Chapter Seventeen

The three scenarios come to an end...will Tygra be able to fight Drake after all?

    The two girls gaped at Drake as he came into the room. "Gage, we have to take the Guardians to the Dark Lord at once." He said looking towards the other man as he turned his head slightly. "He's growing very impatient."

    The man named Gage shook his head in disappointment. "Just when I was beginning to have fun."

    Asha looked between the two men; one which was one of her closest friends that she and the others were initially coming to rescue and the other was one of their sworn enemies which were trying to kill them! And now, the two seemed to be working together? What was going on? What happened to Drake in order for him to go on the side evil?

    Her gaze fell upon Tygra as the two men spoke. Her features showed her completely heart-stricken thoughts. She's not going to be too good in a fight against Drake. She brought up her sword. I better get the drop on them before they get the drop on us! But before she could begin her assault, the man named Gage turned towards her, hitting her hard in the stomach, causing her to fly back out towards the locked doors and through them as she fell out into an empty hallway.

    Tygra turned as she saw Asha fly out into the hallway. She gasped, coming back to her senses. "Asha!"

    She took a step forward as the man named Gage walked out towards the hallway when she felt an ice cold blade rest on her left shoulder. "I wouldn't if I were you."

    She slowly turned back towards Drake to see that he was the one wielding the sword placed so deliberately against the side of her neck. Closing her eyes, she swallowed. This can't be…

    Drake raised a brow. "What? No snappy comeback?" He shook his head as if he had been greatly disappointed. "I've heard stories about you girls since your short while being here. And so far, I'm not seeing anything impressive about any of you."

    "Why?" She said quietly as tears began to form beneath her closed lids.

    "Huh? What was that?" He questioned as he took a step towards her.

    She opened her eyes, tears beginning to stream down her face. "Why does it have to be like this? Why are you fighting against us?"

    Drake grinned mischievously. "It's the way of life."

    Tygra shook her head, placing a shaky hand to her chest. "This is not the way of life! Not our lives! Don't you remember Drake? You were taken away from us!"

    Drake narrowed his eyes. "Don't try to play games with me woman. I've been here my whole life."

    "No! You're wrong! Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong!" She exclaimed shaking her head with each 'wrong' she spoke. "You are Drake Harris; the same Drake Harris that I and everyone else grew up with!"

    "Enough!" He yelled, bringing his sword back, readying to strike her. "You're mind games will not work on me!"

    He swung out her sword and Tygra leapt back, falling down onto the floor in a sitting position as she looked up at Drake. This can't be…she shook her head as she scrambled to her feet, having to back away once more as he continued his attacks. I can't fight him!

 

    "Ah…" Asha moaned as she stood painfully to her feet out in the hallway. Her thoughts quickly went back to what was happening within the room. "Tygra!"

    She took a step forward, only to be halted by Gage as he stepped out into the hallway, a smirk planted on his features. "Where do you think you are going, missy?"

    Asha swallowed. This isn't good…Tygra is in there with Drake…if she doesn't snap out of it soon, she's going to be killed! She looked towards Gage, still holding her sword tightly within her grasp. "Out of my way! I have no time to deal with you!"

    Gage shook his head as he took another step forward. "I don't think so, girly. You see, the only way you are getting by me, is if you defeat me in battle."

    Gage swung out his right hand, trying to punch her in the jaw but Asha sidestepped grabbing his arm along the way and flipping him over her shoulder. Once he landed on the floor, he kicked her feet out from under her. She fell hard onto the floor as Gage made his way over towards her, grabbing her by her hair and yanking her to her feet. She cried out in pain as he kicked her in the stomach, causing her to fall back into another set of doors across the hall.

    Asha held her stomach, her sword still in hand as she looked back to Gage in time to see a dagger fly past her head into the door behind her. She eyed the dagger wide eyed as she fumbled for the handle of the door. She just turned the knob, leaning back on the door and fell back into the room as another dagger flew past her face where she once stood.

    She scrambled to her feet, her heart racing. Too close…

    “Lucky aren’t you, girly?” Gage questioned now standing before her with another set of daggers in hand.

 

    "What's wrong coward, fight me!" Drake's voice rang out as he swung his sword at Tygra once more.

    She jumped back dodging his attack. I can't keep this up forever…she tightened her grip on her whip's handle which remained clasped onto her belt. I have to fight…

    As Drake came at her once again, Tygra ripped the whip from her belt and snapped it out at him, trying to put some sort distance between them. However, instead of dodging her attack, he grabbed hold of the whip, raveling it up around his arm. He smiled coldly as the thorns tore into his skin. “Now you're talking, but you have to think of another way to defeat me.” He stated as he suddenly pulled the whip to the left, pulling Tygra along with it.

    She fell hard against the wall. Drake then came towards her and as he was just about to pull her from the wall, Tygra raised her hand placing her unsheathed dagger to his throat.

    He looked into her eyes, placing a hand against the wall behind her. “So, you wish to kill me now?”

    Tygra bit down painfully onto her lip as she raised her free hand to the side of his face. “I don’t wish to kill you Drake.” She said weakly as tears began to form within her eyes. “I was so worried about you…”

    He closed his eyes. “How do you even know me?” He questioned opening his eyes once more. “Who the hell are you girls?”

    Tygra looked away from his eyes for a moment, the dagger still held to his throat. I tried explaining it to him, but he won't believe…Maybe…She dropped her hand from his cheek, reaching into her pocket. Once she found what she was looking for, she pulled it out, dangling it between them. “You don’t remember this?”

    Drake looked at the silver chain Tygra had once given him. She could see his face grow pale as he reached for the chain before pushing himself away from her and the necklace which symbolized their friendship. Tygra lowered her hands to her side; a tight grip on both her dagger and the silver necklace.

