The Lost ( A Sequel To The Forgotten )

The Dusk War

We all wake up, bright and early as usual, and find, surprisingly, that we don't have anything to do. Cass' blade is crafted and she's become skilled at wielding it. Rolly's injuries are fading, and he's battle-ready. Shawn is still sick, but we can't do anything to change that. So we review our strategy to break into U.T. We train a bit. But really, we have nothing to do. That never happens! So maybe it's out of boredom that Cass asks a question.

"Wrive? Could you make another cathtonite sword?" I look at her, surprised.

"No. I don't have any cathtonite."

"You didn't have the materials to make your sword, either, but you pulled that out of thin air." I slowly nod, understanding her plan. Another blade would be very helpful, and I could make this one any way I want.

"Great idea!" I exclaim. "I'll try to make one." The idea of another weapon is exciting. This could double, even triple our chances of taking down Knor! I close my eyes and focus on a cathtonite sword. Not like Cass', but a regular sword, only with a cathtonite blade. The black nothingness slowly turns white, and I'm in the vast white of Nothing Land. I picture the cathtonite sword, can see it clearly in my mind. And now the dust begins to fly. Tiny black specks appear and grow and fly, all to the sky. They become a cluster, and then begin to form a sword. But then, for the first time, something goes wrong. There's a flash, and the ground shakes. My concentration begins to fade, and the sword in the sky starts to break apart. I renew my focus, but I'm aware of the things around me. Black dust swirls angrily. The ground quakes, and the unfinished sword in the sky shakes and almost crumbles. And the strain! The strain on my mind, it's a headache. My head is pounding to the point of pain. Nothing Land begins to darken, turning grey. I pour everything I have into the thought of a cathtonite sword, and for a moment, Nothing Land becomes white again. Then, everything turns black with a flash.

My head hurts bad. I know my eyes are closed, but I can't seem to open them. One thought echoes around in my head.

Not cathtonite. Many a thing you can bring forth, but not cathtonite. I finally manage to open my eyes. I'm sweating, and my head still hurts. I'm back in our base, back in reality. Good. Cass, who apparently left, approaches me. She frowns at my empty hands.

"Why isn't there a sword?"

"I can't do cathtonite, Cass," I pant.

"Yes you can, Wrive! I know you can-" I look Cass in the eye.

"Not cathtonite," I say firmly. Cass sighs, but understands. As she goes to report to the others, I collapse, exhausted. My head hurts in the real world. But how? I was just outside of reality. If I cut myself in Nothing Land, would I be cut in reality? I ponder my impossible talent's mysterious qualities as the sun journeys across the sky. It's nearly noon. And then clouds cover the sun, and the world turns cloudy and grey. It's almost dark. It's always dark when bad things happen.

I hear a scream first. It sounds like one of the girls, but when I rush to the source of the noise, it's Person. He has good reason for panic, too. Because not far away stands a Dusk Walker, complete with his/her hooded cloak. Behind the lead Dusk Walker stands another. And next to that one, another. And another, and another, and... Cass stands next to me, petrified.

"They're everywhere," she whispers. The army of Dusk Walkers makes no move, and neither do any of my friends. And then, completely in sync, all the Dusk Walkers lift one hand each, pointing at us. Red smoke appears all around us, and we dive as the first blast hits.

***

"My lord is using too much power in his most vulnerable time," a cloaked figure whispers.