“Meek. Get busy.” Colin called her. “We need you to level up as fast as possible.”
“Mik.” Meek scurried down to the ground and turned to Shiro. “Mik?”
“Yip.” Shiro told her and the two of them ran around fighting everything they could reach on the way south.
They entered Sunshine Town from the north, and made their way to the Lakeside. Colin kept an eye out for any Watergulls or Fisherbirds that Shiro might be able to reach.
The Lakeside was busier now than it had been earlier. The ferry had arrived from somewhere, and Colin saw a Watergull eating a fish just beside it.
“Shiro…” he whispered.
Shiro pounced. He barked in excitement as he and Meek tackled the gull before it knew what was happening. Very soon, the gull was down and stayed still.
Colin went to it, and nervously touched it.
The gull got up, shook itself, then studied Colin intently. It peered into his eyes, then glanced at Shiro and Meek.
“Yip.” Shiro said.
“Mik.” Meek told it.
“Ark.” The gull replied.
And it stayed in Colin’s hand.
Colin breathed a sigh of relief. “We did it. Now, we just need to register.”
He turned around and walked straight into a man in green armor.
***
“You! Get in line!” the man said.
Colin stared. The man was carrying a gun. A big black rifle.
Colin’s eyes widened as far as they could go. He looked around the lakeside and realized just how much trouble he was in.
That ferry had come from Riverside Town. The five men were here, right here in front of him.
“Yip!” Shiro was stunned.
The men in green armor were here and they had everybody at the lakeside in a cluster.
There weren’t five here. There were ten, at least. Colin was sure of it as they surrounded the people at the lakeside.
And then other green-armor men brought more people in.
“What’s going on?” Colin asked. “Why…?”
“Colin!” a familiar face showed up from among the crowd.
“Michi?” Colin blinked. “What’s happening?”
“No time to explain.” Michi said. “Step on this! Quick!”
In her hands was a small black plate. She put it down and Colin put his foot on it, hoping it would whisk him away somewhere.
But it didn’t. The plate simply disappeared, and left Colin right where he was.
“What was that for?” Colin asked.
Michi was about to answer when a gun was pushed in between them. “You there! Boy! Come here!”
“Wait! Why him?!” Michi demanded. “He’s done nothing!”
“We’re gathering all White Badge Travelers!” the man stormed.
Colin’s heart sank.
But Michi would not be denied. She stood tall and shouted. “Does he look like a white-badge to you?!”
“Yes, he… huh?!” the man paused. He looked at Colin.
Colin looked at him and felt his heart jump to his throat.
“Oops. Never mind.” The man said.
He turned around and walked away.
Phase 10: Last Resort
Colin was still staring as the men went through the whole crowd and let everyone go. They disappeared on the ferry and went back down the river.
“What happened?” he asked again.
“They were looking for you, I think.” Michi said.
“Not that. I mean… he didn’t seem to think I’m a white badge.” Colin said, half in a daze.
“That’s because you’re not, Colin.” Michi told him. “Look at your badge.”
Colin glanced down and saw.
His badge was no longer white. It was yellow.
“How?” he stared. “What did you do? What was that black plate? Was it a registration?!”
“Something like that.” Michi said slowly. “Katrin told me about what was going on, saying you’d probably come to this lakeside. When the men started gathering everyone, I talked to her about it and between us, we formed a last-resort plan. Something that would save you if the worst happened.”
“And the worst did happen.” Colin realized. “So you used the black plate. But what was it? What did it do?”
Michi took a deep breath. “Colin, that black plate… it was a transfer plate. When you stepped on it, you accepted a gift.”
“A gift?” Colin stared. “What kind of gift?”
“A Comrade.” Michi said simply.
“A Comrade?! We can DO that?!” Colin gasped. “But who would give someone else a Comrade? Who would give me one?!”
Michi looked him straight in the eye, and Colin realized the answer to those questions even before she said it.
She said it anyway.
“Colin… Katrin gave you one of her Comrades.”
***
He was stunned.
“Katrin did… what?” Colin whispered.
“Katrin… gave you one of her Comrades.” Michi said again. “It was the only way we could be sure you would reach yellow badge and get away from the men.”
“But… she…” Colin shook his head. “I’m supposed to be giving her Comrades. That’s what the Rainducks are for! They’re for her!”
“I’m sure.” Michi said. “But Katrin didn’t send you a Rainduck or some other Farm Comrade, Colin.”
Colin froze. “What do you mean?”
Michi dropped the next bombshell on him, and this one was much worse. “She gave you the one that would guarantee you would be saved, the strongest one she had.”
“Colin, she gave you Raiki.”
Epilogue
Colin was crying.
They found him there, sitting on a bench at the Lakeside with his Comrades; a wolfcat, a Lynxmouse, and a kitten.
Mom almost dropped her picnic basket and went over to him. “Colin! What’s wrong?”
“She gave me her kitten… to save me.” Colin cried. “And I can’t give the kitten back…”
Dad glanced at the blue kitten. Then he turned to Colin. “You better give her something good to thank her for it.”
