Chapter 1: Here and Now

Present times

I’m running and breathing hard. My heart is racing, beating out of my chest. My lungs are on fire and I can’t run any farther. My 16 year old body can’t keep up with running away from the Royals’ Elite Guard squad. My raven black hair is plastered to my head with sweat and I'm grateful it is kept in a braid and out of my tearful purple eyes. My darker, tanned skin blends in well in the shadows of the forest.

 

No! I must! I have to keep running! If I stop now, I’ll die. Come on, Ryku, keep running! There it is!

 

The Hellish castle looms in the near distance, just outside the Cursed Forest. I must keep running, I’m almost there! Finally! I collapse just inside the walls. My heart skips a beat as I see the guards run up, not slowing down. I can finally relax now that they've stopped.

 

“Come out! By order of the Cryunsel, you are under arrest and sentenced to immediate execution!” the first guard calls to me. I can tell by his red cloak that he is an officer and the three suns on his helmet show his rank to be a Captain.

 

“Ryku, please. Don’t make this any harder. It will be quick and painless. Please, it’s much worse to be alone forever than to die.” The captain’s 17 year old son looks so much like him. His curly blonde hair is matted to his head and sweat drips into his emerald eyes. His golden skin glows under the waning rays of the sunset.

 

“Kyrin, please. You know what I have to do if you don’t leave.” I beg him, rising to my knees.

 

“Apyri, at the ready.” The captain barks to his second in command, the light haired, fair skinned, blue eyed Lieutenant.

 

“Utique, Captain Grylun.” She replies, her hair bobbing in its bun as she rises from a bow. She raises her gun and aims it at me with Captain Grylun in perfect unison.

 

“Kyrin, gun up! She’s a murdering Dark Sorceress! She killed her own parents! Don’t think she won’t do the same to you!” Captain Grylun growls at his son.

“Kyrin, please! You of all people know me best! You know I would never hurt anyone! Please, you have to believe me!” I stay on my knees, begging him to believe me. He looks torn; he wants to believe me, but his duty to the Rolyk comes first.

 

“I… You… We…” Kyrin looks around at his father and Lieutenant Apyri before his emerald eyes rest on mine. “I… I’m sorry…” he concludes, defeated, as he raises his gun. He turns the safety off and aims the short silver barrel at me.

 

“Please don’t, Kyrin, please!” I beg him, my purple eyes blurring with tears as a small breeze blows my straight, glossy, raven black hair in my face.

 

“I’m sorry, Father.” He whispers, and in a flash a gunshot echoes through the forest. I roll to the left, but the bullet hits my left knee. I scream out in pain and Kyrin darts to my side. I have enough wits about me to throw up a quick Flash Shield. Lieutenant Apyri throws up an arm and falls backward, blinded by the bright light. Her gun falls from her hand as it hits a pointed rock, drawing blood and a small shriek from her. Captain Grylun is lying on the gravelly ground, unconscious.

 

“You stupid witch!” Apyri scowls, unable to see for another minute. “When my sight comes back, I’m charging that cursed fortress with all the might of the Kryton Rolyk!” she gropes around for a few seconds before stumbling upon Grylun’s body. “Grylun? Grylun! Are you okay? Speak to me, sir!”

 

“He’s okay. I only knocked him out.” Kyrin confirms. “Just please, leave us alone!”

 

“That’s not going to happen, boy! Under orders, I am authorized to execute Ryku and anyone who aids or supports her! Even if they’re the son of the Elite Squad’s Commander!”

 

“I’m sorry, Ma’am, but I insist you let us go. I would like not to use any Magyk against you, if I can help it.” I say, wincing as I stand up. 

Kyrin grasps my arm and supports me. I lean heavily on him, knowing Apyri can’t see my weakness. I know her sight is slowly coming back by the way she seems surer of her position. She locates her gun and starts aiming it all around her. If we talk, she’ll know our location and I’ll be killed. I raise a finger to my lips as I look at Kyrin. He nods slightly and I close my eyes, hoping for our sakes this works. Then I speak again and my voice is thrown away from us, behind Apyri.

 

“I am leaving here whether you like it or not.” Apyri is standing now, and she spins around, facing away from us.  “I’m very sorry, Ma’am, but I refuse to let Kyrin get hurt on my behalf, but I know he will leave with me. We will away now. Please don’t follow us.”

 

“You’re not going anywhere!” she shrieks, a snarl plastered to her face, and spins towards us and opens fire.

