Unlocked 8.5 (Keeper of the Lost Cities)

by Shannon Messenger

  DWARVEN BODYGUARDS

  Queen Nubiti

  ASSIGNMENT: Previously a bodyguard to Sophie Foster

  EXPERIENCE: Nubiti is both a fierce fighter and a tremendously quick thinker, both of which serve her well in battle.

  KNOWN FOR: Overthrowing King Enki and becoming the new queen of the dwarves.

  NOTE: Nubiti has yet to assign Sophie a replacement dwarven bodyguard, likely because she’s still rooting out the traitors from the dwarven world and determining who she can trust.

  NOTE: Tam and Linh are also protected by Elidyr, Opher, Timur, and Urre, but these four dwarves remain primarily underground and have not shared anything about themselves with their charges.

  HUMANS

  CAPITAL CITY:

  Too many to list

  RULED BY:

  Definitely too many to list—and constantly changing!

  CULTURE:

  Compared to the intelligent species (which the elves do not classify humans as), humans have relatively short life spans—and many elves believe that this gives humans a more “short-term” focus, causing them to overlook significant problems (like their pollution and destruction of the planet). Humans also do not have a single culture, language, or government—a notable difference that gives them an incredible diversity of cuisines, arts, music, fashion, customs, and traditions to enjoy and experience. But these differences also create distinct national and societal divisions. Humans sometimes also discriminate for other reasons (like background, appearance, wealth, and systems of beliefs), which has caused a number of serious problems for their world—at times even leading to further divisions and war. And yet, all of this is a tremendous oversimplification of the “human experience” and does not even begin to capture the depth of their unique challenges and struggles—as well as their contributions, gifts, and talents. Sadly, though, it’s the full extent of what elves (and the other intelligent species) are taught about humanity.

  RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ELVES:

  Contact with humans is forbidden (which is why elves call the human world “the Forbidden Cities”)—and they’ve gone to great lengths to ensure that humans have no knowledge of their existence (or of any of the intelligent species—as well as many of the protected species). All of the Lost Cities are hidden by numerous illusions and shielded by a variety of security measures—and the elves have also spread myths, legends, and stories to make humans think of them as “silly” and “magical” and “make-believe.” That way, even if humans were to accidentally discover the Lost Cities, they’d discount what they were seeing. But the relationship between humans and elves wasn’t always this way. Long, long ago, humans were classified as an intelligent species. In fact, the elves built Atlantis as a merging point for their two worlds—a city where elves and humans could peacefully exist together, and learn from each other, and inspire each other, and form friendships and connections. The Unity Fountain in Atlantis remains a reminder of this brief time period—before everything went wrong. And while elvin history books tell a tale about the humans’ greed for power and the violent uprising they were planning (which led to the elves’ decision to engineer the tidal wave “catastrophe” and sink Atlantis), recent discoveries have unearthed the reasons why the humans began their rebellion—and the elves were very much to blame. Vespera was fascinated by the humans’ capacity for “ruthlessness” and felt that if elves didn’t learn to be the same way, the humans would eventually overthrow them. So she began conducting evil experiments on humans in a secret facility under Atlantis in an attempt to understand their propensity for violence—and when the humans started noticing that people were going “missing” and tried to get the Council to intervene, the Councillors refused to believe that such monstrosities could be happening. As a result, the humans banded together, planning to overthrow the elves—which then led to the elves’ disappearing to avoid a war. And even though both species have continued to thrive without each other, it’s hard not to wonder how much better things would be if they’d been able to keep working together. That’s one of the reasons why the Human Assistance Program was created (a program where those with the Council’s permission would enter the Forbidden Cities disguised as humans, in order to advance human wisdom and potentially gain knowledge in return). But all too often, the information shared led to troubling human innovations (particularly in the case of weapons—which infuriated the goblins and ogres), and the elves eventually canceled the program, fearing it was causing more harm than good. Since then, the elves have done their best to pretend that humans don’t exist—all while the other intelligent species have grown increasingly concerned about how much land the humans are claiming and how much damage their pollution is causing. At one point, some even proposed moving the humans to a new sort of “Sanctuary” to contain them and protect them—but the Council rejected the idea, knowing the humans would consider it to be imprisonment (and it would be). Despite making the right choice, the Council has taken no other actions to remedy the situation, which is one reason why the Black Swan created Project Moonlark and chose to have Sophie Foster grow up in the Forbidden Cities. Yes, she was also hidden from the Council that way, but the true benefit was to give Sophie an alternate perspective by allowing her to experience the human world without any elvin biases. As a result, Sophie not only understands humans in a way no one else in the Lost Cities can, but she also views the elvin world through a different lens and is able to identify problems and injustices that others have grown too accustomed to notice. And perhaps someday, she’ll fulfill her creators’ hopes, and change both worlds for the better.

