Pete said, “It’s your own fault. You shouldn’t have given him any bright ideas.”
She turned to scowl at her boyfriend.
Charles folded the paper and put it in his pocket. He gave Pete a friendly punch on the arm as he walked out of the office. “Come over and play basketball. We need to practice.”
He turned to Cynthia. “Go, fight, win! Yay!”
She rolled her eyes, exasperated with him. “Go to class, Charlie!”
As Charles was walking out of the office, his advisor flagged him down. She motioned for him to come into her office. She walked around her desk and sat down. “I was going to call you in later but since you’re here…” She took out a bundle of envelopes from her file drawer and handed them to him. “Here you go.”
He looked at them. “These are all for me?”
The advisor nodded. “Quite impressive.” She leaned forward. “You even received one from Brahmsley University… You’re the first from this school to get an invitation to that mysterious private school.”
Charles smiled and thanked her. “I’ll look through these tonight.”
“That would be a good idea. Just don’t let it go to your head.” Charles said he wouldn’t as he waited on her to fill out a pass for him to get into class.
After school, Charles met Caroline at her locker. She had her hands full. He shifted his backpack and took the books from her. She took out her backpack, reached for the books and placed them in the pack. Then Charles took it from her. They talked about their day on the way out to his car. Once they stepped in the car, Charles put his sticker for the parking space in the upper corner of the windshield.
Caroline said, “Here comes Daniel.”
Charles looked over as Daniel tried to open Caroline’s door. She smirked because she had locked it. She rolled down the window. He looked down at her to acknowledge what she had done.
Then Daniel said, “So are we neighbors? Is this your parking space?”
Charles shook his head. “No, I was given one closer to the building.”
Daniel growled. “That’s too bad. I wanted someone to park beside me who wouldn’t ding my doors.”
Charles laughed. “I heard that Creighton got a new car last week.”
Daniel joked. “Get out of here. I don’t want that old clunker to park next to me! All right then, we could have had each other’s back.” He pointed to Charles. “Have it your way. See you around.” He got in his car and revved up the engine before driving away.
Charles started the engine and backed out of the parking spot. “He’s just sore we got a better deal.” Caroline agreed.
He drove her home. When they pulled up in the driveway, Joyce and Kevin were on the front porch. He could tell Joyce was relieved her daughter had made it back in one piece. He visualized her fretting all day. He jumped out and went around the car to open the door for Caroline. Then he reached in to grab her backpack. He walked her up the porch steps.
Kevin looked Charles over then looked at Joyce. He stood and hugged Caroline. “How was your day, Princess?”
She summarized her day and then asked Charles, “Do you want something to drink or a snack?”
Charles said that he didn’t, he had to get back to the farm. He asked Kevin if he could pick up Caroline the next morning to take her to school. Kevin looked at his daughter’s big smile then at Joyce to get some sense of what he was supposed to say. Joyce nodded.
“Oh, I guess so.”
Caroline bounced up and down. “Thank you Daddy!”
Charles said, “Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Saunders.” He waved as he walked away, got in his car and drove off.
Caroline grabbed her backpack and went inside to start on her homework.
Chapter 67
Virgil said, “I welcome your company, Gabriel. After so many years alone, the solitude weighs on a person.
“Let’s prepare something to eat. Then I will show you to your cottage.”
They went in the cottage and Virgil fixed dinner for his guest. While Gabriel ate the meal, Virgil packed a large basket of food. When Gabriel placed the dish in the sink, Virgil went to the porch retrieving his walking stick and lantern. Gabriel followed to the porch. He reached down to pick up his walking stick and luggage.
Virgil explained, “The cottages are all along the creek. Yours is the first of the knight’s along the path. We’ll need the lantern because soon it will be getting darker outside.” It was never completely dark on Bridgeiro but it would get dark enough to be troublesome in the forest.
Virgil said, “Everything you will need for the time being is either in this basket or stocked in your cottage. You won’t have to start from scratch.”
