Chapter 22

Tessa went to hep Chloe and her grandmother get somethings ready for when they would ride out. Emmitt and some of the others went to speak to his dad. "So you're saying this is close to Amal's location and this side over here is where the man hid the boxes?" Jared asked respectfully. "Yes this side would be closer to Amal's heart location. It is not as many men around it but the more this way you would go the more dangerous it will be. They will hold you captive for a while to see what use you can be for them.

Otherwise they will skin you and feed you to the cannibals on the inside. Most of them are, most of them are not but they only reward them with human to eat if they are seen as useless, or enemies. Mostly cripples, or people who no longer held honor, people who were guilty on a trail standing in front of their superiors or Amal himself. You got to choose what you ate when you pledge you allegiance to the cause. The left half of the camp at dinner time would be eating on your flesh, the right side eat animals or even the nonmeat eaters. If you have to fake being one of them make sure you stay to the right side of camp." Rylon said with a slight shake of his head.

"They trained for many different things, like we do here. They have their healers, tinkers, warriors, people who handle crops, plant, animals. They have technology like Atheo does so they have their scientist here running theories and whatever else their imaginations can twist up and create. Trust me when I tell you they have more than enough people to try them out on most are willing once they have been activated of course, than there are the fanatics that believe all on their own like your mother." Rylon snorted.

"Well sometimes all people have to do is see and they will believe." Tuca said. "That's true. If most people can see it or hear it for themselves it is seen and known as fact. The truly loyal warriors that is all they need is to see the facts, whether it is for good cause or bad cause is based on perspective of how it is shown and represented. For Ezmena it was shown as the only way to save us from whatever it is she thinks we need saving from. However the logical loyal warrior needs to understand the facts and what it means for all people as the bigger picture like us." Luca said

"Well said. Now is there anything we need to know about the building while we are working on our plans of attacks?" Malik asked looking at Rylon. "There is much you need to know. Here I have drawn it up for you. I wrote the notes you'll need, times of how long shifts last. Where the weak and strong points are everything you need is here I suggest you move quickly because that is the only speed they work at as well." Rylon said.

Everyone nodded and thanked him and made their way out of the tent. "Emmitt." Rylon called out making him turn around and come to him looking confused. "It is customary for parents to give a gift to their kids when they found life partner. I made this for you both a while back. I want you both to wear it." Rylon said as he pulled out two silver necklaces a wolf on the bottom of a crescent moon with blue gem on both they matched perfectly.

Emmitt smiled knowing how much Tessa would love this. "Thank you they look great, very detailed. She will love this thank you." Emmitt said truly touched. "There's more to those than meets the eye, it is a tracker you can find each other, Riley help with that. Also my little friend who helped keep an eye on you, can always find you he is connected to these as well. I just know what they can do, not how to do it. I am just the craftsman and Riley is the tech guy. Rylon said. "Make sure you give this to her." Rylon said looking his son in the eye. "I promise. Thank you again." Before Emmitt could walk out.

"Your mother misses you dearly. She will say and do anything she can to get you to join her fight. She will use anything she can against you to lure you into it. Don't be fooled by her words son. Even though she loves you more than anything in this world, once you refuse her on this matter she will fight you tooth and nail until she gets you to comply one way or the other. Promise you will do whatever you have to, to ensure that doesn't happen even if it's plunging a sword to her chest. No matter what happens just remember that woman is not your mother anymore, she gave up her heart to be another blind pawn in the war. Promise no matter what happens you will end this." Rylon said with authority. "I promise I will end this." Emmitt said as he walked out to find Tessa.

"So we are all set we actually have to travel parties leaving. You will come with me and you will go with Malik and Luca to retrieve the boxes and we are going halfway to the other set of the coordinates to lay some traps and some sets of eyes to keep view we will keep setting things like this up every week getting closer and closer until we are ready to attack them fully." Abriel said looking at the group around him. "I don't need many men I just need a handful. I am taking Gabe, Tessa, Kenzo, Lalo, and Jedikai as well as two people from Ira. We want to be small and go as unnoticed without attracting attention as possible." Abriel said flatly.

"I will be taking Emmitt, Jared, Tuca, and about ten of our warriors and about ten of Neildai's he wants to make sure we get back safely. Also Piers will be coming with me while Luca, Julian, and Addie ready any medical attention we could need. Julian needs to get through with Atheo and let Riley know where we are on things as of now and get information from their end." Malik said leaving no room for argument.

Emmitt got Tessa alone I don't like you being away from me I have a bad feeling about this." He said pulling her close to him his hands on her waist. "Everything will be fine I promise. This is the way it has to be just for a little bit but I promise everything will be over soon." Tessa said wrapping her arms around his neck placing a sweet kiss on his lips. "How can you promise that?" He asked looking at her with a confused look. "Well nothing lasts forever my love; this will end just like all other things eventually end." She said with a shrug looking in his eyes.