  SOPHIE’S HUMAN FAMILY

  William (Will) David Foster

  (also known as Connor Freeman—and another alias kept classified for his protection)

  ROLE: Sophie’s human father

  QUALIFICATIONS: Kind, affectionate, hardworking, balanced, and generous—and someone who would never use his children to gain prestige.

  KNOWN FOR: Calling Sophie “Soybean.”

  NOTES: The Black Swan needed Sophie’s existence to remain “low-key” to avoid detection—and they knew there would be many things about her that could garner quite a bit of attention. So they carefully searched for a loving couple who wouldn’t exploit their daughter for fame or profit, finally settling on the Fosters. After Sophie was moved to the Lost Cities, her human father’s memories of her were erased, and he was given a new job, a new name, and what humans would consider a “comfortable” existence—as well as a house with a yard big enough for the dog their family had wished for. The Freemans seemed to be thriving in their new lives—until Vespera escaped from Lumenaria and took both parents hostage to use for her horrible experiments. No one knows exactly what they endured, but it had to be terrible. Once they were rescued, their memories were erased in a unique way to ensure flashbacks would never be triggered, and the Council now keeps a closer eye on Sophie’s human family to better ensure their safety.

  Emma Iris Foster

  (also known as Kate Freeman—and another alias kept classified for her protection)

  ROLE: Sophie’s human mother

  QUALIFICATIONS: Loving, intelligent, cautious, humble, and skeptical about human medicine—as well as someone who needed fertility assistance in order to have a baby.

  KNOWN FOR: Her homemade fettuccine and tendency to worry.

  NOTES: Many human medicines have dangerous side effects, so the Black Swan searched for parents who wouldn’t expose their daughter to too many chemicals during her time in the Forbidden Cities. But they also needed someone who would get Sophie treatment if the need arose, and the Fosters struck that perfect balance. The elvin fertility treatments Sophie’s mom (secretly) received also enabled a second pregnancy, giving her a biological daughter to hopefully make up for the fact that Sophie would someday return to where she belonged. Like her husband, she was captured by Vespera and put through terrible experiments—and her memories of that time have been similarly erased. But she manag
ed to say a proper goodbye to Sophie before the Washer did his job, giving them each gentle closure.

  Amy Rose Foster

  (also known as Natalie Freeman—and another alias kept classified for her protection)

  ROLE: Sophie’s human sister

  QUALIFICATIONS: None, since Amy was born into her role—but she mastered the part of “annoying little sister” quite quickly.

  KNOWN FOR: Her snarky personality and beloved stuffed animal (Bun-Bun), as well as her cat (Marty) and her dog (Watson).

  NOTES: Amy is one of the few humans to visit the Lost Cities—and she’s the only one who remembers the experience. Sophie brought her there after her parents were captured by Vespera, and the Council let Amy keep her memories of the experience so she could be better prepared if the Neverseen came after her family again. As a result, Amy has an Imparter that reaches Sophie—but she’s only allowed to use it in case of emergency. She’s also able to understand the Enlightened Language.

  Activities

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  NOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE been given a crash course on all things Keeper, I thought it’d be fun to have you take a really really really hard test to see how much you remember—and if you don’t pass, this book will self-destruct and you’ll never be able to read the novella and see what happens next—mwhahahahahahahaha.

  JUST KIDDING!

  I’m evil—but not that evil.

  (Or maybe I am that evil. You’ve read my cliff-hangers.…)

  No, really, I’m kidding!

  What I actually have for you now are some super-fun Keeper-related activities, including Keeper quizzes, an Iggy coloring page, and some delicious Keeper-themed recipes!

  Here’s the full breakdown of the awesomeness ahead:

  QUIZ: Which protected creature should you adopt as a pet?

  QUIZ: How many bodyguards would you need in the Lost Cities?

  QUIZ: Who said it first?

  IGGY COLORING PAGE

  RECIPE: Mallowmelt cookies

  RECIPE: Cinnacreme

  RECIPE: Lushberry juice

  Enjoy!

  QUIZZES

  Which protected creature should you adopt as a pet?

  What are you most excited to do with your pet once you bring them home?

  Gaze at their beauty—and then get back to life. You have too much to do to sit around cuddling a pet all day.

  Wreak some havoc! Somewhere out there someone is begging to be pranked—and now you have the perfect pet–partner in crime.

  Go exploring! The world has so much to see—and you have a wonderful companion to go on adventures with.

  Piggyback time! You made sure your pet was big enough to carry you everywhere—even if the ride is a little bumpy.

