The Boss paused in the doorway of the Guards’ Academy. He saw the sky to the west painted in shades of purple and red and took a moment to enjoy the spectacle, breathing in the cooling evening air after another hot summer’s day.
The flagstones of the central square were still wet where the townsfolk had sprayed water to cool down the piazza. A handful of people were milling about, slowly promenading, enjoying the calm of the evening and the lazy conversation. His town was at peace.
Clasping his hands behind his neck, he stretched his back and shoulders, trying to ease away the aches from too long a day spent behind his desk.
Maybe I should organize some Guards’ training in the mountains, he thought. It’ll get me out of the office for a few days, and it’ll give me some exercise.
He descended the granite steps to the central square and turned for home.
“Boss!” he heard behind him.
He took a deep breath. Without turning or stopping his slow stroll home, he called over his shoulder, “I’m going home. I’ll deal with it tomorrow.”
“Boss, you’ll wanna see this,” he heard.
Exhaling loudly in a puff of tired exasperation, he turned to see the evening sentries standing with a young lady between them. He instinctively knew it was Kerri.
Although he’d always hoped she’d appear, her turning up still shocked him. The Boss noticed the blood and dirt on Kerri’s tunic. He could see the scratches on her legs beneath the rips in her trousers. He tried hard to keep his face expressionless when he saw the bruises on her face and arms from one fight too many. She held her staff at her side in a relaxed pose, but he knew she could turn it on him in an instant. Her reputation made everyone wary.
Kerri had to bend her neck to look him in the eye, but when she did, she held his gaze. She must have felt no obligation to open a conversation. She stood and waited.
His smile creased the corners of his eyes.
“I’ve been getting a lot of reports of a ‘ferocious wolf’ on the rampage. It seems to have been tracking down and killing off any surviving apes. I don’t suppose you know anything about it?” asked The Boss. He thought his smile and light tone would help put her at ease. He thought wrong.
Her eyes didn’t flicker. The Boss sensed she was using her peripheral vision to take in everything around her, to watch for any danger.
He let the silence draw out, wondering if she’d heard what he’d said. When she didn’t answer, he tried again.
“I’m glad you found your way here, Kerri. We’ve all been hoping you’d come. Queen Lucinda is here. I’ll take you to her if you like?”
He saw no sign of recognition in her eyes. He wondered if she understood what he said. One of the sentries who had escorted her into the town moved to watch the exchange. The Boss saw her eyes shift to follow the sentry and her hand tightened on her staff; he saw the tip rise ever so slightly. He realized she might look cool, but she was very much on edge. He tried a new tack.
“I expect you’re wondering what happened.”
“No. Not really.” Her voice was without emotion, as cold and dead as her eyes.
The Boss was taken aback, but he pushed on.
“After so much loss, I think it’s important that you know.”
“I’m not sure I care.”
He paused, trying to decide if she was serious. He decided she was.
“I’m guessing you figured out the borders are down? We think the crystal created some kind of force around it, and when the crystal was destroyed, the borders suddenly ceased to exist. This is your land now, as much as it is ours.”
“This is not my land,” she said.
His mind was in turmoil, trying to understand why she was so distant. Her piercing look told him nothing. Maybe she IS past caring? he thought. He tried again, determined to make a connection with her.
“After Salli gave us the third book, we discovered secret writings that told the story of how the crystal came to be here. It seems the people we call the Ancient Ones are our ancestors. They came from across the ocean, searching for a place to bury the crystal. You see, it was created by mistake.”
“By mistake? All my people died for a mistake?”
He realized he was waffling, saying anything, and saying the wrong thing.
“It was never supposed to be like that. The Ancient Ones were dabbling in magic, trying to harness the energy they knew was inside us all and everywhere around us. They called it, ‘The energy of the Heavens.’ They tried to focus it into an object that they could hold and direct, but things went horribly wrong. They did create something that held power… but at a terrible cost. Anyone who came close for long enough became sick. It literally burnt the skin from their body. It made you so sick that you were sure to die. The Evil One was already doomed, as was anyone who tried to hold onto the crystal.”
“So, it was all for nothing. Just a mistake!” She held his gaze.
It was his turn to remain quiet. He was not going to say that her clan was needlessly wiped out. For a moment, he wondered if he was going to get through to her.
“We’ve offered all the survivors of your clan a home here. We plan to keep the Alliance alive.”
“Alliance? You weren’t there. You didn’t come to help.”
