Chapter Twenty-Two

 

It was almost morning by the time Declan and his brothers finally decided to give up on Tristan coming back and ended their discussion with Dirk regarding Balaneer. Chris left to show Dirk to a pod and his others brothers slowly filed out of the dining hall until only Declan and Nalini remained.

“How about I walk you to your pod?” Declan suggested as he held his hand out to Nalini.

She smiled and took it as she stood and made no move to release it once they started walking to the door. Declan led her out the door and towards the pod Nalini had been sharing with Amber.

He allowed her to pull him in another direction thinking she wanted to walk a bit before trying to get some sleep. Declan stopped in his tracks when he saw that Nalini was leading them to the pod her parents had taken over.

“Whoa, I’ll leave you here if you’re going to visit,” Declan suggested as he let go of her hand.

“You chicken,” Nalini said with a laugh.

She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the pod. Declan was expecting the worst when she stepped into the lighted pod and pulled him in. He was surprised to note that it was empty except for them.

“Where are they?” Declan asked as he waited for the annoying pair to pop out of the closet or something.

Nalini pushed him further into the pod then shut the door behind them. Declan was looking under the bed for her parents when Nalini shocked him.

“They’re staying with Amber the rest of the evening and tomorrow,” Nalini explained.

Declan spun around so fast he almost tripped in the small space when he realized Nalini was standing so close to him.

“Why?” Declan was immediately suspicious of the couple’s motives.

“The curse is gone. It wasn’t only on me but on my father’s progeny. If we’d had any children, they would have been cursed as well. It was something my parents couldn’t live with and knew we couldn’t either.” Nalini blushed as she spoke.

Declan only blinked for a few moments as he tried to process what she was saying.

“They’re leaving us alone?” Declan had to make sure he heard her correctly.

Nalini laughed and blushed a deeper shade of pink. “Yes. They think it’s safe to leave us alone now.”

Declan was too stunned to do anything but continue looking around the room for the pair of teens. He just couldn’t believe her parents were finally going to let him and Nalini spend time together. He was tearing through the closet when he heard Nalini’s voice.

“Declan,” Nalini whispered huskily. “They really are leaving us alone.”

Declan turned at the seductive sound of her voice and was shocked to see her standing naked in front of him. His mouth went completely dry, and he stared at her in stunned silence. Only for a moment.

Nalini squealed in surprise as Declan picked her up and dumped them both on the bed. It groaned under his weight, and Nalini laughed as she rolled into his side.

“I will assume this is a happy response?” she whispered with a smile.

Declan sat up and began untying his boots. He was unable to keep looking at her beautiful body without risking a loss of control. He concentrated on undressing as quickly and efficiently as possible instead.

“I can’t begin to explain to you how thrilled I am but I will show you if I can ever get these clothes off!” Declan fought with the button on his tact pants before finally ripping it off.

Nalini laughed at his efforts and couldn’t help but admire his impressive form as he quickly undressed. She was surprised at how quick he moved once he jerked his pants off and threw them to the floor.

One moment she was on her side and in the next Nalini was flat on her back with Declan covering half of her body. He didn’t give her any time to think as he took her lips in a sizzling kiss and his hands roamed her body memorizing every curve.

Nalini’s hands moved up his back and tried to pull him closer, but Declan remained far enough off of her to allow his hands to move freely over her body. He pulled his lips from hers and began blazing a path of licks, nips, and kisses down the side of her neck to her aching breast.

Declan took his time learning what touches aroused Nalini the most and he made sure she climaxed several times before he finally moved on top of her and entered her with one thrust. He found a rhythm that caused Nalini to gasp and cry out with pleasure, and he kept it up until they both found their release.

He rolled off of Nalini to keep from crushing her and pulled her onto his chest. Declan kissed the top of her head and gave her a squeeze of affection. Nalini placed a sweet kiss on his chest before she laid her head down on him and sighed.

“I know you’ve been stuck in caves for far too long, but could you be happy here?” Declan asked as his fingers lazily traced patterns on her bare shoulder.

