"Okay."
Zircon knelt down as shiny keypad with symbols I didn't recognize popped out of the rectangle. I kept my feet rooted in place as he muttered a few sayings and punched in a code. The rectangle immediately moved, rising up the wall and coming to a halt at one of the various tunnels. My arms flailed out for balance but my body hardly jumped. Zircon stood casually beside me, staring down the black tunnel that was now in front of us.
"This is the one," he said, squeezing my hand. My chest felt heavy as I looked into the black entrance. It reminded me of the black beneath my dangling feet as I gripped the rock above me. My heart raced, but I had to do this.
"How long," I gulped, not happy about the fact that I'd have to confidently walk into the dark.
"A few minutes," he replied. "It'll be over before you know it. Are you ready?"
"For spouts of running poison and rivers flowing with bubbling lava, as you put it?" I forced a half smile that Zircon returned. "No."
"We shall see if I was right."
* * *
The two of us stood in front of molding wooden gate. Zircon cringed as he eyed a chunk of cloudy metal that looked like it was plopped on top to scare off visitors. He took a deep breath before kicking the gate open. He jumped back as the chunks of metal attached to the wooden gate jingled. A stone path leading to a mountain made of red rocks made me anxious to continue.
"Are you sure you wish to go on?" Zircon asked, hopeful that I might change my mind. I took a step forward, letting the soles of my shoes touch the bottom of the stone path.
"Yeah," I replied. "I'm sure." My forehead immediately started sweating as the moist humidity from the tele-tree left my lungs. It was replaced by dry and sweaty skin. The red mountain in front of us had a flat top that oozed red goo. I could feel Zircon's muscles tense as he wiped a bead of sweat from his face.
"What do we do once we're inside?" Z muttered. I looked down at the empty spot on my finger, remembering my brief conversation with Nuum. I had no idea.
"Improvise?" I suggested. Zircon frowned but held tight to my hand as if he were responsible for my safety. It was comforting to know I didn't have to do this on my own.
"When Nuum talked about this place," he began. "What exactly did he say?"
"Something about a spell," I replied. He nodded, glancing over his shoulder every thirty seconds.
"Well," he said in a hushed voice. "You've come to the right place." As we approached the base of the mountain there was a loud pounding in my ears - the sound of crashing water. Zircon gulped as his eyes fixated on a wild waterfall on the side of the red mountain. I followed his gaze, smiling. It reminded me of home.
"Beautiful waterfall," I breathed.
"You cannot be serious," Z protested. "The mist from that poison makes my skin crawl." I nearly choked on my spit. Spouts of running poison.
"Water?" I laughed. "Water isn't poison."
"Maybe not where you're from."
"Water is everywhere where I'm from," I responded. We quickly walked out of earshot of the wild waterfall. "I drink it every day." Zircon's black eyes went wide. He looked me up and down, probably expecting to see patches of dying skin or bleeding sores.
"You are joking," he said narrowing his eyes.
"Nope," I answered. "I drink that stuff all the time and nothing's wrong with me." My face felt hotter the closer we got. I looked down at my feet, counting my steps as my heart pumped rapidly. It beat even faster as Zircon's hand gripped onto mine. I looked up as he suddenly stopped.
A line of peculiar creatures marched towards us. Their skin looked like smoothed charcoal and I gasped, noticing their blood red eyes - eyes I'd seen before. I was in the right place. Zircon jumped in front of me, instructing me to pull out my pocket knife. He drew a rocklike dagger from his belt - a weapon I hadn't even noticed him carrying. He stepped in front of me as one of the creatures said something in a harsh, raspy voice.
"Intruders!" The line of dark soldiers broke into a sprint, grabbing the two of us before we even had time to think. Zircon threw a punch with the handle of his dagger, knocking out his attacker and grabbing me around the waist. He pulled me back towards the wooden gate.
