The Alpha King's Forest

Chapter 5: Shadow Warriors Pt.2

The next day I got up from bed but was pushed back down by Darla. "Don't go," she whispered. She pulls me close to her and I push her away. "Get off of me." I groaned. "Ah babe. You're hurting my feelings." Darla pouts. "Well, the next time you do that, I'm going to hurt your face." I threatened. Darla smirked. And I rolled my eyes. "Be careful not to roll those eyes, beautiful." "Unless you want me to help you roll them to the back of your head." She licks her lips and comes closer to me again.

I wrinkled my nose. "You only made me do that once back in college and that was on a dare."

Darla Tanaka is a childhood friend of my sisters and I. She and her family stayed next door to us when we were younger and Darla and I became the closest. She's a year older than me and she's a freelance photographer for hire. She's a slim woman with wide hips and a round-shaped ass and thick thighs. She has a medium side pixie haircut due to her black hair growing back with a lovely brown sugar complexion. She was always told that she looked like her mom. Her mom is an African-American woman with Native-American and Hawaiian ancestry. While her dad is Japanese.

She's a free spirit and is bisexual. We attended the same college and attended a party where she was dared to eat out her closest friend. And since that night all she has wanted to do is do it again. And I keep telling her no.

"Get dressed. We got to help Josie and figure out this shadow mess." I told her. Standing up, I walked to my bathroom next to my dresser. "Do you intend to take a shower?" Darla asked. "Yes," I replied. Darla hopped up and tried to get into the bathroom with me but I quickly slammed the door in her face. After 45 minutes, I was fully bathed and started brushing my teeth and washing my face.

I came out of the bathroom and saw that there was a set of clothes already laid out for me on my now neatly made up bed. Wearing a pair of laced up water-washed flared jeans and an isolda palm tree print corset top, I looked sexy and seductive. To complete the look I found a pair of my favorite silver earrings and a pair of white versatile ankle strap high heel sandals with a thick heel.

A soft tropical makeup look was done with high light on my face and my hair was left the same as it was at Josie's Club.As I walked out of the room, I grabbed my jean jacket and purse.Veronica sat with Josie and Darla on the couch. She was wearing a soft yellow Reiss Alena Wrap Blouse with bleach wash bootcut leg jeans and crystal heel transparent strap sandals on her feet. Nicole was sitting in one of my love seats to the left in her army green trumpet sleeve lettuce trim tee with an army green skirt and golden wrapped sandals.

Darla was wearing a white sweetheart neck flounce sleeve bustier crop lace top and regular jeans, black boots and a pair of light amber-colored sunglasses. Josie who was sitting in the middle wore a denim dress with denim boots. As she cried, I rushed over to comfort her. "Are you OK Josie?" I asked softly kneeling before her. Through her sobs she managed to speak. "I'm OK. It's just..." she paused, "...it's just that the woman that died was one of my aunties."

I caress her hand. "I'm so sorry Josie," I said softly. I hugged her tightly, trying to offer her a sense of solace. We stayed like that for a while, until finally Josie calmed down and was able to talk. "She was the keeper of the crystal." she said at last. "My family has always guarded that crystal since I can remember."

I glanced at the yellow crystal sitting on the table in a glass protective case. "Why do you guard it?" I asked. "I'm not quite sure," said Josie. "As a child, my siblings and I were always told that this crystal was important. And we had to protect it. No matter what the cost." Josie's voice was serious and her eyes were wide as she explained. "I have never questioned why we had to protect it. I just accepted it as part of the family's legacy." She paused, then continued, "But now I'm starting to wonder what it's all about."

I am too. I thought. Suddenly, I turned my attention to Darla. "Last night you called them shadow warriors." I told Darla. "What are they?"

Before speaking, Darla cleared her throat. "The shadow warriors are evil spirits of magical creatures that live in the underworld." She explained. "The underworld is one of the worlds that exist between heaven and hell." "And it's also where some spirits become demons." Nicole added. Darla nodded.

As most of us in the magical realm should know, there are 5 cosmic worlds. Heaven and hell are the two main worlds when you die. But in the middle of those two worlds are the spirit world, the underworld and limbo. There is a spirit world where spirits go to be judged or to serve their officials. And then there's Limbo. Limbo is where a spirit has unfinished business and is stuck between heaven and hell.

It is, however, impossible for any spirit, good or bad, to penetrate into the living world. If they do, they disturb the cosmic balance. And all hell might break loose. So it pegs the question, how did the shadow warriors come into the world?

"Maybe when we head back to my club, we can ask my parents or my grandmother what they know," Josie suggested. "That's a good idea." Darla agreed. "Even though my grandmother told me about the shadow warriors, she never told me how they got out of the underworld." We all nodded in agreement and got up to leave. Veronica grabbed the book of shadows just in case we needed it and we headed out the door.

On our way out the door, we saw Jamal and a couple of his friends coming up the stairs. Our presence immediately made them blush and smile. Jamal came forward and said,"Hey ladies." We smiled and said hello back. Jamal's friends waved and giggled. Jamal then asked if we wanted to hang out later. We declined and said we had plans. As we were leaving, Veronica, Nicole, and Josie went to the car, but Jamal wanted to speak to me and Darla first.

