Chapter 9: Finding Ryku

“Ryku.” I sigh. “You silly, silly girl!” I turn towards Jake. “She was always so adventurous, and always found new ways to hide her tracks, so no one could find out it was her.” I run a hand through my short blonde curls.

 

“Well, can you figure out how to find her? Otherwise, we need to bring Emi with us. And she won’t be too pleased to have to be dragged around with us.” He sighs, looking up at the twilight sky. Small blood red rays of sunlight drag across the sky, the only light left before nightfall.

 

“I think… wait…” I break off, a spiral of thoughts running through my head like a volcano erupting.

 

“What? What is it?” Jake looks to me with his midnight blue eyes. His light chocolate brown hair hangs slightly in his eyes.

 

“I think I know how to find her.” And I immediately turn towards the dust. I draw a Finding Rune on my left palm and snatch some of the purple Portal dust. I think back to my lessons Father taught me. I never paid much attention to Latin class, but a word begins to form in the back of my mind. I close my eyes and stare into the foggy blackness of my thoughts, reaching for the word. I can see it begin to form in my mind, pulled to my forethoughts like a fish on a line. I’m thankful that Jake stays silent, respecting my concentrated and thoughtful look.

 

There! There it is! The word is…

 

“Inveniet,” I whisper. Suddenly, the purple dust is caught up by a wind. I close my left fist to hold onto the little bit I have, but I feel a tugging and the dust slips from between my fingers. I frantically grasp until Jake lays a hand on my left shoulder. He’s standing beside me, looking ahead of us, trying to get my attention. I look up and slowly rise from my crouch.

 

“Whatever you did, I think it’s working.” He chuckles quietly as a big grin spreads across my face. I feel it stretch from ear to ear.

 

“Veyason!” I laugh in Cedarykian and skip into the Portal. Jake simply grunts in confusion before leaping into the sandy window before us. I hear him utter a small gasp and I laugh. I’m still laughing by the time we land out of the Portal. It drops us about 3 feet above the ground and I land in a crouch before standing up and brushing sand out of my eyes.

 

            Jake is thrown out of the Portal and he flails pitifully until he lands a foot in front of me. I simply laugh and reach a hand down to help him up as he spits out a mouthful of sand.

 

“Wha-… what was that?” He breathes. “It was closing in, and I saw shadows and… and… demons! What just happened?” His eyes are wide and frantic.

 

“Calm down, calm down. We traveled through the Portal Realm. It is something like being pushed through a glass tunnel through the Daemon Realm.” I brush of his back and pick up the Heavenstone that fell out of his pocket.

 

“We were in… the Void?!” he shouts, disbelief glittering his voice.

 

“If that is what you call the world of the Daemons, yes.” I squint towards the distance as he stammers.

 

“Now, I suggest you pull yourself together. First, you are a Keeper. Does that not make you a Daemon hunter?” I ask calmly.

 

“Well, yes. It’s just that no one who goes to the Void returns!” he blinks at me.

 

“We were not in the Daemon Realm. We were in the Portal Realm, which is a safe tunnel through their space, but it cannot stay open for long. It begins to collapse on itself as the Daemons push their way towards you inside. But no matter.” I wave away his protest. “Second, there are men in uniform, perhaps military, running towards us.”

 

“What?” He spins around quickly. “Oh, no! It’s the Army!” He turns towards me. “Quick, get us outta here! I think we’re in Area 51… if so, we’re screwed! Come on! Go, go, go! Make another Portal!” The uniformed men are still running, getting ever closer.

“I… uh… I’m only a Guard… I can’t do any Magyk. I just use Runes.” I shrug pathetically, holding my hands up in surrender. The men now surround us and are pointing strange black machines at us.

 

“No need to worry, Sirs. We were just leaving, right, Kyrin?” he glares angrily at me. “There’s no need for them to use their guns, right, Kyrin?”

 

“Yes, yes. I do have a few questions, however.” I look around at the group. “Firstly, who is in charge of this squad?” I squint my eyes to try to distinguish ranks in the increasing darkness. However, none of the symbols look familiar to me.

 

“I am.” A gray haired man steps forward. “I am Colonel Stanford, Head of Security here at Area 51. What is your business here?”

 

“A Colonel? Well, the honor is mine, Sir.” I bow grandly. “I am Kyrin, head of the Royal Elite Guard of the Sylvera family of Kryton. I come seeking a lost Arch-Princess who may have traveled here by Portal.” I look up, still bent over in a bow. He simply nods his head and I rise.

 

“Do you mean the crazy girl? Whatever institute you’re from, they need better security. Meanwhile, trespassing here is illegal. We’ll just take you in, for the night.” He looks to his men and nods. They move as one to force us to our knees and put metal chains around our hands.

