Chapter Seventeen

Tempton: 1771

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The first thing that came to my mind was that the wall in the tower gave way and I plummeted to the gardens below. I just couldn't remember falling. I stood and after checking out my body for scratches and bruises, I decided to look at my surroundings. The tower was nowhere in sight. I was standing in a chilly forest; there was no mistaking it.

“Jeannie?” My voice echoed, and was replied only by bird twitters. “Mr. Lawstrum?”

“Should have seen it Mother!” I turned and looked through the trees, and a little ways off, I could see a lady with a boy my age and a boy about five years old. The woman was pulling a wooden cart that looked like a 2-wheeled wheelbarrow. The older boy was carrying a huge clay jar and the younger boy was skipping around the cart with a stick. “The griffin was huge!”

The first thing I noticed was the attire. What was going on? They were dressed up in medieval type clothes. Peasant clothes. I kneeled down in the bushes as close as I dared to the road. Were they workers in Farlington’s West?

A gasp. I turned back to the road and beheld three huge men, blocking the trio’s way. They were dressed in black leather, with iron breastplates. They had black leather bracers studded with iron balls. They looked like Middle Ages warlords.

“Halt there! To where are you going?”

The woman’s face became pale and she grabbed the younger boy’s hand. “To our village,” she answered. The older boy had to play a hero and stepped before his mother.

“What reason have you not to let us pass?” he demanded.

“Our Lord, Prince Richard has ordered a toll on all roads out of Tempton.”

“What?” The boy took another step towards the three men. “This road is not the main one! No one passes this road; it is private!”

“If you don’t have two kypés, we cannot allow you to pass.” The men snickered at each other while the lady gave her son a nervous look. The boy stared at the huge men and put his hand on her back.

“Let us leave, Mother; I know a way around.”

“It’s only two kypés.” One of the men now stood closer to the family.

“And two kypés are scarce. They are precious enough not to waste on your senseless game. Let us go, Mother.”

“There are other ways to make payment.”

The men attacked. Hero stood before his mother, but the men were so huge. One backhanded Hero and he collapsed, dropping and shattering the jar. The other two grabbed the lady and the first picked up the small, frightened boy, tossing him into a bush. The two men finally wrestled the screaming woman to the ground. Hero had gotten to his feet and tackled the single villain.

What could I do? Should I be a hero too and help? Could I even help?

The woman’s wailing screams broke my thoughts. I jumped out of my safe position in the brush and leapt to help. I held a thick branch in my hand, though I couldn’t remember picking it up. I swung as hard as I could first at the man trying to hold her legs, then the man pinning the woman down.

Hero stood back, surprised, before he decided to help me. Hero pushed the first man and when he turned to backhand him as before, I clocked him with the branch. Twice, I had to do it twice, just to be sure.

Hero stood staring at me with his mouth open as his mother left to console the little boy that was still crying in the bust he was thrown into.

“Shouldn’t stand like that, Hero, you’ll catch a fly.”

“You…you speak Lyngarian!”

“Well, yeah, born and raised here...what did you think I spoke?”

I was shocked at his answer.

“Well, look at your clothing!”

I looked down at my worn blue jeans and blue football camp T-shirt. So what was wrong with my clothing? “Yeah! I’m on a field trip. I don’t work here and this castle or anything.”

They looked at each other, confused. I tried again. I didn’t want to get into it with Jeannie. Shows didn’t occur to me when I was fighting…they should at least wait until they had an audience…I was the only one around. The woman was screaming so loudly, my attack came as good-Samaritan instinct. “Um, I fell from the tower in Farlington’s West.” They’re eyes widened. “You know, the castle?”

“She is a visitor of the king!” The boy whispered to his mother, slowly starting to pull her away.

“Wait, wait, don’t be afraid, I’m just a tourist from HummingGale. Y’know…In Kayton?” I paused, waiting for a response. All I received was blank stares. “North of Rydella…”

Then his words hit me. King? Kings didn’t exist anymore outside of the dragon and elvish kingdoms.

“I know of Kayton.” Hero was still backing up, staring at me suspiciously and pulling his brother and mother with him. “What do you mean HummingGale in Kayton? Is it a village outside of the kingdom? We’ve never heard of it.”

“King?” They turned and started picking up the cracked jars and placing them on the cart. “Wait!” I stood before the startled family. “What year is it?”

“The year of his great lordship, King Taylor,” the boy answered. “1771.”

I collapsed on the dirt road. The lady took a cautious step toward me. “Miss?” She kneeled down and looked up into my face as I took deep breaths. “Is something wrong, Miss?” Tears were making their way town my cheeks. What’s going on? My heart thumped so hard, I could easily feel its merciless beating in my throat. I couldn’t imagine for the life of me how I could have traveled back in time.

