The Battle Has Begun

Chapter 8: The Battle Has Begun

 

My hands pressed against the cold stone of the palace.  I used the wall to guide me to anything that would let me in.  I came to a window ledge.  The window was open and there were no lights on.  It was a perfect entranceway.

I pulled myself up and over the ledge, then crawled through the glass.  Barely able to see in the darkness, I felt my way to a large table.  While exploring the top of table for anything that might be of some use, I came across a cool, smooth, stick.  It was a candle.  And by sheer luck, there was a box of matches set right beside it.

I swiped a match and lit the candle.  The light spread across the room, just enough for me to see that I was in the dining hall.  The table that I found the candle on, was beautiful.  It was made from oak and had pictures of crowns and shields carved around the edges.  But something far more beautiful caught my eye. 

Lying across the center of the table was a golden, diamond studded necklace with a huge ruby as the centerpiece.  I picked it up and stared at it.  The necklace's beauty shocked me.  The only thing that was ever as beautiful as this, was Alex.

My heart began to thunder.  I hated having to leave the necklace behind.  It would feel too much like leaving Alex. But I continued on without it.  All I needed was the candle and the matches.  

The door was easily located.  I pushed it open and found myself in the grand entrance.  There was a gigantic staircase that probably led to the bed chambers.  But if my parents were to be found, they would be in the dungeons. 

I scanned the rest of the room and noticed an old, moldy door on the other side.  So I crossed the room, and when I opened the door, a staircase led down into the black.

Down I went, further and further.  As I got closer to the bottom of the endless stairs, voices and groans grew louder.  I knew then that this was the dungeon.

My feet stepped down the last step and I peered around the corner.  There were no guards.  Just hundreds of jail cells, filled with moaning prisoners.  My parents could be in any one of these.

I began walking down the long hallway, my head turning to look in each cell. 

"Stella?" a familiar male voice called my name.

"Dad? Is that you?" I answered.

"Yes hunny...it's me."

"Where are you?" My heart beat began to race.

"Walk forward five more cells.  You're mother and I are on your right."

I walked, counting every prison cell I passed.  There he was! My dad! He had his hands clinging to the bars and a serious, yet happy look on his face.

My mother was laying in the back of the cell.  Her body curled in a fetal position.

"Is mom ok?" I asked, worried.

"She's just sleeping.  Stella, are you ok? Why are you here? You should have just left us.  You would have been safer.  You know that you're mom and I would have liked it better if you just stayed at home." I had never heard my dad speak so seriously before.

"Dad, I'm fine.  And I couldn't just leave you.  I knew you were in serious danger, and I can't lose you!" I cried.

My mom stirred in the background. "Who are you talking to, dear?" she asked.

"Stella is here"

She twisted around and looked at my face.  When she comprehended that it was me, she shot right up and zoomed to the bars.

"Oh hunny! Are you ok?! I've been so worried about you! How did get into Alazainia? How did you find the palace?" she wailed.

"I'm ok, mom.  And as for finding Alazainia and the palace, that is a story for another time.  Right now I have to get you out of here! Where are the keys?"

"There are no keys." replied my dad. "The only way you can let us out is if you find a diamond necklace with a large ruby.  But it is much too dangerous."

A smile spread across my face.  I knew exactly where that necklace was because it was the one that I found in the dining hall!

"What are you smiling about?" asked my mom.

"I'm smiling because I know where the ruby is.  I came across it when I snuck into the palace!"

My dad sighed. "Stella, you are not to get that necklace.  You are to leave right now! Forget about us!"

"No!" I said and then fled down the hall and up the stairs.

I cautiously opened the door and peeked around the side, making sure that nobody was there.  When the coast was clear, I darted across the room, went into the dining hall, and grabbed the ruby.

As I left to go back to the dungeon, I heard a snicker.  My head turned and I gazed at the man on the staircase.  He was tall, and gaunt with a small black mustache.  His hair was messy and curled at the bottom.  On top of his head was a dingy golden crown, embedded with thousands of jewels.

I could then tell by his evil snare, that he was Raziel.

"I thought I heard noises down here." he said in an eery voice.

I did not respond.  I just stood there frozen, staring at the evil man that destroyed what should have been my life.

"I suspect that you must be Stella." He flashed another meniacle grin.

Again I did not answer.

"Daughter of Raoul and Nazira Picarre.  Or perhaps you know them better as Joseph and Maggie Baker."

"What do you want with us?" I snarled.

