Eleven

Chapter 11 of The Watchtower Chronicles I - Water

 The night is a long, cold blur of sirens, bright hospital lights and doctors trying to keep me informed on my father’s condition.  I notice none of them in detail, instead sitting in silence on one of the hospital waiting room chairs, staring into nothingness.  Nerine must have gotten tired of waiting for Arlen or I to make a move, and she struck closest to me.  I assume it had been her intention to let my father die, just like she did with my real father, but she must have been too confident and arrogant to think that I could possibly get there in time to help save him.  A pinprick of pain alerts me as I look down at my hand.  I have curled it into a fist so tight that I had drawn blood.  Holding my hand, I go up and grab several tissues and put pressure on the wound.  It is not deep but I realize I should be paying more attention to my actions.  Luckily my emotions are numb with the worry about my father’s prognosis that I haven’t caused any accidents.
    “Hey Ren, do you need a bandage?” Jax asks, coming in from the cafeteria.  Arlen had called him as soon as we had arrived at the hospital, and he and his mother had gotten here less than ten minutes later.  I flex my hand and shake my head.
    “It’s not deep I’ll be fine,” I say.  He pushes a cup of hot cocoa into my hands and sits down next to me.
    “Any new news?” he asks.  I shrug.
    “I haven’t really taken anything in that they’ve been saying.  Coach has been talking to them more than me.  I still haven’t really processed what’s happened,” I tell him, careful to use Coach’s alias around everyone else.  As if he hears his name, Arlen comes over and sits down.
    “Your father is currently still in surgery.  He has several broken ribs and a partially punctured lung, but he’s surrounded by his colleagues, and you know they’ll do everything they can to keep their boss around longer,” he tells me.  I nod, knowing that my father’s colleagues were all very capable surgeons and he is in good hands.
    “Serenity?” I look up and one of my fathers’ colleagues, a middle aged woman named Isabel, is coming out from behind the double doors in her scrubs.  I hold my breath as she walks over to me; I can tell she is exhausted, but relieved.
    “Your father is going to be okay,” she tells me, obviously not wanting me to wait any longer for the final prognosis.  I let out my breath with a shaky breath as Jax gives me a huge hug and the others come over to clasp my shoulder in congratulations.
    “He’s in a medically induced coma; we felt it was the best option for his injuries and recovery time.  We plan on lifting him out in a few days, and he’ll need to stay here for another few weeks,” Isabel explains to me.  I nod, for words are not coming to me at the moment.
    “Can I see him?” I ask.
    “Not quite yet, they’re finishing stitching him up, and then they’ll have to set him up in his room, but afterwards of course you may.  I’ll come back and get you then,” she tells me.  I smile at her and she leaves us be.
    “That’s such good news Ren!” Jax exclaims.  His mother comes and hugs me tightly, and then tells us that she’s running to grab some Chinese food to celebrate.  I thank her and turn back to Arlen.
    “We have to talk, don’t we?” I ask him.  Arlen nods his expression serious.
    “Nerine has made her move and we must counter.  She won’t kill your mother, but she will use her to lure you into a trap.  Your powers alone won’t be enough to have a chance on retrieve your mother and come out unharmed,” he tells me.  I look over at Jax, who is looking terrified at the idea.
    “What do I have to do?” I ask him, but he shakes his head.
    “Not now.  Later, once you’ve been able to see your father, we will go back to my home and discuss where prying eyes and ears cannot hear us,” he says.  I look around, and while the waiting room is not that busy, there are several strangers there that I’m sure would ask a doctor to examine my head if they hear what we are talking about.
    “Serenity?” I hear a voice coming from the entrance and I whirl around.  Josh is standing there awkwardly, hands in his pockets, unsure if he should really be there.  Jax sizes us up, then motions to Arlen to give us a moment.  I walk over to him, crossing my arms as a security against him, something I’ve gotten used to doing around him.
    “How...how’s your dad?” he asks me, shuffling his feet on the ground.
    “He’s going to be okay, he was hurt pretty bad but they said he’s going to pull through,” I tell him.  He smiles, looking relieved.
    “That’s good, I’m glad he’ll be okay,” he says, then looks unsure of what to say next.
    “Hey, thanks for calling me Josh.  They said if I had gotten there even minutes later my dad would have probably died, so you basically helped save him too,” I blurt out before I can stop myself.  Josh looks surprised, but he smiles all the same.
    “You’re welcome Ren, I’m sure anyone would have done the same thing,” he mutters.  I make a movement to reach out, but our history this past year stops me and my hand falls back down to my side.
    “Wel,l all the same, I am really grateful you did,” I tell them.  I turn to walk back to Jax when he calls.
    “Hey Ren,” he begins, and I realize he is about to apologize.   To my surprise, I don’t need to hear it anymore.
    “Josh its okay, let’s just leave it that,” I say, and he closes his mouth and nods.
    “Serenity?” I turn to see Isabel there with a smile on her face.  “Your father is all settled in his room.  You can go see him now.” I thank her and follow her down the hallway to his room.  It is painful to see him lying there, hooked up to several machines that are monitoring his heart-rate and blood pressure.  He looks so small and pale against the hospital bed, wrapped in yards of gauze and lying very still.  I go over to his bedside and sit next to him, pulling his hand into mine.
    “Hi Dad,” I whisper.  “I know you can’t hear me, but I wanted you to know again just how much I love you, and that I have faith that your friends are keeping you comfortable while you recover.”  I look down at his bedside table and see that something is glistening underneath his watch and other personal items.  I reach over and pull out the sapphire pendant necklace he bought my mom when they first got married over twenty years ago.  He must have grabbed it from her before Nerine set fire to the house.  I close my hand over the necklace and will myself not to cry.  While I am able to stop myself from breaking out into sobs, I cannot help the tears streaming down my face.
    “I’m going to find her Dad.  I am going to find her and bring her back, and then take care of that wicked woman once and for all,” I say.  I tuck the necklace into his hand and fold them on top of his chest.
    “Serenity?” I turn and see Arlen standing in the doorway.  I bend over and kiss my father goodbye before walking out of the room into the hallway.  We begin to walk down back towards the waiting room where Jax’s mom has brought back the pizza and everyone is indulging.  Arlen nudges me towards the pizza and I take a slice.
    “We haven’t much time,” he utters as I munch on the pizza.  “As soon as you are done eating we must get back to prepare you for your quest.” He must sense my surprise, so he elaborates.

