Chapter 8
2043 Words
Ray and Isabel hit the ground hard, and Haven cringed at the sound. The fairy fluttered over them as she started to glow brighter.
“Are you guys alright?” she asked, concerned.
Ray and Isabel coughed and groaned. Ray pushed himself to his knees and sat back on them as Isabel pushed herself to her feet and coughed again. Quickly, she glanced at the hatch and let out a shaky breath. Ray shook his head as he looked at her, getting to his feet.
“Everything alright?” he asked.
“We, where, how did we get away from the monsters?” Isabel stammered, looking back at Ray, and he chuckled.
“I closed the hatch after we jumped in,” Ray explained, and she nodded.
Isabel took a moment to collect her thoughts and then glared at Haven. The Fairy Guardian flew over to Ray, landed on his shoulder, and gave Isabel a questioning look.
“What did I do?” she asked as she hid behind Ray’s neck.
“A warning would have been nice. Oh, I know a way into the prison, but you might fall to your death,” the girl scowled at the fairy as she rubbed her backside, and Ray nodded to Have as he rubbed his head.
“She does have a point, you know,” Ray teased, and Haven scowled at him as she jumped into the air.
The green fairy flew in front of Isabel’s face and glared at her.
“I’m sorry. The next time we are in a life or death situation, I will read you the rules and warnings!” Haven snapped, and Isabel reared her head back and rolled her eyes.
Ray looked at them and shook his head. Females were such strange creatures to him.
“Are you two done?” Ray asked, looking at them thoughtfully, and Isabel and Haven looked at the Earth Guardian with anger in their eyes.
Quickly, Ray raised his hands in defense and took a step back.
“I’m waving the white flag,” he teased, and Isabel cracked a smile.
“See. I saw that. I’m off the hook.”
Isabel smiled as she shook her head and then looked at Haven apologetically.
“I’m sorry,” said Haven.
“Me, too,” agreed Isabel.
Haven smiled and then nodded to Ray.
“So, where are we?” asked the Earth Guardian as he looked around.
He noticed they were in a long tunnel lined with what looked like jail cells. The Fairy Guardian looked around and then back at Ray and Isabel. As if they had an unspoken conversation, Ray nodded. Without a word, he did a quick, fluid dance with his hands, and a fireball appeared in his hand. Ray sent the ball of flames down the tunnel, and Isabel’s eyes widened.
“What is this place?” Isabel asked, and Haven looked at her thoughtfully.
“We are here. The door we came through was the back entrance to the prison. Back before the first guardians revealed themselves, this world realm was ruled by a mean-spirited king. Anyone who stood against him, the king, would send down here for eternity,” explained the fairy.
Ray and Isabel looked at each other and then at Haven.
“Sounds like he could have been related to Maya,” he stated, and Isabel and Haven looked at Ray oddly.
“Who’s Maya?” asked Isabel, and Ray sighed.
“She was the queen of Taitum and my aunt. She tried taking over Nemiph and Taitum and enslaved everyone against her. It was horrible, but she’s gone now,” explained Ray, and Isabel looked at him with concern.
“What happened to her?”
Ray looked at Isabel for a moment and then shook his head. They didn’t have time for this.
“That would be a conversation for another time. Let’s just focus on what we have to do.”
Isabel nodded and hoped he would tell her more about his world. Swiftly, Ray made another fireball and looked at the fairy and Isabel.
“Keep your eyes peeled. Remember, we don’t know what’s down here,” the Earth Guardian warned, and Haven nodded as she swallowed nervously.
Ray took the lead bravely, and Isabel and Haven looked at each other. After a moment, the girls shrugged their shoulders and followed him down the tunnels cautiously.
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Belhazur portaled to the barrier’s edge in Halondelle and looked at the magnificent structure. He never thought there was a being powerful enough to create something he could not get through. Even though the thought angered him, it also impressed the demon king. Belhazur realized the guardians might be more powerful than him, but he was about to show them how much brighter he was than them.
The king of Chaos bent his knees and waved his hand above the ground. He could feel the earth’s energy pulsing, but surprisingly he couldn’t feel the magic of the barrier. Belhazur smiled, but then his smile faded. He had to be sure the wall stopped above ground before he could do anything and put his hand flat on the ground, closing his eyes.
In the demon king’s mind, he burrowed deep into the earth and saw that he was right. The guardians were not thorough with their protection spell and left their home open for an underground attack.
Quickly, Belhazur pulled his mind back to him and opened his eyes, straightening and brushing himself off. The king of Chaos grinned as he looked at the castle through the simmering barrier. Now, he knew he could invade the kingdom by sending the demon army underground, creating a surprise attack, and taking over the Magical Realm once and for all.
Belhazur chuckled, waving his arm and making a portal back to the Underworld Realm.
“See you soon,” sneered the demon king and disappeared into the portal.
Belhazur didn’t know that one of the forest creatures had been watching him from the moment the demon king appeared, and the creature waited until the portal disappeared. Once she knew she was alone, she flew off to find Gale.
