The Key of Kilenya

by Andrea Pearson

  Jacob sat at the table in Akeno’s house with Kenji, Ebony, and Brojan. They were eating a wonderful breakfast of bacon, eggs, and a type of pancake Jacob had never seen before. He felt refreshed and clean for the first time in several days—he’d taken a shower as soon as he’d gotten to Akeno’s house.

  He felt torn between wanting to go home, going after Aloren, and talking to the Makalos, who were now giving an update on Akeno.

  “The redness on his leg has almost disappeared, and the skin is healed over,” Kenji said.

  “That’s awesome,” Jacob said. “Where are Early and September?”

  Kenji chuckled. “They came back after you went to the tree last night,” he said. “We haven’t seen them since. They’re probably pretty tired of being ordered around.”

  Jacob laughed, rolling his eyes. “No kidding. I owe them my life, and Akeno’s as well.” He rested his chin on his hands. “The Minyas told us the humans came back. When do I get to meet them?”

  Kenji glanced at Ebony who was patting the baby’s back. “Soon enough—they want to properly introduce themselves to you, and promised to come back in the near future.” He pushed his plate aside. “We have more important things to discuss.”

  “But where are they now?”

  “They’re probably searching for the other Key—remember that two were created. Don’t worry, we’ll focus on them at a later time.” Kenji leaned forward. “Right now, you need to tell us what happened so we’ll know what’s coming.”

  Jacob nodded. “Where do you want me to start?”

  “Where you last left off. When you went back to see Gallus.”

  It took at least half an hour for Jacob to share what had happened over the last few days. He hesitated for a couple of seconds after completing his narration. “Do you . . . think it’s too late to get Aloren?”

  Kenji sighed. “It would depend on so many things, and since we haven’t been to Maivoryl City since the Lorkon took over, we don’t know. From what you were saying about the people who live there, Aloren might be diseased and deformed beyond recognition by now.”

  Jacob ran his fingers through his hair. “I hate the feeling that she’s stuck somewhere in that disgusting city,” he said. “I . . . I feel like I let her down by not turning around to get her.”

  Ebony’s eyes started to fill with tears. She seemed to be doing a lot of crying lately, though he didn’t blame her. “Jacob, that decision saved Akeno’s life. We know it was hard, but we appreciate it a great deal.” An awkward silence filled the room while Ebony regained her composure, turning her attention to the baby. After a minute she spoke to Jacob again. “We’ll help you remove her from that situation as soon as we can.”

  Jacob cleared his throat. “I’d actually like to go right now. We can use the Key—my family doesn’t have to know that I’m back yet.”

  He hadn’t even finished talking before the adults in the room were shaking their heads.

  “Why not?” he demanded. “We can’t just leave her there—every hour will make it harder to get her away.”

  “Jacob,” Brojan said, “it's too great a risk now. We don’t have enough information on Maivoryl City to send any sort of rescue team.”

  “I was just there—I can tell you what to expect.”

  “But not everything. Please do not make the same mistake the Lorkon made in underestimating the ingenuity of others.”

  “But you can’t ask me to wait around while she goes through . . . who knows what!”

  “And as soon as the Lorkon realize who she is and how she’s linked to you, they’re not likely to let her out of their sight.”

  “This is stupid!” Jacob said, throwing up his hands. “You think I’m going to sit on my thumbs and wait?”

  “You have to trust that we’ll help you as soon as we know more of what’s wrong in that city.”

  Jacob growled in exasperation, but didn’t make any reply. He didn’t agree with them. He’d be able to get her out safely—he knew he could. And just thinking about the people there—his skin crawled as he pictured the greasy hands reaching for him and the disgusting, leering faces. And knowing Aloren was left there—he couldn’t tolerate it. What if she ended up like them? What if she was forced to live out the rest of her existence in that dirty, disgusting, filthy place?

