Chapter 14: Back to Atland Village

It took a few days and nights before Trinity arrived back in Atland Village. The familiar sound of the school bell filled the air as she walked down the cobblestone road that hadn’t changed, a light rain falling. Phoenix walked by her side with his horse, Ria riding on top while Alexander walked behind. As they went towards the bakery, a few villagers stopped and gasped, some whispering. It confused Trinity.

Perhaps she looked stronger after the first half of her adventure.

Eventually, they reached her home. Trinity opened the door, the bakery empty save for Oriana who was reading at the counter. “Um, I’m home,” Trinity said.

Oriana’s book fell from her hands. She stared, rubbed her eyes, and stared more. “Trinity!” she yelled. Jumping up, she ran around the counter and threw her arms around her sister, Trinity stumbling. “Where in the world were you?”

“I—”

“Trinity!” she heard Mama call. Looking up, she saw her run down the stairs followed by Papa and Skyler. Her parents embraced her as Oriana moved back. “Thank the gods,” Mama said. Stepping back, she glared, Trinity shuddering. “Where the hell have you’ve been?”

“Southern Bridge getting the ingredients, like you told me to,” Trinity said.

She quickly reached into her bag, pulling out the chocolate-chips and blueberries to prove her “honesty.” Mama took the items, hands shaking. “Like I told you to?” she said quietly which was a bad sign. “I told you to come straight back. You were only supposed to be gone one day.” She squeezed the ingredients so hard, a handful of blueberries fell onto the floor. “Trinity, it’s been ten days!”

“Ten days?” Trinity said with a gasp.

“We had to get the Astellacan Guard involved, so we know you weren’t in Southern Bridge,” Papa said, his arms crossed. “Now, where were you?”

Trinity shrunk before her family’s glares. “I-I—”

“She was with me!” Phoenix said, stepping inside. “She was helping me with work, and it took longer than planned. I’m sorry for the trouble.”

Papa’s frown grew. “And you are?” he asked.

Oriana tugged on his sleeve. “Papa, he’s the nephew of The Council’s bookkeeper,” she whispered.

Papa’s frown vanished, Mama’s hands still shaking with what Trinity feared was anger. “That is no…” she began to say before looking behind her daughter at her other two guests. “Wait, why is Alexander back? And who is this girl behind—?”

“They were helping Phoenix as well!” Trinity said, putting her hands up. “Look, I’m sorry for being gone so long, but what’s important is that I got the ingredients and came back. Right?”

Her family continued to stare at her, her siblings shaking their heads while Mama tapped the floor with her foot. After what felt like an eternity, she sighed. “I suppose you are going to ask if your friends can spend the night, which they can,” Mama said. Trinity smiled before her mother pointed a finger in her face. “However, they are going home on their own. You are to stay in this house for the next week. And you are not allowed to leave the village ever again!”

Trinity dropped everything she was holding as her mother stomped to the kitchen, Oriana following. “But Mama—!”

“No buts!” Papa snapped, Trinity flinching. “You broke your promise, Trinity, and scared us half to death. End of discussion.”

He went back upstairs with Skyler, Trinity’s body warm with embarrassment and anger. How could she continue her adventure? She turned to her team and crossed her arms. “I didn’t think they’d react like this!” she whispered. “Now what?”

“This is why we should’ve come back before traveling to Cameria,” Phoenix muttered.

“Not helpful!”

“We could sneak you out tonight,” Alexander said, “but if your parents are willing to get the Guard involved, it may be more trouble than it’s worth.” He glanced away. “In the worst case scenario, we would have to keep going without you.”

“But you can’t save the kingdom without the Protector of Light!”

“If I may intrude,” Ria said, stepping forward, “perhaps we should rest for a bit before making such drastic decisions. We have just ended a long journey after all.” Trinity’s arms dangled, and she nodded. “Does Atland Village have a library or book shop?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“It’s the second floor of the schoolhouse,” Trinity said. “I would take you, but I’m on house arrest.”

“I’ll walk you,” Phoenix said with a turn. “It’s near where I’m going.”

“Thank you,” Ria said quietly, giving Trinity a small sad gaze before leaving with Phoenix.

“I’ll be in the square if you need me,” Alexander said, following behind.

Left alone, Trinity went up to her room. It was just how she had left it, down to her unmade bed. Placing her bag down, she opened her window, the sounds of her village entering. Where she would be stuck until who knew when.

“Trinity?”

She looked down, Philly standing outside her window. “Good morning, Philly!” she said.

“Where have you been?”

She grinned. There was finally someone who would be interested in her tale. “On an adventure!”

Instead of looking curious and amazed like Trinity expected, Philly frowned. It seemed as if she was angry. “Oh. Well, let me or Dior or anyone know before you…adventure again.”

“Don’t you want to hear—?”

