ARKAYNA AND ZARYA soared through the air on their griffins. Arkayna knew they didn’t have much time. Soon Necrafa would use the Spectral Dragon to attack the city. Arkayna had told Em and Piper to protect Drake City’s citizens while she and Zarya went to Mount Tyrannous to retrieve the golden rings from their vision. She hoped they’d be back before it was too late.
“This is awesome!” Zarya called through the rain. She held the map in one hand. “Our first quest.”
“We’ve been on a gazillion quests,” Arkayna said.
“Yeah, but this is our first one as sisters,” Zarya said.
“Uh-huh … look … about this sister thing…” Arkayna started.
“We’re here!” Zarya cried. Straight ahead of them, a beautiful, spiraling tower rose up into the sky. A staircase wrapped around the side of it. Zarya hopped off first and Arkayna jumped into her arms.
“Race you to the top, sis!” Zarya ran up the stairs.
“I miss being an only child,” Arkayna muttered under her breath. She ran for what felt like an eternity. The tower went up, higher and higher, and she kept running until her legs hurt. When they finally got to the top, there was a circular platform where they could rest.
“Fifty flights of sheer terror,” Arkayna said, trying not to look over the edge.
“I know. Wasn’t it awesome?” Zarya asked. “Check it out, the rings!”
Sure enough, the two golden rings were hovering in the middle of the platform. “Quick, let’s grab them and go,” Arkayna said.
She walked toward them, eager to get the rings as quickly as possible. But before Arkayna could get close, she tripped a series of protection shields. They rose up from the floor and spun around the rings. There were three different spinning layers, each a half-sphere, layered inside one another. They were all a few feet apart.
“Great,” Arkayna said. “The vision didn’t say anything about razor-sharp protection magic.”
“Don’t worry, sis.” Zarya rubbed Arkayna’s head, messing up her tiara. “We got this.”
Zarya ran to the other side of the shields and they both stood there for a few minutes, watching the three layers spin. Since each shield was just half a sphere, there were openings between them as they spun around inside one another. If they got the timing right, they’d be able to cross the shields, one layer at a time.
“Okay, waiting for an opening…” Arkayna said. “On three … two … one … go!”
As soon as the first shield spun open, Arkayna and Zarya darted inside. They stood across from each other, sandwiched between the first two spinning layers.
“Nice job, sis! Only two more to go.” Zarya smiled. Choko landed next to her and chirped his approval.
“Thanks, but, uh … can you ease up on the ‘sis’ thing?” Arkayna let out an uncomfortable laugh.
“What?” Zarya asked.
“Next opening!” Arkayna said, watching the shields again. “And … go!”
They both leapt forward. Now they were right in the center of the spinning shields, just one layer away from the rings.
“You have a problem with me calling you ‘sis’?” Zarya asked as soon as she knew she was safe.
“No, it’s just…” Arkayna struggled to find the right words. How was she supposed to tell Zarya that this was all happening a little too fast? Just yesterday she thought Proxima was her sister. “Go!”
“Wait!” Zarya yelled.
Arkayna jumped first, and Zarya felt she had no choice but to follow. But she was just a second too late moving past the final shield. Its razor-sharp edge nicked her arm. She fell into the center, clutching her elbow in pain.
“Oh my goblin! Let me see your arm,” Arkayna said. “I’m so sorry!”
“I’m fine,” Zarya snapped.
“Look, this isn’t easy, okay?” Arkayna went on. “It’s just … you and I are so different.”
“Forget it,” Zarya said. “I never needed family before, and I don’t need it now. Let’s just grab these stupid—” She saw it the same time Choko did. “Where did the rings go?”
They turned and saw a cloaked figure at the edge of the circular platform. At some point he must’ve swooped in and stolen the rings when they weren’t looking. Probably when they were fighting.
“After him!” Zarya yelled.
They took off down the stairs, running as fast as they could.