  He scowled at no one in particular, not ready to accept what they’d told him, but realizing he didn’t have a choice. They had the Key now, and he wasn’t about to steal it from them.

  He forced himself back to the conversation when Ebony asked him a question.

  “How many Lorkon did you see?”

  “There were four in the castle. Then there were only three chasing us to the Fat Lady’s house.”

  Ebony looked at Kenji. “That sounds right, wouldn’t you say?”

  “But one extra. There used to be only three. And I really doubt Keitus would stoop to chasing a human boy, even one with such great significance. He’d view it as beneath him.”

  “Is Keitus the head guy?” Jacob said. “He’s the one who wanted me to activate the Key. He freaked out when one of the other Lorkon tried to hurry him.”

  “Yes, we’ve dealt with him before,” Kenji said. He took a bite of eggs before continuing. “He’s arrogant, especially toward those he feels are lower than he is.”

  “So, only four Lorkon?” Jacob asked. “What about the one in the infected forest?”

  “Five, then,” Kenji said, “which brings up another point. Remember when we told you female Lorkon are rare? Well, that was a slight exaggeration. We’d never even heard of one existing before—just that it was a possibility. The Lorkon you saw in the woods came as quite a surprise to us.”

  Jacob snorted in derision. “Yeah, it didn’t do me a whole lot of good, either.” He paused, a thought coming alive in the back of his mind. “Oh, I remembered what she said.”

  Ebony’s face showed her excitement. “What was it?”

  “‘Danilo.’”

  “‘Danilo?’” Brojan said, leaning forward. “You’re sure of this?”

  “Yes.” Jacob nodded. “What does it mean?”

  “It’s a name of someone connected to Dmitri, and I’m very surprised she even knew it. No one on our side would ever have mentioned it.”

  “Why did she say it to me?”

  Brojan glanced at the other adults. “Kenji and Ebony don’t agree with me, but this pretty much solidifies it. If she is who I think she is, Danilo is someone who would have been very important to her—someone she’d never met, but knew existed and longed to know. I’d guess she’s been searching for a long time—suspecting anyone who entered her forest to be him.”

  Kenji bit his lip. “It . . . does make sense, I guess. But I’d rather be sure.” He turned to Jacob. “We’ll be researching her history and where she came from over the next few months.”

  “Speaking of Dmitri, I have another question.” Jacob leaned forward. “He was supposed to be the next king of the land. Both the journal and Gallus said so. But it didn’t happen. I’m guessing that’s because the Lorkon took over. What happened to him, anyway?”

  “Dmitri disappeared from among the inhabitants of Eklaron, going through a link to a different world long ago. There are rumors he’ll return eventually.”

  “And he’d never even heard of a Lorkon before,” Jacob said. “How’s that possible?”

  “Lorkon haven’t always existed,” Kenji said. “They’re immortal, it’s true, but before they were Lorkon, they were mortal beings.”

  “Like what? Human?”

  “Human, yes, or any other race, really. I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard that the ‘recipe’ for becoming Lorkon is incredibly complex and dangerous. It almost never works, and instead usually kills or physically destroys the one attempting it.”

  “Which explains why there are only a few of them,” Jacob said.

  “Exactly.”

  “Why would someone want to be a Lorkon?”
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  Kenji waved his hand at Jacob. “Think about it. What do you know about them so far?”

  “They’re immortal, physically strong, and can kill basically anything they touch,” Jacob said. “But, they’re so disgusting. I’m going to have nightmares for months after yesterday’s experience.”

  “To some, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages,” Ebony said. “Not everyone wants to be attractive.” She motioned to the journal on the table next to Jacob. “How much have you read?”

  “A lot. I’m at the part where Dmitri just rescued Arien. Kelson and those guys are all dead.” Jacob almost stood out of his chair, suddenly remembering. “Kenji! You were with Dmitri the whole time, and you didn’t tell me.”

  “Yes, I was. Dmitri . . . he and I were almost inseparable at that time.”

