Chapter 10. Aldo’s Advice
Dad called a meeting with everyone a few hours after the Wurby recruitment group returned. He started it off by having Gallus and Jacob report separately. He then changed the topic, a serious expression crossing his face.
“We need to get the Shiengols out of August Fortress. Those who will be going are Jacob, Matt, Gallus, Aloren, Akeno, and Sweet Pea.”
“Already?” Mom asked. “But they just got back!”
Dad nodded. “This is the best time to go. It’s Thanksgiving weekend, which means the kids won’t be missed in school.” He ran his fingers through his thinning hair. “Now then. Before we get into logistics, I need you all to understand something. Your safety is more important than getting the Shiengols. They’ve been there for several years—a few more weeks won’t make a difference. So, if anything happens, Jacob will Key everyone home.”
Jacob nodded. Hopefully that wouldn’t be necessary.
“Your next priority is to ensure that Jacob gets to the fortress. I’ve got a feeling he’ll be the only one able to open it up—he’s gotten through other traps set by the Lorkon. Guard him, then help him in.”
He looked Jacob squarely in the eye. “There’s something you need to know about Shiengols. They’re dangerous, and they have varied and hard-to-predict emotions. They’ll be rude one minute, then nice the next. Just expect it.”
Kenji laughed. “I remember my first encounter with a Shiengol. He slapped me when I asked his name.”
Dad chuckled. “Yes—didn’t he say it was none of your business?”
“That was his excuse. Who knows the actual reason.”
Dad turned back to Jacob. “Just be polite and you should be fine.”
Jacob bit the inside of his cheek. “And don’t ask them what their names are, right?”
“Right.” Dad leaned back. “Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. We’ll eat dinner around eleven in the morning. I’ll send Jacob and Matt to Taga Village at one.”
Everyone stood to go, but Dad put his hand up. “One last thing.” He motioned to Aldo. “Will you take everyone to your lookout point and show them what they’ll be up against?”
“This way,” Aldo said, gesturing to the left of the door they had all just come through. The door overlooked August Fortress and the valley, and was one of the ones the scouting group had placed right after exiting the infected forest. “It’s a bit of a walk, but nothing you can’t handle.”
Aldo led the group along the top of the hill. They were careful to stay away from the branches of the infected forest and were mostly successful. After walking for twenty minutes, he took them around some dense bushes near the edge of a sharp drop-off, then hiked up when the hill rose steeply in front of them. After nearly ten minutes, he had them stop. They’d reached the pinnacle of the hill.
Aldo then pointed out where their sense of sight would be taken away, also showing them the location of the Argots. He continued, pointing at the walls of the fortress. “You’ll lose your next sensation there—feeling.”
Gallus stepped up between Jacob and Aldo. “We plan to bring a potted plant. Akeno will use it to see living creatures, since that ability doesn’t have anything to do with physical senses.”
Aldo nodded. “Good. Once you enter the township, you’ll need to remember the following: walk thirty paces. Turn right. Walk seven. Right. Walk fifteen. Left. Walk twenty-seven. Left. Walk one hundred and thirty.”
A roar echoed through the valley, originating from somewhere near the fortress. Jacob looked out, but didn’t see where exactly it had come from. He gnawed on his lip and turned back to Aldo. “Uh . . . could you repeat that?”
“Yes,” Aldo said, and he gave them the numbers again. “And I’ll write it down for you, too. These are according to my footsteps.”
Matt frowned. “Why’d you memorize them?”
“I figured the Lorkon would do something to prevent people from entering the area, and I wanted to know how to get to the fortress from the entrance, just in case.”
“Impressive,” Sweet Pea said. “I wouldn’t have thought of that.”
Aldo squared his shoulders. “It’s what I’m paid to do.” He turned to Jacob. “I’ll expect a bag of cash from your father as soon as possible.” The twinkle in his eye let Jacob know he was kidding, and they chuckled together.
Aldo then compared the length of his stride to the others, finding that Jacob and Matt were the closest. Jacob sighed—he should’ve seen that coming. Gallus was too tall, and Aloren and the Makalos were too short. Because of Jacob’s abilities, Aldo and Gallus decided he would take the lead. But that just meant Jacob would be in the most danger. As he’d thought earlier, he should’ve seen that coming.
Aldo put his hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “Remember to walk naturally. Don’t run, don’t make your steps bigger than usual, and you’ll be fine.”
“What if we get chased?”
“You won’t be—not while you’ve still got your hearing. After your hearing leaves, you’ll be dealing with something else entirely.” He looked back at the city. “And I hoped we’d see it from here. We might not.”
“What is it?”
“A Cerpire. Similar to a dinosaur.”
Matt raised his eyebrows. “You’re kidding.”
