Chapter Three

The young girl is revealed to be Katrina. She explains to her Guardians about the new threat upon their worlds�

The group remained silent as they watched Karina, the giver of their powers, standing before them. It has been a little over two years since they last heard from her, so the very fact that she was standing before them now was a little unsettling.

"Chosen ones…" she said again quietly as tears rolled down her flushed cheeks. "Please."

Rose pushed passed the rest of the group stopping before Karina. "Karina, what happened?"

Karina wiped her eyes gently. "There is another threat upon our worlds."

"Must be one hell of a threat." Asha commented coming closer. "I mean, we had to fight against Caleb and you weren't affected this badly."

Karina shook her head. "It's something else." The group looked to Jade who remained watching Karina.

"What do you mean?" Tygra questioned looking from Jade to Karina.

"It's Magmiss…" Karina began as new tears began to form. "He's…He's dead."

"You're kidding!" Asha questioned equally surprised as everyone else to hear such news. "Magmiss died?"

Karina looked to her; anger could be seen within her pain stricken eyes. "He was murdered."

"Murdered? By who?" Rose questioned.

"And why?" Drake added.

Karina took in a deep breath as she sat down onto the couch while everyone circled around her. "His name is Alester. He was to have died before Caleb's uprising but now…" she placed her face in her hands. Rose sat down beside her, placing her hand to her shoulder. Karina looked to her gratefully for her kindness before looking to the others once more. "He has to be stopped at all costs. At this rate he may take over sooner then expected."

Asha crossed her arms over her chest. "He won't get too far with us here!"

Karina shook her head. "You don't understand. Alester isn't like Caleb. He is a full blooded Demon; he has powers Caleb only dreamed to wield."

"Then I guess we will just have to be careful." Tygra said with a broad smile.

"Yeah," Drake chipped in, "I'm sure these girls can do it…with my help of course."

Karina's smile widened as she looked to each of her Guardians. "I knew you wouldn't fail me. I-"

"Someone's coming." The group turned to Jade as she looked out the window. She turned back to the group, her eyes wide in alarm. "Get down!"

Everyone dropped to the floor as a bright flash came through the walls of the house, setting everything above hip level ablaze.

"What the hell was that?" Asha exclaimed coughing from the strong sent of burning wood and various materials.

"Everyone get outside!" Jade ordered getting to her feet. She rushed to the back door, pushing it opened as everyone stood. She turned back to them, pointing outside. "Hurry!"

Everyone rushed out of the house. Drake looked around the yard to see who had set his home ablaze but found nothing. "Show yourself!" He yelled angrily.

Tygra ran up to him, placing a hand to his arm. "Drake calm down!"

He looked to her; newly formed tears burned his eyes. "This is my parent's house!" He looked away from her to the burning house. "That's all I have left of them!"

They heard laughter echo all around them; a low and eerie sound. Rose looked up towards the sky. "Where's it coming from?"

"I don't know but it is pissing me off!" Asha yelled her hands clenched at her sides.

"Asha look out!"

Asha turned to see Rose coming towards her, knocking her down. "What the?" Asha began as she saw Rose being engulfed in a dark haze.

"Rose!" Jade yelled running towards he. She just reached out for her arm when she vanished before her, leaving nothing in her place. "Damn it!"

Karina rushed to her side bringing up her arms in a quick motion deflecting another dark haze. "It's a transportation spell! The dark arms use this to capture their enemies!"

"You mean Rose is in their hands now?" Drake asked angrily

"Don't worry. I can take us to her!"

"Ah guys…" Asha began quietly as she stumbled to her feet. "Whatever we do we might want to do it soon."

Everyone followed Asha's gaze. Where there was once nothing to be seen, was now a crowd of people surrounding the property. To their surprise, these people were dressed in normal attire and with closer inspection of their faces; it was found these people were the residents of the nearby town. The group moved closer together as they watched the crowd cautiously as the crowd looked back to them with muted, rampant eyes.

Tygra looked to Jade. "Don't their eyes remind you of that man from earlier?"

Jade nodded. "You're right."

Drake looked to Karina. "What is going on?"

"It is worse then I feared…" she said quietly, closing her eyes. "His powers have already come this far."

"They're coming closer." Asha said noting the crowd was on the move.

"Hurry!" Karina said holding her hands out to the sides. "Close your eyes! I'll take you to where it is safe!"

With a bright flash the group disappeared from the center of the crowd and within mere seconds they reappeared within a wooded area.

Asha stepped out before the group looking around their surroundings. "Where are we?"

"I brought you to one of the last wooded areas within my world." She looked to each of them. "This is where I last sensed Rose's aura. She must be close by."

"Alright, then we better start looking for her." Asha said clapping her hands out before her as she looked around the wooded area doubtfully "Maybe we should split up?"

"Why? We should stick together Asha." Jade began to argue.

"No Jade, I actually think it's a good idea." Drake said looking between her and Asha. "We can cover more ground that way."

"Yeah and it's not like the last time we were here." Tygra added. "We are a lot stronger then before."

Jade looked to each of her friends' confident faces placing a hand to her left temple. "Fine. But we meet back here in fifteen minutes."

"Alright." Tygra agreed then looked to Karina. "Who do you want to be paired with?"

"Oh don't worry about me." She commented turning from her. "I have some things of my own to take care of." She turned back to them and with a quick wave of her hands the group could feel a strange sensation come over them. "You will be needing those."

Each one of them looked to their sides where their weapons were now placed except for Jade who placed a hand behind her, feeling the smooth wood of her spear. Karina then placed her hands out to her sides once more. "For now, this is all I can do for you. I wish you all the luck." With that, a brilliant light swarm around her, taking her to her new destination the instant the light began to fade.

"Thank you." Tygra whispered lightly to herself before looking back to the others. "Well, who's going with who?"

"Like it isn't obvious?" Asha commented as she began to walk off. "Come on, Jade."

Jade shook her head, quietly following after her, not wanting to get into any arguments.

"H-hey!" Tygra called after them. "What is that suppose to mean?" She looked to Drake.

He shrugged. "Don't ask me."

Tygra huffed. "Well, you're no help."