After meeting the very odd man, Sir kensai and his short tempered fairy, the kids made there way back. Only this time, Asiya led the way in a fit of rage, determined to tell her father how she was treated O so wrongly.
"Commander of expeditions or whatever he calls himself, I don't care! I swear I'll have him put back down to the lowest of ranks, then let's see if he belittles me." Asiya ranted.
Allan jumped in front of Asiya, walking backwards in the same pace she walked, putting his flatenned hand over her head. "Well you are kinda little, so naturally anyone would belittle you." He said. "And besides, the man wasn't so bad that you have to ruin his life, you're over exaggerating."
"Yea, it wouldn't be far fetched to say you are acting exactly like those girls from yesterday, maybe even worse." Nikolai said carelessly, walking from behind. "Maybe...they have learned those ways from you, who knows, not me."
"Hey are you secretly teaching girls how to be spoiled?" Allan asked.
"Oh shut it, first of all, no. Second of all, I can act like that, I am a princess, and third of all, you're the last to speak Nikolai." Asiya said, pushing past Allan.
Both the boys looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders in a shared state of confusion and insensitivity. "Asiya where are you going? Be honest, do you even know where dad is at this time of day?" Nikolai asked.
"Absolutely," Asiya said quickly before clearing her throat. "Of course I do, he's... he's..."
"I thought as much." Nikolai mumbled.
Asiya searched the road, looking for someone that looked like they could help. She then saw a pair of knights strolling by. "O honorable knights!" She called
They looked at her unknowing who she was but then realized soon after. "Princess Asiya." They said and knelt down.
"You may rise." She said. "Do any of you know where my father is?"
"The king should be having a meeting with the council at the moment in high peak garden." Said one of the knights.
"Take me to him right away." She said as she stuck her arms out to the side.
The knights stayed silent as they watched her.
"Well? You don't expect me to walk all the way to peak garden do you? Carry me." She demanded.
"Oh of course." They said as they ran to her side and picked her up. "Our horses are at the end of the road at the next corner, there you should be able to travel comfortably my lady."
"Thank you." She said as they carried her away.
"I swear she's so extra for no reason, one day she's going to get it, I guarantee that." Nikokai said.
Allan nodded his head. "Definitely."
"Hey you there." Whispered a middle aged man drenched in dark clothing from his shops window. "You there, boy with the golden eyes. Come here, come come."
Allan looked around confusedly before pointing to himself.
"Yes you, come come come." He said while coaxing him on.
"Why do we always attracted weirdos?" Nikolai asked.
"I don't know, just come with me." Allan said as he walked towards the shop.
He slowly opened the door, and walked into a dimmed room with apparent dust floating through the sun rays. There were shelves everywhere, and numerous glass stands. From strangely shaped swords, to minatured jeweled skulls, the shelves were filled.
Nikolai was especially intrigued by one of the smaller skulls with it's mouth wide open. While no one was looking, and Allan had walked past, he decided to touch it. He was wary, slowly sticking his finger in it's mouth. One of It's eyes were filled with a blue jewel that seemed to large. As Nikolai's finger got further in, the jewel seemed to sparkle, and bam. The skull shut it's mouth on his finger.
He instinctively flung his hand back, sending the skull flying through the shop. It crashed into a into a picture frame, and was transported within it. The frame held now a bowl of fruit, and one sparkling skull.
"You're here, good, come closer, come closer." The man said standing behind his counter.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Allan asked.
"I wanted to see your eyes up close for myself. It's been awhile since I've seen such golden eyes. Yes, they would fit well with my collection." The man went on.
While he was talking, Allan noticed all the jars of different colored eyes behind him. "Sorry I don't think my eyes are for sale." He said, backing away.
"The man before said something similiar... urghh, what do you say, an eye for an eye?" The guy pulled back his cloth-like, stringy black hair from his face, revealing his bulging bloodshot eye.
"Thanks, but no thanks..." Allan said in disgust.
From around the book cases came Nikolai rubbing his bitten finger. "Yo, are we done here yet?" He asked impatiently.
"Just about." Allan said as he turned to walk away.
