by Melanie Ray
Yed went to the room with him.
“So, fatherhood? Three kids, that’s rough. How’s it treating you so far?” Tug asked.
“Fatherhood. Two kids,” Yed corrected him, “plus a king.”
“Not going to take the father role to the king? You could claim the throne.”
“No way.”
“Thought so, and I don’t blame you. I serve the king, I don’t play father. Then again, I don’t play father with anyone.” Tug sighed. “Enough banter. You should know that it’s the end of the world.”
“What?” Yed looked for a sign of a joke, but it didn’t come. “What do you mean?”
“I still have some basic memories, right before I was put under,” Tug said. “I overheard their ultimate plan. It’s not this rain.”
“I figured as much,” Yed agreed. “What is it?”
“The destruction of all warnos, and then the planet. What they are going to do, it will bring nothing but death to us, and power to them.” Tug looked toward the ground. “Seriously. Protector Yeducavich. We cannot entirely stop this.”
“Just tell me,” Yed urged. “I need to know. How long and what will happen?”
“The king has been abusing the power of the inhibitor. He has actually melted it, changing its form and properties. He plans on changing each piece to provide power to all his citizens, but doing this will destroy the planet. It cannot survive the manipulation he plans on, and he knows it. He will have to leave the planet for another one.”
“He is doing what?” Yed gawked at Tug. “No, no one would stand for that.”
“No one will know. Who will know? They have our every ally. No one would have opposed him, except the ones left behind. Us! The waryes king is taking us out, before we can get organized enough to stop him. We’re an annoying thorn, and he’s done with us.”
“How long?”
“About a hundred years, give or take thirty.”
“What do they plan on doing?” Yed asked. They could take them out in several different ways, so what would be the most efficient for them, and could he get them ducked out in time?
Tug went silent. “It’s unavoidable, Yed.”
“What is it?” Yed asked again. “Just tell me already Tug!”
“The rain. It’s not just dissolving bones, it’s falling back into the water. The water is becoming acidic. The waryes are hardly around as it is, and they will all return back. It’s the water, Yed. It’s going to get so acidic our bodies won’t be able to handle it. Seeping into the ground, there is nothing we can do. The only safe water will be in the waryes kingdom. So...”
“That will take a large accumulation.” Yed held his head.
“For years on end, it will rain. Rain and rain,” Tug said. “They have wiped out and taken so many warnos already. You don’t even want to know the number. The only ones who will survive are the elderly. Their bodies are fortified and they will be able to handle more, but even then, how much can they take? All the young, there will be no chance. I’m sorry, Yeducavich. They will be increasing the acidity soon. Stockpile what you can.”
Stockpile. Start collecting water to drink over the many years. Once it ran out, there would be none left. Yed nodded and watched Tug turn to leave. “You’re welcome to stay. It’s pouring out there.”
“Yed.” Tug looked over his shoulder at him. “I don’t want to survive, drinking the precious water your family has. Every drop gives them another day to live. As each Protector comes, send them on their way. Send them somewhere to be useful. Thanks for the save though.”
Save. What save? By bringing Tug away from the Waryes Kingdom, he just helped kill him. Every Protector saved was a Protector who would die. “Did you tell my father about it? The waryes who unprogrammed you?”
“Yes. He had already saved ten of us,” Tug said. “I was the first to come to. He won’t do anymore.”
“Good.” Yed sniffed. “Well. I better go tell them to start collecting water.” He moved to the front of Tug and shook his hand. “You were a decent guy. If you change your mind-”
“I won’t. You will already have nine more Protectors to serve along with your family if they make it this far.” Tug shrugged. “It’s not my style. Good luck with the family life, as long as it lasts.”
Water. Yed had food, and plenty of water. Storage was one thing he had planned on to last for years in the most dire situations. He had enough to feed a small city below the house. The water would eventually run out, and he had more warnos coming to share it with. Water was not the biggest concern, they lived not too far from a pond and there was still plumbing in the house. He came out and saw Xiam. “We need to start grabbing buckets and start collecting water.”
