Lost In Time Chapter 7:
"Literally guys chill out!" Linh yelled after Keefe and Tam got into another yelling match. "We do not have time for stupid arguments about hair, we are in the middle of an investigation!"
Tam rolled his eyes. "Why couldn't we have found Wylie or Fitz before finding this imbecile." Keefe wheeled around. "Listen here salt man, it's not my fault we were led into a trap and-" he was cut off by Linh splashing them both with water. "I am surrounded by idiots. Guys, Sophie, Wylie, Biana, they are all counting on us!" She yelled. "So finish coming up with a plan!" Tam and Keefe shared one last glare and continued coming up with ideas.
"The Neverseen sent us here with a leaping crystal, but used a technopath to alter it in order to send us to different time periods? Why this one?" Keefe asked, looking at the diagram Tam had drawn.
"I knew they were meeting in secret with a technopath, but I didn't know for what until it was too late. We just need to figure out how they built it, or find the one that they left in 1470." Linh walked over to Tam. "The one they left here?" Tam nodded. "Alvar was always gone for a work emergency, and when he would come back, him and Vespera would talk about how something was 'placed and ready for use.' The only thing they could be talking about is the leaping crystal."
Linh grumbled. "So we have to find the one leaping crystal they placed in this time period. Simple! All we have to do is explore the whole freaking world." Collapsing on the couch she sighed. "We're never getting out of here." Tam walked over to his sister along with Keefe. "We need a break, bangs-boy. I'm going for a walk, you good here?" Tam and Linh both gave him a thumbs up. Grabbing his satchel, and something to cover his hair, he left the tower.
-Flashback to six months ago-
"There is no solution Keefe. None!" Sophie had yelled at him after Forkle had died. "We lost him, we lost him," she said curling up into a ball. "Sophie, I know this situation seems hopeless but I promise you, we will defeat them. Forkle said he knew this day was coming, and he told us he left his cache with a friend of his." Sophie wiped her eyes as Keefe sat down next to her, pulling Sophie in a tight hug. "We will be okay Foster, everything will be okay."
Keefe sighed, wishing he could believe those words now. Searching back through his memories, he hoped he could find at least one thing that would give him a sign to what was going on. Suddenly a burst of light exploded in front of him. "Councillar Bronte?!" he whispered ducking behind a tree. "Luzia, hurry up!" Bronte shouted. Another flash of light appeared and standing there was Luzia Vacker. "Okay Bronte, what did you want to show me?" Bronte laughed, grabbing Luzia's hand. "Nothing really, just wanted to explore. You in?" Luzia agreed, and Keefe watched them as they walked off. He blinked once. Twice. Three times. Was that really Bronte? It looked like him, but the personality was off the charts. Bronte would never agree to wander out of the Elvin World. "The Lost Cities!" Keefe yelled, but quickly covered his mouth. He ran back towards the Song Tower, ready to share the info with Linh and Tam.
"I have a lead!" he yelled, bursting into the room. He told them everything he witnessed. "That's right!" Linh shouted, "the humans still have relations with the elves! If we can get into the elf world then we can find the leaping crystal!" She high-fived Keefe. "Alright bangs-boy, what do you think?" Keefe turned toward Tam, who was hunched over on the couch. "I know where the crystal is." Tam said, not looking up. Linh and Keefe looked at each other, "you do?" Linh asked. Tam nodded. "It's with the old version of Vespera. And we won't be able to find her without going to the elf world." Keefe laughed. "We can get out of here!" he shouted, reaching for fist-bump from Tam, but he pushed it away.
"We have a problem though. We are from the future, and elves live a long time. If we go back home, the Ancients will remember us. You said you saw Luzia and Bronte? That's the younger version of them. If we get back to 2021, they will recognize us." Keefe and Linh stayed silent. They hadn't thought about that. Keefe sighed, everytime he thought they had a lead, there was one factor that destroyed all hope. Sophie was right, there was no solution this time. "Well, I'm sure we will figure it out," Linh said, breaking the silence. "All we can do now is find the others. We need to let them know what's going on." With that, she handed Tam and Keefe a sword. "You might need these. It's dangerous out there." They each took one, and with no further adieu, they left for the palace in silence.
Wherever their friends were, they needed to find them quickly. They couldn't risk the elf community finding out about them.
"Do you know who Linh and Tam Song are?" King Fitz asked another villager. Of course, they shook their head no, but offered him some fruit. After what seemed like the 30th person, Fitz went to meet up with Marella. "No such luck?" she asked as he walked up, mumbling curses under his breath. "How does nobody know who Linh or Tam is?" He said, raising his voice. "Linh Song?" someone said behind a counter. Out popped a young girl with wild red hair and bright green eyes. "I do business with the twins! They were in town yesterday, but I think they headed back to their tower." Marella turned to the girl, asking more details on where it was. "Alright, we need to travel on that path to find their tower," Marella told Fitz after she finished getting directions from the girl. They were walking on the path when someone called out Fitz's name.
"King Fitz! King Fitz! Look everyone, it's the King!" A crowd of people surrounded them, chanting his name. "Well this delays our plans," Marella whispered, inching closer to Fitz. The crowd ran over, circling the King. In response, Fitz protectively put his arm around her shoulders. "Well at least they don't hate me," he said, smiling and waving to the crowd. Even as he tried to explain that he didn't have time for this, he was overpowered by the enormous roar from the crowd. As people came up to shake his hand and thank him for everything he has done for the village, he held tight to Marella. Fitz was here to find Linh and Tam, and he couldn't risk losing Marella in the crowd.
