VALKYRIE

Chapter 10: Eric's POV

Everyone in the room began to whisper and shout. My head shot in Juno's direction so fast, I almost pulled a muscle in my neck.

"WHAT?" I said loudly. Everyone in the room stared at either Juno or me.

Faun held up a hand, and almost like magic, everyone went silent. "Let Juno speak," she said.

Juno took a deep breath. "I'm the only one here who looks even remotely like a Dark Spirit, so I'll dress up in clothes the Dark Soldiers would wear and sneak into the fortress. I'll locate the necklace, and then the Light Leader, who I'm sure will be locked up in some sort of prison. I'll steal the necklace, then return it to the Light Leader as soon as possible. Then the Light Leader may escape, and balance will be restored," she explained.

My mouth dropped open. "You can't go alone! You could get hurt!" I cried.

Juno looked straight into my eyes.

"There isn't any other way," she said, near tears.

"Yes there is! I'll come! I'll dress as a dark soldier, too! There is ABSOLUTELY no way that I'm letting you go in alone," I said firmly.

My tone was final. Juno's tear-filled eyes reached my soft ones. I reached out and grabbed her hand.

Squeezing it softly, I kept her gaze. "We can do this. We will do this. Together."

Slowly, Juno nodded. "Okay," she said,"Together."

So everyone huddled in and we devised a plan so crazy it just might work.

"Are you ready?" I asked Juno, who was rubbing her rose necklace.

She looked into my eyes. "I will never truly be ready. But now is the best time," she confidently said.

I agreed with her, as I was a bit shaky myself.

"Excellent," Faun said. "We are almost ready."

Juno asked,"Almost ready? What do you mean, almost?" I looked at Faun.

"You need to dress in the clothes of the dark soldier. Lucky for us, I have just the thing," Faun clarified, and snapped.

A sleek black and silver jumpsuit appeared out of thin air. I jumped backward.

There was an armor chestplate attached to the top. A belt was strung around the waist with a loop to hang something on. Black leather boots were supplied.

"That is for you, Juno," Faun said, and gestured to her. Juno took the outfit from the air and stepped into a room to change.

"Here is yours, Eric," Faun said. Another set appeared, this one larger and broader. I stepped up and took the clothes, then waited until Faun told me which room to change in.

Once I finished, Juno was already waiting for me. The set of clothes fit her perfectly. Juno began to pull her thick, curly hair back into a long, black braid.

Faun handed us two identical masks that only covered the area around our eyes. We slipped them on, and of course they fit perfectly.

Then Faun gasped. "I almost forgot! Swords!" She said and handed us identical ones. They were thick, dark colored silver blades with the insides carved out, to see through the sword. A long needlepoint cut trough the empty space. The handle was hard but arched under me hand, so it fit comfortably.

"The carved out part in the middle has an invisible force field, so nothing can get through it," Faun told us.

I touched the middle, and my hand was pushed back, against an invisible barrier. Cool. I sheathed my sword.

Suddenly, a breathless Valkyrie burst through the door.

"FAUN!" She cried, a look of horror on her face. Faun ran to her.

"What is it, Soni?" Faun asked urgently. Soni looked up, terrified.

"We have to get out of here."

A dozen Valkyries asked at once,"WHAT IS IT?"

Soni's face gave me shivers. I had a feeling I knew what it was. I prayed I was wrong.

Soni opened her mouth to speak.

"The Dark Soldiers are invading. They have finally begun their attack."

END OF PART ONE