Origins (Book 4 of Alfireán age)

Family Troubles

Olivia bolted upright, her sleep shattered as Silver's voice echoed in her mind. Blinking several times, the colorful walls of the infirmary came into focus. Suddenly, Zaphaniea jolted awake on the bed beside her. "Brockovich?" the grand champion asked, her nose scrunching in confusion.

"It's my hometown," Olivia replied, flinging her blanket away as her bare feet hit the cool floor. "How bad is it?" she called out, hoping Silver could hear her.

They are still in the fake town. But they have been there for almost an hour tearing the place apart, Silver's voice answered in their minds.

"That ain't good," Zaphaniea muttered, throwing back her own blanket and grabbing her clothes. "How many are there?"

Two, an unfamiliar female voice replied. One seems to think they are wasting their time, but the bigger one is not convinced the town is real at all, and he's determined to find the real one.

Could you attempt to persuade them it's real, Lillian dear? Silver's bell-like voice asked.

Maybe, but I'm not good at such things, the female voice answered back.

We will help you from here, Silver said, and a second later she, Pony, and Scarlet burst into the infirmary. Silver gestured towards Zaphaniea's neck and asked, "May I?"

The grand champion nodded and pulled the dragon gem from around her neck, handing it to the white-haired maid.

Valarinnia sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What's going on?" she asked sleepily as the three maids huddled around the glowing gem.

"Some place is being attacked by blood oaths, and they are trying to convince them to leave telepathically," Zaphaniea told the princess.

"You can do that?" Rinnia asked, her violet eyes widening as she slid out from underneath the white sheet and stood up.

Zaphaniea shrugged. "I can't, that's for sure."

Time ticked by as Olivia, the princess, and the grand champion hurriedly dressed in silence while watching the maids.

"Out!" Valarinnia suddenly commanded when one of the medical staff reentered the infirmary to check on them. The young woman froze in her tracks, threw a wary glance at the shimmering teardrop gem, then scurried out of the room like a frightened mouse.

"You can't be serious!" Pony huffed, disgust etched on her face while the three of them lowered the gem.

"What!? What happened?" Olivia asked anxiously as she finished braiding her hair.

With a solemn expression, Silver passed the gem to Zaphaniea. "They were leaving when the child and his friends rushed in and challenged them to a fight."

Zaphaniea stuffed the gem away and deftly tucked her blouse into her pants. "Child?" she asked.

"Viktor and his cohorts," Scarlet spat, her green eyes sparking with fury.

They just crushed Viktor, Lillian's voice rang in their minds

"Foolish boy," Silver sighed and shook her head as the sound of footsteps pounded toward them.

His friends are running for their lives, and one of the blood oaths is chasing after them while the other has picked Viktor up and is carrying him towards the teleportation stone, Lillian explained.

Olivia's eyes widened in horror, and her voice trembled. "If they teleport him, we'll never see him again!"

Harold and the others are rushing in to try and stop him, Lillian's voice quivered with fear. But...Dylan is coming to get you!