"Nununu no no no, I have yet another offer you might find appealing...young boy." Said the man, holding his arm out.
Nikolai rolled his eyes.
"Is it food?" Allan asked.
"Food? No, much better than food." The man said.
"Then I don't really think I'd be interested, butt... i'll see it anyways." Allan said as he walked back up to the counter.
"With a mindset like that you'll go far in life," The penguin-like man laughed. "Just a moment." He said as he went to the back closet.
"Allan you do realize this man is a idiot right. He's one of 'those guys'." Nikolai said, emphasizing on 'those guys'.
"'Those guys?'" Allan asked cluelessly.
"Yea, y'know, those...guys." Nikolai said as if Allan was suppose to get it.
"What are 'those....guys'" He asked again.
Sounds of scattering junk, and falling items suddenly came from the back. "Good Lord where is it.." Faint talking could be heard. Then more sounds of junk falling over came, and a few items rolled out the back door. "I've got it!" The man exclaimed as he rushed out.
He placed a small baggy on the table, and unlossened It's tie, letting out a dozen of wooden beads. His heavy breathing, and the faint laughter of joy in his voice slightly pushed the beads along the table.
"Those guys..." Nikolai said again, nodding his head towards the man.
"Oh, right." Allan said. "What exactly am I to do with these...wooden beads?" He asked.
"These beads aren't just your old lady's run of the mill wooden beads. These are portal pocket beads." The man said while picking one up in between his dirty nails.
"Portal pocket what now?" Allan asked.
"Portal pocket beads, here take one," He said, grabbing Allan's hand and placing one in it. "And you too." He said to Nikolai as he handed one to him.
Nikolai raised his upper lip, grossed out by the fact the man had just touched his hand with his dirty claws. "I'm gonna have to wash my hands thoroughly..." He said to himself.
"Now the both of you quickly put them in your pocket, hurry, go on then." The man said excitedly.
"Well now I have a bead in my pocket. What's so special about that?" Nikolai asked.
"Wait," Allan said, digging in his pocket. "The bead isn't in my pocket anymore."
"Ask him for another. Maybe you just dropped the small thing." Nikolai responded.
"No, I don't think so..." Allan said, digging deeper.
Nikolai laughed lightly. "Wouldn't be the first time you lost something small in your pants."
"Hilarious sir, hilarious." The man behind the counter commented.
"I'm sure it was right.. here." Allan said as he stuck his hand even further.
Finger bulges started to appear from within Nikolai's pants pocket. They were in sync with Allan's ferocious digging. Nikolai suddenly yelled and jumped into the air before rolling on the floor, while also trying to pull his pants off. "There's something in my pocket, there something in my pocket!" He freaked out.
"Where where?!" Allan said as he pulled his hand out his own, and started to search Nikolai. The moment he took his hand out his pocket, the hand bulges in Nikolai's also went away.
"That's the portal pocket beads doing!" The man said, uncontrollably thrilled. "Nothing to be afraid of, nothing to be afraid of." He laughed.
Nikolai jumped up with a bush of messy hair while pulling his pants back up. "I'm ok." He blurted out
Realizing what had happened, Allan chuckled a little bit. He then asked Nikolai a question, already aware of the answer. "My hand was in your pocket?"
Breathing densely, Nikolai replied. "Yea, I thought it was a giant spider or something."
Allan tried to look sympathetic as he watched him breathing hard and everything over nothing. After a little while he just couldn't help it, it was way to funny for him. His forced face of seriousness started to change as his lips became a smile.
"What? Are you laughing?" Nikolai asked.
Allan's smirk got wider until he could no longer sustain himself, and bursted out into a yell of laughter. He jumped up and down a few times while holding his chest as his funny bone let loose.
"Oh yea?" Nikolai said, as he stuck his hand down his own pocket. "Let's see how you like it!"
"Oh my God it feels so weird!" Allan laughed as he rolled on the floor.
The man behind the counter cleared his throat loudly. "Quite the enjoyment aren't they. So I suppose you enjoy them yes?" He said, leaning forward.
Allan got off the floor, and straightened his shirt. "Yes, actually I do like them very much."
