It had been a few days since Isabel was taken by the Drakes. The journey was difficult as many of the injured had to be carried. Helen looked back at the group, saddened to see so many broken souls. She was thankful to them for coming along to help save her daughter, but as they came nearer to their destination, she began to question their hopes of rescuing Isabel. Since their adventure began, they had been relying on Isabel to fight their battles for them. Now, they were going to have to fight this battle without her. The historian put on a brave face, trying to keep morale high as they followed Dominic and his Vipers.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Jess edging closer to Cruise. The leader had been uncharacteristically silent throughout most of the journey. The young woman walked beside him. ''If you ever need to talk, we're here for you.''

''I appreciate that.'' Cruise replied calmly. ''But, I don't do well talking about things like that.''

Jess nodded. ''I understand. But, you shouldn't keep things bottled up inside you. Sometimes, it hurts more when you don't reach out to others.''

To her surprise, Cruise slowed down and turned to her. ''You mentioned your parents were tunnelers before they died. How old were you when that happened?''

''I don't know…'' Jess admitted. She stared at the rocky ground. ''It was a few years ago. There was a cave-in. I was so upset that I almost missed their farewell. The farewell is when we bury our dead deep within the earth.''

''Almost missed it?'' Cruise inquired. He noticed a slight twitch on her lip and the way she lifted her head to gaze out towards the horizon. A grin grew across his face. ''Let me guess, a young woman with a fiery temper convinced you otherwise?''

''Yes,'' Jess smiled, wiping away the tears that welled up in her eyes. ''I went somewhere by myself to find a place to grieve. She was the only one who came to see me. She understood that I was sad, but she also told me that I would regret not going. Whether I was there to say farewell or not, I would still be sad. At least, if I was there, I would have a chance to say my goodbyes. She always thought about me. I only wish that I could have done more for her.''

Before Cruise could reply, they heard Giovanni approaching them from behind. ''You did more than anyone else in the colony. I'm not blameless. If more people were like you, the world would be a kinder place.''

Jess looked away shyly. ''I don't know about that…''

''It's the truth,'' Helen said. ''Isabel always talks about you. I know sometimes it doesn't seem like it, but she truly cares about you.''

The two of them locked eyes, and Jess gave the older woman a sincere smile. ''Thank you.''

Cruise smirked. ''As I said, I don't do well talking about things like death and loss. But, I've always been the type of person to keep moving forward. I wouldn't want to disappoint the people left behind if I stalled.''

The group fell into silence once more as they continued on their journey. Along the way, Helen and Jess found themselves walking close together. The concern plastered over the mother's face was evident to everyone, even though she was trying to stay calm. At some point, Jess took Helen's hand, letting her hold it for support. Helen glanced towards Jess and shot her a small, thankful smile. She could see the slight hint of a blush creep across Jess's face, but the young woman didn't want to let her bashfulness stop her from showing her support.

''We're close,'' Dominic said after a while. ''Just beyond that hill is where Albatox and Baerock rest. They use an old sporting venue as their home.''

''Then we best stop here,'' Helen said. ''If we get too close, they'll hear us coming.''

Immediately, everyone stopped in their tracks and stared off into the distance. With the hill ahead of them, they couldn't even see the stadium that Dominic claimed the Drakes were.

Thane sighed. ''How are we supposed to rescue someone from a place we can't go near?''

''We'll think of something,'' Cruise replied before looking at Dominic. ''In the meantime, I want you and your Vipers to cuff yourself.''

Dominic stared at him in shock while one of his Vipers stepped forward angrily. ''Excuse me?''

''After what happened last time, I can't trust any of you. Is that going to be a problem?''

''You're damn right it's a problem!'' The Viper barked. Others allied themselves near him. In response, the Crew took a stand beside Cruise. For a moment, the others feared that a fight was about to break out between the two groups.

Slowly, Dominic stepped forward. ''Fine.''

''Dominic?'' the Vipers gasped.

Their leader turned around to address them. ''The only one to blame here is me. People died at that bridge because of my mistake. I thought I was doing the right thing. That doesn't excuse my actions. I want to help rescue the Dragon Slayer. I will do whatever is necessary to help the group.''

