Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga by Lady Adellandra Dratianos (year 7 reading list .TXT) 📖

Ancient Mystic’s War of the Realms Saga #4:
Hope for Tomorrow

By:

Lady Adellandra Dratianos,
Author of The Young Guardian Trilogy


Book One:
To Heal and Grow

Part One:
The Nightmare King

Prologue One:
End of the War of the Realms

Young Guardian of the Dream Realm was pissed. Lord Guardian followed close behind her, with the Protector and Dweller-kin leader Ramon Martiya behind him. It did not take long to follow the stench of two Stalkers.
“Crucis and Francesca are nearby.” Ramon growled, scratching his nose.
O’Dell nodded. “So is Orthos.” He supplied. “Are you sure about this, Ariana Moon?”
“Positive, so stop calling me that.” Young Guardian said. “He’s done a lot of damage to helpless Dreamers over the years. He must be stopped.”
“I must be stopped, is it?” They all heard Orthos’ voice cackle. He laughed. “You wish!”
“The only thing I wish right now is your death!” Young Guardian stood up to him, sword in hand and glowing red eyes. The pommel’s jewel glowed as well, and the blade seemed to hum in her hands.
Crucis, Gloriana, Francesca and Lord Bane gathered behind him, waiting for the right moment to attack.
“You do not have the magic to destroy me!” Orthos cried, secretly eyeing the blade in her hands.
“Maybe I do.” Young Guardian supplied. “Wanna see for yourself?”
“Let me handle them, Orthos.” Crucis stepped up.
Help me destroy him first. Ramon’s voice echoed in her head. Charge up enough energy to pierce the heart in his chest.
Young Guardian looked at him. You sure it’ll work?
Ramon nodded, turning back to Crucis’s evil smile.
“You want to destroy me, don’t you, Son?” Crucis crooned.
Son? Young Guardian thought, sharing an astonished look with the Protector. O’Dell kept his mouth thin, knowing already.
“Ever since you killed my mother.” Ramon announced. In his mind to Young Guardian, he supplied. On my mark.
“I killed no one who did not deserve to die.”
Arm yourself, Ramon’s words echoed.
Young Guardian moved, letting the blade’s energy brighten. Ramon himself hid his hands behind his back, conjuring enough power to make an energy ball of his own.
“The only ones who deserve to die stand before me.” Young Guardian taunted.
“Will you be the one to do it?” Orthos taunted, laughing. “You are but a mere Ancient Mystic Child.”
“Ancient Mystic Child, am I?” Young Guardian responded, arming herself. The blade and pommel glowed, making her entire body burn with energy and maddening power.
“Now!” Ramon cried, thrusting his energy ball at Crucis.
Young Guardian did the same with the tip of her blade. Together, they destroyed Crucis, leader to the Stalkers.
Orthos was amazed and confused. How could this child direct such strong magic? What about the blade made her so powerful and confident?
Seeing the look on his face made the Young Guardian grin. “That was just a warning, Orthos. Will you surrender or do I have to destroy you out-right?”
“Surrender! Never!” Orthos laughed.
Suspecting Orthos was going to attack, the Protector placed his good arm on Young Guardian’s shoulder. He gave his Lord Guardian a pleading look.
Lord Guardian feared for his successor’s life, and his own. It was time to show her just how much magic she had inside. With his and the Protector’s help, of course.
“Young Guardian, you must do as I say.” O’Dell announced, eyeing his twin Orthos. When she looked at him, he continued. “Use the Silver Magic at its most potent.”
Young Guardian sheathed her sword and grinned wickedly at Orthos. “Most potent, huh?”
“O’Dell, this is between us only!” Orthos cried, hoping to stop her from doing anything else.
Those behind him cowered, scared of the scene.
The Protector squeezed her shoulder, letting her know he was there to defend her. She was too interested in the dialogue between brothers, and didn’t seem to notice.
“Not anymore.” O’Dell warned. “You forfeited the privilege of my destroying you alone when you violated our treaty.”
“What treaty?” Orthos asked.
“Do you not remember when Young Guardian was born?” O’Dell reminded him. “You agreed not to interfere with her life, and those in it. You broke the treaty more than once, Orthos, so now, you will be destroyed.”
“Go ahead, O’Dell.” Orthos taunted. “Send me back the Unknown, where I belong.”
O’Dell shook his head. “The Unknown is far too good for you.” He supplied. “You will be destroyed by the very Magic you hate.”
Young Guardian took that as her cue and used the blade to direct her Silver Magic’s beam. The Protector put himself in a trance, projecting his own Golden Magic through her body to her blade. With Lord Guardian’s help, Orthos, too, was destroyed.
Francesca and Gloriana screamed.
She felt O’Dell wince, and knew why. The twin-bond was broken between him and Orthos.
The Protector came out of his Golden Magic trance, woozy, but in tact. He released her shoulder and backed away. Lord Guardian noticed him and went to heal his wounds so he would be able to help his love home when she was out of her own energy. The Protector watched as his Lord Guardian healed him. Once they made eye contact, O’Dell winked, smiling.
Francesca stood frightened, hiding behind a shaking Gloriana. With O’Dell standing there, she dare not attack. Bane was silent, fuming at the scene.
Francesca, eyeing Ramon, begged for forgiveness. “Crucis made me do it, my liege.”
“I am not your liege, Francesca.” Ramon replied. “Since you are Stalker, you know what must be done.”
Ramon conjured a lightning ball in his hand and played with it.
Francesca eyed the ball now. “D-d-d-destruction?”
“That’s right, destruction.” At that, he aimed and fired, destroying her on the spot. “Anymore takers?” Ramon asked the two who were left.
Gloriana shook her head, disappearing into the night.
As for Bane, he was determined to win this War, even without Orthos. Lord Bane stared at the charred remains of Orthos, Francesca, and Crucis in awe and amazement.
“No!” Bane cried, shaking his head as he stared at the spot. “It is not possible! You promised victory, and I will have it!”
“I’m afraid not, Lord Bane.” Young Guardian shook her head.
When he looked up at her still-glowing eyes and sword, he was afraid. Not wanting himself to end up like his partners-in-evil, Bane recoiled and called the retreat.
Exhausted and out of energy, Young Guardian was helped by the Protector back to their camp, to tell the Companions the good news. Ramon helped Lord Guardian walk close behind them.
The war had finally ended. It was time to go home to Rest and Heal.