 

I throw up a Shadow Barrier. She can’t see us inside it nor can we see her. She beats on the force, opens fire, and kicks it. It starts to crack and I know I have to act fast because my Magyk won’t last forever. She can’t hear us inside the Barrier, nor can we hear her. I’m sure her face is twisted in a hideous grimace.

 

“Ky, go.” I gently push him, opening a small portal in the ground.

 

“But…” He argues.

 

“No. Please, just go. I’ll be right behind. This will take you right into the castle’s Safe Room. No one can penetrate it. I renewed the Dark Spells there. I know you don’t like my Gray Magyk, but my spells are stronger and more protective when I mix my Shadow and Lite Magyk.” I reassure him.

 

“No. I’m not leaving without you!” He grasps my hand gently, but tightly.

 

“Kyrin, please. If I go through the portal first, this barrier will fall and the portal will close. Then you’ll be left to Apyri’s fury. I refuse to let that happen!” I push him again, a little harder.

 

“I… okay. But I expect to see you within one minute!” he declares.

 

“I know, I’ll try. Please hurry!” I urge, pushing him harder as the Barrier cracks more.

 

“Ryku…”

“Yeah, Ky?”

 

“I… I love you, so don’t die, okay?” he declares, squeezing his eyes shut and balling his hands at his sides.

 

“I love you, too, so I won’t.” I comfort him with a little kiss on the cheek. He cups my chin and does something he’s never done before; he kisses me on the lips. I close my eyes, open my lips a little, and gasp. I breathe in his sweet scent before he lets me go.

 

“Did I hurt you?” his emerald eyes are wide with worry, and the cracks in the Barrier spread.

 

“No, I was just a little shocked, that’s all.” I say, grinning.

“Okay. Have I ever told you you smell like Lavender?”  He says, his heartwarming crook grin spreading on his face.

 

“No. Have I told you you smell like Cinnamon?” I laugh gently.

 

“No. Well, I’ll see you on the other side, okay? One minute!” he confirms, kissing my cheek quickly before dropping in the portal. I move closer to the portal, ready to fall in any second. I place my hands on the ground next to the swirling purple confusion, moving myself into place. The shot wound from my left knee has spread to my entire leg. I move to jump in when the Barrier shatters, sending me flying onto my back with a shriek. I hear Kyrin’s voice echo through the portal.

 

“Ryku!”

“I’m okay! Just remember that I love you!” I shout back. Apyri is standing above me as I look down the 6 inch long silver barrel of her Elite Guard shock gun. Her hand is behind her back and I see something reflect the red sky.

 

“You know, they say red skies foretell of a death in the night.” She taunts, drawing her dagger from behind her. I raise my arm slightly and force the portal shut, cutting off Kyrin’s call of my name and locking him away from this danger. I shut my eyes as Apyri drops her arm, the dagger getting closer to my throat, when a sound rings out above me. I shriek as a searing pain races down my arm. I open my eyes to see Apyri knocked back. My right shoulder has a deep gash where Apyri dropped her dagger. I tilt my head back to see Captain Grylun standing with his gun in his hand.

 

“She is to be taken alive, if possible, Lieutenant.” He reminds her. “I’d rather leave you with an injured pride from not killing Ryku than leave you without a hand. Am I clear, Lieutenant?”

 

“Utique, sir. Please accept my apologies, sir. I let my anger get the best of me.” Apyri submits, bowing. She rises and mutters a Bonding spell. It ties a rope of Energy around my feet, binds my hands behind my back, and loops itself around my throat. The end of it drops into her hand like a leash.

 

This is a common spell for transporting prisoners. She begins to walk back through the forest. I’m forced to follow as the spell twists my arms, chokes my throat, and forces my feet. I have no choice but to return to the castle and stand trial in the Cryunsel, who would have stepped in after the King and Queen were assassinated and their only heir had run away.

 

Mother, Father. Please forgive me for this chaos I have caused. Kyrin is now locked in Gryfik Fortress and I’m to be put on trial for your murder! Lieutenant Apyri wants me dead and Captain Grylun despises me because he thinks I tricked his son into loving me. Please, may your kindness and fairness and justness continue in the land after your death as it did when you lived.

 

I mumble this small prayer, hoping the late King and Queen hear it and come to their daughter’s aid. We continue half the night before my left leg falls lame and my right shoulder needs bandages. I limp on until I finally stumble and trip. I simply lay there, not moving. It hurts too much to do anything but breathe, and yet that hurts, too.