"First off, I wanted to apologize for last night." He says softly. "It was wrong for me and Shawn to tease you like that." "We didn't mean it."

"I appreciate that Jamal." I grinned. "But you really didn't have to apologize. I didn't take it personally."

"But still," Jamal said. "I heard on the news that something strange was happening last night around midnight and I thought about you." As he exhale, he blushes again and looks away. "It would've killed me if the last thing I said to you was that you never went out." I rested my hand on his shoulder. It was cute how he was so concerned about me. "Don't worry about it Jamal." "I'm fine." I assured him. He nods and then turns his attention to Darla.

"I also wanted to let you know that someone who looked like your friend over here was looking for you too."

Darla and I exchanged glances. Darla shrugged. Then we looked back at Jamal. "Was it a young or an older woman?" I asked. "She was young but looked older than your friend." Jamal replied. Darla sighed. "Was she wearing red or blue?" Darla asked. "Red." Jamal replied.

"Pregnant or not?"

"Pregnant. Most definitely pregnant."

Darla then sighed deeply and saids thank you to Jamal and headed down the stairs. "Is everything OK?" he inquired curiously. "Yes. That's someone we know." I replied softly. "Thank you for the message." Jamal nods, but blushes again. "What is it?" I asked. "I mean if you ever wanna hang out just knock." He smiles sheepishly and I smile back. "Thank you for the offer Jamal. I might take you up on it."

And with that, I waved goodbye and headed towards the car.

"What was that all about?" Josie asked when Veronica started driving.

"It appears Mina's back in town," I replied. "Oh wow I haven't seen her since her baby shower." Veronica cried happily. "She's already back? That's great!" Josie exclaimed. "We should get together soon and catch up!" Veronica replied. Nicole nodded in agreement. Darla was quiet. "What's the matter Darla?" Nicole asked. "Aren't you glad your sister is back home?" Darla groans in the passenger seat. "If she's here, something dangerous is about to happen, and she was sent to watch over the earth."

The car became silent for a few moments. We totally forgot that Mina was a guardian of the earth. Mina had been away from her family for a long time, and no one knew why. When we found out she was a guardian of the earth, it explained her absence. It also explained why Darla was so worried about her coming home - she was afraid that something dangerous would happen. However, we heard that she was pregnant. Being here might be too stressful for the baby.

"After we talk to Josie's grandmother or parents, we'll get in touch with her as soon as possible," I advised. Everyone agreed. Except Darla. "What's wrong Darla?" I asked. Darla groans again. "It's nothing," she mummbles. I persisted, "Tell me what you're worried about." Darla sighed and said, "Before I came to the club, she and I had a fight."

We finally pulled up to Josie's club. An older woman, about Josie's height, and a taller man stood by the entrance holding each other. Josie quickly jumps out of the car and runs over to them. The rest of us followed her and once her family let go of each other we headed inside the club. The bodies that were left on the ground were now gone. Three of the bouncers were talking over by the stage. They saw Josie and her parents they came over and hugged them tightly.

"We're so sorry about Cathy," one of them said. "It's OK." Said Nancy. She was Josie's mother and the woman who died was her older sister. Josie's father, who was standing behind her, put his arm around her and whispered, "It's going to be alright." Afterward, the bouncers left. Josie then told her parents that we needed to talk to them about the shadow warriors. That's when their faces turned grim.

"The shadow warriors shouldn't even be here." said Joise's father, whose name is Jacob. "But that's what attacked us last night," Josie said. Nancy and Jacob exchanged worried glances at each other. "What is it?" Josie asked. Jacob took a deep breath and said, "It's a creature from the dark. It's a powerful force, and we must protect ourselves." Nancy nodded vigorously. "They serve the shadow king. And if the shadow king is free, we're all in danger."

"So who and what can we do to stop him?" I asked. "We have to get in contact with the king and queen of the magical realm." Nancy replied. "So we have to go home then," Veronica said. I nodded because the only way we can get to them is to go to the magical realm and head over to castle diamond.

"Can we ask them about the crystal that Cathy was guarding?" Nicole asked. "That crystal is from the holy grail during King Arthur's era." Jacob replied. "Don't know all the details but these crystals separated after a huge battle. And we have been guarding the yellow one for years." Nancy explained. Nicole's phone started to ring and she told us it was mom. And she put her on speaker.

"Yes ma? What's up?" Nicole asked. "Do you have your sisters with you?" Mom asked. "Yes we're here mom." I answered. "Come to Castle Diamond. We have a situation." Mom tells us. We quickly get in the car, open a portal in the alley and drive towards Castle Diamond. We arrive a few minutes later and quickly enter the castle. Mom leads us to a room where we meet her and two of her colleagues.

"Who are these two?" I asked. A silver-headed man with grey eyes and pale skin looked at me and said, "Elisa must be the one to help the Alpha king because it is her destiny."