Back in the Outer Realm, Ariana Reading made sure all her Crusaders were sleeping before finding her daughter Kelly. She found Kelly reading a book in the Study.
Sensing her mother there, she looked up. “How did it go? Did we win?”
“For now, yes, but there will be more fighting in the future.” Ariana supplied. In a rush of emotion, she hugged her daughter. When she pulled back, there were tears in both pairs of eyes. “How did everything go here?”
Kelly smiled. “No problems. I sent Caleb, Logan and Meredith with Aunt Luna and Uncle Shane once they got back. The twins are in the playroom, Theo’s sleeping, Melody’s in her room playing with Angel.”
“Where’s Juliet?” Ariana asked.
“Sleeping in her room.” Kelly supplied. “I figured she needed it, with all those monsters to look after.”
“What about Bradley and Cara?”
“Cara went home hours ago.” Kelly said. “As for Bradley . . .”
Her face fell and Ariana saw it. “Honey, what is it?”
“Go look in on Sierra and Daddy.” Kelly told her. “There’s something’s wrong with them. I can sense it.”
“So can I, Sweetie.” Ariana remarked. “Thank you for your help, Kelly. We all appreciate it.”
“What are Crusaders for, anyway?” Kelly tried to joke.
One last hug and she headed next door to find Aaron and his Earthly Protector.

II

“I do not believe this!” Bane fumed from his Dark Castle. MagDaliah, Gloriana, Damian and the near-forgotten Djinn god Omri were with them, listening to him rant. “Beaten by a couple of children!”
“They were Ancient Mystics, not mere children.” Gloriana remarked. “Hard to beat, and even harder to kill off. Believe me, I tried.”
“This is all your fault, Gloriana!” Bane cried.
“If anyone is at fault, it would be you, Lord Bane.” Damian said nonchalantly. “You called a war without proper preparation.” He laughed. “You should get a medal in stupidity.”
“Silence, you!” Lord Bane yelled. Damian only smiled.
“Now, now, my pet.” MagDaliah purred. She shot Damian a dirty look, at which he shrugged. “There is no need to take it out on the Merchant.”
“Besides, there is always next time.” Gloriana responded. “The Ancient Mystics are ever in battle with Dominionites. It’s their jobs to protect the Dream Realm from us.”
“Look at it this way, Bane.” MagDaliah supplied. “You will never be bored!”
Bane smiled, kissing her. His eyes then went to the Djinn god Omri, who had been hovering over his vase in silence. “What have you to say in all this, Djinn? Who is your Master now?”
“My Master is gone, so now, I return to my vase until I am needed again.” Omri then whisked himself back to his vase in a cloud of smoke.
“Useless, the lot of you!” Bane huffed. “Leave my sight!”
Damian chose to stay behind. He knew when an evil genius lost a battle; they tended to reveal some very interesting things.
“Are you deaf, Damian?” Bane cried. “Leave! Now!”
“Not until I have my say.” Damian supplied.
Bane crossed his arms and waited. “Well?”
“The Ancient Mystics turned my mother and sister against me. They killed my father and destroyed my home.” Damian began. “I want in on whatever kind of revenge you are planning against them. Consider it help from an unlikely source.”
“What makes you think I am planning revenge?”
“You are the Nightmare King, are you not?” Damian countered. “Once hearing from his followers, my former Dominionite Warriors no less, on how Orthos was the greatest evil Master they served, you wanted to prove to them you were better. Now that you have lost the War, along with any allies but the four of us, you finally figured out just what kind of foe the Ancient Mystics really are.”
“Quit rambling and get to the point, Damian.”
“Are you so blind and deaf to those things around you?” Damian remarked, facing Lord Bane with a scowl. “As much as you would like to dismiss it as a failure, this war brought you