The Dark Legend (Star Stable) (Under Editing/Re-Write)

Chapter Nineteen: In Devil's Gap

As the sun rose from the horizon, its light barely touched Devil's Gap. Alex was checking up on Tin-Can while Linda was giving a bag of horse feed to Meteor. But on joining them was Erika, who was riding Tempest. 
"Morning," said Erika to the two Soul Riders.
"Hey Lightning." Erika threw an amused glance at a mischievous looking Alex. "Where had you've been off too?"
Erika shrugged with a smile. "I was exploring with Tempest. Not everyday one goes exploring to one of the most forbidden places in Jorvik."
Alex smiled at that. "Can't blame you for that."
But Linda looked around, searching for a certain Vala Witch. "But where's Sive?"
"Right here." Everyone spun around to see Sive standing on the other side of them. "Transforming Galloper Thompson will be an arduous task, testing your abilities as protectors of Jorvik. But without each of you, it cannot be done. The only way to test yourself is by looking into the Pool of Pandemonium." Sive glanced at the two Soul Riders. "You two had already been tested by the Pool and passed." But she stole a glance at Erika. "But you have yet to be tested. Go into the cave to be tested."
Erika narrowed her eyes, a mysterious look went over her expression. But she nodded understandingly and dismounted Tempest with the reins in hand. "Alex. Can you keep an eye on Tempest when I'm gone?"
"Sure thing Erika." Alex took the reins from her. "Be careful."
Erika's expression softened. "I will."
When Erika finally worked up the courage to continue the walk, the path was narrower now, and the cave tunnel suddenly felt bigger and darker. The wind moved through the trees, causing the leaves to rustle. Other than that, there was complete silence. A few pink crystals can be seen growing from the rocks, along with some blue paintings of Vala witches and other symbols. Erika was walking quietly through the rolling ground mist.
Erika soon found a small, round pool that's surrounded by some silvery gray rocks. But the pool is surprisingly purple and seemed to have electricity in the pool.
Erika let out a calming breath and strengthened her resolve. She sharpened her gaze and looked into the pool.
Erika felt something happening. It was like entering an awakening dream of a sort. Surrounding her were soft colors of dark blue, dark green, and purple like the night sky. It felt so unreal and magical at the same time. But she suddenly saw a young woman.
They were like twins. The same bright eyes, the same hair, and even the similar personality. Everything about Erika and the mysterious woman looked identical, except for the clothes, the hair style, and the eye color. The mysterious girl was wearing a blue druid dress with a gray cloak flowing behind her like gentle ocean waves and a silver amulet gleamed around her neck.
The ghost smiled softly and looked at Erika fondly. "Two souls united as one, human and horse. That love makes you strong." The ghost looked at Erika in concern. "But you must help the Lost Ones find themselves again."
"What?" In Erika's mind, this strange meeting had started to confuse her and making her feel more uncertain and curious.
"You must show him the way," continued the ghost.
At that moment, the ghost had started to fade away as well as the scene surrounding them. Erika felt more than half a dozen questions circling within her mind.
"Wait!" Erika cried out to the fading ghost.
She soon came back to reality and looked around, surprised. Erika snapped out of it and started walking out of the cave.
"Erika!" The two girls smiled warmly when they saw their friend and Nemain trotted to Erika and started nuzzling her, making her laughed softly.
But her expression became solemn. "But now it's time for the plan." Erika gave her ancestor's things to Linda. But when she took off her amulet, her eyes saddened as she looked at her amulet and gave it to Linda.
Erika acknowledged this with a solemn nod. She mounted Nemain, her blue eyes seemed to be glowing in the mist. "Do it quickly. I don't know how long it will last." At that, Erika rode Tempest in a gallop and disappeared into the mist.
Alex looked worried, but she secretly agreed with her friend. "Let's get to work."
Sive placed each of the respective items in the four bowls of the Vala Ritual Circle while the two Soul Riders were putting on their Vala masks.
But a little away from the team was an equestrian rider on a dark horse was watching them. A demonic scream echoes through the entire Devil's Gap. The dark horse gave off another demonic roar that made everyone flinched.
Trotting casually around the west cliffs was Erika on Tempest. She made her mare stopped on the top of one of the cliffs and looked around warily. But she encouraged Tempest to keep going, with more caution.
Back with the Vala Witch, the two Souls Riders, and the Guardian Horses, everything was set and ready for the ritual. Sive had managed to summon Galloper Thompson and Morrigan in a flash of green light as well as trapping them both in a magical seal on the Vala Ritual Circle.
