“How do you get to go on vacation? What am I supposed to do when you’re done, Sky?” Kahree pouted as she watched her sister pack her bags.

  “What do you want me to do, Ree? Jordy invited me to go to Boro with him and I said yes. It’s not a vacation for crying out loud. It’s actually a business trip which is even better. We aren’t getting anywhere by killing all the KFM members here. This will give me a chance to see what’s going on over there. We need answers Ree and dead people don’t talk.”

  “Fine. Call it what you want, but I’m taking a self-care break. It’s been a while since I’ve gotten laid and cobwebs are starting to form in places that shouldn’t be.” Replied Kahree and she swung her bag over her shoulder.

  Sky huffed at her sister as Kahree stormed around her apartment. “Whatever Ree. Do what you want… just don’t kill anyone ok.”

  Before exiting the room, Kahree turned around and said, “I can’t make any promises…” Then closed the door quickly before Sky could reply. Instead of saying anything back, she rolled her eyes, shook her head, and finished packing her bags.

  By the time Sky got downstairs, Jordy was waiting by a buggy with two medium size horses strapped to it. He was smiling from ear to ear. “You ready to go? If we head out now, we can make it to Boro before nightfall. I know the short cuts…”

  Sky however was not amused. She smiled back at her companion before saying, “This is how we’re getting there? Horse and buggy?”

  Jordy’s smile dropped quickly then switched to a confused expression, “Well, yea… I know it’s not some high-speed space carrier, but this baby can get around. Besides, it’s the best way to travel through the back roads. It’s safer that way…”

  Safer? Thought Sky. She hopped on the front seat just above the poke-a-dot horse. “As long as we get there in piece, I’m good with the scenic route.”

  “Good. We have to make a few stops along the way.” Jordy hopped next to Sky, grabbed the reins, then tapped the horses to move forward.

  As the city of Freeland became smaller in view, the terrain started to change. The desert turned into lush forests and green grass fields. Sky wondered why the Founding Fathers didn’t build their city on this side rather than the desert. Birds chirped and other animals ran around the moving wagon came into view.

  Another fact that stood out was the random little villages that were in the middle of nowhere. Looking for all the Star Children was truly finding a needle in a haystack. Jordy pulled into one of them and made a quick stop in front of a grain store. The small village has only a handful of small businesses and houses in the back. There was no welcome sign or sign saying this town was called. Sky had to ask, “Where are we?”

  “This little village is called Sparrow named after the guy who built this place. It produces the finest grain in the area and I’m here to restock for the tavern.” Said Jordy as he again hopped off the wagon. Two young women and an elderly man stepped out of the shop. “Hey everyone!” He turned back and looked at Sky, “I want you to meet Serena and Sara. The old man in the back is Leonard. Their family has been processing grain and packaged salts for generations.”

  “Jordy,” the old man said. “I see you brought someone new this time. Young Ishmael couldn’t make it?”

  “No, Mr. Leonard. Ish had other business to attend.” He replied with a smirk. “This is Sky. She works with me at the tavern and since my uncle requires two people to come along, I asked her to come.”

  The old man nodded slowly then waved his aged hand towards him. “Well, come on and get your stuff now. I know you have other places to visit.”

  As Jordy loaded the old wagon he named ‘Benny’, it squeaked and whistled as he stacked the large bags of grain. Most of the villagers came out to say hello before he was ready to leave. All fifty of them… the village was definitely run by the entire family.

  Sky once again hopped in the passenger seat and waited for her chauffeur to get on too. She watched as Jordy talked with Leonard, both shaking their heads in agreement. Then Sky saw something she wasn’t expecting. The old man handed Jordy a small sack of coins. The small brown velvet coin purse was about halfway full when Jordy quickly tucked it into his pocket. Is he collecting money? A tax maybe? This truly intrigued Sky for these individuals looked like they wouldn’t be able to spare anymore, let only money.

  These ‘supply stops’ occurred two more times until they got to a small town named Corzon. This place was much different from the other towns they had visited. It was not only full of people, but different shops sold a variety of materials, especially metals. Corzon was another city safely hidden within the trees… Jordy seemed a bit distant when they first arrived. “I have to do this one alone... The guy is really iffy about meeting new people. Real paranoid about the Star Counsel raining on his parade.” At first, this idea didn’t sit well with her. Sky wanted to see everyone who was involved. Secretly she was marking the places they visited on the map Kahree found in Pierre’s office. She was beginning to notice the trend… Jordy picks up his store supplies then something extra on the side. If Sky’s suspicions were right, these ‘businesses’ are helping to fund the rebellion. “They have a really nice market here. I always visit Miss. Peters bakery before I leave. I should only take an hour or so."

