69 An Unjust Real Outcome

Kieren often felt that if there was one thing he had done right, it was his direct confrontation of the world.

He has witnessed as his family members —both immediate and extended— had hidden behind their abilities and the comfort their power had brought upon them. He had seen how the rest of the Ruenen mirrored the senseless approach to the suffering of the rest.

Few people of the upper society had an understanding of the real world, of the atrocities of the underground, and the cruelty the Ruenen was causing. Kieren, with an early understanding of the tool/weapon he was had taken it upon himself to explore, to witness, and then vowed to bring about change.

He had seen the unjust murders, the slandering, the mere brutal senseless injustice happening in every possible scenario. It had made him colder, stronger, and more determined to bring about a new horizon, even if it only helped a few.

He often felt that there wasn't much left to surprise him, to appall him, but as he slashed back at a four foot rock with feet, with blood pouring out of rat like face, the truth once again slapped him in the face. He did not know enough.

Violet had warned him, "'it's going to get weirder'" how much weirder could it possibly be? Well he had an answer, one he did not enjoy. They had reached what was meant to be the end of the maze-like-underground cave only to find a glimmering green scaled door. Violet had laughed at his expression and opened the door with ease.

Pin drop silence, a circular lightless room, several inches of clear still-water. They had stepped inside and Kieren had looked at Violet in trepidation, they were walking atop of the water causing ripples that echoed eerily. "Quite normal, this is an anti chamber, the door to the gate is around here somewhere. Although…" she took a few steps forward and raised her hand to intercept a small rock that came flying in her direction.

She had squeezed the rock into dust and Kieren had felt his mouth drop open when blood tricked down her palm and into the water, turning clear upon contact. "Quite curious guardians you've got here. Kieren, we're going to be attacked when we move so, give me a moment…"

She has sat down, closed her eyes, and remained motionless for a few moments. Ripples of light had begun emanating from her in every direction casting shadows as they moved, causing whispers to rise and fall with different tenors. Kieren couldn't help but want to laugh, very few times had he felt so unprepared.

She had risen to her feet smiling, "Found it, we're going to move together, to the very center. Once at the center, I'll need you to cover me for about forty seconds. Piece of cake?" She had tilted her head in his direction eyes gleaming as he grinned, "absolutely!"

They had leapt forward simultaneously as the barrage had begun. Rocks of every size and shape, mixed with every possible type of animal and critter ever discovered charged forward tasked with killing them. Kieren had covered both daggers with fire as he zig-zagged around Violet, who was knocking them out of the air with her fists and feet.

The rocks made a glass like sound as they shattered, exploding in every direction, attempting and sometimes succeeding in creating tiny cuts in them as they meshed back with the water.

"They're coming from the water?" Kieren had asked as they neared the center, "oh it's not water, it's life force, but you're certainly right, that's where they're coming from."

"What?"

"Haha, it's a curious world isn't it?"

As if sensing their immediate approach the water had begun swirling, rippling violently, and creating waves filled with rocks now charging at them vehemently.

"Now Kieren," a grin, "do it."

Kieren had returned the grin, "at your beck and call princess."

He had taken a stance in front of Violet, sheathed both daggers and created a ball of raging electricity. Kieren charging the ball forward as he expanded it creating a cocoon around them. The rocks protested shattering noisily as they reached his wall.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched as Violet placed one finger in the "water." She had whispered something, something powerful and everything her frozen, "it's time now Kieren, take up your daggers." She pointed down, "the gate is below us"

The ground had literally vanished, closed up above them, and then they were falling, hundreds of feet in seconds, falling timelessly as shadows began oozing out of cracked walls, "what the fuck is thissssss?"

He looked to his left and immediately realized they were no longer playing, Violet's eyes were dead set and deadly. "From this moment forward, until I close the gate, the organisms here are capable of killing or eating you. Use your power, and from the moment I first touch the gate, to the second it closes, you must not touch me. Wait for me to come to you. Understood?"

He nodded seriously, "good, make a path for me, show me what you've been holding back Kieren."

They had landed four seconds later, a huge tree was in the very center, and in the base of the tree stood the gate. A portal similar to those that he had watched Violet create, only this one was sick. He could feel it in his skin, the runes around its base were faded, cracked, and bleeding. From within the gate he could hear and feel dangerous whispers, sounds that made the hair on his hands and neck rise.

Kieren took a steadying breath, "fuck."

An alert on his left, his body warning him before his eyes could, a flash of skinless teeth, he has stuck his dagger in and sent it flying with a kick. Not fast enough, a stinging sensation by his left eye, a small nick.

Kieren let out a growl, "I don't like being touched."