“There is something you need to find before you can face Nerine and her minions, and you alone can retrieve it.  That is the quest I am talking about.” I nod as Jax walks over.
    “I am coming too,” he says, and Arlen nods.
    “You are part of this story too now Jax, I wouldn’t imagine forbidding it,” he says with a small smile.  I look back towards the hallway where my dad is being kept.
    “Who will keep an eye on my dad while I’m gone?” I ask.  To my shock, I hear Josh speak up.
    “Serenity, I can stay here with your dad while you go do...whatever it is you have to,” he says.  Jax looks back and forth between us, pursing his lips lightly.
    “Josh, that’s very sweet of you, but you don’t have to,” I begin, but he puts his hands up to stop me from speaking.
    “I don’t have to, but I want to.  I don’t know what exactly has been going on with you, and I guess I don’t really have that right.  But making sure nothing happens to your dad while you’re gone?  That’s the least I can do,” he tells me.  Before I can stop myself, I reach out and take his hand in mine and give it a squeeze.
    “Thank you,” I whisper, and for the first time since I broke up with him, I see the sweet and kindhearted Josh that I fell in love with freshman year.
    “Anything for you Ren,” he says back.  I let my hand drop, and with a final smile I follow Arlen and Jax out of the hospital.

----------

    When in the car, Jax pokes me in the shoulder from his seat in the back, and when I turn around he has a dubious look on his face.
    “Excuse me Ren, but WHAT was that?” he asks.  I can feel myself turning pink.
    “It’s nothing.  Maybe Josh is finally realizing what a complete jerkoff he’s been the past several months, and is trying to make up for it,” I say feebly.  Jax rolls his eyes, but lets it drop.  I know it’s not forever, but there are more pressing matters at stake.
    We slow to a stop near the remains of my house.  In the morning light it looks like a ghost of the home it used to be.
    “We should stop and see if Nerine left any sign of where she could have taken your mother before the construction crew shows up,” Arlen suggests.  I know he is right but I am afraid of what I will find in the ruins.
    “It’s okay Ren I’ll be there too,” Jax reassures me.  We get out and begin to search the lawn for any clues.  When we find nothing, we move into the house.
    “Be careful, the floors are not as sturdy now,” Arlen cautions as we mince our way through the remains.  We are all silent while we search for clues, until Jax finally shouts.
    “Found something!”  Arlen and I carefully make our way over to where Jax was reaching in the remains of my kitchen.  In his hands is a crumpled and burned note, but the writing seems legible.  We gather around Jax as he reads aloud:
    What will you give to save who you love?
    On the back is the same address that Nerine lured me into the first time we met.  Suddenly, the house begins to groan, and Arlen shouts for us to run back outside.  As we burst through the door I hear the ceiling of the kitchen crumble and crash into the floor.  Jax puts his arm around me as I feel a rush of emotion come over me.  The ground trembles, and a lone spout of water springs gently from the ground.  The sight seems to calm me down; I reach out and run my hand through the water and it twirls around my hand.  Watching it fall back to the ground, I get up and look over at the other two.
    “So when do we go back to that house?” I ask.  Arlen shakes his head.
    “Not yet.  There’s something you need to do first.  Nerine will have more time than just an afternoon to plan her attack on you this time, and you need to be more prepared.  We must go back to my house, I have to show you something,” he tells me.  We get back in his truck and barrel off to the house.  Jax stays silent in the back seat as I gaze out the window.   A splattering rain is still falling, parallel to the grief I feel over my mother’s capture.  Out of the corner of my eye I see to my surprise that Arlen is smiling.

“What could there possibly be to smile about?” I ask him, a bit indignant.  He nods out the window towards the outside weather.

