Emily & David's Quest: A Saga of the Ancient Family Trilogy

EMILY & DAVID‟S QUEST
Emily opened her eyes. She had been to the place of dreams, where she had
dreamed the Dream of Dreams. She dreamed of her mother, Morgana, the Story
Teller. She dreamed of her father, Solomon, the greatest Story Teller who ever
lived.
She had known the man with the long, white flowing beard was her father. But
Solomon had had no words for her. He had killed her.
Why? She didn‟t know. She could not explain why. She only knew she was
dead. But if she was dead, where was she now? This place was neither Elysium
nor Underworld. She was neither here nor there.
Morgana had told her that when the Dream of Dreams is dreamed, there are
no more stories to be told. Then why did Emily still have stories to tell? Emily
had seen her name written in the Book of Life. She had dreamed her last dream
when Solomon closed the stories in her mind. So why did she still have stories to
tell?
“Where am I?” she wondered aloud.
“Valencia,” she heard a young man say. “I found you on the battlefield and
brought you to this cave.”
“Who are you?” Emily asked, opening her eyes to look at a tall and handsome
young man. How did she know that he was her brother? She simply knew. She
sensed, or rather felt, a unique bond with him.
“I am David.”
“You are my brother”, said Emily without a moment‟s hesitation. Then she
heard an angelic voice speak to her.
“He is named after his grandfather,” said Lanisha in a sweet and gentle voice.
“Solomon, the Story Teller, the man who killed you, is his father. I am Lanisha. I
am David‟s mother, and his Guardian Angel.”
“Where is my mother?” asked Emily. “Where is Morgana?”
“Your mother is in Elysium, with Solomon. They have dreamed the Dream of
Dreams. They have sung the Song of Songs. They can return to this world,
forever no more. They can speak neither to you nor David, forever no more,”
said Lanisha.
“I have dreamed the Dream of Dreams also,” said Emily. “Why am I still

here? How is that possible?”
“You did not sing your Death Song, Emily. You and David must go on a
quest to save the world. If you fail, Alicia the Sorceress and her demons from the
Underworld will rule the world. There will be no more light, forever no more.
Everything will be darkness, forever no more.”
“I already defeated Alicia,” said David, interrupting his mother. “Where she is
at now, she can do no harm.”
Lanisha turned to David and stared at him. For a brief second, she could
feel his pride. He was brave, and he had learned his stories well. She smiled, and
then said, “You have not defeated Alicia. She has sent Morgana and Solomon to
Elysium. From Elysium, they can never return. From the Underworld, Alicia will
return. Nothing, and nobody, will be able to stop her from returning.”
David nodded his head as his mother‟s words sunk in. Alicia‟s “defeat” had
been too easy, much too easy. She had taken advantage of him and Solomon. She
had used their human emotion against them. The love that father and son felt for
each other had been their undoing.
“No, David,” said Lanisha quickly. “Do not think of love as a human
weakness to be avoided. Solomon‟s love for me caused him to kill Morgana and
Emily. His life was lived loving me, and when he thought I had betrayed his love,
he could only think of revenge. Alicia tricked him. When he realized it, it was too
late. His love for you is why he sacrificed his life. He thought Alicia was trapped
inside of him, and that she would die with him when you killed him. He was
wrong.”
There was silence between the three of them. Emily, David and Lanisha said
nothing for a long while. In the slowly gathering dusk, an icy cold wind blew
from the north. A steady, drizzling rain began to fall. The darkness of the night
would soon be complete. Yet the silence remained unbroken.
At long last, Emily spoke. “Solomon killed my mother, and he killed me. I am
alive because Solomon took pity on me. He knew if I didn‟t sing, I could not
leave this world.”
“I killed Solomon while Alicia was trapped inside of him,” said David. “He
regretted all of the evil he had done in the name of love. He died for love, and
that is why he is in Elysium now. Alicia regretted nothing. She is so evil that she
would never be allowed to set one foot inside of Elysium. And in the

