Europa Awakenings

by P. R. Garcia

After their meal, the four returned to their room where Terrance, Europa and Earon rested for several hours while Jeanip kept watch over them. It was hard for Terrance and Europa to sleep with all Jeanip had told them. They kept going over the story in their minds, thinking of new questions to ask, trying to comprehend everything. Finally, sleep overcame them, bringing them dreams of ancient civilizations and flying air ships. As he watched Terrance and his sleeping monarchs, Jeanip’s eyes began to grow heavy until he too was fast asleep.

  “Europa, Terrance, it is time to wake up,” Earon said softly to awaken the two. “But keep your voices low. Jeanip is still sleeping.”

  Europa opened her eyes and saw Jeanip asleep in a chair not far from her, once again keeping his promise not to leave her side. She looked up at her brother and quietly asked, “Earon, Jeanip said he is almost nine thousand years old. Will you live that long also?”

  “Here, you might want to put this on,” Earon said, handing Europa and Terrance each a thick sweatshirt. “It is going to be pretty cold out on the water.” Looking at Europa, he answered her question. “No one knows for sure how long we will live here on earth. At home, Jeanip would be middle aged, so I suspect we will probably live to be at least eleven to fourteen thousand years old, give or take a century or two.” Earon laughed, thinking his comment was humorous. He could see by the astonished looks on the others faces they thought it incredible.

  With a serious look on her face, Europa asked her brother, “Earon, how old will I become?”

  A somber look spread across Earon’s face. “I am not sure, Sis, probably a normal human’s life span. I would imagine eighty or ninety years. But I do not think anyone really knows. You are the first Oonock to be born as a human. We have seen what you can do with the Orb, so some of our genetic makeup has to be in you. You too may be able to live for a long time.”

  “If the Orb can make me live longer, might it also enable me to transform like you do?” she asked.

  “I have been wondering that myself,” Earon responded. “That is something you should ask Jeanip or even Mr. Dark Feather.”

  “That is something you should ask your father,” Jeanip replied, as he began to awaken.

  _____________

  Fed, refreshed and ready to continue their voyage, the four travelers walked down to the docks to board their vessel. As they arrived they saw their white, wooden boat plus three more identical to it. There was also a black fiberglass speed boat in the middle of the four.

  “This time we’re traveling in the black speed boat,” Jeanip stated, pointing to the boat. “Two of the white vessels will exit the channel in front of us and two behind us. Each will then proceed in a different direction separate from our course. If someone IS watching the ocean we hope they will follow the decoys and not us.”

  “But won’t the fact that our boat is the only black one kind of give them a hint which one is ours?” Terrance asked, thinking that’s what he would assume if he was a Terrian.

  “Although that would be the logical assumption, it is in error,” replied Jeanip. “The black boat is designed to blend into the ocean so it is almost invisible to the naked eye in the dark.”

  Jeanip turned and faced Earon. “Earon, would you please take Europa to the boat and wait for me at the walkway? Europa, I will personally escort you aboard, so please wait for me there. I have something I need to discuss with Terrance before we leave.” Turning toward Terrance, he gestured for Terrance to follow him. “Terrance, if you would follow me.” Noting the worried and concerned look on Europa’s face, he turned back to Europa. “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. He will join you shortly on the boat. I just need to discuss our trip with him. I will be just a few steps away from you. As promised, I am not leaving you alone.”

  “I know, Jeanip,” Europa answered, giving him a big smile. Europa watched as Jeanip and Terrance took several steps away from the vessel so they could speak privately. “I will wait for you and Terrance here,” she announced. She had no intentions of boarding the boat until she was sure Terrance was also coming.

