by H.L. Nguyen
Chapter 13
Meet at Poppy’s
Traveler started to regain his consciousness. He looked up and saw a blurry figure. It looked like an angel. The person had white wings but also wore a black vest and dark pants.
“Alveoli, your help is most grateful, but please your entertainment is not needed. I hope you did not kill him,” Jelly said while untying the ropes.
“Nah. It was a sleepy arrow. He’ll be out for hours,” Alveoli said as he walked toward Traveler. “I was patrolling the border when I heard your girlish screams.” Jelly was not amused with that comment. “I was just kidding Windbottom. There is no need to get bent out of shape. Besides, how did someone like you cross over to the Terrorene Territory?”
“Tristan must have planed it. He must have used the Polar Leap to change the sky’s direction. Why would he be here?”
“I see, so you got duped. Wait isn’t that against the Assiento Alignment. Anyways, that’s not like y...”
“Watch out!” Traveler yelled.
Feeling defeated, the first ogre pushed himself off the ground and gave a dirty look to Alveoli. Ogres are not known to be smart creatures, but he knew what he had to do. With his bulging bicep he picked up the heavy gray rock over his head. He ran over to his mortal enemy looking to bludgeon him to death. Luckily, Traveler’s watchful siren gave everyone a heads up. Jelly grabbed the rope that bonded his legs and leaped up towards his determined foe, wrapping the rope around his neck. The ogre fell to his knees in an instant, and then turned into ashes.
“Man, these Teck heal quicker and quicker every century, don’t they Windbottom...I guess we are even,” Alveoli said.
“Yes. We are always even,” Jelly said.
Alveoli then bent down to untie Traveler’s bonds.
“So you must be Traveler. Well, thanks for the heads up. Anyways, I heard so much about you. Are you okay?” Alveoli sounded like Traveler’s Uncle John, whom was a professional surfer living in Malibu.
Traveler tried not to stare, but he could not take his eyes off the white feather wings.
“Hey Windbottom, is this kid okay?”
“Yes, he is fine. Flying into a tree does not agree with him. Please give him some time or maybe the smell of your body odor does not agree with him as well.”
Alveoli quickly turned to Traveler.
“Is that what it is?”
“No Al-ve-oli...Are you an angel?
Alveoli had this confused look on his face.
“What’s an An-gal?
“Traveler, he is an Aeroan,” Jelly interrupted.
Now Traveler had the confused look
“He is not very smart, is he?” Alveoli said.
“Please, do not be hard on him, his training is not complete. Here Traveler drink this,” Jelly said while handing him a vial of a red liquid.
“Why didn’t you say so?” He turned to Traveler. “Hey kid, you know what an Elder was, don’t you?”
Traveler nodded and felt his small bump on his head die down.
“Well, one of the Elders was an expert with air. Her name was Auraus. She gave certain people in her territory the gift of these wings. They are hard to clean, but man I love them,” Alveoli said.
“Alveoli, can you help us reach our destination?” Jelly asked.
“Sure. I bet you’re going back to the king’s castle. Well, I’ll be happy to help, but I don’t know if I can handle two people if you have to come along.”
“Are you saying I am heavy?”
“Just to let you know, I didn’t say that, you did.”
“Please do not be mean in front of the child.”
“Ah Jelly, don’t be sensitive, I was only joking around. Come on, let’s go before more reinforcement comes.”
They both held on tightly and up they went. As they glided, Traveler noticed the flapping on his wings. It was majestic, and in a way, somewhat hypnotic.
Nightfall was upon them when they reached the castle and after that eventful day, they were glad to be home.
“Thank you for the ride,” Jelly said.
“Yeah, it’s not a problem. I’ll see you at the tournament.”
“Okay bye,” Jelly turned to Traveler. “Traveler, tonight after you wake up you will be in your home. But be forewarned that you cannot tell anyone about this place. If you do, you will be exiled and won’t be able to save your grandfather.”
“How about my family?”
“No, not one person.”
“Okay, Okay.”
“When you wake up this morning be prepared to search for a note.”
