by MJ Schutte
‘Let’s retreat a little and set up camp. We’ll go into town tomorrow,’ Brighton suggested.
They walked back until Brighton guessed Richard wouldn’t be able to sense them if he tried. There was no way of knowing this, Seth had an enormous range with his talent, but he also practiced it often. According to Lilian, the other Supremes never used their sense; they simply ordered people from Zedonia to the palace when they wanted to steal energy. Brighton also guessed that because of this, Richard wouldn’t know what Lilian or the two young girl’s energy felt like, so even if he used his sense, he wouldn’t recognize them.
Since Richard couldn’t sense him the group would simply seem like four unknown travellers if he did use his sense. Camp was set up in a small clearing in the forest. They could see the mountain and the river was not too far away. Joshua and the girls prepared dinner. The younger people still insisted that Brighton and Lilian do nothing when it came to the preparation of food. Brighton often joked with them that it’s probably because he makes such uninteresting meals.
After dinner Brighton gestured for Joshua to follow him and walked into the woods.
‘Do you think you can sneak into town tonight and have a look around?’ he asked quietly.
Joshua nodded and asked, ‘What am I looking for?’
‘Any form of defences or large numbers of people gathering. I would go but the people know my description. You will be able to get around without being noticed,’ Brighton answered.
‘I’ll go right now,’ Joshua said.
Brighton nodded his thanks and watched the young man jog off into the woods.
When he returned to camp Michaela asked, ‘Where is Joshua?’
‘I asked him to do me a small favour. He’ll be back soon,’ Brighton replied.
Michaela nodded with a worried look on her face. Lilian gave her a quick hug.
‘Brighton would never deliberately put any of us in danger, don’t worry,’ she comforted the girl.
Michaela relaxed a little and went with Adri to cut some grass to make soft beds. Lilian looked at Brighton with questioning eyes. He understood that she wanted him to confirm what she had just told Michaela.
‘I’m sure nothing will happen. He will look like just another hunter. There is no reason anybody should take any notice of him,’ Brighton said to her.
‘I hope you’re right. Michaela is very fond of him and he feels the same about her,’ Lilian replied.
‘I’ll keep tracking him with my sense if that will make you feel better,’ Brighton suggested.
Lilian nodded her thanks.
Just after the younger girls went to bed, Brighton said quietly to Lilian, ‘Joshua is on his way back.’
Lilian was relieved.
‘Michaela will be happy,’ she replied.
‘No, he is running hard. There are at least thirty Dark Ones not far behind him,’ Brighton replied.
‘Wake the girls,’ he instructed.
Just as Joshua got to camp Brighton felt an energy link race towards the young man. He snapped a link to Joshua.
Brighton barely had time to place an energy barrier around Joshua before the black smoke reached him. The black smoke tried numerous times to enter Joshua’s head but without success.
‘Everybody get over here, make sure you touch me!’ Brighton urged them.
Joshua raced to Brighton and put a hand on his shoulder. Adri and Michaela both put their tiny hands in Brighton’s big right hand and Lilian took hold of his left. The black smoke hovered above them. It tried to enter everybody except Brighton.
Brighton had enough of this; it was time to do something. He gathered energy from the forest around him. Sending his own energy link into the air he connected with the black smoke. For a moment the black smoke and white light battled for supremacy. Brighton sent a huge amount of energy down the link. The white energy raced along the line of black smoke, destroying it as it went along.
Brighton felt the owner of the black energy link simply disappear. He slowly sat down. Having that much energy flowing through his body is exhausting. Everybody hovered nervously around him.
‘Get ready, the Dark Ones are almost here,’ he said as he cast his sense out again.
The Dark Ones were getting close. Suddenly the energy from one of the Dark Ones simply disappeared, then another. More disappeared as the Dark Ones got closer.
‘Mischief is ripping into them,’ Brighton said as he got up.
They all moved to the middle of the camp, a bit further away from the trees. He didn’t know how many Dark Ones he could battle but it wasn’t a lot. Sending that much energy through the link had pushed his body almost to the limit.
Joshua took up position in front of the girls. Mischief burst through the trees and crouched in front of Lilian and Brighton. The girls and Brighton had their bows ready, Joshua his spear and throwing knives.
Brighton quickly formulated a plan.
‘Adri, you shoot first, Michaela you second. I’ll go last. Joshua, keep your spear for hand-to-hand defence if it comes to that but let them have it with those knives after I’ve shot my first arrow. Lilian, only use your talent on the ones you know are weaker than you.’