Underworld, she is the most powerful of all. No demon, no dragon, no monster,
no man could ever keep her down there.”
“And now,” said Lanisha, “Emily and you are the only people who can stop
her. You must go on a quest to find the Holy Grail.”
“Why must we go on a quest?” asked Emily.
“Close your eyes, both of you,” said Lanisha. “Tell me what you see.”
Emily laughed. “Nothing,” she said immediately. “My eyes are closed.”
“What about you David? What can you see?” asked Lanisha.
“I can see Alicia. The sorceress is here with us. The wind is from the North.
Alicia rides the wind on the back of a dragon. It is cold because Alicia is cold.
The rain has begun again. Mother Earth cries tears of sadness to know Alicia has
not been destroyed. The night is dark. Where Alicia goes, no light can penetrate.
Though her physical body is still in the Underworld, her spirit already travels the
Earth, and she has found me here, in Valencia.”
“Exactly,” said Alicia. “Solomon has taught you well David. Alicia will come
again, to this place, to battle with you once again. And this time you must face
her all alone. If she defeats you, Emily will be Earth‟s only hope.”
“I don‟t understand,” said Emily. “I can help David. We can fight together. I
will not leave my brother.”
David took Emily‟s hand in his and looked in her eyes. He was touched by her
words. All his life, he had lived with Solomon. Lanisha visited him in his dreams
to talk to him. There had never been anyone else. “And now he had a sister!” he
thought to himself.
Lanisha spoke. “You and David must go on a quest, Emily. David will visit
your dreams, to guide you, and to help you. He will tell you his stories. Here in
Valencia is his battlefield, where he must fight Alicia once again.”
“So what am I looking for?” asked Emily quickly.
“Emily, you are looking for the only thing that can defeat Alicia. You are
looking for the Holy Grail, the blood of Jesus Christ,” said Alicia in a hushed,
almost whispered voice. Looking around her, she continued. “Legend has it that
at the Last Supper, Jesus consecrated his blood in a chalice, a special cup with
two handles. It is made of tin, quite common in appearance. That cup was then
used by Joseph of Arimathea to collect the blood and water which was spilled
when the body of Jesus was washed.”

“Wait a minute,” interrupted David. “You mean to tell me that I can‟t defeat
Alicia? If the Holy Grail is the only thing that can defeat Alicia, what am I doing,
waiting here, to fight her, if I can‟t defeat her?”
“David, you can not win alone. Emily can not win alone. Morgana could not
win alone. Solomon could not win alone. I could not win alone. The Story
Tellers, we all separated across the centuries of time; past, present, and future. It
was the only way to keep the world safe while we searched for the Holy Grail.
And one by one, we all ran out of time.”
“Now I understand. By staying here, and fighting Alicia, Emily will have more
time to search for the Holy Grail,” said David. “It does not matter what happens
here. What is important is for Emily to have the time she needs to find the Holy
Grail. That is the only way the Earth can be saved.”
“Yes,” said Lanisha.
“Tell me more about the Holy Grail,” said Emily, all the while holding her
brother‟s hand. “What is it? How will I find it? Is David going to die?”
“David must atone for the sins of his father. He must fight the battle that
Solomon didn‟t fight. He must fight Alicia to the death. But his death only
happens if you do not find the Grail,” Alicia explained.
“The Grail. You were going to tell me about the Grail,” said Emily with a hint
of urgency in her voice. She knew there was no time to waste.
Lanisha looked up into the dark sky. She had little time left, not enough time
to tell the story of the Holy Grail to Emily. Already Alicia was on her way here.
And soon David would be alone. Looking at the fear in Emily‟s eyes, Lanisha
said to her, “We are going to have to wing it. I will take you on my wings to
where your quest begins. David, you must prepare your mind and your heart for
battle. Always remember, there is power in your stories. Your stories are life
itself. All that ever was, all that is, and all that ever will be, is contained in your
stories. You have been prepared by the greatest Story Teller of all time for this
battle, in this place, in this moment. For me, your mother, it is left only to tell
you what you do not know yet; the future:
A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi.”
“A precipice in front, wolves behind,” said David, translating the Latin.
“ Abyssus abyssum invocat.”
“Hell calls hell,” said David.

