The Portal Soldiers

Chapter XV

XV

“Brother, they'll save us!”

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Amanda was brought into a strange tower's cell with a small grilled window, her hands in handcuffs. The tape on her mouth was removed. There was an old man sharing the cell with her. The man's back was facing her when he spoke slowly with a cold voice.

"What brought you here?" the old man asked in a weary voice.

"Who are you? And the answer to your question is — brother? I-is that . . . you?" Amanda stuttered.

"Amanda?" the old man looked over his shoulder and prevented his tears from falling. He whispered an incantation to unlock their handcuffs triumphantly.

"Brother! I missed you," Amanda cried and hugged Sheloin. The power of the incantation for temporary strength and youth faded after hugging her brother.

"How are you?" Sheloin said and pulled away. "Where have you been. Have . . . have you seen Amy?"

"Aye, aye," Amanda nodded. "She is so lovely."

"Good to know, sister. She'll take us out of this mess," Sheloin whispered. "How are they?"

"They are in good condition," Amanda whispered back. "Brother, they'll save us!"

"Yes, they will," Sheloin said while hugging his sister but Amanda pulled away immediately.

"What is our plan now?" Amanda whispered again. "The Kininvas in this tower are too numerous. I have witnessed them fight. I hope their powers were enough."

"More than enough, Amanda," Sheloin sanguinely said.

"I hope their alright."

"Me too."

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After walking with the horses for a long time without any directions, Amy got exhausted. Well, all of them, too. Under a tree is where the Juniors took a rest for a while.

"Come on, we better start moving now," Lance jejunely frowned.

"But . . . Amy's asleep," Tom said. "And I need rest."

"We'll just wait until she is awake," Elise said.

"Alright, then," William exhaled and hugged his rifle.

Amy is walking alone towards a tower and had a feeling no one is in there. She became worried that Sheloin and Amanda are in trouble.

"Juniors, let's go up the tower," Amy called out.

No one came near to her. No one even answered back.

"Lance!" she looked up the tower while waiting for a response. "Where are you?"

She roamed her eyes. There was no one else but herself.

Amy screamed.

"What happened?" Lance asked.

"I found myself alone walking near a tower. I found it empty. I'm calling out but no one answers. You're not there. I'm alone," Amy narrated.

"Don't worry, that'll never ever happen," Elise said to Amy.

"It's just a dream, come on, you better get up," Sally said.

"My mother says, bad dreams are the opposite of the day's happenings," Tom smiled like a child.

"Thank you for those . . . " Amy rode Airie then continued, " . . . encouragements."

All of them climbed on their horses' back and explored the forest together.

"Amy! Look! It's a tower!" Elise called and pulled her axe out of the strap around her waist.

"This looks very akin to the tower I saw in my bad dream. Come on, let's go in," Amy hopefully went down Airie.

They walked towards it but before they could get any nearer, a group of armed Kininvas were running towards them. Amy, William, and Tom shot some of them while trying to stay out of the bullets' path of the opponents.

Lance started to cast ice to every Kininva walking near to him but those were often shot by the three shooters. Sally was on the other side of the field. The grass looks divided into ice and fire. Elise, who was at the very front, made the laser range of her axe wider it was pretty helpful.

Amy gave last two shots at the Kininvas at the back and transfigured her bow into the cutlass. She ran at the side where the Kininvas were trying to come near them. Tom and William stayed where they were and aimed then shot at the last Kininvas.

When Amy had no Kininvas at her front, she raised her cutlass and it transformed back as her bow. A bullet hit her in the arm but because of the brassard, it is depleted. Amy tried to find the Kininva that shot her in the arm. After her eyes saw the Kininvas holding a gun, she shot two steel arrows to it.

"I am hopeful that at least Wizard Sheloin or Amanda is here," William exhaled.

Without a word, Amy set her foot in the tower's door. The rest followed Amy and saw a tenebrous spiral staircase. Tom bravely stepped forward to be first in line.

"I can't see anything," Tom's voice echoed as he dropped out of sight through the dark.

"The Kininvas' technology is advanced yet they don't produce light in places like this," Sally fussed and drew her sword out. A small flame at the tip of her sword glowed and supplied light as the whole team ventured up the tower. At the topmost part of the tower, a cell containing two prisoners is lighted.

"We're here," Amy said and pretended that those two prisoners were Sheloin and Amanda. The two prisoners, who were hiding their faces, auspiciously looked at the Juniors. They are Sheloin and Amanda.

"Amy," Amanda smiled and her wrinkles showed up. "Our hands were free pf handcuffs. The lock." Amanda pointed at the lock made of diamond.

"I'll destroy it," Sally announced and stepped forward. She swung her blazing sword towards the shining lock of the jail. It only sparked and nothing else happened.

"One more try, guys," Sally said and raise her sword again.

"Sally," Amy called. "I think we should not use too much force. You can leave it to Lance."

Lance did not hesitate in stepping forward to unlock the padlock. He thrusted the tip of his sword and letted the ice mold a key inside the padlock. He twisted it and the lock opened efficiently. Amy kept the padlock inside the pocket of her uniform.

The two – Sheloin and Amanda got out the tower and so the Juniors. Amy raised her hand in a Communal Portal gesture and thought of the Portland Goldens' ambience. Right after they have entered the Communal Portal, Amy didn't hesitate to ask a question.

"Wizard, may I ask you a question?" Amy asked.

"Sure," Sheloin said.

"Actually, it's the reason why I found you missing in Portland Goldens. After we got the treasures – our first task, I went to your house and started to find you. I found the door open and I saw your hat on the ground," Amy explained giving him the hat.

"Thanks," Sheloin said and wore the hat over his almost bald head and spectacles.

"A lion and a bear tried to attack us but it just ran away after few seconds. Why is this happening?" Amy asked.

"That's the thing I forgot to tell you in the prophecy," Sheloin explained. "You're a princess. And you are a part of a prophecy. When someone in Portland Goldens was in a prophecy, they have special abilities. Making the animals stop from attacking you is one."

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