Warriors of the Heynai

by M J Webb

  Jake West Warriors of the Heynai

  by

  Martin Webb

  Copyright 2012 Martin Webb

  First Edition, License Notes

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Please check out my site, www.jakewest.co.uk where you can also find more information on characters and places which feature in the novel as well as art competitions and news of sequels etc.

  Chapter 1

  21st August – Lichfield Hospital.

  “He’s… He’s dead, son.”

  Jake West had slept for nearly twelve hours straight. He was woken now by a soft, gentle voice full of trepidation and fear, and three words which brought his whole world crashing down around him. They almost seemed to linger, suspended in the air for a moment or two.

  Time seemed to stop. The clock no longer ticked, the birds outside no longer sang, and the busy wards beyond the door to his grandfather’s room suddenly fell silent. He was still half asleep but the words registered with the force of a battering ram and his chest was suddenly filled with pain. He forced his eyes to open and blinked several times to get them used to the light. Then he shook his head once slowly.

  The first thing he noticed as he lifted his head was his grandfather’s body lying on the hospital bed where Jake had fallen into an exhausted sleep. He noticed immediately with immense relief that his chest was still moving rhythmically up and down ever so slowly, though he also couldn’t fail to see that his complexion remained worryingly white. He was hooked up to all sorts of machines and wires. Jake was so relieved to see that he was alive that he let out an involuntary cry of relief. His throat was incredibly dry and it hurt, he swallowed hard twice. The parched feeling was relieved for a second or two and he turned around slowly to respond to his mother’s words.

  June West was standing before her only son with tear-drenched eyes. She looked awful, as if she had aged a generation in the past few hours. An expression of pain covered her weary and grey face and it hurt Jake to see it. She was frightened. He had never seen her this way and he too began to tremble. It was obvious to him that his mother felt alone and was dreading having to repeat the words that had woken him. She couldn’t conceal her sorrow. She would give anything to change what had happened. But she could not. She tried once more to deliver the devastating news that she knew for certain would break her boy’s heart.

  “Jake. Did you hear me, Jake? He’s dead. Ben, he… There was nothing they could do for him. They tried for hours. Honestly they did, but… Well, he’s gone, he didn’t make it. I’m so sorry, Jay. God, I wish I didn’t have to tell you this, I... Look, I know it won’t seem like it to you now, I know it’s just words, but it’s gonna be okay, I promise.”

  An enormous wave of differing emotions suddenly overwhelmed Jake as the terrible news registered with him. He was overcome all of a sudden with an intense feeling of grief and sorrow. Tears ran down his cheeks. Seeing her son in so much pain really hurt June. She raised her hand to her face to wipe away her own tears.

  The awful pain in Jake’s chest intensified until it became agonising. He had never felt anything like it before. The feeling was unbearable. He was at bursting point and he didn’t know what to say or do. Nothing on this world or the next could have prepared him for this!

  Jake was also incredibly angry! It was all too much to take. The shock of receiving the news that he had never really expected to hear left him speechless for a few minutes and he just stood staring longingly at his mother, searching desperately for answers from deep within her eyes. She had none.

  He was in turmoil. He tried to concentrate and think. His mind raced to decide upon what he wanted to say, but the more he attempted to piece things together and rationalise what had happened, the more intense his anger became, and the more his judgement became clouded by emotion.

  He inhaled deeply to compose himself, before he began trying again to recall the life-shattering events that had led him and Ben to this hospital. This time it worked and he visualised the images in his mind of their joyous venture into the attic that belonged to his misunderstood grandfather. He pictured too the photo of his grandmother that Ben had discovered in the old chest, the picture which had played with his emotions and aroused his curiosity. He lost himself in his thoughts for a brief second or two as the memory of it almost brought a smile to his lips, but then he remembered the box they had found in the bottom of the chest, beneath the rest of the photos.

  ‘That box!’ he thought. ‘That’s where it all began! Why oh why did we open that box?’

