prinsbinky Oluremi Zainab

This is part 3 of the story 'Under the Sea Discovery'. Part 3 'Battle the Dark Queen' opens with the realization of Sarah, and her best friend and crew member Skylar that they were trapped in a deadly situation that demands their unified cooperation, trust, and acceptance in working with their mysterious guardian who happened to be the ruler of the lost kingdom. They had to put away their misgivings and fear and fight for escape and freedom from captivity that was controlled by dark magic and high-tech. They didn't anticipate their thrive to awaken the evil dark queen of an ancient alien race. Though they succeeded in bursting out of their bubble of captivity, it came at a high price they just might not escape if they didn't act fast.


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Battling the Mad Queen




Sarah couldn't sleep, too restless with the feeling of being trapped in a deadly situation she had no control over. She hated the feeling of being cornered, and detested more, the feeling of dragging innocent people into a poisonous situation. Tony had warned her, if only she hadn't been so adamant and thick-headed, they could have avoided this predicament. But her intention wasn't to harm anyone, but to find her father who was her only family and meant the universe to her.


How could she turn a blind eye and give up on him after finding out that he was in trouble and might not return to her? She was his only hope and needed to do everything to help him. Her father would have done the same for her had the table been reversed. Her only regret was the life lost, and their lives now hanging in the balance, the threat humongous and almost hopeless. But Marcus seemed grounded and filled with hope of getting them out safely. Marcus seemed to trust in her father's plans though he had no idea what her dad's plans were. His blind trust was humbling and gave her the will to hang tight and continue the good fight.


They would survive this no matter what. They must! She still had a lot to do, a lot to accomplish, dreams to chase and conquer, mistakes to make, and lessons to learn. She wasn't ready to throw in the towel of defeat yet. They would survive this.


She sighed with new bouts of determination lacing every fiber of her being and glanced around her. Tony and Skylar were asleep, snoring soundly. But Marcus was wide awake, looking pensive as he stood guard. From her current position on the dirt floor, he looked so formidable she wondered if he was a knight. She could easily imagine him commanding an army.


She stood up and dusted the filth off her attire before approaching him. "A penny for your thoughts."


He sighed before turning to face her. "You should try to catch some sleep before we move."


"I can't sleep in this situation. My emotions are sprung tight to allow any peace."


"I don't want you to be scared. I will protect you as long as I have breath in me."


"Why? Why will you risk your life for me, a total stranger?"


"You're wrong, Sarah," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes glistening with tears. "You're more than that. Much more. I knew of you before I met you, and wish I could spare you the battle ahead."


"I don't understand," she sighed when he drew her in and touched her forehead with his. "You're my fated one, Sarah."


"What?"


"Yes, when my seer told me I would meet my fated one under dire conditions I never expected this. I wish I could teleport you out of this mess, but unfortunately, I can't. If we do survive this, I will make you my queen. Shh, don't say anything... Just lean on me. We would be invading the enemy camp soon."


She nodded against his chest as he was hugging her to his body and she could sense he needed this quiet moment, cocooned in her comfort to rid his helplessness and ease his worries.


The fight continues.


After hours that felt like an eternity of traveling through the dark walls of the tunnels, they finally arrived at an opening surrounded by a huge boulder of a rock that provided a perfect barrier and camouflage for their presence as they spied on their enemy. Marcus had many talents, one being the power of invisibility but it was useless in their current situation. He couldn't risk using it for fear of the enemy picking it up. The sense of dark magic was thicker there and might pick up on any outward magic that didn't align with it. So they had to play it safe, and go at it manually without using any magical shortcuts, or dirty tricks they had in their favor. Waiting for the creatures to take a break and leave was nerve-wracking.


She wished she had a potent magical power she could just unleash on their enemies and watch them burn. She would have loved to give them just a tiny taste of their medicine. That should teach them the peril of stealing what's not theirs. But no, their situation had to be almost pitiful. She hoped they could turn things around in time to prevent whatever evil ploys the Trojans have up their sleeves. She could only hope.