  “Terrance, before we leave I need to make sure you understand what is about to happen. The journey we embark on is going to be very dangerous,” Jeanip stated, looking directly at Terrance. “Europa and Earon must make it. You do not. You were caught up in this tragedy without any say. Terrance, I want to give you that chance now. If you would like, you can end your journey now and remain here with Mr. Dark Feather. Since you know who and what we are, and where we are going, you would have to remain here for a couple of weeks, a month at most. But once Europa is safe you’d be free to go. If you continue this journey with us you must realize there is no coming back for months, perhaps even years. Once we reach our destination you will be a liability and I will not be able to allow you to leave. I know you have a mother and family back in Australia. Are you ready to be separated from them for that length of time? I know you care deeply for Europa, but is this something you really want to do? There is no shame in remaining behind. You have been a great asset to us. Without your help we would not have made it this far. So what is your decision, Son?”

  Without hesitation Terrance replied, “If you’ll have me, Jeanip, I would like to continue the journey with you. I can’t leave Europa. I could never live with myself if I let her continue this journey alone. Plus, I would always be haunted with not knowing if she had made it to safety or not. I feel my presence is still needed, almost as if there is something I am destined to do to assure her continued life. I think Mr. Dark Feather senses it too and that’s why he gave me back the purple stone. If he simply wanted it taken to FarCore, he could have given it to either Earon or Europa, but he didn’t - he purposely gave it to me. You said I have been a great asset to you. I would very much like to continue to be one.”

  “And what about your family?” Jeanip asked, wanting to be doubly sure Terrance realized what he would be giving up by going with them.

  “If I can have a few minutes, I’ll write my mother a letter which Mr. Dark Feather can mail when he feels it is safe. I’ll let her know I finally decided to join the Secret Service. She’ll believe that because I’ve been talking about doing it for the past few years. I’ll tell her I’ve been assigned to an elite unit battling terrorism and we have been deployed so I won’t be able to contact her for some time. And I’ll be sure to tell her I love her and not to worry about me.”

  Terrance could see the look of esteem in Jeanip’s eyes. “It would be an honor to have you come along. You are a valiant man, Mr. Landers, worthy of being a Waters.” Jeanip held out his hand and shook Terrance’s. “You have ten minutes to write your letter.”

  Terrance turned and smiled at Europa. “I’ll be right back,” he said, as he ran with his backpack to a large rock and quickly sat down.

  Fearful Jeanip had said or done something to prevent him from coming with them, Europa began to follow Terrance. Jeanip stepped in front of her and gently grabbed her shoulders. “It’s okay, Your Majesty. He’s not leaving. He has something he has to do and then he’ll be right back to finish our journey.” Jeanip could see Europa was having trouble believing his words. “I promise you, Europa. He IS coming with us. I swear this to you on my honor as your guardian and faithful servant.” Europa knew if Jeanip was using his honor as proof Terrance was going with them, than it had to be true. Seeing Europa believed him at last, Jeanip stepped on to the boat and waited for his young sovereign.

  Terrance quickly pulled one of the notebooks from his backpack and scribbled a letter to his mother. When complete, he tore it out of the notebook and wrote his mother’s address on the back. Picking up his backpack with note in hand, he ran back to the dock and handed Chancee the note and asked him to mail it when he felt it safe. Chancee handed it to one of his men with instructions to take it to his office for safe keeping.

  Europa gave him an inquisitive look as he hurried back to the boa
t. “What was that all about?” she asked Terrance.

  “A letter to my mother so she won’t worry too much,” he replied, stepping onto the boat.

  “Oh,” Europa said. “That was a good idea.”

  “Farewell, Your Highnesses,” Chancee said, bowing slightly and raising his hand to his forehead. “Farewell, young Terrance. May the Waters give you safe passage and good health.”

  “You’re not coming with us, Mr. Dark Feather?” Europa asked.

  “No, My Dear,” he answered. “My place is here to protect your back. Plus, there is the possibility JeffRa will try to enter these lands and we must get prepared to fight him if he does.” Chancee turned toward Terrance. “Do you still have the purple stone?”

  “Yes, Sir,” Terrance said, patting his pocket.

  “Don’t forget to place it in FarCore when you get there,” Chancee reminded him. “But until that time, never be without it. You may still have need of its powers.”

  “We won’t forget, Sir,” Europa said. “And thank you for all your help.”