"Oh! So you are not a mute.  I was beginning to think you were deaf! Now dear, please do tell me where you're brother is."

"How would I know? You were the one who kidnapped him!" I snarled again.

"My dear sweet child, who do you think brought you here?! I wouldn't send some random fool to perform a task as important as fetching you! Of course it had to be Alex.  He is, after all, my nephew and your brother."

My mind began to race.  Of course Alex was my brother! How could I be so stupid? He kept calling Raziel his uncle...the one who had taken him in after his parents abandoned him! But they did not abandon him...he was kidnapped by Raziel!

"You evil man!" I screamed, anger flaring through every part of my body. "How could you steal him from my parents!"

"Steal who from you're parents?" A voice came from behind me.

I turned around and there was Alexander, walking through the front door.

"Alex!" I cried. "You were lied to! You are my brother! He kidnapped you and lied to you! He told you that you're parents abandoned you when they did not!" My arms flung around him.  Any anger and pain I had from his hurtful words, floated away.  All that was left for him was remorse.

He pushed my arms away and walked closer to the bottom of the staircase.

"Is this true?!" He growled. 

Raziel laughed. "Of course it's true.  I would have thought you to figure it out years ago.  But you played nicely in my favor."

"What about all that you told me about you having a sister who was not well known? Whose name was Raquel.  Who you said was my mother!" Alex questioned, angrily.

"She never existed, my dear nephew." Raziel smirked.

"Then how do you explain the photos you showed me?!"

Raziel's grin grew wider. "That was Oshta.  Ya know, one of my seven wives."

Alexander hissed. "Do you know what the cost is for all that you have done! Death!"

Raziel laughed again. "My boy, have you forgotten that I was the one who trained you?  And that I have much more experience in fighting then you do?"

"Stella!" Alex shouted. "Go set them free!"

I nodded but before I could move, a force pushed me to the ground.  Pain seared through my back.  And the force kept me pinned to the ground.  I could not get up.  All I could do was watch as Alex pummeled Raziel and they tumbled down the staircase. Raziel had not been paying attention to Alex.  Instead he had his arms outstretched and was staring at me.

Alex kept Raziel pinned to the ground. "LET HER GO!" he screamed.

Raziel grabbed Alex's shoulders and Alex flew into a far wall.  He quickly regained his composure and jumped on Raziel's back.  But before Alex could rip his head, Raziel touched one finger to Alex's forehead.  Alex fell to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain.

I stuggled under the pressure of the force, trying with all my might to break free.

Raziel hovered over Alex, never taking his eyes off of him.  He laughed evily.  He truly enjoyed watching his nepehew, my brother, suffer.

The anger inside me flared higher then it has ever before.  And suddenly I felt stronger then anyone.  I pushed the force off me and stood up.  My legs ran faster then the speed of light.  I tackled Raziel and he plummeted to the floor.  He stood back up and then another unseen force knocked my feet out from under me.  I twirled onto my stomach and grabbed Raziel's ankle.  I squeezed and could feel the bones cracking from the pressure.

Raziel fell back down and grabbed his ankle.  I stood up and picked the evil man up.  I threw him into a wall and knocked him unconcious.

I went over Alex.  He wasn't moving.  He was a vampire, so he would not be breathing and he would have no heartbeat.  I had no idea if he was was gone.

Frightened for my brother's life, I picked up Alex and fled into the dungeon.  As I ran, the power began to dissolve out of my body.  When I came to the cell, I ripped the ruby out of my pocket and waved it in front of the gate.

The door flung open and my parents hurried out.  They both flung their arms around me.  My mother's tears stained my shirt.

"Oh Stella are you alright?!" she wailed. "We heard fighting and we were so worried."

"I'm good, but my brother isn't."  It was then that my parents saw the boy in my arms.  My dad grabbed him from arms and studied his face. "Alex." he whispered.

"Oh God! It's him! He's hurt!" My mom exclaimed.

"Stella, what happened?" My father's eyes began to tear up.

"I dunno.  He was battling Raziel and Raziel touched him with his finger.  Alex fell to the ground and he was in pain."

"Sufferatus poisonatus." My dad said.

"Dad, is he gonna be ok? Please tell me he'll be alright!"

"We need to get him some help." He replied.

"He's a vampire.  Shouldn't he have some magical healing power?" I asked.

"Yes, but is ineffective against sufferatus poisonatus."

"Hunny we're wasting time!" My mom cried out.

"He needs to go to Omalia."

