Internal Light Part 2

Chapter 13

Bracken's POV:

I was still completely shocked from seeing Kendra's sweet innocent form collapsed on the floor after who knows what happened. The last thing I remembered was Elette agreeing to do Navarog's ritual before waking up. Could Kendra maybe be alive? Was it possible at all?! I was willing to take any chances. But a second look at her lifeless body made me realize this was no joke. Her body was being dragged across the auditorium by an unseen force. I was pathetically sobbing and crawling after her on the ground.
"Kendra...Kendra, no!" I sobbed. Ten minutes ago I would have told myself to keep it together...for Kendra...but I had no motivation left to keep me from falling apart. My one purpose was gone. And Kendra had to lose her life...because of me.

Navarog interrupted my thoughts with some slow clapping. Then he grabbed my collar and started pulling me away from Kendra. Not wanting to leave her side, I tried to stop him only to realize I couldn't move my arms or legs. Navarog sat me up in the auditorium chair and slapped my face. I would have fought back, but I was in no mood.
"Are you gonna stop crying, you big baby?" Navarog asked forcefully. Again, I would have fought back, but he continued, "Are you gonna let me explain what happened here?" I continued to whimper but scowled at Navarog all the same. After I nodded at him to continue he started pacing the room. "I would expect you don't quite remember all the details yet. After you're little fairy friend...erm...what was her name again?" Navarog asked coldly.
"Elette." I said through clenched teeth.
"Ah, yes." Navarog nodded. "Elette foolishly decided she'd like to be a part of the little ritual...and Kendra swinging from inside the cage above the pool of...erm...the pool, was screaming with you for her to stop..." Navarog kept talking, but I didn't hear. I began hearing the worst sound I knew. Kendra's horrified screams began echoing through my mind and it all came back to me...

Kendra was punching at the bars of the swinging cage trying to get to Elette.
"Elette! You can't!" She was pulling at the cage with all the strength she could.
I was in the auditorium chair gripped by Navarog's claw screaming back at her. "Kendra, stop!" She wouldn't listen to me. Navarog had decided he should begin the ritual right away since Ronodin couldn't tell him otherwise. Kendra pulled out a hair pin from her pocket and began working quickly on the cage lock. The only problem was the cage door was on the bottom...and if Kendra were to open it she would obviously fall out, and I think she knew that...Realizing what she was doing, I panicked. "Kendra..." I started,but she kept working quickly on the lock. "KENDRA, NO!" I screamed at her. She looked to me sadly.
"I'm sorry..." she stated just before the lock came undone. The bottom of the cage fell open and Kendra screamed as she fell from the swinging cage into the waiting pool of dark bubbling liquid. As soon as she hit it, her screaming ceased.
I gasped in shock. "NO!" I screamed. Elette gasped and peered into the pool. Navarog just laughed and shook his head. Still gripping Elette, he turned to me and reached the hand holding Elette over the pool. Hyperventilating, I turned to confront Navarog.
"No...is she...is she..."
Navarog laughed coldly and nodded with a grin. The world was a blur and I felt super dizzy, but I tried to focus knowing I had to finish what Kendra started. I knew why she did it. "No, wait! Don't kill Elette...you already have a being of light that you sacrificed...just like you said you needed...let her go!" Elette looked fearfully to Navarog who just sighed and began walking down to me. When he was close enough, he gripped my chin forcefully and whispered, "What Kendra did was her choice...the ritual only works with a fairy."
I stared at him blankly and shook my head in panic. "No, no. You said you needed to sacrifice a being of light!"
"No." Navarog said. "I said I needed a fairy of light." A sob escaped my lips and Navarog just smiled. No, no. Kendra couldn't have died for nothing...Elette shook her head.
"No!" She yelled. "I won't do it!" She pulled at Navarog's grip around her waist. Navarog sighed.
"I'll just kill Bracken if you don't." Elette looked to me fearfully while I just shook my head.
"Elette, no. It's not worth it!" I cried, but she was avoiding eye contact now.
"I..." she started. "I'm sorry Bracken. I can't let you die."
I looked down sadly. What was it even worth without Kendra? Everything happening was just a disaster. Navarog smiled and put Elette down on the edge of the pool. She had to voluntarily do the ritual. Standing on the edge, Elette turned back to me one last time.
"Please." I begged, but she just smiled sadly and jumped into the pool. I felt a cold pain in my chest and sunk down into the auditorium chair. Navarog walked down to me satisfied. He pat me on the shoulder and I just looked up at him coldly.
"You're a monster." I said to him between sobs. He shrugged.
"Oh, I know. But soon I will be human again." I shook my head sadly. "Especially..." Navarog continued. "now that I have a body to use." I looked up at him confused for a moment. Then I realized...he was talking about Kendra...
"YOU CAN"T!" I screamed to him.
"Yes, yes I can." He stated.
"NO! I WON'T LET YOU!" I screamed trying to throw a punch, but Navarog just snapped his fingers and that familiar dagger sensation came from the dark claw imprisoning me as I screamed in pain and agony until blackness overtook my vision.

