Her Mythical Warriors (Book Two)
Chapter Twenty-Four: The Black Portal

“Time to get up, Princess!”

Akira rolled over and grunted when a foot kicked her in the butt. She turned onto her back, opened her eyes, and glared up at the troll.

Stella grinned down at her, “come on, your warriors are packing up camp. We have another portal to find.”

Akira sighed. She has tried more than once to feel out her fifth warrior, but he’s not in this realm either.

“How many realms are there?” Akira mumbled as she rolled onto her side to push herself up.

“More than I want to travel through,” Stella grumbled.

Akira smiled at her small friend. She’s finally taller than someone!

“Is she up?” Wolfric called from across the camp.

“Yeah!” Stella called back. “Had to kick her in the ass!”

Everyone except Akira laughed, but she smiled as she started folding her blankets.

“Let me get that.”

Akira looked up at her warrior and smiled. Zelious has been helping her with everything since she got sick the other day. She had a feeling he feared losing her—like her other warriors had.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He grinned, leaned forward, kissed her gently, then turned to fold her blankets.

Akira turned to find her other warriors watching. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they, too, understood the merman’s actions. They looked at her, then turned and continued wrapping up camp.

“They fear losing you again.”

Akira turned to her best friend and smiled. “I’m fine.”

Jules nodded, “I know that. They know that. But fear is fear.”

Akira nodded. She understood. She fears every day that something horrible is going to happen to someone she loves. Akira has already lost her mother. She couldn’t bear to lose anyone else.

“Let’s go,” Wolfric said once their camp was packed away.

“Do we know where we’re going?” Akira asked.

Wolfric smiled at Akira and answered, “Levi found another portal. It’s not far from here.”

Akira nodded. She didn’t want to tell them she was still tired and wanted to find a place to lie down for another twelve hours.

~⚔~

“Does she look tired to you?” Malique whispered to Wolfric.

Wolfric looked at his longtime friend, “I think we stayed up celebrating a little later than we should have.”

Malique nodded.

“I think I’ll offer to carry her,” Zelious said, moving past them to catch up with their Psychi.

Malique and Wolfric chuckled.

“Do you think she’s okay?” Malique asked.

Wolfric smiled and said, “Akira has four powerful men ready to carry her around while she sleeps. I think she’s fine.”

Malique chuckled.

~⚔~

“Follow the yellow brick road, follow the yellow brick road!” Akira sang as she walked beside her two best friends.

“How many more realms do you think we’ll go through before she senses her warrior?!” Darius shouted.

The others laughed.

Akira turned to her Pegasus and stuck her tongue out at him. He chuckled and wagged his finger at her.

“Don’t do that unless you want me to toss you over my shoulder and run away with you to a secluded part of the forest.”

Akira turned back around. She remembered how she’d felt the last time her warrior tossed her over his shoulder. She didn’t want to do that again. They were on their third realm in one day. The last two were a bust. This one—same. Why can’t she find her fifth warrior? Have the Gods given up on her?

“There it is—just up ahead!” Levi called, pointing up the hill.

Akira looked up and sucked in a breath. The portal was black with silver sparks. What in the world did that mean?

“Seriously?” Zelious complained, coming to a complete stop.

Everyone stopped and turned to him.

“What is it?” Wolfric asked.

Zelious looked around at them and shook his head. “Have none of you heard of the black portal?”

The group looked at each other, then back at Zel, and shook their heads.

Zelious started cursing.

“Zel?” Akira whispered.

He looked at her. “I’m sorry, little one. I figured since all of your warriors are mythical, and two of us are demigods, I thought they knew what the black portal is.”

“Why don’t you tell us?” Wolfric growled.

Zelious looked up at Wolfric, then back at Akira, and cleared his throat. “The black portal leads to a realm that is nothing but myth. Some may look human-ish, but believe me, they are not.”

Akira swallowed. “Are they evil?”

Zelious laughed, “no, little one. Some maybe, but most are—well, I wouldn’t say friendly. And most of them hate humans.”

