Commander fumed but held his tongue as the General passed him by. "Show me the boy!"
The crowd of giant stone soldiers parted to expose the small thirteen year old boy cowering near the ground.
The General stoop down next to him, putting his face as close to the boy's as possible. Handers came up behind keeping a safe distance.
"What's your name, son?" The General asked him.
"Emret."
"Nice to meet you Emret. I've just had a nice conversation with your father and I've agreed to help you both get home as quickly as possible. How does that sound?"
Emret looked around, then made eye contact with Rinacht who was hiding amongst the soldiers. He turned back to the General. "I don't understand."
"What don't you understand?"
"I thought he was going to help me."
"We're both going to help you. But we need one thing from you. Could you give me the white stone piece that you found in the forest?"
"No." He shook his head.
"Its extraordinarily valuable. It wouldn't be safe for a young child to take care of."
"I can't give it to you."
The General stood up and turned to Handers. "Perhaps you could have a word with him?"
Handers nodded.
The General signaled to his men to allow him to approach.
Handers smiled broadly. He hurried up to his boy and got down on one knee beside him. "Emret!" He took him in a tight embrace. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you! I was so worried. I thought I'd never..."
"I know, I'm sorry dad." He was tearing up.
"Now what's this all about? What do you have that they want?"
"Rinacht told me that you knew about it already, that you wanted to help me, that you were going to take me where I needed to go."
"What? Where's Rinacht?"
Emret pointed into the crowd. Handers followed his fingers but couldn't see him.
"No. I'm sorry. I don't know what he's talking about." Handers said.
Emret looked away and wiped his eyes.
"Emret talk to me. What's going on?" He watched his son's face. He knew there was a lot his son had not been telling him for quite a while. He was starting to realize how much of this escapade actually had been Emret's idea rather than Moslin’s. He really could be a stubborn boy.
"You've got to trust me, Emret. Tell me!"
"Promise me you'll listen no matter how strange it sounds."
"I promise."
"I saw the tree in the middle of the old city. It showed me where the Token was. That's why I came up here. I found it just like it showed me. And when I hold it in my hand it shows me something else."
"What does it show you?"
He leaned in and whispered in his father's ear. "It shows me where I need to go to get healed. It shows me where the Red Tree is now."
Handers leaned back and stared at his son. This was the most difficult decision he'd ever made. He believed his son. He believed that he saw the things he did. He was describing something similar to what he had seen.
That wasn't the problem.
"Do you believe me?" Emret asked.
Handers nodded his head. "I do. You're not crazy."
Emret lit up. His lips curled up into a big smile. "Then you'll take me?"
Handers stared at him. He didn't know how to answer him. It wasn't that simple. Here, he had an easy ticket home. He had his son intact. He had a chance with the doctors back home. Some how they might be able to figure something out. Emret still had time.
But if he tried to do what his son was asking, he risked everything. He could die. His son could die. He would have to stand up against the entire Petra army again. Even after that, he was sure there would be more conflict. He was tired, the last thing he wanted was more fighting. He didn't want the pain and anguish of his son's life being at risk.
He took his son firmly by the shoulders, looked him in the eyes and said, "Emret, we will find another way. We have to go home. But we will find something for you. There is still time."
Tears welled up in Emret's eyes. "No." He shook his head.
"We don't have a choice, son."
"Emret, your father really doesn't have a choice." The General said. “He’s doing the right thing for you.”
"Yes he does! He can fight! He can fight for me!"
It was at that moment that Handers finally saw Rinacht in the crowd. He was nodding his head to