As Araliya and I walked down the hallway towards her brother's chambers, she was clinging to my arm and singing an old Esper lullaby. She then stopped in mid-verse and said, "Mommy? Daddy Lutz has to leave again, doesn't he?" I stopped her in mid step, flabbergasted. I knew that Bindo and I were the only ones Rune had told that he had to leave again, and it was certainly out of earshot of the kids. I asked her how she knew that, as she climbed into my arms to explain. "Daddy Lutz was thinking about it this morning. He is leaving today, I can see his thinks." I stood there totally amazed. "She has the Power of the Ancients," I thought to myself. "Only one other person has that power." Rune....
We walked the rest of the way to Joaquin's room in silence, she had since given up on her song. When we got to the door, her face lit up and she asked, "Can I?" I looked down at her and responded, "Sure, but don't come crying to me when your brother gets mad." She giggled and ran through the door as soon as I opened it. She stopped at the foot of his bed and carefully climbed to the middle, taking care not to wake her sleeping sibling.
She then started jumping and yelled, "Wake up Jo-a-quin!" She repeated that same phrase and jumped wildly next to her brother. "Cut it out!" Joaquin hollered, while madly trying to grab on to one of her legs. He was finally successful and grabbed one of her ankles, and pulled her down onto the bed. "Hey!" she screamed, as she tried to scramble away from him. It was no use, he was mercilessly clinging to her foot. She finally managed to squirm free by tugging on his ponytail. "Come on sleepy skin! Wake up! Get out of bed Jo-a-quin!!" she screamed. Joaquin finally sat up and gave his sister one last shove before she scooted off the bed. "Hey briar-britches!" she taunted. "Race you to breakfast!" I think the "briar-britches" comment pushed Joaquin over the edge, because he leapt out of bed and dashed after his little sister, who was by now out the door and halfway down the hall. As I opened the curtains, letting in the warm light of Algo, I heard an earsplitting scream, followed by uncontrollable laughter. "Joaquin must have caught her, " I thought to myself, as I basked in the radiance coming through the window.
I entered the meal chambers and sat down, next to Kyra. The feast was magnificent, and we conversed about all kinds of topics. As we ate, Araliya asked Rune when they were leaving. I looked towards him, as he gave his daughter a very strange look. He answered the question anyway, without issue. "A little while after breakfast, sweetheart." As I sat at the end of the table, memories came flooding back of the last time I had breakfast with my husband. And all the while, I knew in my heart that this ending would be somewhat different from the last time.
As the meal ended, Rune's companions left to gather their belongings. Joaquin and his father went off to more than likely blow something up or start something on fire with skills and techniques, so Araliya and I were the only ones left. "Mommy?" she asked. I turned to face her and she said, "Did you know that you are a Protector too, just like Daddy Lutz? And that he needs you to go with him?" I looked at her in astonishment. I knew then that she truly had the Power. "Did you see that in your Daddy's mind at breakfast?" I asked her. "Yeah," she replied. "He didn't wanna tell ya yesterday, he didn't wanna spoil his time with you. He is gonna tell you very soon though. You are a Protector, just like Daddy Lutz and his friends. He needs you, the mission can't succeed without your powers." My heart sank. Now that I knew what had to happen, I couldn't bear to look at her, face her knowing that I was leaving. I turned my back to the small child and started to cry. I felt her brush against the back of my legs as she crossed in front of me. I looked down at her, my tears falling to her forehead and cheeks. She looked up at me and said, "Mommy, it is okay if you leave. Bindo will take good care of me and Joaquin. When Daddy Lutz asks you, you have to say yes. If you don't go with them, the mission will fail. Daddy will die, along with his friends...and Algo will be destroyed." I was horrified to hear such prophetic words come from the mouth of my young daughter. I embraced her and promised to return. She suddenly pulled away and said, "Daddy Lutz is here to ask you." As the last word escaped her lips, the door creaked open and in walked my destiny.
