by Travis Pond
Braon stood up straight and looked around. “I’ve been in this forest many times and I think the river is over there,” he said pointing in yet a third direction.
Ailish looked around and noticed a large hill of boulders. “Hey! Over there!” she said pointing toward the boulders. “We can climb up the boulders and get a better view.” They followed Ailish as she led them toward the hill of boulders.
As they walked, the hairs on Tureis’ neck suddenly stood up, causing him to stop and look around. He had a feeling that they were being watched, but he saw nothing. There was something familiar about the feeling, but he couldn’t put a finger on what it was. Satisfied, after scanning the area and not seeing anything, he turned back toward the hill catching up with his companions.
Tureis froze. The feeling was back. Now the hairs on the back of his neck stood straight up. Slowly he turned around expecting to see someone standing there, but again saw nothing.
“Who’s going to climb the hill?” asked Seth.
“I’ll do it,” said Braon. “I’m a fast climber.”
Before anyone had a chance to respond, Braon immediately began climbing the boulders. Tureis felt that uneasy feeling again and desperately wanted to get back to the safety of the cave. He turned around and jumped back as he saw two figures approaching. He nearly fell backwards over a small boulder trying to escape. Regaining his footing, he scampered towards the boulders in an attempt to climb to freedom.
“Stop!” a voice said with some authority. They all stopped and turned around. Tureis thought the voice sounded familiar. It was still very dark and they could only see the outlines of two dark figures coming towards them.
Reflexively, they all backed up, unsure who was coming at them. Seth already had his long knife out, ready for a fight. Tureis removed his dagger from his waistband and held it pointed toward the figures. Somehow, with amazing speed, Ailish had the crossbow out and drawn, with a bolt locked in place, and stood with it pointed at the approaching figures.
Cautiously, the figures approached, their hands raised in the air. Tureis struggled in the darkness to make out any details as to who they were. As they got closer, it became clear they weren’t holding any weapons. Closer and closer they came. Suddenly, Tureis had another feeling come over him causing him feel calm and at peace. Almost at the same time, all three of them lowered their weapons and took a deep breath. Instantly, Tureis wondered if one of them was manipulating their minds, putting them at ease.
“Tureis! Ailish! Seth!” said the voice.
They all paused, Seth and Tureis looking at Ailish.
“Father?” asked Ailish with some uncertainty as to why her father would be in the woods looking for them and how they could’ve found them.
“Hello Ailish,” said Emmett in a calm hushed tone.
“Hello Tureis. Seth,” said a calm second voice.
“Hello father,” Tureis said, with no surprise in his voice. “Why are you here? More importantly, how’d you know we were here?”
“You don’t sound too surprised to see us, Tureis,” said Elis. “Why is that?”
Tureis answered with some boldness that was laced with frustration, “I felt something familiar a while ago; something with the Matya. I couldn’t place it exactly, but it seemed too familiar. What I was feeling must have been you.”
“Very good,” said Emmett as he turned and spoke to Elis. “I was right when I thought it would be difficult to sneak up on them.”
“So how did you find us?” asked Ailish.
Elis smiled a half smile and slightly cocked his head to one side, all the while maintaining eye contact with Tureis. Then slowly and deliberately Elis placed his hand into his pocket. Tureis’ eyes got wide and his mouth fell open with an audible gasp. From his pocket, Elis removed a pure silver sphere, exactly like the one Turis was currently missing.
More questions than answers came to his mind. Did his dad have his sphere? How did he know about the sphere? How did he get it? So many more questions needed to be answered. But before he could get his first question out he was cut off.
“Where’s Braon?” asked Emmett.
They all turned and looked up the hill of boulders. He was nowhere to be seen. It appeared as if he was gone, and given the fact that they had just been caught by the captain of the guard, it was probably in his best interest to keep running. Ailish turned around, dropped her shoulders, crestfallen, and said, “He’s gone. I can’t believe he left us.”
“Given the circumstances, it’s probably for the best,” said Tureis, gesturing toward their fathers.
“I guess so,” Ailish said, although not convincingly.
Tureis turned toward his father and their eyes met. As their eyes locked on each other he got right to the point. “So. What are you going to do with us?” asked Tureis, maintaining the eye contact with his father.
Elis broke eye contact with Tureis and turned to face Emmett with a questioning look. This situation was a little awkward. The captain of the guard just caught the people responsible for breaking a prisoner out of the stocks; a crime punishable by death or at the very least a long time in prison. The people caught just so happen to be the daughter of the captain of the guard and her friends; one of which is the king’s own son. And the person they helped to break free of the stocks has officially escaped.
This was a dilemma. What would they do? Elis and Emmett continued to look at each other as if reading each other’s thoughts until they both smiled. “We’re letting you go,” said Emmett with a smile.
All three of them gasped, “What?” they said simultaneously.
“On one condition,” continued Emmett.
Ailish, Tureis and Seth looked at one another, contemplating what the condition could possibly be. Tureis stepped up and became the spokesperson for the group. “What’s the condition?” he asked.
