Final Quest

by B. C. Harris

  “Not only were these walls a form of protection, but they were a status symbol. A big well-constructed wall often symbolized great wealth and power.”

  How Mr. Kraviak would react if I told him I had recently visited a city on another planet that is far more technologically advanced than us, yet they still have a wall built around them for protection?

  “Towers were located at certain points along the walls. These towers were used for guards to watch for any approaching enemies. The walls also had gates and gatehouses to keep out the sick, criminals, and spies. As people traveled through these gates into the town, they were generally charged a tax.”

  Are the walls in Zelares were really necessary considering most of of the population on Drapesia were harmless trichoma addicts?

  “Although these walls offered medieval towns a great form of protection, they could also lead to the downfall of a town.”

  Mr. Kraviak’s words piqued my interest. Downfall? How could a wall lead to the downfall of the town?

  Is there some way to defeat the Zelareans to prevent them from attacking my planet? If the Zelareans were defeated, is there a way to bring Drew back from the land of the Zombies?

  “Although the walls around medieval towns initially helped to protect the residents who lived inside the walls, over time new weapons were developed that could smash through the walls. Once an enemy created a hole in a wall, they charged through this hole to kill the residents who were trapped inside the town by the very walls they built for protection.”

  Could the wall surrounding the Temple area could prevent the Zelarean leaders from escaping? Could I use my emerald to create a dome around the Zelarean leaders?

  “The once powerful walls that were built for protection became part of a death trap. Enemies learned to shower a medieval village with balls of fire. As the town inside the wall began to burn, people were trapped. They had nowhere to flee with an enemy waiting outside the walls. The great walls that were designed to keep them safe became walls of death.”

  Perhaps there’s hope. I’m the Keeper of the Emerald. Could I trap the Zelareans inside their Wall to prevent them from ever leaving Drapesia? Or better yet, maybe I could destroy their Space Explorers and VOPs.

  - 52 -

  SAVING MY PLANET

  Jamie and Michael are at my house.

  After giving them an overview of what I learned on my visit to the leaders of the Forgotten People on Elpis Island last night, the look of shock on their faces mirrors my own anxiety.

  “You’re telling us,” Jamie repeats for the hundredth time, “that Santtonnice is alive in Zelares, and that he is going to lead the Zelareans in attacking our planet.”

  “Yes.”

  “There’s no way any military force on earth can fight against the sophisticated weapons of a more advanced civilization,” Michael says.

  I know that.

  The only way to stop the Zelareans from defeating my planet is to stop them before they leave Drapesia.

  “Maybe I can use my emerald to destroy their weapons,” I offer, “or maybe I could cause problems by destroying the Wall that surrounds them.”

  “I think,” Michael begins, “that if you try to use your emerald against the Zelareans, they will unleash some of their weapons on you. Even with your emerald, I don’t think you would be able to stop the Zelareans.”

  Jamie jumps into the conversation. “There are hundreds of thousands of people on Drapesia who are addicted to trichoma. The trichoma is controlled by the Stapols who live in the Wall. If you destroy the Wall, you might cause problems with how trichoma is administered throughout Drapesia. This could result in the deaths of almost the total population.”

  “Even if you are able to destroy their weapons,” Michael says, “the resulting explosions could severely damage the environment on Drapesia.”

  “Unless,” I say, “I wait until their three Space Explorers have left Drapesia. If I could destroy the Explorers in outer space, no innocent people on Drapesia would suffer. Once before, Zol said that the Forgotten People had programs ready to assist people who were addicted to trichoma. If I destroy the Zelarean fleet, the leaders of the Forgotten People could bring peace to Drapesia.”

  Michael and Jamie look at each other with concern, and then turn back to me.

  “Except,” Jamie says, “for you to do this, you will have to be in outer space with the Space Explorers. Somehow you will have to smuggle yourself aboard one of the Explorers.”

  “I can use my emerald to do this,” I say.

  “Except that you’re missing the point,” Michael says.

  “I am?”

