A Love That Destroyed Time

by Melanie Ray

  How would everyone react to this news? Yed waited for a response, but all eyes were still on him. "My name has changed over the years. You can call me Wye, Protector or Yed. Whatever."

  "Or King Yeducavich-" his father spoke over the podium.

  "Or King," Yed agreed. He couldn't ignore it even if he wanted to. These warnos would need help as much as the ones from the Warno Kingdom. "King Yeducavich. We once were enemies, but we are now together. We have a common goal: to survive in happiness. To stop the evil spreading over Pagnia."

  He heard whispers of 'how?' mixed with words of fright through some kind of feedback response loop. "You want to know how? Beats me, but we'll all figure it out. Right now, you should concentrate on the warno you want to be. Who are you? What do you like? Who do you like? Just, explore. In the meantime, just keep your ears open. This position is kind of new to me too."

  Yed got off the podium. That didn't sound like a king's speech to him, but that was going to have to work. If he was stuck with the spot, they couldn't be picky. He wasn't going to give rousing speeches, making others lift their glasses up with cheers. He wasn't going to give two hour speeches.

  He'd say what he needed, and that was it.

  "I expected nothing less of you," Yed Senior said as he patted his son's back.

  "Yeah, but this isn't it." He looked around. There was definitely damage done to the waryes numbers. Hundreds, no thousands, of newly born warnos were seen. Everywhere he looked. He couldn't simply look at the bright side, there was an important aspect missing.

  There were still King Fayu and his soldiers. Yed could almost bet that included all of the Pinks. With the pink and red inhibitor, he was heading somewhere, aware of what Yed just pulled off. He had no idea where, or what he would do. That made the situation even more dangerous.

  Yed didn't believe King Fayu was on the run, he was preparing for something else. "I need to get back. Please give me Carressella."

  "Back? Yed, you are their king now. You can't just leave them here," Yed Senior warned him. "King Fayu could come back, someone might try for the leadership role, who knows what will happen? This is your kingdom now."

  "This is the Waryes Kingdom. Consider that, I guess, I am King Yeducavich." The name sounded so strange. King. "The place is at the Warno Kingdom's castle."

  "Which is in ruins," his father pointed out, "and what about the prisoners?"

  "The Warno Kingdom can be rebuilt if need be, otherwise I will rule from the broken spot. I am not, and will not, lead from the Waryes Kingdom. Ever." His dad had a point, that he had to admit. But, he didn't know what Fayu had planned. He went back to the podium. His first plan of action. "If you are near a prison cell, look inside. That is not an enemy, it is your fellow warno trapped and captured. Check yourself and find a card. Maybe there's more than one, I don't know, but check them all. Slide them through the lock. If you don't have cards, check for a key. Find something on you, and let them go. If your cards or keys work for more than one prison, then let them all go."

  That should take care of the prisoners and locked up female warnos. "If you remember this kingdom, but you didn't change, then you are one of the manipulated few. This is no longer your kingdom, and it never was." Yed held onto Carressella. "King Fayu, your former leader may be trying something to hurt you now. Oh, screw it, I'm not using the word hurt, it's kill. King Fayu is trying to kill us all. Be careful, and choose your leaders wisely. As for me, I refuse to rule from here." Yed shrugged. "Sorry, thems the brakes. I need to get back to my family. Good luck to you all."

  There. That was the best he could muster. He nodded toward his dad who still didn't look pleased, but he wasn't going to demand anything of these warnos. Yed headed back down. No one stopped him, only stared as he began to walk with Carressella. He ignored it at first, choosing to talk about the surgery. They would lose interest.

  "It'll put you down a couple of days, Junior. I don't think you can risk it yet." Yed Senior looked at everyone around them. "Maybe we should just drive back to the safety house first? Talk it out with the others."

  As he walked, he heard an entire army of warnos walking behind him. He looked back. Everyone was now facing his direction of walking. No one was waiting anywhere.

  "You are all they know, and the only thing they can have a shred of trust in. They didn't even know their own names, Yed, what did you expect?" His father groaned. "I better call the family. This kingdom is going to go wherever you go. Accept it."