  “No thanks are needed,” Chancee answered. “Now I will take my leave of you.” He turned and walked up the dock toward the Complex. He had only taken a few steps when the sound of an explosion echoed through the cavern followed by yelling, gun fire and the sound of animals. As they turned to look in the direction of the sound, all saw two of Mr. Dark Feather’s men running toward them.

  “Sir, we’re under attack!” yelled one of the soldiers. “Raykin just called to say Terrians struck at the camp and Jepson reports the same at the lodge’s perimeter. We’ve also received word from Runbee that they are trying to come up the channel.”

  “Sounds like he has a few more men than we assumed,” Jeanip said, looking at Chancee.

  “The side wall has been breached and Terrians have entered the lodge. Report for battle immediately,” came a voice over the speaker.

  “I can’t believe JeffRa has the audacity to attack the camp or us. He must really want those two,” Chancee said, as he nodded toward Europa and Earon. “If he knows you’re here we can’t take a chance on the boats. He’ll be expecting that. You’ll have to go by land.”

  The ground underneath their feet shook as a huge explosion was heard. They could see dust and smoke bellowing in from the east wall. “Looks like besides men, JeffRa still has some of that damn bendicor. He just blasted apart the east wall. You can bet they’ll be arriving at the dock shortly,” Chancee stated.

  “I agree,” Jeanip said, grabbing Europa’s backpack and the two paintings of the Dumbo’s and jumped over the side onto the dock. “Quick, Your Majesties and Terrance, off the boat. We’ll have to go by land.” Handing Europa her backpack and pointing to a wall at the far end of the docks, he ordered, “Earon and Europa, run as fast as you can toward that west wall. When you reach it turn right and follow the tunnel. Do not stop for anyone or anything.”

  “Jeanip, I don’t see a tunnel,” Earon said, taking the backpack from Europa and slipped it over his shoulder. He firmly grabbed Europa’s hand and the two took off running.

  “Don’t worry, you will when you get there.” Jeanip yelled. He handed the two paintings to Terrance, “Terrance, I need you to carry the paintings along with your backpack? Can you do that?”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “Then take them and run with Earon.” Terrance grabbed the paintings and took off running as the five boats sped off toward the opening still hoping to confuse the enemy into thinking the monarchs were aboard one of them. Jeanip watched the boats speed off one by one and prepared to follow his monarchs when he heard the sound of yelling behind him. He turned and saw several mountain lions and bears sprinting toward them. Before Jeanip could stop him, Chancee turned into a large grizzly and ran toward the oncoming animals saying only the word, “RUN!” Jeanip watched as several of Chancee’s men also transformed and charged the advancing animals. The chamber was mixed with the sounds of fighting animals and blasters. Jeanip followed Chancee’s advice and ran after the three travelers. He turned to see if any Terrians were following him and witnessed Chancee go down and get pinned by a Terrian grizzly, who was frantically trying to rip out his throat. Jeanip stopped, raised his weapon and fired, hitting the Terrian grizzly and killing it instantly. Seeing his men had taken down the other Terrians, Chancee transformed back into a human and ran toward Jeanip.

  “I thought I told you to run,” he yelled above the deafening sounds, grabbing a coat from the floor and slipped it on.

  “That’s what I’m doing,” Jeanip answered, as he took off running again, Chancee right behind him. They were more than half way to the wall when Jeanip heard commotion behind them. Without missing a step he quickly turned his head and discovered forty Terrian soldiers running toward them. Terrians’ bullets began to zing by their bodies as he returned his gaze back to his monarchs. He was relieved to see they had reached the west wall and were turning right as instructed. He watched Europa then Earon disappear behind the wall, but before Terrance could get behind its safety, one of the Terrian bullets struck him. Jeanip and Chancee watched in fear as Terrance dropped the paintings and slumped behind the wall.

  “Once I close the door behind us there’s no way to open it from this side,” shouted Jeanip, as they ran to the fallen Terrance. “You need to come with us.”

  “No, I’ll cover you’re back and keep them from blowing apart that door.”

  “There’s too many of them,” Jeanip stated, knowing Chancee could not take on forty alone. “You wouldn’t have a chance.”

  “Don’t underestimate my capabilities,” Chancee laughed.

