Elemental Courage

by M. W. McDonald

  “And here I thought he had excellent aim and a good arm to match,” Brian said sarcastically. He was watching Owen intently, he was expecting to feel Owen’s power ramp-up like any other shaman, but he realized he was outside the perimeter of limiter crystals. He couldn’t feel anything related to the marvelous display of power that Owen was showing them.

  “I’ll be damned,” Brian said.

  “What?” Alex said, annoyed to have any portion of his attention diverted from the massive pillar of stone.

  “The room actually works. I can’t feel any energy from him.”

  “You doubted him?” Alex asked, his eyes never left the stone pillar.

  “Let’s just say that I am a little hesitant about everything right now.” Brian noticed Owen walk to the edge of the pillar. He raised the hammer over his head, and it began to glow. The crystals in the room started to shine brighter as they absorbed more and more excess energy. Owen leaned forward and hurled the brightly lit hammer at the ground below. It careened through the hall, moving fast enough to cause a light trail behind it. The massive hammer slammed into the ground with tremendous force, a shockwave exploded from the impact crater that leveled any earth formations above ground level. Brian and Alex ducked behind the archway leading into the room to avoid the shockwave and debris, but they felt nothing. Brian slowly peeked around the corner first and saw the massive pillar of earth liquefying back into the ground from whence it came. The earthen debris was being reabsorbed by the floor of the cave like small drops of water in a much larger pond. Owen hopped off of the remains of the pillar gingerly and walked over to the statue that held his shirt.

  “Damn, are you always so controlled?” Alex asked. “I expected to feel some kind of tremor or dust or something.”

  “I have to be,” Owen said simply. “People die if I am not careful. That’s something that every shaman should be aware of Emberchild.” That name sparked a question in Alex that he had to have answered.

  “Why do you call me Emberchild? At first, I thought it might have been a nickname for my element, but then I noticed that you don’t call Brian Mr. Hands-in-Water-Bowl. I mean no disrespect, but if you are mocking me, I would at least like to be aware.” Owen looked down at the man before it dawned on him that Alex was indeed unaware of its origin.

  “Interesting,” Owen said.

  “What is?” Alex asked again more insistent this time.

  “That you don’t recognize the name.” Owen continued.

  “I don’t understand, why would I recognize it?” Owen’s face softened briefly before he continued.

  “It’s your grandfather’s name. You see, I can feel things in the blood of those I have physical contact with. What I feel is different from person to person. Sometimes I feel their emotions, and other times I can see images of people, places, or things in someone’s past. When we shook hands, I felt his presence within you. He was a brilliant man and a long time elder of our homeland. He was one of the first elders actually and also the first enchanter of fire.” Alex gaped at Owen.

  “He never claimed to have powers like that when he raised me,” Alex said absent-mindedly.

  “The most dangerous shamans are the ones who don’t have to tell you, but in your case you are correct. He was attacked one evening, a few centuries before Khorynn becoming the destroyer. It was something not of this world; it fed on his energies. It sought him out when he tried to run, he tried to escape, to live. He figured out that this being, this shade, was tracking his energy. We didn’t have limiters back then so you can imagine his frustration. He sealed off his own energy, cauterized his own essence so that it could not be used against him or his loved ones. He had succeeded in evading the dark creature, but he paid the ultimate price. His connection to the elements is what gave him long life, now he lived that long life without being able to beckon to his element. That’s like having the girl of your dreams behind a pain of glass for all of eternity and all you can do is look but never touch. I suppose, in the end, it was possible he was only able to conjure the most basic of fire techniques.” Owen's voice was solemn.

  “The end?” Alex said, “He’s still alive in a cabin in Vermont probably fishing or still trying to figure out the cell phone I gave him.” He smiled unconsciously rubbing the stubble on his chin thoughtfully.