“Three Rainducks. One Watergull.” Colin nodded. “Michi brought them to her. But…”
“Hush.” Mom said. She looked at him and gave him a hug. “Colin, you’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”
Colin nodded and buried his face in her shoulder.
Dad sighed, but it sounded like relief. “That’s good. I was worried about leaving you here alone, but it seems you’re doing well. You’ve made friends here, haven’t you?”
“Good friends.” Colin agreed.
“I’m not talking about the animal Comrades, now.” Dad said, just to be sure.
“Neither am I.” Colin told him.
“Then I’m satisfied.” Dad said.
“Me too.” Mom agreed. “Come, Colin. We brought food. Let’s have a picnic by the lake side.”
Colin nodded. “Okay, but there’s someone I’d like to invite.
“Her name is Katrin.”
***
Connor Rivers watched his son Colin bring his new friend to the picnic and touched a spot on the back of his right hand. A spot that was scarred in the shape of a diamond, though it wasn’t visible under his fingerless glove.
“He seems safe enough.” Mirai said at his side. “Still, I’m not sure this was the best idea for him.”
“The safety protocols on this Dreamworld are as strong as it gets.” Connor told his wife. “I don’t like what’s happened to him either, but it’s obvious what his decision was. We can’t override decisions that serious, not without making him lose faith that his choices matter.”
“But he’s just a child.” Mirai protested, her motherly instincts turning her protective.
“That’s why we brought him here. Of all Dreamworlds, this was the only one that let a kid his age roam around freely, face their own challenges, gain and learn
the responsibilities of a sort of power.” Connor told her, tightening an arm around her waist. “His Comrades will protect him. Michi gave him her best.”
“But look at what else he’s gotten involved in! He almost got nabbed by them!” Mirai gestured to some pamphlets left by the Green Men, pamphlets colored green and purple.
“Michi didn’t let anything happen to him. And it’s important he met those he did.” Connor looked at Katrin. “They seem to like him.”
“You’ve picked an odd mix of friends for him.” Mirai observed. “Very odd.”
“If Tsion’s right, they’re all going to need each other in the days to come.” Connor straightened, and looked up at the sky. “We’re all going to need them.”
“But they’re all so young…”
“That’s sort of the point, dear.” He took her hand. “There are things they can do that we can’t, places only they can go. Places like this Dreamworld that were meant for them.”
“You sound like you’re putting them to work.”
“You always make them wash the dishes.” Connor pointed out. “It’s good for kids to help around the house.”
“Some house.” Mirai shook her head. “The dreams and hopes of billions and billions of people…”
“The very future in their hands. As it should be.” They watched as Colin and Katrin paused to admire someone’s highly evolved Comrade before continuing on to the picnic. “If they only knew…”
“Maybe it’s better they didn’t. Not yet.” Mirai told him. “Let’s not force them to grow up too quickly.”
“We should let them find out on their own.” Connor nodded. “I think we’ve done all we can here.”
“No, we haven’t.” Mirai poked him. “Someone has to finish all the sandwiches.”
Connor barked a laugh as they went over to start their picnic. Sniffing at them from Colin’s shoulder, Shiro barked a laugh too.
Aftermath
As the picnic went on, Shiro watched the family and Katrin get along. He sat at the side, at a distance, saying nothing, barking nothing.
[Shiro…] Raiki padded up to him, hesitating, her heart torn.
[Raiki.] Shiro’s ears drooped. [I’m so sorry.]
Raiki buried her face in his shoulder. She let out a single, keen mew of grief. [She gave me away!]
Shiro stayed where he was, silently letting Raiki cry into his shoulder. He didn’t say anything about the Travelers, didn’t say anything about Raiki’s situation, didn’t say anything at all.
But at length, Raiki’s tears subsided and she leaned more heavily on him, too worn out from sadness to move. At last, Shiro asked his question. [Are you going to stay with him?]
Raiki did not answer.
About the author:
Dreamworlds Series: World 1
• Dreamworlds 1: Footprints and Pawprints
• Dreamworlds 2: Journeys and Homes
One boy was taken by force without warning
One girl crept in fear through a foreign land
One Traveler sought a brother in the desert north
Some kids go through Nakama World
Without ever seeing more than a playland
Some go through it as a course, a learning experience.
And then there are those kids
Those who find that it could be more
So very, very much more
• Dreamworlds 3: Friends and Comrades
• Dreamworlds 4: Frenzieds and Knights
• Dreamworlds 5: Distance and Words
• Dreamworlds 6: Snow and Separations
• Dreamworlds 7: Seasons and Paths
• Dreamworlds 8: Lures and Legacies
Kalupsia Series
• Kalupsia 1: The Journey
The land is cursed...
For generations, mankind on the world of Kalupsia suffered the Blight's endless onslaught.
The bravest of this generation said "Enough is enough."
Rising up to challenge fate itself, knights of the Citadel of Kronos seek an ancient legend, a place where one would find all the answers… even if it means war.
Caught up in the midst of a growing conflict, one boy finds himself forced to face the questions of life, love and loyalty as friends, foes and family alike head south into unknown lands.
The Journey has begun.
• Kalupsia 2: The Gates
• Kalupsia 3: The Mystery
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