Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Alex snuck down the hall, careful to not make any noises. She could hear audible voices coming from a bedroom on her left. It was Christian and Tammy talking about her. She paused to eavesdrop “You need to tell her.” Tammy said.
“I already did, she gave me no reaction. Maybe she never had feelings for me to begin with? I’m just kidding myself, Tammy. She’s never liked me, I’m just a thief in her eyes.” Christian sounded disappointed and hurt.
Alex leaned her head on the door “I’m sorry.” She whispered. Her eyes moved up and at the corner of her eyes she saw the familiar twin eyes of the Akrone. How it got inside was still a mystery to them. She backed away slowly “Nice birdy…” she coaxed gently. It let out a loud shriek “Shh!!” Alex hushed “You’ll wake the others. If you can take me to your leader, I’ll let you do whatever you want.”
She continued to back away and soon found the stairs. She turned and raced down with the beast following her. The others heard the cry and rushed out to see what was going on “Alex!” Kevin called from stairwell “Stay calm!”
“That’s a little hard!” She replied, eyes widening. She backed away, keeping her eyes on the beast. Soon, she realized she was standing in the kitchen. For some reason the Akrone didn’t bother to attack her, it seemed to be leading her there purposely. It shrieked again, this time its head seemed to be nodding at the door behind her “What? You want me to open it?” she asked and reached for the knob.
“Dear God!!” Kyle stood by the door looking fearful “I just want to get a glass of water.” He raised his hands in defense when the beast turned to him with a sharp cry.
Alex turned to Kyle and soon the rest were by the door “Guys, get away before it attacks.”
Tammy shook her head “No, it doesn’t want to kill. Look at its eyes, no evil force. It wants you to open that door, Alex.”
“I’m trying to!” she twisted the knob but it would not give.
Suddenly Howard appeared on her left “Try this key.” He tossed her a gold key.
She caught it and stared at the old artifact “Hey, how…” by the time she looked up, he had disappeared “Creepy.” The bird grew restless as he began to flap its metal wings “Okay, okay…I’ll open it.” She turned to the door and unlocked it. She pushed the heavy wooden door open.
A freezing gust of wind blew over her face as she shivered naturally “What is it?” Kevin asked.
She was looking at an Iceland. Blocks of clear ice filled the stadium-like room. There were pools of water to her left and right, only an ice walkway that led to an endless dark room. She could see the Akrones inside the pool swimming blankly. They seemed to be trapped “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.” She muttered, the group had followed her and they too were facing the Iceland.
“What is this place?” Tammy wondered out loud.
The Akrone turned to her and made a few different tones of cries “Is it talking to you?” Ann asked.
Tammy’s eyes widened “Guys…I think I’m next. I understood everything it just said.” She turned to the group “It somehow translated in my mind.”
“That’s so cool!” Mila exclaimed with pure jealousy “Ask it what it does when it has to pee.”
“Mila, I don’t think that’s making use of our powers.” Kyle snarled sarcastically “Tammy, ask him what it wants.”
She nodded and turned to the giant bird, whose eyes had turned blue “What do you want from us?” Soon they were having a full conversation. The group looked at each other confused and waited until Tammy was done. She turned to them “I hope I remember it all. But it seems, they claimed to be the cursed. Thousands of years ago when an evil wizard cast a spell over this part of the country due to his exile punishment from the King of Akrinoma. Every 5000 years a cursed would be brought up upon this land and spread unless someone could stop them. The first curse devastated thousands until 7 known heroes came to stop the curse. They accomplished and after they passed away on the same day and same night but in different parts of the world. Their spirits were believed to have gone into the next seven people. It had become a pattern for destiny to find these seven people.”
“Wow…He said all that from chirp, chirp, chirp?” Mila asked in awe.
The Akrone began to speak again and nodded towards the end of the ice bridge “He wants us to walk down there.” Tammy pointed
“Yeah, we may look stupid but we’re not.” Alex groaned as she pushed the wing aside and began walking towards the warm kitchen. Suddenly the bird began to shriek causing the group to freeze.
“I think he wants us to stop.” Ann wrinkled her brows.
Tammy turned to them “He said once we see the king, we’ll understand.”
“The King?” Kevin asked “You mean, the wizard had turned him into an Akrone?”
Tammy smiled “Nothing gets by you does it?”
“The entire kingdom was cursed into beasts.” Jerry finished.
“Okay, you two are really scaring me and you know nothing scares me.” Mila pointed out with a laugh.
The group continued on with the Akrone leading them inside. Alex turned to Mila “How did you get out of the knots?”
“Would you believe magic?” Mila asked with a twinkle in her eye.
“No. Who untied you?” Alex asked knowingly.
“Me.” Ann laughed.
Mila pouted while the group laughed “Well, I could have gotten out on my own.”
The end of the path led to a large crystal dome, which was closed out to the rest of the ice room. It was barely lit but the group could easily see the large Akrone sitting on an ice throne, his head tilted and he looked dreary and lack of energy “Wow, I think he’s dying.” Alex noticed.
The Akrone, which led them inside suddenly arched its back and cried out. The group turned to Tammy for translation “He wants us to kneel in front of the King of Akrinoma.”