  Yed watched his father leave, and knew he was right. Maybe there would be at least a few rebels, or maybe some that decided the trip wasn't worth it. He proceeded out of the kingdom, still hearing hundreds of thousands walking behind him. There was so much walking out of step, it sounded like rain falling down to the ground.

  As he walked further, he couldn't see or hear anyone not following. As he went, warnos joined at his side, eventually falling into the flanks of everyone else. A few were brave enough to ask him something.

  Before long, he began to see warnos bowing before he even made it to the next section of the block. After he passed them, they would fall in line as well. As Yed walked out of the kingdom, he didn't look back until he was a distance away.

  When he stopped to look back, his mouth collapsed as wide as it could. He was at least a mile away from the kingdom, yet he could see a line of warnos from behind him, all the way down the path he took, back to the kingdom itself. Everyone was filing out.

  "We have an escort to our vehicle," Yed Senior laughed. "I don't think everyone will fit."

  "Yeah." Yed looked back at the line. It was like a King's army following after him. All on foot, not knowing what to do. "Yeah, this isn't going to work. I need to get back to the podium, they can't follow like this." He got into the vehicle and they turned around back to the kingdom.

  Yed didn't quite know what to expect as his father drove him back to the kingdom. Maybe, a lesser aggressiveness, or maybe some change like Guy. Every single waryes that had stayed...not a red eye in sight. He made it, and he was ready to get back to everyone. But, he didn't foresee this problem. Everyone was going to follow.

  He should have thought about the possibility. Guy did the same thing. He even had him cuffed, and threatened him. Yet, he still respected him like a king. He wasn't going to run off in a vehicle and leave everyone behind.

  He had to take the kingdom with him.

  He walked back into the kingdom. A small part of him wanted to chuckle. It was like a game of line leader. He went back up to the podium with his father.

  This time, Yed Senior grabbed something else. "He barely used this, but if we are bringing millions with us, then you need to be heard." He grabbed a strange looking mic. "Cells, ear phones, headphones, transears, any waryes gadget that you can name? Your voice will echo back through it. Here."

  Yed accepted it and placed it in the basket, tucking it in beside Carressella. His father adjusted the podium again. This time, he needed to do it right, or he'd have to come back again.

  "Look around you. No one owns you. Think about what you need, and what the warno next to you needs. If you are following me, you will need food and sleeping bags. Everyone, for several days. Maybe even weeks. I'll admit, no one has room for you. You're...an unexpected surprise," he put gently. "Go into shops and homes. Don't take more than you need, and not material possessions unless it's beneficial for survival. Make sure you have a sleeping bag, and those around you too. Make sure you have bags for food. Keep basic survival gear. This isn't robbery, this is helping your neighbor. This is preparing to leave." He cleared his throat. "Your age doesn't matter. Whether you're old, young, or merely a kid. You're all equal, treat each other with respect. We are in this together. If you see someone younger than you that needs help? A baby on the corner, or a kid crying. Comfort them. Show compassion."

  Yed took a moment, trying to think of what else he needed to say. "If you can find a vehicle and can start it, use it. Share it with others if you can. If y
ou do, stay on the left side of the line, and let walkers have the right side. Watch out for others. If you have a cell or anything like that, you'll be able to hear me if I need to make an address again." He stepped off the podium, but quickly stepped back on it. "Oh, one more thing? If you want to stay, stay. Make a community, and make a home. It's easier if you stay actually. I encourage it." He smiled, and then got down off the podium. Maybe that last part will register with some of them.

  An hour later, Yed knew that last part didn't make a dent. About every single warno had chosen to follow him. They had listened well though. Some of them had been confused, but for the most part, each followed directions. Most had bags and food, were sharing the weight among comrades and vehicles. Vehicles stayed on the right, while walkers stayed on the left.

  "Do you think Queen Ezraponia will be surprised to see her new kingdom coming to greet her?" Yed Senior teased him. "You have some interesting taste in women."

  "Don't even go there," Yed warned him. Like he didn't have enough on his plate. He looked back and the scene remained the same. "It's like a Hollywood blockbuster scene in 3d."

  "A what?" His dad asked confused. "What is that?"

