by D P Rowell
Juneg spoke from beside the goblin. “Hiding . . . We don’t want anyone to catch us plotting to break into a garden.”
“What garden?” Ishvi said.
The jag pointed outside the forest. Ishvi walked to where Juneg sat and gazed out to the dome in the distance. The goblin laughed the same scratchy laugh and turned to Ace, “That’s it? That’s what you’re trying to do?”
Ace nodded.
“Well,” The tree goblin said. “I can’t give you your light back, but I can definitely get you into that garden.”
Joy like lightning zapped Ace's face. “You can?” he said.
“Uh, there’s trees in there, right?” Ishvi said.
Ace smiled from ear to ear.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
The Garden
Ace stood before the other three adventurers. “Alright, guys. I’m gonna be as quick as I possibly can. You three wait here and guard us.” Ace took out his earpiece and handed it to Trilo. “In case Cameron calls and lets us know Dad and Sebastian have been found while I’m gone.”
Trilo grabbed the earpiece and nodded. Ishvi directed Ace to the nearest tree. “Hey,” Trilo said. Ace turned around to find the fae staring at him with confident eyes. “Good luck.”
Ace grinned. He turned to the thick redwood before him. Ishvi stuck his hand on the tree’s body and a pale flame lit up under the ingling’s palm. The tree cracked open and rays of the elyr burst from inside. Ace and Ishvi stepped inside and the tree shut behind him. It seemed he stepped directly inside one tree and out of another. Like he stepped
through a doorway rather than inside the redwood. He came into a garden and Ishvi shut the tree behind him.
Shywater lacked in comparison to this heaven. Ace had no words and forgot all his worry. He stood in a path of green grass, massive walls of flowers on either side, leading to a circle of grass. The bushes and shrubbery looked as if a skilled artist had trimmed them. Trees of thirty to forty feet swirled around shrubs of varying heights, bearing every color of the spectrum. Their bodies appeared as several tiny trees coiling themselves upward into a family of colorful, cloud-like leaves. Above the vibrant garden hovered the dome's darkness , so he couldn’t see where the ceiling began. Strangely, though, every colorful shrub, tree, and plant, burst with color. Ace looked all about the garden and ceiling without finding a source of light.
Ishvi sighed from behind him. “Magnificent, isn’t it?”
Ace stared wordlessly, jaw to the floor, gazing at the explosions of teal, mauve, and purple about him.
“How does the dome not cover this place in darkness? I don’t see any lights.” Ace said.
Ishvi stepped to a red flower next to him and took a huge wiff, then turned to Ace. “Should’ve seen these gardens when they were scattered all over Breen.” The ingling sighed. “The good ole’ days.” He turned to Ace. “The source of life for these gardens is the elyr. It’s also how they are seen. Emery makes this garden visible, and the strongest darkness cannot prevent it from being seen . . . for those who have eyes to see it, that is.”
Ace stepped through the path. As they walked, he feasted his eyes on the garden. Endless beauty on either side. No indication of where the garden stopped, and the dark dome began. He wanted to ask but found himself at a loss for words. Such a peace took him, it seemed his entire life were a dream and he had only just woken. Once they stepped from the path into the circle of grass, surrounded by shrubs of varying color, Ishvi invited the boy to sit.
“I can understand why you wanted to come here,” Ishvi said. “If you lost your light, this is the place to find the quiet necessary to retrieve it.”
“How do I retrieve my light, Ishvi?” Ace said.
The ingling shrugged. “If it were my destiny to tell you how, the Light would’ve given me that information before our encounter.”
Ace gave the tree goblin a sad look for a moment, then straightened up. “What can I do here?”
Ishvi smiled and sat down before him. “Close your eyes.”
Ace did as instructed.
“Now,” Ishvi said, “concentrate on the Light. Let the quiet take you in. Do not speak. Let the Light speak to you.”
Ace breathed slowly, allowing the peace from the garden to soak into his skin.