“I need to get back to the newsstand. See you.”

And with a turn, she walked away. It confused Trinity; none of the reactions she hoped for were happening. She was happier fighting the spider monster than she was at that moment. “Trinity!” her mother called. “Come start work!”

Groaning, she went downstairs to the bakery. Mama stirred ingredients, frown on her face as she pointed towards Oriana. Trinity washed her hands and stood next to her twin on the other side of the room. Near them were four bowls of blueberries and three bags of chocolate chips. “Looks like Mama got the ingredients ahead of time,” Trinity said. Oriana ignored her as she sorted cookies. Trinity pouted. “How long is everyone going to be mad at me for?”

“How stupid are you?” Oriana snapped, Trinity jumping back. “You were gone for ten days, and no one knew where you were. Mama stopped baking, Papa took time off to work with the Guards…the whole village was looking for you. And then you just appear out of nowhere as if you were only gone a night.” Oriana’s eyes began to tear up. “I-I started to assume a monster had gotten you and…and that I…”

Trinity was speechless. Her parents’ fury, Philly’s distance, the villagers’ whispers, and her sister’s tears started to make sense. She had traveled to parts of Astellaca she always wanted to see and was so excited to be a Protector that she tried not to think about home. When everyone at home was thinking about her. Worried about her. Assuming something horrible had happened to her.

She had messed up.

Trinity put her arms around Oriana and squeezed as hard as she could. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I honestly didn’t realize I was gone that long. I was finally on an adventure, and I thought I wouldn’t get a chance like it again until I was older and…I didn’t want to wait. But I didn’t even think how it would affect everyone here. I’m really, really sorry!” Pulling back, she placed her hands on her sister’s shoulders. “I swear the day you lose me is very, very far away.”

Oriana wiped her eyes with her hands. “I hope so,” she said with a whimper.

Giving her another quick hug, Trinity began helping her organize the cookies into different gift boxes. “So, what did I miss while I was gone?”

“Other than the Trinity Starbolt Search Party?” Trinity chuckled nervously. “Not much, really. There was a report of an attack happening in Southern Bridge, but I guess you were gone before it happened.”

“Well—”

“Oh, there was a strange sky last night as well.”

“A strange sky?”

“It was dark pink with flashes of orange.” Oriana moved her hands in a circular motion. “It was like the sky was angry. There were flames in the clouds.” Trinity frowned; an angry dark pink sky made her think of Marina. And of the Protector Star in her mask.

“Get to work, you two!” Mama yelled. Jumping, the twins went back to their organizing.

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The sky had cleared by nighttime, a full moon making the cobblestone sparkle. Trinity gazed at it from her brother’s bed, Skyler having the biggest window in the house. He sat beside her, Oriana sitting near his desk. Outside the room, Trinity could hear her parents cleaning up from supper. She knew Ria was reading upstairs, and she hoped Alexander was planning a way for her to still journey with them without worrying her family to death.

Sighing, Trinity focused on the sky again. “The moon’s so big tonight,” she said.

“Was it bigger out in the wilderness?” Skyler asked with wide eyes.

Chuckling, Trinity put her arm around him. “Much bigger! You could even see the stars for miles around.”

“So, it was better than climbing on the roof so you could get closer to them?” Oriana said.

“Shut up! I only did that twice.” Trinity turned towards her brother. “Anyways, it’s great that Skyler has such a big window, so I don’t have to climb up there anymore.”

“Climb where?”

The siblings flinched and turned towards the doorway, Mama standing there with a twitching smile. “It’s getting late,” she said. “Off to bed, you three.”

Sighing, the girls stood. “Good night,” Trinity said.

“Good night!” Skyler said. “Don’t climb out a window!”

Trinity chuckled half-heartedly at that, Mama’s lip twitch growing. Hurrying past her, she climbed the stairs to her room. She closed the door, Ria having set up a blanket and pillow on her floor. “Is everything alright?” she said, a book in hand.

“Yes,” Trinity said, sitting on her bed. “As good as it’s—” She was cut off by her bed shaking. Soon, the whole house trembled, some of her books falling from the shelf. And then, it stopped. The girls looked at each other, eyes wide. “What in the world was that?”

A scream echoed throughout the home.

“Mama?” Trinity called. Heart racing, she ran out her room, Ria following. They went down to the second floor, Alexander standing at Skyler’s door. Trinity went inside his room and gasped. The window was open, paper from the desk blowing around. Mama was on the floor with Papa, Oriana standing near the door. Skyler was nowhere in sight. “Mama!” Trinity knelt down and put her hand on her mother’s back. “What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Sky-Skyler!” she said. “As I was leaving, this girl kicked the window in. Before I could blink, she pushed me onto the floor and yanked him out before I could get up.” She hugged herself. “She took my baby!”

Time stood still. It was as though Trinity’s heart had stopped.