So that’s it, he thought. It wasn’t an accusation—it sounded more like resignation, although he would understand if she did blame him; he felt the same way. If only they’d arrived earlier, they may have had a chance to save her clan.
“We were there, Kerri, but we arrived too late. When the Evil One was using the crystal for His own ends, it affected the gateways. We were thrown into different times and strange places when we tried to cross the border. We couldn’t get to you. Those of our men who left by boats arrived after Lulu destroyed the crystal.”
His answer seemed to go over her head. He could see she wasn’t lying. She didn’t care anymore. He tried one last time.
“Why did you come?” he asked.
She seemed to think about this for a long time. “I made Vin a promise,” she said.
The mention of Vin’s name unsettled him. He watched her, waiting, hoping she’d say more. Eventually, he said, “Could I ask… what was the promise?”
“I promised I’d come and see Naz’s family. They should know what he did for us, that he gave up his life so that Carter would have a chance. It’s important his family know that he died trying to save us. He was a hero out there in those fields.”
“Yes, that is important. It will help them, knowing what Naz did. It will also help Holly to know that you’re safe.”
She took a quick gasp of breath. Something had registered in her consciousness.
“Holly?” For the first time, she momentarily broke eye contact.
“Yes, Holly is here. Vin’s mom adopted her after her parents were lost. She never stops talking about you.”
He noticed the tip of her staff fall slightly, and her shoulders slumped. He heard her let out a deep breath and saw her eyes drift away as if searching for a memory.
“Holly is here?” she repeated.
“She’s been waiting for you. She’s always telling us how fast you can run and how good you are in combat and how you’re best friends. She told us one day you’d come. She was right.”
Kerri’s staff slipped through her fingers and clattered to the ground. She lifted her hands, and it seemed she saw the dirt and grime, the scratches, and her broken nails for the first time. She looked confused that her hands were in such condition, as if unsure what had happened to her.
“I wanted to come.” It was barely above a whisper. The Boss strained to hear her but didn’t dare ask her to repeat it.
“Holly will be so happy to see you,” he said.
Kerri shook her head. Whatever she was debating in her mind, she was having trouble coming to terms with it.
“There’s so much I can’t remember,” she said. “I know there was something I really had to hold on to… but now…” She shook her head. “I just can’t remember what it was.”
“What do you remember, Kerri?”
He could see the furrowed lines appear on her forehead. He knew she was having trouble finding words. She’s been alone too long, he thought.
She stared at him but didn’t see him. She looked straight through him as if trying to see something far away and long ago.
“I remember Holly was there when it all began… that she was taken to the Lost Lands. I know she was my friend.”
He nodded as a wave of sympathy hit him. He suddenly saw a little girl in front of him, lost and alone.
“Would you like to rest? Would you like to sleep in a soft bed? We’ll keep watch for you. Nothing will harm you, I promise.”
It was a long time before she answered.
“Rest would be nice. I feel so tired.”
“Let us help you. You can be with your friend again, with Holly.” He saw her sway and stepped forward. He feared she might fall, but she quickly recovered and took a step back. “Are you okay?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I keep hearing a voice in my head. I can’t stop it… it’s driving me mad,” she said.
“What does the voice say?”
“It says to keep my promise, to find Naz’s family. But I don’t know what to do afterward. I don’t know where to go. I don’t know where anyone is.”
“They’re here. They’re with us.”
She looked around the now deserted piazza and seemed even more confused.
“I should go home,” she said, turning to leave.
“Where is home, Kerri?” he asked.
She stopped and turned back to look at him. Her face showed a thousand worries.“I can’t remember,” she said.
“This could be your home.”
“Here? … With Holly?”
He nodded.
She looked at the buildings around her. “Am I really home?” she asked.
He stepped toward her. “If you want to be,” he said gently.
He noticed her legs were shaking and heard her sniffing. As her knees buckled, the Boss quickly reached forward to catch her before she hit the ground. He scooped her up in his massive arms, holding her tight against his chest. The front of his shirt soaked up her tears that would not stop.
The end… or so they believed.
Book 4 - Dragon Lands
At the end of the ape war, they thought the killing was over… after all, what was left to fight for?
Now that the Three Books are together, secrets lost for generations are being revealed. There are even whispers of a second crystal… one with the power to change history.
Holly has also heard the rumors. She will do anything to turn back time. Meanwhile, her revenge is still waiting for those who betrayed her.
But when Kerri discovers the bears are digging in the old city, she realizes… what was left of her world is now on the edge of destruction.
Link to Book 4: Dragon Lands
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