  His heart began to beat quickly. Furiously, he thought of Sawdon and the swordfight he and Harry had with the beastly Thargw warrior in his grandfather’s kitchen. In his mind he pictured his badly wounded granddad as clear as day, as if he was right there in front of him. He remembered being pushed by Ben into the light emitted from the stones as they both headed into the portal to escape from Sawdon’s wrath, abandoning Harry to his fate.

  The subsequent events in Rhuaddan, the land they not only found themselves in at the other end of the light but the land who’s fate now rested entirely in Jake’s hands, flashed through his mind in the blink of an eye. He recalled his meetings with the escaped slave, Verastus, whose life they saved and who swore his allegiance to Jake from then on. He saw King Artrex, Gerada Knesh Corian, Princess Zephany and the soldiers of the Ruddite Rebellion, all of whom had become his allies as he sought to restore the box of stones they’d damaged and help to free the people of Estia from the reign of the evil King Vantrax.

  ‘Hmmph.’ he thought. ‘King Vantrax! If the evil wizard didn’t want to see me dead before, he certainly does now!’

  The memory of Ben’s tales of the Battle of Erriard Forest brought another faint smile to his lips, as he thought about the courage shown by his friend in the most dangerous of circumstances. He knew that Ben had only found himself in those predicaments because of him. His friend had fought major battles, fought with ferocious warriors and diced with death the past few days because of his loyalty to Jake. He was so proud of him. The mine raids too were a source of pride and satisfaction, he had led a small force and freed an army of slaves against all the odds and nobody could ever take that away from him. Their search for the wizard, Tien, had also been a great success. It was the first task they had to complete in their ultimate quest to restore the box of stones, defeat King Vantrax, and free the people of Estia.

  But then he remembered their journey with the old wizard as they began the search for the Bloodstone, the first of the gems that would begin the restoration. The stones were a mighty weapon given to the people of Estia by the Heynai, spirits who entrusted the box to the Keepers, ancestors of Jake’s from Earth. It had survived for centuries, protecting this world and countless others from harm, and Jake and Ben had broken it! The box had to be fixed if they were to have any hope of defeating the forces of evil. But it was on the first leg of their journey that they had been ambushed by allies of the tyrant, King Vantrax.

  In the fight that ensued at Leagh forest, Ben had been poisoned by a Taskan warrior. Jake had been told by Tien that the venom was fatal and there was nothing that could be done for his friend on Rhuaddan. Because of this, he had made the immediate decision to bring him home, to try to save his life, thereby abandoning Rhuaddan, Verastus and Tien. He had promised faithfully to return. Jake had performed some sort of spell with one of the two reolite stones the wizard had given to him, he could see it now in his mind, he’d carried Ben into the light for a second time and they had returned home to Lichfield. Ben was seri
ously wounded, dying, but at least with the help of modern medicine he had a chance.

  Jake remembered the feeling of total exhaustion which had overwhelmed him as soon as he knew his friend was safely in the arms of the hospital staff. He’d managed to give a long and drawn out explanation of everything that had happened to his parents as soon as he had arrived home and discovered they were at the hospital. They were watching over the seriously ill Harry, Jake’s granddad, who had not woken from the coma he had slipped into following the wounds he had received at Sawdon’s hand. When he’d finished recalling everything that had happened, the teenager had collapsed in the chair that was beside his grandfather’s bed.

  All of these events happened only recently but it all seemed like an eternity away to Jake now. It was almost as if they’d happened to somebody else, in another lifetime, and not to him. It was as if he had read about it all in some book, or seen it in a movie that he just couldn’t get out of his mind.

  When they returned home from their amazing adventures in Rhuaddan and Nadjan and eventually reached the hospital, Ben had been whisked away for emergency treatment before Jake had chance to see him. He was unconscious and he was in a very bad way. Tien had warned him in Leagh forest that the odds were heavily stacked against his friend’s survival, that he was probably going to die. But Jake refused outright to accept that they’d gone through all they had just for Ben to die now. He began to feel deeply angry and he gritted his teeth.