Traveler swiftly went to his room and snuggled right between his sheets. It was exciting to go back home. He did not want to leave the coolest place he has ever seen; however, he did miss his family.
Traveler woke up the next day in his bed. He thought he would be in the attic where he first entered River’s mind. He looked to the right where his nightstand was and saw an envelope. It was old and had a sepia look to it. It had a wax seal, looking official. He cracked it open and read it.
Dear Traveler Sands,
You have proven yourself worthy, so your time has come. You have been invited to train with the Royal Calic Force in helping our cause. You have to report here within one week of receiving this letter. Further instructions will be detailed to you in due time.
Good luck and Great Honor.
King Gavel
Press your thumb here, when you have understood your path.
X
He pressed his thumb on the mark and the letter separated into many small pieces of light and dispersed away. Traveler was so excited. He felt as he had been accepted into a secret exclusive club. However, he had an unsettling feeling. The hit he received from slamming into the tree did more than knock him unconscious. It knocked some sense into him. He realized that he almost died last night. He realized the offer he accepted could lead to his death. Yet, he missed his family much more as he walked down the steps. He even wanted to see Jake again, but something just did not feel right. The loud clanking noises from the kitchen were not normal. “Mom doesn’t usually make that big of a racket.” When he reached the kitchen, there was a big mess with every kitchen drawer opened. Pots and pans were all over the floor. He turned to see his family sitting at the table. They did not look like themselves. They looked like they had not slept for weeks. They had dark circles under their eyes and their hair was a mess.
“Good Morning.”
None of them said a word.
Traveler never got the cold shoulder before, but then he noticed the intense scribbling displaying in front of him. He did not know what to make of it. They must have been writing the entire night because there were three carefully neat stacks of papers in front of them. He hustled over to the table, picked up one of the papers, and read, “Meet at Poppy.”
“Mom... Dad... Jake...” He walked over to Major Sands and snapped his fingers in front of his dad’s face. “Dad. Are you okay?”
Traveler watched nervously as this entire family continued to write the same sentence repeatedly on all the pieces of the paper until space ran out. He realized they were not going to stop. He tried to prevent them from writing, but when he tried to take the pencil away, they growled and gripped even tighter. He grabbed the finished paper again and noticed the “T” at the lower right corner on every sheet.
“It has to be Terrorene!” Traveler said.
Traveler remembered Stephania writing her phone number on Major Sands’ hand. He grabbed the free hand and nothing was there. He went looking for Major Sands’ cell phone. He looked inside the database and found Poppy’s number. He hit send.
“Hello.” A sweet woman voice was on the other side. “Yes, um, can I speak to Poppy?” Traveler asked.
“I am sorry dear. He’s at the hospital,” The sweet woman said.
“Oh I am sorry about that. Do you know why he is there?”
“Do I know you, sweetie?”
“Maybe, my name is Traveler. My father is Eric Sands.”
“Oh you must be Jacob’ little grandson. You know he always talks about you. Well, I am Poppy’s wife, Maria.”
“Well, Maria is your husband okay?”
“The doctor said he had a panic attack and should be fine. They’re keeping him overnight for observation. He collapsed at the restaurant. You know that man works so hard at that place. I keep telling him that he needs a vacation, but does he listen to me? Noooo.” Traveler was beginning to think that she was not going to stop. “I’ll tell him that he should let Steppy take care of that place but...”
“Maria,” Traveler said in a high voice to interrupt her.
“Yes sweetie,” Maria said.
“How long is Poppy going to stay there?”
“They are releasing him today at noon.”
“Thanks, bye.”
He hung up the phone before Maria could say her goodbye. He ran upstairs and got dressed. As he walked out the door, he remembered that he forgot the most important thing. He ran upstairs to the attic, grabbed the case with the silver handle. He then ran over to River’s house and knocked on the door.
“Good morning,” River said as she answered the door. She stood at the door wearing her flannel pajamas.
“Good morning. Ummmmm, I was wondering if you can give me a ride to the hospital.”