Yed looked at the large tank below the house. This would be their water for the next hundred years before they were blown up. He kicked it, hearing it echo like a large drum. A hundred years. With ten Protectors and a small unknowledgeable king, he would have to figure out how to stop the Waryes Kingdom. If he didn’t, his kids...they wouldn’t even be old enough to leave a Den yet by the time the water was gone. He squared his shoulders, no time for sentimental thinking. The others would be coming soon, he had to prepare for them. All he had was a fifty thousand gallon tank that was supposed to be for emergency storage. It would only last somewhere between ten and twenty years. Add bathing to that and cooking? It might even be less.
He went back up into the main house, and saw Wallis playing with Wye. Each of them had about five years to live at this rate if he didn’t figure out a miracle. He went past them with no words and toward the door. He saw Xiam out of the corner of his eyes and muttered about waiting for the others. He moved out the door, and onto the front steps when he heard Ezra behind him. He continued on his way, but she followed him down the stairs and into the yard.
“What now?”
Ezra didn’t speak at first, his voice had been too rough. What did she expect, he’d take being made a father against his will lightly? “We need to talk.”
“I have already told you we needed to talk, and apparently we didn’t,” Yed said. “I am going out to meet the others. How did you know Tug was out there?”
“I heard him yell your name,” Ezra said as they approached the wall. “Yed, I know it’s tough, but you need to hear this.”
“I understand. You have some bond only you two will ever have, yada yada. I need to go,” Yed said as he pushed open the wall.
“He knew the nursery rhyme.”
That made him stop. Yed turned slightly toward her. His eyes focused on her mouth. “He remembered?”
“He was too nervous last time. I have had time to get to know him, and I have claimed him as an adoptive mother. This is most of it. He is unsure of a couple of spots.” Ezra cleared her throat and recited the rhyme:
“Green to Red,
Pink to Green,
Watch it burn,
you’ll see what I mean.
We'll spin around having fun
until it stops and our days are done.
And time is never ending
But the chances never stay.
So just keep spinning, child
Keep trying every day
But if you risk your memories
You could eternally pay.
Golden wood,
Traditional right,
Beyond our protection,
Just hold on tight.
We'll spin around having fun
Until time says our days are done.”
That was different. Golden wood? Traditional right? Those weren’t the usual lyrics. “Can you write that down? I’ll study it more.” She nodded and turned to leave. “Ezzy.” She swung back around by his addressal. “Thanks for finding out.”
“Not much else to go on. We will only be alive a few years.” Ezra sighed, a small staccato between her breaths. “There’s not enough water.”
“It doesn’t matter, you are dead.”
Chapter 67
WHY WY
E
Yed whipped his head around and spread his legs apart, pulling his arms up. “Don’t you dare.” A waryes, he just had to run into a waryes! If he didn’t take care of it before it had a chance to tell on them, they would lose their safety! He prepared himself to fight, but the waryes wasn’t moving. He was looking toward Ezra. He was going to rush her.
Yed stopped him in the middle of the rush, surprised he did not fight back. In fact, it was just reaching out to Ezra like a maniac.
“Mine! She’s mine!” It yelled as it screamed to be freed. Yed knocked him out, but looked back toward Ezra. Her eyes spoke of complete confusion too. He gently sniffed the air. It was there, but it wasn’t anywhere near mighty yet. It was unmistakably there though. Warm, comforting. And he genuinely needed a Protector candle now. “No. No, Ezzy, don’t tell me this.”
“Uh?” Ezra gulped. “I was never really around waryes. I thought they were immune?” She moved closer, slowly. “You never mentioned this before.”
“I didn’t know waryes were attracted. Not full blown waryes, they shouldn’t be. Then again, you are...” He pinched his nose. “Potent.”
“Potent and I have no pills. I haven’t been this way for so long. Do you have any?” Ezra asked.
Yed shook his head. He looked back at the befallen waryes. What would he do with this creep? He couldn’t let him go, he knew where they lived. He would have to imprison him down below. Oh great, that would be more water wasted! He reached to pick him up as he heard a groan. A light groan. A weird groan.
