As she walked past her hut Diandra saw two pairs of tiny hands patting the dirt around one of her wildflowers. She went up to the children, quietly and then jumped out abruptly, trying to spook them.
It worked as the little boy, Filix, and little girl, Julia, screamed at the top of their lungs. Diandra began to laugh, and as Julia calmed down, she started to giggle playfully.
“Diandra! That’s no fair, you scared us!” said the little girl, her dark hair braided tight against her head.
“She didn’t scare me!” said Filix, standing up and crossing his arms, defiantly. His jet-black hair dangled in a mess, covering most of his eyes.
“Yes she did!” said Julia, getting up and shoving Filix. “You screamed louder than I did!”
“Nuh-uh!”
“Ya-huh!”
“Nuh-uh—”
“Hey, hey you two, stop shoving each other in my garden, or I’ll have to issue a super permanent ban.”
The two children stopped and looked at her with fear and sadness in their eyes. Diandra always loved teasing the children of the village. They were all special to her, but for some reason Filix and Julia had looked up to her for years. Now that they were both six years old, they were beginning to learn some of the ideals of the Egons. In the custom of the village, a child could ask for tutelage from anyone—whoever they felt most comfortable with. Most Egon children chose to learn from their parents or guardians, but for reasons Diandra couldn’t explain, these two had chosen her.
As a result, they would often come to her hut and help her with her garden, learning the intricacies of caring for the various plants. They adored each one and always seemed to treasure their time in Diandra’s garden.
“You wouldn’t ban us…for real? Would you, Di…andra?” asked Filix, begging her for mercy with his eyes. He had yet to harness his powers, so his eyes were still a pale grey…but they were adorable all the same.
“How would we learn about the energy of plants?” asked Julia, tears forming in her eyes.
Diandra rolled her eyes, throwing her arms up in defeat. “Okay, okay no ban! I forgive you—just promise not to shove each other in my garden again.”
They both looked at each other and smiled, “We promise!”
“Good,” chuckled Diandra, “Now, what are you working on today?”
“We saw that Copo’s leaves were turning brown, we were trying to give him loving energy like you taught us,” Julia pointed towards the one wildflower that they had been kneeling by, and Diandra knelt beside them looking at the patient.
Copo, as she had named it a few years back, was from one of the most northern mountains, near the Deastrian Sea. Diandra had found it during one of her expeditions outside their borders. She had transplanted it and fed the flower living energy the whole journey back to the village, and gave it a new home in her garden. Normally, the flower bloomed in a wide circle, showing off its purple and blue pedals—but at that moment, Copo’s bloom was drooping to the ground. By itself, this wouldn’t concern Diandra. Wildflowers like Copo, would bloom tall and proud one moment and then droop the next, depending on their changing moods. But the leaves around the wildflower’s base were turning brown, and that was troubling. She reached out with her mind and tried to feel the energy surrounding the plant. As she touched it, she could feel that its presence was weak and tired.
She looked at her garden, and noticed that she had planted Copo, in a spot beside a tree, nearby. She didn’t think much about it at the time, but she now realized that the location limited the amount of sun the poor flower was supposed to get.
“Filix, could you grab a shovel, and dig a hole on the other side of the garden for me?” said Diandra, looking to the young boy.
Filix jumped up with gusto, “I’m on it!”
“Can I help?” asked Julia, looking up at Diandra, eager to assist.
“Of course. I’m going to wrap Copo in a shield of protective energy. I need you to carry him to the new spot, while I do that. Think you can handle that?”
“You can count on me!” replied the young girl, her braids bouncing with her excitement.
“Of course, I can,” said Diandra with a smile, “I already knew that. But you may want to let him know that.”
Julia gave a confident nod and knelt beside the flower, “You can count on me, Copo! We’re going to take good care of you.”
Diandra’s heart felt warm and full, in that moment. There was such tenderness and love inside the children. They would make excellent Egons as they grew older.
“Alright, we all ready?”
Filix was already finishing up the new hole for Copo’s roots. He stood up, confidently and smiled. “Ready!”