  “Okay, now I want you to explain the journal to me. What I’ve read so far, anyway. Why were the two journals put together? A lot of information was skipped.”

  “That was Dmitri’s decision,” Ebony said. “He wanted to make sure that those who read his story knew he hadn’t always lived in this kingdom, and that he wasn’t always a good person. He didn’t feel the rest of the other journal was important, since all it did was explain his travels to this kingdom, marrying Arien, and the first few years of their marriage.”

  “Okay, so this is what I’ve figured out so far,” Jacob said. He proceeded to explain his theory that he and Dmitri had taken the same path, only coming from opposite directions. He couldn’t remember passing anything like the Fire Pulser, though.

  “No charred or burned land, or anything similar?” Kenji asked.

  Jacob shook his head. “No, nothing. How close to the mud was the Fire Pulser?”

  “Very close, actually. It wasn’t long after we left her that we reached the poisoned mud.”

  “And you guys didn’t kill her?” Jacob confirmed.

  “No, we just put her in the diamond ball.”

  “But where . . .” Jacob paused. “Wait! The valley! It was beautiful, but I felt all sorts of negative emotions there. I’ll bet anything that’s where she is—still alive.”

  Kenji frowned. “How can you be certain?”

  “Because of how I felt—for some reason I’m able to sense things others can’t. Like, I could see the Molg in the cave, and I saw the man in the castle where the passage was hidden. It makes sense to me. There isn’t any other explanation for how I felt there.”

  Kenji leaned back. “I agree, and I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.” He smiled at Ebony. The adults were silent for a moment, then Kenji spoke again. “Even with all the bad that has happened out there, it’s refreshing to hear news of the outside world. Jacob, you have no idea how exciting this is for all of us. We haven’t been able to leave Taga for so long.”

  “I can imagine. I’d die if I were stuck in one spot for as long as you’ve been here.” Jacob realized he’d lived in the same small town his whole life, but at least he’d been able to visit the bigger cities around them. His eyes traced the silver lines in the ceiling, then a question popped into his head. “So why did the Lorkon attack the castle in the first place? They didn’t even know about the Key yet. Was it for money?”

  “I think it was more for power than anything,” Kenji said. “They came here wanting to rule more and more land. They were jealous of Dmitri and his future kingdom. Well, Keitus was, anyway, and the rest of the Lorkon do as he does. But they were successful in getting rid of King Roylance, Queen Ara Liese, Dmitri, Arien, and anyone else who opposed them.”

  “Anyone who opposed them? Wouldn’t Gallus have opposed them? And the Fat Lady? And you guys?”

  “Yes, but sometimes the best way to stand up to someone is to bide your time and wait, rather than to act rashly in a moment of emotion. We, as you know, were asked to come here and protect the Key and the link to your world. The Fat Lady hunkered down for a long winter, preparing herself for the storm which is still to come. And Gallus fought bitterly against the humans who sided with the Lorkon, just to stay where he is. He lost everything, including his wife and children. We now know that he’s remarried and has started a new family—we've sent Minyas back and forth several times since learning from you that he was alive—but to stay behind was a very difficult decision for him to make. He had to do it to keep an eye on his people.” Kenji rubbed his shoulder and stared at the wall for a moment. “Tell us again what happened when the Lorkon touched you.”

  “There was a lot of pain. My muscles went out of control, and every time I opened my eyes, I saw bright flashes of light. Hundreds and hundreds of people were running around us, but Akeno didn’t see them. Do you think the people I saw were dead?”

  Kenji frowned. “I’m not sure.” He looked at Brojan. “What do you think?”

  The patriarch didn’t respond for a moment. “We’ll want to consult with the Fat Lady and Aldo, if he recovers from whatever is consuming his mind.”

  Kenji turned back to Jacob. “We knew something would happen if Keitus touched you, but we weren’t sure what. I’m sorry to say it, especially since it was a painful experience for you, but we were very interested in whatever the outcome would be.”