"Let's move out," Marcus ordered brusquely, charging forward. Taking the lead seemed to come naturally to him, and it made her mind travel back to their conversation about him making her his queen. What did he mean by that? Was he the ruler of this huge, and currently decimated kingdom? He looked like a ruler and she couldn't take her eyes off him, though she had to now to ensure the success of their mission. She would die if her distracted mind cost them.
She tuned out her inner thoughts and focused on the task at hand, gasping at the rolls and mounts of crackling cages and the weak prisoners in them. There were translucent tubes attached to the back of each prisoner's head that seemed to be sucking out their essence. The lost look in their eyes squeezed her heart painfully and made her eyes watered.


What kind of sick evil was this?


Her stomach hurt, splashing wildly as she noticed the putrified fleshes of the unlucky victims who couldn't hold on anymore and lost the battle to the icy touch of death. Seriously, she felt like murdering those monsters and hated her helplessness.


"Help me find your dad!" Marcus hissed, sounding desperate more than anything else. "I can't find him. I think they moved him. Hurry guys!" They moved swiftly, their movements stealthy as they swept through the place, searching one cage after the other. Her heart raced with fright as pure adrenaline pumped her bloodstream with urgency. She hoped those evil monsters hadn't harmed her dad. She would kill every single one of those bastards if even one hair was missing from her father's head.


"Over here," Tony called softly to them, waving profusely at them. They all rushed over and glanced at her father. He seemed fine, thank goodness.


"Don't touch anything! You will trigger the alarm and fry." Marcus warned, stopping Tony in time from touching the doors of the cell.


"Thank you," Tony mouthed, rubbing his palms on the jeans of his trousers, frightened.


"Dad. Dad," she called out to him, and he opened his brown eyes to gaze at her. She noticed the moment recognition hit his face.


"Sarah?"


"Yes, Dad. It's me."


"Oh, Sarah! Thank God, you're safe. Thank you, Marcus, for keeping your word."


"You're welcome, my friend. How have you been? Did they bother you?"


"Not really, I think they not knowing what I'm yet is what is keeping my crew and I alive. They feed us regularly and treat us well enough."


"Strange. I think you should be more wary of their actions. Their kindness might be sheathing a malicious ploy, " Tony warned gently.


"I know," her dad agreed, then asked her pointedly. "Did you bring the items I instructed?"


"Yes."


"Great. Those items will get us out of here. We need to hurry because they seem to be planning something big. They are trying to awaken their queen who is lost in slumber, and won't wake up."


"Their queen? All this pain and chaos is because of their queen?" Marcus sounded livid, and the furious image he made left her breathless. His rage was justified.


"Yes, but that's just a piece of the cake. They're planning on ruling the world, making everyone bow to their commands and whims. There would be no more freedom of speech or movement, every other species would become their slaves and playthings, the world their playfield. Many will die in the process. The tug of war, brutal, endless, and destructive. We need to stop them at all costs. The future and safety of our world depend on our success here. We must prevent them from raising their queen. We must prevent our doom."


"What's your plan?" Marcus asked her father in a deadpan voice, his gaze unflinching and depicting his determination. She stood ramrod straight, the lines of her shoulders set back in response. The cells of her body seemed so attuned to him as if they were linked on a level that transcended everything that was happening around them.


"We blow the fuckers up, and release the prisoners."


"I love the sound of this. They need to pay for the death of my brother. Please tell us what needs to be done."


"Marcus, take the little box and keep it safe. It's a very crucial box, a magical box that grants the one holding it seven wishes. Do not let it fall into the wrong hands."


"You should keep it–"


"I can't, only a magical being like yourself can unleash the power in it. Only you can wield it, and I trust you to make the right choices. Use it to win against these monsters, and free us from this captivity."


"You humble me. I promise to do as you say... But how do I activate it?"


"Just read out the inscription on it, and it's done."


"Thank you, for this gift. I will find a way to repay you–"


"Just get us out of here, and stop those evil fuckers and I will be good."


"I will do just that."


"How about these balls?" she asked her father, holding one out for everyone to see.


"That's our bombs. They have the impact of nuclear bombs without the destruction that comes with it. Just place it at the location you want to explode and leave the rest to it."


"Are these magical bombs too?"


"Yes, little pea."


She cringed at the nickname her dad had given her since she was little. "Dad, where did you get this magical stuff from?"


"That's a story for another day. Now, you guys need to get moving. They will be back soon from their break. I wonder why they didn't leave a guard behind whenever they go on breaks."