Hero was becoming impatient. “Come, Mother, let us return home before Richard’s guards regain consciousness!”

“Malachi, cease your rudeness!” His mother ordered. “She helped us, after all.”

Hero rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth as the woman turned back to me. “Is something wrong, Miss?”

My hands trembled as my eyes watered. “I’ve traveled 486 years back in time.”

“She’s mad, Mother, let us leave.”

“Remain still, Malachi! What do you just say?”

“My name is Apple Zipheria. I’m from HummingGale, Kayton, LGA...uh, Lyngaria.” The last line in my address wasn't hard to repeat. “I’m from the year 2271. I traveled back into time.”

“Malachi, could this be the…the...”

“She’s mad. She couldn’t be the one.”

“Well, I have proof that I’m from the future!” I was getting annoyed at young Hero’s unsympathetic attitude. Did I ask for his opinion on the subject? I dug in my pockets. “You would agree that the value of money went down in five hundred years, yeah? Well, look how much money I have!”

I pulled out my wallet that had all the money I saved for the field trip, in ten bills and 60 gold pieces. “I have here ten chips and 60 pieces. You don’t know what a chip is because you don’t have them for another 130 years.” They stared in shock, but I could tell they were listening carefully. “Now. In 500 years, pieces aren’t worth that much, so ten pieces are worth 1 chip. Here…I have ten chips. Do you know how much that is?”

“100 pieces,” breathed Hero, not removing his eyes from my money.

“Uh huh. So do you believe me? Will you help me get back to my own time?”

“So she claims she’s from the future. She is a woman, and a child…!”

“Hey! You’re a ‘child’ too!”

Hero pretended not to hear me. His eyes remained on his mother and his angry look was still plastered to his face. “This does not mean she’s the Gemini!”

“You know, I completely agree with you, I’m a Scorpio.”

At least, that's what Wheezy told me. He was into the whole astrological thing.

“There’s only one way to find out, Malachi, and that is to take Apple to see Ishmael.”

“Mother, we don’t even know where that mad man is! (“Who’s Ishmael?”) The last we heard he was frolicking with the elves.”

“Malachi, listen to me.” The woman clutched Hero’s sleeve, anxiously as I stared at them, confused. “What if she is the Gemini? What if she can free us from Prince Richard's insanity? And if you leave her here to die, Malachi we will never know.” Malachi looked into his mother’s worried face and his own softened, relented. “We cannot live like this for the rest of our lives!”

Hero sighed, defeated. How could he say no? She looked so desperate that I almost agreed, and I had no idea what they were talking about. “Yes, Mother, I will take her to town and we shall search for Ishmael.”

“Thank you, my boy.” She walked to the cart and pulled a loaf of bread and a piece of meat. Malachi walked to her and gently pushed it closer to her.

“No, Mother, you and Ceronté need this.”

“Yeah, I’ve got plenty of money,” I added.

“I bid you well, then.” The woman picked up the handles to the cart. “Do well, Son, on your journey,” She gave him a hug. I didn’t get it, Ishmael…I mean, we wouldn’t be gone but for a few hours. I had forgotten that there were no cars. “And remember, this isn’t for us, or the people of our village, but for everyone in Tempton. Farewell, Malachi, for now.”

“Farewell, Mother.”

“Bye Ma’am.” I waved before I jogged to catch up with Malachi’s angry pace. What was his problem? He didn't know me; he had no reason to hate me.

“You really oughtn’t tell people how much money you carry.” He didn’t look at me, but straight ahead. He was going to be a barrel of monkeys.

“Yeah, no kidding. You don’t have police here.” I didn’t want to start a fight. I had enough enemies already. No use having them in two different time periods.

He started staring at me as we walked. I pretended not to notice until I became annoyed. “What?”

“You really are from the future, aren’t you?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I am. And I need to get back to my own time.”

“But you...if you’re the Gemini, you’ll be the one to save our kingdom!”

“Whoa, whoa, Hero! I’m not like you, okay? I can’t just jump up and…and save things! My own life is a total wreck as it is! I couldn't even save my life-long friendship; so what makes you think I could save a whole kingdom?”

And I couldn't. I tried several times to make up with Gunpoint, and that didn't work out too well, don't you agree, Ishmael?

“So you...?”

“Listen, I can’t help you. I mean; my life was just at the peak of extremity! Just when I thought nothing could get any worse…it did. Could this Ishmael get me home?”

“Yes.” Malachi looked at me with a dose of pure hate. “He can take you home.”

P

“Your friend is an oddball.”

“Haven’t seen many like her around!”

