Moses and the Dragonborn, page 21
“We not slaves,” one of the brownies replied. “Can’t tell what to do.”
“We help them,” Moses said pointing to the daga. “They help us. Free Farneans help other free Farneans. Not willing, you return Zargon where no one helps brownies.”
At those words, several of the brownies left to bring food and water for the newcomers. Moses went over to where Allison was to discover that she was in the process of healing Zoey, so Moses laid his hands on Zinc and healed the dragonborn Prince.
Zane walked over and took Zachery by the hand. “Zachery, I presume,” he said.
“I am Zachery and you must be the reason for all this commotion. I presume you are the King they went to find.”
“What are all these brownies doing here?”
“They were looking for a place where they could be free and I was looking for somebody to live on this world with me.” Zachery crossed his arms and glared at the King.
“But they belong on Zargon,” King Zane said.
“Not anymore they don’t. I not only have company, but I have brownie Chosen. Did you know brownies could be Chosen?” Zachery giggled and slapped at his tail which was swishing back and forth.
The King just stared at Zachery with a look of shock on his face. Whether it was because of Zachery’s bizarre behavior or the news that the Guardian had selected brownies as Chosen was not clear.
Zane closed his mouth, which had been hanging open, and shook his head.
“I didn’t either,” Zachery said. “But they can be. I want to know if any of the newcomers are Chosen.”
“That can wait for later,” Zane said. “Right now, you need to welcome the daga and let them know you are their friend. They are frightened and need to know they will be okay. You will be a friend to them, won’t you?”
“Of course. I am the Watcher of this world. I am a friend to all people on Farne. I am a righter of wrongs, a helper of the helpless and a trainer of the Chosen.”
“Right now, they are hungry and thirsty and need to know they are safe.”
Zachery walked over to where the biggest group of daga stood. He raised his voice. “Welcome friends. You are welcome here whether you are a Chosen or not.”
“What does he mean?” a voice asked.
“I will tell you about what it means to be Chosen after you have the food and drink the brownies have gone to get. Please sit and wait for their return.”
The daga sat, but Jeon walked up to Zachery. “Zoey told me about Chosen and I want to know if I’m one. I certainly hope so.” Jeon held out his hand and Zachery placed his pendant on it. It opened and the dials began to move.
“I now have four brownie and one chaka Chosen,” Zachery hooted and then danced a jig.
After the newcomers were given food and water, Zachery tested them all. Both of Samson’s children were Chosen, but they were the only ones among the daga.
The next morning Allison and Denzel took a ride on Ben’s back. What they saw amazed them. Everywhere they looked the land was green with new growth. Off in the distance they saw healthy looking rain bearing clouds, but there were no toxic clouds to be seen.
“How far does it extend?” Allison wondered aloud.
“Let’s find out.” Ben rose into the air and flew in the direction they had gone the previous week. They flew far past the point where Allison, Moses and Zoey had used the gift of re-genesis and as far as they could see the land was green.
“Re-genesis has begun,” Allison said, “and it will not be stopped until this whole world is once again fruitful and able to support life.”
“You used that gift everywhere we stopped, didn’t you?” Ben asked.
“Yes,” Allison said.
“Even where the chaka live?” Ben asked.
“Yes, even there.”
“I’m glad,” Ben replied. “The world as they know it is ending, but a new one is beginning. I hope they learn to take better care of this world than their ancestors did.”
CHAPTER FIFTY THREE
A SECOND QUEST
Ben got the impression that Zachery was going out of his way to avoid the Chosen from Earth and Zargon. Whenever one of them showed up where he was, he quickly left. Ben began to wonder if he was trying to keep them all on Farne. Finally, he cornered Zachery in the dining hall.
“You need to send us back,” Ben said.
Zachery turned to leave, but Ben ran around and blocked him. Zachery giggled and fell onto a chair, but jumped right up again when he sat on his tail the wrong way.
“You need to send us back to our own worlds,” Ben said again.
Zachery turned away from him, put his fingers in his ears and began to hum loudly. Ben moved in front of him and removed his fingers and said more loudly, “We have completed our work, now the Guardian expects you to send us back to our own worlds.”
“I can’t,” Zachery said and giggled.
“Why can’t you?” Ben asked loudly, dragonfire rising unbidden from his gut.
“There is no room of portals here,” Zachery said.
“Where is it?” Ben asked.
“It would be somewhere around where your grandfather appeared on Farne.”
“Then, I guess Moses will need to use the gateways he was given to send us back to our own worlds.”
“If you do that your work on Farne will only be half done. You were sent not only to rescue the King, but you were sent to bring about re-genesis. Re-genesis will not be complete until the room of portals and the Guardian’s chair are reunited with the Watcher, who is me.” Zachery burst out laughing when he finished speaking.
“None of us were told that was part of what we were to do,” Ben said when Zachery’s laughter turned to giggling.
Zachery stood up straight and tall and glared at Ben. “I am the Watcher of Farne, called by the Guardian, and that means I just know things. This is what I just know. The room of portals needs to be restored to the Watcher, or the Watcher needs to be restored to the room of portals for re-genesis to be complete. It is not here, so we need to go find it.”
