Keystone Trilogy Book II- Rift World

7

As Elias slept, his mind drifted through the wonders of dreamland. He thought about his family, his life back on Earth. His house, his bike. His friends, his school. Why him? Why had he been chosen? He wasn't anything special! He was just normal, plain Elias! Wait, what was that? "Oh no, not again!" He once again found himself on that dreaded island, but he did not see the skeleton. Even so, he immediately started running. He crashed through thick vines and emerged onto a beach, not so much sand as rocks and gravel. At first it seemed deserted, but then he saw a boat in the distance. It was ancient, part sailboat and part steamship. It had two masts, fore and aft, and a funnel in between. It was anchored about a mile off shore, but looked like it was severely damaged. The sails were torn and there was a good sized hole in the hull. Elias swam for it, going as fast as he could. His swimming skills were limited, however, and he soon tired. But when he thought about the horrors of the island, it gave him strength. He managed to reach the boat,and climbed up a convenient ladder on the side. Elias got onto the deck and looked around. There was a figure a little farther down the deck, standing over what looked like old explosives. The figure turned its head, and Elias nearly jumped overboard. It was the monster. The skeleton took out a match and lit the bombs. With a frightening sizzle, the fuses began to disappear. The first spark reached the end, and Elias saw no more.

Elias ambled into Glael's kitchen and sat down on a rickety old chair. He noticed a trenchcoat and a hat hanging on the wall. Odd, he thought, to see them there, when he had never seen Glael in anything but his armor. Maybe they were remnants of his past friends or family. It didn't really matter. Just then, Glael walked in. He glanced at the trenchcoat and hat, and then angrily at Elias. "Come on, we must get going" he said. He handed Elias his bag, the one from Earth. They began to walk, and Elias wanted to ask about the coat, but held his tongue. They walked in silence, yet Elias could feel the tension in the air. There was something Glael was keeping from him. Elias wasn't meant to see the clothes, and Glael did not hide it. But why?