"What's all that commotion coming from?" Linh asked as the rounded the corner to the nearby village. Ahead of them, a giant crowd was chanting in unison "King Fitz! King Fitz!"
"Looks like we don't have to work that hard to find royalty," Keefe laughed as they approached the villagers. "How will we get through though?" Tam asked, stopping a few feet away. The loud noise was too much for him. "Linh? Tam?" a girl with red hair came up to them. "That's us!" Linh smiled, shaking the girls hand. "His majesty and the girl with blonde hair were looking for you, I can get you three through the crowd if you want." Keefe's heart stopped for a moment. Blonde hair must mean Sophie, right? "Yes, quickly please," he said, motioning for her to lead the way. The red-haired girl elbowed her way to the front, creating a path for them. "Fitz! Fitz!" Linh yelled, but he didn't move. As they moved closer, they noticed a blonde girl pulled close next to him. But it wasn't Sophie. "MARELLA!" Tam yelled, running towards the circle. She turned around as Tam barrelled towards her. "Ay salt boy!" she laughed, giving him a hug. "Fitz," she said, forcing him to face her, "we need to get out of here and meet up with the rest of the group." He nodded in agreement and looked back to the crowd. "Thank you for your kindness, but I do have urgent matters to attend to. Keep being outstanding citizens!" The crowd whooped and cheered one more time, and then parted so they could walk through.
"Keep being outstanding citizens!" Keefe mocked as they walked back to the palace. "Who knew Fitz was loved by that many people." Marella laughed, "I guess in every time period, he will be. By the way, I'm glad we found y'all. Sophie and the others were worried." Fitz smiled at Linh. "Wylie wanted to go with us this morning, but the more attention we drew, the harder it would be. He definitely put up a fight."
"Sounds like Wylie," Linh blushed. She couldn't wait to see him. "I'm going to catch up with Keefe, you guys stay with Marella." Fitz said, jogging up to where Keefe was walking.
"You know, if you don't stay with us you might get lost," Keefe smirked at his friend.
"I'll find my way back somehow." Fitz laughed.
"I have no doubt." Silence passed between them, when finally Keefe stopped to look at him. "I missed having my best pal around," he said giving him a hug.
Fitz, startled by this sudden affection from Keefe, hugged him back slowly. "I missed you too." Even though they still fought together against the Neverseen, Keefe and Fitz never saw each other. It didn't help that Fitz worked with the council and Keefe worked with the Black Swan, and with recent events, those two groups were not on good terms.
"The bromance is real," Tam said as the rest walked up.
"I can't help how much everyone missed me. Isn't that right Fitzie poo? You missed your lovable nut?" Everyone rolled their eyes. "Yup, Keefe is definitely back," Marella remarked. They kept walking to the palace as Linh, Keefe, and Tam updated them about what they discovered.
"Where are they?" Sophie exclaimed, pacing back and forth by the door. Wylie stood by the door, constantly checking to see if they would magically appear there. It was almost fifteen o'clock when the doors burst open. "We found them," Fitz yelled, causing Biana and Dex to run downstairs. "Linh!" Wylie said, running to greet her. Everyone's mood shifted when they saw Tam walk through the door. Dex and Biana stepped apart, not meeting his eyes. "Nice to see you too," he sarcastically said. But Sophie payed no attention to Tam, she was waiting for another certain someone to walk through the doors. "Where's Marella and Keefe?" she asked, panic rising to her chest. Did something happen to them? The doors opened again, and Marella was there, dragging Keefe inside. "Just—come—inside." she yelled, gritting her teeth. "Keefe?" Sophie asked when he finally turned to face her. "Hey Foster, miss me?" Sophie shook back the tears she felt forming. "A tiny bit," she whispered, looking away. Suddenly she felt herself being lifted up into the air. "Admit it Foster, you missed your Keefester." he said, smirking as he pulled her into a hug. Suddenly all the emotions she felt poured out of her. She couldn't hold back the tears she had worked so hard to hide since she arrived here. "I'm here Sophie, I'm here," Keefe said, wrapping one arm around her waist and used the other to hold her head. He rested his chin on her head, wishing he could push out all the worries she had. They were so wrapped up in each other that they didn't notice the rest of the group leave for the dining room.
After Sophie calmed herself down, she pulled away from Keefe, even if it hurt her heart to do so. She looked up at him, "Okay, I guessed I missed you a lot." she whispered. Keefe chuckled, and took another step toward her. "I was worried about you," he said, pushing a piece of hair out of her face. Sophie's heart pounded inside of her chest. She looked at his eyes, then his lips, then his eyes again. "Nope! Nope, nope, nope." she thought to herself, forcing herself away from Keefe. "I think we need to catch up with the group," she said, ignoring the hurt in Keefe's eyes. "I'll be right behind you Foster." He said, smiling. She nodded back at him, and headed toward the dining room. As soon as she was out of earshot, Keefe silently cursed at himself. "What were you thinking?" he said, running a hand through his hair. Shoving his thoughts about Sophie away, he started to walk towards the dining room when a loud crash erupted behind him. He whipped around just as a hooded figure knocked him out cold with hammer.