  As they reached the west wall and turned right, Jeanip looked behind again to determine the position of the advancing small army. He was glad to see Chancee’s soldiers had descended upon them and only twelve remained, but those twelve were still advancing. Suddenly, a blast sounded behind them to their left deterring everyone’s attention to the channel opening. The last white boat had embarked and was blown apart as it emerged from the cave. “May they flow into the Waters and be taken home,” Jeanip quietly said.

  Chancee bent down to see how badly Terrance was hurt. “I’m okay, Mr. Dark Feather. It just grazed my arm.” Terrance held up his left arm to reveal a slice of open flesh in his upper arm, blood freely flowing from it.

  “On your feet then,” Jeanip ordered, picking up the two dropped paintings with one hand and pulling Terrance to his feet with the other. “Can you still carry these with your right arm for a few more minutes?” Jeanip said. “Chancee and I both need our hands free to operate our weapons.”

  “Yes, I can still carry them, I think.” Jeanip slipped the paintings underneath Terrance’s right arm. Terrance clenched his arm tightly against his body, pressing them into his side while holding them with his right hand.

  “Let’s go then. Terrance you first.” The three took off running down the tunnel, following the same path Earon and Europa had already gone down.

  “Jeanip, why don’t you just leave those paintings behind? They’re not worth getting shot over.”

  “I can’t leave them, Chancee. They were Medaron’s most prized possessions, even more than the Orbs. Plus, Europa wants them.”

  “They’re really no trouble,” Terrance said, turning his head slightly around to face Jeanip, almost tripping over a rock he did not see.

  “Don’t talk, Terrance, just keep your eyes on the path ahead,” Jeanip ordered.

  Finally, they arrived at a steel door where Europa and Earon waited, each trying to catch their breath. Europa noticed the blood trailing down Terrance’s arm and ran to his side.

  “I’m fine,” Terrance said, seeing the worried look upon her face. “Just a small scratch.”

  Europa reached up and kissed him on the cheek. She removed the paintings from beneath his arm and handed them to Earon. “Earon, would you please carry Mother’s paintings?”
Earon smiled and nodded his head affirmatively.

  “Okay you three, inside the doorway,” Jeanip announced. He watched the three step inside, then turned to thank Chancee for his assistance. Surprisingly, he saw the dozen remaining Terrians running down the tunnel toward them. Knowing there would be no reinforcements to help Chancee from this end of the tunnel, Jeanip stepped through the doorway, pushed the closure button and grabbed Chancee at the last second and pulled him through. The door closed and sealed them in.

  “What did you do that for?” Chancee asked, visibly angry at being pulled inside.

  “Hopefully, for the same reason you gave me that shot when we arrived,” Jeanip answered, feeling no other explanation was necessary.

  Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to shake violently, knocking them off their feet. Dirt and rock rained down from above as some of the ceiling began to crumble.

  “Looks like he intends to bring the mountain down on top of us,” Chancee stated. He and Jeanip helped the three youngsters to their feet. “If we don’t get out of here soon this place will be our tomb.”

  “Agreed. I guess JeffRa isn’t planning on getting Europa and Earon alive anymore. Looks like he simply wants them dead,” Jeanip said. The lights illuminating the tunnel blinked, then went dark. “Looks like he got the generator.”

  Plunged into darkness, the five were forced to stop. “Isn’t this going to make it a little hard to proceed?” asked Terrance, reaching out and taking Europa’s hand. “Or do you guys possess night-vision too?”

  “Unfortunately, as humans, we only see as well as you do, Terrance, but we do plan ahead. Europa, in your backpack are six flashlights. Please give one to each of us.” Europa unzipped her backpack, felt around inside for the flashlights and handed one to each member of the party. “Choose your footing carefully but walk as fast as you can down this corridor. It’s about a mile to where we need to be. Chancee, you go first, then Earon, Europa and Terrance. I’ll bring up the rear. Now go!” The five began to proceed down the corridor, shining their flashlights on the ground as they stepped over rocks and debris. Another shock wave spread through the corridor as the mountain was blasted once more. This time they all were able to keep their footing and continue on. After twenty minutes they arrived at a stone wall with a large pool in front of it.