Aloren looked confused. “What’s a dinosaur?”
Matt cleared his throat, putting on a comical, professor expression. “Prehistoric creatures, which have been extinct for thousands of years and roamed the lands of my world until they were destroyed by a meteor or something.”
“Most of them were dangerous,” Akeno said.
Jacob looked at Aldo. “How on earth did the Lorkon get one here? And how will we know where it is if we can’t hear, see, or smell it?”
Aldo folded his arms, grimacing at the fortress. “Cabins eat breakfast foods on Wednesdays,” he started. “Oh, excuse me.” He took a deep breath. “I would assume they brought the creature here from another world. And you’ll have to count on other senses—yours and Akeno’s, to be exact.”
Another roar echoed across the valley, and recognition showed on Aldo’s weathered face. “He’s still there.”
Matt held up his hands. “Wait. That sound was it?”
Aldo motioned to the forest. “Maybe he’ll show himself.”
The group waited, but nothing happened.
Aldo sighed. “Either way, I’d better describe him to you. He’s about as tall as a Sindon—maybe taller, with a large tail. Walks on two feet and has long arms lined with spikes. He might be hungry. It’s possibly been quite some time since he last ate.”
“This is insane!” Matt said. “There’s no way. We can’t possibly fight a dinosaur without any of our senses!”
Gallus nodded. “I agree. How are we to defeat a creature that large and dangerous without being able to protect ourselves?”
“Well, you won’t be completely alone,” Aldo said. “I’ll camp out here and keep an eye on you with my telescope while you’re traveling. I’ll pay special attention to you once you’re inside the fortress walls. Early will deliver frequent messages to me, and I’ll tell her how to help you. September, Kenji’s Minya, has agreed to be with me for the duration of your trip. He’ll take frequent updates to the village and your families.” He paused—his forehead creased—obviously thinking. “Oh, and also, Early will be able to increase Jacob and Akeno’s magical abilities.”
Jacob looked out at the valley. “And she could help us run faster.”
“Exactly.” Aldo said. “She’ll help you, even when you don’t know what’s happening, and your abilities will be hugely beneficial to the entire group. Akeno will be able to sense where the creature is, and Jacob, you can see emotions. You should be able to see the Cerpire’s.”
“But sometimes I can’t see them when they’re coming from animals.”
“Could you see the Eetu’s?”
Jacob nodded.
“Then it will work out. The Cerpire
is as intelligent as an Eetu fish—”
Aloren gasped. “You’ve got to be kidding!”
“—but not as advanced. It has magic, but can only use it to benefit others. Like to give power to other, dangerous creatures. And remember, Cerpires, like Eetu fish, go for the obvious, easy kill. When Kelson and his group were there, the Cerpire didn’t sneak around, but jumped out right in front of them. Also, its size is against it—they’re not fast.” Aldo put his hands behind his back. “You’ll be fine. You’ve got things Kelson didn’t have. And don’t forget your abilities—all of them.”
“I hate to be a downer,” Matt said, “but this is a death trap, regardless of our abilities. The chances of survival are zero, and I don’t know about any of you, but I want to live. I just found out I have a sister. Another sister. I want to keep getting to know her before we die.”
Aloren nodded, sending a grateful expression to Matt.
Aldo put his hand on Matt’s shoulder, looking concerned. “What other choice do we have? The Lorkon will win unless we release the Shiengols. Without the training they’ll provide Jacob, we can’t do anything.”
“What if we don’t care about the Lorkon?” Matt asked. “I’m sorry—I don’t want to offend anyone, but what if Jacob and I go back home and forget about all this? Aloren, you come too. Don’t get me wrong, Aldo—I’m usually up for a challenge, and I think you all know that. But this isn’t a challenge, it’s suicide.”
“We’d allow you to do that, if that’s what you choose. Not having grown up here, you’re not emotionally attached to this world, not really. But what about Earth? As soon as the Lorkon realize Jacob can Time-See, they’ll be doubling their efforts to get their hands on him. They want him! They want the other key—the Key of Ayunli. And I promise you, they will succeed. They’ll find Jacob, enslave him, and eventually destroy your world as they are trying to do here.”
Matt’s shoulders slumped, and Jacob felt bad for him. Heck, he felt bad for himself. They were basically sacrificing themselves for every living person on both planets. Jacob looked at the others in the group. Aldo was the only one who appeared positive.
He shook his head, realizing he had to say something. They couldn’t leave the next day feeling like this about their expedition. He took a deep breath.
