The Network ( Book One of the Grounders Series )

24

Today is the day we leave Arocule. Kalin and Dax wake us early to start preparing to continue our quest.m

Kalin goes us two packs full of food, with take up two backs. They give us all jeans, a T-shirt, a long sleeve shirt to keep in our packs, good boots, and a vest full of pockets. They also give us top-notch weapons and large canteens of water that can be clipped to our belts. I get a black recurve bow. The grip is covered in rubbed with ridges cut from them. The arrows are sleek black, made from sturdy wood with chicken feathers on the end. They give me a quiver full of at least six dozen, and another quiver full of even more to pack in one of my packs. For the rest of my pack there is medical supplies (bandages, salves, wipes, needles and thread. In the last pack they shove four sleeping bags, pillow, and spare blankets.

"All set," Dax asks five hours later.

"I think we are good," I say. We stand in the main corridor of the Arocule palace, where we looted all our supplies from.

"Thank you for your service to our country, Alaric," Dax says, his old, wide eyes filling with genuine appreciation. It's the most affection I've seen him share in the last three days.

Then the realization hits me. We've been down her for five days and don't even know how close we are to finding the dragon. All we've been doing is following the tunnels on a wild goose-chase. How is the Network fairing now? What if everyone's been overrun by savage minions?

Nonetheless, we need to keep going. No matter how many people have died in the Network since Arosi declared war on the Council, we still need to save our existence.

Dax has to leave for the Strip because villagers in some parts of the vast Arocule are not handling their new leaders well.

"Who will be king now?" I ask Kalin, clinging to these last moments and cherishing them by pretending to have a casual conversation.

"A Council will be upheld so the people can decide how they want to be governed. Right now, total anarchy is on our doorstep. Or there could be a revolt from those who supported Aroculan."

"People actually supported him?" Cicada asks, baffled.

"Oh, yes. With his method of forcing the dead to labor, none of the living had to do much work to survive. The dead were considered a lower class. He had many, many followers, that's why very little people from the mainland were brave enough to join the cause."

"Oh," she says, her features clearly molded into disgust.

"You must be on your way," Kalin says, halting the conversation.

I can't hold back anymore. I wrap my arms around him, not wanting to let go, not wanting to give up the closest thing to a father that I ever had.

My eyes sting. I cannot cry now, not while everyone is here. I pull away before I lose control.

Cicada gives him a hug as well but the other two, not knowing him as well as I did, just shake his hand.

"Good luck governing," I say as he guides us into the tunnels beneath the palace and out to the fields, which are stripped of everything except buildings, and the ghosts binds to this place have all been broken. They've all gone to the heavens where they belong.

We walk all the way to the bank of the wide river, where a canoe is docked for us. A torch sits in its built in holster, alight.

Joss, Jonah, Cicada, and I all climb into the boat and Kalin unties us from the dock. He holds the robes for a minutes. "Let the river guide you until it disappears beneath the rock, rumor has it that Arosi lives somewhere in the North." He chokes up a little at the end and his eyes well with tears. He wipes them away quickly and tosses me the ropes. "Farewell, brave souls. May Constantine watch over you during your daunting quest and bring you good fortune."

I nod to him as the river takes us away. Right before hi disappears from sight, I see him collapses to his hands and knees on the dock, sobbing.

The river twist violently, and Arocule is gone in mere seconds. Something rips in my heart not having Kalin by my side and I can't help the tears. The stream on my cheeks slowly, and I rest my head on Cicada's shoulder. She strokes my hair soothingly as the calm river carries us further on our journey.

I got to feel what it was like to have a dad. To have someone who cared about me and who gave me life advice. But now that it's gone I miss it more than ever.

All good things must come to an end.