The next day, there seemed to be a lot of panic in the village, Father had gone missing, and Karl's message had spread. Karl and I were eating breakfast in our little room with Tula and Matt when the door burst open, and in the doorway stood my mother with Henry close behind, their puffy, bloodshot eyes wide in disbelief as they glanced from me to Karl. Unsure of what to say, Karl and I rose from our seats and my mother burst into tears as she threw her arms around us.
"Hi mum!" Karl chuckled, my mother took her arm off me and wrapped both her arms around the son she thought she had lost all those years ago, the son she had been so desperate to see again.
"I knew you were alive, my brave, beautiful boy." She said tearfully. As I met Henry's gaze, he looked away from me and awkwardly stared at his feet.
"Hi," I said shyly, Henry raced towards me, picked me up and spun me around. "You're mad," he whispered into my ear. I laughed and wrapped my arms around his fat little neck, "Missed you, too."
Henry put me down and turned to Karl. Karl grinned his large mischievous grin as he let go of mother and moving towards Henry. "Hey, bro!" Karl said, coolly, "As you can see, I did not die, and you are an idiot."
Mother took me in her arms again as Henry rushed forward and embraced Karl. "I thought you were dead!" He cried, "Sela, I'm so sorry, I should have listened!"
For the first time in my life, I saw Henry crying. I patted Henry on the shoulder, "It's all right," I replied, "You couldn't have known, you were trying to protect me, and I was being a pain." Henry grinned and ruffled my long, brown hair. "You did keep nagging and whining like a baby," he chuckled, unable to contain himself any longer.
"We need to prepare the village for what's coming," Matt said suddenly, "I'm certain that Chief went to get ready for his long-foreseen battle with Karl, Chester, and Sela."
"Why Sela?" My mother asked, her arms wrapping themselves around me like a thick rope tying me to a stubborn tree.
Karl explained to her and Henry what he had told me on the canoe about my powers, about what had really happened 700 years ago, and about the terrible choice I would have to make. Mother shook her head in shock, "No." She said, "Not you, too." I looked from Karl to my mother.
"I didn't ask for this 'gift', but I have it, so I might as well use it to our advantage and end his tyranny once and for all." I said, my hands slowly curling into fists.
Karl nodded in agreement and, reluctantly, my mother did, too.
"First thing we have to do," Morgan chimed in, "is send a message to everyone in the village, revealing the truth about Chief."
I nodded, my mind floating through thoughts, "We must make sure that everyone who can fight is prepared to do so. There's no saying what that monster could unleash."
"We do know one thing he may summon," said Matt, gesturing at the empty spot in his belt where his knife had once been.
I shuddered at the thought: Weevils. Our boat was almost ripped to shreds by just one, I could only imagine what a whole pod of those horrific beasts would do.
"That was him wasn't it?" Matt asked, "it was him who sent it…"
"I'm not sure we have enough knives or harpoons to take on a pod of weevils, I mean we lost a great deal taking on the one!" Came Chester's voice, all of a sudden.
I jumped up and whirled around, my heart skipping in my chest, Chester had been standing at the door, listening to our conversation the whole time.
"Is it safe for you three to leave the Hut?" Mother asked quietly, "to tell everyone?"
"I'm not sure," replied Karl, "Chief seems to be gone, but he has spies everywhere. Not to mention he can teleport back and kill us as soon as he has the chance."
"I think you should." Suggested Morgan. "seeing Karl is the only way to get people to even begin to believe us."
"She's right," said Henry, the usual crease between his thick, bushy eyebrows and tightly pursed lips slowly reemerging.
We left the little room and made our way down the spiraling staircase and into the main entrance of the dimly lit building. Just then, Tula and Tony came walking towards us, Tony's tiny little hands wrapped around Tula's arm.
"Is it time?" Tula asked. Karl and I nodded in unison.
As we reentered the village, we could hear gasps of surprise and hushed exclamations. Quite quickly, we were surrounded by people, pointing at Karl and asking millions of questions.
"As you can see, your Chief is a liar, and he is a murderer as well!" Chester's voice boomed loudly, just barely audible over the crowd. A wave of silence swept over the increasing crowd. "He is a hypocrite also," Henry added, "as he has been using magic to keep himself young and make us forget how long he's been chief, as well as the horrible crimes he committed to become chief, 700 years ago!"
Loud gasps and cries of fury erupted from our people. Boos and hisses as well as staffs, pitchforks and knives piercing the air.
"He will be back for us soon, my brothers and sisters," Karl shouted, "and we must be ready to fight anything he throws at us!"
"We will strip him of his titles," I found myself screaming, "we will take our land back by force! He will not use magic to silence anyone ever again!"
Our people roared in fury. Fists punched the air. Screams of protest and cries of betrayal ringing in the air.
'NO MORE!" cried Matt at the top of his lungs, "NO MORE!"
"NO MORE!" echoed the crowd.
We marched our way through the village, from the docks to the town square. Tools were gathered, weapons were sharpened, even the elders ceased their rituals, casting protective charms and de-enchantments all around the village.
The day of the war had come, and we were ready to go down fighting.