A New Beginning

Chapter 55.5

So... As I was prepping this story for publishing, I discovered I had two chapter 55's in my master doc. This chapter slipped through the cracks for 5 years, but has now been rediscovered! Enjoy!

And yes, A New Beginning is now available on Amazon! (2 versions - the longer Wattpad one called Passing The Torch, and a shorter revision with just Tessa's POV called Tessa's Story).

Also, if there is a particular book you'd like to see in print/ebook/audio, please fill out this short 2-question survey if you haven't already: (it's a Google form, so it won't collect your name/email. just the responses)   https://forms.gle/Qq7AERLfATs6MnXD9

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Tessa's POV:

I trilled a greeting as I landed on the sand beside Mom. As per usual, she was lounging along the creek bank in the park.

"I found a dead ktari! It was very similar to our lessons, although I didn't know what it was until I pulled it out."

"Then you found more than I did today."

"Did you know that Soranto has a heater in his shoulder pad?"

She gave me an odd look. "A heater?"

"Yeah! He controls it with his wrist comm. It made it much more relaxing to watch him work. He had blueberries, too."

"A heated shoulder pad... I may have to ask Taureen about investing in one of those, although I suspect it is something Soranto built."

"Tessa! You're here early!" Abby called out in excitement. "I hear you got to go on a real spaceship! What was it like?"

"A lot like our training," I told the green dragonet as she landed beside us.

"Can you show me some images?"

"Sure." I let both Mom and Abby see the long hallways, bridge, control panels, and hidden rooms. The dried out ktari was also added since I really didn't have much to show. Soranto had spent several hours in the one room, and it only took a few seconds to show it.

"Is that a ktari?" Abby asked.

"Yes, although I wasn't even sure what it was until I got it out from under the panelling."

"That is cool... When is Dirk going to show up?"

"Why don't you ask him?"

"Because he gets tired of me asking half a dozen times in an hour."

I turned my gaze to Mom, hoping she would know the answer. If Dirk was tired of Abby asking, then he wouldn't want me annoying him as well. Since Dad was with Dirk, Mom probably had a rough idea.

"They are just leaving the barracks and starting to walk towards the park, so it will take them some time to get here," she replied.

"Let's go visit the Kymari," Abby told me. "I'm going to find it easier one of these days."

"You've been doing really well. You even visited Tran, Taureen, and Aeria several times at the park when we weren't with you."

"Taureen and Aeria had sunburst berries..." she sheepishly admitted.

"It still counts."

We flew side by side through the trees and arrived in the meadow where the four Kymari were visiting. Tran and Vick always remained with Taureen until we left the park, and Soranto's guards hadn't joined us today.