  Sky nodded her head in agreement. “Sure. I’ll see you in a few.” This was her chance... Now she could scope around without Jordy being nearby. Corzon reminded Sky a lot of the city of Eval just on a much smaller scale. What would Kahree look for? This type of place was right up her sister’s alley. As she walked around going from booth to booth, she noticed a guy standing alone within two stores. The market booth stood in the middle of the street with many of the store fronts behind them. It was a clever way to bring in customers. This guy, however, looked like he was looking for a certain type of customer.

  Sky made her way discreetly towards the other side of the market then wrapped around, so it wouldn’t look so obvious. Once she got closer, Sky made eye contact with the strange looking man. He wore regular clothes and seemed to be clean cut. It was the long brown trench coat that made him suspicious. As she passed by, the stranger asked, “What’s a pretty girl like you, doing in some place like this all alone?”

  Sky stopped abruptly and asked, “Excuse, me? What did you say?”

  The strange man pushed off the wall he was leaning on and slowly walked over to her. “I said, a pretty girl like you should have some type of protection. Do you have protection?”

  “From whom?” Sky took a step back towards the market, making the stranger come more into the light.

  “Not who rather what... I have what you’ll need against those Star monsters.” Again, the strange man became uncomfortably closer to Sky but this time she didn’t move.

  “Star monsters? You mean those Star Children people? Why would I need protection from them?”

  The stranger laughed sinisterly. “Have you been living under a rock? There are hundreds of stories of those freaks hurting innocent people. That’s why I’m out here. To make sure the normal innocent people have protection.” He reached into his inside pocket and took out a small piece of metal that resembled a gun. This kind of gun, however, Sky has never seen before. The guns she used to were made of a special material that would concentrate energy that could be turned into a laser or something larger like a bomb. This gun the stranger held was made from an assembly of metal pieces with a lever in the back to help propel the ammo inside. He then took out three cylinder bullets and loaded the small pistol. The ammunition was Essence Stones... Specially curved bullets that had a pointed silver tip on the end. It looked like the bullets were designed to explode on impact.

  Sky instinctively took another step back. “What the hell is that? I’ve never seen blue rocky bullets like that before. How is something like that supposed to stop those Star people?” Every time she was near any Essence Stones, and they didn’t glow, it was a quick reminder of the Vix Glass tattoo she had on her arm.

  The stranger gave Sky another smirk. “You see...” He held up an Essence Stone bullet. “These babies are specially and perfectly designed to kill those freaks. The main guy that shows the show here found a way to make sure we never have to deal with those freaks again. I saw you earlier when you first arrived. The guy you were with his family is one of our main buyers. How do you not know about this?”

  Sky could hear the suspicion growing his voice. “I just started working with Mr. LaGon. There’s still a lot to learn.”

  The stranger once again moved closer to his potential customer. “I’d be happy to show everything I know...”

  Sky replied quickly. “How much for that thing you’re holding?”

  “One hundred gold coins...” He quickly replied.

  “I don’t have one hundred gold coins. Is there any other way I can pay you?” Sky this time was the one who moved closer.

  The strange man gave Sky a big smile as he watched her walk by. She headed towards the shadows of the back alley. “What did you have in mind?” He crept up behind his customer and waited for her response. With a blink of an eye, Sky quickly turned around and snapped the man’s neck. He quickly dropped to his knees, spilling out of everything he had in his pockets.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “I’ll take that, thank you. You won’t be selling this shit to no one else, fucking perv.” Sky grabbed everything she could then pulled the dead man’s body to a spot no one would see him. She then grabbed the metal gun and threw it in the trash. The special bullets she decided to keep. Is this what Jordy’s here for? Sky whispered as she exited the alley. Kahree’s right... I need to get closer to him. I need to know what they’re planning, what we’re up against.

  While making her way back to the wagon, Sky saw Miss. Peter’s bakery. She quickly stopped inside and grabbed some baked goods. By the time she got to her destination, Jordy was loading the last cargo box. The wagon sunk down a little more which could only mean one thing. Whatever was in the box was heavy... One way or another, Sky was going to find out what was going on.

  “Hey! I got some goodies for the road. Ready to go?” asked Sky as she stepped up onto the seat above the horses.

  “I sure am.” Replied Jordy. It took almost everything in Sky’s power to not look back into the large wagon. She knew she would have to wait for another chance when she was alone...

  The two peacefully ate the baked goods together and chatted about the next upcoming destinations. “We only have one more stop than Boro here we come.” Jordy said with his mouth full.

  “Good thing because my butt is starting to hurt sitting on this bench.” Sky giggled at her comment. “So, you and Ish always make these stops when heading to Boro?”

