XXXI

James' Warning

———

The moist of the two water containers dripped on the sand of the desert as the Juniors made their way through the desert of Jayreenn. It's been a snaillike hour of midnight in the desert, and all of them were somnolent.

"I need to sleep, guys," Tom whispered, while his heavy eyelids were dropping down to completely cover his childish and innocent eyes. His body dropped on the camel he rides on. Amy saw this and made a longer glance at Tom, who shivers.

"Goodnight, Tom," Amy said, trying to keep her eyes wide open. "You can sleep, everyone."

When Amy was halfway in believing her teammates were all trying to sleep, Lance told her, "I'll stay awake with you."

Amy made a swift gaze at Lance then at the sky. She said, "You know, it's late—really late. I know you wanted sleep, so you can sleep."

"Yes, I wanted to sleep, and thank you for caring about my eyebags' health," Lance said. "But I will keep my eyes unclose, like what you're doing."

Amy only nodded then looked at the rest. Elise, William, and Sally sat still, not showing a single evidence of a will to sleep.

"You'll not sleep?" Amy asked as the wind tenderly blew on her face.

"Tom is younger than us," Elise said, "so expect better sleep control from us."

"I'm not nocturnal. At the same time, I'm not diurnal," Sally explained. "I don't feel sleepiness unless I lie down."

Amy stared at the youngest, Tom. Without any command, Elise, Sally, William, and Lance also looked at Tom.

"A Kininva," Tom mumbled while snoring. "A Kininva!"

Tom jumped while sleeping, and his actions made his five friends look at him. Slowly, he opened his eyes and screamed, "A Kininva! Look! Look!" while pointing at a distant place. All of them noticed Tom was pointing at some place, but none of them bothered to let their eyes visit that place.

"Where? Where's the Kininva?" Amy panicked.

"There, there!" Tom screamed then pointed at the same place. Almost perfectly, the five of them looked at that place.

"No," Tom said. "I'm sorry, there's no Kininva there."

He had a dream in that fast? William thought.

Then, Tom continued, "It's just the spot in my dream where a Kininva i—"

"Tom, there's something where you are pointing at," Lance cut him off. Everyone of them made way to see what Lance was saying. When their eyes are all on a common denominator, they wholly had the decision to go to that place. Without a word, the camels slogged through in order to reach the peculiar and tenebrous place. As they come nearer with Amelia's camels, the cynosure became more pelucid.

A murky basalt gate with a height of fifteen feet became larger to their sight. The Juniors became nearer, fifteen feet away, just like the height, from the wall-like gate of basalt. Amy first jumped down the camel, and the rest followed.

"Tom, your dream has a good purpose, not to only scare you," Elise said. "It probably tells us to go to somewhere else."

"I agree with that, Elise," Amy and Lance spoke in a stupefying manner, but it didn't make them look at each other. Amy thought, it doesn't matter to be surprised right now, while Lance thought, it would be only too awkward if I looked at her. In order to keep these thoughts away, Amy sprinted nearer to the gate then transformed her bow into a cutlass. She tried to smash the gate with her almost scythe-like cutlass, yet it only moved a little. She, who is being stuck between embarrassed and not, moved away.

"Let's open that gate using the key," Lance suggested.

"I don't think so," Sally contradicted.

"There ain't no padlocks on the gate," Tom lazingly exhaled.

"There is," Lance said then pointed a small padlock carved on the gate's surface. "Look at this."

"That can be," Elise said. The rest agreed with a nod. Amy stepped forward and about-faced. She spread her arms vastly to make her teammates stop moving.

"Listen, let's plan before going in," Amy commanded. "Hold your weapons high. Don't let go of it... just like the usual, okay?"

Amy's hand entered her own pocket and reached in to something. She pulled her hand and a golden key out of her right pocket. Being the nearest to the gate, Amy pushed the key towards the gate's built-in padlock. Within two seconds, the gate shook itself, while the keyhole of the padlock became a starter of the gate's main crack. Amy wrenched the key and hid it back to her right pocket.

With a split second and Amy's enigmatic hand gesture, her cutlass transfigured back to the bow from her father. Amy took an arrow and readied it into a vigilant aim as they watched the basalt gate split into two.

"Look! Look!" Tom exclaimed while jumping and pointing at the crack that unbosoms the things within the gate. "There's something inside!"

"We know, Tom, okay?" Sally snapped, and it made Tom look feeble and scaredy-cat.

Tom shut his mouth up due to his fear of flame in Sally's sword. I know Sally's never gonna kill me but... he thought, I fear fire! When he settled his eyes back to the gate, it showed him a perfectly opened gate. A semi-circular arrangement of the horses' stables surprised them, and in the middle, multitudinous dynamites were placed.

"This must be a hostage," William gasped.

"We should keep our horses safe," Lance said.

"One, two, three, four, five six... the stables were only six," Tom said.

"The horses are all white," Sally whispered, loud enough to be heard by all of them. "Those must be ours!"