“But Akira isn’t human,” Julianne whispered.

Zelious looked at the fairy. He didn’t want to scare them, but Akira looked and smelled human. Even though she’s anything but human. She just hasn’t opened yet. That’s why they need to find her fifth warrior. Maybe they should skip this portal.

He looked up at the portal. What if her warrior is in there? Will he despise her because she smells and tastes human?

“Zel?” Akira whispered, placing her hand on his arm.

Zelious looked into her amber eyes and smiled. They glowed so brightly, and he could smell her power. Maybe her fifth warrior will see and smell it too.

“Should we find a different portal?” she asked.

Zelious shook his head. “Your fifth warrior might be in there.”

She smiled and reached up to touch his cheek.

Zelious turned his head and kissed her palm. “Stay with us,” he whispered.

Akira nodded, “always.”

“Zelious? You okay, man?” Wolfric asked, placing his hand on Zelious’ shoulder.

Zelious turned to the wolf and nodded. “Keep Akira close to us.”

Wolfric nodded.

“Let’s do this,” Malique said as he picked Akira up.

Akira tapped Malique on the shoulder. He looked down at her, his vampire teeth showing below his upper lip. She chuckled.

“Maybe Zelious should carry me through?” she whispered.

Malique stopped and turned to the others; he looked at Zelious and saw the worry on his fellow warrior’s face. Malique sighed and walked over to the merman.

“Maybe you should take her through.” He handed Akira over, kissed her on the cheek, then turned and headed for the portal.

Zelious looked down at Akira. “Is Vampie okay?”

Akira giggled. “He will be fine.”

Zelious nodded and started for the portal again. Everyone had already gone through by the time Zelious got to the portal with Akira.

“I guess they want to make sure it’s safe for you before we enter,” Zelious said.

Akira nodded and said, “probably.”

Zelious stepped forward to enter and jumped back when someone fell back through onto their side.

Akira cried out when she saw the bloody mess of her best friend. Zelious set her on her feet and started searching for a pulse on the fairy.

“Jules,” Akira cried.

Julianne groaned and looked up at them. “Don’t go through.”

“What happened?” Zelious asked, helping Jules to sit up.

Julianne rubbed the back of her head. “It was crazy. So many of them.”

“You’re bleeding,” Akira cried.

Jules shook her head. “It’s not my blood.”

Akira fell to her knees beside her best friend. “Who’s is it?”

Jules looked at her and grinned. “One of the fucking giant trolls that attacked us when we stepped through to the other side.”

~⚔~

-Five Minutes Earlier-

“That was decent of you to hand Akira off like that,” Wolfric said, grinning at Malique.

Malique scoffed, “he was worried for her safety, and that got to Akira. I can’t stand to see Akira worry about us.”

Wolfric nodded in agreement, “same.”

“I’ll go first,” Darius said as he stepped into the portal.

The group entered the portal one at a time. Wolfric was last. He turned to Zelious carrying their Psychi and smiled, then entered the portal.

“What the fuck!” Wolfric growled when he landed on the other side of the portal, a giant troll lying on the ground, dead.

“He attacked Jules,” Levi sneered.

“I could have taken him down, you know,” Jules said, her face scrunched in irritation.

“Look out!” Stella shouted.

Everyone turned just in time to move out of the way of a large club.

“No humans come to our realm!” the giant troll shouted.

“Sniff the air, stupid!” Fin yelled. “And look at us! Do we look human?! Do they smell human?!”

“No humans come through!” the giant troll bellowed, swinging the club again.

“We shouldn’t have come here,” Jules grumbled.

“We need to check every realm,” Malique growled.

“Watch it!” Wolfric shouted.

The group moved—but wasn’t fast enough. A club hit Levi in the stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.

“Levi!” Jules cried out.

The giant troll tried to hit Leviasen again, but Wolfric ripped off his head before he could swing his club.

Jules screeched when blood soaked her clothes.