“Eram quod es, eris quod sum.”
“I was what you are, you will be what I am,” repeated David.
“Bibere venenum in auro.”
“Drink poison from a cup of gold,” said David.
“Omnia mors aequat.”
“Death makes all things equal,” said David.
“Non est ad astra mollis e teris via.”
“There is no easy way from the Earth to the stars,” said David.
“Facilis descensus averno.”
“The descent to Hell is easy,” said David.
“Aeternum vale.”
“Farewell forever,” said David.
And with those words, David found himself all alone. Lanisha and Emily were
gone. They had vanished right before his very eyes. He had known that Lanisha
had spoken to him in Angelic, the language of angels. She had given him a secret
message about his future, and she wanted nobody but David to know. He sat
down on the cave floor, to reflect on what Alicia‟s secret message might possibly
mean for his future.
2
DRAGONS & DEMONS & DREAMS
“Where are we?” asked Emily.
“Glastonbury,” said Lanisha.
“Is the Holy Grail here?” asked Emily.
“It used to be. Joseph brought it here. It was guarded by the Templars. In the
time in which they were the guardians of the Holy Grail, the quest for the Holy

Grail was the highest spiritual act a person could do. You see, the quest for the
Holy Grail is to seek direct communion with God.”
“Did anyone ever find the Grail?” asked Emily.
“Perceval found it. So did Galahad. In time, nobody knows exactly when, the
Holy Grail was transformed into a precious stone. It was guarded by the Angels.
I was one of the Angels who guarded the Holy Grail. Every year, on Good
Friday, a dove would come down from heaven. A host would be placed on the
stone. And that person would no longer have any need for food or drink.
Strength, beauty, charm and grace would be in abundance. Youth, health, and
vitality would be restored. It was the fountain of youth. You would be young for
all of eternity.”
“Immortal,” said Emily.
“Every now and then, from time to time, a name would appear written on the
stone. That person, if he or she had a pure heart, would become a Story Teller.
With immortality, the Story Tellers could record the history of the world from
the beginning of time to the present date. One by one, we were called to witness
our names written on the stone. Until one day the name of Alicia appeared
written on the stone. But when she touched it, it burned her immediately,
because her heart was not pure. She wanted the power of the stone to serve her
evil desire to rule the world. The very Earth itself rebelled against Alicia. The
bowels of the Earth opened and swallowed up the stone.”
Emily had been listening intently to Lanisha‟s story. She now understood the
past. Emily said, “The stone could not be possessed by an evil person. As long as
there was a Story Teller with a pure heart, Alicia could never use the stone‟s
power. But if Alicia was the only Story Teller alive, she would then be the only
person who could use the power of the stone. In Alicia‟s case, the stone would
pass from light into darkness.”
“Correct,” said Lanisha. “But there is more. David is no match for Alicia. She
will destroy him. And when she does, she will be the last Story Teller on Earth.”
“No,” said Emily. “You forgot about me.”
“I didn‟t forget you,” said Lanisha. “We don‟t know for sure if you are, or
aren‟t, a Story Teller. No one knows who, or what, you are. Not even Morgana
and Solomon. Morgana is Solomon‟s sister. They found you in a cave near their
ancestral home in Jerusalem. You were in a basket and a red, seven-headed