Ace, whispered a voice. The voice contrasted a witch’s. It spoke commandingly, yet softly. Ace didn’t respond. He couldn’t find the strength to. At just the whisper of his name, his soul became immersed in the environment. It seemed he was stepping through a tunnel, moving at the speed of light. The end of the tunnel showed a familiar picture. The tunnel faded, and he found himself standing at the bottom of the stairs once again, facing Julie, standing over his mother. Cameron standing beside them all, and Father weeping over mother. Ace stepped towards Aunt Kaitlyn. She had a dark countenance.
Why is she nodding at Julie?
Why do you think? The peaceful voice responded.
“Did Aunt Kaitlyn do this to my mom?” Ace said aloud.
Everything went to darkness.
“No! No!” Ace shouted into the void. “Don’t tease me like that. Show me the truth. Tell me what happened.”
I reveal what I choose and how I choose.
The voice spoke again, and Ace silenced himself. The commanding tone sent a fear through him the most powerful warlock couldn’t contest. Ace had an idea whose voice spoke to him, but he was too afraid to say the name aloud. Another tunnel enveloped him through time to a different memory. He stood on the marina in Eveland. He looked at his left to find a familiar old man, holding his hand and smiling at him.
“Grandpa!” Ace said, his eyes lit like the sun.
The old man laughed and leaned close. “Marvelous, isn’t it, son?”
Ace turned his attention in front of him. Before them, tied to the steel docks, the rickety old ship floated. The Light had taken him to the day Grandpa first bought his vacation ship.
“What if it were used by pirates before?” Grandpa said, “That would be exciting, wouldn’t it?”
Ace’s heart flooded with joy. Something lit up inside him and everything came together. He opened his eyes back to the garden and left his memory visitation immediately, then leaped with joy.
“Ishvi!” Ace shouted, “I get it! I get it!”
The Ingling opened his eyes in shock and scattered to his feet. “What part about, ‘let the quiet take you in,’ did you not understand?”
Ace grabbed the tree goblin’s shoulders and shook him as he spoke. “I know where Emery wants me to go. Oh man, the pirates! Of course, how did I miss it?”
Ishvi looked at him as if he’d gone mad. “Hey, kid, I have no idea wh—”
“Dad told me Grandpa sent a message to me. He said the pirates would lead me to where my journey began. But not actually lead me, they’re a hint. Grandpa always called his vacation ship a pirate ship. I have to find Grandpa’s old ship!”
Ishvi smiled at the boy and patted his face. “So, did you get your elyr?”
Ace’s face drooped. “No. I don’t think so. But, I think the answer will be on Grandpa’s ship. I remember, when he first gave me the Emerson Stone, he told me that the map to the seventh realm was within me. And now, I need to find something within me to get my light back again. It makes total sense. . .” All the excitement faded from Ace's face. “Oh no.”
“What?”
“Grandpa’s ship was left in New Eathelyn. We’re halfway across the world from New Eathelyn right now. I can’t take a flight there, because flights don’t go into Oola, and I don’t have a ship to get from Heorg to Oola.” Ace paced back and forth as he thought through the issues facing him. “It would take me days to get there. And every one of the council’s witches is bound to be looking for me now.”
“Don’t worry, Ace,” Ishvi said. “Emery wouldn’t bring you all the way up here for no reason. There’s got to be some other way to get there.”
Ace shook his head. “No, there isn’t a way to get ther
e. I need to—” Ace’s face went still as a memory flooded his mind. “Wait! Damion! Grandpa’s favorite crew member! He whispered something to him the day we arrived in New Eathelyn. By the New Realm! Grandpa really did plan everything out, didn’t he?” It was almost as if the garden planted another thought in his head in the perfect time. Vividly. As if he were actually there.
“We have our new weapons getting shipped here. Should be arriving in a few hours by ship.” The fae had said in the chaser’s warehouse.
“They have Grandpa’s ship!” Ace yelled and leaped. “But, they must be close to picking it up. We have to hurry! We have to find Damion!”
Ace grabbed Ishvi’s arm and yanked him to one of the closest trees.
“Ahh! Slow down!” Ishvi said.
“We don’t have time!”
Once they arrived, the tree goblin placed his hand on the tree. It split along the middle and they stepped forth back into the redwoods. They fell from the tree in the redwoods and landed on the damp leaves. Ace stood to his feet and helped Ishvi up.