  “Nothing changed inside me, and the only thing that happened was the pain,” Jacob said.

  “No, that’s not correct,” Kenji said. “Don’t forget the potion you took. It was designed to control your abilities, or your reactions to those abilities, once the Lorkon released them.”

  “How did they release my abilities, and how many do I have?”

  “We’re positive there are a lot, lurking in your system—”

  Jacob couldn’t help but grin at this.

  “—and the Lorkon released most of them by touching you. The magic in their blood caused a reaction with the magic in yours, jump-starting everything for you. Your talents would have developed naturally if they hadn’t accelerated them, but what we’ve guessed so far is that the Lorkon, in their desperation to gain control, didn’t want to wait, but wanted to unlock those abilities at once. They probably figured their chances of controlling you would be greater if you were in their presence when your gifts manifested themselves. They would have been correct in that assumption. The most foolish thing they did, however, was to overlook the fact that you wouldn’t have come alone. From their experiences in the last war, they know Makalos are physically weak and wouldn’t be good ‘bodyguards.’ But they didn’t realize that many Makalos are still magical.”

  And a good thing, too. Jacob didn’t want to think what would have happened if the Lorkon had been aware of that fact. They weren’t likely to make the same mistake again. “What are the Lorkon going to do now? They weren’t exactly happy about my leaving.”

  “They’ll be coming for the Key pretty soon,” Kenji said. “And for you, as well. As you’ve already discovered, you possess some pretty amazing qualities. They’ll want those gifts under their control.”

  “But how did they know about me?”

  Kenji took a drink. “They’ve apparently known for a long time, and knew you’d have special abilities, even before we did.”

  Ebony sighed. “Who knows how or when they figured everything out.”

  “Will they go after my family, too? Or just me?”

  “I’m sure they’ll do both,” Kenji said. “They’ll first prepare themselves, though, and they have to get through Taga before reaching your city. As we said, the entrance was sealed again. Remember, however, that it’s temporary. We’ll be able to keep them out for a week, maybe, but it will be very difficult to keep them away for long.”

  Ebony patted Jacob’s arm. “Things will be okay.”

  Kenji rubbed his hands together, a grin spreading across his face. “It’s going to be fun to figure out all of your abilities!”

  “Yeah, a thriller,” Jacob said, snorting. “Okay, it’ll be fun, but only if I can walk through walls or fly or something.”

  “No, none of that stuff. It’ll proba
bly be more mental,” Kenji said, tapping his head.

  “Mental like I’m going mental, or mental like I’m making other people go mental?”

  Ebony and Kenji laughed, and Brojan smiled.

  “We don’t know exactly what talents you’ll have when all this is over,” Kenji said, “and we probably won’t know until we’ve been able to talk with the Fat Lady and Aldo. One thing for you to note—when Keitus touched you, he probably unlocked many of your gifts, but not all. The rest will come naturally as you age. Taking the Fat Lady’s potion not only saved your life, but put most of those abilities under control until you learn to unlock them yourself.”

  “So, what happens if I’m never able to control my mad skills?”

  Kenji’s eyes twinkled. “Nothing much. The Lorkon will continue terrorizing the people of Eklaron, eventually your family will be in danger—as will other people in your world—and the races here that are good will be destroyed, including the Makalos. Oh, and the Lorkon will figure out how to use your talents for you.”

  “That’s it?” Jacob said. “Somehow I expected so much more.” Everyone laughed, and Jacob smiled inwardly, glad he’d been able to make a joke of sorts.

  Brojan leaned forward in his chair. “You believe your ability to mold things deals with sensing the weaknesses in them?”

  “Yes, I think so,” Jacob said, nodding. “And I have a theory. I think I’m able to make things stronger when I remold them.” He motioned in the general direction of his town. “But why wasn’t I able to feel heat from things back at my own place? Does it only work here, in your world?”

