Final Quest

by B. C. Harris

  Is it really possible that Drew did this all by himself?

  My mother dives to the bottom of my dresser.

  “You have to pull it out from the wall,” I say.

  As she slides the dresser from the wall, I manage to kneel down and search in the space under it.

  My emerald is still there.

  “Don’t ever take if off again!” my mother orders.

  “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. This is all my fault.”

  My mother looks at me with concern.

  “No Emily. This is not your fault.”

  We embrace.

  We have a security system that is capable of stopping the most professional burglar. How did Drew get into the house? Did I accidently enter the disarming code into the keypad while Drew was watching me at some time in the past?

  - 47 -

  BACK AT SCHOOL

  Sitting in the cafeteria with my friends at lunch is a surreal experience today. I missed school the last two days. I told my friends that I had a bad fall. Michael knows otherwise. I wonder if Jamie suspects that I experienced something much different. The plans for Michael, Jamie and me to return to Drapesia were temporarily put on hold.

  A few nights ago, my mother listened carefully to the details of what had transpired during the evening with Drew. I was shocked that she was so concerned and sensitive.

  Given that my emerald was involved in various ways during the evening, we decided not to involve the police. During my classes this morning, I wondered over and over again if I would have wanted the police involved if my emerald had played no role in what happened with Drew.

  Although my mother told me to stay away from Drew, it’s not that easy.

  Directly across the table from me is Drew who is not only acting as though nothing happened several nights ago, but twice he has touched my leg under the table with his foot. If he does it one more time, I think I’ll stab him in the face with my fork.

  The first time his foot touched me, I almost jumped off my chair. The second time, I tucked my legs underneath me on my chair.

  None of my friends have asked for any details of my accidental fall. This is particularly unusual for Jamie. Several times since we sat down in the cafeteria, I’ve noticed Jamie glancing back and forth between Drew and me.

  I haven’t told any of my friends about the break-in at my house. My mother stayed home from work yesterday and ensured that our house was cleaned and new furniture was ordered.

  I visited my father for a brief time. He believes that Santtonnice is somehow involved. I hope not. I don’t think I can handle a confrontation with him again.

  Jamie is staring at Drew’s hand. There’s a cut and some discoloration on one of his knuckles.

  “How did you hurt your hand?” Jamie asks Drew.

  I think I’m going to die.

  “Working on a car,” Drew laughs.

  Jamie looks at me.

  He looks at Michael who is looking at the floor.

  I’m sure I’m blushing. I know I’m playing with the ends of my hair.

  Jasmin’s eyes shift between Drew and me.

  She looks suspicious, but says nothing.

  Drew puts his arm around Jasmin. She pushes it off.

  Does Jasmin suspect that Drew hit me? Does Jasmin know something I don’t know?

  “Read any good comics recently?” I ask Michael, hoping to divert attention away from me.

  Michael opens his mouth to speak, but no words emerge. Tears begin to stream down his face. He turns away and leaves our table.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Drew says coldly.

  Jamie looks angry.

  Although Drew is much stronger than Jamie, there’s no doubt in my mind that once Jamie sorts out what really happened to me, he will not hesitate to go after Drew.

  Jamie stands abruptly and follows Michael.

  I suspect that Michael might be too upset to keep my secret.

  Instantly I’m on my feet chasing after Michael and Jamie, my injured knee causing me to painfully limp more than I would have liked.

  I’ve got to stop Jamie from questioning Michael.

  I catch up with them outside the cafeteria doors.

  Michael is hunched over in pain.

  Jamie puts his arm around him.

  “I need to know what happened,” Jamie says.

  “No, you don’t,” I say as I arrive. “When the time is right, I will tell you what happened, but until then please don’t ask any more questions.”

  “Drew has hurt you,” Jamie says.

  I don’t respond.

  - 48 -

  RETURN TO ELPIS

  My mind replays everything that happened at school today.

  Although Michael probably didn’t hear all of my conversation with his mother a few nights ago, he didn’t need to. He saw how I looked. He heard Drew’s name mentioned. He put two and two together.

  Jamie was too astute not to miss my nervousness with Drew at lunch today.

  While I didn’t tell Michael and Jamie what had actually happened with Drew, I didn’t deny Jamie’s accusations that he hurt me. In an attempt to keep the conversation away from what Drew attempted to do to me, I mentioned that Drew had developed an unusual interest in my emerald.

  Jamie suspected that something more than torture had occurred during Drew’s capture in Zelares. Michael wondered if the Stapols had done something to Drew to program him to steal my emerald. We were all convinced that after being tortured that Drew told the Stapols everything he knew about the emerald.

  We also agreed that our rescue of Drew had been far too easy. Zelares is a civilization that is more advanced than anything on Earth. How could their sophisticated surveillance system be so easy to penetrate unless they had wanted us to rescue Drew? Perhaps they trained Drew for another purpose, and stealing my emerald might be a part of that plan.

  Although Jamie and Michael want to return to Drapesia with me, I know this is something I have to do on my own. I need to talk to Capurni about Drew, and I don’t want Jamie and Michael to hear everything I have to say.