"Probably because they have many booby traps set around to do the trick for them," Marcus suggested smoothly. "See you on the other side, my friend."


The moment that followed after that was filled with planting their booby traps and waiting for the whole place to blow up.


"Everyone, grab on to something!" Marcus yelled, pulling her into his strong arms just as everything started to unravel before them. The humongous tube that was built by the Trojans and leads to a destination unknown to them blew up and shook up the whole place. One by one every handprint of their intruder went up in smoke, the prison cells breaking open. Everything whirled around them like a huge tornado was weaving through. She had a tough time keeping her eyes open, so she shut it tight, her teeth grinding to prevent her pearls from snapping out of their sockets.


Were they going to survive this? She asked herself as she felt her body which was plastered to Marcus's firm one rising upwards as if being propelled by an invisible force. She took a small look through one eye and noticed the bubble of glass that imprisoned Marcus's kingdom burst to the surface and cracked open with a frightening sound that made her heart pound with fear. She was truly on the verge of pissing on herself.


Damn!


Screams of panic could be heard around her, mirroring what she felt in her heart but was too shock to voice out.


"Breath. You can breath now, princess." Marcus whispered into her ears. His breathing labored. "It's finally over, and look, I will not have to use the box after all. Everything is back to normal, it's as if nothing happened."


She threw her eyes open, and then wished she hadn't because something else happened; an ominous evil presence descended from the sky with an army of the ugly creatures they just escaped from. "What's that? I think you counted your eggs before they hatched. You spoke too soon, Marcus. What are we going to do now?" she glanced around and noticed everyone's eyes glued to the leader cloaked in darkness. She was a woman reeking with evil; her skin was too whitish like ice. She was a dark queen who wasn't human though she pretended to be by taking the form. Her eyes were bloody and soulless; filled with malice. She could easily read her intentions. She was no savior but a brutal destroyer. They had unwittingly awakened a demon.
Was this an ironic way of fate finding a balance? Or was fate mocking their efforts for freedom? It seemed they had jumped from the frying pan to the fire.


"Don't be afraid. I will save us all."


"How. Look at her! See how vicious she is."


"I'm more vicious when protecting those dear to me. Trust me."


"Okay–" she started to say but lost her train of thought when the 'She-Devil' opened her mouth to spill nonsense.


"Bow to me!" the mad queen thundered from her high horse, glaring down at them as if they were her minions. "Or die!" she ended her circus with that scary threat. Everyone erupted into verbal chaos. They needed their cool with them if they stand any chance of defeating the evil queen.


"If you have any plans, now is the time to act!" she yelled over the noise and turned to face Marcus. But he was gone, in his place was an uproar that revealed thousands of knights in gleaming steel. These knights looked as old as time and as deadly as the king of the jungle. They redefined her definition of knights, and leading them was her king, Marcus. He looked so fearless, her hope soared and the sky was the limit.


Everyone, after recovering from their shocks rallied behind their king, and a vicious battle of magic and brute ensued. She barely found her bearing in the chaos when she was scooped up by Marcus and planted behind him on the horse.


"I can't lose you! You're safer with me!" She hung on tight as they fought the battle of their lives. Many fell but the queen remained firm on her feet. "This ends now!" Marcus roared in anger as he used the box. She had no idea what he wished for but solved the puzzle when a huge portal opened up above them and sucked in all their enemies, including the evil queen. She would never forget the look of astonishment that clouded her face. It was priceless.


The knights who helped them disappeared after their enemy was locked up in a magical prison, and Marcus used the box to bring back the innocent lives lost, and rebuild his kingdom. In the end, they were able to stop the end of their worlds, and she found her purpose by his side. She became his queen and ruled with him. Tony and her father became members of his royal consults, and Skylar fell in love. In short, they never returned home, but in the future they might visit.
The End.

July 18, 2024, 12:06 a.m. 2 Report Embed Follow story
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The End

Meet the author

Oluremi Zainab O.J. Zainab, a young lady from Ghana who is always fascinated by the dreamy world of novels, and would love to give back to the world some joy she got from reading. She gets her inspiration from God, the love & support of family and friends. Shout out to the design owners used for my books.

Comment something

Post!
Kushal Singh Kushal Singh
a good read i must say
August 12, 2024, 04:55

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