  “Yes,” Jamie says, “when you blow up the Explorers you will be caught in the violent explosions. You will be vaporized. Even your emerald won’t be able to save you.”

  I let Jamie’s words sink in.

  He’s right.

  But I have no choice. I have to save my planet.

  - 53 -

  THE TATTOO

  Michael takes a handful of chocolate chip cookies from a box that I brought downstairs earlier.

  I step to where he’s sitting and snatch the box from him. Soon I’m stuffing cookies into my mouth as well.

  “There’s no easy solution,” Jamie says. “I think we should return back to Elpis and talk to the leaders there. Maybe we can come up with a plan to stop the Zelareans.”

  My life, or the lives of millions? I know what I have to do.

  There’s a beep from my computer.

  Someone is in our S O S chatroom.

  Jamie, Michael and I look at each other with concern. Who could it be?

  Stepping quickly to my computer, I see an entry.

  It’s Jasmin.

  DRAMA: I’m at Drew’s house. He’s acting very strange. It’s almost like he’s in a world of his own. There’s a faraway look in his eyes. I’m frightened. He keeps polishing his gun. I think he intends to use it. What should I do?

  I type.

  GLOW: Get out of Drew’s house. Go home. I will meet you there.

  DRAMA: What about Drew? I’m worried about him. I think he’s planning to shoot someone.

  My fingers race furiously across my keyboard. Jamie and Michael are now peering over my shoulder.

  GLOW: Get out the house!!! Your life might be in danger. We need to talk. Get out of the house immediately!

  DRAMA: You’re frightening me. Why do you want me to get out of his house? I can’t just leave. What if he shoots me?

  “We’ve got to save Jasmin,” I say to Jamie and Michael. “Any ideas?”

  DRAMA: Drew is lying on his bed, speaking in a strange language. What’s wrong with him?

  GLOW: Look at the bottom of Drew’s right foot. Does he have a tattoo there?

  “Tattoo?” Jamie says.

  DRAMA: Tattoo? What are you talking about? Now’s he’s looking at me with crazed eyes. He keeps tossing his gun from one hand to the other.

  GLOW: Tell him you have to go to the bathroom. As soon as you’re out of his room, run for your life.

  I begin to shake.

  I remember running out of Drew’s house, only to have him stalk me, and then attack me on a darkened street. If he decides to chase Jasmin, she doesn’t have a chance. This time, he’ll have a gun with him.

  DRAMA: I saw it. I saw the tattoo. On the bottom of his right foot, there’s a triangle with a backwards Z in it.

  “What does the tattoo mean?” Michael asks.

  “It means he’s working for the Zelareans. He’s now one of them.”

  GLOW: I’m on my way.

  There’s no response from Jasmin.

  “Let’s go,” I say. “We’ve got to help Jasmin.”

  As I touch my emerald, Jamie and Michael grab my arms.

  “Sandarium, Drew’s bedroom,” I say, knowing I might be instantly facing a gun.

  We’re in Drew’s bedroom.

  It’s empty.

  Suddenly Drew jumps out from the hallway into his roo
m.

  Before I can react, he’s pressing his gun against the side of Jamie’s head.

  - 54 -

  A HORRIBLE DEAL

  Drew smirks. His eyes are wild.

  “Let’s make this easy,” he says. “You give me the emerald and I’ll spare Jamie’s life.”

  “Don’t do it,” Jamie says.

  Drew wraps his other arm around Jamie’s neck and pulls Jamie against him. From the fear on Jamie’s face, it’s obvious that Drew is hurting him.

  “How do I know you’ll let him go?” I say, trying to buy some time to come up with a plan to save Jamie.

  Drew tightens his grip on Jamie’s neck. He pulls him off the floor.

  Jamie’s eyes are bursting as he fights for a breath of air. His legs are kicking, but it’s no use. Drew is much stronger.

  “Drew. Stop!” I shout

  He smirks at me

  He eases his grip on Jamie’s neck.

  Jamie gasps for a breath.