 

THE NEXT DAY

 

I sat next to Alex's bed.  We were in a dimly lit room that was full of candles.  Shelves full of potions covered every inch of the walls.

I thought back to when we arrived here yesterday.  Omalia, a very elderly woman, placed Alex in a bed.  We watched as she danced around the bed, saying incantations and sprinkling stuff all over Alex.

She did this repeatedly every hour until about 6:00 o'clock this morning.

I looked at the clock on Alex's bedside table.  It was 8:30 AM.  I looked back at Alex's face.  He did not look at peace.  He never looked at peace, not even when he was awake.

Then the door opened and Omalia stepped in.  She walked over to the bed and bent over my brother.  Her hands drifted over his face until they found eye lids.  She peeled them back.

There were no pupils.  They were just pure white.  I gasped.  Omalia had not let anyone see his eyes yesterday.

"It ok." she said. "Yesterday, there no white.  They all black."

Omalia did not speak in full sentences.  She said it was a waste of time.

The old woman closed his eye again.  She then reached over and grabbed a white cream off the table and rubbed it around Alex's eyes, mouth, and nose.

"Is he going to be ok?" I asked.

Omalia put the cream back before she answered. "Yes.  He be fine.  Little bit, he wake up."

I watched Omalia.  I couldn't help but wonder how she got to be where she is.

As if she read my mind, Omalia said "I once God's angel.  He impressed with my healing.  Sent me to Earth.  Want me to help magic people."

Then all of a sudden, Alex shot up.  His eyes not back to normal though.  Instead of being all white, he had a small pupil and the rest was bright red.

"See? He wake up.  Minutes later." The old lady bragged.

Alex sat there as still as stone.  He had his hands clenched in fists and he barred his teeth. "Thirsty." he managed to whisper.

"I get blood." Omalia said cheerfully. "Lucky I keep in closet."  She went over to a door and opened it.  Inside there was a wall with hundreds of bags of blood.  She grabbed a handful and laid them across the bed.

Alex's hands flew to the bags.  He horked down three bags at a time.  And when all the bags on his bed were gone, he demanded more.  Bag after bag after bag.  He guzzled down every last drop of blood nonstop for about fifteen minutes.  Blood dripped all around his mouth as he poured each bag down his throat.

When he was finally finished, he plopped back down on his pillow.

"Better?" I asked.

"No."

"Why? Whats wrong?"

He grimaced and wrapped his arms around his chest.  He was pain-stricken.

My body tensed in horror.

"He be ok in few days.  Uncle put spell on him.  Make silver flow through veins."  Omalia said calmly.

"Few days!" He cried through barred teeth.

"Its ok! You're gonna be fine!" I replied.

"DON'T TELL ME IT'S OK!" he screamed. "IT'S NOT OK! MY UNCLE DESTROYED MY LIFE! HE KIDNAPPED ME AND TURNED ME INTO A VAMPIRE.  HE TRIED TO HURT YOUR PARENTS! HE TRIED TO KILL ME! AND WORST OF ALL, HE TRIED TO HURT YOU! AND NOW I'M IN SO MUCH PAIN!"

"I get king." Omalia took her cue to leave.

"I didn't know you cared about me so much.  I thought you said I desere to die."

"Stella, you know that's not true.  I love you like a...like a sister."

Tears welled up in my eyes.  I smiled and said "And I love you like a brother." Alex half smiled.  He was in too much pain.

Then the door opened and my parents walked in.  Both of their faces lit up when they saw that Alexander was awake.  My mom began to cry as she ran over and kissed Alex on the forehead.

"Alex, this is mom and dad." I said, smiling.

Alex froze.  His face was expressionless...emotionless.  Was this good or bad?

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Alyssa]

Ohh!!! I LOVE this!!! Haha i love how Omalia talks that was a good addition kj :) And its cool they are bro and sis! though i wish they werent cuz i love romance haha but its still a really good twist i didnt expect it. Well done with the diverse dialog between all the characters and the only critical comment i can give you is the the last sentence "Alex was amazed" seems like its the wrong sentence to end the chapter, i think you should express his emotions differently like maybe describing what his facial expression looks like like: "Alex looked from out parents to me, and his eyes were atonished with a new hope" i dunno someting like that would be cool :) I just feeel that sentence is weak, it could be imorived :)
Overall though it was fantastic!!!!

[Short.Nerd]

You mispelled deserve up there.

This is a good chapter. I would do the next day as a seperate chapter than what is above it. Maybe try and extend it a little.

Overall good job (: