Betrayal

Rubbing the back of her clammy neck, continuing on a trek she had made for years, hoping the heat would break. Even the park she was walking through gave little relief and it was already eight in the evening. Since it was eight, she dug her cell out in preparation. A moment later a happy ring tone sounded. With a slight smile on her round, light beige face she answered, “Hello, Cassie.”

“Hello Ms. Janeway,” a happy voice replied. “You are running late again? Are you to the park at least?”

With a chuckle she answered, “Yea, almost halfway home. These legs don’t go fast at this time of night. So, did they eat much for you?”

Cassie sighed deeply, “a bit more then yesterday. I would have never known that pets could be just as broken hearted as people… sorry.”

“It is alright, it has been six months since… I am glad you called. Could you look in on the crew tomorrow as well? I picked up another day, not by choice,” Ms. Janeway grumbled, pushing her greying, sable brown hair back. Then she shrugged, there was no way it would stay back after the day she had. As a jogger passed by, she could almost hear the thoughts. She just smiled because what else was there to do. She knew how frantic and exhausted she looked. Her hazel eyes closed for a moment since Cassie had yet to answer her.

“Sure, I can do that,” she answered in her happy upbeat way. “It is easy money… well you should know, as I lock the door, they have been acting a little stranger than normal. Meowing and clicking as if something was there but I couldn’t even find a bug. Maybe you have ghosts…” she chuckled then winced. “Sorry.”

“Thanks for the update,” Ms. Janeway sighed. “I get it, don’t worry about it. Thanks for checking in on them tomorrow. I hope to see you. My shift ends earlier. I just want to keep them on schedule… it helps me so… anyways, good night.” She listened to the happy good-bye before slipping her cell back into her purse, clutching it tight.

A man was walking her way, so she moved over to the side of the sidewalk with a standard greeting smile. She was about to give her standard greeting when he instantly was before her, a knife shoved deep inside her. The pain was incredible, but she didn’t scream. All she thought was, ‘who would come? Who would even care?’ She was alone… well other than her twelve rescue cats.

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be,” he said clearly. “Just welcome the darkness. It is time to take you home. It is time for you to face a different challenge… can you, do it? What would you do with power? Would it go to your head? Would you make a difference? Or would you just stay in the background like you have for this life? I can’t wait to see.” With that he pulled the knife out and sat her on a bench. For reasons she couldn’t explain she just closed her hazel eyes, and the pain took her under.

“Wow that was intense!” a familiar voice stated.

Ms. Janeway slowly opened her eyes to a transparent version of herself when she was… sixteen? She looked down at her hands, they were gloved. She looked down at her body and sighed. She was chubby again. It had taken her two years to shed fifty pounds but now she was… “What!”

“Well, that was a better reaction than I anticipated, hi other me,” the transparent version said walking towards her. “Yep, you are sixteen again, well in about four months. Oh, welcome to the planet Cothrom.”

“Wait, just a moment,” Ms. Janeway yelled standing. Before she could say more, she frowned slightly but then her hazel eyes searched her surroundings. She could smell the unusual bright, yellow and green flowers that were blooming next to the stump she was sitting on. The grass was lush and cushioned her step but what was most surprising, she didn’t ache anywhere. She was in a… forest? One that was groomed because there was no brush, and the trees seemed to be proud to reach towards the clear, blue sky with two moons. She pulled off her right glove and reached down to touch the strange, bright green flower that looked like a tulip but had a deep brown stem and leaves. “I am where?”

“Cothrom, the planet of second chances. Half of the souls already lived simple lives that didn’t take any real chances. Some remember their past while others don’t. If you don’t have a realization by the time you are eighteen, you are probably a new pure soul. Like our sister,” the reflection answered. “Diego had his realization almost four years ago and he is still three years younger than me… us.”

“Wait, my brother… how does this work?” Ms. Janeway asked sitting back on the stump realizing that it had been treated with something. She then realized there were a few stumps every on both sides of the wide, slightly worn path through the forest.

“Yes, our brother,” she chuckled. “It is like this. For the next three days your memories will enter me while mine enter you. Then we will be assimilated. From what I understand, I am so much like you in every way it should be easy. I don’t die or anything, I am just part of your soul while you are part of mine.”

“That makes perfect sense…” she mumbled. “Will you always be… transparent? Can others see you?” she asked, putting her glove back on and looking down at her simple brown pants and sturdy brown shoes. It wasn’t overly warm and looking around it might be spring?

“You are the only one that can see me and talk to me,” she answered wandering around before the version that was sitting taking in everything. “When we are near others I am more like a conscious, you hear me in your mind. You can also talk to me in your mind… well ours. It is strange for me as well, but I did get to watch Diego go through it while mom and dad explained how theirs happened. Our name is still Londra. For now, call me Lonnie and you will be Londra,” she finished with a big smile.

“Okay, Lonnie, this is strange but let’s go with it. Where am I and where am I going or should it be we…” Londra sighed with her whole, curvy body that didn’t ache from age before feeling her hair. It was short and messy, not a phase she remembered.

“Yea, our long hair was cut… not by choice,” Lonnie answered with a grumble. “It will grow back. Okay, back to the explanation then we can start our tutorial.” She chuckled, “such an interesting word for something that is usually boring.”

“Okay, where do we start?” Londra said, trying to push the uncertainty away.

“We are on planet Cothrom,” Lonnie started wandering around before the solid version of herself. “There are thirty-two continents… oh, what did mom say… about the size of Australia. There are things that connect them together, but each is completely different.”

“What connects them?” Londra wondered while looking around taking note of the maple trees while realizing the flowers and vegetation near the edge of the path were uniquely colored. Was that clump of grass blue? Wait there was more scattered around the forest floor.

“This,” Lonnie said holding her transparent necklace that looked like a simple quartz crystal. “This is our Lacrama. No matter where you are born one is given to you once you know not to put it in your mouth, usually five. The other things are the tainted creatures, the adventures guild, and everywhere you can find good and bad individuals.”

Londra looked down, pulling the simple chain away from her neck to look at the crystal. She ignored the other things for the moment, best to focus on one. She was about to ask what it did when her finger touched it. A screen was displayed before her, like a floating tablet. It displayed her name, race, job title, skills, equipment, location, destination, and what was in her vault. She didn’t need to touch anything or say anything as if it sensed her thoughts. It now as displaying what was in her vault. She read the list, shaking her head a bit until she found four things that were not things. “Alpha, Beta, Theda, and Delta? They are my…”

“Yes! I was wondering when we would get to come out,” a black cat, with bat like wings flew around. The adolescent sounding, male voice appeared to come from him. “Look, I have wings now and control gravity!”

“Delta,” Lonnie warned, “she… we don’t need a demonstration. Yes, the cats can talk and have wings. They are considered familiars here and are of the Feline Drake race. They can use specific magic, and he now doesn’t mark things all the time.”

“I had issues,” Delta grumbled landing next to Londra. A fluffy, slightly chubby, yellow cat, with hazel eyes stretched on the ground before her, enjoying the cool, lush grass but she didn’t see any wings. “We can hide the wings; it makes most humans nervous because we are awesome.”

Londra smiled, reaching down to stroke Theda. He purred before deciding to speak, “I can use earth magic, when I want.” His voice was a bit lower and flat sounding.

A solid, light grey cat jumped into her lap, eyeing Delta and with a smug gesture curled up in Londra’s lap. “I can use air magic,” Beta stated before closing his blue eyes triumphantly. His voice was male sounding with an even tone.

The last cat appeared in the air before her. His markings made it look like he was wearing a tuxedo while his amber eyes glowed and his wings were a shiny black. He landed next to Theda. “I can use water, strange right? You would think since Delta loves to play in water it would be him, but it is I.” His voice the most male with a hint of arrogance.

“Now boys,” Lonnie chuckled moving closer. She bent down to stroke Alpha wondering if it would work. She smiled since her hand didn’t pass through him like she thought it would. “They can live in our vault.”

“While that is true, we like fresh air as well,” Theda purred. “There is a nice cat room in the vault spell where we have furniture, food, toys, a litter box, and fresh water all the time.”

“That is good to know,” Londra chuckled at the antics of Beta and Delta. Not too different from hers at home… “I have a feeling we are not on our home continent?”

“Nope, we are on a mission with the Adventurers Party Rosebud to find a man called Alexander. He knows about Green Goblins and our continent wants to be prepared. We don’t have any but our neighbors do, horrible things,” Lonnie said absently petting Theda and Alpha while sitting on the grass beside them.

“Believe it or not,” Delta started his golden eyes watching, “we are rare on this continent so we must stay hidden unless you are alone. Never guess what Rosebud did.”

“Left me alone,” Londra guessed while watching everyone nod.

“Yea, left a note and did pay for the room,” Lonnie grumbled. “I was their guest mage since theirs doesn’t like water travel. The note said I should check out the Manor Town that belongs to Duke Eldwin. So that is where we are going, only should be about a twenty minute walk from here. We have time before the sun sets…”

A blood curdling scream erupted from somewhere close followed by deep growls and more screaming. Londra stood quickly getting a sense of where it was coming from, but Lonnie didn’t seem to care. “We are not going to help? I seen my magic rating and combat, they are quite high. I am sure I can help.”

“Why?” Lonnie grumbled. “They will just use you until they don’t need you.”

“Stop,” Londra said sharply. “That was how I lived my old life, I am not living this one like that even if it started that way. I know that we have been hurt, but that is no excuse. Not now anyway. I have power now. With the items I have and the skills there is little I have to worry about. Plus, a little thought just appeared in my mind. There is a Life Curse, it states that any who save a life must be paid for their service. If the victim tries to get out of it or kill the hero, then the victim dies. Sounds like I would be the hero in this case and all that I save would owe me. No reason to worry for six months according to what appeared in my thoughts. So, you guys coming or am I doing this alone?”

“Wait, coming?” Alpha started looking up at Londra with piercing amber eyes. “Did you not hear the part where we are rare?”

“True, but did you hear to part where you can come and go from my vault at will?” Londra responded, twisting her right wrist just right a buckler appeared from the simple bangle she was wearing while a spear appeared in her left hand.

“Yes! We never get to fight together!” Delta yelled, jumping up into the air circling around, his golden eyes dancing with anticipation.

“You are not worried about us?” Theda asked, stretching, trying not to show he was excited as well. His beige wings appeared while Lonnie frowned.

“Why should I be? You are Feline Drakes and can just go into my vault the moment you feel threatened. Nobody can get to you there, right?” Londra answered, slowly moving with her spear. It felt so natural. “I don’t know what we are facing but Alpha can work on healing the injured, Theda can use his earth magic to soften the ground, Beta can help me fly with his air magic, while Delta can make me lighter and control the gravity. You can all do that, right? Doesn’t it sound… fun?”

“We can,” Beta stated, standing so his light grey wings could be seen. “It sounds like a good plan. We are great with magic, and we can disappear instantly into your vault…”

“I don’t like this,” Lonnie stated again following the jogging version of herself down the path. Another scream had Londra taking a quick left into the forest to circle around, she paused behind a large tree. “Those are Blood Horned Bears,” Lonnie informed the group. “The best way to slay them is taking off the head but they stand eight feet tall on their back legs!”

“I can see that,” Londra mumbled, looking at the massive bear with red fur and strange horns coming from its rib area. “That is one way to protect yourself. They look really sharp.”

“Yea, the bleeding people would make you think that,” Lonnie grumbled. “Don’t do this other me. We leave and head in the opposite direction, nobody knows. Nothing good will come of this!”

“I understand,” Londra agreed, watching how the eight bears moved while trying to form a strategy. “Curious, the ones dressed fancy are before the bears while the others have been thrown back away. Like they are insignificant. What is the strange black arura around them.” Everyone would be dead soon if she didn’t move.

“Because,” Alpha started, flapping gently above them. “They are not ordinary Blood Horned Bears but fallen ones. The black cloud around them is negative mana. That means the area will need to be purified after we are done.”

“Yea, can we start?” Theda wondered, strangely rubbing against Lonnie’s transparent legs.

“Okay, I can do that,” Londra smiled. “Just like we talked about. Directly after go into my vault. Beta, gently move everyone back then come back to help make steps out of air. Delta, you are with me. Make me lighter than air. Theda, soften the ground under their feet. Alpha, start healing those you can.” With that she jumped out of her hiding spot, heading back towards the wide path. For some reason, she did feel light and full of energy. She jumped into the air and was ecstatic that her foot landed on something. Steps make of air. She was now above the first massive bear and with her whole body she swung her lance, surprised that it took of the head. The other seven Blood Horned Bears decided she was now their prey. The one closest swiped with bright white, long, sharp claws. She dodged with her own large body, a strange thing but she liked it. The next attack she couldn’t dodge but used the lance to hold the attack away while Theda lifted the ground with a triumphant meow. Beta quickly raised Londra while Delta was keeping the others occupied. Another head rolled away, a little gross but she felt a sense of pride. She started to jump around, knowing there would be something, barely visible, to land on. Another, then another until all eight were taken care of. She listened to the voice inside her mind and gently purified the area. One bear carcass was left that hadn’t been tainted for long, so it could be eaten.

Beta, Delta, and Theda stopped long enough to take the loving strokes they deserved before returning to Londra’s vault. Alpha yawned but snuggled into her arms for a minute, “nobody is critical. The rest is up to you.”

Londra took a moment to make sure her vault was locked up tight and her mana would help her four assistants, without them it wouldn’t have been possible. There were around twenty normal looking people trying to reload two… wooden carts…wagons? But, there were no horses or motors that she could see. It didn’t look like people pulled them either, maybe magic? She approached them first not listening to the griping of the entitled to left of the path. They were in healing circles, a nifty spell that slowly healed the ones within.

“Hi, is everyone alright? Sorry about your produce…” with that they all turned to face her and bowed. One righted himself, “I am Rigard, thank you for rescuing us but none of us have any money to spare…”

“Oh, I am going to stop you right there,” Londra interrupted with a gentle smile. “I am not interested in money. A bit of information, a place to stay, a meal would be enough to satisfy me and thus the Life Curse. Now, does anybody know of a man named Alexander? He would only have one arm and probably be quite moody.”

They all began to converse with each other while she waited. “Stupid Mage! Finish healing us at once!” someone bellowed. She rolled her hazel eyes. While those near the carts pieced together information. The fancy dressed ones continued to yell. With a sigh she headed off the path towards the healing…lords? She wondered if the bears had targeted the six staring at her… their unkind attitude would definitely pulled negativity towards them. The looks on their faces were not that of gratitude. “Can you not hear me!” he continued.

The male speaking appeared to be close to sixteen with lovely short, golden blond hair, and piercing blue eyes. His ivory, oval face would have been beautiful if it wasn’t so full of malice. He was dressed in lavish blues with silver and gold adornments. “I can hear you, my Lords, but doing it faster will hurt you. I did not want to put you in more pain.”

“I heard you want information,” another started. He had a square, brown face, dark grey eyes, and a bit of blood in his fluffy black hair. He didn’t seem as horrible as the others.

“Do not interrupt him,” a teen with beady green eyes, a long tan face, and long black hair spat. “Nobody interrupts Lord Aslin, son of Duke Eldwin and grandson of Archduke Dristan! Show some respect!”

“You didn’t need to bring us on this trip,” a muscular male, a bit older than the others, with cognac skin and a long face stated. His mixed brown hair seemed to be sticking up everywhere in defiance. “Just because you are horrible doesn’t mean we have to be.”

“We should just sit here and let this complex spell heal our bodies,” a slightly muscular teen with a golden, oval face and sea green eyes mumbled. He was smoothing back his long, auburn hair while watching everything carefully.

“Right, well as you have figured out,” the only that hadn’t spoken started. He appeared to be the youngest, maybe fifteen, with a dark beige, square face and calculating brown eyes. His dirty blond hair was short and layered. “I am Gurgen while the loud one is Jecrad. The opinionated one is Othniel, the muscular one is Vulkan, and the last is Landulf. We are the sons of Lords that serve Duke Eldwin.” He paused long enough to watch Londra twist her wrist, turning her buckler back into a bangle and sending her lance back into her vault. “Peter, come here at once! If you value the lives of your wife and children you will not dawdle. Jerome you will come with your cousin!”

With that two men came running towards the calculating Lord Gurgen. “Great!” Lord Aslin yelled. “You know our names. Now mage, heal us completely. Now! I don’t care about the pain.”

Londra heard the voice inside warn her that using that much mana at once would leave her dizzy. It wasn’t that she didn’t have it but… Londra sighed, couldn’t be helped. With her hands outstretched she hastened the circles before falling to her knees, gasping for breath.

“Now Peter, put on this glove and destroy her Lacrama,” Lord Gurgen ordered. “Jerome you will hold her still and give her this drink,” he finished handing the items to the males who now looked horrible.

It wasn’t just dizziness but so much more. She tried to stand but Peter was now there, taking her Lacrama into his hand and crushing it. A sharp pain ran through her body while the other six screamed in pain before Peter fell dead to the ground. Jerome was crying but forced the drink down her throat. He too, fell dead for his crime.

“Well, that answers that,” Landulf grumbled, holding his head. “We are connected now. Damn, I feel so horrible… like my brain isn’t connected.”

“Was that your plan, my Lord?” Jecrad wondered, honey dripping off each word. “You wanted to see if the curse was real. What do we do now?”

“That is simple,” Lord Aslin stated, while standing to show his strength even if he was far from stable. “We will let Biship Hood know and he will help since we are LOYAL to the crown. Well most of us are,” he added looking at Landulf.

“He tells lies,” Othniel mumbled, when he wanted to scream but his head was going to fall off soon. “There is no way the King wanted us to kill our mothers, sisters, and brothers. It limits the family while it makes our fathers look weak for only siring one child.”

“Never heard of Bishop Hood either,” Landulf added, rubbing his temples. “If he is so close to the King why haven’t we… or even you heard of him. So many questions.”

Londra could feel her eyes closing as she was lifted. When she opened them again, she was standing before the six teens, a man that looked to be the Duke, and a man dressed in an elaborate white and gold robe with a hood covering most of his face. “Girl, what is your name?” the hooded one asked.

“Londra,” she mumbled trying to figure out where she was. There was no grass but three violet colored buildings, two taller than the third. Looking around she noticed there were more buildings in color groups.

“Londra, what are you doing in my town?” the Duke wondered, his blue eyes colder than his son’s. He had an appearance of nobility wrapped in darkness.

“I… don’t know,” she whispered. She wasn’t trying to stall… she couldn’t remember anything right now. Everything was blank except her frantic emotions.

“Okay, what is the last thing you remember?” the hooded figure asked.

“Save the lives of those six then being betrayed when they ordered someone to break my Lacrama. That is a crime on any continent!” Londra yelled. “I don’t release them from what they owe, and the mana knows this! That is why they are rubbing their wrists because mine are bound tightly by scratchy rope!”

“That is too bad for them but good for me,” he said coldly. “Strip her then let her begin her test. Let us see who dies first, the young Lords or her. Make sure you empty her vault and give Continental Adventurer Guild Master Leon her name to erase with the others. I know he likes to watch but I don’t care. I will be watching the young lords.” With that he walked towards her, producing a knife out of thin air slicing her arm. The six Lords yelled in pain while she just looked at him with resistance. “Oh, yes, she will be fun.”

“Biship Hood,” Duke Eldwin started, “if we put her in the Spectrum Challenge then the boys will feel it all. Are you sure about that? Would the King want them to die with her?”

“Yes, because it will make more malice and more Green Goblins for him to weaponize,” Bishop Hood answered. “Until we meet again,” he said before vanishing.

Londra closed her eyes trying to summon any amount of power but in the end she was stripped of everything but her Familiars, shoved into a robe, then tossed into a room at the Violet Building.

The room was small and cold containing a small table with two chairs before a small, dingy window. A pile of blankets in a corner grabbed her attention. Wrapping one around her she headed to the door. It wasn’t locked, but it was colder in the hall. She closed the door and sat at the table, surprised it held her. In the center of the table was a pile of clothing that resembled a uniform. “I will not cry,” she said, her words echoing around the small room. “I will not be ashamed for helping others or sorry for my actions. I have power here! I will make it out of this!”

A knock on the door had her jumping up. She opened the door to a male standing around six and a half feet tall, with tough looking green skin. His long face contained a bit if a smile but his golden eyes showed his spirit wavering. His long, dark, mahogany hair was braided back showing his pointed ears. Around the size of his palm and close to his head. “Hello?”

“Good pep talk, wondering if you would like company,” he said smoothly. He watched her hazel eyes waiting for fear to creep into them but she just smiled, opening the door wider and motioned to the other chair.

“Would love some,” she said with half a smile as he came in. “Are all the rooms the same? Do you know what is going on? I have so many questions. Oh, my name is Londra by the way.”

“Zeke,” he replied, sitting in the chair as she shut her door. “You are the first to speak to me. I have been in this reached place for almost two months.”

“Why?” she wondered with her whole body as she sat down.

He chuckled a little, “that is an open question. I was betrayed and tossed into this Challenge too. Is one answer. Want to be friends? It might be the only way to make it through…”

She gave him a big smile, “I would like that. How about we share stories.” His green face lit up as a real smile formed.