Nicole emerged on the ship's deck clutching her side where the dagger had hit her. The four dark riders stood before her, an ominous presence. Nicole could feel their disapproval.
"Your finally here," Katja spat, "I was hoping you had died."
Nicole blinked back tears as the words found their mark, her hand was wet from the rain and her blood. The dark riders had only trained her in destruction, not healing.
"Maybe your wish will come true, seeing as none of you taught me how to heal myself," Nicole spat.
Jessica lowered her hood as she leaned over the edge of the deck and looked into the dark water below.
"Where's Anne?" Nicole asked.
"Oh, we're addressing that scum by its name now?" Jessica flashed her teeth in a horrifying smile. "It never emerged again, she got slammed against the boat and went under. Pity, she had potential. But it brings me happiness to know I won't ever have to see her face again." Jessica pulled her hood up and motioned for the other dark riders to follow her, leaving Nicole in the rain.
~~~
A ball of light glowed inside the cave. Linda, Rhiannon, Alex, and Lisa all walked towards it. The pink-tinged light got bigger until water dripped from it. Then a stream dribbled out, turning into a wave. The light glowed brighter until it faded suddenly and Anne appeared crouched on the ground holding her knees. Alex ran forward and wrapped her arms around Anne.
"What happened? Anne are you okay?" Alex asked as she beheld Anne and inspected her for injuries.
Anne remained silent and held up a hand, "I'm fine," she whispered, "I just want this night to be over."
Rhiannon walked closer, "agreed."
Linda opened her mouth to talk when a flash lit up the sky.
~~~
Nicole sobbed, her tears stinging. The dark riders saw her as a liability more than an asset. The ship was gone, they had knocked her out and left her on the forgotten fields. Her arms splayed up to the sky and a flash of lightning hit the ground with the force of an earthquake. She couldn't control it, this power. It was to great, she felt it eating away at her. Making her lose her mind. It would be the end of her and this world.
The rain turned to hail and she pelted herself, the cold sting relieving the boiling heat she felt inside. The sadness, the despair, she could not deal with it. If she was going to die she would make everyone understand what her pain felt like.
~~~
"Guys I think we should go check it out, let's end this tonight," Alex said confidently to their group, the soul riders nodded as Rhiannon walked out of the cave. A shrill whistle rang through the air as Nix trotted up to Rhiannon and neighed.
The soul riders walked outside to see Rhiannon mounting Nix, "you won't be needing me anymore. I gave you all the help you needed." Lisa opened her mouth to object but Rhiannon held up her hand, "save Jorvik for me and everyone." Rhiannon gave them a parting nod and squeezed Nix's sides to get him to trot away. The soul riders were speechless for how quickly Rhiannon had left, not even allowing one of them to get a word in.
Lisa, Alex, and Anne looked in disbelief at Linda's perfectly calm face. Linda met their worried faces with her hopeful eyes glowing, "she knows the prophecy, she knows. . ."
Flashes lit up the sky as the soul riders reunited once more and hatched a plan. To face all four dark riders and Nicole they would need hope and each other to guide them through whatever darkness they faced.
~~~
The soul riders followed the lightning strikes and Alex watched with an expression of longing. The lightning strikes were so powerful that the ground shuddered. They walked their horses through the rain up to a good viewpoint. Alex dismounted and got on her belly to spy on what was happening below.
"I can't make out much," Alex covered her eyes from the rain, "I just see this orb of lightning surrounding Nicole."
"You can't see the dark riders?" Linda questioned.
"Yeah, I don't see them anywhere."
"Maybe it's a trap," Lisa said.
Anne remained quiet, her subdued nature was not reassuring.
"I can go down and check, that way if anything happens they still have the rest of you to deal with," Alex offered. Linda wasn't fooled she knew that Alex was dying to be in the action.
The soul riders did not object as Alex mounted Tin-Can.
"Be safe okay?" Lisa looked sad to see Alex departing, "and thank you for bringing Starshine back to me."
"Any of us would have done the same," Alex offered a smile and then squeezed Tin-Can's sides until he trotted away. The soul riders watched Alex descend the hill and cautiously approach the lightning orb encircling Nicole.
~~~
The power radiating from Nicole was incredible, Alex was in awe and wished she could possess such strength. Inside the glowing lightning orb encircling her, Alex saw Nicole on her knees with her arms raised to the sky. A strike of lightning answered. Alex urged Tin-Can closer until she could feel the buzz of electricity in the air. Every breath was alive with energy.
Nicole lowered her arms and turned her head towards Alex. Her eyes were alive with fire and at that moment a strong wind whipped Alex's hair back.
"Come closer if you wish to feel my pain," Nicole drawled in a menacing voice, the wind carried her voice towards Alex.
Alex had no wish to feel any pain but she knew that she could not leave without first offering help.
"I can help you, you don't have to go through this alone," Alex yelled over the rain and wind.
Nicole smiled but it didn't meet her eyes. She stood up and the lightning orb that was surrounding her dispersed.
"Good," Nicole aimed her hand at Alex and a strike of lightning hit Alex straight in the chest. Alex flew off of Tin-Can and fell onto the ground. Nicole didn't let up and Alex watched the electricity flow from her and dance over the puddles on the ground. She couldn't make a sound, she couldn't move, if Nicole didn't stop she would be fried from the inside. Alex blacked out and the soul riders watching above let out gasps of surprise from the sudden attack and galloped down the slick hill with revenge on their minds.
~~~
Finally got a main story quest on sso! I am so glad the story is picking up again and I hope sso has something really neat in store.
Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
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Soul Riders | Star Stable
AdventureAlex is now the leader of the druids after Elizabeth's passing, and Jorvik has been relatively peaceful at the moment. The dark riders haven't been seen in awhile and it is guessed they are recuperating. But Linda can sense that change is coming to...
