Through The Ascension Room***Book One COMPLETE***

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX ~PART FOUR~

CHAPTER

Twenty-six

We rematerialize in the clearing of the trees. The hole which I had just dug up was again covered up. I attempt to raise my localizer to read it but my strength is spent. If the destroying of the tracker doesn't work then we are for sure caught this time. I hopefully assume that it has worked without reading the display.

I take in a deep breath and plop to the ground. I lay back and raise my arms above my head, outstretched. The little sunlight that manages to make it through the top layer of trees, coats my face with a warm blanket and I relax for a moment.

"Are they still following us?" Cynthia asks.

"Well, without the tracker they were following, they are going to have a much harder time now. Hopefully," Tristis says with an exhausted breath.

Cynthia walks over to Tristis and wraps her arms around him giving him a kiss on the check, "Thank you Tristis. We wouldn't have made it out without you."

"Yeah, you are the man," I say through squinted eyes, pumping my left hand in the air as best as I can do in the weakened state I'm in.

"You too Alex. We wouldn't have had a chance without you," Cynthia says.

"Yeah man. Seriously nice work," Tristis says divided between Cynthia's affection and his compliment to me.

"We all did it. Together," I say with a smile.

"Yeah, together," Cynthia repeats.

"Together," Tristis adds.

We spend a few moments in the clearing just relaxing and rejuvenating after our great escape. The ambient sounds of the surrounding trees and their inhabitants fill my ears. It's peaceful in this moment. Almost, too peaceful. Almost as if it was the calm to a coming storm...

I gather myself at that realization. I sit up, stretch my arms feeling the returned strength. I look at the display on my localizer, +3.16/+0, 934, 7.23.2013.

It worked.

"We should try to find somewhere else to come up with our plan. Somewhere a little more 'on the map'," I say gesturing to the uncivilized expansion of trees and nature around us.

"You're right. We should try to find a town of some sort, that way if they do find us they have to put on a show to bring us back in," Tristis says with a grin.

"Yeah, that would be publicity that they probably wouldn't want," Cynthia says.

"Exactly," Tristis says then starts fiddling with the contents in my burial bag.

Cynthia comes over to me and holds out her hand. I grab it and she helps me up to my feet.

"Before we go I want to grab my burial bag while we are here. I have a few extra things that you don't. Cynth, you should probably do the same," Tristis says rising to his feet brushing the dirt from his knees, looking around, "mine is right over there. I'll be right back."

Cynthia sends me a glance and I nod to her, "I'll wait here for you guys."

She takes off into the trees and disappears through the foliage.

I walk over to my bag that has my equipment spilling out of the opening. I shove the contents back into the bag and singe the top shut tight. I sling it over my shoulder and stand waiting for them to come back.

I try to think of a plan while I stand there but I have no clue as to what we should do. I know that I need to somehow find my father to help take down the Sumus Exitium but I don't know where to even start. I feel so overwhelmed in this moment and am grateful to have Cynthia and Tristis with me now. I would be even more lost without them.