Destiny Series Boxed Set

by Bronwyn Leroux

  Sven and Atu beamed.

  “I’m happy to be of service,” Atu said.

  “A personal joy it is, a generation to find to whom our original journey to this world I can trace,” Zareh purred. “But regret do I, that time for reminiscing we do not have. At an end, your time with the Armorer is. No longer delay, can you. At once, leave you must. Fear do I, that already too much time here have I allowed you.”

  “Why? What’s happened?” Kayla asked, alarmed by the urgency in Zareh’s tone.

  “As yet, nothing. But not long will it be before that changes.”

  “There you go, talking in riddles again!” Jaden exploded. “Could you be more specific about what will happen? Or will we just have to find out on our own again?”

  “Jaden!” Kayla hissed. “Simmer down. Losing your temper won’t help, and it will just reduce the time Zareh has to tell us anything worthwhile.”

  “Wisely she speaks.” Zareh nodded, eyeing Kayla appreciatively. “Limited with you, my time is. Summoned elsewhere, already have I been. But, this once, endeavor to answer your question I will, before leave I must. To the extent I can, that is.”

  Jaden glared at him, but Zareh waved a pacifying arm.

  “Obtuse to be, my desire it is not. Elaborate I do not, because exactly what comes, even I cannot see. To a momentous event, all the signs point. But hidden remains, what that event is. The future many outcomes presents, depending on which paths are taken or avoided.”

  “If that’s true, how can you say with any confidence that this ‘momentous event’ will actually happen?” Jaden countered, sneering as he quoted Zareh’s phrase.

  “Because, on rare occasions, converge all the paths do, meaning no matter what action we take, changed cannot be the event that at their union occurs.”

  “And this is one?” Kayla guessed.

  “Correct, you are. So while warn you, I would like, about what coming your way is, the knowledge to do so, I lack. Only inform you, can I, that coming something is, and soon. Therefore, resume your quest, you must. Your departure, delayed I have, as long as was permissible because this time you needed. Learned much, you have, and in good stead, it will stand for what is coming. But farewell, bid you I must. The map, follow—your guide, it is.”

  And he disappeared as unexpectedly as he had arrived.

  Jaden seethed. “There he goes again!”

  “Now I understand what you meant when you said he arrives and leaves at will.” Sven whistled, looking dazed.

  “Atu, you’re awfully quiet,” Kayla said.

  “What he said is true,” Atu murmured. “Even my people marked this time period as the end many generations ago.”

  Jaden groaned. “You didn’t think to mention that earlier?”

  “The marking of time, particularly when done so long ago and using a different calendar, has meant the exact time period on the calendar we are familiar with was an educated guess. When my parents disappeared, I wondered. My suspicions grew when I saw the Gaptor and then met all of you. Today is confirmation.”

  “Do your legends say what event causes this end?” Kayla asked.

  “No, only what our visionaries perceived as happening after the event.”

  “Which was?” Jaden pressed.

  Atu sighed unhappily. “Something you won’t like. They visually depicted the time following the event as black blotches.”

  Kayla shivered. “You’re right. I don’t like the sound of that.”

  “Nothing other than those ominous black marks to show what occurs after?” Sven asked.

  “Correct. The absence of pictures made my people believe this event would mark the end of our world.”

  The group considered the implications.

  Then Sven said, “But it could also just as easily signify their inability to see past this event?”

  “Well, yes. Considering what Zareh explained, that is a possibility,” Atu allowed.

  Kayla relaxed. “I’m opting for that line of thinking. It’s far more optimistic.”

  “Zareh did stress the future is unwritten,” Jaden reflected. “So, it’s up to us to ensure it’s written in our favor. And how can we possibly fail, considering how easily we knocked Sven’s cheating drone out of the sky?”

  The rest of them smiled, but no one was given to laughing.

  Sven cleared his throat. “I commend you for your positive outlook, but I fear it won’t be so simple. Keep my warnings about being realistic in your expectations at the forefront of your minds. That will do much to keep you alive.”

