Isadora had insisted that I keep both Delia and the precious stone safe. If something happened to her, she wanted to be certain the two would be together. The depth of my failure was now evident to me; I had been too focused on the amulet to keep Delia safe and because of that, an entire dimension would soon perish.

  “What are we going to do?” Lonzo asked.

  Tilda gave a sad shrug. “That’s why I’m here. You are the protectors of Riona. We’ve lost so much, I’m not sure what else there is to lose.”

  “Is there anyone else related to the alchemist?” The question came from one of the other Knights.

  Hot anger rose within me. “You mean just replace our royal family? Do you really think it’s that easy?”

  Lonzo’s calming voice brought me back to the present. “Taeren, no one is suggesting that we replace Queen Isadora. I think Erasmus meant that finding another relative may save Riona.”

  I shouldn’t have lost my head, I shouldn’t have displayed such anger to the men I was supposed to lead. “I’m sorry.”

  I sank back into my chair. My fellow knights stared at me with a mixture of concern and compassion. Most of them thought they knew the reason for my mercurial reaction, but they really had no idea. My internal struggle went far deeper than they could imagine.

  “How are we doing today?” Paula asked.

  I glanced in her direction, but had nothing to say. I’d been moved to a different room in a place called the psych ward. Paula had insisted on transferring with me and no one had objected. I hadn’t uttered a word since the night I’d overheard the conversation between my two doctors. It may have been immature, but there was no way I would give them the opportunity to call me crazy to my face.

  Paula perched on the edge of my bed. “Delia, you know you can talk to me, right?”

  I stared pointedly, blinking my eyes slowly. She got the message and sighed. Once she was gone, I pulled out the journal they’d given me to help me come to terms with the loss of my parents. Instead of writing about my feelings, I used the paper to write everything I could remember about Riona. With each passing day, it seemed further from my grasp and I was afraid that I would forget it entirely if I didn’t keep record of my world.

  Every day on Earth was the same as the last. I would wake up, dress in the loose shirt and pants the hospital provided, then I would go to breakfast. I was surrounded by unfortunate souls. The patients in the psych ward were confused, and quick to anger. Some of them stared out the window or at the wall all day. They didn’t seem to have a care in the world as long as they were fed and given their medicine on a regular schedule. The medicine was the worst part of the psych ward. When they first started forcing me to swallow the pills, I tried to hide them in my cheek; that didn’t work for long. I finally gave in and began taking the medicine and attending the group sessions Doctor Larkin led every d
ay.

  I refused to share my story. I’d hoped that if I didn’t say anything, maybe they would think I had recovered from my psychotic break and they’d let me leave. That didn’t happen. It had already been two months since I’d awakened from what Doctor Larkin called a coma. According to Paula, I would not be released until I turned eighteen, unless a relative came to collect me. No one was coming; I had no living relatives and even if I did, they wouldn’t be on Earth. My only other option was to recover from my episode and get placed with a foster family. I didn’t understand half of what she told me, but it sounded like I would either be locked up with crazy people or sent off to live with strangers. Since neither option was appealing, I decided to wait it out until I knew what I wanted to do.

  I was free to wander the halls in our ward because I wasn’t considered dangerous. There were a select few who were kept locked away and only let out when two strong men could keep them in line. I was staring at the box they called a television when Doctor Larkin tapped me on the shoulder.

  “Delia, it’s time for your private session. Are you ready?”

  I didn’t know why he bothered, he knew I wasn’t going to say anything. We were going to stare at each other for an hour, listening to the seconds tick away on the clock. I offered a small smile and silently followed him to his office. At first, the session went just as the others had, but things took an interesting turn when the doctor began to speak.

  “Have you ever heard of coping mechanisms?” He didn’t wait for me to answer him because he knew I wouldn’t take the bait. “A coping mechanism is something our brain uses to protect us from trauma.”

  I listened, but said nothing.

  “Let me tell you a story about a little girl and you can tell me if this sounds familiar to you at all.” I didn’t object or show any interest in his story. “There was a little girl who lived with her parents in a small apartment in Brooklyn. Her mother died when she was young, and her father had something called Schizophrenia and told the girl all about his delusions.”

  “When Social Services began looking into her home situation, her dad took her away without a trace. He told the school they were moving to be with family, but no one knows where she went. She was just a child, only seven when she disappeared. She was raised by a man who didn’t know how to separate delusions from reality, so she didn’t know how to separate what was real from what was make believe.”

  I had no idea where he was going with his story, and I didn’t particularly care.

  “About three years ago, the police found the father’s body. He’d been hiding in an abandoned building with his daughter when he was brutally murdered by some junkies who thought he had something to give them a fix.”

  This was not the kind of story my parents would have told me. Despite my desperate attempt to remain uninterested, I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to the little girl. I still refused to say anything, and simply waited for him to continue.

  “His daughter would be about your age now. She was twelve when his body was found but there was no trace of the little girl. She’s still missing.”

  I blinked. The story was over, and I had no idea why he felt it necessary to share it with me.

  “Delia, does the name Molly mean anything to you?”

  When I didn’t answer, he pressed on. “I have reason to believe you are the little girl from this story.”

  “What?” I silently cursed myself for breaking my vow of silence.