Emmett motioned over toward the the boulders. “Why don’t we go over here and sit down?”
Together they all moved over toward the base of the hill and sat down on some smaller boulders. Emmett and Elis stood off a short distance talking in hushed voices and making random hand gestures. They didn’t appear to be upset at each other, but they did seem to be having a mild disagreement about something. After a minute they both joined them and found a seat on the boulders.
By now the sky was becoming lighter. The stars were no longer visible and the moon was setting. The sun would be up soon. Emmett sat back and looked to the sky, as if hoping for help from above as he had this conversation. He looked back toward the group and took a deep breath. “It seems you have been caught breaking a prisoner out of the stocks,” he began. “In essence, this is treason, and in this situation is a crime punishable by prison.”
“So here’s the dilemma,” Elis interrupted. “We know you three were the ones who broke Braon out of the stocks. The guards know someone broke Braon out of the stocks, but they don’t know it was you. The guards think, at this point anyway, that whoever it was got away. We caught you. Braon is gone and therefore can’t be brought back to….”
“But, what you did to him was wrong!” Ailish interjected. “There’s no way he did it! He said it himself! You know him, father, and yet still you punished him like that!” Ailish was now on her feet and breathing hard as she faced her father. “How could you do that?”
Emmett took a breath and said as calmly as he could, “I am not one to argue with the King’s wishes.” Emmett paused again, to prevent his temper from rising. “Besides, the reasons for determining his guilt are not anything I need to defend to anyone.”
Elis spoke up, “Unrelated to the reasons, the fact still exists that you did actually break him out of the stocks.”
“Thus the dilemma,” said Emmett.
Elis continued, “We were speaking just now as to what exactly to do with you.
We have decided to let you go on one condition. Emmett wants to let you go back to your normal life since no one knows about what happened. His condition was that you no longer associate with each other, including Seth not sneaking out of the castle any longer. In essence discontinuing your friendship and moving on separately.”
“What! There’s no way I’m staying in the castle all day everyday!” Seth exclaimed.
“I don’t know if I can do that either, father,” said Ailish.
“Hold on. Hold on,” said Emmett, holding his hands up hoping to calm his daughter down.
Tureis just sat there observing the situation, staring at Emmett. He sensed there was more to this than they were telling them. “What’s the real condition?” asked Tureis.
“What are you talking about?” Seth asked. “They just explained it.”
Tureis shook his head. He had been peeking into Emmett’s mind and could sense a feeling of uncertainty and conflict. He could sense worry over his daughter. He truly wanted to just let them go, but he knew there needed to be consequences for their actions.
Maybe that was the conflict Tureis sensed. He didn’t understand the feeling, but he felt a similar feeling with Braon earlier this evening. When he felt they were being watched earlier there was also another feeling there he couldn’t explain. He was sure some of that was his father’s Matya as he had sensed it on many occasions the past few years. There was also a feeling from his father as well. He couldn’t tell exactly what it was, but it was internal conflict and uncertainty, similar to Emmett and Braon. For whatever reason all three of them felt conflicted and unsure. He would have to remember this and In time, maybe, he would understand why.
Boldly, Tureis asked again, “What’s the real condition?”
“Why do you say that?” Elis asked.
“We just committed a high treasonous crime,” said Tureis. “You are both men of honor. To let us go with a slap on the hand would be dishonorable. You are also men who obey the law of the land and you have taught us to do the same. To turn your back on the law would also be dishonorable. Not only that, but if King Seathan were to find out what you’ve done, he could have you hanged.”
Elis and Emmett sat there, speechless. They truly didn’t know how to respond to that statement. After a minute, Emmett put his head down and spoke slowly and directly, choosing his words carefully. “Ok. I’ll just say it then. The condition is...the three of you must leave the kingdom.”
Emmett stopped speaking at that moment and looked up, measuring their reaction. The three of them were completely dumbfounded. No one spoke. After a minute, Ailish raised her head and in a hushed voice asked, “So are we being...banished?”
Elis nodded slightly and said, “In a manner of speaking.”
“Wait! What?” asked Seth, obviously confused.
“What do you mean, in a manner of speaking?” asked Tureis.
“It’s time for all of you to get some direction and training. By banishing you from the kingdom you are free to seek the training you need.”
Seth, still very confused could only reply with, “Wait! What?”
Ailish thought she understood what they might be talking about, thinking they meant training and direction with regards to the Matya. But, she had never told her father that her Matya had been awakened. How did he know? To test her theory she replied, “Do you mean training to fight to become a warrior or something?”
“Something,” replied Emmett. “A warrior maybe, but not in the sense you may mean.”
Tureis fully understood what they meant. At just this moment, he realized that if he could sense his father’s emotions and feel his father’s Matya, then it would also be possible that his father could sense his emotions and feel his Matya as well. It made perfect sense. He didn’t know why he didn’t realize this before.
“The kind of training you say we need involves what then?” asked Tureis
“It involves a journey, some learning, some guidance, and I am sure some tests along the way,” said Elis
“Ok. Can you be more specific about the journey?” asked Tureis.
