Welcome back to another chapter of Random Branches. In the last chapter Kyle learned about why he was adopted and the group interested in keeping the Zenteri curse active have kidnapped the Zenteris who live in Midnight Hollow with the exception of Kyle and Adama.
“So, what’s the plan?” Matias asked.
“Any exceptions to the fairy or witch border, Nicholai?” Alistair asked.
“No. Why do you ask?”
“Could Iris slip in in fairy form and trip the spell if it’s there without them knowing?” Alistair asked.
“She could.”
“Iris, go do so. I want to know if we’ve got a powerful group or a group of non-magical occults or possibly even non-occults. If you can get close enough to the windows to see inside do so, Iris. I want intel.” Alistair fumed. Again, someone was messing with his pack.
“Why don’t you just teleport them here like you did us?” Kyle asked.
“Because they’ll keep trying to destroy our family,” a familiar voice said.
Mission, Kyle, and Adama turned to look at who said it.
“Obi? Is that you?” Mission said, “How?”
“Eleanor asked if I wanted her spot since she could no longer hold the position since her grave was destroyed in the war. Said she had been waiting due to my rational head. I couldn’t argue with her reasoning so I agreed.”
“And you haven’t called your sisters for what reason?” Mission said.
“Later you two. Let’s stay focused,” Alistair said.
“Right,” Obi said, “We’d rather deal with them while they’re out in the open than try to find them after they return to hiding.”
The group discussed strategy for hours.
While the council discussed strategy, Mission took Kyle and Adama into the room her brothers slept in as kids.
“Will Mom and Dad be ok, Aunt Mission?” Adama sniffled.
“I hope so, Adama,” Mission said.
“Why don’t you know?” Adama asked.
“Because there are things that even genius aunts don’t know. How about you and Kyle work on your homework and then we’ll go sight seeing.”
Kyle finished his homework and checked his phone. He brushed off his friends wanting to hang out. Then he noticed the email.
We noticed the fairy. You’re wanting to rescue them. Which means you do not plan on complying with the demands. As such, on the hour, every hour one of your parents will eat a bean from the jelly bean bush. In case you’re not aware, most beans on the bush are just fine for eating. But one bean type is deadly. No cure. We’ll stop once one is dead. If they don’t eat a bean, your sister will die instead.
Kyle glanced at Adama and quietly left the room. He didn’t want to lie to Adama, but he didn’t want to tell him that one of his parents will be dead before they can rescue them most likely.
“We’ll rescue them, Kyle,” Alistair said.
“They… they sent me another message,” Kyle said and handed his phone to Alistair.
“NICHOLAI!” Alistair roared.
“What?” Nicholai walked into the family room. The other council members joining him there.
“They put up their own detection spell and they noticed Iris. We’ve got no more time to plan. We go now. Every other hour, either James or Terena will eat a jelly bean from the jelly bean bush.”
“They won’t do that.”
“They will if it will protect their daughter,” Alistair said, “If they don’t eat the bean on their turn the kidnappers will kill Lily.”
“That’s if Max and Leia don’t try to take a turn as well,” Obi said.
“They might not go for that. While everyone would be upset at their loss, they are old,” Nicholai said.
And within five minutes, the Immortal Council had left to rescue the Zenteris.
And that’s it for this chapter! Will they be able to rescue them before either James or Terena dies? Find out in chapters to come.
Progress towards Max’s goals:
- Join Film career (Plumbob Pictures Backlot, may need to place it) – Achieved behind the scenes Chapter 3.1
- Max writing – Level 10 – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 4.7
- Max charisma – Level 10 – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 3.8
- Become level 5 celebrity – 5 stars – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 3.13
- Have kid – Achieved Chapter 3.10 with the birth of Hermione
- Reach Level 10 of the Actor branch – Level 10 – Superstar Actor – Completed Chapter 3.13 behind the scenes
Progress towards James’ goals:
- Join Military Career – Completed Chapter 4.0
- Level Ten Military Career – Level 7
- Max Athletic skill – He’s at level 10, maxed behind the scenes Chapter 4.5
- Max Hardiness skill – He’s at level 8
- Buy out a business
- Adopt – Achieved Chapter 4.4 when James and Terena adopted Kyle Williams.
Progress toward’s LTW’s
- Leia – Professional Author: Earn $4000 a week in royalties – currently earning $4000+ a week – Completed behind the scenes Chapter 3.8
- Maximus – Superstar Actor – Superstar Actor – Level 10 – Completed Chapter 3.13 behind the scenes
- James – Become Astronaut – Level 7
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Author’s Note:
I had had a different plan in place for this initially. Came up after a miscommunication between me and a member of the D.N.A builders with what I had wanted the Zenteri-Rand house in Midnight Hollow to look like. The group was initially going to magic the house to look wildly different as a “we know where you live” ploy before going any further. This would have sparked the final showdown (at least for this generation, I don’t know if they would finished them off or what, I hadn’t planned that far). However, my save has glitched and I need to move them. I can’t enter build/buy mode at all without the game crashing. So before the save gets any more glitchy, I am moving the family.
Random Branches 