  "Nothing," Yed chuckled. "Let's just get back to Ezra. Can we pick up the pace more?"

  "Well, we don't want to lose the walkers. It's a steady pace, keeping the vehicles and walkers in tow." Yed Senior looked toward him. "We'll get to your safety house soon. Although, with this many now knowing its location it won't be much safety now."

  Chapter 93

  THE CONVERTED

  "Guys, I see someone up here!"

  Muin awoke, hearing someone coming. She quickly packed up Cooey in her basket against her will and tried to get the handle around her neck.

  "It's okay, ma'am! Are you okay?"

  Compassion? Muin watched as four warnos came out of the bushes. Their tails were ringed with crimson, orange, yellow and dark blue. "Pure?"

  They approached her cautiously.

  "We're not here to hurt you. Do you remember who you are either?" One of them asked. "We don't remember who we are." He smiled warmly at her. "We are all trying to stay together, to figure this out. Why don't you join us? We could help you with your child."

  Don't remember? "I don't really need help from four random guys."

  "Oh, there are more than us," the one with the yellow ringed tail said. "Down below, we have a whole camp. There are at least four hundred of us. There are supplies down there, we could get something for your baby. Staying up here alone isn't a good idea. No one knows what is going on, but we can't leave you up here all alone."

  Muin didn't feel a choice, but the pressure to run was slim. There were no waryes. They were wearing the same uniforms, but they were all as clueless as Guy.

  Was this it? Did the rhyme actually convert waryes to warno? And if so, how many?

  Chapter 94

  YET

  He sat. He sat, with no clue who he was. He'd been wearing some kind of army uniform, and he had some instruments that he knew how to use. But, the basics, like his name. He didn't know. No one was around him. He had no identification except a card with a number. He simply sat beside the tree, listening to his king. Or, his new king.

  The matter was confusing, but King Yeducavich made sense. It seemed that several others couldn't remember who they were either. King Yeducavich said they were once evil, and his enemies, but now they were the same. He wanted to believe that, he had nothing else to believe in.

  He had a little food, but he didn't know where to go. He kept his walkie on, waiting to see if King Yeducavich gave another address. His spirit was dim and in despair, but the stirring words of the king made his heart feel better. The manner was tough, he wasn't wishy washy.

  He heard a strange sound. An army? He didn't know how far he was from the king, perhaps the moving kingdom was coming his way? He got what he had together. Maybe the loneliness would disappear when he joined others with no memories like him.

  He was about to step out, but quickly pulled back. It was a king, but this could not be King Yeducavich. His eyes were filled with rage and anger as he drove past at a high speed. Behind him, more vehicles passed. Everyone tried to keep up, and none of them looked right. Red and Pink eyes stared ahead of themselves. It was chilling.

  He remembered the message King Yeducavich had sent out before. Could he really communicate through his simple walkie talkie? "King Yeducavich?" He felt quite silly, addressing a king. How should he talk or act?

  If this is about anything important, shoot me the news, otherwise please keep the line clear.

  That was him! "King Yeducavich, I-I-um...army. Bad army, red and pink eyes. Serious looking, driving crazy." He couldn't even complete a whole sentence.

  Do you know where you are?

  "Oh. No, Majesty." He felt like such an idiot. How could he tell him his location? Why even bother him without information. "I am so sorry, Majesty."

  Eh, it happens. Let's see here. Dad, what do you think? Is there a way to figure this out? The direction could tell us where they are going.

  Let's see...yes, if it's a walkie. There should be a button on your microphone for the current trace feedback. Yep, there it is. Tell him to make a long, steady tone through the mike.

  Okay, just go 'aaaaahhh' for awhile.

  Hmm. Somehow, he didn't feel like he was talking to royalty. He cleared his throat and went aaaaaahhhh until the king told him to stop.

  Got it! Look there, Yed.

  That's toward Golden Wood. No, wait, a little off. Is he going to the inhibitors still up in the mountains? If he finds a way to dissolve that...oh, dad, that's not good!

  His priorities were all over the place. Yed needed to stop King Fayu from destroying the mass inhibitor, but he also had to get Ezra, not to mention a kingdom of new warnos to the Warno Kingdom.