“Can I just please have her? Please? I’ll give you anything.” He tried to grab Yed’s hand. “Please?”
“New rules. You are not within sixty feet of this prisoner,” Yed announced. “You are also not allowed near this wall, on either side. If they smell you, they will come running. Get over and hurry.” Yed went back to the house with her and took the waryes to the basement. He made every attempt to grab at her.
“You would think my future self would have said something about this?” He chuckled. Future self.
“He didn’t. Maybe we had pills though, or maybe I was taken? Waryes could have had pills.” Ezra shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Sure, Ezzy. I got you.” Yed moved her back gently. “Remember, don’t get close. Your smell is affecting him much harder than regular warnos. Stay away from the wall. I’ll be next to it in case anyone comes. I’ll be on the inside, waiting to hear a voice.”
As he turned, he was met with a surprise that, literally, took his breath away. In a plain red dress with a thin pink shawl, there she was. Her hair had been covered in black, as it had always been until those last days they were together. Her tail wasn't bumpy like a rats, but it had no fur. Her eyes were the same, as well as her lips and delicate smile. She was holding groceries in baskets and staring at him. Her eyes moved down to the back of him. "You're a Ring?"
Yed's mind caught back up to him as he spoke, "Ezzy?"
The encounter didn't last as the enemy caught up. He couldn't fight them anymore, having worn himself out crossing and running so far. As he was beaten down he tried not to take his eyes off of Ezra as a guard escorted her away. "Ezra. Ezra!" He shouted. "Ezra!"
"That will be enough of that."
Yed cried out as he was struck once more. His eyes met the creature that had spoke to him. "It can't be. Fayu."
“Fayu!” Impossible. What had Yed just dreamed? He was covered in sweat as he got out of bed. Ezra with a rats tail? “Why did she call me a Ring, what’s a Ring?” He rubbed his head, scattering his turquoise strands around. Was it when his mind was on the fritz, first arriving at the safety house? He moved toward the bathroom to wash his face. She had a waryes tail. No, that never happened. It had to be a nightmare. His hair was quite a bed head as he looked in the bathroom mirror. He tried to smash it down when he heard a gentle cry.
Moving toward the nursery, he quietly tried to take care of the baby crying. Glancing around, he couldn’t tell which one it had been. He stretched his legs wide, taking wide steps to minimize creaking on the floor. He peeked into Carressella’s crib. His body was relaxing now that the nightmare was over. That was all it was, a nightmare. He peeked into Wye’s crib. “You are the one, aren’t you?” Wye was wide awake as Yed scooped him up. “You need sleep, son. If you stay awake at night you’ll be hell to take care of tomorrow. Things are bad enough, so why don’t you get some sleep?” He tucked him in, but he felt a strange chill run through him.
Something was wrong. Wye didn’t fall back asleep and started to cry. Yed picked him up and tried to hold him closely. His body was resisting, telling him that Wye didn’t want to be held close.
That made no sense. His son wasn’t resisting him, so why did he feel that way? “This has been a strange night, Wye.” He held his son closer, rebelling against the strange instinct. “Wye. She used to be so confident about Tiger.” Why had she changed it to Wye? It was a ridiculous name no one used. He placed Wye back down into his crib. “You need to get some rest. Be a good boy.” He smiled and tucked him in again. He left the room, this time Wye staying asleep.
Ezra had told him that his future self didn’t feel comfortable around Wye. Although that couldn’t be true, truth was hidden between lies. Had something happened in the time he didn’t remember? There was no way to know except ask Ezra, and she couldn’t...entirely know. Her mind was jumbled too. He went toward his bedroom, but before climbing in the covers, he stopped. Maybe there was a chance? He hardly ever wrote in his Chronicle, it was risky. But if he wasn’t himself, maybe there was a clue in there? Chances were slim, but he cracked it open anyway. It would only take a few seconds to check.
Ezra had heard Yed fidgeting around and Wye’s cry, but she was so tired. The babies typically slept more during the day, and she savored the chance to sleep. She cuddled up closer to her pillow, but couldn’t get comfortable. There was a presence near her.