“Traveler, it is a little too early in the morning for favors. Don’t you think so? Hey, is that the mirror case? What are you doing with that? The last time we used that thing, you disappeared.”
How did you know I disappeared? No, never mind about that. Traveler thought. Traveler started to think that getting this ride could be harder than it was going to be. He also noticed that she was not glowing anymore.
“Please River it is important. I need to go to the hospital. Look, I promise I’ll explain everything to you if you can get me a ride to the hospital.”
“Alright, are you sick or something? You don’t look sick.”
“River, I don’t have time to play 20 questions. My family is in trouble.”
“Okay, I’ll go ask my grandma. Stay here.”
Traveler stood at the doorway with his arms crossed and tapping his foot. It felt like the longest time before River came down dressed in jeans and a pink t-shirt with the most fantastic thing he had seen all day, the keys to the car.
“Okay, let’s get in the car,” River said.
“Are you going to drive? What did you tell her?” Traveler said.
“I told her that I need to go to the hospital and she said why.”
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her the vegan eggs this morning made me sick.”
“So you lied for me.”
River smiled a little. “Well, it did make me a little sick, but they always do. Have you tasted vegan eggs? It’s basically powdered tofu.”
“Nope sorry, but thanks for helping me.”
River’s grandma came rushing down and hopped in the car. She drove them to the hospital. When they got there, Traveler got out of the car and stormed through the doors. He reached the front counter a little out of breath.
“Hello, can you tell me which room is Poppy’s room?”
“Hello, welcome to the Lake Arrowhead General Hospital, how can I help you?”
Traveler hated repeating himself, but he remained composed.
“Can you tell me where Poppy’s room is?”
“Do you have a last name?”
“Umm, No. I don’t know his last name, but how many people can be named Poppy?”
“I don’t know, I’ll check the database.” She punched some keys into the computer, but it kept making a beeping noise. “I hate when it does this.” She turned over her shoulder and called for another nurse. “Hey Maggie. Could you help with this piece of junk?”
“Give me a minute?” Maggie yelled back.
“I am sorry little boy, but I am new here. I don’t have a log-in account yet.”
“Umm, okay.”
This is what Traveler was really thinking. YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME. HOW CAN I HAVE THE WORST LUCK? WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET ANYTHING DONE? By the end of his internal rant, Maggie had came over and fixed the problem.
“Umm little boy, we have no Poppy admitted to this hospital.”
“What? Is there another hospital in this town?”
“Nope, this is the only one as far as I know?” She turned to the direction of Maggie. “Hey Maggie, this is the only hospital, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right Liz.”
“I am sorry little boy. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
He did not know what to think. He was just about ready to throw the case out the glass window. By that time, River and her grandma came in. Her Grandma did not seem have the worried look on her face anymore.
“You know, maybe Poppy is a nickname. I’ll look in the system and see if there anything close to that name,” Liz said.
“Yes Liz, please try that,” Traveler said.
Liz typed some things into the system and found a hit.
“I think this might be him. Pompeo Costa. Room 224.”
“Great thanks.” The pressure building up in his head finally managed to seep out of his ears.
“Oh wait. Are you a family member?”
Traveler tried to think fast, but he could not lie.
“No. I am just a friend.”
“Sorry we don’t allow anybody that is not a family member unescorted to see the patient. I can’t let you in.”
“I really need to get in.”
“Sorry, rules are rules.”
Traveler hung his head and walked over to River.
“So, is he here?” River asked with an eager look.
“How did you know it was a he?” Traveler asked.
“I took a guess.”
“Well, yeah he is here, but they won’t let me in.”
“Do you know what room he is in?”
“Yeah, they put him in room 224, but I can’t get in.”
“Traveler, that shouldn’t stop you from getting into his room.”
“But, they said...”
“Traveler, I don’t care what they said. Look. I’ll distract them and you can sneak in.”
“Can I do that?”
“Of course you can, this is America isn’t it?”
“I guess.”
Traveler was reluctant at first. He has never broken rules before.
“Traveler, are you ready?”
“Yeah, let’s do this.”
“Grandma, can you get me a soft drink?”
“Sure sweetie.”
