Ancient Mystic's War of the Realms Saga, Lady Adellandra Dratianos [reading well .txt] 📗

Stargazer aside.
“I need to go back home.” Jammins announced. “I’m leaving Charlie in charge while I’m gone. Should you need any help, see Sir Sheldon, you got that, kid?”
“Kid?” Charlie was confused. “Wait – Why do you get to go home and we have to stay and fight in this war?”
“I’m only going for reinforcements.” Jammins explained. He turned to his wife. “Jules, do you have telepathy with Shannon?” She nodded, so he continued. “Good. Tell her to join us, and to bring Chips, Nick, Big Guy and Love Joy along.”
“Sir, do you not mean to bring the Crusaders back into battle? After all these years?” Sir Sheldon asked.
“We have no choice, Sheldon, and you know it.” Jammins said. “We’re running out of options here, and unless you’ve got a better idea, I suggest the Crusaders are our best bet.”
“Aye.” Sir Sheldon supplied. “Does that not leave Cool Cat?”
Jammins smiled. “Who do you think I’m going home for, my Companion friend?” He cleared his throat. “Well, off I go. Good luck, and we’ll meet up later.”
With a kiss to Julie, Jammins was gone.

Once back in the Outer Realm, Jammins shed his Dream Realm persona. He looked to his Life-Line watch and punched in the special code for Cynthia “Cool Cat” Carmichael.
“Come on, Cool Cat, answer already!” He whispered into the darkness.
“This is Cool Cat.” He heard her voice in his mind via the Life-Line. “Who is this, and why use the Life-Line?”
“It’s Jammins, Cool Cat.” Jamie said. “Listen, have you Crusaded lately?”
“No, why?” Cool Cat replied. Once he told her everything that was going on, from the time she left the System-Network Agency where they had been close friends and Crusaders, to the very moment he called her, she was shocked. “Jamie, I can’t Crusade. I’ve got a new life now. Carl’s a successful bounty hunter and our son Richie is in school. I can’t just up and leave them.”
“Would you if I said the entire Dream Realm is depending on your fighting skills?”
“What fighting skills? I use karate, and that’s it.”
“Come on, Cyn, for me? For Shannon?” Jamie begged. “Please?”
After a minute, he heard her sigh.
“Fine, I’ll Crusade.”
“Great. I want you to meet me at the coordinates I’m giving you.” Jamie said. “Can you do that?”
“Sure. What are Crusaders for, anyway?” Cool Cat joked. “Cool Cat out.”

Meanwhile in Shore Point, California, Shannon Ryan-McNathaniels’ head spun with numbers as she studied her account books one last time before heading to bed. Her eyes were dry and her head hurt from lack of sleep, but she had to figure out where she went wrong in the books. No one else could do it for her.
Shannon, can you hear me? Came the telepathic voice of her twin Julie.
The message came as a surprise, for Shannon always thought Julie hated her Ancient Mystic gifts.
Loud and clear, Julie. What’s up?
Jamie wanted me to have you bring Nick, Chips, and two others with you to the Dream Realm. Julie supplied. There’s big trouble here.
The two others wouldn’t happen to be Love Joy and Big Guy, would they? Shannon wondered. If her twin knew about the Crusaders, something had to be seriously wrong with the Dream Realm.
You got it, sister. We need your help. Jamie already left to get someone named Cool Cat. Julie remarked. How soon can you be here?
Shannon shook her head, now worried about her precious world of dreams. As soon as you tell me exactly what’s going on, and why Jammins needs the Crusaders there.
Julie told her twin what was going on. It gave Shannon a new sense of urgency and commanding duty.
Thanks for telling me. Shannon supplied. Go back to fighting and we’ll be there ASAP, got that?
Yeah, yeah, I got it. Julie said. Thanks, little sister.
With a sigh and a roll of the eyes, Shannon rose to wake Nick and the other Crusaders.

