Day 5

A kind family had taken Natrica and Spice in for the night. They ate the brown sludge that was served to them for dinner. They slept on the rugs on the floor and their horses were kept safe for the night.

But as the light toughed Natrica’s face she woke up. She was eager to return to her waiting spot. She thanked the family and gave them everything she could.

Natrica and Spice waited in the castle surroundings hoping that Joe would escape. Natrica sat on a rock while Spice watched the horses graze. Natrica was beginning to feel like she needed to do something.

While she sat there Rachael Ceronio walked past.

“Rachael” Natrica said.

Rachael turned and looked at the blond.

“Do I know you?” Rachael asked

“No, we haven’t been introduced. I am Natrica, your’ grandfather’s charity has really helped me.”

Oh, great poor people, Rachael thought, she smiled “I am glad it helped you. That’s why we do it, to help people.”

Natrica suddenly looked concerned

“You’re not dead. So why are you here?”

“What?!?” Rachael exclaimed.

She had been expecting more fan talk, not death!

That was very unexpected.

“Well think about it” Natrica began

“Suddenly here in a strange place where we are tested. One second, we are doing what we do the next we are here,” Natrica paused so they could think about it, then she continued

“Absent from the body…”

“I am not dead!” Rachael stated.

“Then tell me where are we if not in purgatory?” Natrica asked.

“Interesting” Kerri said.

It had never crossed her mind that she might be dead. Yet this woman was sure she had died, and for some reason her logic was logical.

“We are on another planet call Chayim” Rachael corrected “We are working on a way home.”

“How did you get here?” Natrica asked calmly as if helping someone reach self-awareness.

“Though some kind of portal” Rachael guessed

But hearing it out loud she realized how silly it sounded.

“Why do you think you are in purgatory?” Nikki asked fascinated by this woman’s logic.

“Well, I always gave my tithe to the catholic church on Cross street, so now I am been given a chance to earn my way into heaven and make up for my past sins.”

“Seriously!” Rachael spluttered.

“It’s more believable than your portal theory.” Natrica said waiting for someone to say something that made more sense.

“I have a guardian angel who protects me in this place.” Natrica told them

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“Oh, do tell me more.” Kerri inquired.

“Her name is Josephina and she is a warrior.”

“How do you know she is an angel?” Kerri asked

“Her only request was food and somewhere to sleep, she never tried to take my money.”

“Interesting. Where is your guardian angel now?” Kerri asked

“In the queen’s dungeon. But I shall wait. She will escape. It’s all about character tests.” Natrica replied.

“I am Nikki, and this is Kerri-liana. We were on our way into the castle. Kerri can speak the language. So, we are hoping to get some food and supplies and maybe some information.”

“May we come with” Natrica asked “This is Spice, she’s with me.”

“Sure, tag along.” Kerri replied.

As they made their way towards the castle, a man was declaring while walking that anyone who turns the two women that killed the queen’s men over to the queen will be rewarded with a wagon of food and anyone who is found helping them. They shall be put to death with their whole family.

“I think getting into the castle will be harder than we expected.” Kerri-liana said “They are looking for two women who killed the queen’s men.”

“Oh, that’s Joe and another woman that was with her.” Natrica said calmly.

“This Josephina is a killer?” Nikki exclaimed.

“And a very efficient one.” Natrica said almost proudly.

Kerri, Rachael and Nikki watched as the villagers dragged people to the castle and handed them over to the guards.

Kerri read the posters.

“Two women are wanted and anyone helping them will be killed with their whole family.”

“So how will we get into the castle?” Natrica asked.

Spice spoke up with an idea but only Kerri could understand her.

“Why don’t we hand me in as Joe, who is the woman the queen is seeking. That way you will get into the castle.”

Kerri relayed her suggestion to everyone else.

Natrica gave an ‘I told you so look.’

“If that’s what she wants then we should.” Natrica said “Once we are in, we can rescue her.”

“It makes sense but I don’t like it” Nikki said.

“Thank you Spice. We will do everything we can to get you out again.” Kerri told her

As they approached the castle Spice saw the smoke coming from the woods.