 

“Now, just like the girl, these are handcuffs. They hold your hands so you can’t escape.” He has an air of tired responsibility about him. We stand up and are walked, by gunpoint, to the edge of a cliff.

 

“It’s real!” Jake gasps. “So Area 51 is real? It’s not just rumors? Do you guys really study aliens and stuff?”

 

“Well, look who’s normal. Why do you know all this and he doesn’t?” a younger boy asks. He looks a few years older than I.

 

“I’m an American citizen. Well, kinda… I’m just gonna shut up now.”

 

“Ms. Silver is gonna be mad at us, calling her so much in a night.” The boy remarks to Colonel Stanford.

 

“It’s her job! She’ll come if we call, no doubt. Although, yes, she might be a little upset.” Colonel Stanford sounds tired and stressed.

 

“We should just hold them for the night, call her in the morning. Respectfully, Sir.” He corrects himself.

 

“Eric, not now. We’ll discuss this later.” He scolds sternly. “I’m in charge and I say we’ll leave them in a cell tonight and question them in the morning. I’d rather not deal with anymore of this nonsense tonight.” The Colonel holds open a metal door. The only light now is a small lamp above the door and some lining a hallway of cells. There are 6 total.

 

“Separate or together, Sir?” the boy, Eric, asks.

 

“The boys can be held in a separate cell than the girl. I’m going to report this in.” Colonel Stanford walks away.

 

“Yes, Sir.” Eric salutes at the Colonel’s turned back. “Well, you will be held here.” Eric announces, opening a barred-door into the first cell on the left. “Dismissed.” He says to the other men in the group, locking the door behind us. The salute and walk away. He turns to a guard who is standing next to the middle cell on the left. The same happens and only Eric is left, standing between the two cells.

 

“Major Eric? What’s happened?” a girl’s voice echoes from the cell next to us. I can’t see who it is because a stone wall separates the two cells.

 

“Nothing much. Just a couple more people who managed to make it past the fence, like you. They’re wearing the same clothes, too. You might know them.” Eric replies to her.

 

“Respectfully, Sir, may I turn this wall into bars? So I may see the people?” She asks.

 

“Sure, but make it quick! I could get in trouble for this, you know!”

 

“I know, but don’t worry. Did I not warn you of the guard who came to take over for you because of the intrusion?”

 

“Well, yes. Okay, okay. Just hurry up, please.”

 

“Utique, Eric.” She says, and only seconds later the stone wall between us dissolves into metal bars.

 

            Jake, beside me, flops onto the bed in surprise and I simply gasp. The girl stays quiet and stares.

 

“Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no!” She moans. “What are you guys doing here?” she steps forward and grips the bars.

 

“Ryku?!” I manage to whisper. “Ryku, what are you doing here?” I grab her hands through the bars.

 

“I was trying to run away! It’s no good if you follow me! Oh, Ky! What have you done? Now we’re all stuck in here!” she pulls a hand away to wave away the bars. She takes another step and hugs me. I rest my chin on her head and sigh.

 

“I’d follow you to the end of time and back!” I say quietly. She looks up at me, her purple eyes full of love and hope and admiration.

 

“I love you.” She whispers and lays her head against my chest. I’m so surprised I simply stand there, holding her close.

 

“Ry?” With my voice she looks up at me. “I love you, too.” I whisper, bending my head down to kiss her. She stands on tiptoes and kisses me back. I cup my right hand behind her head and my left behind her lower back, pulling her close. She leans into it and we stand like that, kissing and hugging, until Jake clears his throat, making us jump apart.

 

“Ahem. I do believe that I am still here! Yeesh!”

 

“Sorry, sorry. Brytame.” Ryku apologizes, hugging me quickly then stepping back into her own cell space. Her head hangs down and she’s staring at her hands, folded in front of her. I’m too stunned to say anything.

 

“Quick! Put it back, put it back!” Eric hisses through the bars.

 

“Utique, Major Smith.” Ryku complies, replacing the empty space with the stone wall. I look towards the end of the hall but don’t see much around the bars and wall.

 

“Now, who do we have here?” A woman’s voice echoes through the hallway. “Ah, Ryku! I hope things are comfortable for you?”

 

“Yes, thank you. Despite my restlessness and nervousness I slept a little while earlier.” Ryku replies.

 

“Good, good. Just remember, ask Major Smith here if you need anything.”

 

“Utique, ma’am.”

 

“Now, who are you young boys?” She appears in front of the cell door. She looks a lot like Ryku but with green eyes like mine. She’s wearing a light gray suit and black shoes that make her as tall as I am.