River turned to Traveler. “It’s show time.”
River was brilliant. The emotional tears that came from her eyes almost made the entire room burst into tears. For those five minutes, she was at the front counter and all eyes were on her. The diversion was set and everyone took the bait. It was time for Traveler to play his part of the plan. Of course, sneaking through the main doorway was done effortlessly.
“Never mind, there she is,” River immediately wiped her tears and skipped back to her seat.
Traveler crept along the hospital, hugging the wall as best he could. He often wiped his forehead from the condensation that collected from his newly acquired amateur spy status. A status that made him tense; he frequently found it difficult to lie, cheat, or steal. His moral compass always pointed north. The walk-by stares from the staff and some security members gave more than enough of a reason to feel exposed. However, everyone in the hospital was busy with his or her own work. Traveler just greeted them with a nod, letting them know he was supposed to be there.
Okay 200, 210, 220, 223, and 224. Traveler thought.
Traveler slowly opened the door to find Poppy sitting and watching television. He still had an overwhelming glow around him. This time Traveler understood what that meant. Poppy turned towards Traveler with his eyes wide open.
&nbs
p; “Hey, Little Bambino. You come a-eh visit me in the hospital.”
“Yes Poppy, it is nice to see you.”
“Little Bambino, what can I do for you? Did you not like the food I made?”
“No, that’s not it. I need your help.”
“Sure, anything for my family.”
Traveler opened up the case and revealed the mirror to Poppy.
“Hey that is a nice mirror you got there.”
“Yeah it is an antique.” Traveler rubbed the eye and activated the mirror. He moved the mirror below the bed so Poppy would not see the different little bright flashes.
“So, what is this thing you wanted me to do?”
“Can you take a look at this mirror for me?”
“Sorry, I don’t know how this can help.”
“Don’t worry Poppy, it would be a big help to me if you look into this mirror.”
Traveler raised the mirror and showed it to Poppy. The same flashes of light happened and Traveler twisted into the tiny tornado again. Just like before, the mirror spun in the air, bounced on the ground, and hopped back into the case.
Traveler woke up from the ground again. He still had the pain in his head, but he recovered faster than before. He blinked a couple of times and noticed the world around him. It was dark and cloudy. It looked like a small villa in Italy. There were many buildings in the surrounding areas. There were ravens flying everywhere. Traveler turned around and behind him, he found the Smoke Ryder on the intricate stand. He walked over and grabbed it. There was some rustling in the bushes near him. Traveler was a little scared, but the head that popped out was a familiar one.
“Jelly!”
“Young Master. What are you doing in Kapricia? You know that you can’t be in here yet.”
“I know, but my family is in trouble.”
Traveler explain about the writing this morning.
“I hope you can explain that,” Traveler asked.
“The dark circles are a sign that Terrorene got to them. This must be a trap. That means Terrorene is here. I must warn the other Electus,” Jelly said.
Jelly was just about to leave when a bunch of ravens perched in the trees around them.
“Oh no, this is not good. Traveler, close your eyes and keep them closed.”
“Why?”
“If you stare into his eyes, he can steal your mind.”
“Okay. But what if he attacks me?”
“Just do it quick, before he shows up.”
Traveler closed his eyes tight. Jelly stood frozen with fear. A shadowy figure came slowly from the villa. The figure walked tall along the dry dim ground. There was a slight black mist giving a ghost-like appearance. He looked like a nightmare living in a 3D shadow with black ravens flying out of his back as though the ravens lived in his hazy appearance. The ravens began to hover around Traveler.
“Jelly, it is nice to see you again,” Terrorene said with a deep crackling voice. He’s scared. Kill himmm.
When Terrorene spoke, other soft voices came with his voice like echoes in the deep ravine.
“Terrorene, you can see me?”
“Jelly, please don’t flatter yourself. I am the most powerful Elder of all,” He is the besttt. He turned to Traveler “You must be the famous Traveler Sands,” Don’t trust himmm.
“Are you going to kill me?” Traveler said with his eyes closed.
