Many of them had expected the interior of the ship to be straight forward hallways with levels. But this place was as if someone was designing a puzzle. The place curved, twisted, and winded in ways that none of them could understand. A few times they almost got separated because the ships halls seemed to be changing on the fly.
They had spent what felt like hours within it. They tried to use their helmets to keep track of where they were going but when they tried to go back track properly they found themselves going in entirely new directions. After getting turned around for the umphteenth time they stopped and regrouped.
“Okay. What are we doing?” Sarah asked angrily.
“Wandering around and getting nowhere,” Seth scowled. “And why the fuck is this place so goddamn empty?”
“We really haven’t met anyone within here,” Owen said. “Are they all outside? Actually, why have none of them made it back inside here?”
“Maybe it’s because they want us to be alone with the captain,” Kathryn suggested. “We don’t even know what they are.”
“Right. We should be careful,” Marco said. “We don’t know what to expect. I know we’re getting frustrated but we’ve got this.”
As he spoke though they looked up and saw that the ship had changed again. But this time it was bigger. It became massive and opened up in front of them. Sprawling open like a cathedral. There were pillars and the overall shape of the room was like a dome. From where they stood a bridge extended to the other side of the room and on either side of the bridge it was empty. Above was the glass that showed space itself.
“What the hell is this?” Seth mumbled.
“I think us talking shit got us brought here,” Sarah mumbled.
“How far down does that go?” Owen mused looking over the bridge.
“Let’s not find out,” Jack said going toward the bridge. He crossed over the threshold of it and then shuddered, stumbling forward. “What the hell? Who is that? What are you talking about?”
“Jack,” Sarah walked after him slowly. “You okay?”
“The hell was that!” he said and almost shouted. “You’re gonna do that over my dead body!” He swung his arm out getting his scythe in hand startling everyone. But before he could swing it he sank down to his knee placing one hand against his helmet. He let out a strangled cry and dropped the weapon.
“Jack! What’s happening to him?” Seth asked quickly.
“I don’t know,” Marco shook his head. “We need to get him back over here!”
Seth and Owen exchanged glances before running toward him. Before either could get close though Jack whirled around picked up his scythe. Seth raised his shield and Owen glowed pink ducking under the scythe in a blur of movement. Seth rolled backwards the shied dented but Owen kept charging forward.
“Jack what’s wrong with you!”
“Get away from me Owen! Before it’s too late!” Jack shouted swinging again but Owen moved around it again in that same blur of energy. He reached out for Jack when his eyes widened and he froze on the spot.
Seth picked himself off the ground slowly as he stared at them all confused, “What the hell is going on with you guys?”
Jack lowered his scythe and Owen lowered his arm. Both turned around slowly and faced the rest of them. They stood almost limply but their visors were flooded with light. The light was like the northern lights, shifting back and forth. Both of them righted themselves slowly and slowly an eye appeared in the center of the visors with a pair of curving horns going down the sides. The same one that they’d seen on the soldiers.
“What the hell,” Seth mumbled.
Before he could move, they leaped at him. Jack brought his scythe down and he managed to block that. His buckler glowed bright purple in response but he wasn’t able to avoid Owen. Owens fist came up hitting him in the side twice quickly. Jack whipped his scythe around and jerked the shield out of his hand. Owen lunged and grabbed him by the forehead.
“Violet!” He jerked away and covered his head shouting in pain. He slumped forward and then turned to face them. Just like the others his visor was covered by the lights, the horns, and the eye.
“Interesting,” Seth said and it was his voice but there was another one layered over it. Something alien. Nothing like any of theirs. “Another group of knights.”
“No matter. You will join my collective,” Owen said.
“There is no escaping Legion.” Jack said and both Sarah and Marco flinched. Sarah reached toward him and let her hand fall.
Marco shook his head spinning the barrel on his gun, “We need to run. We need to run now!”
He grabbed Kathryn and Sarah’s hands and dragged them backwards. They stumbled but when Marco fired a purple shot, they flinched and it all sunk in. They turned around and started sprinting. It didn’t take long for a purple shield to fly past them and explode against the wall.
“How the hell are we getting out,” Sarah asked.
“Can you teleport us?” Kathryn asked quickly.
“I can but I’ll need time and they’re not going to give us that,” he looked over his shoulder and saw Jack’s guardian appear and grab Seth. Meanwhile Owen was glowing and racing after them.
Kathryn turned around and spun her staff around extending it fully. Sarah and Marco both slid to a stop, “What are you doing?! We have to go!” Sarah shouted.
“I’m buying you guys some time,” she said and scowled behind her helmet. “Get back home. And figure this out. We don’t all have to be taken out.”
“Kathryn don’t-“ Marco began.
“Figure out how to save us!” she said to Marco. “Please leader. I’m trusting you.”
Gritting his teeth together he nodded and Sarah nodded as well, “I will.”
She nodded as they left and slammed her staff into the ground covering the entire hallway in blue light. “Good luck guys,” Owen slammed into it and his fist bouncing off but she winced. “You’ve broken my shield before Owen. Let’s see you do it again.”
The Harlequin Library 