“I can be happy anywhere that you and Amber are,” Nalini whispered with a smile.

“You’re amazing.” Declan hugged her tight.

“So are you, my hero-warrior,” Nalini replied.

 

*****

 

Tristan and Tiernan stood on a large rock in the middle of the spacious cavern. They looked around at what they’d accomplished and couldn’t help but smile at the results.

“Not a bad haul.” Tiernan smirked.

“Don’t pat yourself on the back yet,” Dizarion warned as he appeared next to them.

Asha appeared near Tristan, and her eyes widened at what the warriors had been able to accomplish.

“There’s only a dozen of them. We need them all,” Asha whispered in a voice tinged with concern.

“We’ve only begun our search for them. We will find them all,” Tristan promised, confident that they would.

Tristan raised his hands and allowed his power to engulf him in a brilliant white light. Tiernan grinned and lifted his own hands upward and let his energy to mix with Tristan’s. When the combined power reached the correct level, both warriors pulled their hands back and pushed the energy outward.

“Awaken!” Tristan and Tiernan boomed.

The four warriors stepped closer to the end of the large rock and watched in fascination as a dozen children below stopped talking to themselves, rocking back and forth, and pacing the dirt floor.

A dozen pairs of eyes looked upward at the warriors in curiosity for a moment before their memories returned to them. The realization of who they were dawned on them quickly and they each bowed before Tristan and Tiernan.

Several of them tested their Night Walker abilities, others flexed their light bringer powers, and the remaining two stood stoically. The children ranged in age from 6 to 16, but it was the power they exuded that displayed their agelessness.

“More babies,” Dizarion said with a heavy sigh.

“No, that’s the start of our army. The one we will need to destroy Balaneer and the Daemon Kyn for good,” Tristan replied with confidence.

“It’s a dozen World Guardians, Light Bringers, and Night Walkers that we can begin training now,” Asha agreed.

“It’s a fucking nursery that needs parents!” Dizarion snapped as he gestured to the children below.

Tiernan laughed and slapped Dizarion on the shoulder.

“You have no idea how glad we are that you volunteered for the job. You and Asha can call if you need us,” Tiernan said then disappeared.

Tristan grinned and used his fingers to mimic a phone and held them to his ear before he disappeared as well.

“Just had to be an asshole,” Asha chastised as she jumped down in front of the kids. Dizarion appeared beside her.

“OK guys, we got a lot to catch you up on,” Dizarion told the kids.

“I’m Amy, the Guardian of Healing and I must go where I am needed,” a small girl of six said in a sweet little voice.

Asha smiled at the little one and knelt down in front of her.

“You’re needed right here for now. We have to explain some things to all of you, and there will be others coming that will need your skill. We must make our army healthy if we are to win this war,” Asha explained.

“I understand,” Amy whispered and moved back to stand with the other kids as Asha stood.

“I’m Jake, Guardian of the Elements,” a boy of 12 said as he made a fire in one hand and created a mini dust tornado in his other.

The other kids marveled over the display before each of them introduced themselves to Dizarion and Asha.

“So two World Guardians, six Light Bringers and four Night Walkers?” Asha wanted to verify she was right.

When everyone nodded, Asha grinned. “OK, let’s go get something to eat and drink, and we’ll try and get you up to speed on why you’re here and have been awakened early.”

Dizarion led the group to the entrance to the cavern and into the large facility built around the cave. It was one of Grai’s unused bases in the southwest and would be a safe haven for the young warriors.

“Your rooms are down the hall up there,” Asha pointed at a hallway they were passing. “Dining area is on our left.”

Asha followed Dizarion into the dining hall and went right over to the replicators where she showed the kids how to use them for food, drinks, clothes, and even technological devices.

When she was done explaining things, Asha got a cup of coffee and joined Dizarion at a table. They watched the kids get some food and drinks before each sat down at a table. It was the oldest boy of 16, a Night Walker, who helped little Amy get something to eat and carried it to a table for her.

“Maybe this won’t be so bad after all,” Dizarion mused as he watched the very polite and courteous children.