But Sive looked horrified, which made Alex and Linda both worried. "I just remembered. We need a blood relation to Galloper Thompson in order for this to work."
"What?!" Linda exclaimed, sounding horrified.
"But Erika is his only blood relation!" cried out Alex, worried. "That means she's in danger!"
As if he heard them through the magical seal, Galloper had become fiery and agitated at the situation. Morrigan shared her rider's raging agitation and reared, her fiery hooves hitting against the invisible seal and yet no damage was made.
"Uh oh." Linda glanced at Galloper Thompson and Morrigan nervously. "We better hurry then."
"Linda. Sive. You two stay here and protect these two while my stallion and I track her and her mare down." Alex mounted Tin-Can and stood in the center of the triangle, her hazel eyes aglow with warmth and has an air of leadership surrounding her.
"Be careful Alex," whispered Linda.
Alex galloped away on Tin-Can and disappeared into the mist. But she and her companions weren't aware of Galloper Thompson and Morrigan both seemed to be watching Alex and Tin-Can galloped away into the mist.
Galloping on the cliffs and jumping over some rocks was Erika on Tempest. Behind her was another Vala Witch, but the witch seemed younger than Sive and she was riding on a liver chestnut Marwari named Gryphon. The witch was none other than Harpy.
A collective shudder ran through rider and mare. The woods felt even colder now. The wind whipped against her cheeks as she galloped wildly forward. Erika took a cross-country position and pushed forward onward. It felt as if Nemain was going to stumble, but she compensated and then she jumped over a big tree root. Her breathing was rapid and rhythmic.
She heard Harpy mutter something behind her. An incantation? Her voice rose in the forest, over the mossy rocks and the ancient mountains. She heard cracking and crashing. Erika didn't look over her shoulder and encouraged Tempest to continue galloping, faster than before.
"Look out!" cawed a throaty voice overhead.
When the first boulder was only a few seconds away from smashing into them, it exploded. Erika closed her eyes and forced herself to calm down, but Nemain's shrill whinny echoed throughout the entire forest. Seconds passed and Nemain kept galloping.
An agitated roar came from Morrigan soon echoed back to Erika and Nemain which seemed have made Erika cautiously open her eyes. The boulders had either been destroyed or had came to rest behind her. Erika let out a weary sigh, but she has a relieved expression from the incident.
"Kid!" She soon heard another caw and turned to see a rather unique raven. The raven's feathers gleamed in the lustrous colors of dark blue and has white markings, his amber eyes shone with startling intelligence. "You're not out of the woods just yet. Follow me!"
At that, Erika encouraged Nemain to follow the raven. She galloped over some clearings, jumped over fallen trees, and trotted along narrow ridges. The hours passed quickly as they navigated the many obstacles, and by the time they reached a cliff with a broken bridge.
"Now kid!" cawed the raven. "Jump!"
Erika urged Nemain ahead and they flew across the bridge. It was a small, but dramatic jump. The rocks from the top of the bridge started to come loose just as Nemain's hooves hit the ground safely on the other side.
Everyone was gobsmacked, none more so than Erika.
On her part, Erika was equally shocked and amazed. And she'd done so all with instincts too! That was incredible! Needless to say, that had probably just doubled or tripled her confidence and self-worth.
Nemain was equally proud and impressed with her rider. Her rider had done it by instincts despite her fear. That was amazing!
Erika was clearly stunned by the big leap over the broken bridge. But she shook off her shock and encouraged Nemain to step closer to solid ground.
"Come on kid!" The raven cawed.
At that, Erika encouraged Nemain to follow the raven. She galloped over some clearings, jumped over fallen trees, and trotted along narrow ridges.
The raven soon led Erika and Nemain into a qanat. Nemain's hooves soon splashed through the clear blue waters. Erika encouraged Nemain to hide in the shadows of the qanat. She was breathing softly as she heard Harpy's horse outside of the qanat. Erika let the raven land on her shoulder as she and her two companions.
"Take this!" Erika gasped when she heard Alex's voice and a strong whinny from Tin-Can. She gasped quietly as Alex summoned her lightning magic and froze both Harpy and Gryphon into stone statues.
Alex looked around worriedly, her golden-brown eyes shining with concern. "Erika! Where are you?"
"Who's that?" asked the raven.
Erika smiled at the sight. "She's my friend. Alex!" Erika encouraged Tempest to gallop out of the qanat and the raven flew after them. "Alex! Tin-Can!"
"Erika!" After Alex caught sight of Erika, the two of trotted and/or canter around each other before closed their respective circles and carefully hugged each other. "Are you okay?"