"If those horses are ours, and this is a hostage; it's a good thing we arrived earlier than time," Elise said. "Amy, what are we waiting for? We have to make sure no landmines were placed the—"

When Elise and the rest's eyes landed on Amy, they were not disappointed Amy had become idle. She was running towards the six stables, towards the dynamite.

"Amy!" Lance called and ran towards the same direction Amy heads to. "Let me come with you."

Elise exhaled and said, "I do understand that owners want their pets back, but... we don't really know what the dynamites are for."

Ignoring what Elise said with importance, Sally, William, and Tom ran and followed Amy and Lance.

"Did you just leave me?" Elise, trying her best to speak her loudest, asked. After being left and ignored, she also ran towards the horses and dynamites. Trying to be safe by keeping away from the dynamites, Elise made her aptest way to reach all of her teammates.

Amy had Airie nudging on her shoulders, but she still kept on unlocking the stables with the use of the key from Amelia. When the last stable was opened by Amy, Tom cheered because in that stable, a shorter and a little diminutive horse bucked inside it.

"Oh me, oh me," Tom whispered while his horse is exiting the stable Amy recently opened. "Welcome back to my arms, Thumb."

"Wait," Lance said. "Tom, Thumb is your horse's name?"

"Yes," Tom replied and nodded vacillatingly. "I don't think it's... an offensive name. I just thought we're both short... and cute!"

"Like Tom Thu—" William was cut off.

"I'm so sorry to bring a halt to your funny conversation, but we really have to go," Amy told everyone.

"We are not sure about our safety," Elise added. "There can be a source of fire anywhere."

Amy rode Airie and led her teammates away from the unlocked and swinging gates of stables, dynamites, and split basalt gate. In Amy's sight, the camels became nearer as Airie was galloping. Faint footsteps of horses were heard from her back, and that made her have a rearward glance. Her teammates were at her back, waiting for any command from her. Amy left the sight of her friends then locked her eyes on the camels at her front.

After noticing the camels were driving away from them, Amy jumped down from Airie's saddle.

"Stop!" Amy commanded the camels.

The camels stopped in walking. Amy exhaled and idly stared at the camels. She stood there behind the six camels—her hair flowing through the wind of the desert's midnight. While breathing heavily, she eased her mind. Her bow, which is calmly clipped on her torso and quiver, will inarguably be arduous to take in case some Kininva approaches.

While Amy stood idly, and her friends didn't make an action to take away her mind's vacancy; a metallic arrow hit Amy's right shoulder within a split-second speed.

"Ow!" Amy moaned in pain while eyeing at the arrow on her shoulder. Without caring how it will hurt her, she wrenched the arrow and casted it away. Amy realized they were not in their armors after being shot through archery, her expertise.

The wound is not as deep as it looks... but ouch, it really hurts! Amy thought and winced.

"Ow," she moaned again.

Amy eased her body and let go of her  standing strength. While she falls, a thin yet muscular enough arm caught her back, then she heard him talk, "Amy, where the hell did that arrow come from?"

"I—I don't know, and I don't care," Amy stuttered while bearing with the throbbing pain of her shoulder. "Try your best not to curse."

Amy glanced around her lying body and realized everyone stood near her, as idle as she was few moments ago.

"Try our best to go back to Amelia," Amy commanded with the weakest of her voice.

"It really bothers me how an arrow can be astray in the middle of this... this desert," Lance said. He made a glimpse of Amy's pained expression, and Amy glared at him.

"I don't care where it came from," Amy said once again. "We have to get the camels ba—"

"Are you sure you do not care where that arrow came from?" Everyone searched for the voice that spoke then realized the source was from someone at their front. Silence screamed.

"I'm asking you again," it said. A hand patted the smallest camel's hump until a man in black had his face revealed. A bow facilely swings on his lower arm. He smirked.

"Would you not care if the one who shot the princess is someone important?" he questioned, still smirking.

All eyebrows furrowed, they glared at the man and tried to analyze every word he had said.

"Who are you?" Sally questioned in uproar. She had herself standing at the front of Amy. Her fiery sword is on guard and prepared to burn someone to death.

The man in black smirked again and said, "I am the man beneath the fake Kininva in a small hut of a mother and a child."

He is also the man we saw with the truck when we were just on the way to here, Jayreenn, Amy thought.

"I am the one whose head was shot by your princess," the man whispered and swept his hair beside his left ear. A diamond scar can be seen behind his left ear. His face is a product of insult, disgust, and mischief.

"I am James Lurker."

William and Tom pointed their rifles at James. Elise, who is just behind Sally, raised her axe to reveal the flashing red lasers. And in the case of Lance, he drew his sword out and securely guarded Amy.

"Where is my father?" Amy screamed, trying to stand up and get her bow off of her torso in spite of her wound.

"I am not here to harm any of you."

"THEN WHY DID YOU SHOOT AMY ON HER SHOULDER?" Lance shouted, and it's enough to shut everyone up.

"HOW DARE YOU SHOUT AT ME?" James shouted back. He breathed in deeply and calmly said, "You should be thankful I didn't kill your princess straight away. It's also a good thing I didn't shoot her in the head, like what she did to me. That shot was a revenge for my head."