He turned back to face Cruise and raised his arms out in front of him as a sign of surrender. Cruise nodded and gestured for his Crew to find whatever they had to bind them. Begrudgingly, the other Vipers followed their leader, surrendering themselves and allowing the Crew to bind their arms together. They would not be allowed to do anything or go anywhere without a vigilant eye watching them. All the while, Dominic didn't complain. After his hands were bound together, he noticed Giovanni approaching him with his arms folded across his chest.

''It takes a real leader to do what you're doing.'' He said.

Nearby, Thane gritted his teeth and looked away. ''If we don't have a plan, we might as well rest.''

''I guess you can be right sometimes,'' Cruise teased. He ignored the glare Thane gave him and turned to his Crew. ''I want a stock count for food and water. We don't have much left. So, I'm open to any ideas for how to storm this castle and save the damsel.''

Helen stared at him. ''My daughter is no damsel.''

''If I had been the one captured, she'd have called me a damsel.'' He grinned.

Despite the bleak situation, Helen felt an inkling of a smile. ''Yes, she would have.''

As her gaze returned to the hill, she spotted Jess looking towards it. She had her arms folded around herself and Helen noticed the young woman shivering a little. She walked over to one of the Crew and borrowed a stitched jacket. She approached Jess and wrapped it over her shoulders. Jess flinched when she felt it being placed on her shoulders, and she smiled when she saw Helen coming to stand next to her. The two of them looked at the hill, trying to imagine the stadium where Isabel was being held captive.

''I hope she's okay,'' Jess whispered.

''I know she is,'' Helen replied. ''I can't explain it, but it's like a feeling telling me that she's still alive.''

''I think I have that feeling too.''

They stood together in silence. With everyone else either setting up camp or tending to the wounded, it was just the two of them by themselves for now. Helen could feel her heart pounding. It was both the best and worst time to talk about their shared feelings towards Isabel. She sighed and opened her mouth to speak.

''I'm not sad,'' Jess said, surprising Helen. ''At first, I was. And I was also confused. But, I know that Isabel is happy with you. It's not the same thing, but she always used to talk about you. She always said she was lucky to have the smartest and kindest woman in the world as her mother.''

Helen smiled, trying not to get teary. ''She talked about you a lot too. Although, she never mentioned how she talked with you before your parent's farewell.''

''She wanted to keep that a secret. But, I thought Cruise needed to hear it.'' She clutched the jacket. As the sun set, the air grew considerably colder. ''What do you think happens to us after we die?''

''Oh, that's a big question,'' Helen paused, debating with herself over how to answer Jess. ''I like to go with the theory that we find our place in the stars. Old religions talked about an afterlife that separated good and evil. Those who are cherished watch on from above. Your parents are most likely watching on, proud of the woman you've become.''

Jess turned to her and smiled. ''I hope so. It's just scary to think about if there's nothing else afterwards. I know that life is dangerous and brutal. But, I don't want it to end too quickly. There are things about it that I love…like…''

''Isabel.'' Helen finished. When Jess stared at her curiously, the historian continued. ''She has a way of brightening up people's lives, even before she could walk through fire. In fact, I think that there is so much love for her that it can be shared.''

''Shared?''

''She loves you as much as you love her…as much as I love her. I think that we both bring out the best in her, just as she brings out the best in us.''

It was near impossible for Jess to maintain eye contact. She was breathing heavily as she considered Helen's words. Was it really possible for them to share their love? Throughout her whole life, the colony has drummed into the minds of young men and women that they could only have partners to reproduce to preserve the human race. Love could happen, but it wasn't something that was considered essential for humanity's survival. However, as Jess thought carefully, she realized that it couldn't be further from the truth. It was Isabel's love that compelled her to fight on and do whatever she could to save the world. It inspired others, even those who once looked down on her, like Giovanni, to fight by her side. It was love that was giving humanity a fighting chance.

''Isabel is inspiring, isn't she?'' Jess sighed happily.

''Yes, she…'' Helen stopped mid-sentence. An idea came to her. A very risky, all-or-nothing idea.

When she didn't answer, Jess turned to her and noticed the older woman's face scrunch up. Jess knew that face. It was whenever she was deep in thought over somehow. Before Jess could question her about it, Helen turned heel and rushed over to Cruise.