Another charcoal soldier pressed his shoulder into Zircon's side. We both fell to the ground. My arms throbbed as they slammed against the stone pathway. Two soldiers appeared immediately behind us and tightly gripped our arms. The both of us tried to yank away but I could feel the creature's sharp fingernails piercing the skin on my forearm. I looked up as a man with charred-looking skin approached us. His blood red eyes dripped with crimson liquid - snaking down his face like a river of lava. He put up his hand when he saw me.
"Easy," he commanded. His raspy voice jolted my organs from their secure resting spots.
"You," I responded, surprised by my own gall. "This is your fault." Looking into those horrifying eyes reminded me of the burning pain that had seared through my entire body, forcing me to hyperventilate as screaming cries were trapped inside my frozen skin. "Send me back!" The man curiously studied my face, resting his gaze on my eyes.
"You," he said, ignoring my outburst. "You are not from here."
"Duh!" I yelled. "What gave it away?" I tried to yank away from my captor again but he dug his nails even deeper. I winced as I felt the warm moisture of my own blood leak from the side of my arm.
"Control your temper," the man said calmly. But his raspy voice made him sound defensive.
"You let us go," Zircon's voice thundered. "Let us go or -"
"Or your father's army will burst through our gates?" the man laughed. "You yourself could barely stand the sight of them."
"Then let HER GO." Zircon looked to me, but the man laughed again. He raised his chin and waved his ragged, black hand.
"Bring them inside."
Chapter Eight
The Keeper
"You're not supposed to be here," the charcoal-skinned man said as he stared at the whites in my eyes.
"Who are you?" Zircon hissed. His soothing hand brushed the skin around the slit in my arm. The two of us sat in a darkened room in the heart of the red mountain. The man with blood red eyes that dripped down his cheeks sat in front of us. A line of silent soldiers stood still on both sides of him.
"I am Rimar," the man replied. His forced speech through his raspy throat reminded me of Grandma Nettie's friend from quilting class. Her name was Ruthie and she was a chain smoker.
"So," I gulped, forcing myself to look into the bloody goo of Rimar's frightening eyes. "This isn't a dream." Rimar looked down at the wound on my arm.
"I think you know the answer to that," he responded. I winced from the pain and the throbbing from my fall during the marriage ceremony still pulsed through my body every time I bent a hinge. "What is your home called?" I looked to Zircon. His chest heaved as his white pupils eyed the lines of my face.
"Silver Hills," I said quietly.
"In which quadrant is that?" Rimar asked looking curious.
"Quadrant?" I questioned. "It's in the United States." Rimar still looked puzzled. "Earth?" His head perked up. My chest pounded as his bloody eyes widened even further.
"Oh zite," he murmured. "This is not good."
"Look," I responded. "I never wanted to this to happen and I have no idea how it did. It was a mistake and it wasn't my fault."
"You must return home immediately," Rimar's voice boomed. "Time flows differently where you're from. There's no telling how long you have been absent."
"Fine," I said impatiently. "Send me back." His oozing eyes studied every fold of my outfit.
"You must have a transport stone to travel between realms," he stated. "Where is your transport stone?" I shrugged. I'd never touched a stone or even laid eyes on one.
"What are you talking about?" I answered. "I don't have a stone."
"You
MUST have," Rimar boomed, banging a hand on the edge of his chair. My heart jumped from its resting place underneath my skin.
"This stone," Zircon chimed in. "Is it small?" Rimar nodded. Zircon turned to me - his thumb lightly caressed the empty spot on my finger. "The engagement ring."
"You mean Grandma Nettie's ring?" I corrected him. Zircon looked Rimar in the eye. This time his face was expressionless without any hint of fear.
"We did have a stone," he loudly responded. "It was stolen." Rimar glanced down at the stone floors beneath his high-back armchair.
"Without it." Rimar looked at me. "I can't send you back."
"Why not?" I shook my head. My breathing quickened as I thought of what it might be like to stay in Sard forever. I had to go home. Rimar sighed. His red eyes narrowed as he carefully stood and began pacing.