  The teens nodded, their faces earnest.

  “We’ll keep Jaden in check,” Kayla promised, giving Jaden a playful shove.

  Jaden grinned, gently shoving back, grateful for the umpteenth time she was in this with him. With Kayla on their team, their chances were better than average. She had become a fearsome fighter besides being an excellent strategist, was protective of her friends, and firm in her belief they would succeed.

  Jaden would keep her safe; he would protect that which was most precious to him. Somehow, they would make it through this. They had to. The world was counting on them. And when they had completed this mission, he would be free to pursue her.

  “Yes, Jaden’s ours to tame,” Atu said, joining in the fun and tousling Jaden’s hair.

  “You’d better,” Sven said. “I’m expecting a victory lap back here when you’ve completed this journey—not only so I can reclaim my equipment but also so you can regale an old man with more glorious tales.”

  Soberly, they nodded, aware Sven was avoiding their imminent departure. But Jaden knew they all felt it—their dread at having to part ways. Sven was their mentor, and now they were being kicked out of the proverbial nest, to fly or die without him.

  “We will miss you,” Kayla said, flinging her arms around Sven and hugging him while ineffectually keeping tears at bay.

  Sven returned the hug with a ferocity betraying his own emotion at their separation. Without loosening his grip on Kayla, he reached out and pulled both boys into his massive arms too.

  “Come back to me,” Sven said gruffly.

  “We will,” Jaden answered. “We’ve had an exceptional teacher. Now we’ll make you proud.”

  They embraced for only a moment longer before drawing back. No words were necessary as the teens headed indoors and grabbed their go bags provided by Sven only two days previously, already packed with the provisions Sven deemed necessary.

  Sneaking one last long look around the place that had become a home to them, Jaden stiffened his spine and marched outside, his strides sure and confident, his face set with determination. Kayla and Atu wore similar expressions.

  Their gliders had already expressed their own thanks and farewells and now hovered overhead, waiting for the sign their voyagers were ready to leave. Each teen solemnly shook Sven’s hand and gave him another quick hug before stepping back. Then they signaled their gliders. As they completed their aerial connections and took to the heavens, they waved to Sven one last time.

  Then Jaden’s voice rang out, loud enough for Sven to hear as they tore down the valley. “Let the adventure begin!”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  With difficulty, Kayla cleared the valley without a backward glance. Staring dead ahead, the boys’ rigid postures as they sat astride Han showed they regretted leaving as much as she did. They too avoided what was behind, facing their destiny instead.

  Unwilling to think of what was coming, Kayla dropped her gaze. The glistening snow slipping away beneath her was another reminder of what they were leaving behind. But its alluring prismatic effect was both calming and mesmerizing, and when they exited the secluded sector sheltering Sven’s home from the outside world, she wasn’t nearly as broody.

  Nearing the spot where Sven’s device had downed their gliders, Jaden tossed the map out. It unfolded around them, glowing softly. Kayla smiled as she remembered Sven’s wriggling body when he’d gallantly resisted the urge to snatc
h the map away from Jaden so he could pick it apart.

  Although desperate to unravel the map’s “inner workings,” Sven quashed the temptation considering the map’s importance. Kayla’s grin widened. Would Sven have had willpower to resist if the blinking dot or mysterious “X” had made an appearance? Since neither had, it was a moot point. The map had been annoyingly bland that day, showing only their current location as a static two-dimensional representation, the absent “X” a blatant, blaring message they weren’t going anywhere.

  Today’s map was a stark contrast. Their guiding “X,” amidst its constantly shifting lines, had magically materialized, although it was virtually hidden at the center of the lines fading toward it. But it was undeniably there, providing them with a dynamic, continually updating, two-dimensional image as it guided them onward.

  Jaden grunted.

  “What?” Kayla asked.

  “You don’t think it’s strange the ‘X’ has magically re-appeared?”

  “Not really. Isn’t that what it’s supposed to do?”