  “Pretty much. At first the trips weren’t so many but as more towns started to open up, we were able to resupply without always going to places like Boro. You’ll see what I mean when we get there.” The evening quickly turned into nightfall. The beautiful scenery became dark shadows with noises of scratching and howls. The light the two had was from the lantern Jordy hung next to the wagon and the moonlight shining from above. The forest was creepy for sure... “The thing is,” Jordy continued. “We were already supposed to be in Boro by now. The last stop was a request from my uncle to pick up something he’d been working on. The damn guy talked my ear off about all sorts of things and that’s what threw me off schedule.”

  Jordy was clearly irritated, but what was Sky supposed to do. He gradually started picking up speed although visibility was only a few feet ahead. Jordy adjusted in his seat then turned around to check on the wobbly inventory housed in the back. The bumps and gravel made the boxes shake and bounce. As the wagon made a slight right turn, Jordy didn’t see the large rock sticking out of the road. “Watch out!” Sky screamed, trying to get her driver’s attention.

  Her warning came a bit too late as the wagon’s back wheel hit the rock. The wagon slightly lifted in the air then slammed down back on the ground causing the wheel to break. “Shit!” Jordy stopped the horses, grabbed the lantern, then jumped down from his seat. “Stay here. I’m going to check it out.”

  Sky nodded and replied, “I promise, I’m not going anywhere.” She watched as Jordy walked around to her side. Sky continued to look around the best she could through the dark thick forest. They were stuck in the middle of their planned destination. She could hear Night Owls wooing which was comforting compared to the low rumble growls. “Jordy...” Sky looked behind her and saw him struggling to see what was going on. “I think we might have another problem.”

  “Shit! Damn Ishmael!” Jordy kicked the wooden and steel wheel, making it pop inward. He then stood up and marched toward his passenger. “Come on.” He said while offering his hand for assistance getting off the passenger seat. Sky took his hand and hopped down then followed Jordy as he quickly walked to the back of the wagon. Jordy moved some boxes aside then took the top off one of the boxes. A large double-barreled metal gun emerged from the shadow. Jordy placed two shells in his pocket then loaded the gun with the other two.

  Sky’s suspicions were true however she was glad he had something to protect them. Whatever was out there hiding in the dark knew the two were vulnerable. “What is that?” Sky couldn’t take her eyes off the piece of machinery Jordy held effortlessly in his hands.

  “This bad boy is called a shotgun. It’s not powered by lasers like others have. It’s powered with explosive powder and pins hit the bullets out. These things will blow a hole in you the size of your torso. Come on, we can’t stay here. There might be another town a mile or two from here. The wheel is completely damaged... I’ll need a whole new wheel.” Jordy lifted the double-barreled shotgun to his mid waist. He sighed deeply as they walked into the night, staying close to the path. “You know, I had plans for us tonight when we got to Boro. All of this shit happened because of my uncle’s hatred for the Star Counsel and its children.”

  This was the conversation Sky was waiting for. “What do you mean, hatred?”

  “Well, how do you think we got the name rebels? This feud has been going on for a long time and honestly, it's just stupid if you ask me. I personally don’t have any issues with those Star people.” Jordy put his head down and said, "And they definitely don’t deserve what’s happening to them right now.”

  At that moment, Sky wished so badly that she could tell him the truth. However, she knew better... Another comforting feeling went through her body knowing Jordy wasn’t a savage like the rest of his family. “So, are the weapons for fighting the Star Counsel? What’s happening right now Jordy, I’m trying to follow.”

  Jordy looked at Sky directly in the eyes as much as he could in the dark. “War, Sky. They’re for war.”

  Just then a huge monster bear jolted out from between the trees. The large bronze color animal stood on its hind legs exposing its white stomach and increasing its size by two-fold. “What the hell is that?” Sky screamed as she looked completely up.

  “A fucking Grande Bear! Run!” Jordy screamed back. Unfortunately, the two ran in opposite directions leaving Sky all alone without any protection. Once Jordy realized it, he quickly turned around, running back in the direction he came. “Sky!”

  The large bear that looked like it weighed at least a ton, was gaining traction behind Sky. Again, it took everything in her not to use her powers to stop the hungry animal from malting her to death. Just before she made a quick turn, she heard the loud shots from Jordy’s shotgun. BOOM! BOOM! The sound startled both Sky and the bear. She quickly got behind a tree while covering her ears. She saw the bear slid right past her limping from its back leg. “Sky! Run to me quickly!” She did just that...

  As soon as Sky took off running in Jordy’s direction, the bear tried once more to ensure it didn’t leave this battle hungry. “Shoot the damn thing!” She screamed as Sky could hear the beast gaining speed on her again. Just as she got to Jordy, the bear lounged at Sky, but it missed. Jordy pushed her out of the way just in time, taking the blow head on. The shotgun flew out of his hands when both hit the ground.

  Hitting his head on a log, Jordy was out cold. “Jordy? Jordy! Shit! Now it’s my turn... Over here!” Sky waved down the bear as it got up once more. It charged Sky head on before she began to run. Once she felt like she was far enough, Sky began throwing a series of small fire balls catching the bear’s fur on fire. The large beast screeched before ultimately running away in a different direction. All Sky could see at the moment was a trail of gray smoke leading through the trees the bear was leaving behind.