  I notice a small red dot on the side of Drew’s forehead.

  “Drew, you have been programmed by the Stapol,” I say earnestly. “They want you to steal my emerald for them. What you are doing is wrong.”

  I hear a groan of pain from another room.

  It’s Jasmin.

  Drew’s eyes almost roll back into his head.

  “The emerald,” he says, his voice deep and ominous, sounding like someone different than himself.

  Michael is four or five steps away from Drew. He looks like he wants to do something, but what can he do?

  I consider using my emerald to send a bolt of lightning at the gun. I might be able to knock it out of Drew’s hand, but the moment I begin my command, he might pull the trigger.

  “The emerald,” Drew says again.

  I start to unclasp the emerald from my neck.

  “No,” Jamie says.

  Drew tightens his grip around Jamie’s neck.

  Jasmin groans from the other room.

  Michael dives towards the open door, trying to get out of the bedroom.

  Drew swings the gun at Michael.

  There’s a loud pop as the gun fires.

  Michael tumbles through the door.

  I’m not sure whether he was hit.

  Drew turns his attention back to me.

  Jamie is turning blue. His eyes are wide with fear.

  The emerald is in my hands. It’s free from my neck.

  Jamie gags for air.

  “How do you want to do this?” I ask Drew, hoping to gain some time. My only hope is that Drew might unexpectedly break out of the trance that he’s in. The more I can delay him, the better chance there is of that happening.

  The only noise is Jamie coughing, trying to suck in a breath of lifesaving air.

  “Place the emerald on my bed and back away from it,” Drew orders.

  I’m hesitant to do this. Once the emerald is out of my hands, I’m powerless. Drew has already shown before that the emerald will listen to him. Once it’s in his hands, he’ll return to Zelares, and Santtonnice will have the emerald. I don’t want to think about what would happen next after that.

  “Now!” Drew screams.

  Jamie is shaking his head to tell me not to do it.

  Drew tightens his grip around Jamie’s neck.

  Am I willing to risk Jamie’s life to prevent Drew from obtaining the emerald?

  Drew shifts his hand that is holding the gun. The gun is now behind Jamie’s head. I can’t see it clearly. I no longer have the option of firing a bolt of lightning at the gun.

  “On the bed!” Drew shouts.

  I place the emerald on Drew’s bed, even though my hand is still on it.

  “Back up. Get away from the bed.”

  I take my hand off the emerald, but I don’t take any steps backwards.

  Drew’s eyes are fixated on the emerald as though he’s staring at a pot of gold.

  A siren splits the tension.

  Jasmin or Michael must have contacted the police.

  Drew looks more agitated.

  “I told you to back up,” he says.

  Jamie’s eyes are closed. He’s no longer breathing.

  Drew smirks.

  He drops Jamie to the floor.

  Before I can react, Drew’s gun is aimed directly at me.

  I’m no longer touching my emerald. If I make any move towards it, Drew will shoot me.

  Drew dives for the emerald.

  I dive at the same instant.

  We collide at the bed.

  Although my fingers reach the emerald first, Drew violently tries to rip it from me.

  He strikes me on the side of my head with his gun.

  Fortunately, my body is twisting so it’s only a glancing blow.

  Someone tackles Drew, knocking him away from me.

  It’s Michael.

  Drew knocks Michael away from him. In the same motion, he dives back at me.

  His fingers dig into my hands. He’s ripping my fingers apart as he tries to take the emerald from me.

  “Sandarium, Zelares!” Drew shouts.

  - 55 -

  EMERGENCY

  Falling backwards, I smash to the floor.

  My hands are throbbing. My head hurts. My body is trembling.

  But I still have my emerald.

  “Jamie? Michael? Jasmin?” I shout as I push back to my feet.

  Jasmin appears at the door, looking distraught. Her face is bloody.

  Michael is groaning.

  He’s lying on the floor beside Jamie who is not moving.

  I rush to Jamie.

  I don’t need a doctor to tell me that he’s not breathing.