"We're fine." Alex seemed curious at the sight of the raven on Erika's shoulder. "But we should get going."
"Right. Follow me." At that, Erika encouraged Nemain to follow Alex on Tin-Can with the raven acting as the lookout. They galloped over some clearings, jumped over fallen trees, and trotted along narrow ridges. The minutes passed quickly as they navigated the many obstacles and returned to the Vala Ritual Circle.
Linda looked away from Galloper Thompson and Morrigan and at Erika with a smile. "Erika! You're safe!"
Erika smiled as she stroked the raven's feathers and glanced at Alex. "Thanks to Shadow and Alex." Shadow flew away and landed on a tree nearby.
"Now that everyone is here, we shall begin the spell." Sive stood on the other side of the Vala Ritual Circle. "Soul Riders, put on your masks. Erika, stay in between the objects." Sive noticed the worried look in Erika's expression. "Don't worry Erika. I will be careful."
Erika's eyes softened slightly, but she seemed firmly determined. "I'm ready."
The two Soul Riders dismounted their horses and on each side of the Vala Ritual Circle with their horses behind them. Sive stood behind the trapped Horseman and Mare.
The rare purple flower started glowing in the colors of blue and purple. Her voice was soft and throaty as she chanted the healing incantation.
"Flower, gleam and glow."
"Let your power shine."
"Make the clock reverse."
"Bring back what once was theirs."
"Heal what has been hurt."
"Change the Fates' design."
"Save what has been lost."
"Bring back what once was theirs."
"What once was theirs."
The flower's magic surrounded the trapped duo. Everyone watched on with overjoyed amazement. Erika's eyes were wide with fierce hope as she watched it.
But all of the sudden, a brief flash of light had came from the two cursed beings and the Vala Ritual Circle. Erika uncovered her eyes and gasped at the sight before her.
Standing in the center of the Vala Ritual Circle was the same man from the family picture and his magical mare. The man was none other than Gunnar Thrymson, though Morrigan looked the same when they first saw the mare. The horseman touched his face and looked surprised. He looked the same as the man in the family drawing.
All Erika could hear was the pounding of her blood. She was vaguely aware of the others staring open-mouthed at the sight before them, not that she blamed them of course. She was having hard time believing it as well. Although her logical mind was telling her that this situation was impossible, her heart longed for it to be true.
The next thing they knew, they were hugging each other, Gunnar started crying quietly in happiness and squeezing the life out of Erika, while she buried her face into his chest. He couldn't even comprehend all the emotions flying around inside him, but one thing was clear; he finally found his descendant and he would protect her with everything he had. He tightened his grip, wishing he could project every love and affection into Erika so she could understand how much he loved her.
They soon heard a shrill scream from a fair distance away. The scream echoed through the circular mountain range, making everyone jumped in place.
Everyone exchanged horrified looks, knowing what the sound is and where it had came from.
Linda mounted Meteor, her brown eyes shone with intelligence and has an air of a navigator surrounding her. "We need to get out of here."
Alex mounted Tin-Can and stood in the center of the triangle, her hazel eyes aglow with warmth and has an air of leadership surrounding her. "I'm going to keep her busy."
"Not without me you ain't," said Erika assertively and put her amulet back on her neck, her eyes aglow. Shadow helped her place her things back into the saddlebags. 
"Fine." Alex rolled her eyes fondly at Erika. "Erika will be joining me." Galloper seemed to have become stunned and Morrigan perked up, her ears rotating towards Erika. "Linda. And Umm...?"
"Just call me by my real name," said the horseman, his voice both strong and quiet.
"Okay...?" Alex exchanged a confused glance with a curious Erika before Alex continued. "You two both have to get out of here."
Linda sighed and exchanged a glance with Gunnar. He seemed thoughtful at first glance, but he nodded his agreement. "Okay." But Linda looked between the two girls. "Be careful. Both of you."
At that, they all went in different directions in Devil's Gap. They galloped over some clearings, jumped over fallen trees, and trotted along narrow ridges. The time passed quickly as they navigated the many obstacles.
On one side of Devil's Gap, Linda and Meteor went into a qanat. But Galloper was hesitant, as was Morrigan. They were both gazing at the opposite direction of where they came from, clearly worried about Erika.
Though the other duo had galloped over some clearings, jumped over fallen trees, and trotted along narrow ridges. The time passed quickly as they navigated the many obstacles and used their magic to keep Harpy frozen or/and distracted.
But as Alex and Erika both galloped into a qanat with some blue paintings of Vala witches and other symbols, an avalanche of rocks had went over them both.