  “No!!! No mum! He can’t die! I’m not avin’ it! Not now, not after all we’ve been through. It’s not right. The spirits wouldn’t let that happen, would they? Why would they let me save him and bring him home, if that was their plan? It makes no sense. And Tien? What about Tien? He would’ve told me if this was gonna happen, wouldn’t he? No, it can’t be true, I don’t believe it. No!” he cried out in pain.

  June looked agonisingly at her only son, she desperately wanted to help him, to comfort him somehow, but she had absolutely no idea how to ease his suffering. She realised that she hardly recognised him now; he had changed so much from the fresh faced boy of last week. She had never seen him so angry and in so much despair, he was like a different person, and it hurt her more than she believed possible to see him like this.

  “Hey. I know, Jay. It’s not fair, you’re right. Not after all you said you’ve both done. But sometimes life isn’t fair, son. Sometimes it kicks you when you’re down, and when you least expect it. I’m sorry, I really don’t know what to…”

  Jake wasn’t really listening to what he was being told; he was consumed with an overwhelming sense of injustice, coupled with bitter guilt that just wouldn’t go away. He interrupted his well-intentioned mother as she attempted to console him.

  “But, he’s my best friend mum. What am I gonna do now? It’s all my fault!” he screamed, as he looked away in shame and stared down at Harry. “I’ve killed my best mate. And I’ve probably killed my granddad too!”

  June was distraught, she didn’t know what to say, she tried to pull her son close to her, to give him the hug she thought he desperately needed. But Jake recoiled angrily.

  “No,” he shouted out defiantly, “leave me alone, please. I destroy everything I touch, everyone I care about. Go away mum, don’t come near me, and tell dad the same. I love you both too much. I don’t want to see you hurt like Ben and granddad. I have to be alone right now, that’s obviously what the Heynai want, it’s all part of their plan. The spirits want me to do everything by myself, don’t they? Well alright, if that’s what they want, then it’s okay with me! Go away mum. Go!” he screamed at her, through his tears.

  June was visibly upset and shaken by her son’s reaction to her. It broke her heart to see it. Jake’s words hurt her deeply, more than any weapon ever could. She knew that he wasn’t himself at that moment in time, that he was being irrational, it was the grief talking, not her beloved son. But still, it didn’t soften the blow. Nevertheless, she reacted sympathetically to his outburst.

  “Okay, Jake. Okay, you obviously need some time to take in what’s happened, and I’ll give it to you. It’s a lot to deal with. But you have to know that I’ll never leave you. And neither will your dad. He’s phoning Ben’s father right now, it’s something we should have done earlier I suppose, I don’t know why we didn’t, but... Anyway, I’ll go and see how he’s got on, shall I? Take some time to grieve, son, as much as you want. We’ll be here when you need us, we’re family, and we’re going nowhere.” Then she turned and walked away, sobbing uncontrollably as she closed the door behind her.

  Jake turned back around and looked down at Harry. The flood of tears and the overwhelming feeling of despair in the pit of his stomach just wouldn’t stop. He was angry and frustrated and he let out an agonised scream. Then he collapsed in the chair and his body dropped down onto the bed as if he had been shot. He fell onto his grandfather, buried his head in his arms and cried like a child.

  Jake West, ‘The Keeper of the Stones’, proven warrior and symbol of hope to millions, felt completely and utterly alone.

  He was too wrapped up in his own grief and crying too hard to notice the warmth on his thigh at first. But, as the heat grew gradually in intensity, his leg began to hurt. He lifted his head and reached quickly inside the pocket of his jeans to retrieve the source. The remaining piece of reolite that Tien had given him back in Rhuaddan was glowing brightly and it was still getting hotter and hotter. The palm of his hand was singed and he threw it down onto the bed.

  The reason behind this unexplained event both concerned and baffled Jake. He had been informed that the stone was good for one feat of magic only, one opening of the light, or a solitary vision. The small rock he knew was his only method of returning to Estia to help his friends, as he had given his word to do. He had no idea why it was activating now, but his tears stopped flowing and he wiped his eyes as he tried to fathom out what was going on.