"I have something for you. Apparently it is customary for parents here to present their children with a gift when they make a claim on a life partner I guess you could call it an engagement gift from where you're from." Emmitt said with a chuckle showing her the necklace. "Rylon made these for us apparently they are special Riley did some high techy stuff to them." Emmitt said as he gestured to put it on her.

"These are so beautiful I love it. When did we get engaged though I think I missed a step?" Tessa asked with a laugh. "Well you claimed me in front of the Circle pretty much means the same thing here. Anyone makes claim in front of Circle you pretty much set as life partners, mates whatever you want to call it point is at the end of the day everyone will soon know you're only mine." Emmitt said with a huge smile and pushed his lips against hers.

"So only our little group knows now though?" Tessa asked curiously. "Yes, only those who were in the tent to hear you. Soon though everyone will know. For now we need to go I want you to hurry and be back here before dark. I mean it." Emmitt said holding her chin up to look him in the eye to make sure she heard him. "I will do all I can to make sure everything goes to plan." She said pecking his lips.

Before they rode off she brought her horse up to his and got close so only he could hear her. "Be safe. Did you know there is a loose opening right under our bed?" She asked him. "No I did not, I will fix though soon." He promised. "It looks curious I wonder what we could find in there. Remember to remind ourselves to look." She said smiling at him as she rode off. "She gets weirder every day I swear it." Jared said coming up to him, as they turned their horses the other way and took off to dig for the boxes.

"You know, I had doubts about you along the way this past year. Nothing against you personally. It's just you meet a lot of people along the way here, and some of them are not who they say they are or are what they appear to be. It was nothing really nothing against you Tess, we just had a bit of a problem weeding out a few bad snakes on our part." Abriel said to Tessa as they were finishing up.

"I had my doubts about your weeds too. That's what being a good leader is about. Remembering to always proceed with caution because there is so many people riding on your choices not to fail." Tessa said with a chuckle, Abriel joined her. "Does our fearless future leader know you requested to come out and do this?" Abriel asked looking at the others doing their tasks.

Looking at him she looked back to the others. "No, he doesn't know any of this. None of them do." She said as she took a deep breath. "I know how much strength it took to come to me. I am glad we can put everything behind us. I have nothing but complete faith in you. You know believe it or not I became rather close with your dad. He even became my hunting buddy once every week we set a few hours aside to either hunt or fish, enjoying the company of each other telling stories."

"I had a son once long ago. A man coming from where Kaiel's village he came looking for help said he escaped from their men. He had a fever, it turned out he was an experiment of sorts and his body did not respond well it made infectious and my son he was fifteen, he brought him in and caught the fever and passed on. Only the two were infected and we had burned them both. With your dad I was able to relive the times I had with him, as he did with tales of you." Abriel said looking at Tessa with a sad smile.

"I see so much of both of them flowing through you, that when we get time like this it's almost as if my friend is still here." He said looking in her eyes sweetly. "I always thought people were the most interesting creatures. Only because I used to love reading. It was the story. I always loved a good story no matter what genre my parents read to me or what I read to myself it was the always the story that captured my attention. My parents said that was what life was about the journey the story we write or the one that is written for us, it's what everything is all about everything happens for a reason because it's a part of a bigger story. Millions of stories gather together to make a bigger one."

"Except I find our characters are never the same in the bigger one. For instance I am a hero to some, a side kick in others, a villain to most by now, an extra, a pawn, just a soldier, or a love interest, or nothing at all. It always amazed me how our character changes from person to person in their own stories. I believe we meet the people we do because they help us to be better a person, to making us the person we are meant to be in our story. That's one of the only things I really remember learning from my parents that they agreed on." She said laughing.

"Yes they did not agree on much when they made their studies. It was a beautiful theory though a great one to hold on to when the world seems like it is getting dark around us though." Abriel smiled. "We are done." Lalo said from across the way. As they were making their way back Lalo and Jedikai were at the rear, Abriel and Tessa at the front and Gabe and Enzo on each side of the ones from Ira village in a protective manner. Until men came out of every direction attacking them.

Gabe and Enzo took two on at a time trying to protect the tow from Ira's village. No shadow or heartless was seen just about twenty men coming around to try to close in around them. One the woman named Keena took an arrow to the eye and the heart and fell down instantly no sound came from her. The man name Podi got stabbed in the chest and the throat. Enzo was going through man after man on his six man he got stabbed in the side and fell as he took his sword and put it through his manhood and pulled up making him collapse on the ground closing his eyes.

Gabe was on his fifth man when he got stabbed in the back and took his blade and slit the man's throat, another one came to the to him and stabbed him in the right side of the chest. Abriel and Tessa took out the rest of the men as Lalo came up to them looking at the Gabe and Enzo. "They live for now we must hurry." Lalo said catching his breath standing over Enzo. "Where did they come from how do they know we were here? These are fighting men too big to be a hunting party, or scouts." Abriel said looking over at them dead men. "Jedikai, he left when the men came. Where is he?" Tessa asked in anger only to see Lalo get stabbed through the heart from behind and Jedikai smiling like a creep as Lalo fell to the ground. "What the hell is wrong with you? How can you do this to your own people?" Abriel roared as he flung his knife straight in Jedikai's right chest.

