Quest for the Rose
Chapter 25
“Hear!” Amaza tossed Lorri a nine-millimeter pistol as all the others geared up. “Did they get their attention?” asked Lorraina, holstering her glock. “You bet. Caused quite a stir.” Lorri smiled, “What are we going to do?” AJ cocked his gun and grinned, “We’re going to bust open that vault.”
Boaz led them down the winding, rapidly changing halls and stairwells. Finally they came to the door. “There is no way we can get in there!” complained Leigh. “Don’t give up yet. Maybe there’s a trick to it.” Dayna and Anna looked all around, but nothing appeared to be a clue.
“Any bright ideas?” Kenaz teased. They were now surrounded, wolves and guards all around. “Not really… open to any suggestions.” He laughed back. Fear gave them a rush. But Zaaman could do without this excitement. “If I didn’t trust the girls so much, I would worry about Amaza and Boaz opening the vault.”
Mandy’s eyes grew wide. “Guys! do you remember how we got hear?” “Land speeders?” Taylor asked, shrugging her shoulders. They were still stumped over the door and now trying to find another way in. “No, I mean how did we get in to Poema!?!” “The mirror.” Anna said, not getting the connection. “We were looking all over it for the secret to get in… when all we had to do was…” she ran right through the door. The others just stared dumbly.
Christoph held the rose carefully in his hand. Then looked to the three men before him. “Did you really think you three could stop me? Are you that deluded?” He laughed. “And to think my brother Moza was killed by you?” “Your Moza’s brother?!?” asked Kenaz. Okay, Christoph looked evil, but not evil enough to be Moza’s brother! “Don’t act so surprised. I may be smaller, but as you can see, I am stronger!” He crushed the rose, laughing hysterically. Now everyone would forget. He could shape the past anyway he wanted, and in shaping it, form the times to come. But they just looked at him. No misty eyes, no cloudy vision. Nothing he would expect considering their memories had just been washed away.
“I think your plan has failed!” said a voice from across the courtyard. They all looked to see a girl, no more then twenty years old, standing proud and tall with a bundle lovingly cradled in her arms. “And who are you?” The king was clearly not impressed. “I am Queen Lorraine, wife of Eleazar, mother of Eleazar Mercy the second. And you have no power!” a blast came from behind her as thousands of rose petals scattered and were carried across on the winds, to be replanted and replenish the land. “NOO!!!!!!!!” Screamed Christoph, falling to his knees. He suddenly became very small, and Lorri looked at him once again like the Ozzy from her world. Just a silly, sorry old man.
^ Epilogue ^
“Are you sure about this Amaza?” Amy held his hand, both looking into the mirror. They had been although Skoob and Jehoram before finding a mirror that would go between the worlds. “Yup. I want to see this guy you keep making a fuss over, saying he looks like me. What’s his name? AJ?” she giggled, handing their daughter Autumn Rose to him. “Then I guess all who’s going ashore better do it.” Said Anna. “Are you?” asked Lygia, Zaaman helping her with her backpack. “Nope. I have a date with Esau.” “And who does Esau look like?” teased Lorri, also handing her baby to his daddy. “Nate from Plus one.” She grinned. “What do I tell mom?” Lygia whined. “If people don’t believe you, you can take them through the mirror!” Hanna said. When all was said and done, Amaza, Amy, Hanna, Lygia, Zaaman, Mandy, Dayna, Boaz and their twins went back through the mirror.
Lorri sighed as she looked over her garden. There, in the middle, around the biggest fountain, there were at least three rose bushes. She looked up to see both her boys walking down the path. “Well, another adventure we made through. We had to find a rose, fall in love with each other, which was no easy feat the first time.” She giggled at this. Funny how things can seem so wrong, but be so right. “Had to stop a mad man from stealing our memories, and save our son. Not bad for two weeks work.” He kissed his sleeping son’s head and sat beside her, humming. She looked at him strangely. “Where in the world did he hear that!?!” He grinned. “Lygia lent me her CD player. She’s coming back in a week to pick it up. She has some news for us. Your mom thinks it’s just a visit, but I think it’s that she’s gonna have a little vampire of their own.” She smiled, leaning back in the small bench, lacing her arm through his. “Sing it for me.”
I’m on a quest
Quest for the rose
Where I’ll find it
My heart
I can see the way and though it’s not easy
I‘d rather travel it than live without you