Chapter Eighteen
Unfolded
It was a short walk back to the village. If she had to guess, her captures had been looking for a way in to the city when they stumbled upon her party. Once safely back in the village she willed the large tree root that served her well, back into the earth. The last thing they needed was a trail that led the rest of her captures right into Ferrentri.
Alta suggested she take some time to rest before she explained what happened. Lillian agreed and joined the other three girls in their guesthouse. There was something so familiar about them, even though she had never met any of them. She knew about the prophecy and their connection of course.
Alta had been very clear that one day she would join them on a very important quest. Nevertheless, it was strange to feel so connected to strangers. The four of them sat at the round wooden table in silence. They studied each other. Lillian contemplated their similarities and differences.
They all had the same sapphire eyes. Only little flecks of color that surrounded their pupils showed any dissimilarity. Evangeline had the most amazing violet flecks. It looked as if there were small pieces of amethyst embedded in her eyes. Ryhan’s red flecks looked like tiny embers burning deep inside her soul. If you stared at Alexandra’s eyes for too long the Aquamarine spots seemed to ebb and flow like waves on the shore, as if she carried the spirit of the sea in her eyes.
The deep brown that muddied the blue of her eyes did not seem quite as brilliant when compared to theirs. It was the exact same color as her hair. She felt quite plain all of a sudden and wondered if they could sense her withdraw from them at all. Ryhan seemed to understand and was the first to break the increasingly awkward silence.
“Those were soldiers of the Centermerge. I recognized their uniforms.”
Evangeline replied, “I agree. It is worse than we thought, we must leave soon.”
“I don’t understand. Why would the Centermerge be looking for Ferrentri?” Lillian asked.
“Because Axiom knows we are here.” Alex said gravely.
Evangeline nodded, “She’s right. Lillian, did you notice anything odd, besides the men who captured you?”
Considering the events that took place she replied, “Odd? I am not sure. Most of it is a blur.”
“The ravens?” Ryhan asked Evangeline, and she nodded in reply.
“Ravens?” Asked Alex.
“Mentis and Memoria, Axioms familiar spies.” Ryhan spat.
A vision of two very large black ravens came to Lillian, “Now I understand. I saw them before anyone attacked. I tried to read them, but they were blank, empty.”
The others looked at her, confusion written all over their faces.
Lillian thought for a moment and then tried her best to elaborate, “Every living creature, from animal to plant to insect, has some sort of thought pattern. Though different with every species, I can usually read that pattern. It is how I am able to communicate with animals, make things grow, shape the land. But those birds, they put out no pattern. Actually, it was the opposite. They were voids, as if they absorbed the thoughts around them.”
“We should tell Alta, find out what that soldier knows, and then get the hell out of here before more of them show up.” Ryhan said harshly.
Lillian had only known her for a few hours, but she could tell that there was a lot under the surface of Ryhan’s brash exterior. The four of their strength and connection grew by the minute and she could not imagine what it would be like when the five of them finally united. However, Ryhan had her guard up and Lillian was sure that was going to cause a few problems for them.
They made their way to the Great Hall and spoke to Alta. She confirmed their theory about the Centermerge, but could not get anything out of the soldier they captured.
“Perhaps, the four of you could try questioning him.” Alta suggested.
They agreed and approached the man tied to a chair in front of them. His injuries were obvious, and Lillian blanched at the thought of him being tortured, even if he had deserved it for the way he attacked her. Joining hands, Evangeline had guided their powers, so that they were all in harmony. Each of their energies flowing into and through one another.
Evangeline did not even ask him anything, just started probing his mind, searching through his memories as if she was flipping through a picture book. The urge to resist that barrage of images was difficult to ignore. It was alien and disturbing to feel someone else’s thoughts inside her own mind. Yet she let them come and go, staying calm and open to the power they were sharing.
Moments of his life laid out before them, most irrelevant and useless. The day he left home and his abusive father behind to join the army. A beautiful young woman breaking his heart. Woman after woman used by him. Taking his anger out on young kids that reminded him of himself. Pride at being handpicked to join the Centermerge.