  Keep them in their cage and feed them lots of treats, hoping they won’t eat you before you can brag to all your friends that you got the supercool pet they were too scared to get!

  Give your new friend a super-silly name, and then show it to your sibling and make them repeat the name over and over—especially if they’re embarrassed.

  You’re at an ice cream shop, and they have TONS of amazing flavors—but they’re mean and will only let you try one. Which flavor do you taste?

  Whichever flavor has the prettiest colors.

  Cotton candy with sour Pop Rocks, so every bite is an explosive surprise!

  Brown sugar cinnamon, because sugar and spice is the best combo ever!

  Doesn’t matter. You like everything—but you want a double scoop!

  Ghost-pepper chocolate. You don’t care that no one else has tried it—in fact, that’s half of the appeal. You’ll show everyone how it’s done.

  Salted caramel, for that perfect blend of salty sweet.

  What kind of music is always at the top of your playlist?

  Soothing classical symphonies.

  Punk rock—cranked up to full volume!

  Pure, perfect pop. (The bouncier the better!)

  Anything with bass—played so loud the walls shake.

  Experimental electronica. Weird is wonderful.

  Nature sounds. Especially the ocean.

  Describe your favorite outfit.

  It’s designer (of course) and the height of fashion.

  It’s super comfy—with tons of pockets to hide things!

  One word: sparkles.

  Basic jeans because you hate frills—and a neon shirt for a pop of color!

  It’s one of a kind, bought from several different stores (with a few homemade pieces).

  Casual beachy-chic!

  What’s your dream vacation spot?

  A private palace—preferably on its own island.

  The busiest, noisiest city you can find, where everything’s open late so you can explore all day and all night.

  Anywhere with mountains and meadows and lots of fresh air.

  The desert. Bring on the dust and heat and gorgeous views!

  Doesn’t matter as long as there’s bungee jumping or skydiving available.

  White sand, teal water, and all the scuba and snorkeling ever!

  Which word best describes you?

  Mysterious.

  Playful.

  Enchanting.

  Energetic.

  Misunderstood.

  Unique.

  Which pet problem would bother you the least?

  They scoot out of your reach every time you want to cuddle them.

  Their breath is toxic—and their burps are much worse.

  They have so much energy, you wonder if they accidentally drank a double espresso.

  Bath time is a GIANT splash-fest.

  They get that look in their eye that makes you wonder if they’re plotting to eat you.

  One second they love you—the next they’re biting you. (And their bites sting!)

  Which pet from the human world would you be most excited to have?

  Honestly, you’re not sure you’d want one. Human pets are so ordinary. But maybe there’s a fancy bird?

  A hyper kitten, eager to attack anything that moves.

  A horse! You know they’re a ton of work, but you don’t care!

  Any kind of lizard—the bigger the better.

  A tarantula.

  A betta fish—pretty and fierce.

  If you picked…

  MOSTLY AS: You should adopt a moonlark! These rare, gorgeous birds are the prettiest pets ever—and their solitary ways are perfect for your independent spirit. You’ll both be able to admire each other from afar and get back to your busy lives.

  MOSTLY BS: You should adopt an imp! These tiny, adorable troublemakers are perfectly suited to all your pranking needs—and they thrive in chaos. Plus, they make adorable, squeaky purrs when it’s snuggle time! Just make sure you hold your breath every time they fart!

  MOSTLY CS: You should adopt an alicorn! These majestic flying horses are an excellent choice for anyone who values beauty and adventure—and they’ll do pretty much anything you want for some treats. You’ll have to clean up some sparkly poop, but… sparkles make everything better, right?

  MOSTLY DS: You should adopt a T. rex! These giant fluffy dinosaurs are a whole lot of pet to love—and they’re a blast to ride around on! But watch out—sometimes they have a bit of a hard time adjusting to their new vegetarian diet!

  MOSTLY ES: You should adopt a gorgodon! These mysterious hybrid creatures are new to the Lost Cities—and they need someone brave and accepting like you to show them a little love. Who knows how sweet they could be if someone truly cared for them?

  MOSTLY FS: You should adopt a murcat! These unusual aquatic creatures will get everyone talking—and they can be very sweet when they want to be. And bonus points if you name your murcat something extra silly!

  How many bodyguards would you need in the Lost Cities?

  You find a mysterious note in your locker, and you’re pretty sure the poem inside is from the Black Swan. Do you…?

  Ignore the note. If someone wants your help, th
ey can ask you like a normal person!

  Show the note to an adult and see what they think you should do.

  Show the note to a friend and let them help you figure it out.

  Ponder the note by yourself for several days, figuring out the best plan.