Justin shakes his head immediately after the initial surprise. “He’s lying to us, Joy. He’s a villain and he knows we care about Red.”
Joy nods vigorously. “Lying. Red’s not dead and he wouldn’t know it!”
Justin takes her hand. “Shame on you,” he tells the Guardian. “It’s a good thing we never talked all these years. You are evil.”
“My friend is dead!” the Guardian yells at them as Justin and Joy turn their backs to him. “And it is your fault!”
“Shut up!” Joy whirls around. She takes off her necklace and throws it into the Guardian’s cell, where it lands on the floor. “I don’t want it! I don’t want anything from you!”
Amahle raises her hand. “Hold it. Hold it. This creature has convinced me that he is a Guardian Spirit. He is not evil. Guardian, why do you say The Red Dragon is dead?”
Justin and Joy look at him, still holding hands.
“She went to save her sisters from slavery,” the Guardian says with venom in his voice. “She whispered this to me as she flew over the ship, away from your birthday picnic,” he glares at Joy.
“She did go to save her sisters,” Joy whispers.
“She promised me she would be back. She told me to be your Guardian, when the time is right.”
Joy and Justin seem surprised.
“But she hasn’t come back,” he continues with vitriol. “It’s been more than three years. She has failed. She died in battle or was captured and killed. It has been too long.”
“If that’s true, why haven’t you said anything all this time?” Justin says.
“You have raised her in fantasy!” the Guardian Spirit says in disgust. “I had nothing to say to you all these years! But the one you call Red did not want to go. And when she left…” he can hardly speak from the sadness he feels. “I knew she would die. She never had a chance. She died long ago. And left me with you!”
“Where is she?” Joy says, her voice quaking.
“She is not in this dream,” he says.
“Where is she? We’re going now!”
The Guardian Spirit shakes his head. “As much as I despise how you goaded her into going to save her sisters on her own, my nature does not allow me to put you in danger. If you go there, your fate will be worse than death.”
(To be continued…)
—Told by Grampa Walt