  “He’s alive? Well, I’ll be damned.” Owen's voice was a loud roar, “We will have to all get together when this is over with. He must have exiled himself when he had students looking for him. Anyways, I didn’t mean it as an insult; in fact, it’s one of the highest compliments I think I can give to a stranger.” Owen smiled at him. Alex was blown away, he had no idea his grandfather was such a powerful man.

  “What did you feel from my blood?” Brian asked like a child fishing for a compliment.

  “Your blood told me you find my wife’s chest extremely fascinating.”

  “What?! I would never, I-“Owen looked at Brian, he knew he was caught. “Ok, I do. Curse you blood.” Brian muttered as Owen smiled again.

  “Well, why didn’t you say so?” Renai’s voice came from the hallway. She walked in wearing a low cut dress held up by thin straps, with a thin shawl draped over her shoulders. “Give me a hug.” She said, winking at Brian grinning evilly. Brian looked at Owen’s frown and quickly ran down the hall to his room, putting anything he could find behind the door.

  34

  “It’s time.” Owen’s voice echoed into William’s room jarring him awake. The once glorious bed stiffened and ejected him. William landed on his feet, barely. “There are clothes on the rack in the bathroom, put them on and meet me in the training chamber.” William entered the bathroom and found the pile of folded clothes. They resembled the clothes you would see in a period film, loose-fitting linen pants and a long sleeve white shirt with ties where the buttons should be. William changed quickly and looked at himself in the mirror.

  “Great, I look like a failed romance novel cover model.” He left his shirt un-tucked and grumbled as he exited the room. He walked slowly and deliberately down the dimly lit hallway. Each crystalline statue he passed seemed to quiver, most likely being held back by Owen’s will. The onyx eyes of each of the sculptures narrowed suspiciously and followed him down the hall. William took a deep breath and continued walking.

  The hall opened up into the expansive training chamber. William noticed that where there was once naturally shaped rock formations was now completely smooth. William glanced around the room, seeing only the flat expanse of the chamber floor. The second pass of his eyes, he saw Owen standing near the middle of the room wearing the same style clothing as him. William walked towards Owen.

  “This is your classroom. I am your teacher.” Owen thundered as William approached. William was taken aback; he was under the impression that his mother would be the one to train him. Owen saw the question on William’s face immediately.

  “Your mother is allowing Ren and myself free reign in your training.” Owen’s eyes gleamed as he continued. “She cannot teach you like we can.” William felt the energy in the room being gently tugged towards Owen.

  “What can you do that my mother can’t?” There was a thick layer of defiance in William’s voice. The energy that tugged towards Owen now flew away from him. William looked down at his feet and felt…something. A stone hand, the size of his torso, shot forth from the ground and back-handed him, sending him flying a few yards before he skidded to a stop on the smooth floor.

  “Owww-“ William rubbed the side of his face and clenched his side reflexively as he regained his breath and his footing.

  “Well, for one: I am not opposed to hurting you to get the important points across,” Owen spoke sternly, the hiss of anger on the edges of his voice. “You will show respect, or you will get none in return. Do you understand?” William nodded quickly, the initial pain on his side and face were now subsiding.

  “Good. I wasn’t expecting you to anticipate my energy this soon. That is a good sign.” He wa
lked over to William and righted the boy. He dusted off William’s shoulder.

  “Since we are clear, let’s get to work shall we?” Owen patted him on the back heartily and turned to take a couple of steps away from William. William stood there, more shaken than injured.

  “We will start with something simple. Essence meditation.” Owen sank smoothly to the ground in a cross-legged position and motioned for William to do the same.

  “Sit,” Owen said as he closed his eyes and took deep, measured breaths. William sat down with a thud, he had to force his legs into the cross-legged position with his hands, but at least he did it.

  “Do you know what you are?” Owen asked, his eyes were still closed.

  “I am an Archmage,” William replied, sounding more like a question than an answer. Owen laughed.

  “No, you aren’t, not yet. Right now you are a shaman who has gotten extremely lucky thus far; luck will run out- it always does. You are a shaman with the potential of becoming an Archmage.” Owen’s matter-of-fact tone cut William to the bone.