    “You do remember, don’t you?”

    Drake looked back to her, a confused expression across his face. “Tygra?” He questioned shortly as everything began to come back to him.

    She smiled joyously, taking a step toward him before he held out his hand. Her smile began to fade. “Drake, what’s wrong? You remember me, don’t you?”

    He turned from her. “There’s something I must do.”

    Tygra’s eyes grew wide. “No, don’t leave Drake; not when I just got you back!” She rushed over to him and just reached out to touch him when he vanished before her. “No!”

   

    Asha ducked down out of the way as another dagger flew over her head. Where does he keep getting these damn things from? He must have thrown a dozen already! But as she looked around the room, she didn't see a single dagger remain from where it had landed. She looked back to Gage as he held up yet another one of his daggers. This guy is freaking pissing me off!

    Gage began to laugh as he twirled the dagger's handle within his hand. "Your reflexes are good…I hope master's plans leaved you alive so you may join our ranks."

    Asha spat off to the side. "Like hell I would ever join you!"

    Gage lowered his dagger to the side as a grin came upon his face. "Why not? We already recruited your one friend…Drake I think his name is…and that other chick," he paused as he licked the blade of his dagger, "well, let's just say she is well on her way on becoming one of us."

    "You're lying! Rose would never become anything like you!"

    "Perhaps…" Gage laughed full heartedly as he lowered his dagger again. "Perhaps not. You will find out soon enough once you come face-to-face with our Dark Lord."

    Asha clasped her hand around the sword, her other clenched tightly at her side as she closed her eyes tightly in frustrated anger. How dare he speak that way about my friends? They are nothing like him or like any of these freaks for that matter…I'll stop this; I swear I will do all that I can to stop this! She felt her skin begin to tingle as a surge of her energy began to come to surface; waves of heat just seemed to emit from her very flesh.

    Gage watched her in slight awe. "Easy now girly. There is no reason to get upset." When Asha remained where she was, without a sound or a sign of movement, he shrugged his shoulders lightly sighing heavily. "Guess I should be getting you back to master." He raised his dagger as he came towards her.

    Asha eyes opened only wide enough to see that her eyes seemed to be glowing a dark ember. She turned her face towards Gage. He stopped short, studying her closely, before dropping his dagger to the floor. "Damn!"

    He remained staring down at his dagger for a few seconds before he cried out in pain once more.  Quickly, he grabbed hold of the thick twine wrapped around his waist which held each of his daggers and ripped it away from him, throwing it to the ground. Each of the daggers was beginning to glow a bright orange as they began to heat from Asha's immense powers.

    Gage swallowed, taking a step back from her. By now the whole room was beginning to be affected by her power. "Tch…I-I don't have time to deal this you!" He yelled as he rushed out of the room, leaving Asha by herself.

    After a few more moments, Asha soon closed her eyes, before falling forward onto the floor. She gasped, breathing heavily as she felt she had just run a mile. Wh-what's happening to me? Slowly, she slid her hands beneath her, pushing herself up as she began to struggle to her feet.

    Placing a hand to her head, she looked around the room, unsure of where she was when her gaze fell upon the string of daggers laying on the floor before her. Her eyes narrowed then widened once more as she began to remember what had happened. Man, this isn't good…She placed a hand to her head. I've got to get control of these powers, or I'm libel to hurt one of the others!

 

    Jade pushed Magmiss away from her, watching him as he stumbled back, a bizarre look upon his face. “Tell me where Rose is, now.”

    “Shouldn’t you be worried about your other friends?” Magmiss questioned as he sheathed his sword.

    She watched him angrily as she heard a shrill ‘no!’ come from behind the stone wall leading into the other room with Asha and Tygra. “Tygra?” She yelled glancing over to the wall. When she looked back to where Magmiss stood he was already gone. “Damn it!” She yelled angrily, rushing towards the stone wall.

    As she ran she held up her hand then pushed down with all her might. The stone wall then receded back into the floor, as if it had never left. When she entered the next room, she saw Tygra collapsed on her knees, looking down at the floor.

    “Tygra, what happened?” Jade questioned, rushing to her friend’s side.

    Tygra’s head snapped up at the sound of Jade’s voice. “Oh Jade. It was Drake; he was just here!”

    “What?” She questioned, looking around the room, seeing nothing. “Where is he now?”

    Tygra sniffed back a few more tears. “He said there was something he had to do and…” she looked Jade in the eyes. “He just left.”

    Jade laid a hand on her shoulder. “He’ll be alright, Tygra.”

    “He didn’t even know who we were! He didn’t know who I was…” she placed the silver chain against her cheek. “What if we never see him again?”

    “Don’t talk like that.” Jade said in a reassuring tone. “We will get him back. And Rose too. We’ll get them both back and-” she stopped short when she realized something was missing. “Where’s Asha?”

    Tygra’s eyes grew wide as she stood to her feet once more. “God, there was another guy in here too!” She quickly placed the chain in her pocket and sheathed her dagger once more. “Last time I saw she got kicked out into the hallway.” Jade looked out to the hall Tygra was now pointing to as she stood to her feet. She closed her eyes taking in a deep breath. “Jade?”

    “We have to find her.” She said walking towards the hallway.

    “But,” Tygra began following after her. “You said we should just keep going forward as far as Rose went. Why go after Asha?”

    “Because neither one of us knows for sure that she was taken away, do we?” Jade questioned as she stopped at the door looking into the hallway. She saw the opened door to the left and she looked back to Tygra. “Maybe we can get to her before something like that happens again.”

    “You’re right.” Tygra said as they walked down the hall to the opened door. “We can’t willingly stand by as another one of our friends is taken away from us.”