“All right, everyone. We know what we’re up against—at least partially. And it isn’t going to be easy, but Aldo is right. It has to be done. Think about it this way—even if something terrible happens, even if we die, we did it trying. Sacrificing ourselves for innocent people, and that’s not so bad, is it?” He paused, staring at the fortress. “Noble. It’s a noble thing to do. I know I’ve got royal blood—I’m a prince. But in my eyes, you’re all nobility. You’ve proven yourselves over and over again. You’re loyal, hard-working, charitable people. I’m not saying Kelson wasn’t, but Aldo is right—there are a lot of things we have that Kelson didn’t. We will succeed.”
Jacob looked each person in the eye until they nodded. Gallus held his gaze the longest—finally, the black man inclined his head.
Aldo smiled affectionately at Jacob. “Yes, you will succeed. And you won’t be as alone as you think you are now. Kelson didn’t have a Minya—you do. Possibly two, if Aloren brings Hazel. They aren’t affected by Lorkon magic.” He pointed back over the landscape. “After you’ve defeated the Cerpire, you’ll head to the fortress. Your senses will return once you get there. Then Jacob will find a way in while the rest of you set up a door for your escape.”
Aldo motioned for everyone to follow him, and they headed back. They were quiet the entire way. And no wonder, considering what lay ahead of them.
Jacob returned everyone to their homes, experiencing feelings of dread and despair, but also determination. He believed what he’d said earlier—they could do this. He just wasn’t sure they would succeed on their first try.
He had strange dreams that night of blind dinosaurs trying to sell him reca flowers. When he finally woke the next morning, he had a headache and sore joints from tossing and turning. He took his time showering and dressing, then finally headed downstairs to see if he could help Mom.
She was making gravy while Dad carved the turkey, separating the white and dark meats onto two platters. Neither looked up when he entered, and they didn’t respond when he asked if they wanted help. He sat on a barstool and watched instead.
Mom kept her back to him, busy at the stove. Jacob frowned when he heard sniffling noises coming from her direction.
“Mom? You okay?”
She didn’t answer, but after a moment, she came over and hugged him. He patted her arm, not sure what to say. Then she pulled away, clearing her throat.
“You’ll be fine, Jacob. I can feel it.”
“I hope so.” He kicked himself mentally. He was supposed to be uplifting and encouraging his mom, and here he wanted comfort from her, when she was clearly suffering. She might be losing two of her children over the next few days, not to mention some very close friends.
He wrapped his arms around her tightly, not wanting to let go. He felt like a little boy again, running to his mom after falling off his bike.
Dad came over and hugged them both. Jacob enjoyed the feel of having his parents close. It didn’t happen a lot, since they were all so busy. Matt came downstairs, looking for Jacob, and Mom pulled him into the embrace too.
She finally extracted herself, sniffling and laughing. “We’re all such babies!”
“With good reason, honey,” Dad said. He put his arm around her and she snuggled up to him.
Thanksgiving dinner was much more relaxed than Jacob had thought it would be, considering the trip he and Matt would be taking soon. Matt and Amberly teased and joked with each other, and Jacob found himself following their conversation closely, enjoying it more than he normally would.
Mom beamed at her kids. “I have one thing to say.” Everyone looked at her. “I’m so very proud of our family—of our children. Jacob and Matt, you are growing into fine young men, and Amberly, you’re a sweetheart—an example to all of us.”
The color flowing around her face was a very light blue-green, the one for peace, and Jacob felt his mood shift to match hers. She knew the danger of the next few days, but she chose not to dwell on it, instead focusing on the love their family shared.
“Yeah, Mom, we love you and Dad too,” Matt said. “Even though you never told us you were a king and a queen.”
“And I’m a princess!” Amberly said, her face rosy.
She’d always said it—since she could talk. Jacob half smiled. She’d been right.
Jacob wished he could rewind the day and spend time with his family over and over again. That wasn’t possible, though, and he and Matt got their things together before meeting in Jacob’s room.
“Matt, I’m so glad you’re coming. I . . .”
Matt laughed, clapping Jacob on the shoulder. “Yeah, man, I know. You’d all die if I stayed home.”
Jacob snorted, deciding not to disagree. Even though it obviously wasn’t true.
They walked downstairs together, giving Dad, Mom, and Amberly goodbye hugs. Mom made them promise to send a Minya back with messages as often as they were able.
After Jacob could no longer stand Amberly’s pleas for them to stay, or Mom’s tears, he opened the connection between his home and Macaria.
Dad poked his head through the door, calling to Gallus and offering last-minute advice. “Use the Minyas! Don’t touch the ground near the Argots!”
Gallus laughed. “Don’t worry, Your Majesty. I’ve got things covered.”
After one last goodbye, Jacob shut the door to his home and Keyed himself, Gallus, and Matt to Taga Village, where Aloren and Sweet Pea waited.
Kilenya Series Books 1, 2, and 3 Page 117