  My mother is now in bed.

  It’s time for me to return to Elpis.

  “Sandarium, Hall of Mirrors, Elpis, Drapesia.”

  The light that greets me is blinding. I had forgotten how spectacular the Hall of Mirrors is.

  I gaze at the seven thrones. Their intricate carving of gold punctuated by an array of fabulous jewels is incredible.

  This room suggests great power, but I know it’s the Zelareans who hold the real power on this planet. I wonder how the Forgotten People will react when I tell them about the massive weapons the Zelareans have developed. Or, perhaps they already know.

  After school today, I asked Michael to send me some of the pictures of the weapons that his nano-drone discovered in the Palace of Peace. I printed some of these pictures and I have them with me now to show Zol.

  Almost as if by magic, the leaders appear on their thrones. I hadn’t notice them come into the room, but then again the mirrored walls are so hypnotic that my mind might have been far away and failed to see them enter.

  Capurni is with them.

  Zol stands, her white robes swaying as she moves.

  “Welcome Emily. We have been wondering about your rescue mission to save Drew.”

  I catch some concern in the eyes of several leaders.

  I’m sure that the leaders are anxious to learn about our mission. They are likely wondering if we have compromised their secret underground location on Elpis.

  “We successfully saved Drew,” I announce. “All my friends are now safely back on my planet.”

  Nervous smiles greet my words.

  “We are pleased that you rescued your friend,” Zol says, “although you don’t look happy.”

  “There are some disturbing developments that I need to talk to you about.”

  Zol steps towards me.

  She smiles for me to continue.

  “During the last
few days, Drew has shown an unusual interest in my emerald. On one occasion he grabbed it and stated a command for the emerald to take us somewhere else, and surprising to me, the emerald obeyed him.”

  Zol’s eyes open wide. The other leaders lean towards me on their thrones.

  “A few nights ago, Drew invited me to his house where he attacked me. When he discovered I wasn’t wearing my emerald, he was furious.”

  “You weren’t wearing your emerald?” Zol gasps.

  “No. I took it off for a few hours and hid it in my house. I know that was a dumb thing for me to do, but I suspected that Drew was attracted to my emerald and I wanted to keep it away from him.”

  Zol looks incredulously at me. The fact that I took off my emerald for a short time is obviously shocking to her.

  “Emily, please don’t ever take off your emerald again. If it falls into the wrong hands, great destruction will follow.”

  I know I messed up. I don’t need to be told to never take my emerald off again.

  “Why is Drew suddenly so interested in my emerald? And why did my emerald obey him when he gave it a command?”

  Before anyone can respond, Capurni stands and walks towards me. He stops at my side.

  Turning to the other leaders, he says, “I think the time has come for you to share your fears with Emily.”

  Fears? What fears? What is Capurni talking about?

  Zol nods to Capurni.

  I touch my emerald in the event I suddenly need to exit.

  “No one is going to harm you,” Zol says kindly, perhaps in response to seeing me touch my emerald. “Can I see the pictures you have brought with you?”

  “Yes,” I say as I hand the pictures from inside the Palace of Peace to Zol.

  Zol takes a brief look at the pictures of the endless air vessels and the three huge structures.

  “I think the Zelareans are preparing for a war,” I say.

  “Yes, you are correct,” Zol says as though my pictures don’t surprise her.

  “Will they attack you?” I ask.

  Zol shakes her head.

  “I think they have a much bigger target.”

  - 49 -

  MY WORST NIGHTMARE

  On the large screen in front of me, I’m watching rows and rows of the black objects that look like fighter jets. These are the same objects that Michael and I saw in the Palace of Peace.

  “We were aware of the weapons that the Zelareans have developed,” Zol says. “The hundreds of objects that you see before you are called Vessels of Peace, or VOP for short.”

  The pictures on the wall are similar to the pictures that Michael’s nano-drone took.

  “How did you get these pictures?” I ask.

  “Recently, the Zelareans exiled several scientists to Elpis. We were able to save one of them. He had these pictures with him.”

  The image on the wall changes.

  It’s one of the huge structures that was photographed by Michael’s nano-drone.

  “This,” Zol says, “is called a Space Explorer. The Zelareans have built three Space Explorers. Each Explorer can carry up to one-thousand VOPs. The three Explorers can also carry the total population of Zelares.”

  Space Explorers? Perhaps someone should rename them the Black Plague, I think to myself.

  “So you have known about the weapons that the Zelareans have been developing?” I say.

  “Yes,” Zol replies in a manner that suggests she is hesitant to say more.

  “Once before, I believe someone said that a new ice-age might be coming to Drapesia.”

  “Yes, that is correct,” Zol says.

  “Is it possible that the Zelareans are planning to leave Drapesia to find another planet where they can live?”

  “Yes, we believe that is exactly what they are planning to do.”

  “And they have built a massive number of weapons to ensure that they can conquer the people on another planet if they need to do this.”

  Zol nods.

  I get the feeling again that she’s withholding something from me.

  I picture the Zelareans leaving Drapesia in their massive Space Explorers. Will they drift through space until they find a suitable planet to conquer, or have they already selected a world to defeat?

