highest, how do you say…they are the highest branches of government in the nation of Keepers. They live in the Seventh Realm, an unseen universe that was created by Brice, the second Keeper to ever exist. He believed that the ruling party of Keepers should be in a hidden place, to stay out of harm’s way. However, recently, the realm was pierced by an unknown source of power and a Navarium entered. He…destroyed the former Ruling Keeper of the planetary system Humolera.”
“Wait, what was that? You hit us with something about another dimension and another planetary system that apparently has life. Where is Humolera and how was the Keeper of Humolera destroyed? Navariums can’t kill us, right?”
“That is where things get a bit rocky. Navariums cannot kill Keepers. Navariums are capable of ripping pieces of a Keeper’s soul from their body. That usually leaves the Keeper with nothing to attack with, which means that Keeper is useless. Keepers are the only ones capable of killing Keepers.”
“So-”
“Yes. We believe that someone far worse than a Keeper is who attacked the order. We fear that the entire Keeper system has been tainted.”
“Meaning?”
“We have reason to believe that almost every Keeper has either been reaped, or their Guardian has been compromised. That is why I am here. You are the only ones we know for sure are still on our side.”
I couldn’t respond. I just turned and walked over to the window.
3
I knew Santana was thinking about what she was going to tell Mo. I had no idea how to handle the situation, but I wasn’t going to let her tell him alone. We all had become so close over the years, and we had gotten to a point where we could talk about anything. Only how do you tell your best friend that his mother is dead, powerless, or close to it? How do you tell him that his dad is the reason his mom will die? Those are things that are unimaginable to think, let alone tell someone.
As Quazo knelt down next to Cilandria, he was staring at Santana, like he was waiting for an answer. I think he even knew that there was something she had to tell Mo. She was standing in the window staring at him, as he stared down the hill towards the woods. I was the only one who didn’t seem frozen in the moment. Even Cilandria sat there with a look suggesting confusion. I picked up my glass of water from the side table and took a sip. I had never felt so dry in my life. I was nervous. I felt like there was something that had to happen, and I had to do it.
I looked at Quazo first and put a finger over my lips, telling him to keep quiet. I walked up to Santana at the window and told her to stay there. Then, I went outside.
II
1
Staring at the huge beasts at the bottom of the hill was getting tiring, and I decided to go back inside the house to ask the old raggedy man why they were here. Just as I turned to walk back inside, Asia came out of the door. I also noticed Santana standing in the window, looking in my direction. I automatically assumed the worst. I knew the old man had done something, and I was prepared to mess him up.
“Mo, I have to talk to you,” Asia said as she approached me.
“I swear, if that old bastard touched Cilantra, I’ll rip his head off. What is it about?”
“You should come to the bench so we can sit and talk.”
“I don’t want to sit, if he needs to be beaten, I’m going to go beat him.”
“It’s not him. Calm down. Let’s just go talk.”
“Ok, but first, look at this.”
I showed her the bigelsnipe looking creatures. She gasped and grabbed me around my waist. I grabbed her around her shoulders and told her that they were not going to move. It seemed like they were being held back from our yard by something, and they seemed exhausted. She stood up straighter and took her head off of my chest, but she never took her arm from my waist, so I kept my arm around her. After her breathing calmed, she told me to walk over to the bench with her so we could