  “I don’t think so,” Kenji said. “Your arrival in Eklaron possibly forced this ability to come into the open, but it would have occurred naturally anyway.”

  “So, I should be able to mold things when I get back home?”

  Kenji nodded. “We think so.”

  The room was silent as Jacob thought through what had been said. “How did I get these powers, and does anyone else on Earth have them?”

  The adults exchanged glances. “We were afraid you’d ask these questions,” Kenji said. “And we’re not prepared to answer them right now.”

  Jacob sat back. “Why not?”

  Brojan studied Jacob’s face. “There are too many people involved, and it is not our place to answer until a decision to do so has been reached by all.”

  “That’s probably not the answer you wanted, but you’ll get one eventually, I promise,” Kenji said.

  Jacob stared at the Makalo. “I’m sorry for saying so, but this is kind of ridiculous. Something that affects my life so drastically should be my business.”

  “And, as I said, you will know—someday.”

  “I was wondering about Aldo. What happened to him?”

  “We have no idea,” Kenji said, a dark expression crossing his face. “And such a great man. I really don’t believe he’s gone crazy, though. Something else is going on.” He stared at his cup for a moment before continuing. “When we first moved to the canyon, he helped us close off the entrance between our village and the other lands by figuring out how we could use our Rezend to make the trees grow with steel in them, making a much stronger wood. He really showed us just how much he cares about us by doing that.”

  Brojan cleared his throat. “It would be a good idea if Kenji and I took some time to look into matters with Aldo while Jacob finishes reading the book.”

  “And we’re sure the Fat Lady’s safe, right?” Jacob asked. “I know I’ve already asked, but—man!—she really helped us out.”

  Ebony nodded. “There’s never a need to worry about her,” she said. “She and Aldo worked with Brojan to put extra fortifications on her cabin. The passage of time does not lessen their strength, nor do attacks make them weaker.”

  “And that would explain why she never leaves it,” Jacob said.

  “Yes, exactly,” Kenji said.

  “Any other questions?” Ebony said.

  Jacob shook his head. “Aside from figuring out what’s wrong with me, I don’t think so.”

  Ebony scowled at him. “Jacob, nothing is wrong with you. You’re different. That doesn’t mean you’re broken.”

  “We look forward to having you return once you’ve finished reading the book,” Brojan said. “You’ll find the information very valuable for a complete understanding of what has happened—and is happening—in this world. And once you’ve read the book, we’ll be able to answer any questions you might still have.”

  “You’re now as much a part of this world as we are,” Kenji said.

  Jacob finished off his juice and put his cup down. “All right, then. I guess it’s time for me to go home. I hoped Akeno would wake up while we were talking, but I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

  Ebony smiled and patted Jacob’s hand. “He’s healed. He’ll wake up as soon as he’s ready.”

  “Can I at least see him before I leave? Even if he’s asleep?”

  “Of course,” she said.

  Jacob followed Ebony through one of the back doors and down a narrow hall to a room with a few beds in it. Akeno lay peacefully in one, breathing steadily. Jacob smiled, looking at him. It was great to see him healthy again. If only Aloren were in such a good position. Jacob leaned against the door frame, suddenly feeling exhausted and helpless— he really, really hoped she was okay. He had to get back to Maivoryl City as soon as possible. He couldn’t stand thinking about her alone there, in that awful place. Plans to rescue her solidified in his mind. He’d do it, and he’d get Matt to help.

  “Let me know right when Akeno wakes up. I’ll come visit him.” Jacob returned to the main room, grabbing Aloren’s bag. “Oh, wait, one last question. How much can I tell my family?”

  “As much as you want,” Kenji said. “It was a Minya, as you know, who was sent to deliver the message letting them know where you were, and after that, I don’t think what you’ll have to say will come as much of a shock to them.” He smiled at Jacob. “It also wouldn’t hurt to have their complete support.”

  “All right, off with you then,” Ebony said, opening the door.