dragon stood guarding you. As they approached the dragon, the seven heads
spoke to them. The dragon asked them, in Gaelic, if they were a dream or a
demon. Morgana said “Demon” and Solomon said, “Dream.” Upon hearing this,
the great dragon flew away, leaving you behind. Since Morgana had no children
of her own, she raised you.”
Emily asked, “Who am I? Where did I come from?”
“Nobody knows, Emily. Nobody. But Alicia thinks that you are a Story Teller.
She won‟t dare to touch the stone until you are dead,” said Lanisha.
“So that means that I must find the stone before Alicia finds me,” said Emily.
“Do you know where the stone is?”
“There are three places where it could be. In Jerusalem, in Genoa, or in
Valencia. Legend has it that it was taken out of Jerusalem in the 7th
century. It
was seen in Genoa, in the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. And it disappeared again,
until recently. It was seen in Valencia Cathedral. Which place do you think is the
most likely location of the stone?” asked Lanisha.
“Neither one of the three,” answered Emily, shaking her head. “First, you
have brought me to Glastonbury. Second, the great dragon must know where the
stone is. Dream or demon? Neither one nor the other. Dragon, demon and
dream are one. The dragon has the stone.”
“How do you know that?” asked Lanisha.
“Because the dragon didn‟t kill Morgana or Solomon. Only one of the two
answers could have been correct, but nobody was killed. They were both wrong
because they didn‟t consider a third possibility. So where would a dragon keep a
stone so powerful that it can rule the world?” asked Emily.
“Two places,” said Lanisha. “Either the deepest ocean, or the highest
mountain. And if I were a seven-headed dragon, with a big secret to guard, I
would fly to the top of the highest mountain to hide my treasure.”
“Seven-headed dragons have to eat. But would it dare leave its treasure
unguarded, while it goes hunting for food? No, not even for a moment. So, there
are two dragons,” Emily deduced. “And where did I come from? The dragon
killed my mother, and then took pity on me, since I was only a baby. The hunter
dragon is a mother dragon, with children of her own. The male dragon guards
the place where the Holy Grail is kept.”
“Emily, you do realize that you have nothing to base your ideas on. But if the

Holy Grail was in Genoa, Jerusalem, or in Valencia, it would have been
discovered a long time ago. And even if we knew the place where the Holy Grail
is hidden, you would first have to climb the highest mountain or swim the
deepest ocean. Everest is the highest mountain in the world. On that mountain it
is extremely cold. And the air is very thin,” said Lanisha with a smile. “No demon
and no dream could hope to live very long in such a place. Only a dragon could
survive under such extreme low temperatures. Same thing is true for the deepest
ocean.”
“That means the Earth is safe, and I‟m a hero,” said Emily. “Can we help
David fight Alicia now? I don‟t want him to die.”
“It is too late for David,” said Lanisha slowly. “We can‟t help him. We have
our own problem to solve. Have you ever heard of Mauna Kea? Or Chimborazo?
They are both very high mountains. Each has a unique claim to being the highest
mountain in the world. Everest wins if you consider sea level as the starting
point. Mauna Kea wins if you measure from the base upward. Chimborazo wins
if you measure from the center of the Earth. You have to get the stone, and
when you have it, let‟s hope that your heart is pure. If it is not, the stone will
destroy you when you touch it.”
“But if Alicia touches the stone after David is dead, she will rule the world. We
don‟t have a choice. I‟ve got to try because if I don‟t, this world will change
completely,” said Emily. “I must find the stone.”
“Not so fast, Emily. You need a plan,” said Lanisha. “It will do no good to die
of cold, or to be killed by a dragon. No doubt there are a pair of dragons
guarding the stone night and day. And they probably have had some baby
dragons by now. So, there is a family of red, seven-headed dragons. And all of
them are in on the family business, guarding the Holy Grail. I must say that I
don‟t fancy your chances to find the stone.”
“There is another way,” said Emily. “We can have the dragon come to us. We
know they once were in the habit of spending time near Jerusalem.”
“And what bait are you going to use? Why would the dragons want to come to
Jerusalem?”
“Because we have something they want,” said Emily. “We have a member of
their family. Me.”
“Emily, I must tell you a story, before I leave you. Your quest begins here, in

