| |
“Here.” Seneca drew a circle in the dirt and looked around, where a purple disk shone one-hundred yards away. “Come on.”
Neo held her back. “Wait. We’d be running right beside those Tamurians if we went now.”
“There’s no time.”
“Sen, no.”
But Seneca tore from his grasp and bolted for the portal.
One of the Tamurians turned. “Surviving Untouchable, kill her!”
The convoy halted but Neo drew his Sword and stuck it into the ground, creating a seismic wave which knocked the Tamurians off-balance as they fired wayward fire-blasts from their Swords at Seneca.
Seneca reached the portal and indicated it with her head. “Come on.”
Neo kicked into a windsurf and sped for the portal as another Tamurian fired at Seneca.
Seneca dodged the fire-blast and as she’d done in the cellars, conjured a twister, and sent it barreling at the Tamurians.
Neo caught up and stretched out his hand. “Tag me in.”
She seized his wrist and pulled.
All around Neo, swirling objects lurked against a black canvas. “What’s this?”
“Where my mom, dad, and sister are. We’re in the World of Spirit. Come on.” Fingers interlocked with his, Seneca fell back. She did this another five times, and when she did so, Neo’s stomach lurched. After their sixth fall back, she nodded. “Here. Come on.”
Two seconds later, Neo’s boots touched dense forest. “Okay, that was the weirdest thing ever.”
Seneca already leaped into a windsurf. “Well, do something you’re familiar with then. Let’s go.”
Wow, this girl wanted revenge and wanted it now. Neo kicked and followed Seneca above the trees.
Seneca pointed. “No. Sun’s high in the sky, and over the clouds.” She batted at a passing snowflake.
“Which way do we go?”
Seneca’s jaw tightened as she looked about. “Umm, oh I wish it weren’t noon. North. North, we need to go north. But right now, north’s a mystery.”
“Sen, your vibes. What’re your vibes saying?”
She rubbed her temples. “Oh, come on, come on, I can’t think right now. I’m sorry, Neo.”
“Here.” He grabbed her around the waist and continued onward. “Let me lead. You have too much on your mind.”
She nodded. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be.”
After two hours of windsurfing, Neo landed and collapsed face-first into the ground.
Seneca’s hands found his shoulders. “Are you alright?”
Neo propped himself on his elbows. “Back’s on fire, and I’m out of energy. Give me thirty minutes.”
Seneca glanced at the sun just visible through the trees. “It’s around two-thirty. Oh, what if they’re there now?”
Neo rolled onto his side. “I guarantee you they won’t even try this until sunset. There’s no way Ruslan or even his stupid son or spoiled daughter would think to order an invasion in broad daylight. Not if he wants a surprise attack. He’s always played his cards that way.”
Seneca wrung her hands. “I know, but either way, he won’t know it’s coming.”
Neo climbed to his knees. “Yeah, but trust me, I know how Ruslan acts. Unless he changed his ways over the last few months. The guy stations his soldiers by night and when we wake up, the papers have already hit the printing press.”
Seneca raised an eyebrow. “News travels fast?”
“Second Tamuria sets off, messengers alert their outlets. They work all night, ability-traveling all over the continent. By morning, boom, you have news.”
“Wow.” She gazed at the sun. “You good?”
Neo stood and swayed.
“Here, hop on.” Seneca windsurfed toward him and he stepped on her surf as she set off toward the horizon. “Good call, by the way.” She again looked to the sun. “You directed us north. I’m proud of—grateful for you. You helped me today.”
On and on they windsurfed, until the sun descended to an extent, and voices erupted nearby.
Neo grasped his Sword-hilt. “We’re close. I knew it.”
“Spot on, Neo, spot on.” Seneca descended to the trees just beyond the beach.
Ahead, thousands of Tamurians lined up as ships awaited them to board.
Neo grasped a bare tree branch and crouched. “Sen, this is an Armada. Look, they’ve cannons and everything. They’re going to bombard us and all our ports. No, Sen, if only I didn’t...ugh!”
“Didn’t what?”
“The buck started and stops with me.” Neo shook his head. “I never thought turning Kia down would turn into this. I mean, anyone who dies in this never had to.”
Seneca grasped his shoulders. “Neo, don’t you dare blame yourself. You don’t know what would’ve happened or what kind of wars would’ve erupted had you not done this. You thought for yourself. You didn’t follow ways set forth by others. You didn’t become another drone to the system. You made your own decision. You saw wrongdoing, took a stand against it, and are working to change it. And you know what, one day you’re going to inspire others to do the same.”
Neo dropped to one knee. “Right now, I’m just scared for everyone in Llandaff and in all Ddraigoch. Especially our Palace, which is sure to get hit. There’s no way we can take on all of them.”
Seneca stuck out her hand. “No, but there is one thing we can do. These ships aren’t the fastest. It’ll take at least an hour to cross the shore. But you can fire-travel. Do you have it in you? Give me just a little more energy. I know you got this.”
“Oh, Sen, you’re a gem.” He took her hand and erupted into a fireball.