Diandra looked down at Julia, who was digging gently to Copo’s roots, getting ready to cradle him. “Ready!”
Diandra smiled and began to gather natural blue energy from the air. As it gathered, the energy turned into a swirling ball of blue dust inside Diandra’s hands. She reached out, moving the blue smoke-like substance around Copo. Soon it enveloped him completely. She gave Julia a nod, and the young girl cradled the wildflower by the root system, and gently pulled him out of the ground. As Julia lifted Copo into the air, Diandra concentrated and made sure that the energy she gathered stayed around the plant—keeping it safe. The young girl slowly and carefully brought Copo over to the hole Filix had made and lowered him in. Once inside, Filix filled in the hole with dirt until it was full, and the wildflower supported. The children began stepping on the dirt gently—packing the dirt nice and tight around Copo’s roots and base, just like Diandra had taught them. Once they were done, Diandra pushed the energy that was serving as a protective barrier, into Copo’s body. It faded into the leaves and stem, and slowly the wildflower’s leaves turned green once more, and his stem, with the flower attached, perked up—spreading out in appreciation. Diandra couldn’t help but smile as the flower’s pedals shined in their wonderful glory and beauty.
“Copo’s all better now!” said Filix jumping up and down.
“You did it!” exclaimed Julia.
“We did it,” said Diandra, smiling at the children. “Remember, that the work you’re doing now—caring for these plants, trying to understand how they feel. That is the first step in understanding the energy that surrounds us and connects us all.”
Julia and Filix stared up at her with pride in their eyes. In the grand scheme of the planet and the universe, what they did was a small act. But to Diandra, anytime a person could help another living creature, no matter its size or shape, they were making a difference. That was what Navon had always taught her, and what she wanted to teach Julia and Filix.
_________________________
After cleaning herself up, Diandra sent Filix and Julia home and went to the elder’s council chambers, hoping that she would get some answers. Walking into the hall rarely made her nervous anymore. She was used to appearing before the council, usually at a disciplinary hearing. They were always upset about her traveling beyond their borders or from some accident caused by her more aggressive techniques. She had gotten accustomed to the chamber’s walls, and the discipline that came with it. But something still felt off about this time. She knew that this meeting was more important than usual. Navon’s nervous energy in the woods had been her first clue, and the atmosphere of the chamber was her second.
She stood in the center of the room, facing the four elders. They sat on raised platforms, and were all watching her as she walked in. Navon sat on the far-left side of the room. He met her gaze and smiled, trying to comfort her. It worked for only a moment, as they both felt the stress and fear in each other’s demeanor. Beside her master, sat Gajeel, the oldest and wisest of all the Egons. Next to him sat Allee, the only female elder, and by far, the most conservative. Lastly, on the far right of the room, there sat the most powerful Egon, Uragin. He was the youngest elder in Egon history, and Diandra could always count on him for guidance and leniency. All four of the elders wore their off
icial robes and covered their heads with the hoods of their cloaks, their bright blue eyes shining in the darkness.
Diandra bowed deeply to the elders that sat before her and waited for them to address her. Allee was the first one to speak. Her voice was strong and powerful, despite her age. Her pearl-white hair was tied tight in a bun, bringing some of her loose wrinkles up towards it.
“Thank you for joining us today, Diandra. I’m sure you must have been quite busy…testing our borders as usual.”
Diandra noted that Allee only had a smidge of contempt in her voice. She didn’t know if that was a good or bad sign.
“It is always an honor to meet with the council of elders, Master Allee,” she replied, poised and graceful. “I hope whatever offense I have made this time can be properly atoned for.”
Diandra knew the drill all too well, but she still had an eerie feeling at the back of her neck. She looked at Navon’s troubled face and wondered if she had pushed the elders too far this time.
“I’m afraid you are mistaken Diandra,” said Uragin, his long hair blowing ever so slightly in the breeze. “You have not caused us or this village any offense.”
“That remains to be seen,” said Allee. “She still defies our borders every day.”
“Nevertheless, that is not why we called her here,” said Uragin firmly, causing Allee to hold her tongue. “We called you here Diandra because we have a mission for you.”