Glastonbury. The ancient legends tell us that a woman appeared in Glastonbury.
She had a crown of twelve stars on her head. The dress she wore was the Sun.
The shoes on her feet was the Moon. She was pregnant, and she was about to
have her baby. A huge, red, seven-headed dragon appeared and took her baby
away as soon as it was born. Nobody knows if the baby was a boy, or a girl. The
dragon was never seen again. The story of your birth, Emily, repeats the ancient
legend. Nobody knows if you are a demon, a dragon, or a dream. Even you don‟t
know who, or what, you are. It was decided long ago by the Story Tellers to take
our chances with you. We know the evil in Alicia‟s heart. Your heart is a mystery
to the world. You are 18 now. Forget the dragons. They have forgotten you.
They will never come to Jerusalem looking for you. Not in a thousand years,”
said Lanisha. “Here in Glastonbury is where you must seek the stone.”
“But Lanisha, the dragon father would have killed me and my mother in the
forest when I was born. But the mother dragon has maternal instincts. Her
actions helped save my life. She will come looking for me.”
“Where?” asked Lanisha.
“She will find me near the sea,” said Emily.
“No. Emily, your destiny is right here in Glastonbury. It is a sacred place, full
of powerful cosmic energy. At night, just look into the heavens above you. The
stars will whisper your name if you have an ear to hear. The moon will guide your
feet to any place your heart desires. The wind will always be warm and gentle on
your face. The west winds will whistle joyful songs to your soul. Every day, the
sun will caress your skin and you will radiate beauty and vitality. In Glastonbury,
time stands still. A moment feels like eternity in this place. A day feels like but a
second has passed. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” said Emily.
“If there is a Holy Grail, be it chalice or be it stone, you will find it here. You
must look in every nook and cranny, under every leaf and every rock, in every
bush and every tree, under every blade of grass and in every thing you see, touch,
or feel in this place. The Holy Grail is here! We know it is here. It can be no
other place but here! We have been here many times to seek the stone. We have
felt its presence. But only the Chosen One will the stone reveal itself to. You
must find it Emily, and you must find it before Alicia gets here. Your quest is to
save the world. Can you save this world?”

“Yes, I can do it,” said Emily with quiet determination. “I can do it.”
“David, Morgana, and Solomon, have all sacrificed their lives to give you
time alone here. It is now my time to join Morgana and Solomon in Elysium.
David will fight to the death to give you all the time he can. But ultimately,
Emily, you will decide the fate of Earth. You must defeat Alicia in battle, or
Earth as we know it will be destroyed, forever no more to be as we now see it.
Use your time wisely Emily. Carpe diem. Seize the day! Carpe noctem. Seize
the night! Make the most of your time. Hannibal ad portas! Hannibal is at the
gates!
Emily & David's Quest:
A Saga of the Ancient Family Trilogy