  “What happened?” Europa asked. “Was there a cave-in? Are we trapped?”

  “No, just another security precaution I believe young Terrance is not going to like,” Jeanip stated. “Since Terrians can’t swim, the last part of our journey has to be through that pool.” Everyone saw the frightened look on Terrance’s face. Jeanip walked over to him and placed his hand on his uninjured arm. “Terrance, I know you have a fear of water. But, I also know you can do this. You can do this for Europa. All I need for you to do is hold your breath. I will bring you through to the other side. I promise. It’s not very far.”

  Terrance looked at Europa, then took a deep breath. “I can do it, Jeanip. I can do it for Europa. Just tell me what to do.”

  “Good man,” Jeanip said. “Europa, in the back section of your backpack are two water proof bags. You and Terrance need to put your backpacks inside them. You will also find in your backpack four water goggles. Please get them out. Unfortunately, I did not bring any extra so someone will have to go without one.”

  “I will,” Chancee said. “I can transform into something so I can see.”

  “No, I will,” announced Terrance. “I’ll have my eyes closed the whole time anyways, so what good are goggles?”

  “But, Terrance,” Europa started to say, then stopped, realizing he was right.

  “Okay, everyone strip down to your shirt and underwear. You don’t need extra weight weighing you down. Put on your goggles and into the pool. Earon, I need you to carry Terrance’s backpack. Chancee, if you would carry the two paintings.” Everyone stripped and entered the pool. Terrance clung to the side, already feeling his panic rising.

  “Take several deep breaths and fill your lungs with air. Chancee you are number one, Earon you’re number two, Europa you’re number three and Terrance and I will be number four. When I say your number, submerge and follow the fluorescent yellow rope along the wall to the other side. As I told Terrance, it’s not far. None of you should have a problem making it. Ready?” Everyone nodded.

  As Jeanip said their number, each took one last deep breath and slipped below the surface and followed the yellow rope. When it was Terrance’s turn Jeanip said, “Okay, Terrance, this is it. You can do this. Now take a deep breath and close your eyes.” As Terrance heard Jeanip say “four” he felt himself being pulled underwater. The panic he had started to feel earlier was mounting and his mind told him to fight Jeanip, to get back to the surface and air. But he forced himself to envision Europa’s face and concentrated on it with every ounce of his being, thus he was able to control his fear. His lungs began to burn for want of air and he didn’t know how much longer he could control his panic. He tried focusing harder on his mental image of Europa, but his aching lungs would not allow him to do so. Then it occurred to him that, if he began to struggle against Jeanip, Jeanip would not hesitate to let him go. The fear of that was more powerful than his desperate need for air. Just as he could hold his breath no longer, they broke through the surface to air and a lighted new chamber.

  “Are you okay?” Europa asked, as she swam to Terrance, seeing the terrified look upon his face.

  “I made it! I really made it!” Terrance said, a big smile spreading across his face.

  “That you did,” Jeanip said, leading him to the ledge where Earon and Chancee waited. Jeanip then sank beneath the water and yanked on the rope, disconnecting it from the first chamber. “Just in case the Terrians thought they’d try swimming for a change. Without this they will never navigate the numerous tunnels and make it through.”

  “How much further is it?” asked Earon.

  “Only about five minutes,” Jeanip replied.

  “Do we have to go through any more pools?” Terrance asked, almost afraid to hear the answer as he began to shiver in the cold.

  “No, that was the only one,” Chancee answered, retrieving several blankets stored nearby. “Here, this should help with the cold. There are dry clothes aboard the ship for you to change into.”

  This side of the mountain had not been blasted so the pathway was not littered with rock, thus making it easy for the five to run the rest of the way to their waiting boat. As they rounded the last bend everyone gave a sigh of relief to see a sleek black speedboat waiting. “Jeanip, you never cease to amaze me,” Earon said. “You always have a back-up plan for the back-up plan.”