Uragin’s words didn’t ease Diandra’s tension—if anything they only added to it. Any mission for the village never required a formal meeting with the council. Whatever they wanted from her was something out of the ordinary—something big. She looked back to Navon, and knew that this mission, whatever it was, had to be the cause of his worries.
“I will do everything and anything within my power for our village,” answered Diandra, meeting each of their eyes, as she spoke. “What shall you have me do?”
All the elders were silent. After a few moments of awkward tension, Gajeel finally spoke up. He raised his weary head, his skin drooping with wrinkles.
“Diandra of the Egons, you must leave our village.”
The old man spoke so softly, Diandra wasn’t sure if she heard him right. But after surveying the rest of the council, she knew that Gajeel’s words were true. She felt like a knife had been stabbed into her gut. Exile? But why? Uragin said she wasn’t being punished—why would they do this to her? She broke the rules now and then, but she was a dedicated Egon. She loved everyone in the village, and they loved her.
She tried as hard as she could to hold back her tears. “…I—I’m sorry beloved council for whatever offense I caused. P—Please don’t do this. I’ll stop leaving our borders. I’ll do anything, just please don’t exile me!”
Gajeel let out a soft yet bellowing laugh. It took Diandra by surprise, and she stared at him, confused and angry. How could he laugh at her pain?
“Oh, my dear, we are not exiling you,” said Gajeel. “You are and forever will be a beloved member of our society…I suppose I should have spoken more precisely. We need you to leave the village to help a very special young man. He lives in chains within the Singh Desert. You must travel south from our mountains and our woods to find him. Once you do…together you will bring peace to AzzaNation.”
“But leave the village?” said Diandra. “How could you ask me to do such a thing? No Egon has left these mountains in over a hundred years. Does this mission really require us to break our own laws to such a degree?”
“You of all people should be fine with breaking our laws,” said Allee with scorn in her voice…There was the full contempt that Diandra was so used to.
“Yes…but I never did anything to this extent.”
“Enough!” Gajeel’s voice was suddenly loud, overtaking the room. “We are not here to argue. It has already been decided that this is the only possible course of action. If you do not travel beyond our borders to find this man, he is destined to die. If he dies, then AzzaNation will continue to deteriorate until there is nothing left.”
The room was completely silent. Diandra wanted to argue more, but she knew it was pointless. The elders had made up their minds, and nothing could change that. She slowly breathed in and out, calming herself before she spoke.
“For the sake of the village and AzzaNation…I, Diandra of the Egons accept this mission and all of the responsibility that comes with it.”
She bowed deeply to them. The elders all stood up before her and returned her gracious bow. There was sadness in the room, but it was deeply coupled with respect and honor. Gajeel, Uragin and Allee made their exits, leaving Diandra alone with her master. She looked at him, not even trying to hold back the tears that were falling down her cheeks.
“So…this is what was troubling you, Master?”
“Yes, my child,” said Navon, “Not because I disagree with it, but because I know the dangers that lie beyond these mountains…and I fear for my favorite pupil.”
“Do you not believe that I am strong enough?”
“The fault lies not in you. There are people out there who will do everything in their power to kill you Diandra. I’m afraid that I haven’t done my duty to prepare you enough.”
She walked over to him and hugged him firmly. He always smelled like pine and love. A smell she was going to miss. She kissed his cheek, softly and then stepped back.
“I will heal this world for you Master…and no one is going to stop me.”
Diandra could see her master’s eyes getting misty, as he stared back at her. She felt great sadness emanating off him, and she fought off her own grief building up by embracing him one more time, laying her head on his shoulder. They stood together holding one another for a long time, neither one wanting to let the other go.
CHAPTER FOUR
Y ou almost have it, Leo! That’s it!” He pulled hard on the rod, not wanting to let the fish go. It was fighting him, swimming left and then right, thrashing and struggling against his pull. He moved the reel slowly…turn by turn…and then finally…snap! The line broke rocking their boat as Leo fell on his butt.