  Privacy was going to be impossible. All Yed could do is hide the code he placed in before the wall opened. He wasn't surprised Ezra didn't come out at first. It took a few minutes before she peeked out. "It's okay, it's just a tagalong kingdom behind me."

  He went up and talked about what happened.

  "That makes sense. The wind was absolutely ferocious around me." Ezra gulped and looked toward him. "I don't ever want to do that again." She smiled and waved at Carressella before looking back toward Yed. "King Fayu then?"

  "I've gone ahead and left a note through this thing." Yed held up the strange microphone. "If anyone sees anything suspicious anywhere, they can just talk into whatever gadget they have. Sophisticated technology. The line is staying clear for news, but as of yet, no news."

  "Oh." Ezra breathed on the microphone. "Can anyone hear us?"

  "Only if I turn on a different button," Yed said as he shifted it around.

  "Oh." Ezra clicked her tongue. "Okay. So, are we really okay?"

  Yed kept looking at the microphone, it was a good question. "Right now, things look great. Fantastic really, I mean we have almost every single waryes changed. They don't want anything to do with violence or war of any kind. Then again, I have no idea what Fayu is doing."

  "Then we don't really know?" Ezra breathed on the microphone again. "Do you think things will be okay?"

  "Truthfully?" Yed laughed, a big guttural laugh. He grabbed his good arm and wrapped her close. "I think Fayu is having a hissy fit that he didn't win. It doesn't mean I should take him lightly, that's a bad move, but I don't think he'll ever have as much power again."

  "Great. Then, I choose not to die with you by jumping off." Ezra nuzzled him closer.

  "Great, because life's just getting started." Yed waved his father over. He'd been giving them a little privacy, since hardly anyone else did. Everyone was cramming to look into the wall at their new queen. "This is my father, Yeducavich Senior. Dad, this is Ezraponia Cattral. My Protectee, mother of my children, and the new queen."

  "Queen Ezraponia, it's an honor," Yed's father said as he bowed politely. "Don't you worry about a th
ing about your physiology. Once we get to the Warno Kingdom, you and my son are the first priority."

  "My sister too," Ezra said, "and...and Xiam? Did you see Xiam?" she asked.

  Oh. "No, Ezzy." Yed had tried to ignore that fact. King Fayu had most likely collected him. "I'm sorry. One day we'll get him back though, and then if you do that thing again-"

  "For him, I would. For anyone else, no." Ezra looked at the ground. "What's next then?"

  "We're going to the Warno Kingdom. Have some warnos to drop off, plus we've got to pick up Tigeravich, Regwallis and Guy. Afterwards, we'll head to Golden Wood, let Zaria and Junior hop on in for a joyride, and then go pick up Muin and Cooey. You can come for a ride too, now. You know, if you want to." Yed winked at her with a smile. "Want to go on a cruise?"

  Ezra chuckled, but she was confused at the same time. "I really don't understand what some of those words mean, but sure. Let's go and get the family back."

  As they got back in the vehicle, Yed Senior stopped him a few seconds.

  "We could have waited outside the wall, or you could have commanded everyone to stay outside the house," he said. "Don't you want to have some one on one time with your queen?"

  Yed rubbed his head. "No. King Fayu knew what I was doing, so I am not taking this as lightly as I said back there. If he has a new plan, I need to be ready. I can't be thinking about amything else yet." He watched his father nod, with almost a smile. That was odd. "What?"

  "Yet. The word yet. I was afraid you'd always deny yourself love," his father said.

  Yed climbed into the vehicle. He didn't have time to talk about it, others were waiting on him. "Alright, chauffeur. Back to the Warno Kingdom."

  King Fayu kept his eyes on the path. As soon as Yeducavich figured out what he was doing, he'd put a stop to it. But this, that Protector would not stop. He may have stolen his kingdom, but he wasn't going to win. Over all, King Fayu only had ten thousand soldiers. Every waryes that had not been close enough to red and pink inhibitor all over Pagnia was now converted to a warno. Reborn to live again. He had thought about placing it all in the middle of his kingdom, but it was a risk. Not every resident would be able to get close enough. He would have lost more than he kept now.