  “Yeah, but think about the changes to the map in conjunction with what Zareh said about us staying at Sven’s ‘for as long as he could allow.’ Do you think Zareh somehow controls the map?”

  “Interesting question,” Atu said.

  Kayla nodded at the map. “Looks like we’re heading south again.”

  “Yay! Where the sun has heat attached to its light,” Jaden said.

  “What? You didn’t like my lotion?” Atu teased.

  “No, dude. No offense—it’s great. But give me warmth any day over the cold!”

  Kayla grinned. “Wimp!”

  “Yeah, he’s not a man for lotion,” Atu commented.

  Their playful banter picked up as their spirits lifted. Even the ground under them relented, thawing to greener pastures when the craggy mountains dourly gave way to steep, earthy mounds. They flattened into marshy fields with waving reedy grasses, interspersed by exuberant, colorful wildflowers.

  Since their gliders were no longer hindered by slow speeds, the amount of terrain they crossed increased exponentially. The soft, sodden ground literally dried before their eyes as they sped over it, replaced by endless cultivated land.

  When they stopped for a late lunch in an untenured field, far from any signs of civilization, the faded lines on the map were already separating out, and both the lines and “X” were notably brighter.

  “We should be there by tomorrow at this rate,” Atu ventured.

  “I agree,” Jaden said, taking another enormous bite out of his sandwich.

  Kayla sighed. “I wonder what we’ll find.”

  “Nothing that’ll surprise you, I’m sure,” Taz said. “Your training is far more comprehensive than any of the previous voyagers. Because of that, you’re more prepared than any of them ever were.”

  Kayla sent Taz an appreciative smile. Their initial prickliness had transformed into a deep respect and mutual understanding. The more time they spent together, the fonder Kayla grew of Taz. Kayla no longer worried about their mission; they would either succeed, or they would not. Instead, she worried about Taz’s safety.

  She, Jaden, and Atu had the gliders to protect them while they flew. But the gliders had no such luxury. They were at the forefront of any attack. Kayla could only hope all the hours they had spent practicing their routines were enough to keep their gliders safe.

  With lunch over, they resumed their journey, only stopping again in another remote field when the light drained from the sky. As they descended, Jaden stowed the map, a simplified version of the morning’s map. Most of the dense lines had fallen away, leaving something akin to an enlarged section of the original central area.

  None of them wasted time obsessing over the changes. Immediately after dinner, Kayla and the boys crept into their sleeping shells, resolute and unanimous in their desire to get a decent rest. They were all certain they would face another challenge before the sun went down the following day.

  The next morning, Kayla rose, refreshed and ready for whatever they might encounter. Her enthusiasm soon dwindled with the morning’s monotonous flight. The increasingly boring landscape exacerbated the uneventful hours in the air. The farms and well-tended acreages thinned out, replaced by bare earth and scattered fragmented rocks. Small at first and in erratically clumped groups, the rocks became larger and more prolific the further south they flew. Adding to the tedium was the unbearable heat. Unlike the cold, crisp air of the mountains, this air was dead and dry, sucking the life from them. Even their gliders grew lethargic as the sun reached its zenith.

  Spotting a patch of shade beyond a large rock, Kayla begged for a break. “Please, can we stop there? I need food and a siesta!”

  “Hear, hear!” Atu agreed.

  “Yes, that sounds rather pleasant,” Taz murmured, surprising them all.

  Kayla caught the weariness in her voice and felt guilty she hadn’t suggested they stop earlier. Without a doubt, their gliders must be tired. They were doing all the work!

  The gliders descended, circling the rare shady area for signs of danger. Observing nothing amiss, the teens dismounted and moved aside, allowing their gliders space to land as they assessed the shade. It was sorely inadequate for a party their size.

  Determined to make it work, Jaden proposed letting the gliders use the shade from the rock whilst the teens created a second shaded area by stringing their sleeping shells from another side of the rock. The teens soon sat cross-legged under the makeshift shelter’s protection, greedily slurping water after having first offered some to their gliders. Their thirst quenched, the teens attacked the dried fruit, nuts, and hard biscuits constituting their lunch.