“Go back through the portal!” Wolfric ordered Julianne.

“No!” Julianne screeched.

“Do you want Akira to come through to this mess?!” Wolfric shouted.

Julianne looked at her prince, who was still trying to catch his breath. He looked up at her and smiled.

“Go,” he said.

Jules shook her head.

“Damn it, woman!” Wolfric growled.

“Here we go. Time to go warn the princess,” Malique said as he picked Jules up.

Jules screamed as he tossed her into the portal.

“She’s going to kick your ass when she comes back,” Levi chuckled and coughed.

“Better she be angry with me than Akira come through to this bullshit,” Malique grumbled.

“Let’s make sure there’s nothing else waiting around here,” Wolfric growled.

“Let us hope Akira’s fifth warrior isn’t in this realm either, and we can get the fuck out of here,” Darius grouched.

~⚔~

“Are you okay?” Akira asked, looking her friend over.

Julianne growled, “I’m fine. Your vampire is going to get the ass kicking of his life.”

Akira chuckled, “we need to help them.”

Jules shook her head. “They will just toss both of us through the portal again.”

“I’m a warrior, damn it!” Akira shrieked.

Jules placed her hand on Akira’s shoulder. “They know that. But that place hates humans. They will keep attacking until you’re dead.”

“But I’m not human!” Akira shrieked.

Jules shook her head. “They think your warriors are humans. That’s how stupid they are.”

Zelious laughed. The girls turned to him.

He grinned at them. “Fin and Stella said they were dumber than dumb.”

Akira smiled as the movie ‘Dumb and Dumber’ flashed through her mind.

“Did they say how long we have to wait?” Akira asked, looking at Jules.

Jules let out a deep sigh. “Probably until one of them comes back through and gives us the all-clear.”

Akira nodded. Zelious wrapped his arms around her from behind. She leaned into him—she knew he could sense her fear for her warriors and friends.

They moved away from the portal and waited for someone to come through to tell them everything was okay.

~⚔~

“Any more?” Malique asked Wolfric as he pulled his sword from the chest of another giant troll.

“I don’t smell or hear anything,” Wolfric answered.

“I’ll go get the girls and fish-boy,” Levi volunteered.

Wolfric looked up and watched the fairy jump through the portal.

“Akira is going to be pissed,” Malique chuckled.

Wolfric grinned. Akira is going to be livid that they forced her to stay out of the fight. He was surprised she hadn’t sent Zelious through to help.

“You assholes!” Akira screeched once she was in the realm.

Wolfric and Malique chuckled.

Akira slapped Wolfric on the chest. “Stop laughing, you prick.”

Wolfric grinned as he pulled her against his chest. She sighed and leaned into him.

“I couldn’t chance them hurting you. They thought we were human….”

“I know. Jules explained it,” Akira interrupted.

“Fuckhead!” Julianne squealed, punching Malique in the arm as hard as she could.

“Damn woman, you’re strong for a little fairy,” Malique complained, rubbing his arm.

Akira chuckled and said, “she’s a Fairy Warrior.”

Jules pulled back to hit Malique again. Levi grabbed her hand and pulled her back against his chest.

“That’s enough,” he whispered into her ear.

Jules frowned at the vampire.

Malique shrugged, “I’m sorry. It was the only way to get you through the portal before Akira came through with Zelious.”

Jules sighed and leaned into Levi.

“Is it clear now?” Akira asked, looking up at Wolfric.

Wolfric nodded. “Can you sense out your warrior so we can get the fuck out of this realm?”

Akira nodded and closed her eyes. She pushed her sensor out into the dark realm. Her body twitched, and she opened her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Wolfric asked, worried.

Akira sighed and looked around at the others.

“Please, please don’t tell me we’re staying,” Darius begged.

Akira looked back at Wolfric. His mouth turned from a smile to a frown when he saw the answer in her eyes.

“Fuck,” Wolfric growled.

Akira sighed, “looks like we’re staying.”

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