Premier Reality: Chapter I - Dawn

by Darryll B. Carter

The shining eye of heaven rose and spread its light across the land. The light shone into a bedroom adorned with ivory walls. It enlightened the first bed covered by pale sheets. Underneath the milky covers was a caramel female with blue hair, Jayda.

“What happened…?” She rubbed her head.

She stepped out of bed to the warm floor. She examined the clothing she was wearing. Her body was dressed in white bloomers and a matching chemise. Her face filled with confusion. She scratched her arm and held it there.

The room was void of objects besides the bed she emerged from and the bed across the way. The sheets draped over a body on the bed. Jayda walked over to the bed slowly. She stops a few feet away and leaned forward on the tip of her toes. The body rolled over to reveal a light skinned female. She opened her eyes much like the sun rose.

“Who are you?” She stared Jayda in the eyes.

“Jayda. You?”

“Athena.”

“Where are we?” She said waving her hand around.

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Athena said rising up. “Don’t you know?”

“My guess is a church.” Jayda said pointing to a steeple outside.

“Is that door locked?” Athena asked.

Jayda turned around and looked at the gold and crimson trimmed silver door. She walked over and turned the handle. The door opened with a click.

“Guess not.”

Athena walked over with long brown hair trailing behind to her waist. The two females crept into the unknown hallway. The flooring was made of white marble and seams of gold. The hallway was bright as a summer day and lush with paintings.  Athena stopped and stared at the picture of a behemoth figure hovering in the night sky blocking out the moon.

“I think we can scratch the church theory.”

Jayda walked up to the painting. “What the hell is that?!”

“I dunno.” Athena said examining the picture.

“Well despite the picture, this doesn’t seem like a bad place.”

“Love doesn’t seem like a bad place at first either.” Athena began to look down the hall.

“It just doesn’t make sense!” Jayda stomped her foot. “I was outside waiting for the bus, next thing I know I wake up here!”

“I know what you mean.” Athena’s eye noticed an open door at the hall’s end. “Yo, let’s go check out that room down there.”

The flowing brunette and sapphire pigtail scaled the hall and entered the open room. The room was an overall contrast to their own. It was filled with color and stayed to the theme of the doors. The carpet was wine and the walls were covered with pearl and gold tapestries. In the center of the room was a bed with a corresponding frame and matching sheets. Under the bleached sheets was a young man no older than them.

“There is someone…In the bed.” Jayda whispered. “You think they got here like us?”

Athena walked closer and looked at his face. She examined him up and down.

“I think so. He’s dressed in weird clothes too.”

Jayda walked forward and her mind was blown away.

“Oh shit! That’s Darc!”

“Darc?”

“Darc indeed.” Ingrid entered the room.

Jayda and Athena turned around to the blonde mistress dressed in her gown. Ingrid stood in the doorway and smiled.

“I am Priestess Ingrid.” She bowed. “I am sure you cannot fathom as to why you are here.”

“Damn right.” Jayda said with a glare.

“Please follow me.” Ingrid walked down the hall.

“What is with the dress code in this place?” Jayda looked at her clothing shaking her head. “I say we wake Darc and get out of here.”

“I’m gonna follow her.” Athena said walking out of the room.

“Wait, why?”

Jayda jogged up to Athena and the two followed Ingrid down the hall.

Darc’s eyes opened as he pushed up off the bed. He rolled over and fell the four feet to the ground.
“Ugh.” He looked down at his clothing. He seemed be wearing some form of medieval bed-wear.
Darc looked around and took note of the elaborate room; the drapes, the lavish bed and the golden trimmed floor. He got up, dusted off his white tunic and shorts and walked out the door. He descended a flight of nearby stairs. Several females dressed in white and powder blue priestess gowns, similar to Ingrid’s, stood at the staircase’s end. The gowns and the headdresses resembled that of a nun.

“How’d I get in church?” He said scratching his butt.