  “When it comes to yours and your sister’s safety, nothing is more important, as you well know, Earon,” Jeanip stated, as if his plan for every possible scenario was a common occurrence. “But this time let us hope JeffRa has no more surprises for us. There are no more boats after this one.”

  “What would have happened if they had destroyed this one too?” Terrance asked.

  “Then I’m afraid it would have been the open sea,” Jeanip stated, looking directly at Terrance. Terrance could see by Jeanip’s expression he was not kidding this time. It was this boat or nothing. Everyone hurried on board and quickly changed into dry, warm clothing.

  “Chancee, would you cover our departure from the lookout?” Jeanip asked. “That is if you still remember how to use one of those blasters!” Jeanip teased.

  “When this is all over you and I will have a contest to see who remembers and who doesn’t.”

  Jeanip walked up to Chancee and clasped his hands upon both of his shoulders. “Thank you, Old Friend. We could not have made it without your help. I will not forget to inform Enok of your heroism and your dedication to his children.”

  “As always, Jeanip, I am here to follow your command. Inform Enok if you wish, but there is n
o need for thanks or praise. Knowing our sovereigns are safe is all the reward I need,” Chancee replied. Turning to the three travelers, he bowed slightly and raised his hand to his forehead. “I must take my leave of you now, Your Majesties”. After a short pause he added, “And Terrance.”

  “Good luck, Mr. Dark Feather,” Earon said.

  “May the Waters guide you to safety and give you long life,” Chancee said, as he turned and left, hurrying up a flight of stairs to the room above. From there he could operate the blaster to keep any Terrians ships from attacking them as they left.

  “We have to leave in a few minutes,” Jeanip announced. “But, before we go, I have a few rules to go over with you. I will do the navigating. Each of you will take a shift sitting beside me as my lookout and to help keep me awake. While that person is with me the other two are to remain down in the galley. There’s food and drink down there, benches if you want to sleep and some blankets if you get cold. JeffRa will not know if we are traveling by land or sea so he will surely be patrolling both. Therefore, we cannot take the chance of using the lights below, but there is a low light night lantern you can use. Each time before you use it, you must check the windows to ensure the blinds are down and secured and the curtains are closed. Be sure the galley door is closed too. Even the smallest flicker of light could give us away. If you need me for something come directly up to me. Do not call me from below. Keep your voices low when talking. Whispering would be best. Sound does carry out here on the ocean. A lot farther than you imagine.”

  “It will take us about six or seven hours to reach our next destination.” Looking at each one as he said their name, he added, “Earon, you will take the first watch, Europa you have the second and Terrance you get the last. Dress warmly; it’s going to be cold tonight. There are several thermoses of coffee down below and several up here. Feel free to drink whatever you need to in order to keep you warm. But remember this – we are running silent so the toilet cannot be flushed while we’re at sea.”

  Jeanip turned to look at Terrance. “Terrance, I know you’re not a fan of the water and probably don’t have sea legs. There is not much wind tonight, but there still will be swells, probably six to eight feet. The boat is going to rock and it WILL make you sea sick. In the first aid box in the galley you will find Dramamine and ginger capsules. Take two Dramamine now along with one or two ginger capsules. They should keep your stomach quiet. There are also some ginger snaps in the cupboard next to the sink. Keep them handy just in case the pills don’t work fast enough. If you start to feel queasy at any time, start eating them and come up on deck. The worst place to be when you’re sea sick is below. Know this, young Terrance. If you do get sick I will not hesitate to heave you overboard if I think you are jeopardizing our mission.” A look of concern passed over Terrance’s face. He wasn’t sure if Jeanip was serious or kidding. He hoped kidding.

  “Will do,” Terrance said, now a little nervous about getting sea sick. It seemed like every obstacle he encountered came with the possibility of Jeanip either ending his life or abandoning him should he fail. Terrance promised himself that if he survived, he definitely was going to learn how to swim and get his sea legs.

  “There are life jackets below. Terrance and Europa, put one on now. Do not take them off until we reach our next destination. If, for some reason, we have to abandon this vessel you will have to go into the ocean. We will not, under any circumstances, use a raft. Once you are in the water the dolphin patrol will protect you.”