“Whatever you have to do,” Ishvi said, wiping the leaves from his body, “It isn’t worth killing us over! Calm down, would you?”
“Sorry,” Ace said.
“Well, that was fast,” Trilo said. Ace turned to find Trilo, Easley, and Juneg waiting for them.
He ran to the fae and swallowed as he tried to catch his breath. “Trilo! We need to get to the marina here. Wherever they do overseas trading.”
Trilo gave Ace a strange stare.
“What?” Ace said.
“Well,” Trilo said, “I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is, Cameron just came through on the earpiece. Sebastian and your dad have been found . . .”
Ace tilted his head. It surprised him, as he suspected the chasers to leave Father and Sebastian helplessly in the woods. “. . . And? . . . the bad?” Ace said.
Trilo winced a moment before speaking. “They’re kinda prisoners. And they’re going to be sent to Breen to stand before the Fae Queen for charges against Dorneg.”
“What? What charges?” Ace said.
Trilo shrugged. “Don’t know. But it’s a peculiar thing you wanna go to the marina. The only way to get to Breen is by ship.”
“Well,” Easley interjected, “what are we waiting for?”
“Right,” Ace said, “let’s go!”
Each of them went to run out of the woods, but Ace stopped for a moment. He slowly turned to find Ishvi standing in the woods, bug eyed and slightly sad. Ace walked to the tree goblin.
“We could use the help of the inglings right now. I still don’t have my elyr, and there’s a lot of witches that need to be taken care of here,” Ace said.
Ishvi sighed and shook his head. “I have to get back to the Tree Kingdom. There’s so much I must report to King Vinan. It’s still too dangerous for us to wander about Yutara. You and the faes are elyrians who can blend in. Us tree people aren’t so camouflaged. If we show up now, we’ll risk getting destroyed by the council before the final war. But, given everything I’ve just experienced, you can bet we’ll be preparing to come back soon. When the time is right, you will have us all by your side.”
Ace smiled at the tree goblin and gave him a small hug.
“Go,” Ishvi said, “get your elyr back. I’ve no doubt you’ll find your way soon.”
Ace nodded at the tree goblin. “See you at the end of the world.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The Chase
The cold, damp air stung Ace’s nose as they rushed through the city covered in steel. Juneg led the way, followed by Easley. Trilo and Ace stayed side by side. None of them ran at full stride but kept a steady pace at a distance.
“Juneg knows how to get to the marina, right?” Trilo said.
Ace kept his eyes focused straight ahead. “I think so. She’s led us everywhere else in the city with no trouble at all and she just took the lead without hesitation.”
The fae chuckled quietly. “That jag has some serious potential.”
Ace turned his attention a few feet ahead to the jag. She had pulled her hair up into a ponytail, and her stubby antlers were more visible from behind. She trotted along determined and skilled. Ace half smiled. “Yeah,” he said, “she’s gonna change the world.”
“Hey,” sounded a voice. Ace looked across the street to the right. Two fae guards in silver jumpsuits and vests signaled for them to come.
“You four!”
Ace’s heart dropped to his gut. Had the chasers sent warning to the guards about them? The fae witch must’ve caught on to who they were.
Cameron, Ace thought. Something happened with Cameron and now they know who I am!
Juneg and Easley glanced over the street once they heard the call of the guards. They looked back to Ace and Trilo. For a moment, they all stared wordlessly. The guards began walking across the street. One of them touched his ear and spoke inaudibly
Ace and Juneg’s eyes met a moment. Ace shrugged. Juneg shrugged. Ace mouthed a word with no sound.
Run.
Juneg grabbed Easley’s arm and took off down the street. Ace and Trilo followed their lead. The guards yelled and took off in full force after them. The chase had begun. The fae citizens soon took notice, but hardly reacted. Only the guards chased them. Juneg cut corners every second and Ace and Trilo nearly lost her a couple of times. The idea to split up crossed his mind, but he soon threw away the idea. Juneg and Easley wouldn’t be left behind. Non-negotiable. Ace turned behind him to find an additional two fae guards joining in the chase. Police sirens sounded in the distance. How would they ever get out of this?