She opened her eyes, half dazed as she saw Yed’s eyes. Fire and brimstone were hiding behind the usual calm. Uh oh. “Is something wrong?”
“Wye?” Yed held up his Chronicle. “You didn’t bother telling me that you named him after some freaked out version of myself?”
“Your future self.” No, sleep wouldn’t be coming anytime soon. She sat up in bed as she swung her legs to the side. “I keep telling you that you were not out of your mind. That was a future version of yourself.”
“Uh huh. Well, whatever it was, that’s uncalled for.” Yed opened the Chronicle. “If it was a future version that was trying to correct something in this past? Then why didn’t he write anything useful?” He cleared his throat and recited. “I am Wye. I am saying goodbye. Good luck.” He closed his Chronicle back up. “Does that sound like someone who knew anything?”
Ezra glanced toward her pillow, wishing she could lay her head down. “I knew who he was, and I know who you are. I’m not crazy, he was from the future.”
“Fine, he was from the future. Why did you change Tigeravich to Wye then? Huh?”
Yed’s feet tapped against the ground, repeatedly in a fast beat. “I want details. What’s going on.”
“Nothing you don’t know. Nothing extra I can tell you. He kept many things secret,” Ezra said as she stood up in front of him. “I promise you, I’m not hiding anything that could save us. He was secretive. All I know is something happened enough for him to travel back through time.”
“There is no such thing as time travel.” Yed tried to stay calm. “Ezraponia. You are trying my patience hard. You have bonded with the king almost as an official adoption, forcing me to participate because of the common bond of children we share. You have changed the name of Tigeravich to a name that I used when I was crazy or from the future or whatever! What else am I going to find out from you, huh? Did you have a waryes tail?”
“A what?” Ezra almost lost her balance. “What did you just say to me?”
“Nothing. Nightmare, nevermind.” Yed touched his forehead.
 
; “Nighmare? I had a waryes tail?” Ezra touched her ear. “Maybe that’s why he couldn’t get along as well.”
“Sounded like you got along well to me.” Yed’s voice was rigid and crisp.
If he didn’t believe that a future self took over, why did he always get so huffy? Ezra moved back into her bed. “I need sleep, Yed, the babies take away enough time as it is. You need rest too. We can argue in the morning.”
“Nothing to argue about,” Yed said. “Tigeravich was his name, Tigeravich his name will remain.”
“His name is Wye.”
“Tigeravich, Ezraponia.”
Not this again. “Yed, you know you aren’t supposed to call me that.”
“Oh, pardon. I forgot the unofficial son king doesn’t appreciate it.”
“Are you dishonoring your king?” Ezra challenged him.
“Ezra, King Regwallis is young and naïve. His majesty would rather play than rule, as anyone his age would. With the right words, I could become King right now. Officially, I was for a few seconds when I held him over with the claim. The position he is in is delicate. He is not an average child.”
“I know he is not an average child.” Honestly, he wanted to argue about this too? She needed sleep. “But he is still a child. He needs someone to take care of him. Not just give him shelter, but love too. Warnos need things. Like me? I need sleep.” Maybe that would get the point across. “Unless you feel like taking on the children for the night when they wake up?”
Yed didn’t say anything. He tapped her wall once and left. Ezra laid her head back down, but she heard crying. The little sleep she had received would have to do for now.
Yed couldn’t sleep yet. He stayed up, rubbing the wording in his Chronicle that he never remembered writing. This Yed, how had he acted? Ezra claimed that kiss was the same thing as when he lost control before the babies were born. He could feel a difference in her though. What had they gone through? What was in that kiss? He licked his lips, remembering the lipstick. It was almost like she regretted he came back to his senses. He felt around in his pocket for the broken Yo-Yo. Protector Ring, what was he thinking? Life was so complicated. He didn’t even know how long they could hide and stay alive. It was more urgent than ever to stay a Protector. Romance needed to be damned right now, that wasn’t part of the future. But it wasn’t easy when some other self he didn’t remember had been pulling moves on Ezra! She had felt something, and that spark wasn’t going to make this easier.