  “While these snacks may be nutritious, they don’t feel like real food,” Jaden said.

  Kayla sent him a sidelong glance. “Missing your sandwiches and pizza?”

  “If only you knew,” Jaden grumbled.

  Lunch dispensed with, Kayla flopped onto her back, the boys following her example. With the sun baking down and the air so still, it felt hotter than it really was. Kayla wriggled, trying to find a spot that wasn’t so stony.

  “Settle,” Jaden murmured, his voice heavy with impending sleep.

  “I can’t find a comfortable place for my head.”

  Jaden opened one eye and looked at her. “Here, turn this way,” he said, motioning with his hand for her to lie perpendicular to him.

  Kayla did, startled when he inched closer and eased her head onto his stomach. But she didn’t complain, and she wasn’t about to back away either. Lying there felt so right. In fact, it was sublime. Much better than the hard ground. And the contact with Jaden calmed her jittery senses. Kayla finally relaxed and lay still.

  They dozed, the heat making lazy waves over them. They must’ve slept because when they finally roused themselves, the sun was midway across the afternoon sky, only a few hours from its own bed.

  Rising, the teens stretched, working the worst of the kinks from their necks and shoulders. The heat remained suffocating, but the bats had adjusted. They were bouncing around like jumping beans, eager to be on their way.

  “Seems we needed the rest more than you did,” Kayla remarked as she and Taz took to the air.

  Taz smiled back over her shoulder at Kayla. “We prefer the heat. It just took a while to adjust after all that cold mountain air.”

  At her mention of cold air, Kayla realized the air up here was blissfully cooler than on the baked desert floor, and she sucked down deep lungfuls, her energy levels rising with each breath. Glancing at the boys, Kayla found them savoring the cooler breeze too.

  “Feels great, doesn’t it?” Kayla called to them.

  “It sure does!” Jaden shouted back.

  Circling their resting spot, their gliders checked their course against the map before shooting away like rockets. The sudden burst of speed sent a boost of adrenaline pumping through Kayla’s veins. If she hadn’t been awake before, she was now. Even the glider
s exuded a restless energy, as if pulled forward by some unseen force.

  The land beneath them lost all trace of dirt, the floor turning into a gravelly layer of pebbles peeking out from gaps between the rocks. The rocks themselves merged into thick, co-joined slabs of uneven, toothed rock, rearing higher and higher. A corroded effect was the visual result when the canyons gouging the stony floor between these ragged giants plunged progressively deeper.

  Strange conical rock formations with hollow centers soon appeared on the sides of the jagged slabs, like popped pimples on rough skin. Barely two feet high at first, they rapidly grew in stature until they overcame their hosts and towered over the group, sending their gliders weaving between them to avoid crashing into the mini volcanic-shaped vents. The bizarre landscape reminded Kayla of an underwater ocean trench, except there was no water here.

  Before long, the conical formations surrounded them so completely that their effect was smothering. The bats, tired of veering between them, rose so they could fly over the pockmarked land rather than through it. Lifting high enough for the raw beauty of the land to reveal itself, Taz emitted a low whistle.

  “What?” Kayla demanded, aware Taz wasn’t admiring the view when she caught Taz staring at a grouping of cones ahead, arranged in the shape of an octagon.

  Taz didn’t answer. Instead, she launched into a series of rapid squeaks and squeals Kayla had never heard before, presumably conversing with Han in what must be their native tongue. When Han replied the same way, Kayla looked at Jaden and Atu, alarmed.

  “What’s happening?” Kayla mouthed.

  Jaden and Atu shrugged their shoulders, just as perplexed.

  “They’re excited about something,” Atu murmured.

  That much was obvious. Their gliders abruptly slowed when they reached the octagonal formation. Caught off guard, Kayla scrambled to grab any available fur to stop herself from tumbling over Taz’s head. Regaining her balance, Kayla stared at the boys, dumbfounded, as their bats slowly circled the curious conical arrangement.