“Yes, she claims to be from the future.” Malachi took a drink from his mug. I wiped the inside of my own mug with my finger and it changed colors. I was so disgusted I could have puked. No wonder the people in your time had short life expectancies. “Mother thinks she’s the Gemini.”

The men busted into laughter. Malachi took another drink before joining them. The prick…I just glared at him and wondered what I possibly did that made him hate me so much. I guess I just have that unlikable air about me, because everyone in my time treated just as bad.

“Ah, women!” laughed one of the men. “They know nothing! Even if there was a Gemini, it wouldn’t be a woman!”

“You do realize that I understand every word you’re saying, right?” I hissed, slamming my mug on the table. I suppose the correct question would be “You do care…?”

The three men turned to me, and there was a split second silence before they started laughing again. Apparently not. Malachi was enjoying himself. He was angry with me, and he smiled as he laughed at me. “What’s a Gemini anyway?”

“The Gemini supposedly is the person who will save us from the cursed life,” explained one of the men, taking another swig of beer then spitting on the floor. I looked down and wiggled my tennis shoes. “The Gemini will come from 400 years in the future and will restore power to the rightful king. But, as the Gemini restores Tempton’s power, it will rule over the worlds with an iron first.

“Complete worlds domination,” Malachi continued. They repeated the words with ease. They apparently heard it many times. “And he will rule for the next 400 years until power is lost or he is stabbed with the Mercer’s Stiletto, like he was 400 years ago.”

“Likes the 400 years, doesn’t this Gemini?”

The faces became serious, offended. Their angry eyes shot bullets at me. “It is the cycle,” one of the men growled. “The cycle of the Gemini will never end. There will always be one.”

“So let me get something straight. Some immortal dude will rule for 400 years. After he dies, 400 more years will pass before another comes to power to rule for another 400 years. Does that about sum it up?”

“Yes.” Malachi glared.

“Then what’s with the whole ‘400 years in the future’ deal?” I waved my hands around and shook like I was an infomercial physic.

“That madman Ishmael had a prophecy. The Gemini cycle shouldn’t start for another eighty-six years. Ishmael said that the Gemini from the next cycle – four hundred years from now – will come and save us from Prince Richard.” The man took an angry swig. “A man desperate for hope is what I think.”

“Well then, chill. It’s not me. I’m from 486 hundred years in the future besides.” I handed the mug back to the bartender. “I’m good, thanks.” I turned back to the two laughing drunks and the evil Malachi.

“Well, saint from the future, what becomes of me?” one of the men held his hands out. “Do I become a wealthy man?”

I let them finish laughing before I answered. Idiots, Ishmael, and I thought the people in my time were obnoxious. “No. You die.” They stared at me in shock. Yeah, now I had their attention. I didn’t know their history, but I could repeat some of Jeannie’s words. “King Richard made a deadly disease. He's testing it on some of you peasants.” The room became deathly silent. I didn’t see the guard, Ishmael, I didn’t see either of the guards. I kept talking. “He tested a killer virus on his own people…”

“Blasphemy!” yelled one of the men.

“Richard isn’t the king anyway,” Malachi added, leaning forward. “Taylor is.”

“Yeah, well, Taylor died. Richard killed him...”

“Hold your tongue!” Richard’s guard stood up in a fury. Malachi became pale as death and stared at the guard. I didn’t know who he was, and I became angry too.

“No! You sit down and shut up! I’m not done! You wanna know what happens?” I turned back to Malachi and his two drunken friends who where looking at me with awe and fear. “I’ll tell you what happens. The disease got out of it’s testing place and it spread. It killed everyone, including King Richard. People all over Lyngaria dropped like flies for the next...25 years.”

I made up a date, as I did not know for sure. “And now, at last in my time, Lyngaria is suffering a blockade and facing war with Agsebon, Dalae, Agyra and Fogh.

“Hold your tongue!” Richard’s guard drew a huge sword and charged at me. I gasped in surprised and leapt back. The king’s guard just as fast took out his own sword and blocked the other’s blow.

“Enough now,” he growled. “She’s mad. Unless, of course, you know something of the situation that the rest of us do not?”

Yeah he knew, Ishmael. Everyone in the room could feel he knew. Not wanting any more attention on himself, he growled and quickly stomped form the bar.

“Whatever. I’ll help myself.” I stood. “And Malachi, since you seem to dislike me so much, you can pay for your own drink.”

Now Malachi was terrified. “But Apple, I did not mean to offend you.”

“Yeah, now you’re sorry. Well, that’s what you get for getting fresh with me. Bye.” I strutted out of the bar. It's amazing how fast a person's tune changes. Hypocrites are plentiful in my time and in yours. He'd make a wonderful high schooler.