He led the way to Gabriel’s cottage. When they arrived it looked like a simple well-maintained residence. Gabriel was pleased. It was better than anything he’d ever owned before, because he’d never owned much of anything in his entire life. Most of what he possessed was in the bag that he carried. What he owned wasn’t worth much. Before Gabriel came back to the kingdom, he had lived with his brother in an apartment. The furniture belonged to his brother.
Virgil extended his arm to the cottage. “It’s all yours.”
Gabriel didn’t know what to do. He stood still, staring at the small quaint house before him. “I’ll work to pay you back. This is not exactly a shack my friend.”
Virgil said, “No, it’s anything but a shack.” He ran his hands over the carved rail on the porch. “You’ll work but you don’t owe me anything. This is all yours.” He smiled at the home, proud of his handiwork and for all the years he’d cared for it.
Virgil followed Gabriel to the front door. The door was stiff and he had to push hard to get it to open. Once it opened, Gabriel walked inside. Virgil asked him to set his bag down. Gabriel stood in the center of the spacious room.
He saw a fireplace with a large pot hanging in it. He walked over to the stone fireplace and ran his hand along the mantle. “It’s charming.” Gabriel noticed notched pegs hanging above the fireplace. He turned to Virgil and asked, “Why are pegs hanging over the fireplace?”
“That is where a knight of the kingdom hangs his sword when not in use.” He pointed to the side of the fireplace and said, “The pegs you see here are where a knight keeps his shield.”
“I will do the same.” Gabriel turned to retrieve his sword and shield from his luggage. He placed them on the pegs.
As soon as Gabriel placed the sword on the pegs, he noticed a dim light shining through tiny openings in the sheath. He became curious and drew the sword from the sheath. The sword had a polished metal glow. Gabriel inspected the blade. He noticed that the etching of the dragon glowed orange as if it was on fire.
Virgil said, “You have discovered the sword in your hand is enchanted. When you wield this sword it is more powerful than any other. This sword will never break. The crystal on the end of the hilt can illuminate a path to the other knights in your time of need. If someone else should attempt to use your sword, it will become dull and too heavy to wield. I’m sure there are many more uses.” Gabriel returned the sword to its sheath and returned it to the pegs.
He turned and looked around the room. The house was modestly, but completely furnished. Gabriel said, “It’s rustic but absolutely beautiful. It looks like someone lives here.”
Virgil said, “Someone does.” Gabriel turned to look at him. Virgil continued, “You do.”
He showed Gabriel around his new home. To the side of the large room was another smaller room that would be considered a dining room and off of that was an ample kitchen. On the opposite side of the house were three bedrooms. Gabriel was pleased. He thanked Virgil again and again.
Virgil said, “No need to thank me. I’m pleased that you’re happy.”
He pointed everything out to Gabriel. Virgil showed him where his pots and pans were stored. He pointed out pottery and glasses. Then he went through the items in the basket with him. Virgil pulled out the sealed
jar of oil to light the lanterns.
When they finished the inspection, Virgil said, “We have enough time for me to show you something spectacular if you’d like to see it.”
Gabriel said, “I have nothing but time. Lead the way.”
Virgil strolled through the forest for quite some time, until they came to a cliff. He pointed in the direction of ruins. “There, my friend is the Kingdom of the Last Dragon. What you see in ruins are the walls of the once majestic castle.”
Gabriel looked across the countryside for as far as his eyes could see. Virgil pointed out the creek and the land where cottages could be seen in the distance. Gabriel now had a better understanding of the land surrounding the kingdom.
Virgil said, “Tomorrow you will see just how nice it truly is.”
Gabriel commented, “It is amazing to me that so many of the houses still stand.”
“It took a lot of care and work to maintain the knights’ cottages that still stand. I am glad you are here. Now you can help me with the work and rebuilding that needs to be done. I hope someday others will follow,” Virgil said, acknowledging Gabriel’s words.