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The tunnels and the cells began to quake, and the prisoners gasped. Suddenly, Dig saw the large black and smoke-colored serpent slide through the tunnel and inhaled sharply. He was the only Digger besides Ray that could withstand the Basilis’s stare. The Spirit Guardian heard the other prisoners making their way to the bars and knew that they were trying to get a better look at the monstrous beast, but Dig also knew if they looked into the snake’s eyes, it would kill them and turn them into Duggers.
Frantically, Dig ran to his cell bars.
“No, get as far back as you can in your cells. Get away from the bars. Don’t look at it,” Dig yelled, and most of the prisoners did what he asked them.
At that moment, they heard a man scream and then silence. A moment later, the sound of grunting and the serpent screeched. Dig shook his head sadly. Someone didn’t turn away in time and met their fate. A loud crash startled Dig from his thoughts, and he tried to look through his bars. The captive that turned into a Dugger broke out of his cell.
“That’s not possible!” the Spirit Guardian exclaimed, inspecting his own bars made of bone.
Angrily, the Dugger walked up to Dig’s cell, snarled at the Spirit Guardian, and Dig jumped back. The creature made a noise that Dig assumed was a laugh, and the serpent slid by with two other Duggers. The Spirit Guardian waited for the monsters to close the castle door behind them and then turned to the others.
“It’s alright. They’re gone,” he called.
“We have to get out of here,” a woman said sadly, and Dig heard Jared scoff.
“And how do you suppose we do that?” Jared snapped, and Dig shook his head in disbelief.
He knew they only had one option if they were to get out of there, and that option was Ray. Dig heavily sighed as he walked to the back of his cell and slid down the wall.
“We are just going to have to wait for Ray,” the Spirit Guardian breathed.
“Who’s Ray?” asked a man from across the tunnel.
“He is the new Guardian of Earth and our only hope,” explained Dig, and Jared sighed.
Dig looked over at his brother.
“Do you really think this Ray guy is strong enough to save us?” asked another man, and Dig smiled as he thought about Ray.
“I know he is, and I know he can,” Dig stated as he leaned his head against the wall.
The Spirit Guardian hoped Ray would be there soon. Dig was worried about his people and the Earth World Realm.
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Ray, Haven, and Isabel quietly walked through the tunnel and stopped when they saw a single Dugger standing guard at the bend in the walkway. The creature turned and snarled at them. Ray rolled his eyes and called upon the Fire Element. He shot a series of fireballs at the beast, and the Dugger screeched as it faded away. Haven and Isabel looked at Ray, impressed.
“Now that was cool!” Isabel exclaimed, and Ray grinned.
He was impressed himself and gave Isabel a thoughtful look.
“Thanks. It’s one of the advantages of being a guardian.”
Isabel smiled and suddenly felt an attraction to him. She wanted to know more about the mysterious man that came to save her world and slipped closer to Ray. They were inches apart, and Isabel could feel the heat radiating from his body. Ray looked at her oddly, and she turned her head bashfully. Isabel was about to ask about the elemental powers, but they heard a noise from one of the cells.
They turned toward where the noise was coming from and saw an older man walk up to the bars, staring at them with wide eyes.
“Who are you?” the man asked, and Ray, Haven, And Isabel looked at each other.
“We are looking for Dig. Have you seen him?” asked Ray.
The old man scoffed, and he walked to the back of his cell without answering. Ray looked at Haven, and the fairy shrugged her shoulders.
“What would the Guardian of Earth be doing down here after all this time?” the man grumbled.
Isabel looked at Ray and sighed heavily.
“Forget him. Let’s keep looking,” Isabel said, irritated, and crossed her arms.
Ray and Haven exchanged looks, and the fairy looked at him thoughtfully as she twirled.
“Come this way. This place is enormous. He could be anywhere,” said Haven, fluttering down the tunnel.
Ray and Isabel followed the fairy down the cell-lined tunnels and came to another bend in the path. The Fairy Guardian fluttered ahead and immediately stopped. Ray and Isabel looked at her oddly as they approached.
“Hide!” Haven whispered, frozen in fear, and Ray and Isabel looked ahead.
A ways down the tunnel, they saw three Duggers and the Basilis heading their way. The monstrous black and smoke-colored snake had long horns that pointed straight back, a long snout, and rows of sharp teeth. Haven snapped out of her trance and looked at Ray and Isabel with fear.
“Hide, quickly,” the fairy whispered and flew into a large c***k in the wall.
Ray watched as Haven’s glow disappeared and didn’t hesitate. Without a word, he grabbed Isabel and pushed her against the wall. She looked at him with big eyes.
“What are you doing?”
“Trust me,” the guardian whispered, searching her eyes, and she nodded.
Isabel watched in amazement as Ray turned himself into a large stone, concealing her inside. The giant serpent and Duggers passed them unnoticed and continued down the tunnel. Ray, Haven, and Isabel didn’t move until they were sure the monsters were gone.
- Writer
