The Realm Protectors

Chapter 29 - Ciana

The rest of the week was filled with numerous tours, luncheons, and security checks. We visited all of Cidade do Sol's surrounding cities, met their people of importance, and made sure that everything at their community response centers was up to date. Every night we watched the goodnight celebrations in Cidade do Sol before going to bed. It was a lot of tiring work.

Yesterday afternoon, before our last goodnight celebration, we visited the Cidade do Sol gateway. Enya was wary about security, making sure they swept the area before we got there, and that they were continually monitoring the site while we were there as well.

"Enya, it'll be fine," Nile kept assuring her. Enya didn't like being told to calm down.

The gateway itself seemed stable. The security guards had been warned that they should stay on duty consistently throughout the next few weeks, or until the threat calmed down. Lyra checked the inner working of the gateway, announcing that it was perfectly stable. After another security sweep, Enya deemed it safe enough to go back to the hotel for the last celebration.

It was the best one yet. Lucien invited us back to the Lounge do Por do Sol and made us a personal feast. My aunt Oralee and Adessa and Anissa got to meet the rest of my friends. Adessa took a liking to Nikolina right away, and they chatted for most of the dinner. Anissa was excited to see Faris again, and they chased each other around the empty restaurant for almost an hour. Finally, we bid each other goodnight and went back to the hotel. The celebration was over, and in the morning we'd go on to Mork.

"Leve was fun, but I'm glad we're done here." Avani sighs, flopping on the couch in the hotel suite. "Everyone here is so annoyingly cheery." I laugh.

"If you thought the people were tiring, how in the world did you get your homework done?" Nik asks.

Avani sits up. "We had homework?!"

I leave my classmates to discuss the homework we had this week to make up for not being in school and get ready for bed. I pack the rest of my clothes in my suitcase and make sure that my dirty laundry is packed in my designated "dirty" suitcase. I change into my pajama short and soft t-shirt and climb into the soft bed one last time. I fall asleep wishing that my bed in the other countries will be just as comfortable as the one here.

I'm not sure what exactly I dream about, but I know that I'm rudely interrupted around midnight.

I shoot awake in my bed as a loud boom erupts from somewhere outside the city. The room begins to shake and I stumble out of the bed. I peek out the window to see a wave of dark, sparkling powder appearing over the edge of the city.

"Enya!" I cry out, scurrying out the door and into the main part of the suite. I almost fall into Faris, both of us stumbling to the living room as the building continues to shake.

"It didn't shake this much last time, did it?" Faris hollers over the noise of the whole city quaking.

The rest of our friends appear in the hallway, stumbling out from their rooms to meet us in the living room. Tucker arrives last, having checked all of our bedrooms. He does a quick head count and seems relieved when he realizes we're all there and safe.

Lyra is in hysterics again. The city stops shaking but she continues to quiver in Carter's arms, sparkling tears running down her cheeks. Her usually ebony skin has paled to the point that she almost matches Avani's mocha skin tone.

"It's so awful," She wails. Carter rubs her back and attempts to calm her down while Enya paces back and forth.

"We need to get to the gateway." She announces, cracking her knuckles. "Lyra, can you calm down enough to tunnel us there? We don't have time to wait for a different teleporter to arrive."