 

“Kyrin.” I say simply.

“Jake.” Jake replies from the bed, standing up. He’s a finger’s length shorter than me, the top of his head reaching my eyebrows. His dark blue eyes are empty, void of any emotion.

 

“Jake, Kyrin.” She nods to each of us as she says our names. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Kierra Silver.” She holds out her hand, through the bars, dropping it when neither of us moves to shake it. “I’m in charge of Magyk cases, such as Ryku and yourselves. It is very strange how you managed to get in the middle of Area 51 without a footprint leading from the fence line and it is my job to figure out who you are and how you did it.” She says formally.

 

“She’s okay, Ky. She’s a nice woman!” Ryku calls through the bars.

 

“Why, thank you, Ryku. Yes, I mean you no harm. I simply want to ask a few questions, if you don’t mind?”

 

“No, I don’t mind.” Jake offers, moving to stand beside me near the cell door.

 

“I can only take one of you at a time, however.” She says, opening the door.

 

“I’ll go.” Jake offers again.

 

“Good. Now, let’s go down to the room, shall we?” she sweeps her arm to the side, gesturing further down the hall.

 

“Okay. I’ll be back, okay, Ky?” Jake winks at me, a plan lurking in his eyes like a sea monster in a lake.

 

“Utique. Qiteryo ya encotres ta hiireka.” I tell him in Cedarykian. Okay. I hope you find out something.

 

He turns to Ryku and shakes her hand through the bar. Only our trained eyes see the Understanding and Speaking Runes Ryku transfers to his right wrist. They fade immediately and he blinks thrice at me to signal he understands. He walks in front of Kierra and disappears out of sight down the hall.

 

“Might I ask what you said?” Major Eric Smith asks me, standing in front of the cell as soon as Jake and Kierra are out of sight.

 

“Ryku?” I ask through the wall.

 

“Creyyo ya que lel troostes.” She replies. I think you can trust him.

 

“I told him I hope he finds something out.” I move to sit on the bed and lay down, my hands under my head. “I’m sorry, but that’s all I can say.” I add, seeing his confused look. “It’s very confusing and has a lot to do with our own world. It’s stuff that you probably wouldn’t understand. I’m sorry.” I apologize.

 

“Oh, okay.” he sits against the wall between our cells. There is about 10 more minutes of awkward silence before Jake comes back. Major Smith stands up straight, opens the door, and Jake walks in. I take his place and am led by Ms. Kierra down the hall. I look to Ryku and she smiles warmly at me. I continue down a long hallway, at the end of which is a room. A guard opens the thick metal door and I walk in. It’s a lot colder here than in the cell and I’m grateful for the cloaks Jake and I grabbed before leaving the House. Ms. Kierra sits down in a chair at the metal table and I sit across from her.

 

“Well, as I told Jake, you both seem much more cooperative. When I walked in here the first time, with Ryku, she was in the corner with two daggers. She spoke as little English as possible and even bargained for me to talk before she did. She’s a very smart girl.” Kierra smiles warmly.

 

“Yes, she is. She’s had the best training anyone could have, as have I.” I agree.

 

“Yes, well, I simply have a few questions. Then we can all go to bed for the night.” She looks down at a gold watch on her right wrist. “It’s already 8:30 P.M. The babysitter won’t be too happy I’m out this late.” She laughs quietly. I simply watch her cautiously.

 

“Now, what is your name?” she asks, pulling out a pencil and notepad.

 

“I am Kyrin Anthos, head of the Elite Guard of the Sylvera family of Kryton.” I reply, repeating what I told Colonel Stanford.

 

“Okay, okay. That’s more than Jake told me. So I take it you and Ryku are from the same world, but Jake is not?” she infers.

 

“Yes.”

 

“Okay, good. Now, how old are you?”

 

“Did you ask this much with Ryku?”

 

“No, but I feel as though she’s had a much harder day. Besides, she avoided my questions in a way that I felt she would not answer any of them tonight.”

 

“That’s Ryku! No one will get any answers out of her unless she wants to say so.”

 

“You seem to have the same tactic.” She looks at me like a hawk at a mouse. “You both avoid, and even distract from, all my questions. Where were you born?”

 

“You won’t know the place.”

 

“I can look it up, if it’s a small town.”

 

“No, no. It doesn’t exist anymore. You’ll never find it. Not even if you looked in ancient history books. It’s been erased from history eons ago.”

 

“Oh?” her eyebrows rise in curiosity.

 

“You’ll never find anything about us. You see, we don’t even exist.” I smile in contempt.