  “Let me show you another picture,” Zol says in a manner that arouses my curiosity.

  The image on the wall changes.

  A video is showing rows and rows of black VOPs.

  We’ve already seen this, I think.

  I notice some beings standing near one of the VOPs.

  The video zooms in closer on them.

  I tremble as I realize they look like mutant spiders. They remind me of Santtonnice. I remember that he was once a Zelarean.

  The picture zooms in closer on one of the beings.

  My heart stops.

  It’s Santtonnice.

  - 50 -

  A HUGE PROBLEM

  Now I know where Santtonnice went when he uttered his final command into my emerald as we fought on the stage in the Colosseum a few weeks ago. He ordered the emerald to take him back to Zelares.

  My mind is racing to process this new information. Santtonnice is alive. He’s here is Drapesia. He’s involved with the Zelareans in planning their departure from this planet to find a new place to live.

  Then it hits me.

  I almost collapse to the floor.

  “Emily, are you okay?”

  It’s Capurni.

  I feel his small, but strong hands, holding me up.

  Santtonnice.

  Thousands of VOPs.

  Attack.

  Earth.

  It’s my planet that the Zelareans are going to attack.

  What better way for Santtonnice to seek his revenge?

  Santtonnice returned back to Zelares at the exact moment when the Zelareans were preparing to flee from Drapesia to search for a new home. He provided the perfect place for them to invade.

  “Santtonnice is going to lead the Zelareans to attack my planet,” I utter in complete horror.

  There’s no response from any of the leaders in the room.

  Their eyes are filled with sorrow.

  Zol interrupts the silence. “After we received these pictures, and after Capurni told us what happened on your planet with Santtonnice, we guessed he would seek revenge. From what you have told us, it’s likely that Santtonnice has programmed Drew’s mind to help him retrieve the emerald from you.”

  I’m overwhelmed with what I’m hearing.

  I thought we had saved my world from Santtonnice. Now we’re going to be facing an enemy that has technology that we will be unable to fight against.

  My emerald might be the only way to save my planet.

  Zol continues, “If Santtonnice has programmed Drew’s mind, he will resort to any means to take your emerald. There is absolutely nothing he won’t do, even if this means killing your family and friends.”

  While Drew’s interest in my emerald might be related to his contact with Santtonnice, his attempt to abuse me while I was drugged is an entirely different matter.

  “Drew drugged you?” Capurni says.

  I had forgotten that Capurni could read my thoughts. From the looks on the faces of the others in the room, they also know how to use sensergy.

  I change the direction of the conversation. “Is there some way to know if Drew has in fact been programmed by Santtonnice?”

  There’s no immediate response to my question.

  After a minute or so, Zol begins, “Each of the Zelareans has a tattoo on the bottom of their right foot. The tattoo is a triangle with a backward Z in it. The tattoo is a symbol of loyalty to the Zelarean leadership.”

  “If Drew has joined the Zelareans, he will have this tattoo on the bottom of his foot,” Suu adds. “He might also have a red dot on the side of his forehead.”

  “A red dot?”

  “Yes. This would indicate that the Stapols used an energy sequencer to alter Drew’s brain
. An energy sequencer can change a person’s memory as well as programming a person to follow a set of commands.”

  “Follow a set of commands?”

  “Drew could have been programmed to trick you into giving him the emerald. He could have been instructed to return to Zelares with the emerald. Once commands like these are set in Drew’s brain, he is unable to change them even though there might be times when he still acts normal. Santtonnice might have even taught him how to use the emerald.”

  “How can we help Drew?” I ask, momentarily forgetting that earlier today I wanted to attack him with a fork.

  Zol stares at me. I feel like I’m being evaluated.

  “You must kill Drew,” Zol says. “As long as he’s alive, he will be ruthless in trying to obtain your emerald. Drew cannot be helped. You need to eliminate him.”

  I consider what Zol has said to me.

  “Even if I kill Drew, how will this stop the Zelareans from attacking my planet?”

  “It won’t,” Zol replies, “but at least you’ll still have the emerald. Together we can devise a plan to stop the Zelareans from ever leaving Drapesia.”

  - 51 -

  MEDIEVAL WALLS

  There’s a sense of comfort sitting in Mr. Kraviak’s history class this morning. Every once in awhile as his voice drones on, I’m actually able to forget about the horrendous dilemma I’m facing.

  “Medieval towns were often surrounded by walls,” Mr. Kraviak explains. “The first walls that appeared around medieval towns were often constructed with wood. Where stone was readily available, the walls were built using the stone, making them stronger than those constructed from wood.”

  I wonder what materials were used to construct the massive wall that surrounds the Temple area in Zelares.

  “As time went by, towns began to construct two walls around them. There was an outer wall and an inner wall. The strip of barren land between the two walls was known as the pomoerium, from the Latin words post murum which means behind the wall.”

  I always pictured medieval walls as having a moat around them that were filled with alligators or piranhas, or some other fierce creatures. Of course, by now I realize that the medieval towns we are studying were generally located in countries with cold winters that would quickly kill alligators or piranhas.