Looking down Jedikai closed his eyes took a deep breath and when he opened them again a pair of bright glowing blue eyes stared at them. "I knew it was you." Tessa said growled lowly at him. "Yes, I know you did as well. Unfortunately for you, you were the only one who suspected me. Amusing really I am the only one in all of our village of hundreds and hundreds of people and you are the only one to see straight through me. I wish I had a prize to give you, but sadly there is no time for that I need you to come with me Tessa I have a lot of people waiting for you." Jedikai said as he came at such a speed none of them saw coming.

Taking Abriel hitting him twice in the head and then slamming it into a tree he feel unconscious on the ground. Tessa pushed down on her blue gem, taking out her sword she went blow by blow to Jedikai who was careful not to cut her face. He got the better of her when she slid from the ground and fell her head catching a rock on the side of her temple. She watched as Jedikai put this weapon away and reached down for her leaving her to fall darkness.

Emmitt and the others dug everywhere they could and the boxes where nowhere to be found. "Look at this." Jared said as he noticed loose dirt. "Seems someone else has already been here. FUCK!" Malik roared. "Come on let's head home and tell the others. I got something in the pit of my stomach we need to get home." Emmitt said everyone else agreeing. Riding into the village as young boys took the horses.

They noticed six people being carried in. Three had sheets covering their whole bodies and three were Abriel, Gabe, and Kenzo. Emmitt looked and saw Chloe in tears hurrying to make room. "What is going on?" Emmitt and the others rushed to Luca. They were ambushed by about twenty men. The two from Ira's village are dead as well as Lalo. Gabe, and Enzo need to be sewn and sealed, Abriel will come to with a huge headache. Your fathers bird showed us everything it was like watching it as if we were there ourselves." Luca said as everyone followed trying to help.

"Emmitt." Julian called making him stop in his tracks. "It was Jedikai who betrayed us. He killed Lalo. HE took HER!" Julian growled looking him dead in the eye. Emmitt took a minute and turned to his father's tent. "Did she come to you last night? I couldn't wake up completely did she drug me and come to you?!" Emmitt asked angerly yelling at his dad.

"Yes, she came to me. I have no idea if she drug you son but she did come to me asking me questions. I answered her. I gave her warnings. You know how she is though once she sets her mind to something she gets it done." Rylon said shaking his head. "What did she want? What did she ask you?" Emmitt asked grabbing his father by the collar of the shirt shaking him. "The same questions of the map you guys did this morning. She looked at the picture I had drawn and gave to you guys she wouldn't take it said you would need it more than she did. She didn't tell me anything else." Rylon said looking his kid in the eye.

"They took her. They think they can take her from me." Emmitt said to no one in particular. "You'll get her back son. You did give her the necklace right?" Rylon asked curiously. Emmitt looked at him and walked out. "Jared use Meeko and tell Riley to track Tessa tell him she's wearing her wolf. Than get everyone into circle tent in an hour." Emmitt said getting on a horse and headed home. Walking through the door he grabbed everything he thought he would need and put it on him.

Before turning around he saw the bed looking down he could hear Tessa's voice in her head and he saw it looking down at the little spot he heard he words. "Did you know there's a loose opening under our bed?" He knelt down and opened it up removing some of the cloths in the way he stared for a moment eyes wide opened. He put everything back walked out of their home anger flowing through him. Riding as fast as he could he made his way into the Circle tent everyone looking at him, had stopped talking. "We know where she is. I know how we are going to get her back and finally end this." Emmitt said looking around the room everyone sat down and they began.

Feeling the pain in her head she looked around to find herself in what looked like the medical unit in the ship. Slowly looking around she saw she was not connected to any of the machines, and that hers was the only bed in the room. It was not big but it was not small. Taking a deep breath she tried to slowly sit up. "Oh no, can't have that right now love. You just lay on back and rest. Everything is ok. You are safe don't worry the man who put you through this has already been dealt with." The strange man in front of her said. He was physically Emmitt's twin. They were both built like mountains and both dark skinned both with short hair, both incredibly handsome. Emmitt more so she thought in her head.

"Where am I. What happened?" She asked getting nervous or so she tried to seem. "Don't worry. You are in a safe place this is a healing unit. A man took you and you, hurt you and now you are getting healed. You only got to stay in here a little while longer so we can rule out any injury like concussion." He said in a sweet voice. Looking at her deeply. "Who are you? Are you a healer?" She asked. "Yes and No." He smiled. "You are so much more beautiful in person than I could have ever imagined." He said his hand caressing her face smiling deeply like a man lost starring t something so beautiful.

He was afraid to blink and it would vanish. "After waiting for so long you are here. You are actually right here in front of even better than anything I ever hoped for." He said taking his hand back as he noticed she was getting uncomfortable. "Don't be scared my love. Calm down. I am here and I am going to make sure nothing happens to you. You can call me Amal." He said as Tessa looked straight him face not showing any emotion. Fuck she thought to herself no going back now.