"So let me get this straight," Nikolai said, walking up to the counter. "These small retarded beads teleport things?"
"Vaguely speaking yes... whenever they are placed within a pocket like area, they automatically activate, and create a portal leading to the bead used next."
"Wow, that's actually awesome. How long does the portal last?" Allan asked.
"And why don't they all just activate in that baggy." Nikolai added.
"Good questions boys, it seems you aren't just empty heads walking about. Ya see, the portals lasts forever, until the pocket is destroyed, and why they don't activate in this here bag, well I don't know exactly, but that's the fun of it."
Nikolai shook his head unimpressed with the explanation. "One of those guys..." He mumbled. "My man, give me more details."
He started asking loads of different questions, and arguing with the cashier of why his answers aren't suffient. Allan just sat there listening. Dazing out into the dim - buzzing sound that's always there if you pay close enough attention. He could still see every thing they said by the way their lips moved, but their voices were faint.
A penetrating sound of the door opening, and the signal that came with it to let the owner know a costumer came in, broke his peace of mind.
"Welcome." The man said before continuing his argument with Nikolai about why these beads don't suck.
Distant from their convo, Allan naturally looked back to see who walked in. It was a very tall person, covered head to toe in ragged grey clothing under a cloak. Their shoulders met with the top of the book shelves as they came to the front of the store.
With each step they took, Allan's heart beat got faster. His body froze, and his eyes became dialated. "Nikolai we have to go." He said, slowly turning around.
"No no that doesn't make sense, beads would ne- what? Why?" Nikolai switch up in the middle of his sentence to ask.
Before he could answer, a silent shadow grew over them. The shadow was like the darkness that slowly covered the earth when the sun sets, except this time it covered the counter, and the air around them blew in cold like the beginning of winter, making their breathing apparent. Hesitantly, Nikolai turned around and looked up. A sharp piercing gaze shot through his body, holding him there still as he looked into the icey white eyes of the pale person that resembled a deformed lady.
"Don't stare too long, you might just fall in love." She said, smiling crookily.
The shop owner was regretting the fact that he had not noticed earlier when she walked in. That along her barely visible neck, was a tattoo only worn by those who practiced in the dark arts. A blue tattoo of a flat faced barn owl encrypted into her skin. His shop has experienced many different ranges of customers throughout the years, but not one carried such an evil aura till now.
Instinctively, he looked down at his square-like time device. The big hand was far from the purple moon, and still within the range of the orange sun. Indeed It was still very early, but even then he had hoped to pull it off -- the slick move he was about to pull.
"Is it that time of day already? Sorry, we're closing early due to the holiday last night, I was just telling these boys to leave." He said, shooing the boys away with his eyes.
They took the hint right away, as their eyes were fixtated on him the entire time asking for help. Slowly they took a step back and began to turn around, but as they left, a cold hand crept on their shoulder, keeping them in place. Looking to his left, Allan gasped at the sight of her wrinkly old hands. Her thick nails that were far too long, and the blue veins that were way too apparent. They were no different than his mother's on that day.
The feeling of her hand on their shoulder was colder than any Ice. Not physically, but mentally. It would later be put into Nikolai's diary as one of the most uncomfortable things in the world.
"I think I found what I was looking for, don't you think?" The lady said, glaring down at Allan who didn't dare look back.
A bead of sweat fell from off the mans peaked nose. He knew if he didn't do something quick something bad would happen. The back window was just a meter away, and he ran for it. "Guards!" He yelled out.
Looking out, he saw a empty street of scatter goods, and a large splatter of blood drooling down the road. At the end of it layed two dead bodies of the guards who were keeping watch on this street.
"You-" He said as he turned around, but was then pushed against the wall by a unseen force. Barely able to talk, he still choked out his words. "You're a witch... in Arosa, you'll never get out of here alive..."
The woman's smile became even wider, but not teeth baring, which made it all the more evil. She then took her hand off of Nikolai's shoulder, and pulled a long crooked stick from her cloak's unseen. "Alakazam." She squealed.
