The Tale of Zaharos

Chapter 19: The end (ta, ta, taaa...)

Reader1: What's 'ta, ta, taaa'?
The 'ta, ta, taaa...' mimics the sound of loud drums indicating that something bad is going to happen, creating an ominous feeling of foreboding.
Reader1: Both ominous and foreboding?
Yep.
Reader (changing the subject): I noticed that you haven't been appearing much lately.
Didn't need to. Or at least I thought I didn't. I was hoping Viona would do the job for me with a last minute twist. Maybe even betray everyone and poison Axel. Such a disappointment when she didn't...
Readers keeping the rest of the complaints to themselves while thinking that the narrator has lost it.
Whoever thought that I'm a psycho, take it back! And I am exiting wearing my angry face! Goodbye!

Monday afternoon and Axel, Elpinix and Antonio were relaxing in the spaceship's living room. Outside, rain and wind had conspired to create chaos, destroying whatever they could find. They had taken personal offence at the sunny summer-like days, it seemed, and had decided to prepare a storm the likes of which had ages to be seen in that small town.
Axel heard the wind howling as the sound of something breaking reached his ears. He wondered if Mariana's treehouse would survive the storm. He had told Elpinix and Antonio about Sunday's adventures but left out some details. He had tried to protect the magical creatures' secrets and made them promise that they would not tell anyone about them. They had agreed not to tell their parents either; there was no need to worry them, so when Rectangle announced that their parents were calling, the three Arkatelians exchanged a worried glance. Had Rectangle told them?

"Hi, mum," Axel said.

"Oh, children, we have incredible news!" his mother exclaimed and even Antonio's parents managed to look somewhat happy. "The spaceships are ready! In four days we will be moving to a new planet!"

"Really?" Elpinix asked incredulously.

"Yes!" her father replied. "Ορθογώνιο will pilot you there in five days, since Earth is far closer to our chosen planet than Arkateles 4. We'll see you soon!"

"We've missed you so so much! See you soon," Axel's mother said before closing the call.

Not even the abrupt stop of their conversation couldn't dump the Arkatelians' spirits. They were finally going home. They were leaving!

They were leaving Zaharos...

Axel suddenly didn't feel like celebrating. Elpinix on the other hand, was far too excited to feel nostalgic. She gave Axel a big hug and held Antonio's hands in hers. "We're going home!" she shouted.

"Does that mean we won't talk anymore?" Antonio asked. "That we will be back to boys playing airbasket and girls doing their own stuff?"

"Since when did the fact that you're boys stopped me from beating you in airbasket?" Elpinix replied. Antonio smiled and gave her a quick kiss.

Axel retired to his room to give them some privacy. He thought of the friends he had made here: Veronica with all her weirdness, yet careful eyes and sharp mind, Dean, with all his clever retorts and nicely narrated stories and Viona, with her wickedness hidden behind a charming smile, yet she was no less a person than any of them. A person with feelings, who was never given a chance at happiness or friendship. She was so much more than she pretended to be and Axel wanted to give her another chance. For all her acting, she seemed to have tried her best to be honest with him and Axel found that he didn't want to say goodbye to her. He still had five days. Then he would be back on Arkateles. In some ways it would be a relief to return home, amongst the other Arkatelians and at least, he didn't have to say goodbye to Elpinix and Antonio.

***

Wednesday morning and Ben, Bill and Benjamin are sitting in the shade. It's break time for them and they try their best to enjoy it.