  Jeanip saw Terrance’s face turn pale again as he remembered his last ordeal in the water. “I’m sure, Terrance, that won’t be necessary. It’s a last resort. But, if the thought of being in the water is too terrifying for you, you can still exit the vessel and remain here. Chancee can always use an extra hand. As I told you before, there is no shame in remaining behind.”

  “No, Sir,” Terrance answered. “I’m in. And if something goes wrong and we have to abandon the ship, then please be assured I will not hesitate to go into the water.”

  “I’ll hold you to that,” Jeanip answered. “I believe that’s it. Does anyone have any questions?”

  The three travelers shook their heads negatively.

  “Then, Europa and Terrance, you two down below. Put on your life jackets and, Terrance, take those pills. I’ll see each of you in several hours. Earon, you might want to grab one of those coats downstairs to help with the chill. And bring one up for me also.”

  The three went below and did as Jeanip instructed. As Europa and Terrance put on their jackets, they could feel the ship moving, pulling away from the dock and beginning its journey to the open ocean. Each of the four travelers wondered what the night would bring – JeffRa or safety.

  As they pulled out of the secret harbor Jeanip looked up into the sky to see a bright full moon greeting them, shining its luminous glow upon the dark waters. The moonlight was definitely an asset in navigating the dark ocean without lights, but it could also make them easier to spot. Jeanip knew the black camouflage would help them blend in with the surrounding water. He just hoped it was enough.

  “So what is the plan, Jeanip?” Earon whispered, taking the co-captain’s chair and handing Jeanip his jacket. He watched as Jeanip pushed the throttle forward ever so slightly, coaxing the boat further from shore and out into the open ocean. “Will Runbee and Graybin be guiding us again?”

  “No, not this time. JeffRa will assume the dolphins will be guiding us and he’ll be looking for them. We thought it best if the dolphins traveled with the decoys. At least that WAS the plan. I saw at least one of the decoy boats destroyed before it emerged from the cove. I don’t know if any of the others made it or not.”

  “So we are on our own at the moment?” Earon asked.

  “No, not at all. Unless something happened to them when the Terrians attacked, Runbee and Graybin should be following us at a distance in case they are needed.”

  “You mean in case we have to bail?”

  “Yes.”

  “So we are going to just navigate blindly?”

  “No, I’ve got the instruments I can read with the help of these,” Jeanip said, handing Earon a pair of night-vision binoculars. “I’m able to read the dials. We have a course direction, so we follow it until our guide comes along to lead us the rest of the way.”

  Before Earon could ask who the mystery guide was he heard Jeanip give him a very quiet “Shhh, listen.” Earon strained his ears for any sound but could hear nothing but the ocean waves. He scanned the ocean for any movement, endeavoring to see any lights on the water. Then he saw them - three boats were moving toward their position in an intersecting course. Earon could not determine if they were the remaining decoy boats or if they were Terrian.

  “Jeanip, ten o’clock. There are three boats headed this way. They could be Terrian.”

  “I see them. And you can bet they are Terrian. Our own boats would not approach us for fear of giving away our location. Let’s hope Chancee has spotted them too.”

  ____________

  Chancee quickly climbed the stairs to the observation deck. He walked over to the blaster he and Niquan had installed the previous day and removed part of its camouflaged covering. As he pressed the button, numerous lights turned on and began blinking, making him grateful he had remembered to leave part of the covering on to conceal its illumination. Even with the aid of the full moon to help hide their brightness, blinking lights on shore would be easily seen from the ocean. Putting on his night-vision goggles he watched the boat below slowly pull away from the shore and head out to sea. He aimed the locator at the boat and listened for the “click” when it locked on to the boat’s location. He then set the locator to follow the boat, thus allowing him to scan the ocean without fear of losing track of his sovereigns. Jeanip was almost to the one mile marker when Chancee saw lights moving toward his sovereigns. Magnifying his binocula
rs, he saw three Terrian boats closing in on Jeanip’s location. He knew he could destroy one of them with the blaster, possibly two, but there was no way he could get all three before one of them reached the boat. Then, to his great relief, Chancee saw just west of the one mile marker several whale blows. He knew instantly it was Enok and several other Waters coming to their aid.