The moment she completed that word, a burst of energy shot from her wand. The energy resembled the long sprouting form of lightning, and all of its characteristics. Instantly striking his chest in a flickering white light. He was pushed even harder against the wall, causing a slight indent in it. Like a wooden board, his body became stiff the moment he was hit, and his chest twisted inwards. The life in his eyes left, and at that point there was no doubt that she had just killed him.
"You couldn't tell I was a witch by my beautiful face?" She asked the dead man.
Her face was anything but beautiful, and the boys didn't have to look twice to see. Burnt into the very depth of their consciousness was her crooked smile, the saggy dead skin that held on tight to her face, and eyes that wouldn't let them breath. But be suprised, it wasn't those deformities that would haunt them in their dreams. It was the fact that she looked exactly like their mother on that day.
Allan was known for his day dreaming, but this time he was taken somewhere else. The striking resemblance of his mom took him to the past, leaving him in a state of shock. Nikolai would've been the same, but the remebrance only made him think of his lost brother. And every second he thought of that, anger, regret, and sorrow built up in his heart, but more than anything -- determination to slay this wicked beast.
He clenched his jaw, and took a big gulp as he slowly looked back up at her, and with an unwavering tone, and much courage, he said. "You're face is so godforbidden ugly I can barely breath properly."
The witch was surprised, and in that moment she let down her guard, Nikolai double palm pushed her. Like a rag doll, her huge body flew into the wall on the side. He then let out a deep breath, and grabbed Allan, "let's go!" He yelled as he pulled him along to the exit.
The second he got outside he was cornered by two other witches waiting there. They were shorter than the one inside, and one could even be considered small, but still, they were taller than him.
"How did you get away from Grenchi?" The short one asked.
An adrenaline rush was already pumping through his body, and the words didn't process through his mind. He only thought to do the same thing he did to the one inside to these two.
Without hesitation he let go of Allan's wrist, and slid between them. The very moment he was by, he kicked himself up in a spin, and double palmed the short one from the back before she could react. Just like the other one, she flew off her feet into the wall in front of her.
The wide one still standing quickly whipped out her wand, "Pilla flamma!" She shouted. From the tip of her wand roared a flame, wild and ever growing. It slowly condensed itself into a ball the size of a person's head.
The spell was conveniently a couple times slower than the last spell they witnessed. In the time it took for her to release it, Nikolai ran for the dead guards body at the side of the road, and took up his sword. In the nick of time he was able to turn the blade to it's flat side, and reflect the flames. In a explosion of intense heat, the ball dispersed, pushing him back into a pile of crates.
"That was nothing..." He mumbled as he went to get back up.
As he pushed himself up, a sharp sting crawled up his arms, forcing him back down. He grabbed one of his hands, holding it to his face. He didn't have to look closely to see that they were both red with second degree burns.
A scream of annoyance came from the shop, and out stumbled the tall witch from earlier. "Forget that one, just take the boy and go!" She hissed, pushing Allan to the side.
"No!" Nikolai yelled. "Allan what are you doing, fight back!"
Allan was in a completely different zone than everyone else. remembering every little detail of the past. The time he was thrown in a potato bag by the hardly recognizable form his mother had taken. When he woke up in a cage, trapped in a small house stained with the stench of his own brothers blood. When his brother's heart was cut out right in front of his eyes.
Holding his head in agonizing pain, he fell to the floor. He was experiencing the whole thing all over again, six years later, at the worst possible time.
"Allan fight back!" Nikolai yelled again, while he managed to get to his feet, and run head on at the witches.
"You take him," The tall witch said, looking at the short one who was standing back up. "Us two will take this boy back to his mommy." She said as she smiled.
The short witch groaned. "Eh very well, broom!" She called.
Nikolai stopped in his tracks. "What do you know of my mother?!" He shouted.
"Your motha was a scoundrel, a donkey, a piece of trash of sorts. She was the worst human after your fatha." The witch went on.
As she was talking, a wooden broom stick appeared flying out on it's own from around the buildings. Moving in at high speeds, the broom rapidly hovered above the road just high enough for the short witch to grab ahold, and take Allan along with it.