“Where are the others?” Jake suddenly asked.

“The Warriors are looking for them now. You’re among the first to be found and awakened. It’s up to you to help the rest as they’re found,” Asha explained.

She felt odd that she was speaking in such an adult fashion to a bunch of children. But these were no ordinary children, they were powerful warriors destined to save the world, and she wouldn’t demean them by treating them as kids.

Jake nodded in understanding before he went back to eating his breakfast. Amy suddenly stood and began dramatically crossing and uncrossing her legs.

“I need to go potty,” Amy shouted.

“That’s on you,” Dizarion said to Asha.

Asha rolled her eyes and stood. She held her hand out to Amy and headed to the door when she noticed several other kids following them too.

“Bathrooms are right outside the dining hall doors, to your left,” Asha explained as she led Amy to the girl’s room and several boys went into the men’s room.

“Two of the boys need my help. They were hurt badly in the past, and the wounds have still not healed properly,” Amy said as she went into a stall.

Asha grinned at the girl’s little feet swinging as she sat on the toilet.

“I told you that we need you here. Many others will be hurt too and will need your help,” Asha promised.

Amy came outside of the stall, skipped over to the sink and washed her hands. When she was done drying them, Amy grabbed Asha’s hand and closed her eyes. Asha could feel the energy rush through her at the contact, and she looked at Amy in surprise as the girl let go of her.

“Even painful memories can be healed,” Amy said with a giggle before she skipped back to the dining room.

Asha stood there stunned for a moment before she pulled herself together and went back to the dining room as well. The kids were still quietly eating, and she sat back down with Dizarion.

“So Den Mother, how do we explain this to the babes?” Dizarion asked as he looked at the kids with concern.

“From the beginning,” Asha replied.

As the kids put their empty dishes and plates in the recycler and sat back down, Asha stood to begin telling the kids why they were there.

 

*****

 

Tristan and Tiernan appeared at the foot of the bed and peered down at the couple who were a twisted mess of limbs and sheets. It only took a few seconds for the man to sit up, sword in his hand.

“You couldn’t knock?” Morgan accused as he put the sword down.

Isabel wrapped herself in the sheets and reached for the clothes that were on the floor before she slipped under the covers to dress. Morgan wasn’t as shy, and he stood and pulled his pants on.

“We need to speak of Balaneer,” Tristan said by way of excuse.

“Without your brothers?” Morgan was pretty shocked.

“They are unprepared for a power such as Balaneer.” Tristan didn’t mince words and went right to the point.

Morgan crossed his arms over his chest and observed the warriors.

“The intention was to train them as we discussed.” Morgan didn’t think that was going to change and didn’t understand the point of this visit.

“You’re a tactician. I need you to also train them to think. Defeating Balaneer will take just as much wits as it will power.” Tristan’s face echoed the seriousness of his statement.

“What is this enemy that has the two of you so concerned?” Morgan was beginning to worry.

“One of the greatest Daemon commanders ever spawned,” Tiernan said it casually, but his defensive stance spoke volumes.

“Balaneer is one of the original evils spawned in creation. He’s destroyed more sentient life than you can comprehend and has chosen Terra as his next target. The longer he stays here, the more powerful he will become until he’s unstoppable,” Tristan warned.

Morgan’s eyes widened at the news, but he didn’t allow it to shake him.

“I’m the Guardian of War. I will train our warriors to not only harness their power properly but to think strategically. We will destroy the abomination that threatens my world,” Morgan promised.

“If you fail, Terra will become a Daemon wasteland devoid of life.” There was no inflection in Tiernan’s voice. “Good talk. Good luck.”

Tiernan disappeared, and Tristan shook his head at where he’d been standing.

“He has faith in you. As do I,” Tristan said before he too disappeared.

“Are you sure you can handle this?” Isabel asked as she popped out from the covers.

Morgan stared off blankly for a minute before he nodded his head.

“There’s no choice is there?” he replied. “We all must succeed. There is no other option.”

Morgan finished getting dressed and headed out to find his warriors. Training needed to begin immediately.