  Doctor Larkin smiled triumphantly. “Unfortunately, we have no way of tracing you back to that family, because there were no other living relatives. Both parents were cremated and have been disposed of, so there are no remains to test against your DNA. There are no pictures of Molly because her dad firmly believed that cameras would steal a person’s soul, but her teachers described her as fair-skinned with bright blue eyes and dark hair.”

  I suddenly knew where he was going with his story. He had a loose description of a missing girl and he’d decided to pin her identity to the girl who randomly appeared, claiming to be from another world.

  “The timeframe fits perfectly, as does your insistence that you are a princess from an unknown world. If you were raised by a sick man, it is possible you have adopted his psychosis. If we add that to the fact that schizophrenia has been known to transfer genetically from parent to child, it’s very possible that you are Molly Kimble.”

  This time I was silent because I didn’t know what to say. Where had Doctor Larkin come up with such a story? He took my lack of response as an acknowledgement that this was a possibility. I couldn’t even find the words to protest as he began to outline the new treatment plan we would be starting.

  “We’re going to make some adjustments to your medications and add electroconvulsive therapy. Once we’ve done a few weeks of ECT, we’ll start transition to hypnosis and see if we can help some memories surface.”

  I had no idea what he was saying, but I didn’t think it would end well. I knew he wouldn’t believe me if I suddenly told him I was fine and I’d made it all up. Before I knew it, our session was over and he ushered me back to my room. I sat on my bed and stared at the white walls.

  “I’m going to talk to Paula. She’ll need to be prepared to assist with your treatments starting tomorrow morning. Have a good day, Molly.”

  I turned my head quickly to look at him. The grin on his face indicated that he thought my reaction indicated a moment of recognition. He didn’t see the expression was somewhere between confusion and irritation, he only saw what he wanted.

  I spent the time between breakfast and lunch writing in my journal. I’d been writing my experiences as though I were telling stories to children. I hoped that one day, I would be able to tell my own children stories about their grandparents and my childhood. I was lost in my retelling of the day I discovered my first secret passageway when I caught bits of a conversation just outside my door.

  “Do you really think that’s necessary, doctor?” Paula’s voice was laced with concern.

  “I do. If I’m right about her, this treatment could help clear away some of those webs her father spun in her head and bring back the girl she was supposed to be.”

  “And if you’re wrong?”

  Dr. Larkin cleared his throat. “If I’m wrong, ECT is still a viable treatment for a patient that clings to their delusions as strongly as Delia does.”

  “Yes, doctor. I just don’t want to see you destroy her mind in the pursuit of proving she is some lost little girl you read about in the paper. She may have people out there who care about her. What happens if she starts to believe your story is her own and it isn’t?”

  I almost threw up. I didn’t know what the treatment was, but the idea that they could find a way to convince me that I was someone other than me made my stomach turn. I couldn’t help but wonder if they purposely had these conversations in a place where I could overhear. They couldn’t be so confident that I was oblivious to the world around me that they would risk discussing something that would send me into a psychotic rage. My doorknob turned. I launched myself across the room and landed on the bed. I turned in time to see Paula standing in the doorway with two trays.

  “I thought you’d like to eat in here today. I heard you had an interesting session with Dr. Larkin this morning.”

  I had so many questions that I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t do that and maintain my silence. I eyed the trays of food as she came closer. Paula set the trays down on the bed and took a seat across from me.

  “I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I want you to know that I’m here for you. The treatment you’re facing isn’t exactly a walk in the park.”

  A walk in the park sounded a lot better than whatever Dr. Larkin had said during therapy. Paula gestured for me to eat. I couldn’t identify the food, we’d not had it at the psych ward before.

  “What is this?” I asked, startling the nurse from our silent companionship.

  “Oh, honey. I’m not sayin
g I believe your story about being from another world, but, if anything was going to convince me, it would be this moment.”

  I picked up the triangular food. The bottom felt like bread, but the top was slathered in a red sauce and covered in what smelled like cheese. There were pieces of meat sprinkled on top with a few chunks of green and red spread between hollow black circles.

  “Go on, give it a try,” Paula encouraged.

  I brought the food to my mouth and sank my teeth into heaven. There were so many flavors combined into one delicious food, I had to know what I was eating.

  “It’s pizza day,” Paula informed me. “Every now and then the hospital orders pizza for the psychiatric ward.”

  “I’ve never had pizza before. It’s delicious,” I managed to say between bites.

  Paula chuckled. We didn’t talk much until we’d both finished our pizza. It was the best meal I’d had since arriving on Earth, and it rivaled any meal I’d ever had in Riona. When we were done, I decided I could ask Paula about the treatment.

  “What’s ECT?”

  She gave me a sad look. “It’s a form of treatment that involves delivering electric shocks to your brain. We stick electrodes here, and here.” She indicated either side of her head, next to her eyes. “Then we sent electric currents into those electrodes.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean by electric or electrodes.”

  Paula looked up as though she was trying to find the words she needed. “Don’t tell Dr. Larkin I asked this, he’ll think I’m encouraging your delusions, but, do you have lights like this in your world?” She indicated the bright lights that turned on with a switch on the wall.

  I shook my head. “We use fire to light our torches and the sconces used within our homes.”

  “Then I’m not really sure how to explain ECT to you. We use something called electricity to provide power to our lights and other things. We will use a concentrated electrical current to send small shocks to your brain. The idea is to scramble the messages your brain is sending, in order for it to have a chance to rearrange those messages in a way that gives you more clarity. It’s supposed to help reduce the psychosis.”