Nikolai then realized she was only trying to stall him, and ran for his brother, but the broom was too fast. Way faster than any horse he'd ever seen. "No not again.." He said, running as fast as he could. He then put his head down, and took a deep breath.
All humans have willpower, a life force, and the ones who train hard enough are sometimes able to release it. Allowing them to becoming many times stronger. This is known as will, and is what Nikolai used earlier to push the witches with a force no human would normally be able to make. Applying this same force to his legs, he began to take strides equivalent to that of a cheetah. Little by little, he began to catch up, but before he could make any real difference in the distant between them, the effects of using this power started to take place.
He was insuffient in the technique, therefor draining his stamina at terribly fast rates. In a desperate attempt to save Allan, he pushed over his limits, and his body dropped to the floor, rolling him a good distance before stopping in the middle of the road.
With skid marks all over his body, he layed there for only a bit before forcing himself up. Again he fell back down. With his last attempt, he somehow managed to get to his knees. "Damn it all!" He yelled as he slammed his burnt hands on the road.
The tall witch appeared from behind, circling around him on her broom. "Just like your fatha, so close to saving the ones you love, and then bam, you fail." She taunted.
"Like father like son." Said the chubby one in a high pitch voice.
"Shut up!" Nikolai demanded. "Shut up!"
"Oooo we got him mad!" She said, and they both laughed.
After circling around him once more, they stopped a good distance in front of him, and stepped off their brooms. "Fighters are the best sacrifices, I do think so." She said, as she pulled out her wand.
"I love it when their strong wills get broken, that's the best part!" The other one said, taking out her wand.
They then both uttered the words from earlier. "Pilla flamma!" Just like before, a stream of fire came to the tip of their wand creating what looked like a miniature version of the sun. The flames became larger as they held it there, sizzling the small plants growing from the cracks of the road. In no time it was as big as a him, if not bigger.
This was the time to cry if one had any tears to spare to the droughting heat, but instead, he smiled. "I won't die here..." Nikolai mumbled. "I am the first born Prince of Arosa, hier to the throne, future king! You will not get in my way, I won't die here!" He yelled as he stuck out his hands, pushing out the energy he used earlier.
The witches released their spells, two of the same sized boulder flames hurled towards him. A sound of swords clashing punched the air as Nikolai made contact with the fire, stopping them inches away from him with his will. "I won't die!" He yelled as he pushed them back with all his might.
In a clash of power, the witches didn't give up either, pushing their wands harder as if it would make the spells stronger. From across the flames dashed a blue light, stopping right at the side of Nikolai's face. "You're in a pinch aren't you." It said.
"Fairy?!" Nikolai blurted out.
He then felt a comforting presence behind him all of the sudden. "You really would have died." Said a familiarly soft voice.
Two arms stuck out right over his head, as a long black jacket flapped around his side's. He slowly looked up to see the sleepy eyed Kensai gazing into the flames. His green eyes danced in the heat with no sign of worries. "You did well, now leave the rest to me." He said.
Tears fell from Nikolai's eyes. He then fell back unconscious in the comfort of Kensai's jacket.
From the back of the witches blew a strong wind, almost as to help increase the fires wrath. That wind became a wave of blazing heat rolling across the road, scorching everything in it's path. kensai though, stood there completely unbothered.
He blinked once, and the glare that came after caused an unrelenting force pushing every thing back. The strong wind from earlier had instantly changed directions, dispersing the flames into a few sparks dazzling about.
"Who are you?" The witches screached.
Kensai ignored them, casually carrying Nikolai to the side of the wall and laying him there.
She looked closer. "You!" she yelled as she recognized the small beauty mark he had under his eye was the same as the man from earlier whom they were warned about. "You're the one from the forest!"
Kensai began to unsheath his sword. Before it was fully out -- he disappeared, and reappeared in the same spot, swinging blood off his sword, and concealing it back.
"I've no idea what you're on about." He said.
The witches stood in the same position they were in just a couple seconds ago, before blood began to drip out their mouths. Slowly, their heads began to slip off their shoulders.
"That was fast." Fae said.
"As always." He replied as he picked Nikolai back up and carried him in his arms.