  By the time Sky got back to Jordy, he was already coming back around. “My head...” He got up moaning and groaning dusting dirt from his clothes. “I’m ok. That bear got me good is all. We should probably stay in the wagon tonight. I’m sorry Sky.”

  “Sorry for what?”

  “I told you I had plans for us in Boro. I had reservations at a nice fancy restaurant, but it looks like that’s not happening tonight.”

  Sky giggled and replied, “Reservations? Mr. LaGon were you trying to woo me?”

  Laughing with her, Jordy said, “Not woo you but to impress you. I wanted to do something special. I think you deserve it Sky.” She was taken back by his words. For the rest of the walk the two were silent, lost in thought. Once they reached the wagon, Jordy began making room for the two to lay down. It was just enough room for the two to lay side by side close to one another.

  After a few moments went by trying to get comfortable, Sky decided to pick the conversation back up. “So, you think I deserve something special? You barely know me... You save me from that bear.” It was best that she gave him the credit.

  Jordy didn’t say anything at first but instead took his hand and caressed Sky’s cheek. “I think you’re special... I don’t know what it is, but you do something to me. I’ve never felt a connection with anyone like I do with you.”

  His touch was soft and gentle, making Sky close her eyes from the touch. “You remind me of someone I used to know a long time ago. He was kind and loyal just like you... You make me feel the way he made me feel. Free...”

  Both decided to lean into the kiss. It lasted only for a few minutes before they decided to let go and look at one another. The feeling between them was intense and denying it any longer would seem to make that feeling grow stronger. Their breathing became heavier as the kissing resumed much more passionately. Sky began unbuttoning Jordy’s shirt as he pulled hers over her head.

  Again, they stopped to observe one another, taking the moment all in. Jordy assisted in sliding down her tight jeans while she unfastened his belt buckle. Both almost fully undressed; Jordy grabbed on the sheets that was covering a box and draped it over them. It was a good thing that he laid down a fur palette before they got started. Although they didn’t have much space, they managed to make it work. Jordy took his time exploring Sky’s naked body as he took off the remaining undergarments she had on. Feeling her soft bare skin against his only intensified the foreplay.

  Grabbing her breasts while kissing her neck. Jordy positioned himself between her legs, and they slowly became one. The pace began to pick up as they were approaching the end. Loud moans came from them both as they released into one another, making them both collapse with satisfaction. It was intense, unexpected, and exactly what they needed at the time, relief.

  The next morning, Jordy and Sky decided to hit the dirt road again. With a shotgun in Jordy’s hand, they followed the road signs telling them which direction to take. “You said this was the ‘safer’ route, if I recall.” Sky said jokingly.

  “What I meant was other people, thank you very much.” He laughed along with her. “Not everyone is afraid of the LaGons or the Founding Five. Sometimes the neighboring families want a bigger piece of the pie, and that’s when shit happens. Taking the back roads allows for a little more freedom and less visibility.”

  Sky looked back over her shoulder. “You’re not worried that someone will steal the stuff in the wagon while we’re gone?”

  “Hell yeah, I am! Why do you think I’m speed walking? I’m breaking a sweat trying to keep up this pace...”

  Within a few miles, a huge city came into view. Now Sky could see what Jordy was talking about. Boro is the central Metropolis of this region. Sky thought Corzon resembled the city of Eval; no Boro was almost exactly the same size, big and modern city style as Eval. Fast pace, hundreds, if not thousands, of people and hundreds of businesses. Tall skyscrapers, automobiles with modern technology wrapped all in one place. Sky understood now why the merchant Phobos called Freeland a ‘playground’. It was nothing compared to this city... Jordy stopped before entering the large metal gates. “Welcome to Boro.” He leaned over and gently kissed Sky on her cheek.

  When she turned to smile at Jordy, something caught her eye. To the left of the large city were two large mountains. The forest covered their base really well because the mountains couldn’t be seen until you exited the tree cover. There she saw a tall man covered in a long purple cloak. Only his feet were visible as he walked slowly trying not to trip over the chains. A light glow escaped from his sleeves, and the same blue glow came was also around his neck. Three men dressed in black military gear assisted the large man towards a brick building.

  Just before getting out of sight, the large man stopped and turned in Sky’s direction. His skin was almost translucent. It flashed between a series of different colors, never staying on one. His eyes glowed bright white and without saying a word, a voice appeared in Sky’s head saying, “Sakiya, Child of Fire.”

  Sky’s heart dropped. She couldn't take her eyes off of him even though Jordy was trying to get her attention. Sky looked directly at the prisoner and whispered to herself, “Arkaminus...”