Kit panted for a minute on the ground. It almost looked like some of the architectural code from the Myhre castle had made it into this place. Portions of the walls were made of the same stone bricks. Portraits lined the walls. For some reason, they were all pictures of Esther.

"Why is it...me?" Esther asked.

"Well, nice to have something decent to look at in this place," Charmaine said.

"It's so creepy, though..." Esther said.

"I’m sure Wren’ll tell us once we find her,” Charmaine said. “And then I’ll deck her stupid face in.”

Esther clearly felt more and more uncomfortable at all the pictures of her as they descended the staircase. There was no pattern to them, they seemed to be random snapshots of her life.  Charmaine silently urged Kit to move on, nodding at the real Esther ahead of them. Kit gave a last lingering glance at a painting of Esther laughing, ensuring it stayed in her memory.

The halls of the castle fortress seemed to all lead to a central main hall.

"Do you think Wren would wait for us there?” Kit asked.

“This chick is a bit of an egomaniac, I could see her waiting for us on a big stage or something,” Charmaine said.

"We have to be ready for anything," Esther said, sounding distant.

Right before they reached the auditorium, Kit noticed one painting didn’t have Esther on it. Instead it had a painting of a vast sea of sand, with a mountain unfittingly jutting out of it at a crooked angle.

“What’s the deal with that thing?” Charmaine asked.

The three squinted at the painting, trying to make out any details. They found a few more mountains jutting out of the desert, all looking strange.

“Maybe she just likes mountains a lot,” Esther said.

Kit felt the tension within her rise again as they reached the large doorways to the main hall. She didn’t know for sure, but Kit could almost feel Wren’s presence past the doors. She hoped that maybe they could just dash in, save Myles, and get out as quickly as they could.

“Are you ready?” Esther asked.

“No, but Myles needs us,” Kit said.

Kit, Esther, and Charmaine pushed the doors open, and they rushed into near darkness.

It felt like they had entered another new world as their eyes adjusted. They stood on a stone walkway, with etchings marked into it. The path lead onto a large circular portion, that was divided in a way that it looked almost like a sundial.

“Do you see what you’ve stumbled upon?” Wren's voice came from the darkness.

Esther held Ihli’s sword up, trying to find Wren, but none of them could see far while their eyes adjusted.

“Come out and fight us!” Charmaine yelled into the abyss.

"I’m going to kill you all, don’t worry," Wren said. "Let me enjoy some theatrics. A cat enjoys playing with mice before killing them, after all."

"Remember she had all those others with her, too," Charmaine said quietly.

"You must be her sister," Wren's voice echoed. "How nice it will be for the two of you to die together."

“I’m going to hurt you," Kit said. She didn’t know how she could stand up to this kind of power, but she had to try, the anger inside of her was too strong.

An intensely bright light burned through the chamber, and there Captain Wren stood, on a stage just past the sundial. The Obsidian Hunters and Commander Raytris were behind her. Myles was below her on her knees, with Wren holding a blade made of dark energy near her throat.

“Are you?” Wren asked.

“Myles!" Kit shouted. "Hold on. Please just–"

“Save the heroism, there’s no place for it here,” Wren said. “Look around you.”

Above them, metal parts swirled around, much like the building blocks of the enemies they had faced.

“I have this entire city’s population in stasis," Wren said. "Everything here is mine. With everyone in my chains, no one will save you. In your brief final moments, you will never know a single moment of peace until your demise, only torment.”

Charmaine charged forward.

"No, wait!" Esther said.

The princess leapt on stage, trying to attack Wren. The captain caught her fist, blocking her in midair.

“The poor lost princess,” Wren said.

“That’s right, the sad little princess that’s gonna knock your teeth out,” Charmaine said, trying to kick but getting blocked again.

"I just paid a visit to your castle," Wren said. "I was hoping you'd be there."

Charmaine froze as she started her next attack.

“Do you want to know what I did to it?” Wren said. "How it's now nothing more than ashes?"

Charmaine screamed, trying and failing to use her energy blaster again. Wren swiftly grabbed one arm by her wrist and elbow and flipped her directly into the darkness.

“Charmaine!” Esther screamed.