Ben stared at Zachery. The Farnean Watcher was trying to maintain his composure, but once in a while a giggle would escape and he would struggle to put a stern look back on his face.
“Okay,” Ben said. “How can we restore the room of portals?”
“You start by finding them.”
“What makes you think it still exists and wasn’t destroyed by the war?”
“The Guardians portals and chair could never be destroyed, no matter how big the bomb. They would be in the one building still standing.”
“There is only one building still standing where we found the king. We searched it and there was no room of portals of chair there.”
“I tell you it is where you found the King. Maybe it is covered with dirt, or maybe it sunk underground, but it is still there and all you need to do is find it.”
“Are you saying we need to go back to where the chaka turned us into slaves?”
A big smile appeared on Zachery’s face and he giggled in joy. “I’m glad you understand. If I’d known you would understand this easily, I would have told you sooner. Now please tell the others so they will understand and agree to go. When we find the room of portals, we will move everyone there.”
“Who will move?”
“All of us except the wolves. They can stay here.”
“The wolves will starve to death here,” Ben said.
“Oh, all right, the wolves can come too.”
“You’re forgotten something important. We just escaped the chaka and they will still be there waiting for us.”
“The chaka can join us if they wish. Or if they don’t want to join us they can come here.”
Ben sat down on a chair. He did not want to go back and risk being recaptured by the chaka and he doubted anyone else would want to either.
“I don’t understand. Allison and I saw you standing by a door in the place between time and space. How could you do that if you didn’t have access to a room of portals?”
“Yes, I was there. As the Watcher, I don’t need to be near the portals to use them to go to the place between time and space, but I do need them to send Chosen to one of the Six Worlds.”
“But when we stepped through the portals on our own worlds we came here. Are you sure we can’t go back from here?”
“You must have been redirected here, but I know the Guardian wants you to restore the room of portals before you leave this world and I don’t know how to send you back without them.”
Ben stared at Zachery. His anxiety grew and he crossed his arms to hide the tremor in his hands. He did not want to return to the place of his captivity or risk wearing a chaka slave collar again.
Not long afterward Ben told the others what Zachery wanted from them.
“Are you telling me he expects us to go back to where the chaka are?” Allison asked, clearly horrified by the prospect.
Ben nodded his head.
“What’s to stop us from using the gates Moses was given to go back to our own worlds?” Zoey asked.
“Need two gates. Zachery has one. Won’t give back,” Moses said indignantly.
“But he’s got to give it back to you. It’s not his. The Guardian gave them to you,” Zoey said loudly.
Moses smiled at Zoey and nodded in agreement.
“I can get it back,” Zinc said, as dragon smoke came from his nostrils.
Zoey smiled at Zinc and touched his arm. “Of course you can, my Prince,” she said.
“We need to think about this,” King Zane said, “We need to be sure the work the Guardian gave you is complete. If we leave here, we leave a world with Chosen that can’t go anywhere, but worse, this world may not be able to receive help from the Chosen of other worlds when it is needed. I wouldn’t want to leave the friends I have made here in that kind of situation.”
“But surely we would have been told if restoring the room of portals was part of our mission here,” Ben said. “Perhaps the Guardian has already chosen others to do the job.”
“Perhaps, but I have heard of this happening before,” King Zane said. “Chosen are given part of the mission when they leave their world, and the second part comes when they are on-site.”
The Chosen and King Zane were silent as they thought through the implications.
“I think Zachery is right,” King Zane finally said. “You were sent here, not just to rescue me, but to bring a new beginning to this world, and part of doing so involves restoring the room of portals.”
“I agree,” Ben said reluctantly.
“I agree,” said everyone present.
“I hope we don’t end up wearing slave collars again,” Allison said.
Ben looked at Allison with concern in his eyes. “You could stay here. You weren’t given the kinds of gifts that help in a battle.”
“I’ve been given the gift of healing,” Allison said. “If we go back to where the chaka are there is a possibility people will be hurt and the gift of healing will be needed.”
“Moses can come with us,” Ben said. “He also has the gift of healing.”
“Allie best healer,” Moses said, looking at Allison with adoring eyes.
Allison reached out and squeezed Ben’s arm. “Don’t worry about me Ben, I can be as brave as anyone here if I need to be,” Allison said.
“Everyone who was sent should go,” King Zane said, “partly because the Guardian had a good reason for choosing each one of you, and partly because you will be leaving to go to your own worlds from there.”
“I just wish we knew where to look,” Ben said.
“I think I know,” King Zane said. “I arrived on Farne near a hill by a dry lake bed. I would have landed in water if there had been any in the lake. The room of portals is likely in a building buried under that hill.”
Ben looked up and smiled. “I’m sure it is the same lake we stayed near and it is no longer dry.”
CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
BACK IN DANGER
After they had breakfast, the next morning, Zachery met them in the yard outside his building. “Time for us to go,” he said.
“You’re coming with us?” Ben asked in surprise.
“Yes, of course,” Zachery said.
“King go first. King think of place he arrive. Watcher next. I be last,” Moses said, holding the gateway in his hand.