"The stones are intertwined together," he began. "They form passageways between worlds. This is how the balance is kept. Every planet is assigned a Keeper - a Sardian soldier. Each Keeper is tasked with keeping their stones hidden, and warding off curious citizens. There are three stones on Earth guarded by a Keeper called Quar."
"Why was I not aware of this?" Zircon inquired. "I have been learning about our planet since I was a boy." Rimar stopped. He stared at Zircon like an upset father stares at his thieving son.
"Because." Rimar's raspy voice became heated again. "There are fools on every planet. The planet Geme is no exception." He shot Zircon a scolding look.
"I AM NOT SOME LOWLY CHILD THAT YOU CAN CONTROL," Zircon thundered. His voice blasted through my ears, almost forcing me to fall off my chair. As he jumped out of his seat, a huddle of soldiers stepped forward with weapons drawn.
"LOOK WHAT HAS HAPPENED!" Rimar yelled back. The blood red goo in his eyes bubbled until they finally burst into flames. Definitely a hot head. "A transport stone has been discovered and look what has happened!" I grabbed the edge of Zircon's sleeve and tried to pull him back to his seat. Yelling would get us nowhere. Alexa had taught me that. Mostly because yelling, screaming, and crying were her solutions for everything and nothing ever got resolved.
"Sit down," I said through my teeth. With a red face, Zircon slowly sat down. He kept his stare directed at Rimar.
"The stones must be returned," Rimar said, calming himself down. "The stone that brought you here belongs on earth. We must get it back."
"How?" I replied. I knew nothing about Zircon's planet, let alone the crazy things that went on in Nuum's head.
"That is what we train for," Rimar said as he looked the soldiers on both sides of him. "You must be returned home immediately or the consequences could be atrocious."
"What do you need to do to send her back?" Zircon asked. His voice was still loud and defensive but his cheeks were tan again.
"The stone of course," Rimar replied, looking a little confused. "I thought that was clear."
"No," Zircon interrupted. "What else besides the stone?"
"You must read a verse from the book of galaxies," he answered. "But the spell would be useless without a stone." My stomach churned as I remembered my last moments on Earth - the pain, the green smoke, the blood red eyes. The Keeper of Earth must have been the last person I'd seen before waking up in Dotti's bed. Nuum had mentioned a spell. That had to be what pulled me off Earth. My lungs felt tight as I thought about going home. Would I experience the same fit of pain again?
"Don't worry about the stone," Zircon finally said. Rimar tilted his charcoal head.
"My boy, the stone is all that matters."
"The stone that was stolen was a gift," he continued. Zircon briefly glanced in my direction. "It was a ring that belonged to my mother."
"And Nuum stole it," I interrupted. "I know. That was my fault." Zircon put a finger to my lips, hushing me before I could continue.
"Mother had more than just the one ring," Zircon said. "Two were made, and I know where we can find the other."
* * *
I walked along a hallway with gurgling sounds echoing from every corner. Rimar was at my side. In a few minutes, Zircon and I would be taking a trip - a trip to see his mom. As soon as we had a stone, I'd be able recite a verse and return home. I was looking forward to it. Rimar had given us a plate of food before our journey. It was basically a heavy plate of colored rocks that were hard to chew and tasted much like sugared sand. I guess Mom was a good cook.
"Before you go," Rimar's raspy voice said quietly. "There are a few things I must ask of you."
"Like what?" I smoothed the white fabric of my outfit, feeling my knife secure in its pocket.
"First," he sighed. "You must promise to keep the details of your journey to yourself. No one must know what you've seen and heard here today."
"I promise," I nodded. I was slowly growing accustomed to the oozing liquid in his eyes and the rough edges of his skin. And his raspy voice didn't make me cringe anymore.
"I was troubled by the last report I received from Quar," he said in almost a whisper. "When he was placed on Earth, he hid three stones in a darkened pit in the heart of a giant, white mountain. The stones were safe for some time until great forces broke the rock and men began to explore deeper."
"Miners," I muttered.
