He walked over to the right side of the arch.
"Wait!" shouted Virginia. "Where are you going?"
"Just here," said Charles.
He picked up a long, wooden rod resting against the arch that was about twenty feet in length with a wick at its end. He placed the end of the wick in the lantern at the top of the arch, catching its flame. He put the end of the staff inside the lantern on the right, lighting its candle.
Virginia watched as he slowly walked over to the lantern on the other side of the arch, shielding the flame at the end of the staff with his hand.
She looked down at her bloody leg and then back at Charles. "Charles, what are you doing?"
Charles placed the end of the staff inside the lantern and smiled. "You'll see."
The lantern caught the flame, and Charles stood back.
Bright glowing lights like fireflies appeared in the entrance of the arch. Virginia watched with wondering eyes as the shining gems began to swirl in the arch's frame.
"Charles!" she gasped. "What is that? What's going on?"
"Just watch," he replied, smiling.
The warm, glowing orbs began revolving faster and faster around each other, slowly spinning their way to the center of the entryway until, all at once, they collided in the middle and dissolved. A moment of silence passed, and suddenly, the open space of the arch burst forth into a wave of swirling fire.
Virginia threw her arm across her eyes as a heat wave splashed against her face. She lowered her arm just enough to continue watching. The fires engulfing the entrance began to fade, slowly dissolving into a glowing white light that shined radiantly, consuming the entire opening of the archway. The words on the wooden sign above the archway began to burn like a warm fire.
Charles turned around and walked back to Virginia. He knelt down to pick her up again. "We are almost there."
Virginia crawled backward, horrified. "Charles, what was that!?"
"Virginia, I know what you are thinking, and trust me, I was afraid at first also. But you have to trust me. I am going to take you somewhere far from here where you can be protected."
He came closer to her.
Virginia backed away again. Scared, unsure, and confused, she stayed away from him. "Charles, please tell me what is going on! This just doesn't happen in real life!"
"I assure you it does, and I promise, everything will be made known in time. But you must trust me—now more than ever before."
There was the sound of a loud wolf howl coming from behind them in the distance. Charles raised his head, alert.
"They're coming," he said.
"Who?! Who are these people trying to kill us? What do they want with you?"
"They're not after me. They're after you."
He took notice of the horror on her face.
He smiled warmly at her. "Virginia, listen to me. I know you are scared. You have every right to be; your trust in me has been the strongest I've ever seen. My heart has never been, nor ever will be, to hurt you; it is to protect you. I have tried my best to be there for you since you arrived here—in Mason High, running through the woods, and here at this moment. With all we have achieved so far has reached this point, I will continue to be here for you. I know you have questions—and believe me, I will answer them to the best of what I'm allowed—but for now, I am asking you to trust me with that same strength you've had all this time."
He reached out his hand and placed it on top of hers. "Will you continue to trust me as we cross this next mile marker together?"
Virginia looked into his eyes, deeper than before. "What if I can't walk any farther?"
"I'll carry you."
"What if they catch up to us?"
"Then I will stand between them and you."
"What if they take me?"
"I promise I will not allow that to happen."
"But you are not God. You can't promise that something like that could ever happen."
Charles smiled at the truth spoken through her. "You're right, but even if you were taken, this I will say: I will do everything in my power and all that is given to me to fight and get you back. As long as I have breath, I will be here for you. Trust me."
Virginia forgot her pain. She forgot her fear. She looked into Charles's eyes and saw the depth of his word. She gripped his fingers that rested upon her hand.
"Okay," she said. "I trust you."
Charles returned her smile with a smile of his own.
"Here, let me get that for you," he said, slinging her backpack over his shoulder.
Picking her off the ground, he walked towards the archway and stood at the entrance, where the light shined brightly and fiercely. Virginia could not see the fire but could feel its warmth as if it was still there. She stretched out her right hand towards the light. Instantly, her sleeve faded from a leather jacket to a white cotton sleeve that glistened in the light. She drew her hand back, and her sleeve faded back to the leather of her jacket.
She looked up at Charles. "What was that?"
Charles smiled softly. "There is so much more."
Virginia looked at the light and reached out her hand. Her sleeve changed again from leather to white cotton.
"Do you want to see something amazing?" he asked her.
She did not respond but just nodded her head.
"Then close your eyes."
Following his instructions, Virginia closed her eyes as Charles took one big step through the entrance of the archway.
"Okay," said Charles, "Now open."
Virginia opened her eyes, and her mouth quickly followed. She was wearing a white cotton shirt that trailed past her waist and had a V-cut at its collar. She wore a pair of brown leather pants, and the pair of hiking boots that her uncle had given her was still on her feet. On her hip was strapped a leather belt. Hanging from her belt was a dagger that was strapped around her thigh.
All around her was the radiance of a bright sun shining through the most colorful autumn trees she had ever seen. Giant red pines towered over them and dominated most of the botanical life around them. Mingled with the pines were oak, sycamore, and maple trees that dwarfed in comparison yet were no less captivating. Lustrous flowers of all kinds and lively ferns sprouted in defiance against the cool temperatures through the fallen leaves that coated the ground.
She turned to look at Charles, who, aside from their backpacks hanging on his shoulder, was no longer dressed in blue jeans and hiking boots. He was dressed from head to toe in the clothing of a Native American Indian: a buckskin war shirt covered his top; buckskin pants and breechcloth clothed him from the waist down; and a pair of moccasins covered his feet. He carried a tomahawk strapped on his left hip and a dagger exactly like Virginia's on his right, and strapped around his back was a huge, double-edged sword. On his left middle finger was a wedding band forged in white gold and decorated with diamonds. His black, straight hair fell down to his shoulders and blew gently in the afternoon breeze. He held Virginia in his arms, standing tall and strong like a mighty warrior.
"Who are you, really?" Virginia asked.
"My name is Charles Wingo, but I am also known as Soaring Eagle from one of the tribes of the Southern Woods of Earth Stars."
Virginia looked back at the lush forest surrounding her. "Where are we?"
"Virginia," said Charles, "welcome to Alaythia."