II

“What have I done?” Airmed cried, watching the Watcher-kin Dweller Abra and Elder-kin Dweller Hematite tend to the Unicorn’s outer wounds.
“You did nothing, granddaughter.” Abra’s Bondmate Melinda spoke up as she stood beside Airmed, surprising her. “Orthos attacked him while the Unicorn was watching you.”
“Granddaughter?” Airmed whispered, staring at Melinda.
“Your mother Malayna is one of my four daughters.” Melinda supplied with a smile.
“Who is Shem Starchaser to you?” Airmed asked.
Abra looked up from his work with the Unicorn, standing. “He was my father before being Exiled as a Drifter.”
So much information went through Airmed’s mind.
“Now is the time to focus on your Bondmate, Airmed.” Abra told her, eyeing Melinda. “He has lost a lot of blood. Only you can Heal him now by Turning him.”
“How?” Airmed knelt to the Unicorn’s side, taking Abra’s spot.
“Use your Watcher-kin powers.” Abra told her gently. “You have them in abundance.”
“I – can’t.” Airmed said, shaking her head. “I won’t use my Watcher powers on him.”
“If you need help, I will assist you.” Abra said.
“You don’t understand. I let the darker side of me loose. I shouldn’t have, but I did.” Airmed supplied, staring at the Unicorn’s slow breathing form. She was close to tears as she stroked his hair and stared lovingly at closed eyes. “I should have listened to Chikité Moondancer before Orthos attacked him.”
Celeste was standing in the corner, watching the scene with an arm wrapped around Amethyst’s shoulders. She’d stayed silent long enough. “What is done is done. Now is the time for Healing, as only a Bondmate can.”
“How can I Heal him, Madam Celeste?” Airmed pled, looking from Melinda to Abra to Celeste.
The three Dweller-kin looked at each other, each wanting to say it, but afraid the girl wouldn’t understand.
It was Abra who spoke. “You must Turn him. Bond him to you through blood by forcing him to take it from you, then take it from him.”
“No!” Airmed shook her head. “I won’t force him to live in darkness! Not like my parents forced me!”
“You must, Airmed.” Abra told her. “It is the only way to heal his wounds.”
“It will save his life, Airmed.” Celeste replied, hugging Amethyst, who was crying in her embrace. Airmed saw and felt the Unicorn’s twin in pain. Celeste caught Airmed staring and added. “It will also save hers.”
Airmed turned back to the Unicorn’s quiet form lying on the bed, ashamed at what her actions did to his twin Amethyst.
“I can feel him.” Melinda supplied, staring at him. “Your Bondmate has an inner strength like no Ancient Mystic I have ever known. He wants to live, if only for you, the Young Guardian, and his twin.”
“He does?” Airmed looked hopeful.
Melinda nodded. “Yes, Granddaughter. He can hear us but cannot respond.”
Airmed stood and stared at the Unicorn, coming to one conclusion. “I won’t let him die. I don’t want to use my powers on him, but I refuse to let him die.”
“He will without the Bonding.” Celeste remarked.
Airmed was hesitant. “If I Bond us together now, will he be like me? A Watcher-kin Sun-Dancer?”
Abra nodded. “Yes. Only, he will be an Ancient Mystic Watcher-kin Sun-Dancer.” He said softly. “He will also be your Bondmate for eternity.”
“What if the Bonding goes wrong, and he dies?” Airmed panicked.
“Relax, Youngling. Have faith in your Watcher-kin powers.” Celeste smiled, giving her assurance. “You can do this. It is in your blood.”
That sentence. “In your blood.” How many times had she heard it from Malayna? The blood is what tied, or Bonded, all Dweller-kin together, each kin-Clan with their own powers and abilities. If she made Aaron “the Unicorn” Schmidt what Abra had called an Ancient Mystic Watcher-kin Sun-Dancer, he would be Bonded to her for eternity. He would also be her love and Bondmate, just as Airmed’s parents were Bondmates, along with Celeste and Chase Moondancer.
Airmed Starchaser took a deep breath, letting it out as her eyes spied Amethyst’s crying, pleading face. It would not only be for herself, but for Amethyst, the Unicorn’s twin, and Young Guardian, their almost-sister who shared blood with the twins. She knew how strong the bonds of blood were, and summoned the courage to begin the Bonding.

III

As he hid in a bush, waiting for the approaching Dark Warriors to come, Shadow felt his Life-Line activating on his wrist.
What the? He thought in his mind, glancing at it.
It was a set of Dream Realm coordinates he recognized as the underground hideouts in the Old Dominion. The message sent was a code-word the original Crusader team came up with during the Wars for Power years ago. The code-word told him the Crusaders needed to unite and fight.
After all this time, Shadow thought, shaking his head.
He looked around him, noticing his team of Companions, which included Celine Stargazer and Sir Chase Moondancer, were also hiding, awaiting Bane and Orthos’ Dark Warriors. Quickly, he stood and ran to where Chase was hiding.
“The Crusaders are uniting. I need to go.” Shadow told him.
Chase Moondancer lay down his sword once Shadow appeared in front of him. “You wish for me to lead our squad, Sir Shadow?”
Shadow shook his head. “Not this time, my friend. I want you to get Celine and Chikité and follow me. We’ll leave Sir Nathaniel in charge.”
“I am afraid my son will not be joining us at this time.” Chase supplied. “He heard Young Guardian’s calls for Dweller-kin assistance and went to find her.”
“Does that mean what I think it does?” Shadow asked, afraid of what Chase would say next.
“I am afraid so. The Youngling Airmed is in trouble.”
“That also means the Unicorn is in danger.” Shadow replied, half to himself. “At any rate, we need to get Celine and meet up with the other Crusaders.”
Chase nodded, closing his eyes for a moment. Shadow knew the Companion-Dweller had telepathy to others, thanks to his Bondmate Celeste. He was using that ability now to communicate to the Ancient Mystic Companion, Celine Stargazer.
Moments later, Celine bounded up in her full-wolf form.
“You called, Sir Chase?” Celine asked as she changed back to her usual kit-wolf form. When she saw Shadow, she nodded her greeting. “Or was it you, Sir Shadow?”
Shadow supplied. “It was me, Celine.” He told her what was going on, and why he needed her.
“Let us see why they unite, shall we?” Celine supplied, changing back to her full wolf-form. “Lead the way.”
It didn’t take long for the three of them to join up with the other original Crusader team. Shadow summed up the scene when he saw who else was there. Jammins, Julie, Chips Deneson, Love Joy, Cool Cat, Big Guy, Nick McNathaniels and Shannon Ryan all gathered in that secret place, not far from the front lines.
“All right, whose idea was it?” Shadow had to ask.
“If you really want to know, it was mine.” Jammins supplied. “In case you haven’t noticed, our Companions are dying out there. We’re running out of energy, magic, and fighters.”
“So you decided to get us back together after so many years apart?” Cindy “Cool Cat” Carmichael asked. “I can see why.”
“We didn’t have a choice!” Julie cried.
“Calm down, Julie.” Shannon supplied. She turned from her twin to Jammins. “Any news before we practically kill ourselves out there?”
“Well, according to Chikité and Celeste, the Unicorn was hit pretty bad.” Chase supplied. “Airmed almost lost her soul to the darkness within, and Amethyst went with her to heal her brother.”
“Where is Red Wolf now?” Jammins asked, eying the others to make sure they understood Red Wolf and Chikité were the