Orange Shadow Magic: Awaken. Book 1

Chapter 21: The Game is About to Begin

Gala Geim watched as Mattzew Em bounded into the forest after her precious friend, Avery Silversky, and silently screamed inside her head. Avery Silversky had been the cure inside of her, and yet Gala just let Mattzew go after her. That should've been her sprinting through the forest with her speed powers. Avery had been the person who had finally broken Gala's curse. Avery's loud humor and villainous ways mirrored her own personality, and seeing herself so young again in another person gave her hope to keep on going. Before, Gala had little-to-no emotions, but now she could express herself almost freely around Avery, but not around the others. Avery freed Gala. Gala just didn't stay by her because Gala could be free, but because Avery was a part of her now, which Gala believed Avery felt the same way about her. Either way, she couldn't just let that jerk Mattzew talk to her. Mattzew had practically thrown Avery out of his life just because she could shapeshift into dark animals, which wasn't even Avery's falt! Gala had stayed loyally on Avery's side since the beginning, and she wasn't just about to break that oath. Hesitantly using her shadowlade powers, Gala stepped into a shadow of a tree and imagined Avery's face, disappearing from Malaxy's abandoned house once and for all.

Gala reappeared in a shadow of a darker tree, and noted a dull golden glow coming from behind the tree. Stepping out from behind her spruce cover, Gala prepared for whatever was coming her way, and a full-speed-running Avery turned the corner, sprinting toward Gala as fast as she could. "Gala, what are you doing here?" Avery laughed, and punched Gala's arm playfully. "How did you even get here? I've been looking for you all over!" Avery exclaimed and wrapped her arms tightly around Gala's waist. Suddenly her excited tone changed, and she turned somber. "Mattzew couldn't help me. I can't explain stuff to him like I can to you. You can listen to me, unlike what Mattzew does. He wouldn't understand anyway. Nobody understands that I don't shapeshift into these creatures because I will myself to do it. It comes naturally, and once it starts, I can't stop it. It wasn't my choice I could do that. All I wanted was to be a Pegasus like everyone I ever grew up with. But that wish never did come true for me until they were all dead," Avery confided to Gala.

"You know what I think?" Gala spoke truthfully, "I think you were meant to be different, and that's what I like about you. I think you were bound to become like this, one way or another. No matter what anyone else thinks, I'll always be on your side. But we can't waste time. Coral is bound to lose her locket too, and we are wasting precious time. Mr. Rold must have the lockets, and we should expect them to be at the palace somewhere. Mr. Rold has sided with King Expella on more occasions than one. We must gather our team and confront King Expella once and for all!"

Mr. Rold stomped his feet angrily against the floor of his large mansion in Gradevine, the sunlight reflecting upon the white crests of the snowy mountains and through his flowery curtain drapes, making his eyes go out of focus as he reached blindly for his calling device and dialed Aaron's number. "Aaron, pick up!" Mr. Rold shouted desperately, hoping for just a whisper from the closest person to a friend Mr. Rold had ever known.

A strong and steady voice could be heard from the other side of the line, as Aaron's voice came into a steady rhythm. "Hello, Mr. Rold! Usually, it's me calling you, but I guess I should say, what can I do for you today?" Mr. Rold laughed along with Aaron. Aaron's giggles filled Mr. Rold with joy, and all he wanted was to see him again. They both had no one but each other.

"Have I ever told you that I love your laugh?" Mr. Rold sighed, filled with longing to see Aaron.

"Have I ever told you I love yours?" Aaron replied. There was a steady silence as Mr. Rold swiped some dust off of his reclining wooden oak chair, then he began to speak again as his troubles flew out of him as easily as air.

"Aaron, I need your help. All I want is to get back home. I just want to be home again! I do have a grand mansion, but it's missing the sound of two people cooking, and playing games. It's missing the shouts and laughs and cries. Its missing the two different pairs of shoes side by side. Oh, how I miss you, Aaron! Once I get back to Coranne, I can leave this whole Exeria place and you can leave Phoenix behind you, and we can both start normal lives again in Coranne. We may have powers and be magical, but we don't have to use them. But I need your advice. What am I to do with the lockets? I need the third one to start a portal to Coranne, but if I take it from Coral, those goons will lose to King Expella, and I don't want to be on the run from him any more than you do. There is only one option, I go to King Expella and beg him to send me to Coranne. I would've gone to King Werepaw by now because he had a portal too, but he's dead. What should I do?" Mr. Rold pleaded for an answer, but all he got was a long silence from Aaron. Was his calling device broken? Finally, Aaron spoke again.

"Mr. Rold, I suggest that if King Expella is the only one who can get you here with me, then I would give the lockets to him to win his favor, and let him get the third one on his own. Then you'll have to worry about no one except the girl you told me named Mally and her friends. I remember the girl Avery and the jokester I sent there a while ago. I can't believe they're still there. That girl has the brains to get home if she wanted to." Mr. Rold nodded his head although Aaron couldn't see it.

"Thanks, Aaron."

"No problem." Hanging up, Mr. Rold clutched the lockets that said Sphinx Princess, and Wielder of Fire. Besides, what evil things could King Expella possibly do with the lockets?

Mr. Rold stepped outside the door of his house and locked the doors, clinging to his black coat as a swirling cluster of snowflakes whirled past his face. Then he hesitantly used his sorcery magic to transport him to Servenmoor. The teak palace doors stood straight in front of him, as he pressed his hand against the golden crystal handle and opened them wide to reveal King Expella lounging elegantly in his throne chair. Seeing Mr. Rold in his palace, his eyes widened and he straightened his posture and tried not to show his fears to his uninvited guest. "Mr. Rold.........," King Expella stuttered. "What brings you to my palace unannounced?"

Mr. Rold smiled slyly, then chatted politely, "I have a request, your highness. I wish to go back to Coranne for a personal reason. I will kill to go there, if I must." Mr. Rold said cunningly, his eyes twitching to further prove his point.

"Yes, yes, of course," King Expella whispered.

"Oh, and I have these to make sure I get to the right place. I also want you to teleport my friend, Aaron Rosen Williams there as well. He is in Phoenix at this very moment." Mr. Rold grinned, then revealed the two glowing magical lockets in his hand. King Expella gasped, and grabbed the lockets from Mr. Rold's hand.

"We have a deal!" King Expella exclaimed, then snapped his fingers as Aaron appeared, to Mr. Rold's surprise. King Expella snapped his fingers again, and a portal opened, to which both Mr. Rold and Aaron greedily stepped into and disappeared from the face of Exeria once and for all. "At last! I will take over the three realms and be the King of everyone and everything!" King Expella roared, causing the brilliant crystal chandelier to flicker in his presence.