“I see you’re making it rain Serenity.”  I stare at him for a moment, and then back outside.  I will admit, it did seem strange that the rain happens to have started shortly after I discovered my father, and has only grown stronger over the past hours.  I take several deep breaths and close my eyes, clearing my thoughts and gaining control over my emotions.  I open them again, and I see the rain has calmed to a slight drizzle; the light grey on the horizon signaling the approach of dawn.  Even with everything going on, I can’t help but marvel at this newly recognized power, trying to ignore Jax’s laughter from the back seat.
    “What is it that you need to show me?” I ask Arlen when we get to his house.  He doesn’t answer me right away; we walk swiftly through the front door and back towards the library.  He pulls a box off one of the many shelves and unlocks it with a key from his pocket.  As I lean forward to peer at what’s inside, a golden light shoots out and a hologram of something appears in front of us.  I sit down hard in the seat, surprised by the sudden appearance of the hologram and look over at Jax disbelievingly.
    “Is that....a trident?” Jax asks, his eyes going wide at the sight of it.  Arlen nods.
    “Not just any trident, it’s the Watchtower trident; it will only function as a weapon when held by you, Serenity.  I have been training you in hand to hand combat as you know, so that when you were ready, you could go and retrieve the trident from its’ hiding place.  With the trident, your powers will be more honed in than ever and you will be able to match if not topple Nerine’s own power.  But I have heavily guarded the weapon so it would not be discovered by the wrong people,” he explains.
    “So now that we know about it, can’t you just lift the protection and I can go get it?” I ask.
    “It’s not that simple.  Nerine and her sisters are aware of the tridents’ existence, and they are on the constant lookout for it.  While they cannot wield its’ mighty power as you can, they can seize it and keep it away from you, and that would also be detrimental,” he says.  I nod in agreement; I can’t even think of letting Nerine or her minions get their hands on the trident.
    “Where is it?” I ask.  Arlen waves his hand and a familiar trail appears in the hologram.
    “Hey didn’t we go hiking here in your outdoorsman phase Jax?” I ask, grinning over at him.  Jax laughs sarcastically, but nods in agreement.
    “You start here Serenity, the trident is located about half a day’s walk from the base of this path.  Once you’re about ten feet from the trident, it will make itself visible.  I can put an enchantment on you to protect you from the Darkness while you search for it, but once you make contact with the trident, you will be vulnerable to attacks from both Nerine and her minions, and rest assured something will be out there waiting for you.”  Arlen hesitates for a moment, and then continues.
    “I cannot protect you from some of the more...natural barriers I put in place from the trident.  But I can tell you this; trust yourself and your powers with water, and you can defeat anything.”  I nod, my mouth in a tight line.  Jax clears his throat, and we look over at him.
    “I’m sorry coach, but did you say SHE is going?  Aren’t we going with her?” he asks.  Arlen shakes his head.
    “This is something Serenity must do by herself.  Only she will be able to get through the barriers I have set in place,” he explains.  He reaches into a cabinet and pulls out a hikers backpack.
    “Here, this is stocked with provisions and plenty of water if you need it.  I’ve been preparing this for you since your first training session,” he tells me, then smiles.
    “Serenity this will not be an easy journey, but I do really feel that you are ready.”  I smile back.
    “I appreciate your confidence,” I tell him.  I make to get up but Arlen flings a hand out, his eyes trained on the location globe.  He looks over and gestures me to come take a look.  I go up and stare at the globe, and to my surprise three new dots of light have appeared; a white one in Central Australia, a red one somewhere in the United Kingdom, and a green one in South Africa, near the tip of the continent.  I smile widely, and Jax laughs in astonishment as he comes over to stand next to me.