Chapter 68
Donovan opened the door to his office and looked at Maureen. She was staring at the opened box that contained the Witzenelt Collection sitting on his desk. She looked up and smiled. “A job well done my love. This is what my heart has always desired.” She motioned for him to stand beside her.
He walked over and looked down at the glowing red crystals. “Soon enough we will reprogram these beauties and they will belong to you, my darling.”
She looked up at him, fluttered her eyelashes and said, “Honey, this is the best gift you’ve ever given me. Thank you.”
She turned back to the crystals. Their glow was as red as the finest rubies. It was as if they were on fire. Maureen said just above a whisper, “My beloved tainted crystals, welcome home my darlings.”
Chapter 69
Renato rolled over and moaned. His wife wrung out the cloth she was using to wipe his forehead. She smiled at him. He tried to smile but it came out more as a wince.
She said softly, “Welcome back.”
He weakly placed his hand on his forehead. “I feel dizzy.”
She nodded. “Yes, I bet you do. It’s the medication the doctor gave you to fight off your infection. You’ve been fighting it for several days.”
He tried to sit up in the bed but quickly put his head back on the soft bundle. Renato closed his eyes then opened them again. “I don’t want to ever sleep again. I need to get up. The Suzerain…”
His wife lovingly placed her hand on his chest. “I think you are moving a bit fast. Give it some time before you jump up and start running.” Renato shook his head. She continued, “You can protest all you want but if you get up now, you will land on your face.”
He groaned. “Such confidence you have in me.”
“All the confidence in the world. You came back to me didn’t you?” She had his attention now.
“I said I would, didn’t I? I always keep my word.” Earlier memories slowly began coming back to him of how he ended up in bed.
Renato fought to get his elbows behind his body so he could sit up. He looked down at his leg and breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, “They were able to save my broken leg.” He slowly went back to resting his head on the bundle.
He looked at his wife and said, “I love you.”
She flirted with him. “And I you.”
He became serious. “I have a purpose once I get well enough to get out of this bed. My intention is to…”
She covered his mouth with a shaky hand and with fear in her eyes. She drew close to his ear and whispered, “I know, shhh. Please rest. Don’t say another word about the Suzerain. You said too much while you were unconscious. Now is not the time and you are not in the state of mind to make decisions right now.”
He scowled. “I am, woman!”
Fear was written all over her face as a big burly man’s presence shadowed over her from behind her tiny frame. Even through the cobwebs in his brain that still remained, Renato received the message loud and clear. Congahzar was a feared man. Many people in the village suspected the man was a double agent and informer.
Chapter 70
Dimitrios continued to view the recording Reiko had documented. Now he watched his image enter the Time Warp Tunnel.
Reiko attached itself to his shoe. Dimitrios saw that he had moved with such stealth that he was able to avoid all of the checkpoints. The authorities ignored him as he moved throughout the crowd anywhere he wanted. He exited the tunnel moments before the jailbreak occurred. Dimitrios entered the jail and stood in place just before the alarm went off. He ran down the hall in time to see a prisoner sidle around the corner.
As he followed closely behind the last prisoner, Dimitrios removed his outer shirt and threw it in a trash can in the hallway. He was then wearing the identical uniform as the other prisoners. He caught up with the others and joined the line as they scrambled to flee. He heard the leader bark out orders for them to line up along the wall. The mystery woman counted the prisoners. She looked momentarily puzzled by an extra prisoner but allowed him to pass. She explained that they were to keep up and do everything exactly as she did otherwise they would be lost in the Passageway. Those unlucky enough to be behind the lost person would also be forever lost.