 

“Come on! Get up, you stupid, lying, faking, murderer!” Lieutenant Apyri shouts at me, tugging harder on the spell’s rope. It tightens around my neck and arms and feet, sending a new wave of pain racing through my body. I scream and squirm, causing the wounds to bleed again. Tears stream down my cheeks as I feel blood pulsing out of my right shoulder and left knee.

 

“Lieutenant! Alive! Fix it!” Captain Grylun barks at her.

“Utique, sir.” She bows humbly and begins rummaging through their supply bag. She unrolls some medical tape and bandages. She bends over me and mumbles a few Healing spells. The bleeding slows but doesn’t stop. She wraps up my wounds poorly.

 

“Let’s stay here for the night. We’ll continue at Dawn.” Captain Grylun commands.

 

“Utique, sir.” Lieutenant Apyri bows again. She uses a little bit of real rope to tie me up and sits me against a fallen log.

“What? Scared I’ll break your Magyk ropes again?” I tease wearily. My body aches terribly.

 

“I wouldn’t taunt if I were you. Do you know the situation you’re in, girl?” she snarls angrily.

“Sure I do. Have you forgotten I’m the Princess of this Rolyk? That your job is to serve me?”  I reply haughtily.

“Not when you turn Fallen or Rogue, I don’t! Now sleep, witch!” she demands.

 

I turn my head away, shunning the vile woman, when a bright flash of light appears from beneath me. I have a feeling of falling into water and being pushed upward. I blink my eyes as I adjust to the light in the room. I’m in a wooden chair. My hands are shackled to the floor behind the chair and my feet are strapped to the chair’s legs. Captain Grylun and Lieutenant Apyri are standing behind me at Parade Rest.

 

I look around to see a plain white room full of black masked people in black cloaks sitting in long desks on either side of me. I know there are 10 of them. Half are women and half are men. A door opens behind the large oak podium in front of me and 2 people walk out in white masks and robes. One is a man and one is a woman.

 

“All rise for the Cryunsel Commanders!” A purple robed guard calls out from the base of the podium. The Cryunsel stands unanimously as Grylun and Apyri snap to Attention.

 

“At ease.” The man says on the left, and the woman raises both her hands, palms forward. The Cryunsel sits and Grylun and Apyri stand At Ease. Their hands clasp behind their lower backs.

 

“Arch-Princess Ryku Sylvera.” The woman announces with a honey-like voice.

 

“Utique, Grand Cryunsel.” I reply feebly.

 

“You have been brought before the Royal Cryunsel of the Kryton Rolyk for your crimes on this 5^th day of June.” The man declares. His voice is deep and silky.

 

“You have been charged with Practicing the Forbidden Magyk of Shadow. The charge has been cleared.” The woman announces. I have a flashback of the time I created a swamp in the castle’s courtyard. When I was 5 years old, Kyrin and I were playing a game of Hunt, and we wanted to play in a swamp. However, conjuring places of Death or Decay is considered Shadow Magyk, or Black Magyk. It has been illegal in the Rolyk for centuries now.

 

“You have been charged with an Unlawful Use of Lite Magyk. The charge has been cleared.” The man announces. I remember the time I was mad at a girl from the city. She was calling me names, teasing me, and pulling my hair. I had disguised myself as a commoner so no one would know I was the Princess. However, they saw me as a foreigner because of my black hair. My Rolyk has mostly light colored hair; blondes and light browns. I had used my Lite Magyk to grow vines around her. They pulled at her hair and scratched her arms. I was only 7 years old.

 

“You have been charged with Unlawfully Combining Shadow and Lite Magyks. This charge has been cleared. You have also been charged with Creating Illegal Magyk from this. This charge has been cleared.” The woman takes her turn to announce other charges. This was from the time when I was 7 and created a new Barrier spell. I called it the Flash Barrier. I combined Protection Magyk with Harming Magyk. When anyone besides the user touches the white shield a black flash blinds them for a minute and knocks them back. Combining Lite Magyk with any Dark Magyk is illegal, as Dark Magyk is illegal and it taints the purity of the Lite Magyk.

 

“Recently, you are charged with the Murder of the Royal Family and Escaping Trial. You stand here now to face the Cryunsel for these crimes.” The man’s voice rings out, echoing through my memory. 

Author's Note

This is in present times... my book jumps to a flashback in the next chapter.