"Quar did what he could to scare them away," Rimar went on shaking his head. "But two stones were taken by a man called Theodore." He mouthed the name like it was the strangest word he'd ever uttered. "Only one stone remains with Quar. But as you know, it only takes one stone to cause chaos."
"What do you want me to do?" I asked. What could I possibly do to help that Quar couldn't himself? Rimar's eyes went wide as he looked around the empty hallway.
"The three stones must NEVER be brought together," he whispered. The words sent chills down my spine. "You CANNOT let another human learn of the stone's powers."
"That shouldn't be hard," I replied. "Nobody really believes in that stuff where I'm from. They'd be labeled a loon for life."
"Return the stones to Quar," he instructed. "That balance CANNOT be broken."
"I'll do what I can," I responded. "But I'm not exactly Xena Warrior Princess." Rimar gave me a curious look. He took a heavy breath, looking at me with concern in his eyes.
"You have seen what men will do to attain power," he said quietly. "You have seen how different worlds can be. One does not belong in the world of another. You know the heartache that accompanies mistakes such as these." I looked down at the stone floor. He was right. I did feel out of place, and it did wrench my heart to think of what my parents must be going through. I couldn't even get them a message that I was okay.
"And," I breathed.
"You are the only human that truly understands," Rimar said solemnly. "And I see great strength in your heart."
"Maybe," I muttered. "But you only met me an hour ago." Rimar smirked.
"I select Keepers based on the strength I see in them," he chuckled. "I've been doing it for a millennia. Trust me, child. You should not doubt yourself. You have what it takes succeed."
"I guess I'll find out," I mumbled. I was the girl who never talked back (out loud). I couldn't even muster the courage to talk to Brett until I'd endured two years of silence. I couldn't imagine myself doing anything of any use to anyone.
"Do you promise me that you will help Quar in any way you can?"
"I guess," I sighed.
"Not 'I guess'," Rimar protested. "You must promise." He reached out his charcoal hand. I hesitated but as my heavy chest rose with anticipation, I knew it was the right thing to do. Nuum was a psycho. For all I knew he could've transported himself anywhere in the galaxy by now.
"Yes," I said, shaking his rough hand. "I promise."
"Then it is time for you to go home," he smiled. The two of us turned and started walking back the way we came.
"I do have a question though," I said as a sudden th
ought occurred to me. "The verse that will transport me, does anyone else have access to it?"
"Only me and the Keepers I have chosen," Rimar stated. I thought about my conversation with Nuum. He'd acquired the spell somehow. He had to have.
"Then I suggest you use caution," I replied, scanning the ling hall for anyone listeners. "You have a double agent in your organization."
"Double agent?" he repeated.
"Someone has been passing secret information without your knowledge. You have a mole."
Chapter Nine
The Pink Stone
Zircon and I walked past Sard's wooden gates and back to the tele-tree. There were no tele-trees inside the city gates. A square paper sat in my pocket next to my knife. It was the verse that would take me home. Once read, the paper would destroy itself. I only had one shot.
"What did he want?" Zircon asked as we approached the massive tree outside the wooden gates. The heat from the city slowly left my face as a chill breeze cooled my body off.
"Rimar? He just told me some stuff for when I get home."
"You think things will be different when you go back?" he continued. He pushed a dark spot on the tree trunk, letting a rounded door form. I watched in awe.
"Uh . . .yeah," I replied. "I mean, I never knew this place existed until now." Z grinned as he stepped into the tree. We entered a large foyer with the same desk at the center.
"Zite," Zircon said under his breath. My heart raced as he wrapped his bulky arm around my shoulders. "Act like you're ill." I gulped, as the place echoed with the frequent footsteps of travelers. There was a line in front of the front desk.
"Zir -"
"Don't," he immediately interrupted. "Don't say my name. Call me something else."
"Bob?" I suggested. He looked at me funny.
"Strange," he whispered. "But yes." We took a step forward. Zircon squeezed me tight as travelers in bright suit coats passed by us. My forehead started to sweat. I could feel my muscles getting tense as we stepped forward a second time. The line was moving fast.
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