The nun-like women knelt before him as he passed by. He was confused and disoriented. He stumbled down a flight of stairs and fell into a garden of elegance. Bushes, trees, and flowers of all colors of the spectrum radiated the area. The fallen Darc was crowded by a flock of little girls. They all swarmed over him and jumped on him with smiles and laughs. Ingrid arrived on scene with Athena and Jayda.

“Ok. But what does Darc’s lineage have to do with us?” Athena folded her arms.

“He needs you.” Ingrid said softly.

“What?” Jayda questioned.

Darc stood up and a few of the children grabbed his hands. Darc looked at them with a laugh and a smile.

“Are you guys my cousins too?” He laughed.

“Darc.” Ingrid called.

Darc looked up and saw his cousin with two females beside her. He didn’t recognize the brunette, but he stared at the little one more than twice. She was a caramel beauty that put a sweet dinner desert to shame. Her soft round tipped nose and cat- like shaped eyes made his heart pound. His eyes scrolled from her eyes downward along her sloped shoulders and small but proportionate frame. His view rolled pass her average chest to her small waste. He stood to his feet as she walked over to him standing just below Darc’s shoulder.

“Jayda…?” He said in awe. “What are you…?”

“That’s what I wanna know.” She glared at him.

“Darc is but fraction of what is needed to restore the balance.”

“What?”

“Let her finish Jayda.” Darc looked at the sapphire-head.

“To correct the flow of energy, certain individuals must be assembled. Darc is one of these individuals, as is every rightful king.” She turned to Athena and Jayda. “You two are one of these individuals as well.”

“What?” Athena glanced at Darc. “Why us?”

“Exactly!” Jayda added.

“The ones chosen depend on the king. You two are the only souls compatible along with the others. There is a connection between your souls. There aren’t any others over two universes.” Ingrid looked at the silent Darc.

“I don’t even know him.” Athena stressed.

“She’s right.” Darc sat down and stared off into the air. “This is all pretty heavy…”

“Darc, you can’t possibly go along with this.”

“Jayda…” He looked at her softly. “My life was a pain in the ass already.”

“Exactly.” Jayda turned to Athena with her hand out. “Athena?”

“I don’t know…”

“The world is doomed if you do not fulfill your birthright.”

“We’re not even from this world!” Jayda stressed. “Send me back home!”

“If Tellus falls into destruction so will Earth. To balance the universe if one planet goes, all its equivalents will perish as well. Like a chain, they are all connected.” She grew concerned. “You would still deny your duty knowing your world faces peril as well?”

“I never planned to deny it in the first place.” Darc turned and looked at the girls. “Jayda you know I have to do this. I need your help on this.”

Jayda turned away. “You’re asking for a lot.”

“I know…” Darc turned his attention to Athena.  “I don’t know who you are, but apparently I need you too.”

Athena stared into the depths of Darc’s brown eyes. She almost seemed to be judging him. Her mind raced, her heart pounded, and she was lost. She was lost in this foreign world, with people she didn’t even know.

“I’m in.”

“What?” She turned to Athena in shock. “You don’t even know Darc.”

“I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather not see Earth destroyed.” Athena stood sternly.

“Jayda…?” Darc stood up.

Jayda could feel Darc’s eyes. “Fine…”

Darc closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Thank you. So what do we do Ingrid?”

“You must seek out the lost sanctuaries of the Goddess. At the sanctuaries you must acquire your Knight Arms and their guardians.”
“What is a Knight Arm?” Darc asked.

“A Knight Arm is a sacred and ancient weapon created by the Goddess, to give man a chance to save themselves from damnation. They are the tools used in restoring the balance or destroying it.

“You said something about guardians?” Athena asked.

“I am unable to truly elaborate.” She spoke in dismay. “They haven’t been seen for several centuries. All I know is they protect the Knight Arm and its bearer. In time of dire need they will come to the bearer’s aid. ”

“Sounds like a load of crap.”

Darc looked at Jayda.