Within minutes they were all standing before the hill near where King Zane first arrived on Farne. It was the same hill the Chosen had camped close to. The water in the lake was higher than the last time they had seen it.
“Hmmm,” Zachery said, looking at the lake. “I must get one of the Watcher’s to send me fish for this lake.”
“There are nice fish on Earth,” Ben said.
“Ben, Zinc, Zane, Denzel and I will look for the room of portals. Allison, Moses and Zoey will fly out as far as they can in every direction and use the re-genesis gift,” Zachery instructed.
“I don’t think it is a good idea for us to be separated,” Ben said. “We should stay together.”
“It’s important that those who have the gift of re-genesis use it,” Zachery said. “My people will need to grow food when they move here.”
“I agree,” Allison said. “If Zoey is willing, I want to fly to different spots and use the gift of re-genesis. Ben, I’ll say it again. Stop worrying about me. The Guardian has given a gift and it must be used.”
Zoey didn’t say anything right away. She appeared hesitant to commit herself to a trip that took her away from the others.
“Of course, Zoey will go,” King Zane said. “She knows how important making this world habitable is, don’t you Zoey?” The King smiled at Zoey, who glanced at Zinc before giving a brief nod. She transformed into a dragon so Allison and Moses could climb onto her back.
“Maybe, I should go with them,” Zinc said. When everyone stared at him, he stumbled on. “You know, for extra protection.”
Zoey turned and looked at Zinc, if a dragon could smile, she would have. “That is sweet of you, my Prince, but we’ll be okay.”
Ben realized at that moment how much the relationship between Zinc and Zoey had changed. He just wished Allison looked at him the way Zoey looked at Zinc.
“Shoo, shoo,” Zachery waved his hands at Zoey and her riders. “It is time for you to go and heal my land, and the rest of us must be off to find the room of portals.”
“Don’t worry, Ben,” his grandfather said as the others flew away. “Your girlfriend is safe. She is in the company of one of my best dragonborn warriors.”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” Ben said.
“No? Too bad, I like her,” King Zane patted Ben’s back and then followed Zachery toward the hill.
They found a cave and entered it. When they got to the end, they cleared away dirt to discover a wall made of stones cemented together. There was a building hidden underneath the hill. If Zachery was right it was the historic school on Farne that contained the room of portals and the special chair the Chosen sat on to receive gifts from the Guardian of the Six Worlds. They left the cave and went searching for the next one, hoping to find one that led to a door or a window instead of a wall. As the sun climbed overhead, they went from one cave to another and dug away dirt until they found the outside wall of the building.
Ben lost track of how many caves they had gone into. He had dirt in his hair and his skin had turned black, dirt was in his ears and in the corner of his eyes. When he took a drink, he washed the grit in his mouth down his throat.
They just finished clearing away the soil from the end of another cave to reveal a stone wall when disaster stuck. The earth overhead came crashing down burying Ben under it. Ben tried to push his way through the soil, but it was heavy and he couldn’t move his arms and legs. In a few moments, he would have no choice, but to breathe in and all he would get was a nose full of dirt. In the seconds that remained to him, he wondered how many of the others had been buried with him. Was anyone still free? Was there anyone out there to rescue him? Ben was losing consciousness when a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him to the surface. Denzel was the first face he saw when he opened his eyes. Then he looked over and saw his grandfather covered in even more dirt than he was. His grandfather had been buried with him and been rescued just before he was.
Ben was trying to find enough saliva to spit out the dirt in his mouth when he noticed that Zachery and Denzel were staring at a point above his head. When he followed their gaze, he saw what they had spent more than half a day looking for. A window had been uncovered when the dirt caved in. He spit as much dirt as he could out of his mouth, then followed Denzel over the mound of fallen soil toward the window. Denzel stood on top of the mound and used his soil-covered sleeve to rub the glass. Ben looked over Denzel’s shoulder and saw what looked like a dining hall with rows of tables and chairs.
“Here,” Zachery passed Denzel up a fist sized rock. “Hit the window with this.”
Denzel did and the window shattered. Zachery climbed onto the hill of dirt and through the broken window. The others followed him into the building.
While the others looked for a doorway into possible ruins under the hill, Zoey, Moses, and Allison flew in an ever-widening circle around the ruined city. They stopped many times and sent the re-genesis gift out in all directions. When they flew out from the city, they had zigzagged to avoid toxic clouds, on their way back there was not a single toxic cloud in the sky. They could already see the difference their use of the re-genesis gift was making to the land around as they flew back toward the ruined city. Dormant seeds began to sprout and grow, particularly in places where good clean rain fell.
CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE
THE ROOM OF PORTALS
Ben was about to offer to lead the way since he had the gift of seeing in the dark, but Zachery called forth a ball of light and held it in the palm of his hand. The light revealed a broad set of steps at the end of the dining hall. Zachery headed straight for the staircase and started to climb. When they reached the fourth floor the Watcher led them to a door and opened it. As soon as Ben walked through the door, he knew they had found the office of the previous Watcher of Farne. Sitting on the floor beside a desk was one of the Guardian’s special chairs. It was identical to the one in Miss Templeton’s office. The room of portals would be somewhere close by.