“There is a slave camp in the forest” she said to the guards before Kerri could speak and go through with the plan.

“See the smoke. I am a slave and I have heard that the slave traders are planning to ransomed these women back to the queen for one thousand gold pieces”

The guards checked her brands and then assembled a small troop to go into the woods.

As the guards were going out, they crept in.

Kerri led them into the kitchen. Where the maids were unhappy to see her

“You are leaving us to cover for you. It’s not fair. You are going to get us all killed if you don’t start doing your part!” they moaned at Kerri

“I am not a slave.” Kerri said

“Now you have doomed us. For we helped you. Believing you were one of us and when we are discovered we will all be killed and our children will be killed or thrown out to the wild animals.”

“I won’t let that happen” Kerri said

“You make promises you can’t keep. For how are you going to stop the queen from killing us or her new guards?”

Kerri had no idea how she was going to protect them. In fact, she wasn’t even sure she could help the people from her world.

“I just need some food” Kerri asked.

“No! Leave us. You have brought trouble on us and you still want more, go, just go.”

So, Kerri led her party into the wall and secret passages.

She tried to gather herself. She was hungry and feeling hopeless.

“It’s ok” Natrica said comfortingly “We will find a way. We just need to brainstorm our options.”

Kerri led them to the room where James had been kept. There they began to discuss their options.

“We could assassinate the queen” Rachael said

“Not without a replacement” Nikki said

“A country without a leader after having a terrible leader… it’s not doing them a favor.”

“Who here could kill the queen?” Kerri asked “Because I am not willing to kill someone.”

“Assassinate” Rachael corrected.

Kerri gave her a look,

“Are you willing to assassinate the queen” she asked

“Joe could” Natrica said.

“Joe isn’t here” Rachael said almost disappointed.

“We don’t have to have an instant solution” Natrica added.

“Who will rule in the queen’s place?” Nikki asked.

There was a long silence then Rachael said

“Tẽra, your royal friend who people mistake as the queen”

Nikki didn’t like it at all but it could work.

Tẽra had the heart to rule people with kindness. She looked the part or so the villagers said, and she had experience as a royal.

“I don’t like it. I’m just putting it out there.” Nikki said.

“Any other objections?” Natrica asked.

There was silence.

“So, can we then make a plan to find Joe and assassinate the queen, replacing her with Tẽra?”

“I”

“Yes”

“Fine” the voices answered.

“So then let’s get Joe out of the dungeon or wherever she is?”

“The guards said she had escaped.” Kerri reminded them

“Let’s be sure” Natrica said.

Kerri led them to the dungeons where she found lots of people, but not Joe or Sugar.

Spice picked at stuff growing on the walls. Everyone tried to ignore it but it was distracting with how gross it was.

Kerri looked at the variety of people, from old to children.

LooDay was in there lying on the floor as if everything was fine.

“I see you are back in here?” Kerri said to him.

“It’s a minor problem,” he said sure of himself.

“Is that so?” she asked “If I leave without helping you out, it wouldn’t matter?”

“Well, it would save time” he quickly said “Free me and I will free you”

“I am not locked up. This isn’t a good deal. Plus, as I recall you left me to die and tried to steal from me.”

“A misunderstanding” he said waving his hand in a care-free way.

“See you later.” She said turning to go.

“I can sweeten the deal, love. I know where great treasure lies.”

“In my eyes” she said cutting him off.

“You are a difficult woman. But still, I can show you the world.”

“Nope, you’ll show me how quickly you can disappear.”

Spice laughed this was too funny for her.

“But love, I would never.” He said standing by the bars

“Never stick around, never follow though, never keep a promise.”

“Hey” he interrupted sounding hurt “I always keep my promises”

“Then promise to find me a royal to replace the queen”

“You ask for the impossible. But I promise I will try.”

Expecting him to be a liar but seeing no harm in releasing him. She opened the door to his cell. He kissed her hand

“Thank you, my flower,” he said.

“I am not yours” she said wiping the kiss off.

“What was that?” Rachael asked.

“Possible help against the queen.” Kerri replied.