Amy could not speak even though her thoughts just overwhelm her way too much.

"I want you to know," James whispered and tapped a camel, "these camels are the best I've seen."

James stared at Amy and enjoyed the sight of her suffering. He eyed at the Juniors and at their uniquely designed weapons.

"So... I am here to inform and warn you," James started and smirked at the dawning sky. "You can put your weapons down. I still need you alive, because I need you to tell the whole Portland Goldens about what I will say."

"What is it?" Elise fiercely asked.

"I want every Portal Soldier in the southern field of Portland Goldens, five days from now," James said, cherishing the silence as the Juniors were watching him. "I want to see every soldier of your kingdom, best or worst. I'll be with my beloved prisoners. As what I've said before, a war for a wound. See you soon, Juniors."

After he said the last word of his warning, a yellowish light scintillated at their front and at the camels' rear. In no time, the sparkling light disappeared. So as James.

"What's that?" Amy's voice called for her teammates' eyes. She raised her readied bow to modify it into her cutlass. She stabbed the sand on the ground and stood up.

"No, Amy," Lance said. "Stay in my arms. Your wound is deep."

"It's not as deep as it looks," Amy winced, got up, and looked at Elise, who keeps on rummaging her small bag after James had gone.

"Amy, I'm sorry," Elise whispered. "I have no possible first aids."

"Where is that James Lurker?" Amy asked, trying to sound the most convincing side of her serene self.

"That sparkling light is a Patented Portal made by James," Elise answered. "He'd gone."

"Why is his portal sparkling?" Tom asked.

"Yeah," Lance said and stood up to assist Amy in a better way.

"Sparkling portals are made by the greatest Portal Soldiers," Elise explained. "That's all of it. It means James is a strong Portal Soldier."

"I admire your knowledge, Elise," Amy smiled. "Can anyone please make a portal to Amelia's at the front of the camels?"

Sally—who was at very front—drew her fiery sword back, raised her right hand, and supported her own elbow. A large portal flashed next to the camels. Elise and Sally guided the horses like how William and Tom led the camels closer to the portal. Lance was by Amy's side. There, he could assist Amy.

Once the light of the portal surrounded them as they pass, a much colder place welcomed their presence. Around them, tropical trees stand tall. The ascending sun peeks through the gaps of every trees' shadow. The Juniors shivered as the numbing coldness of the dawn traveled through their goosebumps and nerves.

"It's really cold today," Tom quivered. "Yee-ee-ee!"

Without knowing Tom was talking, Sally—who made the portal—said, "Amelia's house must be somewhere around here."

Sally glimpsed at Amy's wound. It doesn't bleed anymore, she thought, but her wound is still open. Then, she decided to speak.

"Doesn't anyone have a..." Sally paused at the sight of Lance and Amy. Amy stares at Lance, who tries to cover her wound with his stretched tam-o'-shanter as an ad interim cover.

"Does it still hurt that bad?" Lance asked.

"I have to lie that it doesn't," Amy exhaled and bitterly smiled.

"What had happened?" That voice made the Juniors go on guard. The voice did not come from any of their vocal chords. It was from someone who has jet-black hair with some white streaks.

"What made you up this... early?" Elise asked.

"I can't explain it," the woman replied then pointed at Amy's right shoulder. "Amy, what happened to your shoulder? Why is it covered with... why?"

"It doesn't matter, Ma'am Amelia. You don't have to worry," Amy stealthily bit her lower lip to hide the pain.

Then, someone's breath tickled her left ear and heard, "Won't you tell her something about your wound? She probably has first aid."

"No," Amy whispered back to Lance. "Mom has to know about the war as soon as possible."

Amy turned to Amelia and said, "Thank you for the camels."

She moved her right arm to reach her right pocket then stopped. It really hurts badly, Amy thought and tried not to wince. Practically, Amy used her left hand to pull some Portaeli out of her right pocket. Amelia found it eccentric to get things from a right pocket by making use of left hand. However, Amelia refused to comment.

"Here," Amy said and lent two paper bills, again, using her left hand. "One hundred and fifty Portaeli for letting us borrow the camels."

Assuming Amy commanded with her mind, Tom and William led the six camels nearer to Amelia, who takes the bills from Amy.

"I think... your bills are too much, Amy," Amelia said.

"There's our payment for the dinner—we ate too much," Amy grinned, concealing the evidence of pain on her face. "And if the payment still exceeds, keep the change. We really need to hurry—sorry, we couldn't narrate it all. We made use of your key; saw James Lurker, the mastermind of the Kininvas' existence; and got a warning of war from him. Thank you for everything."

After speaking Amy collapsed, and Lance caught her in his arms.

"We really have to go. Sorry, thank you, and goodbye," Lance said and watched Amy fall into a deeper sleep. Elise raised her hand into the position of a Communal Portal. After the Communal Portal with the Juniors and the horses has gone Amelia was left there, standing while thinking of how the Juniors used the key, of how they saw James, and of how a war can be declared in the middle of the night. Amelia, who stands with her camels, eagerly thought of possible answers to the questions of her cluttered and perplexed mind as the sun rises.

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