 

“Well, I guess we’re done for tonight.” She sighs, tapping her pencil impatiently before setting it down.

 

“Creyyo ya que seto.”

 

            We walk back down to the cell and I tell everyone what happened. Even Major Eric laughs when I tell them about her furious glare as I spoke Cedarykian. Afterwards, we all go to sleep. Jake and I lean against the wall, sharing the one bed. Ryku’s bed squeaks noisily as she shifts, but it suddenly goes quiet. I smile slightly, thinking about how Ryku could use a Portal or Runes to get out but she remains locked in the cell.

 

Wait… she can use Runes! Maybe even Portals! I think in surprise, standing up and knocking on the wall as soon as Major Eric Smith disappears down the hall to use the restroom. A small portion of the wall disappears, creating a small window. I see her sitting up in her bed and looking at me. She draws a Rune on her left hand and a faint light glows from it, illuminating her face.

 

“Ryku. Can you use Portals in here?” I whisper.

 

“Yes, why?”

 

“Why don’t we just Portal out of here? We can get far away from this place. I get the feeling we’re in for no good!”

 

“Ky, you worry too much! Get some sleep. We’ll answer questions in the morning and then leave. Now, get back to bed. Major Eric is coming back.” And with that she closes the hole in the wall. I sulk back to bed and fall asleep.

 

I’m awoken in the middle of the night by guards putting a cloth over my mouth. I jolt awake only to fall asleep soon after, the world slowly fading away. When I wake up again I’m tied to a metal chair. I can feel the metal handcuffs digging into my wrists behind the chair and my feet are tied to the legs of it.

 

A bright metallic light shines in my face, forcing me to blink. We’re in a strange stone room that looks roughly carved out. I look around and see Jake in a chair on my right, similarly situated. To my left is a metal door, through which Ms. Kierra Silver walks through, followed by two guards, a figure hanging limply between them with her long black hair masking her face. They hook a chain to the metal links between her handcuffs and pull, forcing her to stand.

 

“Ryku! Jake, get up! Ryku!” I squirm feebly in my seat.

 

“Oh, lookie who’s awake! Wake the other two, and gag him if you must.” Kierra waves a hand at the guards.

 

“Yes, ma’am.” One moves to shake Jake awake and the other pulls a cloth tight across my mouth. Kierra taps Ryku’s cheeks until she wakes up, lifting her head. Her eyes widen with shock as she sees me and Jake.

 

“Uh-uh!” Kierra warns, wagging a finger at her. “If you start to shout, we’ll have to gag you, too.”

 

“I demand you unhand us this instant! I refu-” Ryku’s whine is cut off by a gag. Her muffled whines and growls leak through it, but no words are understandable. She thrashes around but her feet are tied to the ground. Jake is gagged, too.

 

“Now, I would hate to have to try any mean and cruel methods, but none of you would tell me anything. I can only assume you’re spies because there are no records of you. The places you mentioned were traced to a group of small Russian villages. These little towns believe strongly in magic, so we can only assume that’s where you’re from. However, you mentioned a place called Panayajaka. Where is it?” she turns to Jake.

 

“You’ll never find it. It’s as impossible as trying to find an alternate dimension!” he spits at her when his gag is removed. The guard smacks his head and replaces the gag.

 

“Show some respect, spy!” he growls and Ryku whimpers for Jake. She starts to mumble something and Kierra removes the cloth.

 

“No sereson nos espieses! Etu ayeka prumisce ood no eles hureter!” she shouts angrily.

 

“Engilsh, girl! Speak English! I know you can!” Kierra yells back, raising her hand and grinning evilly as Ryku flinches.

 

“We are not spies! And you promised not to hurt them!” Ryku translates.

 

“Yes, yes. I did promise that, didn’t I? Well, I am a woman of my word, so we can’t hurt them, but you said nothing about yourself.” Kierra threatens.

 

“Ryku!” I shout through my gag.

 

“Be safe!” she shouts back and kicks one of her boots at me. It lands in my lap as I fall through a Portal.

 

            “Ryku!” I shout at the empty town around me. I’m in a park, next to a small lake. A fountain gushes in the middle of it, glowing with an inner light. I’m still tied to the chair and give a small yelp as Jake lands beside me. I twist to sit the chair up. Jake does the same and I pull the gag from his mouth.

 

“Look!” He stares at Ryku’s boot. A knife sticks out from it and a golden Rune glows on the hilt.

 

“Cut.” I translate. I tip the chair sideways, pick it up, and press it to Jake’s handcuffs. He grabs the knife from me, cuts the chains around his legs, and frees me. We angrily throw the metal chairs into the lake, sit on a nearby bench, and plan our next move.