Dimitrios watched his image’s wide-eyed surprise, showing puzzlement as to how the woman had craftily created a Passageway right there inside the jail by using a doorway. She stood in the doorway nearest Dimitrios and held the unusual Passageway open for each of the prisoners to enter. She motioned with one hand for Dimitrios to approach her. As Dimitrios walked up to her, the woman commanded him to follow her through the Passageway and not let her out of his sight once on the other side. If he became lost, he and everyone behind him would die. As the leader was giving orders, something glittering caught Dimitrios’ eye dangling on her anklet. It was the missing puzzle piece he’d been searching for throughout the years. Dimitrios then refocused on the leader as she explained to them that once she let go of the doorway, the Passageway would only remain open until the last man went through. If they didn’t quickly follow the person in front of them, the Passageway would close and they'd be trapped on the other side. She warned the prisoners that they must stay in single file on the other side and must not try to pass anyone in front of them, or bad things would happen. She also commented that what they were about to experience would blow their minds.
Once the prisoners were ready to follow her directions, she let go of the doorway and they were all pulled into the archaic Passageway. On the other side of the Passageway entrance, it became dicey. When the entrance sealed behind the last man, Dimitrios realized that what they had accessed wasn’t an ordinary Passageway. The prison break took place in an archaic and volatile Passageway, just as he had suspected. By the look on his face in the recording, Dimitrios could tell it took all his strength to keep running after their guide, following her through the tunnel. He now realized the seriousness of their surroundings. If any individual in the group became lost, those left behind would be forever floating in a parallel cosmos.
The leader did all the work, just as he would have executed it. It all made sense. As he watched the event unfold, Dimitrios discovered his earlier calculations were precise. The entire ordeal pushed them to the limits of their individual strength; as they all fought keep up with one another for fear of being lost forever. They all screamed at one point or another, and at times in unison as their bodies were sometimes shaken along the way. The torture seemed to go on forever. The sheer panic of eternal pain without end kept them from losing sight of the person in front of them, as they all struggled in the strange and unsteady environment. Their guide was skilled at this maze. She worked it like a master manipulator. The woman kept her cool as everyone else in the line had a moment where they silently, or not so silently, spent time reckoning with thei
r maker as they followed this individual who held their lives in the balance.
Then without warning something changed. Reiko captured the event. It looked as though a shocking jolt occurred from out of nowhere, caused by the leader running through a ring of energy in front of her, it sucked them all in and sent them into a weightless free fall through the night sky until they hit the ground, unconscious. The leader landed as if she was a cat. After a momentary pause, she stood up from the ground. Dimitrios could see that he and the others had passed out on the ground outside the border limits. People dressed all in black military gear stealthily came out from the buildings. The mystery woman’s cohorts picked up the prisoners who were unconscious and put them in a vehicle. They paused when they approached Dimitrios, puzzled by what to do with him. Whomever the woman was walking around talking to from her headset, was having a conniption fit that an extra prisoner had been allowed to escape with them. The leader was talking back, arguing. She finally told the voice in her headset to forget about the tag-along. She had decided to leave the guy in a Hub alley. The leader then told some members of the cleanup “crew” to drop the prisoner off in an alleyway, leaving him to his fate. The woman said the authorities would probably pick him up when he was spotted wandering around like a moron. The tag-along prisoner wouldn’t remember what happened since he was the closest to her going through the Backdoor Passage. The unknown prisoner would need a memory starter to unlock the events. She bent over him and whispered in his ear in a foreign language that he recognized that she was sorry. Then she barked orders to the others as they climbed in the vehicles and took off into the night with the prisoners. Unbeknownst to the group, Reiko had recorded the entire incident. It even captured several clear shots of the mysterious amulet on her anklet as she walked by.
Dimitrios continued watching the recording of his time in the alley and saw that he had tried to move as he woke up. He could see his image wince as if sharp pains were shooting through his entire body. He had forced himself to roll over as though his body did not want to cooperate. Dimitrios saw that he had rested in the back alley staring up at the moons and the stars as if he wished he were dead. He had no idea how long he had stayed there in the lane as he was in and out of consciousness.
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