''Do you still have that long-range radio?'' she asked him. ''The one you used to tell everyone about Isabel?''

''I do.'' Cruise said.

''I need it.''

He pursed his lips. ''Why?''

Helen took a deep breath as her eyes tracked over the group. ''We stand no chance of rescuing Isabel as we are. But, if we made a rallying call to anyone who is listening, we could inspire others to help our cause.''

Despite the strength in her words, she could see everyone looking at her doubtfully. Even Cruise seemed hesitant to go through with her idea. ''You know the Drakes are going to hear about this too? My broadcast was a threat to them as well as a call to arms. If people hear the Dragon Slayer's been captured, they'll lose hope. No one will come to help.''

''Perhaps,'' Helen sighed. ''But, that's a risk that I want to take. As for the Drakes, they won't retaliate for that exact reason. They don't consider us a threat without Isabel. They'll underestimate us.''

Cruise clicked his tongue and stared up at the heavens. After a short moment of thinking, he waved his hand and signalled for one of his Crew to bring the radio. Once it was brought over, they played with the dial to find the right frequency as Cruise passed the speaker to Helen. She grasped it and cleared her throat. This was her one and only shot at saving her daughter. She knew that she had to make this count.

''People of Earth,'' she started once she had the signal to speak. ''My name is Helen. I am the mother of the woman you have come to hear of as the Dragon Slayer. I'm speaking to you now because she needs our help. She has been taken by two Drakes named Albatox and Baerock. They have her captive in an old sports stadium, west of the remains of the Fabled Red Bridge. Those of you who have maps will find its location. I am with a small group determined to rescue my daughter, but we are not enough. I am calling you now to please come to our aid. My daughter is still alive. If we help her, we will take one step closer to humanity's freedom. I know that I'm asking a lot of you all. But, we have to stand and fight. We cannot let this keep happening. We cannot let the Drakes control us and drive us to the brink of extinction. We need to send a message to them. We are going to take back our world. But, we cannot do it alone. We have to stand together. Stand with us. Stand behind the Dragon Slayer. My daughter will fight to the last breath to save the world, as will I and everyone around me. Will you do the same? We'll be waiting.''

She slowly set the speaker down and knelt in silence. Jess placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, which Helen grabbed and held onto tightly. Her whole body was shaking. Finally, she couldn't stop the tears from falling. She didn't care if everyone around her was watching, she couldn't contain her emotions any longer.

''Now, we wait,'' Cruise said. He looked at Helen and waited for her to turn and stare at him before speaking. ''If I heard that, I would fight alongside you.''

Jess nodded. ''I'll fight with you.''

''As would I,'' Giovanni followed up.

''Me too,'' Erika said. Her daughters stood beside her and nodded in agreement.

One by one, the group came forward and proclaimed their support for Helen. She didn't know where to look. That is until someone else emerged from the crowd. The moment she saw the lumbering figure step forward, she burst into more tears.

''You know I'm always here for you.'' Jon smiled.

He limped forward, clutching his bandaged rib. He hissed in pain and glanced down at his injury. When he looked back up, he was always knocked off his feet when Helen leapt into his big arms and hugged him. He suppressed his grunts of pain and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and letting her cry in his chest.

''We have to get her back.'' Helen sobbed.

Even though more tears streaked down her face, Helen hadn't felt this happy without Isabel by her side in such a long time. She told herself that soon, they would be reunited, and they will fight together to save the world.

XXX

HELLO MY SWEET SUPERSTARS! I REALLY HOPE THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS NEW CHAPTER? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HELEN AND JESS'S CONVERSATION? DO YOU THINK OTHERS WILL COME TO HELP THE GROUP SAVE ISABEL? THERE'S GOING TO BE EXCITING CHAPTERS COMING YOUR WAY VERY SOON. I HOPE THAT YOU LIKE THEM AND I DON'T DISAPPOINT. I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH AND I HAVE SO MUCH WRITING THEM. I HOPE THAT YOU HAVE JUST AS MUCH FUN READING THEIR ADVENTURES. THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE ARRIVING ON WEDNESDAY. MARK THAT DOWN ON YOUR CALENDERS AS WE'LL BE BACK WITH ISABEL TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH HER. THANK YOU FOR READING. STAY SAFE. TA-TA FOR NOW.