Juneg cut another corner and led them to a larger street, heavily populated with Dorneg’s citizens. She stopped a moment and Ace and Trilo bumped into her. Dorneg’s citizens surrounded them on the sidewalk, and hovercrafts zoomed by the main street. The grandest street of Dorneg they had seen yet. Steel signs lit up in neon along the sidewalks and people smiled and laughed with one another timidly. Drinking and conversing merrily. Beam streetlights stood high on either side of the street, coating the dark pavement with a bluish hue. The crowd gazed eerily at the four adventurers. Juneg turned behind, “We have to try and blend it. We can’t outrun them.”
Ace grabbed her by the wrist, then Easley. “Lead us, but we’re not splitting up.”
Juneg nodded and Trilo grabbed Easley’s other wrist. The jag weaved the train of adventurers through Dorneg’s crowds. Moments later, the four fae guards chasing them came to the street from the very same alley Juneg brought them.
“Stop those kids!” Yelled the guards.
“Juneg,” Ace said, “you better hurry.”
The citizens around them all began to gaze at them strangely. They were surrounded. How were they to—
A silver hovercraft from the street turned unexpectedly and smacked into one of the street lights. The light went out and caused several arc flashes, nearly blinding them. The crowd screamed in panic and everyone stepped back from the scene. Ace turned to his left. The guards chased them in plain view as they were no longer blending in with the crowd. He turned back to the hovercraft at the sound of the passenger door sliding upward. He squinted. The driver . . .
“Cameron!” Ace said.
Cameron waved his hand frantically, “Don’t just stare at me, get in!”
Ace shoved Juneg and Easley forward, then Trilo as they all scrambled inside the hovercraft.
“Hey!” The guards shouted, “Someone stop them!”
Too late. The second Ace stepped inside, Cameron bolted through the streets before the door even closed all the way. Ace’s older brother swiveled through the streets of Dorneg, barely dodging the driving crafts. Juneg, Easley and Trilo piled on top of each other in the cramped backseat. Ace took the passenger’s side.
“Cameron, do you know how to drive this thing?” Ace said.
Cameron turned to Ace with wide, panicked eyes, “You're welcome for saving your life!”
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“Won’t do us any good if you kill us on the ro—Watch out!”
Cameron jerked the hovercraft to the left. The bottom of the craft scraped and squealed against a cargo hovercraft creeping along the road. Once they made it in front of the cargo craft, everyone sighed with relief. Ace looked to the mirror on his right side. Three golden hovercrafts with flashing police lights trailed just behind them. Cameron picked up the speed and they zipped through the city at horrifying speeds.
“How did you get this thing?” Ace said.
“Well,” Cameron said. “To make a long story short. Once I found out about Dad and Sebastian getting taken into custody, I suspected the chasers and hid away. Waited for the right time, stole a set of keys and grabbed the hovercraft. I knew they’d be coming after you and me soon. Had to come get you guys and get out of this city.”
“What about Borundi and Gloria?” Ace said.
“They helped with the distraction, so I could get the hovercraft. They’re probably in custody right now.”
Ace sighed. Everything flooded through his mind with what he needed to do. No time to grieve. “Oh, man,” Ace said. “How’re we gonna get to the marina?”
“Marina?” Cameron said, “Why do you want to go there? We need to get out of Dorneg now!”
“Grandpa’s ship is at the marina, Cameron,” Ace said.
Cameron turned his head to Ace with unconvinced eyes.
“The Light told me,” Ace said. “And there’s something on the ship that can give me my elyr back.”
“Besides,” Trilo interjected from behind, “Sebastian and your father will be there.”
“What?” Cameron said, “How do you know that?”
Trilo leaned forward. Easley and Juneg groaned and yelped as they all uncomfortably squeezed in the small back. “You told me they were going to be taken to the Fae Queen. The only way to get to Breen is by ship. Well, the only way to get there with the faes’ approval anyway. They’re like the drakes in Oola. They don’t have airports and they don’t care much for technology.”