“So, we all know now then?” I ask Arlen, who nods happily.

“This is excellent timing, when you’re getting the trident I’ll contact my brothers to check in on the others progress.  In the meantime, we haven’t got a moment to spare, so let us be off on your first big adventure,” he informs us.   Unwillingly, I tear my eyes away from the dots that represent my siblings, sling the pack over my shoulder and head outside.  Jax walks silently next to me, and I nudge him gently.
    “What’s going on up there Jax?” I ask him.  He just sighs.
    “I wish there was a way I could go in there with you and help,” he tells me.  I give him a one armed hug and hop back into Arlen’s truck.
    “Thanks Jax, I wish you could too.  But I have to do this alone,” I say.  Jax sighs, knowing he is in defeat as Arlen gets in the car, holding a warm jacket in my size.
    “Don’t forget this, you may have need of it,” he tells me.  I zip up the jacket comfortably as he backs back out onto the road and drives us to the mountain trail.  Once we are there he leads us to a place several feet from the opening of the trail.  I look at him, confused.
    “Aren’t I supposed to go on that trail?” I ask, jerking my hand towards the well beaten path.  Arlen shakes his head.
    “Why do you think it’s only you that can go in Serenity?  You’re the only one that can get through the barrier,” he says.  He brushes some fallen leaves off a large stone, and I can make out the trident symbol on it.  He looks at me and I come over to join him at the rock.  I press my hand against it and the rock begins to emit an eerie blue glow.  The trees begin to sway back and forth, until they bend over, forming an archway high above us.  The air in front of me ripples, and a path suddenly appears.  I look back at Jax, who grabs my hand and squeezes it tight.
    “Good luck Ren,” he says.  Arlen comes over to me and waves his hand over my head.
    “You will be protected from the Daughters until you reach the trident.  Get the trident, and try to come back the way you came as quickly as possible.  We will be waiting for you here; I promise,” he tells me.  I take comfort in the idea that they will not be leaving me alone, and with that in my head I slowly walk towards the path.
    “Good luck...Aquaria,” Arlen calls.  A strange sensation runs through my body as he calls my true name; it gives me a much needed boost of strength and calms my nerves.  I step through onto the path and feel a rush of wind blow past me.  I look back and can see only a stretch of forest behind me, as though I have been deposited in the middle of a path that has always been here.  Knowing that I am truly alone now, I know what I have to, and start heading forward for the trident.

Author's Note

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