Left Behind - Descendants (♡Jay)

Chapter 21

"Ben!" Mal yelled from the top of her lungs through the castle's halls. The two groups were following the dog. The talking dog. Myra still thought it was weird, but didn't dare to ask if all dogs talked due to the guys' reaction to the squirrel question, so she kept her mouth shut. 
     The castle appeared to be entirely empty, every room they walked through, every hall and corridor, empty. As they turned yet another corner Myra was convinced the castle was designed to be some kind of maze. Every hallway had the same blue ceiling, wooden walls, white windowsills, blue curtains and even the same white vases filled with yellow roses and a bunch of white and blue flowers she didn't recognize. 
     "Ben could be asleep everywhere." Mal said, her frustration and worry getting more obvious with every minute they couldn't find the King. 
     "Or turned to stone." Myra added only half aware of her words as she looked around the room.
     Blood drained from Mal's face with the realization of the possibility dawned on her. She opened her mouth again to call out for her fiancé, more panic sounding through than before. 
     "Myra..." Evie said through a deep sigh, seeing the look of horror on Mal's face. 
     Myra just shrugged, "what? It's the truth, isn't it?" 
     "Some things are better left unsaid." Jay mumbled with slight irritation, but Myra still heard it. She crossed her arms and turned to face him, her defensive side taking over. 
     "Ow, well I'm sorry. Didn't know you guys had become too soft to hear the truth."
     Jay let out a frustrated sigh, turning to Myra as well. "I just ment that we don't need to make her worry more than she already does."
     The blond girl knew he had a point, but she wasn't going to admit that. So instead she rolled her eyes and continued to follow Mal through the castle. Harry, who had been listening, caught Jay's eyes and shot him his mischievousness grin before joining Myra's side. Letting his hook go through Myra's hair while he leaned closer to her to whisper something in her ear. The pirate didn't have to look back at Jay to know the boy's muscles would clench. Ow, how he loved messing with people. 
     "I got a scent." The dog, who was called Dude, spoke up. The animal was at the end of the hall. "Very pungent cologne. Easy to track. Follow me, people." 
     "Like we weren't doing that already." Uma whispered, Myra the only one to hear her. The girl snickered softly. 
     "That's great, Dude." Carlos praised his dog.
     "FYI, I give great cuddles, too." And with that, the dog got up and walked into the next hallway. Myra raised an eyebrow, looking at her Cousin. Did that dog just self advertise? Uma caught her silent question and shrugged her shoulders, also accepting they'd probably have to deal with whatever nonsense got thrown their way. 
     "Really?" Gil responded to the dog's statement. "I never had a pet growing up." Myra's eyes fell on Lunch, who was on the edge of her right shoulder, his head stuck in the air, trying to identify all the new smells. She hadn't had him for very long, but she still couldn't imagine life without him. 
     "Well, except for the elk head in Dad's man cave, but that wasn't-"
     "Hold up." Uma interrupted her eyes had fallen on big claw marks on the wall that lead to a painting, ripped in half. The girl led her fingers trace the scratches, needing the physical confirmation they were really there. "What's this?" Everyone's attention got drawn to the wall.
     "Uh..."Carlos started. "Any chance this was already there?" He asked Mal, who's face and deep sigh revealed the answer already.
     "And follow me." Dude spoke up, not patient enough for the humans to process the new information.
     Worried about what they might encounter, Myra's hand reached for her flute. She may not be as skilled as her father used to be, at least she could control wild animals if she had to.
     When they reached a set of big, purple doors, Mal pushed through them, again calling out for Ben.
     They entered a big, elongated room with a ceiling made out of stained glass; picturing fighting warriors and all kinds of weapons. Along the walls on both sides stood rows of armor. All leaning both of their hands on a sword and on their left side hung a blue and yellow shield. In the middle of the room was a round platform made out of the same dark wood as the walls. The carpeting around it making it represent a giant compass if you looked from above.
     "Ben!" Mal called out again while everyone walked further into the room. All except from Celia; Evie had told her to stay in the doorway, feeling something was off. 
     Harry whistled, letting his fingers slide over one of the armor's swords. "I can feel you looking." He told Jay without turning around. He knew the young man was keeping a very close eye on him for various reasons.
     Jay walked closer to him, "good." He said threateningly.
     Harry wasn't impressed. Actually, he enjoyed the challenge. The pirate turned around with one dramatic swirl, his black long coat tracing behind him. "Ya know, JayJay." He started, leaning close to Jay. He made eye contact before letting his eyes roam over Myra, who was admiring the stained glass ceiling. "If you keep pouting to me like that, you'll never get her back." 
     Jay's eyes followed Harry's line of sight and realized what he was talking about. He growled and rolled his eyes. Wanting to hit the smug smile off of his face, and maybe take some of the guy's teeth with it. But he knew that was wrong. "I'm not trying to get her back, I'm making sure you don't steal everything you can get your filthy hand on." 