The first time he killed a man in battle. The first time he killed a man for sport. Then more kills. Death after death, some out of necessity, and others for his own enjoyment. Getting orders to capture and return with any of the five of them. It went on repeatedly. When they were finished he sat there, face slack and eyes glazed over.
Alta stared at them, unsure of what had happened and had the man taken away.
He came around and looked confused, “Wha…what is going on? Where am I? I…I don’t know what has happened. I don’t know who I am.”
He started crying hysterically, “Someone please help me, and tell me who I am.”
Lillian could hear him shouting as they dragged him away and to another room down the hall. When Lillian would try to remember what happened it seemed a tad distant, it was there in her memory but was just out of reach, in the same way that she would try to recall a recent dream. The only thing she was sure of was that the four of them did something to the man that she had never seen before.
Alta cleared her throat and cautiously asked, “What did you do to him?”
Evangeline looked scared, “We just wanted to find out what he knew. I didn’t know that he would lose everything we took.”
Pursing her lips Alta said carefully, “Perhaps it will come back with time.”
Then added, “Together you are stronger than I would have thought, you must go to Victoria and get to the council. Ava can help you learn to control your powers together, hopefully before anything worse than this happens.”
Lillian reached out and placed her hand on Evangeline’s shoulder, knowing it gave her little comfort, and then turned to Alta, “It’s another week’s journey to Volcaringuard, perhaps five days if we only stop at night to rest. How are we going to get there and to Bastriean in two days?”
“You must fold the earth.” Alta said offhandedly.
They all looked at her and Lillian scoffed, “Oh yes, just fold the earth. No big deal.”
Alta said nothing, just stared at her blankly.
“You’re serious?” She asked astounded.
“It is the only way.” Alta exclaimed.
“No. No way. I cannot. I won’t.” Lillian had to resist the urge to stamp her foot.
She knew that she sounded like a stubborn child, but earth folding was dangerous magic. They could end up in the middle of the ocean, or stuck inside a mountain. She had only tried it a handful of times, with help, and had never even come close to where she intended.
“I know that I am new to all this, but could someone please tell me what folding the earth means?” Ryhan said impatiently.
“She will simply displace the earth beneath you. One moment you are here, the next you will be at the destination you seek.” Alta explained.
“Except it’s not SIMPLE at all! We could end up anywhere or stuck anywhere. I haven’t even come close to mastering that kind of magic.” Lillian said, pleadingly.
“Look at what the four of you just accomplished. Together you can do it. Have a little faith.” Alta retorted.
Evangeline looked at her and said, “Lillian we trust you, and I
have every confidence that you can do this. Let us help. We don’t really have any other choice. We need to get there fast.”
Ryhan and Alex nodded their heads and they linked hands, Evangeline joined them and reached out for hers. Hesitant, Lillian accepted. The four of them stood, hand in hand, facing one another. She opened her mind and allowed the power of the others to merge with her own. Concentrating hard, she imagined their destination.
The image of Volcaringuard formed in her mind. She pictured the earth moving beneath them, falling away bit by bit taking them to their target. Her stomach did a few flips and she felt extremely light headed. The world around her blurred as if in motion and became still again. Just as she felt solid ground beneath her again, her feet gave away and she was falling.
A scream escaped her lungs before she even understood what was happening. Ryhan reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her back on to a small ledge. They were not in Volcaringuard. They were on the side of the mountain just outside of the city. She looked down and immediately wished she had not. They were so high up that all she could see was cloud formations beneath them, no land.
“Well this is just great. Now what do we do?” Ryhan asked her.
All Lillian could do was shrug her shoulders and ask, “I don’t suppose any of you have ever climbed a mountain?”
They were in big trouble and she didn’t think she had enough energy left to shape the earth after her horrible attempt at folding it. Not only were they stuck, but also the temperature was dropping by the minute. She did the only thing she could think to do, “HEEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPPP.”
Fated Volition: The Sapphire Star Saga Page 19