“Kill you? Ha ha ha ha,” Ha ha ha haaaa. The evil laugher sent a chill down Traveler’s back. “Traveler, you think of me as some kind of monster. No Traveler, I am not going to kill you. But I do think that we have too many people here,” Yesss, attack him.
Terrorene threw his staff and it whizzed by Traveler hitting Jelly right in the chest. Traveler heard the thud and groaning; he bent down trying to find Jelly’s body with his hands. He felt his foot and guided himself up to Jelly’s hands.
“Jelly, are you okay?”
“It is okay Traveler. Remember, I can’t die in this world, but be careful and take this.” It was a black hood with a crystal ball it in. “Put on the hood, it will keep your mind safe.” Traveler rushed to put the hood over his head and opened his eyes. He could barely see through the hood.
“What is the ball for?”
“It lets you use your armor before your training. Don’t worry about me,” With that said, he dissipated through the air.
Traveler got up from the floor and threw down the crystal ball. POOF! When the smoked disappeared, he was in full battle gear with the black hood on.
“Traveler, there is no need for this. You can’t kill me. You don’t have a chance,” He is toooo weaakkkk.
“I just want my grandfather back.”
“And that is why I am here.” He paused for a moment. “I am not the monster people made me to be. I just want to go back home and rule my land.” It not fun here anymoreee.
“The land that you stole.”
“NOOOOOO,” a dark force shot from Terrorene’s hand, hitting Traveler in the chest. He felt his chest tighten and the air leaves his lungs. “Don’t you ever talk to me like that!” Blasphemeeee.
Traveler tried to talk but he could not breathe. Then, his breath slowly came back as he coughed out his words. “I am sorry Terrorene.”
“That’s better, you need to show some respect to your elder,” Respect the eldeerr. Traveler did not see the expression on his face, but from the body language, it looked like he made a joke. “Traveler, all I want to do is go back Codextrius. With the other Elders gone, I can take the fight. But there is this certain difficultly that keeps me here.” It is the barrier.
“I am not going to help you.”
“But that is where you are wrong. I think we can both benefit from this situation,” Give usss a chanceeee. Traveler’s body began to tremble ever so slightly. “Traveler, all I want to do is go back to Codextrius and take back what was rightfully mine and in return, I’ll give you back your grandfather,” Everything will be normmmmal.
“What do I have to do?”
“All you need to do is retrieve a piece of parchment and give it to me,” It is too easyyy.
“What kind of parchment?”
“It’s the kind that breaks down this horrible barrier that is holding me here!” Horribleee barrieerrr. There was a bright flash of lightning and a rumbling thunderous sound came afterwards.
“And if I do this, I can get my grandfather back? What about my family?” Traveler said.
“They are no longer of use to me. I just used them to get you to me,” Pawnsss in the gameeee.
Traveler stood there long and hard trying to figure out what he should do.
“If you tell anybody about this, I’ll know. I have a spy in the castle. I’ll kill your grandfather first and then your family, leaving you all alone like me,” Spiesss everyyywhereee. They will be no moreeee.
“Please don’t kill anybody, please.” This was too much for Traveler to handle.
“So do we have a deal?” Take the deaallll.
Traveler found himself next to Poppy’s bed. Just like everyone said. Time had stopped.
“So little bambino, you said something about a mirror?”
“Never mind Poppy, something else came up.”
He stood up and walked out of the door. He did not even say good-bye. Traveler walked out to the waiting room. River ran straight to him.
“So, that didn’t take long. What happened?”
“I am sorry River, I can’t tell you. Can you please take me home?”
“Sure.” She turned to her grandma. “Hey Grandma, it is time to go home.”
Traveler walked slowly toward the front steps. There were a million thoughts roaming throughout his head. He walked past the kitchen and noticed his family sitting and eating their breakfast as if nothing happened.
“Hey Kiddo, I don’t remember you leaving the house. Did you want some pancakes?”
“No, I’ll have to pass. I am not hungry. I am going to go up to my room.”
“Okay Dad!”
Traveler slammed his body on the bed and thought about the recent events that just happened.
“What do I do?”