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author Interview: Thomas Jerome Baker
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Thomas Baker is the Past-President of TESOL Chile (2010-2011). He is the past Coordinator
of the English Department at Colegio Internacional SEK in Santiago, Chile. He is the Co-
Founder and Co-Organiser of EdCamp Santiago 2012 & Edcamp Chile 2013, free professional
development for teachers, by teachers. EdCamp Santiago 2012 was held at Universidad Mayor
in Santiago. Edcamp Chile 2013 was held at Universidad UCINF.
Thomas is also a past member of the Advisory Board for the International Higher Education
Teaching and Learning Association (HETL), where he also serves as a reviewer and as the
HETL Ambassador for Chile. Thomas enjoys writing about a wide variety of topics. He has
written the following genres: romance, historical fiction, legends, myths, autobiography, sports
history/biography, and English Language Teaching. He has published more than one hundred
forty books, all available here on Amazon. The source and inspiration for his writing comes
from his family, his wife Gabriela, and his son, Thomas Jerome Baker, Jr.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Black History Is American History: Should Black History Month Be Eliminated? Or, A Great
Debate” is my latest book. It was inspired by the actress Ms. Stacey Dash and the famous actor
Morgan Freeman. Both had already stated that Black History Month should be eliminated. A
friend of mine from my high school days agreed with them. I had a different opinion.
Our difference of opinions led to our debate about the issue. Ultimately, the book itself is a
record of not winning or losing, but as an exercise in free speech on a contentious, emotional
issue. We both proved that you can disagree, agreeably, and that you can talk about things that
matter. You don‟t have to be silent just because you might hurt someone‟s feelings. Talking is
an option. The book clearly demonstrates how this can be done.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
None that I am aware of. I always write what I know. This lets me be comfortable with the
topic I am writing about. The writing flows for me because of it. I write in silence, without
music or outside distractions. I don’t drink wine or alcohol. I do drink coffee when I am
working particularly long hours or if it gets late at night. Once the writing begins to flow, it
is hard for me to shut it down, so I go for as long as the inspiration is with me.

What authors or books have influenced you?
Robert Louis Stevenson, Ray Bradbury, and Stephen King. These are all masters of the art and
craft of writing. Their work has been very valuable to me as a reference to aspire to.
What are you working on now?
I have a unique story, a romance about a girl who meets a boy while she is out running alone.
She doesn't like him at first, but then he protects her from an attacker and she falls in love with
him. But... She discovers that there is a good reason for the two of them not to let things go
any further...
What is your best method when it comes to promoting your books?
I use my blog, and social media like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, etc.
Also, it‟s important to network with authors and develop connections which are mutually
beneficial. If you help other authors, counterintuitively, you end up helping yourself. I believe
the best way authors can help themselves is by helping someone another author.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be as professional as your circumstances will allow you to be. Beg, borrow or steal the talents
and abilities of other people as beta readers, book cover makers, and editors. Attractive covers
help to sell books. Beta readers get you to see your story through the eyes of a reader. Editors
find the mistakes you make but are unable to find yourself. Make your product high quality, as
professional as your resources allow. And then, promote, promote, promote...
Also, find yourself a genre and a writer who is so good you think you could never write as well
as they do. Read that author twice as much as you write. But whatever you do, don't let anyone
or anything discourage you from achieving your goal. Eventually, your efforts will pay off,
sooner, or later.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Never give up.
What are you reading now?
Someone Else's Daughter by Linsey Lanier

What's next for you as a writer?
I have many goals, including three works in progress right now, and several nonfiction books
in need of a second edition or third , so 2016 is quite a busy year for me. I recently started a
new author‟s group.
It is called Indie Author‟s Social Media Support Group (IASMSG).
It is about connecting with authors, establishing mutually beneficial relationships, embracing
diversity, and fair and equitable access to tips, advice, strategies and information that helps
authors to achieve their goals. The group is in baby diapes right now, but gradually stars are
rising who will be important to the group‟s future success. Membership is free, no cost, and
participation is by invitation only.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books
with you what books would you bring?
The Bible (for my spiritual needs)
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (instructive)
War and Peace by Tolstoy (1,440 pages: perfect length)
How To Survive On A Desert Island (a practical book)
There‟s this guy named Ed Stafford who was a captain in the British Army. He actually
survived in the Amazon Jungle. He walked it from one end to the other, alone, and lived to tell
his tale. His expert survival tips:
Water is the most important survival priority. Lay out giant clamshells on the beach to act as
containers or „use pollution‟ – I found enough washed-up plastic bottles to store up a reserve
of 40 litres of water.
Green coconuts will provide a workable substitute for water that is full of electrolytes. The
liquid is in balance with the body. Coconut flesh is very high in calories but after a few days
you will require protein to maintain your strength. Clay is the best sunscreen. Simple mud is a
poor substitute.

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