“Uff,” he let out involuntarily. Then, only after realizing how close he was and how he let the fish get away, did he speak. “Damn it! I can never get one!”
Karl Exe sat beside his son as the boat rocked against the waves. “Ya…” he placed a gentle hand on his son’s shoulder, waiting until the boy looked up at him. “You sure sucked hard. I guess I should disown you huh?”
“DAD!” Leo exclaimed as he gave his father a playful shove. They both laughed as the sun began its gentle descent for the evening.
“…Well,” said Leo finally. “Should we head back?”
His father wrapped his arm around him and shook his head. “Not yet. I earned this leave, and I’m going to enjoy every last second.” His eyes beamed at Leo. His paternal smile filled with peace and joy.
“Won’t the Royals get mad if we’re out past dark?”
Karl Exe gave a sideways smile, “Not when they hear what I have to say…I’ll tell those people that…that…hmm.” His brow furrowed as he searched for his thought. “Oh man, I had the perfect thing to say and then I lost it…” His frown turned coy and he grabbed Leo with gusto. “I guess you’re not the only one to lose a line today!”
He laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed. Leo rolled his eyes and shook his head at his father’s lame joke, but secretly he appreciated his dad’s good humor. He finally gave an audible chuckle as the two of them sat in their boat, watching the sun drift down the sky. The shades of pink, orange, blue and white all danced and blended together, and Leo felt at peace.
Leo awoke in darkness—a vast difference from his dream. He tried to adjust his eyes to see in this new environment, but it was no use—there was no light coming in from anywhere. He sat up from his curled sleeping position and bumped his head on something hard. He slowly began to feel around above his head, feeling a rough and cold surface. He couldn’t be certain, b
ut if he had to guess, it was concrete or some other hard stone. What was most troubling was the height of this barrier. When he sat straight up, he had hit it with the top of his head. That meant that this room was, at most, three feet tall.
Continuing in his cautious manner, Leo began to feel around the rest of his dark and hard environment. He quickly found the ends of the room because, similar to the ceiling, the walls did not give much space. He guessed that the room was around four feet wide and six feet long. As he realized this, his breath became more rapid. He felt around the walls of his tiny room hoping to find some door, window, crack—anything that could get him out of there. He was beginning to panic—feeling completely and hopelessly trapped. He thrashed around, smacking the walls and ceiling, like a caged animal, until he hit his injured hand a little too hard, and a string of pain shot through his whole body. Gripping his hand, Leo forced himself to sit still, and think about his options. His first step was to control his breathing…In through the nose—nice and slow…and then out through the mouth. It did little to calm his nerves, but after several cycles it helped enough that he began to think straight again. He held his injured hand, squeezing it lightly and tracing its edges, discovering that the wounds he sustained from fighting Len were now healed over into small scars. He reached towards his chest, where the large gash had been, and found the same thing—his wound was closed. He was beginning to suspect where he was, but he hoped with all his life, that he was wrong. Then, feeling an itch on his neck, Leo went to scratch it and found a confirmation of his suspicion.
In his neck, beneath the skin, was a small square bump. It was the shape and size of a microchip. He had heard stories about implants like these. Inhibitor chips is what Darrod called them. They were made for the purpose of tracking captives and blocking the pathways in the brain that controlled evolved abilities—which meant that Leo couldn’t use his enhanced speed to help him. Just to confirm his theory, he tried speeding up his arms and legs to no avail. He cried out in frustration as his limbs refused to do what he asked of them. He had rarely used his powers on a day to day basis, but it was always comforting to know that he had the option. Now this chip stole any choice he ever had. He knew inhibitor chips were developed by Infinity, and their price was so high that the only people who could afford them on AzzaNation were high-end bounty hunters or the royals. He doubted that a bounty hunter would be after him, so he decided to rule out that option for the time being. The more likely scenario, was that he was found in the Forbidden Desert by the royals. They would have healed him, and arrested him for his part in robbing the Regent of Newon—and that meant there was only one place they would choose to incarcerate him.
The Chronicles of AzzaNation: Dawn of a New Age Page 7