  “Right now, you are a danger, a liability to everyone around you. Your mother included.” William hung his head, he knew what Owen said was the truth.

  “And you can change that for me?” William asked.

  “No, I can’t. Only you can change it. Ren and I will offer the tools necessary for you to get there, but the work is yours to do.” Owen opened his eyes and looked at William a moment before re-closing them. “And there will be a lot of work to do.”

  William’s eyes glistened, thinking about the pain he had caused everyone. He didn’t want that for anyone, he must learn to control his abilities. His eyes hardened with resolve.

  “What do I need to do?” William asked seriously.

  “First, you meditate,” Owen said. “Close your eyes.” William did as he was told. “Let your mind wander. Try and find your center. Find the source of your power.” William was confused, Owen sensed it and responded.

  “As a shaman, we don’t draw our power from around us?” William asked as he closed his eyes.

  “To an extent, yes that is true. We manipulate the energy that composes the elements, but you have to have some affinity, some energy within yourself, to bend the energy of the elements around you.” William let his mind wander.

  “Take your time,” Owen said slowly. “Feel out the recesses of your mind. Your energy will be hard to miss. Let me know when you are in the presence of your power.” William felt his consciousness being tugged almost immediately. The pulling was gentle at first. His awareness was suddenly racing along, being pulled quickly to an unknown location within himself. William decided it was best not to fight it, not to resist the flow. He felt his body knew where he should go and he let it happen. He felt as if he were suspended over a vast pit as he raced to his center, to his core. Bright light flooded his mind for a brief flash. The warm white haze slowly faded, William knew where he was, and there was no mistaking it.

  “I’m there,” he said quietly.

  “Good. Do you see the flows of energy as they enter and leave your core? They would probably resemble veins of some sort.” William tried to focus, but the sheer chaos radiating from within himself drove him to distraction.

  “It’s so chaotic, I…can’t see them.”

  “You will see them, eventually. Take your time and filter through all of the noise, all of the extra stuff. Push passed all of the random bits. You are close William, I think you are at your outer core.” William didn’t know if he was capable of pushing through something that seemed so thick, so volatile. The energy whipped past his consciousness like glowing bullets, disorganized and unchecked.

  “I can try.”

  “No, you will do it, we will do nothing else until you make this happen.” A sense of finality ran in Owen’s voice, William was in for a very long day.

  35

  Dyaina was livid. How dare he strike her son? She saw the entire encounter from the safety of the observation chamber. She saw them meet in the center of the room, she heard their words, and she felt the impact of the blow that hit William. Her body tensed with rage, and it grew as she watched both men, now sitting facing each other as if it never happened. Dyaina thought she would be the only one attending her son’s training from here, but Owen had told Renai where the chamber was and had her take the remaining guys up there as well. They had all seen the stone hand that hit William. Alex even inhaled sharply from the impact.

  “Don’t worry about William, Owen won’t hurt him permanently,” Renai said as she looked at the view stone. It was a stone that with Owen’s will, could be turned into a sort of one-way mirror. Brian was watching intently as his thoughts raced.

  “Don’t back him into a corner Owen, I have seen first-hand what he is capable of. If you push him too hard, you’re gonna get hurt.” Brian mumbled to himself.

  “What did you say?” Dyaina asked quickly, her anger sought an outlet.

  “Nothing,” Brian said quickly as he brought a hand up to his chin to scratch his new stubble. His eyes never left the view stone.

  Dyaina glanced around the observation chamber. David, Brian, Michael, and Alex were sitting in large stone chairs next to the view stone that had cushions upon them made of the same magical material as the bed’s mattresses. Renai was standing right next to the view stone, pressed against it looking on intently. Dyaina looked at David, her eyes said that she wanted support.