Both he and Violet had been attacked after that, and she was right. He knew how to kill humans, had been doing it a long time, but these shadow beasts were of a different caliber. They were faster, stronger, and harder to kill, but he could kill them. After his first kill something clicked, it was about the runes Violet had taught them, it was about using his internal flame in his swings, in his fire, in the bolts of lightening exploding from his daggers. It was in the particles of light floating around his body as he used his ability, in his breathing, in his eyes.

He wiped a bit of blood from his chin and charged with a grin, this was something he could do.

Violet was flashing through the space, using only her body as she bowled through the area, when she place her hands flat on any part of their ephemeral bodies a rune appeared and they disintegrated with a screech.

After all of ten minutes Kieren was overtaking the area, Violet followed him with her eyes fondly, perhaps, just perhaps it had been a good idea to teach him about runes, he was using the concentration of overflowing life force in the area to grow. His fire was changing. Violet diminished her own power, shutting off the valve, allowing in turn for his to take shape.

The creatures were beginning to sense his change and as such they began ignoring Violet, choosing to focus on the higher threat in the room. She could sense the fear in their stances, she watched as he destroyed his very first shadow with just once swing. "What a monster."

Violet chuckled as she whispered, "you mister would be capable of giving me a run for my money."

Turning her back on the fight she approached the gate slowly. She ran her hand along the trunk with her eyes closed, a gentle sigh, she took a seat along its roots, "I apologize, this is my fault."

A warp along the gate, a scaled hand attempting to push through, a guttural sound, "no, you may not exit."

She rose to her feet dusting of her legs, she called the inscribed dagger forward, held her hand out in front of the gate and stuck the knife straight into her palm. Violet pulled out the knife, watched as her blood flowed into the roots, and began speaking.

A few moments too late the creatures realized that Violet was the real threat, they tried fleeing Kieren only to realize that he would not let them pass.

Violet was glowing: runes grew from her blood, encircling her and the tree, tying them together. Kieren began killing solely for the purpose of ensuring no shadow could come into contact with Violet and the gate.

After a few moments a shattering light pierced from her center encapsulating the area. Kieren closed his eyes as the remaining creatures vanished in the light.

When the light subsided and he was finally able to open his eyes he found Violet standing in the center of an empty space, the tree and all its roots, along with the gate had ceased to be. She approached him and ran her palm along his cheek, healing his scrapes, "you are quite dangerous my blue-eyed knight"

He kissed her palm, "thanks darling, what will happen here?"

"When we leave it will go back to just being dirt, this space was created by the gate, and now that the gate it gone, there is no longer purpose. The gate will appear elsewhere, and this time, I will make sure it is maintained. Now come, I have a feeling that there is something important waiting for us."

Unlike the times they had traveled by portal, this time she had simply taken his hand and walked into the same light that she had made books appear out of. Kieren had been pulled into a library, a huge space filled with unbridled knowledge.

"No way, is this where you come?"

She had nodded, "there is someone waiting for us…" she had stopped and frowned, "two of them now, something has happened."

Violet had begun walking quickly, out of the library, into a hall, past a kitchen, and finally into a conference room.

"What happened?"

Jace rubbed his eyes wearily, and motioned for them to sit, he looked at Ken, who nodded sadly, "your guards Kieren, they've been captured by Dolomine. Set to be executed actually."

Kieren froze, "wait, stop, you two?? You know Violet? You're in on this?"

Violet shrugged and climbed a top of a counter, "story for another time but yes, Jace recently included, Ken, a couple of years. But the more pressing questions at the moment is, Kieren, would you like to rescue them? Even knowing that they were placed by Dolomine to help find your weakness and then kill you?"

"Wait! Violet, you knew?"

"Kieren, you knew?"

"How do both of you know this?"

Kieren, Jace, and Kuznet had spoken at the same time all glancing at each other and Violet in surprise.

Violet shrugged, "it wasn't hard to discern, they were all so conflicted in their decisions, I could smell the hesitation for miles."

Kieren raised his eyebrows in surprise and followed, "why do you think I asked you to stick around Jace, I did tell you no one was going to be telling me the truth."

Jace bit his lip hesitantly, "so are you okay with them being killed?"

Kieren sat down pensively, "not really, they were placed as my guards, despite trying out, as a product of their shitty situations. I know the twin's sister has been held captive for years, Alex's dad owed a debt to his death… Zen was forced too partake by his parents who are horrible people… they always had a choice, but they didn't really. And…." He shot Violet a sad glance, "I know both Zen and Alex have suspected for months what you are too me, and yet, they've both refused to act."

He shrugged, "Violet, if we do rescue them, would you be able to bind their powers for some time, just until they decide for themselves which side they wish to be on?"

"Oh yeah, that's quite simple, but will their families be killed?"

"At this point, they've failed, which means it's up to their own families to fight back, they die either way now."

Kuznet cleared his throat anxiously and began in a small voice, "there's just one problem. It would seem Dolomine sensed a changing of alliance. He began with Zen, who… refused to betray you…."

"…. Kieren, Zen's dead."