  “Enok, if you can get two of them I’ll take the other one,” Chancee said out loud, smiling broadly. “I should have known you wouldn’t be far away from your children tonight.”

  Chancee watched as the whales dived. He had to time this just right. He aimed the blaster at the farthest boat and calculated the time it would take Enok to reach them. Forty seconds before the whales should be emerging from underneath, he threw off the covering and pulled the trigger, sending a laser stream directly into the last boat. Instantly, there was a huge flash as the boat exploded into pieces, raining fire and debris onto the other ships. Seconds later the whales emerged from beneath the other two boats, throwing one into the air and smashing a big hole in the other one. The whales disappeared for a moment, then reappeared as they breached and landed on the boats, destroying the vessels and the Terrians who sailed them. No sooner had Chancee seen the breaching when there was another blinding brightness and he was thrown backwards, chunks of rock falling from the observation deck into the ocean and onto him. He crumbled to the ground under the weight of the falling rocks, pinning him underneath. He turned his head and scanned the ocean for anything he may have missed. Then he saw it – a fourth boat hidden behind the rocks. It had detected his location when he decloaked the blaster and fired it. Fearing another blaster attack, he tried to transform into a bear so he would have the strength to break free of the rock that held him captive. But unconsciousness took over just as he began to transform. As he eyes closed he did not see the two huge whales rise beneath the fourth boat and destroy it just as they had the other two.

  ____________

  “Jeanip, do you think Dark Feather can take out all three with the blaster?” Earon asked.

  “Chancee is one of the best marksmen I know,” Jeanip stated, “But, I don’t think even he can destroy three. Let’s hope Enok is close enough to help.”

  Jeanip and Earon watched the three boats grow closer. Suddenly, a blinding burst of light consumed the farthest boat and both watched as it shattered into pieces. They knew Chancee had fired the blaster but would he have time to destroy the other two? Without warning, one of the boats rose into the air, a huge Moby pushing it up from underneath. They looked at each other and both said simultaneously, “Enok.” Wondering what fate was in store for the third boat, a loud sound of breaking wood was heard as Mobies smashed into the third boat, breaking off most of the bow. The whales then breached, smashing down onto the two boats, breaking them apart and drowning the Terrians who had dared approach the monarchs.

  “What’s going on?” Europa asked, as she and Terrance ran up from the galley. “Are we under attack?”

  “Almost,” Earon answered. “But Father and Mr. Dark Feather put an end to it.” Earon handed Europa his night-vision goggles so she could see for herself. She then handed them to Terrance. As Terrance put them on, there was a blinding flash from behind them, forcing him to close his eyes. He saw the others looking behind him as the light from the blast lit up the sky. In disbelief, he watched the cavern they had emerged from minutes before crumble into the sea as the side of the mountain cascaded down, burying everything and everyone on the observation deck.

  “There,” Earon shouted, pointing to the fourth boat. “They must have been waiting for Mr. Dark Feather to give away his position.”

  “Which he did when he fired the blaster,” Jeanip replied. “May the Waters find him and take him home.”

  The light from the explosion began to fade until the four stood in complete darkness once again. Jeanip pushed the throttle forward and began to move the boat out of the area and onto her needed course. “Terrance and Europa, you need to return to the galley,” was all Jeanip said.

  “But what about the fourth boat?” Europa asked. “Surely they saw us with all that light.”

  “I’m sure they did, but your father will see to it that they don’t follow or give away our position. Now please, Europa, go below.”

  Mr. Dark Feather had been a great friend and soldier to Jeanip. Even though Europa could not see Jeanip’s face, she could tell by the tone of his voice that Mr. Dark Feather’s death had deeply touched him. Silently, she searched for Terrance’s hand in the dark and led him back downstairs after giving Earon back his night goggles. Another friend and comrade lost protecting her. Europa wondered if the killing would ever end.

 

  OPEN OCEAN