  “Relax Dyaina, Owen won’t kill him,” David said, trying to comfort his wife. Even as he spoke, he was unable to hold the icy stare Dyaina was giving him. She turned away from David and pressed her hands to the clear rock as she looked down at both men.

  “Maybe this was a mistake, I should train him.” Dyaina turned to walk out of the chamber and get her son. David and Renai moved in front of her blocking her path.

  “You agreed to this,” Renai said smoothly. “We will train him, we have to.” Renai’s voice rang with a presence that belied her smaller frame. “You told Owen yourself that you could disconnect from this and be a true observer. If you can’t, we will confine you to a different chamber in the house until training is done for the day.” Dyaina glared at the other woman before she ultimately lowered her head, allowing her temper to cool.

  “He will be fine Dyaina,” David spoke up as he moved forward and hugged her gently and kissed her softly. Tears were in her eyes.

  “I hope so,” Dyaina said. She was no longer in control of her abilities. She had no means with which to take her son back. She walked back to the view stone and watched as her son began to glow.

  36

  “I see them,” William said, speaking of the veins of energy that Owen told him to find. William wasn’t sure if he was talking out loud or screaming in his own mind. He had just pushed past the last layer of chaotic energy. His skin tingled as his consciousness crawled through the electrical buzzing and crackling of the white haze that he was now leaving behind. What he saw beneath it was the complete opposite of the ever busy energy of his outer core. His mind showed him his power source.

  “Tell me what you see,” Owen said evenly. “Describe everything you can in as much detail as possible.”

  “I see a …a rift.” William struggled for the descriptive terms necessary for such a beautiful sight. “Lines of energy are pulsing out from every direction, so many veins of energy. They all feel organized though. It’s so peaceful here.” Owen was caught off-guard a moment. His next question caught in his throat as William described the sight. Typical shamans, when essence meditating, would see a visual representation of their element, typically something they experienced during childhood. A fire shaman would see a candle, match or torch for example, with veins of glowing red energy radiating outwards from their symbol. William subconscious projecting a rift as the symbol of his elemental affinity rose more questions than it answered.

  “A rift you say?” Owen asked, making sure he hadn’t misheard the boy.

  “Yeah, it looks lik
e a portal that Michael or David would have summoned, but it feels… different. Tendrils of energy are pouring from it. Bits and pieces of those tendrils are being whisked away by glowing orbs. So many orbs, everywhere.” Owen was uncertain how to proceed. Then he felt heat on his skin coming from William’s direction, Owen opened his eyes a bit and saw William glowing a sharp blue.

  “Tell me what you are doing,” Owen said evenly, keeping his eyes on the glowing boy.

  “I am right in front of the rift vortex thing, just looking at it.” Owen rubbed his chin in thought. It appeared that William’s mind was directly connected to his source. The glow from the boy’s body had to be his mind visualizing what he was seeing. When he forced the energies of the rift to obey him to bring Dyaina back, that same power must have fused specific areas of his mind together to avoid death altogether. It was also apparent to Owen that whatever William could visualize in his mind, it could be translated into the physical plane, but he had to test it. Owen stood up silently and walked several yards away from William.

  “Move closer to the vortex Will.” William’s eyes never opened, nor had he heard Owen stand up and move away. Owen’s voice sounded further away, but he did as he was told. He pushed his consciousness closer to the swirling eddy of white crackling energy.

  Owen watched William’s body intently. It changed from a sharp blue glow to a bright white light. The white form was radiating an electrical spray all around him. Wisps of electricity scorched the ground around him like little bolts of lightning.

  “Yup, his source is definitely connected to his mind,” Owen said to himself. “Ok, William back away from the vortex.” William did so, and his body started glowing blue again.

  “Listen to me very carefully William. It is crucial that you are able to find this source within yourself, and that you can find it often, and quickly. It is what you will manipulate to conjure your abilities. You may need to access it at a moment’s notice. So you must practice finding this place until you can find it instantly.” Owen walked back up to William and looked down at the sitting boy.