“It does.” She shrugged.

“So I guess we’re off?” Darc asked.

“It would be best to rendezvous with the others at the Tower of…”

A young girl came running up with cuts and bruises and fell to the floor. She fell to the floor in distress. Ingrid knelt beside her as did Darc.

“Fi…fi…fiend…” She gasped for air. “Armory…”

Ingrid took off running into the building. The girl grabbed Darc’s arm. Her eyes burned with fear. Her hand lost its grip and fell to the ground. Darc was befuddled. He looked at her chest which was no longer pulsing and watched blood flow from beneath her. Darc took off into the building as Athena and Jayda watched in shock. Darc followed the screams and arrived in a large room with a creature. It was a large creature and about five men tall.  It was a monstrous plant, green like a flower’s stem and shaped like a bulb. Tentacles, the color of a rose’s pedal swung around the room spawning from within the bulb. Along the side Ingrid lay unconscious.

“Ingrid!” Darc stood before the creature as another young priestess arrived.

“Help me!”

Darc looked upward to find a girl being constricted in the vines of the monster. Athena and Jayda arrived on the scene and gazed upon the colossal giant.

“Whoa.”  Athena was stunned.

“Is she ok?” Jayda checked Ingrid’s vitals.

A tentacle skull thick knocked Darc into the air. He soared into a rack of swords. His body was mutilated with flowing wounds.

“AHHH!!!”

Darc lay on the ground and grabbed a large sword. He stood and took a stance.

“There is a big weed attacking me!” He grinned. “That’s what I’m talking about. Finally something to really use a sword on!”

The tentacles of the plant were numerous, but there were four that were dominant. They were thicker than a tree and acted as appendages causing all the destruction and damage. One of the death-vines raced for Darc. He dove to the side and hit the ground. He rolled under the vine and clung to it. The vine retracted at great speed and sent Darc flying toward the captive girl. He soared right for her and straight through the vines. The tentacle was severed by his sword and fell to the floor along with Darc. It writhed on the floor sending the violet dressed girl rolling toward Athena and Jayda. A dominant vine coiled around Darc’s body and hurled him into the bulb and swallowed him whole.

“Darc!” Jayda nearly died.

Athena’s shock was only enhanced. She started to scan the area. She grabbed a bow and quiver. She slipped the quiver onto her back and readied a shot. The violet adorned girl struggled up coughing and gasping.

“Shoot…it in the eye...”

“What eye?” Athena searched the area.

“Look… at the end of the black tentacle.” She coughed.

Athena searched for the onyx vine amongst the threads of red and green. Then amidst the vines an eye and black tentacle emerged.

Athena staggered backward. “Holy…”

“It’s going underground.” The girl rose to her feet.

“Hurry Athena!”

“I’m trying! I’m not Robin Hood!”

“I am. Give it to me.” Jayda walked over and put her hand out. “Stop it from getting away!”

Athena handed Jayda the bow and quiver and took off. Jayda took aim. She fired arrows repeatedly tearing down the vines in her path. Every time an arrow came close to the eye another of its tentacles took the hit. The man eater was half way under the ground.

“Ugh! The damn vines! Athena!”

Athena ran up with a lance and charged right into the weed. She left the lance in the demon plant and braced it against the floor. She ran for another and rammed it in its side. Then again all around the beast like the numbers on a clock. The fiend burrowed further and screeched in pain. As it burrowed deeper the lances dug deeper into its sides. Jayda cocked her bow and armed it with two arrows. She let go and sent the arrows darting through the air. They rushed for the eye, one was deflected by the small vines and the final continued on piercing right through the eye. The creature began to shriek bringing everyone to their knees. It began to convulse and spewed red fluid all over. Its belly tore open as it collapsed in death. The tear opened wider as the wet and grassy Darc stepped out. His face was blank as everyone looked at him in silence.

“What? No victory music?” Darc fell to the floor.

“He’s gonna need new clothes.” Jayda said with a grimace.