The Final Battle Begins

During the trip back to the airport, and throughout the entire flight home, a silence fell amongst friends. There was no need to talk about what had happened; they saw Orion enter the Forbidden Realms. They knew that, pretty soon, the world would be living in the cause of what had happened.

As for Mykella, they had promised to be her Watchers.

Vince closed his eyes and tried to forget what he saw once they emerged from the hole under the castle. He was first to come up and when he looked around, he saw Sister Agnes standing in the garden behind the destruction, her hands and clothes caked in blood. She held a long dagger in her shaking hand which was equally blood-stained.

She looked up and saw Vince and a look of panic entered her eyes. “She tried to fight it,” she said to him with a trembling voice. “Said it would be painless and quick. But she fought in the end.”

He looked down and saw the mutilated body of Sister Helen.

He stared at Sister Agnes with pity and he shook his head. “My prophecy has ended, I suspect?”

She nodded and then wiped the blade with her skirt.

Vince didn’t care what movie was playing on the trip home; all he was hoping for was to get some sleep, sleep he hadn’t had in a very long time. To hell with Orion and his Dreamkillers; it was my time to get some dreamless sleep for a change.

Chris watched him with his eyes closed and knew now that he will never be hers again, no matter how hard she tried. She accepted the realization and wondered what her future world would be like. If she were to be Mykella’s Watcher, would she have to wear some god-awful clothes the nuns had to wear?

She turned and saw that Karl was still awake and she went over to him – the plane wasn’t very crowded – and sat down next to him. It was no secret that she didn’t think too highly of him, so what she was about to tell him, it was taking a large amount of effort on her part.

“Can I tell you a secret?” she asked and he gave her his utmost attention; who doesn’t love secrets?

“You can tell me anything, Chris.”

She smiled and knew that, several months ago, he would never have said such a thing. “Remember our trip to Ogunquit?” He nodded and she took a deep breath. “About half way through the trip, Samantha tells me that she has been in love with Vince for a long time.”

Karl sat up and threw her a puzzled expression. “But, she was into Donnie,” he said.

“She said that I couldn’t tell anyone; she was going to try to tell Vince before the trip ended, but she never got the chance.”

They sat in silence going over the trip in their minds. Perhaps if she had told Vince and Donnie her true feelings, Mykella would have been Vince’s daughter.

Karl stood up and went over to Vince. “No,” she whispered but he paid her no mind. He tapped Vince on his shoulder.

Vince shook his head and opened his eyes. He turned his head and saw Karl sitting behind him with a grave expression on his face.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Hey, I just wanted to apologize for Ogunquit,” said Karl and was about to walk back to his seat.

“What are you talking about?”

Karl shook his head. “I’m just sorry that you didn’t make it back for that last visit that you wanted,” he said and went to his seat and sat down.

“Thanks,” Vince called back to Karl, who nodded.

The plane landed in Chicago, and all they could think about was the future. He didn’t think much would remain the same.

The future. Vince thought that not even the great Oracles could foresee what would happen when one human stands alone to challenge the Dreamkillers. Vince knows now that the future will be painful but he now believes that if, like Mykella had shown him, hope and faith can be a comfort, he will no longer abandon these to emptiness.

It wasn’t until he, himself, saw the cross of our savior and saw his blood on the cross that he found faith – true faith – and that no matter what happens during the conclusion of the Great War, he knows that loving arms will always be around him to protect his soul.

As for Orion gaining access into Eden and eating from the Tree of Knowledge, Vince wondered, then, what the Tree could do for Mykella. If eaten also, could she find a way to destroy Orion and his Dreamkillers?

Perhaps.

He had called Krieger just before entering the hospital and he could hear the infant crying in the background. Krieger had told Vince that the baby hadn't stopped crying yet, not even for her mother.

“We’re coming right up,” said Vince and turned off his phone.

Vince came to realize that, given the recent traumatizing events, Samantha would have no recollection of what they had gone through. As far as Vince knew, all she recalled was having instantaneous dreams where she caught only glimpses of whom she thought was her daughter. She knows nothing of the war to be fought and who it was that will be the opposing force against Orion.

As they entered the elevator, Vince pondered his own uncertain future. Where are Samantha and Mykella in his life? He has watched over them for a while now and he wondered if he was ready to let them go. He would never leave Mykella, though, as he is her Watcher. But what of them as a part of him?

He found the room by following the cries of the baby and he pushed open the door and Krieger stood up from a chair when Vince, Chris, and Karl walked into the dim room.

Vince looked over and saw Samantha sitting up in her bed, the back reclined, and holding the tiny babe in her arms with a pink blanket and pink hat.

“She won’t stop crying,” she began while shaking her head. “I even asked if it was colic.”

Vince turned and tossed Krieger a confused expression. Should she know what colic means in her state of mind?

“Ever since she was born,” Krieger said as he walked over to Vince. “Samantha’s been able to remember things. It’s almost as if she’s recovering,” he said and shrugged his shoulders. Then, as an afterthought, “How’d it go at the Forbidden Realms?”

Vince looked back at Samantha. “Talk to Karl and Chris; they’ll fill you in.” He turned his full attention on Samantha and leaned down and kissed her forehead. “I love you,” he said and she looked up into his eyes and almost began weeping for joy.

“You…you’re not leaving us, then?” she asked and he shook his head with a smile. “I love you, too.” With that she handed the crying baby over to Vince.

He was reluctant to take her at first but then he accepted and when he took Mykella in his arms, he looked down into her tiny face as she looked up into his own tired face.

The two stared at one another for a while and then Samantha shook her head. “I don’t believe it,” she said and Chris and Karl walked up to them, standing right behind Vince so they could look at the baby. “She’s stopped crying.”

A warm feeling swept through Vince as he stared down at Mykella. There were a million things he wanted to say to her – a million hopes and prayers for her – but he just settled on: “Good luck” and he kissed her forehead…

There cannot be light without darkness; and there cannot be night without a new dawn.

End of Book Two; to be continued with

The Dream Crusades

Book Three of the Great War Saga