Sitting in the chair now, Navarog had stopped talking. He was towering over my chair smiling.
"Ah, you've remembered." He said darkly. I scowled at him and looked back to Kendra who was still being pulled toward the exit by an unseen force. Navarog shrugged. "Anyway, I should probably go." He turned to leave. I yelled after him,
"Where?!" He stopped mid-step and turned back to me.
"Oh, just on a little stroll." He said. Then the figure of Navarog I was talking to began to fade away and went to join the rest of Navarog's soul in Kendra's body. Navarog stood up now in control of Kendra. He smiled darkly and in Kendra's voice stated,
"Well, see you later unicorn boy." He didn't...he couldn't do that! That was Kendra! How could he be so cruel? I screamed and pulled at the claw holding me, but it wouldn't budge.
"NAVAROG! YOU GET BACK HERE!" I was screaming as Navarog left in Kendra's body and shut the door.

Seth's POV:

It was the middle of the night. Everything would have been just fine. It was all just fine before Tinigi showed up early. She struck quickly and grabbed me by the ankles. I screamed for Grandpa, Warren, Vanessa, and Tanu while clawing hopelessly on the ground. It was only for a second because Tinigi reached a long tentacle around to cover my mouth. It was enough to wake Warren, and I noticed he was awake but I'm not sure Tinigi did. Warren was obviously taking advantage of this which I didn't appreciate at the moment but knew may come in handy later. Tinigi lifted me up to her cold dark eye and looked up and down my body as if trying to decide if I had much flavor. I tried to pretend she was just searching for weapons, but I knew the truth. When she was satisfied, Tinigi whispered softly,
"If you scream I will only eat you sooner." Heart in my chest, I listened to her and stayed quiet as she removed her tentacle from my mouth. Tinigi continued to examine me. "What brings you here young Shadow Charmer?"
Trying not to let my voice shake, I slowly replied, "I wish to have transportation to Roti for my friends and I." I was trying to sound formal, but it wasn't working. She did not look impressed.
"And why shouldn't I just eat you and your friends instead? I'm very hungry, you know and I don't appreciate mortals who waste my time."
"I know, I know." I said panicking. "But this is an important matter. We are crossing to Roti to help save my sister." Tinigi nodded skeptically.
"I see. But how would your sister get across to Roti?" I swallowed nervously.
"Well, we don't exactly—"
"And how am I to know that you don't actually have a sister at Roti?" I began to breathe deeply, but still tried to stay calm.
"That's a good point, but—"
"If you wanted to save your sister," Tinigi started interrupting me. "You should have found evidence first. You should have known only a human sacrifice can get you across to Roti."
Sweating uncontrollably now, I pulled at the collar of my shirt and continued trying to reason with her. I could see Warren out of the corner of my eye reaching into the new knapsack. Probably for a weapon or something.
"A...actually we were k...kind of hoping—"
"That I would let you across without a sacrifice?!" Tinigi exclaimed in disbelief. "Well, I definitely do not see you worthy of going to Roti in any way, shape, or form." Tinigi began lifting me closer to her wide open beak. This was the end. I was never going to see Kendra again and this Kracken was going to be the last being I interacted with. I screamed fearfully knowing it would only make things worse. But what did I have to lose?