  “He’s not breathing,” I yell. “We need medical help. Where are the police?” I ask, remembering the siren I heard a minute or so ago.

  “It was a fake siren,” Jasmin says. “Michael found a siren sound on my cell phone and used it, hoping it might cause Drew to flee.”

  “Call for an ambulance,” I say.

  Jasmin dives to Jamie.

  Immediately she begins CPR.

  “We don’t have time for an ambulance,” she says.

  I can’t lose Jamie.

  Please be alive.

  Jasmin is calm. She appears to know exactly what she’s doing.

  I feel an arm around me. It’s Michael.

  “He’ll make it,” Michael says, full of optimism.

  Out of desperation I touch my emerald against one of Jamie’s legs.

  I close my eyes and imagine Jamie waking up.

  Jasmin counts as she pumps her hands into Jamie’s chest.

  Jamie coughs.

  I open my eyes.

  He’s struggling to breathe. His mouth gapes like a fish out of water.

  Jasmin pulls away from him.

  Jamie’s eyes flicker.

  - 56 -

  A NEW MYSTERY

  Fifteen or twenty minutes passed before Jamie was breathing comfortably. During that time, I learned that Drew had assaulted Jasmin before we arrived.

  Michael told Jasmin about the Zelareans planning to attack our planet. He also told her that Santtonnice was now in Zelares.

  I explained to Jasmin that the tattoo on the bottom of Drew’s foot symbolized that he was loyal to the Zelareans. I also explained how I thought Drew had been programmed to steal my emerald. I didn’t say anything about Drew’s assault on me a few nights ago. Jasmin didn’t need to hear about that right now.

  “Drew’s likely back in Zelares,” I say. “We’ve got to return to Elpis. We’ve got to come up with a plan to stop the Zelareans from attacking our planet.”

  “Let’s go,” Jamie says. “I agree. We need to stop the Zelareans.”

  “Touch hands,” I say.

  Immediately my friends group together, Michael grabbing his backpack.

  “Emily, why don’t we get Squirt and Radwin,” Michael suggests. “They’ve helped us before. They might be able to get into places that the rest of us are too
big to fit into.”

  I hesitate.

  Do I really want to endanger the lives of my friends from Tamor?

  “Makes sense to me,” Jasmin says.

  I know Jasmin has a close bond with Squirt. Maybe his presence would help her as she attempts to deal with what has just happened. She looks horrible. Her face is puffy. There is blood coming from a cut over one of her eyes. Is that why Michael suggested this?

  “Okay,” I say.

  “Sandarium, the Land of Limnits, Tamor,” I say.

  I feel a spray of water in my face.

  “Emily, Emily, Emily,” a chorus of voices squeak together.

  Bedlam breaks out around us. Hundreds of bizarre creatures are spraying water in every direction.

  Michael is laughing as he uses his hands to try to deflect some of the water back at the crazy limnits.

  Tiny paws dig into my shoulders.

  It’s Squirt.

  “Squirt, we need your help.”

  “Help, help, help,” Squirt giggles.

  “Take my hands again,” I say to my friends who are now soaked with water.

  “Sandarium, Radwin,” I say.

  Instantly we leave a wild water fight and find ourselves surrounded by the waving arms of morphradels.

  “Emily,” I hear a deep gruff voice.

  It’s Radwin.

  “Radwin, we need your help. I’ll explain more to you later.”

  Radwin hovers in front of me, a big smile on each of his two yellow heads.

  Squirt is bouncing up and down on my shoulders.

  “Touch hands,” I say.

  “Sandarium, the Hall of Mirrors, Elpis.”

  The brilliant lights bouncing off the walls in the Hall of Mirrors greet us.

  The room is unusually quiet.

  I begin to casually walk around the room, admiring its beauty.

  “Hello?” Michael calls, his voice echoing throughout the cave. There’s no response.

  “Is anyone here?” Michael shouts.

  Once again, there’s no response.

  “Maybe they’re sleeping,” Jasmin says.

  I wonder where they might have gone.