“Okay…” Alex said hesitantly. She was at the end of the row as she turned to her group, the only person that kneeled was Mila, who was now bowing in respect “Follow the crazy woman.” She shrugged and knelt down.
One by one they all kneeled in front of the giant bird, soon a spectacle ray of lights shown through the stone wall and hit each of them in a circle shaped. Each ray of color represented a power each had. Kevin and Alex shared a pale olive green color. The old Akrone sat up as it began to speak. Tammy nodded as she began explaining “He says the other beasts that are trying to kill us are their arch rivals. When he was still a Prince and ready to take over, his father wanted to make peace with the neighboring country called Giodeon, he asked for the Princess’s hand in marriage for his son. The exchange was made and the country was ruled by one, Prince of Akrinoma who was to take over the thrown once he was married.” She paused so the King could catch his breath “He had suspected his wife was having an affair with Melaor, the wizard that his father trusted for decades. When he caught them in bed together, he demanded for the wizard to be exiled, this fury his wife’s anger and instead of apologizing she returned to her land but by that time, the King already owned everything. She had nowhere to go but to be a peasant. In a angered moment Melaor conjured a spell that cursed this land for all eternity and turned the entire kingdom and those that lived there to live like animals, beasts that would never be looked at the same way again. Feeding off of human life. But what he forgot was that his beloved too was part of Akrinoma, so she became cursed too.”
“What an idiot!” Mila laughed.
The King turned to the daring girl with crystal clear blue bead like eyes. After he finished, Tammy giggled, “What he say?” Alex asked eagerly.
“He said she reminded him of the court jester.” Tammy couldn’t contain her giggles.
“Well you look like a bird.” Mila grumbled as she stuck her tongue out at him "Your highness." she added.
“Guys, could we focus?” Kevin asked. He turned to Tammy “Ask him if he knows how to lift the curse?”
Tammy nodded and they enveloped in a short conversation “He says there’s only one way, kill the traitor.”
“Did you tell him that it only works if the Queen kills the traitor?” Jerry asked.
“I did.” Tammy replied, “He knows and says he can help us.”
“Did you tell him the traitor is me?” Alex snickered. The King seemed to comprehend as he turned to Alex and stood up, he stepped closer until his beak was pointed to the top of her head “Is he going to eat me?” she asked with a shaky voice.
“No.” Tammy was sure “He has a plan to get the Queen to kill the traitor, but the chances of it working is slim. He wants to know if you will take the chance.”
Alex turned to the rest “Chances are meant to be taken.” Her eyes landed on Christian as she nodded “I’ll take it.”
“Alex!” Christian stood up and the bright blue light disappeared as he moved himself in front of Alex “You can’t be serious! I can’t let you do this.”
“Chris, we’ve been through this.” It was the first time she’s called him by his nickname that he never told anyone about.
“Then I’ll go with you.” He said firmly.
Tammy shook her head “The King says he can only take one person inside him.”
“What?” Alex turned to her with widened eyes “I have to be inside of him?”
“Cool, darn it! I want to be the traitor.” Mila grumbled.
“The plan is for you to sit inside of him. He will leave the castle and face the Queen, she hates him with a vengeance and wants nothing more than to kill him. The King will actually be sacrificing his life for the goodness of his own people, so that they may rest in peace. In return, the world will be free from the curse forever.”
Ann was still confused “But in another 5000 years, the curse will be brought up again.”
“Not if the book is destroyed the same time the traitor is killed. For the past curses, the book was returned to its origin before they realized they should have destroyed the book too. If we can do it, then the world is safe forever.” Tammy finished.
Kevin shook his head in dismay “There’s no other way? The spell, ask him if the spell to revive the dead will work!” He urged Tammy.
After the King spoke, she shook her head “That book of spells was written by Melaor, he very well could have made it all up. There is no way of knowing the truth.”
“Great!” Alex muttered. She smiled at them despite her mood “It’s okay guys. I’ve been ready for this. Ask him when the plan has to be done.”
“He said five days from now is the anniversary of Melaor’s death. The Queen will surely try to kill him again. That is why he remains in this cavern to stay alive until he finds the right moment to fight back. They have been here for over centuries of decades, they hope that the plan will work and are grateful for Alex to give up her life.” She turned to Alex “Are you scared?”
“No.” she replied and stood up “Let’s get it over with.”
“NO!” Christian cried as he turned to the King “There has to be another way to save her! Please, I beg you.” He knelt down and lowered his head.
Tammy shook her head after the King spoke “He said there isn’t.”
“Five days…that’s not too long. We better get ready.” Alex nodded firmly at her team.
“Wait, ask him what his favorite color is before your power runs out.” Mila pressed with a giant grin.
Tammy turned to the King of Akrinoma. After he spoke, she turned to Mila “Sorry, my power just faded.”
“Your highness, we will return on the fifth day.” Alex bowed. The King returned to his thrown and nodded while he spoke to the guard, who was responsible for taking them there. Its voice was sharp and it’s head whipped towards the exit “Wild guess, he wants us out.”
“Human presence makes them weak.” Tammy explained.
Mila narrowed her eyes at the young girl “Liar.”
“He told me this when we were first walking in here.” Tammy covered with a laugh.