     Harry gasped dramatically, standing up straight again, bringing his hooked hand to his chest. "Does that include Myra?" Right before Jay could attack Harry, Carlos jumped in between. He didn't know what was going on, but he saw he's friend was on the edge of breaking Harry's bones. 
     "Calm down." Carlos whispered, a hand on his friend's chest. Harry shot him one last grin before rejoining the others. Jay watched his every move before letting his eyes meet Carlos'. 
     "I'm calm." 
     "No, you're not." Carlos said, the seriousness in his voice getting Jay to realize the boy was right. "And you need to stop letting that guy get under your skin. He's kicking off it." The only responds Jay gave was a nod, but that was enough for Carlos to let go of him. 
     In the mean time, Myra and the others went to join Mal and Uma, who had- just like Harry and Jay- fallen into a new discussion. 
     "I bet you lost some sleep thinking about me on the loose?" Uma stated, slight amusement sounding through her voice. 
     "No." Mal responded, "dragons don't really lose sleep." Acting as if the thought just popped up in her mind, Mal turned herself to Uma. "I wonder what fried octopus tastes like."
     "Okay, why don't we not do this?" Evie tried to come in between, but of course Uma wouldn't have it. 
     "We're celebrating our differences." Myra chuckled, earning a glare from Evie. Just before the daughter of the Evil Queen could say anything else one of the armor's moved. 
     "I believed we're being challenged." Harry told Uma. Only Uma hadn't seen it, too busy with her power game with Mal. The girl dismissed the boy's words with the flick of her wrist. 
     "Let's split up and look for Audrey."
     Mal also hadn't noticed the armor moving. "That makes absolutely no sense. Unless you give me my Ember, she's going to spell you."
     The armor moved again. "Girls!" Harry practically yelled, finally getting their attention. "We have a situation here." He gestured to the body of armor that had moved in front of them. Now she got everyone's attention, Audrey spoke through it. But the girl wasn't there. 
     "Do you like a prince, Mal?" The evil princess spoke, her words slightly echoing while the armor bowed to her.
     "Lunch," Myra whispered to her companion, who's attention also was with the armor in front of them "Hold on tight." The rat didn't need more instructions to crawl around Myra's neck, hiding underneath her leather jacket. His nails scratched her skin, but she wasn't bothered, there was a bigger problem to deal with right now.
     "How about a knight in shining armor?" Small clouds of pink smoke came from the helmet, spreading to the others. "Or knights?" Audrey's evil laugh filled the room as the music started. 
     The two groups  moved closer as the bodies of armor around them all drew their swords at them. Myra's first instinct was grabbing her flute. She brought it to her lips and played, concentrating on the one closest to them, but it didn't work. "Damn it!" Myra said, letting her flute fall back down her side. "They don't have ears." Myra looked up just in time to dodge back when one of the armors stabbed their sword to her. All of them started to sing at the same time. 
     "Watch your back, watch your back.
      Watch your back, watch your back.
      We can counter their attack.
      Hit them till the armor cracks." Celia lifted up Dude from the ground and hid herself from the bodies or armor. Mal, Evie, Carlos, Jay, Harry, Myra and Carlos ran for the door, but two soldiers moved in front of them, crossing their swords to block their exit. In the mean time, Uma had made her way to the platform where she started to sing. 
     "This could get a little sticky!" The leader she is, she ordered Gil to grab the decorative swords from one side of the room with nothing more than pointing her finger.
     "How to win this battle could be tricky!" Gil handed Uma a sword while Harry went to the other side to grab more swords, handing one to Myra. 
    "But I know the best way,
      Fall back, led me lead.
      You hold the line," She told Myra and Harry.
     "And we'll bring them to their knees."
     Only Mal wasn't going to give Uma all the power, especially not over her friends. The purple haired girl had joined Uma on the platform, where the others had gathered around, and pushed Uma to the back. Then Mal started to sing her own preach. 
     "Sword in the air if you're with me!" Jay threw Mal a sword, which she caught with ease. The VK's stabbed their swords in the air, shouting to show their support. 
     "They got us outnumbered one-to-fifty!
      The victory is ours
      Because I've got a strategy.
      You take the left." She told Uma.
     "And the rest of you follow me." The girl told her friends, but Uma wouldn't have it. She forced Mal to look at her. 
     "This is my crew." Mal sang. 
     "Look this is my squad." Uma defended herself and her friends. 
     Mal threateningly stepped closer to Uma. "This is my turf."
     Evie had enough of it. She jumped on the platform and came in between the two bickering girls while the others were getting ready to defend themselves from the armor army closing in on them. "O my gosh.
      Look guys we got bigger fish to fry
      Put your differences aside,
      'Cause now we're on the same side." 
     Mal and Uma jumped off the platform, which Evie now claimed, pointing her sword up as she continued to sing. 
     "Till the night falls
      Everyone."