Chapter 53: Theres No Place Like Home Part 1 (1/2)
”Where are you going, Gale?!”
”I'm leaving for good this time.”
”You can't! We need you!”
”I'm done being your bodyguard! I want to live my own life otherwise I'll just rot away here like dad.”
”No, Gale! Come back! Son, please! Who will protect us now?!”
Gale opened his eyes, finding Alton standing above him. ”You awake? We're almost there.”
Zinnia leaned on the side of the boat, allowing her hand to flow through the water. ”I didn't know you lived so far from the capital Gale! A remote island an hour from the closet civilization. Sounds rad!”
”Or a living nightmare.” He replied.
Emil yawned, kicking his feet up. ”Well, it's better than being cooped up at that damn estate. How can Iris and Alice live like that I have no idea.”
”It was not that bad,” Scarlett admitted closing her book. ”It was nice to have a coterie of other streamers sharing the same ideology with me.”
”Do you have any idea what she says half the time?” Percy questions.
”No idea.”
Gale stood up, looking still conflicted by the circumstances. ”You guys didn't have to come. It's most likely nothing.”
”All the more reason to visit. We can help you quicker. Besides, I think it would be nice to meet your family.” Zinnia demanded sorting out her hair into a ponytail. ”Do you think they'll like me?”
”Who doesn't…”
”Say, now we're on this conversation. You wouldn't happen to believe it might just be the Cult behind this?”
Percy shook his head. ”Highly unlikely. When we spoke with Vanguard, they only seem interested in getting him back on top, coming out to the middle of nowhere to mess with some villagers wouldn't being in their interest.”
”Alright, but they are family to Gale, a member of Team Rhapsody, could be a trap to lure us out.”
”No.” Gale shutdown. ”They wouldn't know about my family. Not even they know what I'm doing. I haven't spoken to them in years.”
”There we go, Gale has family problems, so the Cult is out of the question. But now a new question arises. Just what is attacking the village then?”
The boat came to a stop on the small island as the captain stopped Gale for a moment. ”Just to warn you kids a storm is picking up. I won't be able to come back for a few days. Are you still sure you want to go through with this? If something happens, you will be stranded.”
”You trying to scare us, old man? Don't you know who we are? We're Team Rhapsody!” Zinnia gloated.
”If you say so, seen too many people go missing on this island. Shame, you all seemed like good kids.”
The boat drove off as Scarlett smiled. ”Well wasn't he pleasant?”
”People going missing? Wouldn't happen to do anything with your family?”
”I don't know. Let's just get this over and done with yeah? We can cut through the forest. Most of this island is just a forest. My village is on the beach on the opposite side.”
”Well, why didn't he just drop us off there?”
”Too many rocks. The boat would have sunk.”
”Alright, through the forest then.”
Zinnia began skipping ahead bombarding Gale with questions. ”What are your parents like? How many people live in your village? Do they have powers as well? Do they watch our streams?”
”Maybe calm down on the questions Zin yeah? You sound like a couple who's being brought home to his parents for the first time.”
”Oh, sorry.”
”How about we take five, yeah?” Alton insisted as Zinnia got the hint stepping back before chatting away to Scarlett and Percy. ”You sure you're alright buddy?”
”Fine, why wouldn't I be?”
”Well, every time I mention you two being a couple, you get defensive and embarrassed. That didn't happen, you worried?”
”No. Sounds bad, doesn't it? The way my mother was on the phone, she was petrified. Even so, they could be in trouble or even worse, but I don't care. Is that bad?”
”I don't really know how to answer that.”