Emmett stood up straight and cleared his throat, “The journey involves a specific destination. You must search for and find the Oracle. The Oracle will receive you, and while there, teach and help to train you and give you direction.”
Elis continued, “It’s that direction we hope will contain your...how shall I say this... after hours excursions and improve your decision making...we hope.”
“The Oracle?” asked Seth. “I thought that was just a story. Just made up to scare kids. Make them not want to use the Matya.”
“I assure you the Oracle is real,” said Elis. “The stories are just made up by people looking for a reason to hate the Matya.”
Ailish and Tureis looked at each other, both of them understanding where this conversation was going. “So what about the Matya?” asked Tureis. “Why are we discussing the Matya?” Tureis was probing for information. They seemed to know more then they were saying.
Elis looked straight at Tureis, “We are talking about this journey because we know all of you have had your Matya awakened and you all need guidance.”
It was as if they’d been struck by lightning, freezing them where they stood. Each of them thought that no one other than their small group was aware of their awakenings. Tureis was the first to come out of the trance, “How long have you known, Father?”
“Since the day it happened,” said Elis.
This shocked Tureis even more. He hadn’t expected that answer. For a long moment Tureis just stood there staring at his father. So many questions filled his mind. Finally, he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me you knew?”
“I figured you would tell me soon after it happened, because you were so young,” said Elis. “When you didn’t, I decided to let you to learn on your own. I thought when the time was right for you, you would tell me.”
“Father. You knew?” asked Ailish.
“Yes I did,” said Emmett with a smile. Emmett turned and spoke to Seth. “And yes Seth, King Seathan knows too. He also knows how it happened... and he’s not upset.” Seth took a breath and managed a weak smile.
Elis looked at all three of them. “Just as Tureis could sense our Matya as we found you,” he said. “When you’ve had some guidance you all will be able to sense the Matya in others. When your Matya was awakened we could sense the difference immediately, because we knew what it felt like. It’s something you will learn as well...in time.” They paused for a moment, letting the information sink in.
“And the guidance? What does that involve?” asked Seth.
“You said “warrior of sorts.” What does that mean?” asked Ailish.
Emmett paused for a minute, thinking of how to answer the questions. “As you meet with the Oracle, she will guide you, teach you, and help you understand the gifts you have with the Matya. She will also help give you a direction and teach you how to increase your power and focus.” Emmett paused for a moment. He could go on for hours about all the things the Oracle could teach them, but now was not the time to get into it. “As for the warrior idea,” he continued. “As your power and knowledge with the Matya increases, you can be a force for good in the kingdom and in essence become a sort of warrior. You just need to be patient and trust what I am saying.”
Elis held up his hands before any more questions could be asked, “I know there are likely a hundred questions you have going on in your heads right now, but unfortunately, now is not the time to answer them. You three must get out of the city. The sun will be coming up soon and you don’t need to be seen walking out of the city.”
“Yes.” Emmett agreed. “It will raise too many questions.”
“We will tell people you have left the city on an errand for King Seathan,” Elis explained. “It will prese
rve your honor and prevent too many questions.”
“We will also tell King Seathan, in its entirety, what happened here tonight,” added Emmett. “I know he will understand. King Seathan is an understanding and honorable king if the truth is told. He will understand, I am confident.”
“When you have met with the Oracle and received her guidance, you will be free to return to Thaven, with this event behind you and your honor intact,” said Elis. “Until then, consider yourselves banished. Try to remain undetected as you journey to the Oracle. Too many questions...if you understand.”
They understood. Tureis wanted to ask his father so many questions. He felt a thrill knowing that his father had known about his Matya, yet had allowed him to learn by himself. He didn’t know why this was a thrill to him, but for now he would choose to make it a good memory.
“Tureis, can I talk to you in private?” his father asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. Together they moved into the forest a short distance and stopped. “Son. May I first say how proud I am of the progress you have made learning and studying on your own,” said Elis “You are very powerful with the Matya. I’ve known this for some time.”
“Thanks, Father. That means a lot to me,” said Tureis.
“We don’t have a lot of time, so I am going to give you some quick fatherly advice. First of all, you need to be a leader of this group. Your Matya is more powerful than anyone I have ever seen at your age. To be honest, I have rarely seen as much power in an experienced adult either. Your Matya can be a guide to you and your group. Trust it. Use it. Practice. Learn.”
“I try to study any chance I get,” said Tureis.
Elis continued, speaking quickly. There was so much he wanted to say to his son, things he’d meant to teach him for a long time, but the darkness was fading and it would be light soon. There just wasn’t time. “There are a couple wise sayings I have tried to live by,” he finally said. “Understanding the Matya as I do I have come to firmly believe that ‘knowledge is power.’ The second key to success with the Matya is to understand that ‘there’s no skill in life that is ever mastered without practice.’ I try to remember them even now. If you fail to learn or practice, your skills will drop. You will lose your power.”
