Arriving at the Old Council
1343 Words
Skylar took off running and shifted in mid-air. She was excited to get to the old council city to see her children.
"Skylar, you know you need to stay close so you can be guarded. We don't know the dangers that lay ahead. Why would you just take off and leave?" Sadie called out in the mind-link.
Skylar growled and then laughed, "Come on, sister. Let me live a little. I know the direction that the council city is in. If I get too far off track, you will put me back on it. I can protect myself, after all. Come on, let's go see our babies."
Sadie shook her head as they all shifted and ran to join Skylar.
James nipped at her heels but didn't slow her down. Everyone joined into the fun as they played like little puppies chasing each other and biting back and forth as they headed on their way to the old council city. No one was paying attention to their surroundings enough to notice the silence around them.
Abby stopped, "Hey guys," she yelled into the mind-link, causing them to all pause. "Listen."
Sadie tilted her head this way and that, "It is so quiet. Like it was at home before we left."
"Whatever it is, seems to be following us. We need to stop joking around and pay closer attention," Jerrika all but growled out.
Dalton looked around, "Everything looks normal. I don't smell anything out of the normal. Of course, I hear nothing at all except us. I don't know what this is but let's proceed with caution."
Sadie nodded, "We are about an hour and a half from the old council. Hopefully, their security can give us some insight and what is going on."
"Let's not take any chances, Skylar; you and I need to be surrounded to make sure we are protected. Sadie and Dylan will take the led with our guardians covering our sides and backs," James stated firmly.
Skylar huffed, hanging her head, "As you wish, King James."
"Honey, don't act like that. You know I only want to make sure that we are all safe, and as far as we know, what is out there is after us," James whispered only to Skylar's mind-link.
Skylar nodded and took her position in the middle beside her husband.
Everyone kept quiet as they listened for any unusual sound coming from the forest. Not even a bird flew near, or a squirrel played. They ran at top speed, hoping to arrive at the council castle before anything happened to any of them.
Sadie finally broke the silence, "The council is through the trees about another 1,000 feet ahead."
Skylar spoke, "Thank you."
No one else said a word. Everyone knew that Skylar was upset about the horseplay coming to an end. She wanted to prove that she didn't need to be surrounded to be protected, but they weren't willing to take any chances. She would see her children soon and get a good night's rest. That was all that really seemed to matter right now.
As the council castle came into view, they saw the royal jet had already arrived, and the guards were waiting for their arrival as well.
Hugo walked forward and bowed, "Welcome to our home. I am Hugo, the lead solider. We have robes for all eight of you to use if you need them."
James nodded his head. Eight guards stepped forward, holding the robes out, waiting for them to shift into their human selves before helping them into the robes.
James nodded, "Thank you." All the guards turned and left.
Hugo smiled, "We expected you hours ago. What was the holdup?"
"A village near our route was on fire. We stopped to offer assistance," James stated but didn't offer any further details.
Dylan asked, "Where are Mother and Father? I need to speak with them immediately."
"They are in the new nursery. It is the room next to yours, in Taina's old room," Hugo answered, turning back to return to his post.
"Who is Taina?" asked Sadie, surprised.
"No one, my love. Don't worry," Dylan stated as he rushed into the castle.
The others had to run to keep up with him.
Upon reaching the nursery, Skylar went to the twins as they slept in the provided cribs. "Look, James, they are so peaceful. Oh, how I missed our babies."
James hugged her and pulled her against his chest as they watch Donny and Mel sleep.
Billy was awake on a blanket on the floor with a toy hanging over his head. Sadie leaned down and whispered to him, and his little face just lit up.
Dylan didn't take the time to acknowledge his son. He turned to his parents, "I need to speak with you, please. James and Skylar, will you both please come with us."
Not knowing what Dylan wanted to talk to his parents about in private without his wife bothered Skylar. "Dylan, don't you think Sadie needs to be present?" Skylar asked her brother-in-law.
Dylan shook his head, "No, this doesn't concern her. I will catch her up later." He leaned down and kissed his wife and his son.
Dylan's mother leads the way out of the room, down the stairs to a conference room.
"King James, Queen Skylar, I am Eliza, and this is my husband, Fredrick. We welcome you into our home. Dylan, what is it that we must discuss before they even spend time with their children?" Eliza, Dylan's mom, asked.
"Mother, I know that you feel children are the most important. However, I am worried that the children are in greater danger," Dylan started to explain. He showed his parents the writing that he copied from the book's binding from the Dragon Kingdom. There was more than he had translated from James to read.
"We see," Fredrick stated. "Do they know what this says?"
Dylan shook his head, "I only translated the top portion. I was hoping that I was getting my words confused on the bottom sections."
Eliza walked forward and wrapped her son in her arms, "Son, you know this language as well as we do. We have taught you every possible language globally, from the new ones to the old ones. You know this shouldn't have been kept from your King and Queen or your wife."
Skylar and James took seats at the table. They shared worried looks as they waited for what would be translated from the rest of the binding.
Dylan looked at them, "I am sorry that I didn't share this with you before. Maybe I need to call Sadie down so she can hear it with you."
"I will go up and get her," Eliza stated. "You need to translate this to them now." Eliza hurried up the stairs to her daughter-in-law.
"Please forgive me for keeping this to myself. This paragraph starts: The royal children, including the advisors' children, are in great danger as the royal party travels worldwide. The twins will become separated, and the other child will join with the remaining twin. Do not be afraid. No harm will come to the separated child as long as you follow through with the task ahead." Dylan paused and looked up at his in-laws.
With tears in her eyes, Skylar asked, "Which twin, and is there anything we can do to stop it?"
"It is going to be okay. We will face this together," James said, wrapping his hand around hers.
Dylan nodded, "The task that is to be fulfilled is finding the rest of the books and making it one again."
"That seems like an impossible task. How long will my child be taken from me? How can I change this? Is this what the silence that has been present is all about?" Skylar was screaming and shaking so bad that she couldn't see anything around her.
James tried to calm her down because Dylan wasn't finished, but Skylar just stormed out of the room up to the nursery.
- Writer