  “Uuuuurrrrrrghh…”

  Jake’s eyes flashed over immediately to Harry! The young boy couldn’t believe what he was seeing. To his utter amazement his grandfather was coming round from his coma! His head was rolling slightly from side to side and he began gently licking his lips, as he tried in vain to swallow saliva that just wasn’t there. The teenager’s heart began to beat furiously within his chest. The feeling of complete despair that had gripped him only moments before began to change to one of joy and elation at the thought of his grandfather’s revival. He was just about to shout to the nursing staff for help, but then he looked down at the hot stone on the bed. It was still glowing ever so brightly, and something inside told Jake that Harry’s sudden recovery was not a natural occurrence.

  ‘It’s the stone, it’s brought him out of the coma. Fantastic! Oh, hang on a minute though, is it permanent? It may not last and there’s bound to be a reason for it, everything happens for a reason where these stones are concerned, that much I’ve learned. Time’ll probably be short. I have to find out what’s happening, I have to know more.’

  He reached for the glass of water that was on the bedside cabinet. Lifting Harry’s head a little, with all the tenderness of an experienced nurse, he carefully poured a drop of the cool liquid into his mouth. Harry drank slowly from the glass and when he had had enough, he gradually opened his eyes and lay his head back down on the pillow.

  “Granddad, what…? What’s goin’ on? What’s it mean? Do ya know where you are? Are you back for good? It’s the stone doing this, isn’t it? It’s… Oh granddad, whatever. I thought I’d lost you for good. You…”

  “Jake!”

  Harry interrupted his grandson with a solitary word, speaking his name in a weak, unfamiliar voice that was nevertheless full of urgency. Jake stopped talking and listened intently to his grandfather’s words.

  “We don’t have much time! I… I’ve had dreams while I’ve been lyin’ here, Jay, visions of what has happened to you and Ben since we parted. I’ve seen much of what you have gone through. You have both done well,
you’ve made me proud, but this time we have together now is not going to last, my boy. The stone Tien gave to you is small and weak, its powers are limited. I will return to my ‘sleep’ soon, I have to. I am too weak and I need to rest. But I’m going to wake eventually, I’m going to be okay, I’m getting stronger every day.”

  “Oh granddad, that’s brill! I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear that. Thank heavens, I thought you…”

  “No! I’m sorry but we’ve no time for all that, Jay,” Harry warned, in a slightly stronger voice. “You have to listen to me now. I have to tell you something. Ben, he’s dead, isn’t he?”

  Jake lowered his head as he replied with sorrow and shame to his grandfather’s question. “Yes, I’ve just been told. They say he...”

  “Right. It’s okay, Jake.”

  “Okay??” replied the astonished youngster. “What do you mean, ‘okay’? Granddad, it’s far from ‘okay’! It’s…”

  “Shhh! Listen, listen to me,” interrupted Harry forcefully, “there is still a chance to save him! All is not lost, not yet. It is really, really dangerous though, it has not been attempted for hundreds of years, and then only by the very strongest of our kind. You may…”

  “I’ll do it, granddad!!! Whatever it takes, I’ll do it!” snapped Jake. Then he continued speaking, as he suddenly realised the true meaning behind Harry’s words. “Time travel. You’re talking about time travel, aren’t ya? Going back in time to save him?”

  “Yes, Jake. Spot on. It’s the only way, the only chance you have, but it’s not going to be easy and it’s not going to work if you’re not strong enough. You hear me? Do you understand what I am saying? You have to be sure of yourself and you have to go now, before Ben’s life force leaves his body entirely and before the stone loses its power. I was never strong enough to travel back, Jay. I knew it all along, I wanted to, of course I did, to save Jean, it has frustrated the hell out of me for all these years. You see, if you do not possess the physical, and more importantly, the emotional and mental strength needed, it will kill you!”