Kit noticed it just as Esther looked into the abyss for their friend. The shadows were slowly rising. Esther drove Ihli's blade into the darkness. It cut into it, but only a circle about arms' length worth, revealing a stairwell downward.

"I'll save her," Esther said.

"Are you sure?" Kit asked. The sheer determination in Esther's tone told Kit she had no chance of convincing her otherwise.

"Don't do anything reckless til I get back," Esther said, winking.

Kit felt dread hit her as Esther descended into the shadows, leaving her alone. How did things end up like this?

"It’s useless, you know,” Wren said. “You might as well follow her.”

Stomping footsteps drew the attention of everyone in the room. Commander Raytris marched in front of Wren.

"What is this?" Raytris asked. "What have you done?"

"I wanted a piece of home with me," Wren said. "Surely you've seen powers like this in your travels?"

"I've never seen anything like this!"

"I suppose you did come from one of the more sheltered branches," Wren said.

"Why not just capture them? Surely with might like this..." Raytris said. "Just arrest them, end them here, don't...conjure an entire fortress to toy with the enemy!"

"Oh, come now, where's the fun in that? Show some imagination, Raytris," Wren said. "Can't you hear it?"

Raytris' brow furrowed.

"We seek Ihli Azariah's tie to the Xionis, correct?"

"Yes," Raytris said.

"Then listen to the shadows, because in the abyss below us, the remnants of the ancients whisper," Wren said. "If you listen close enough, you'll hear your next steps."

Raytris listened more closely.

"I hear them..." Raytris said. "They're saying..."

Her eyes snapped open. "I..."

"Don't doubt my might again," Wren said.

"Hunters! We're leaving." Raytris said. "The Xionis is closer to our grasp than we thought."

The Hunters looked perplexed as they followed Raytris out of the room, walking on pathways that avoided Esther and Kit.

"Fangless as always," Myles said.

Kit was alone with Wren and Myles.

"Now what?" Kit asked, her voice straining from terror as she thought about Esther and Charmaine beneath her. She cautiously stepped forward, now just before the stage.

"Now you stand there and watch as this gnat that has been interfering with the Colony's glorious splendor is gutted before you," Wren said. "I can see it in your eyes, that blade is worthless in your hands. You will just stand there and watch, and not interfere. Esther said not to do anything reckless, correct? Don't worry, your blood will soon be mixed with hers. I can't guarantee I'll keep your corpses together, but..."

"How do you know her?" Kit asked. "Why all the portraits?"

"That's a secret between Esther and myself," Wren said. "Now, let's not waste any more time."

Captain Wren held her shadow blade lower, ready to stab Myles' abdomen.

Myles just stayed still, kneeling. Her expression changed.

“It’s OK. Kit," Myles said. "I think…I deserve this. I know I failed.”

"What did you do to her?" Kit asked. Myles would never submit this easily.

"Oh, you finally noticed?" Wren said. "Another spell of mine. A poison that slowly rots the mind with despair. You have it too. I didn't need it to keep you in place, but it's good to have insurance."

"No...Myles, fight it!" Kit said. Myles' expression turned more distant, more vacant, it was terrifying.

"It's OK..." Myles said.

Kit screamed at Wren, but she only smiled wider. She lurched toward Myles, who looked so brave.

“Once she’s gone, I'll take care of you next, slowly," Wren said. My reign will truly begin.”

"Stop this..." Kit said. She felt weak and helpless again, like she did toiling away at the scrap metal job, or her job back home. Was she really this useless? Tears welled in her eyes.

“Kit, don’t cry,” Myles said. “You made this all worth it for me. I’m sorry I got you stuck in all this. But...I'm so glad I got to see you one more time."

This was wrong. This was an affront to justice, to everything that Kit thought was right in the world. It couldn’t end like this.

“You’re all I took of life.” Myles said, and smiled.

Wren raised her hand, and the sword turned to a sphere of dark energy. It looked different than the mass of it surrounding them. It was gray.

Kit begged to everything she believed in. There was no way Myles could take a hit like that.

“No!” Kit screamed.

Wren pushed the blast, and Kit used all the strength she had to try and stop it. She was suddenly running. She had one second, and she dove at her sister. The blast hit both of them directly, and the world went dark.

Enjoying this series? Check out some of the other awesome entries in the action fantasy contest! Links are in the description.