“Wait, Lani. Remember what I told you”

My eyes dart to Maur and then to his bodyguard Toah. He was taking us into Luer's hunting grounds in Cepertine and was attempting to kill him. He made me one of his personal bodyguards and Toah hated me for it. I peer over the top of the skyscraper. A great battle over Cepertine was taking place, below. The Lam Lathi invasion had already made it to FauX headquaraters and the location of The Far Away Dream. Maur hands me some binoculars.

“Take a look for yourself, Lani. Toah will try to spot Luer.”

A couple miles from the battlefront, I see the last bastion of Neandelerian power in Cepertine. There were war machines and heavy guns sitting with legions of rallied Neandelerians. They were ready to defend and retake their beloved city.

Rocket-packed soldiers and flying gunships move toward the Ryoken invaders. Others from the jungles nearby, rally with their brethren, while Neandelerian companies fly in mercenaries from all their far reaching places. I could see Neandelerian warriors, smoking their last cigarettes beneath their glowing visors. I could see battle-axes on their backs, next to so many buckles and latches that they had lost their original meaning. Long strings of bullets were over their armored shoulders. Everyone was shouting and firing their guns together, like an early celebration An ancient vengeance was now burning in their blood, and hung on their faces like Spanish moss. They were camouflaged and ready to retake their city.

“Won't they retake the city?,” I ask.

“Of course, they will try. They're Neandelerians, Lani. Lam Lathi only came for the giant picture,” replies Maur.

I take a step back from the skyscraper. The gunships and sniper teams were heading our way. I tug at Maur. It was bright outside. The smoke was making it hard to see. I hated flying through it.

All three of us walk back from the building's edge.

I could already see Lam Lathi retreating. They had failed in their mission. I missed my old home, but eventually the empire stopped looking for me. My Lam Lathi tempests came less and less, almost helping me escape in the beginning. It was like being abandoned all over again. I could still hear the wagon wheels. I wanted the noises to never change from the home I was taken from. I was sad about Atjani too. He promised to be my travel friend and never leave. Maybe, he was dead. I didn't know why life was like this. Whenever I met someone new, life left me all alone. Everyone was taken away, or gradually disappeared with time and changing situations. Now I was friends with Maur, but not Toah. Hopefully, this friendship would last. I was hoping for it.

“Mmm. I don't know.”

I accepted my new life now. I didn't want to be part of the invasion of Cepertine. I could see the destruction below me and part of me wondered how much was my fault from the stages. I grip my arms and hold them in frustration. My jet-pack controls were dangling by my feet.

Maur picks up my jet-pack controls and places them in my hand.

“Don't let go of this,” he says seriously.

Even though Maur had trouble seeing, he trusted Toah and me to lead him around and guide him. We were trying to spot Luer. There were random packs of his flying killers in the city, but many had left Cepertine with their loot. They would count it at one of his many camps. Maur speaks up, catching us off guard.

“Let's practice again. Toah, Lani needs more experience,” he states.

“Of course, sir,” Toah replies.

Toah had picked up on several Lam Lathi ships heading back to the Ryoken lands. There were many prisoners and new refugees trying to get on board. News was spreading that the strange pilot had broken free of the ancient picture. Maur told me it was bound to happen, if Lam Lathi caught the Neandelerians off guard and invaded.

My eyes dart around me. I couldn't see anything yet, but the pilot was sure to be on the loose.

I jump up and tuck myself in. My jet-pack rumbles on and my knee-blade extends. I pick up my body shield from the ground. My glove grips my controls, nervously. We were going to strike from the sky again. I push off the skyscraper ledge and let my jet-pack rumble into action.

My reflection flashes off the glass of the skyscraper windows. The wind whistles around me as I pick my target. I narrow my eyes and try to lower my shield to catch glimpses of my destination. I didn't want to collide this time. I had already learned to ram with my shield.

I watch as a Lam Lathi soldier comes into my view. I zip passed the streets, while bullets and middle fingers come at me from below. I focus and begin to position myself. I caught some Lam Lathi soldiers trying to separate two friends. One had eyes like mine and the other had purple ones. They were being take to a ship and were being torn apart from each other. I thought about Atjani and me.

I click my jet-pack controls and begin to lift up. I try to aim for the spot between his shoulder plate and helmet. My knee-blade catches and slices through, but not all the way. I catch the Lam Lathi soldier's shoulder plate and begin to spin wildly.

I tumble down the pier and splash into the water. I try to keep myself afloat with the splinters. I struggle as Lam Lathi soldiers become aware. Some start to shoot at me and I see splashes all around. Before any of the bullets hit, I'm dragged through the water by Toah. He lifts me into the air again and I choke on the water in my throat. I look back to see the two youths re-united. I could see the young woman smile beneath her purple eyes.

I'm dragged higher into the air and begin to fly away.

“I always have to carry your slack,” sneers Toah at me. He glares at me with gritted teeth, until Maur shows up and flies with us. He was timing everything and observing. I knew I had messed up again.

“Fear not, Lani. We can always try again,” states Maur.

The three of us were flying off. We would spend one more day in Cepertine and head back to the Ryoken lands. Toah didn't spot Luer anywhere. The air starts to dry me and I try to wring out my hair with one hand. I switch my control hand just like I used to with a knife. I wring out the other side. I feel a nudge, as Toah tries to push me out of control again. I narrow my eyes at him.

“Just testing you. That is part of my job,” he states.

Maur had Toah train me together with him. Sometimes it was one-on-one. It made me nervous when Maur wasn't around. Toah was harsh to me and always had something mean to say. He didn't like helping me. He liked feeding his ego. At least we were heading back to camp now. Maur was flying straight and lost in thought.

Time passes. Maur continues on course, skimming over the water. Nether Toah or I disturb him, until he flies close to us and speaks.

“It's time to observe, Cepertine. I believe I saw the pilot, loosened from his cage. I saw a giant blur. We will see what he is up to after lunch,” states Maur.

Maur flexes his black gloves around his jet-pack controls, as if he was gathering more thoughts. I look at his darkened visor and nod. I move my controls and veer to the right. With great speed, I dart back to our camp. I try my best to stay ahead of Toah. I used to fly slow and that was never good enough. I was afraid of hitting something, while moving fast. Toah used to tell me it looked cowardly.

A few minutes later, our camp setup comes into view. We would eat and then watch Cepertine from above. We would return and rest at night. It was just three of us on a tropical island, somewhere safer than the jungles of the peninsula.