The first Dark One burst through the trees. Adri’s arrow took him in the chest. Michaela took down the second Dark One, Brighton the third. Joshua’s knife flashed taking the next man in the throat. Mischief was off like a flash. He disappeared into the trees. Brighton felt the temporary energy from an arrow coming towards them. He barely had time to manipulate it and deflect the arrow away. More arrows came through the trees. In desperation, Brighton threw up a white wall of pure energy just in front of the defenders. Most of the arrows hit the defensive wall and fell to the ground but one got through.
Joshua groaned as the arrow pierced his upper leg.
More Dark Ones rushed out of the trees, more arrows flew towards them. Brighton gathered more energy from the forest and threw up another energy wall. More arrows got through this time.
Lilian dropped to the ground, an arrow protruding from her shoulder. Brighton had one arrow in his chest and one in his arm.
Adri and Michaela kept firing with deadly accuracy. As soon as a Dark One showed himself he was greeted by a well-aimed arrow. One woman slowly snuck through the undergrowth until she was almost behind the defenders. From where Lilian was lying on the ground she spotted the attacker. Her hand lifted and a black energy link slammed into the woman’s head. Lilian killed her instantly.
Adri missed with her next shot but Mischief surprised the man from behind. His head was separated from his body in an instant.
Two more arrows flew out of the woods towards them. Brighton knew if he let more energy from the forest flow through his body it would kill him. Instead, he used what energy he had left in his body and threw up a defensive barrier again. He saw the two arrows drop out of the sky just before his world went black.
Brighton slowly came to. He opened his eyes. The sun was at its highest in the blue sky. He turned his head slightly. Lilian was on a bed of grass next to him, her eyes closed. He tried to sit up but gentle hands kept him on his back.
‘Lie still,’ a voice said softly.
‘Lilian?’ he asked.
‘We’re all fine. Lilian too. She is just sleeping,’ Adri replied.
Joshua’s head came into his field of vision.
‘I’m glad to see you’re still with us,’ he said cheerfully.
‘Nice to see you too,’ Brighton replied.
Michaela brought a water skin.
‘Sit up, drink some water,’ she instructed.
Brighton sat up but didn’t take the water. He leaned over and put his hand on Lilian’s chest. She was breathing evenly.
Adri said, ‘Her injury was only slight. She stayed up all night to watch you but finally succumbed to exhaustion a while ago. I’m glad she’s sleeping now so don’t wake her please.’
Brighton nodded and took the water skin.
He dran
k slowly; everything in his body seemed to hurt.
‘What happened after I blacked out?’ he asked.
Michaela answered.
‘Somehow the arrows slowed down a lot before they got to us. The wounds are all rather shallow except the one in your arm. Joshua fought off another four Dark Ones with his spear, Adri and I kept shooting, Lilian killed two more and Mischief must have gotten the rest.’
Brighton nodded.
‘I threw up an energy barrier in the air, that’s what slowed the arrows down.’
Michaela threw her arms in the air.
‘I told you it was him!’ she said to Joshua. ‘You owe me a kiss.’
The young man awkwardly bent towards her and gave her a little peck on the cheek. Michaela put her hands on her hips and frowned at him.
‘A proper kiss,’ she said and pouted her lips.
Joshua looked at Brighton for assistance but instead the slightly older man said, ‘If you lost a bet you have to pay up.’
Joshua leaned over and lightly pressed his lips onto Michaela’s.
He quickly stepped away, face reddening fast.
‘If I won the bet you would have owed me a kiss,’ he said.
‘I know,’ Michaela beamed. ‘There was no way I could lose!’
‘Looks to me like you both won,’ Lilian said from behind Brighton.
‘Lily, you’re awake!’ Brighton said as he turned to her.
She sat up and hugged him fiercely.
‘I was just tired; you were the one that was injured,’ she said without letting him go.
The small wound in her shoulder hurt a lot but she tried not to show it.
‘Let’s see your wounds,’ she said as she opened his shirt and removed the bandages.
There was only a slight red mark on his shoulder and nothing on his chest. Joshua’s eyes went wide.
‘I pulled two arrows from you and dressed the wounds! How is this possible?’ he exclaimed.
‘It’s my instinct,’ Brighton replied. ‘As soon as my body was ready to get more energy from the forest my instinct took over. My body automatically got enough energy to heal the wounds.’
Joshua didn’t understand fully, but decided not to ask any more questions.
Brighton pulled Lilian’s blood soaked dress open slightly to look at her shoulder. The wound was not deep. He put his hand over it and let some energy flow into her shoulder. When he took his hand away the wound was gone.
‘Come, your turn,’ Brighton said to Joshua.
‘No thank you,’ the young man said. ‘I’ll heal the normal way. Besides, it’s only a scratch.’
‘Big baby,’ Michaela teased him.
‘Tease me again and I’ll tickle you,’ he threatened.
‘Promise?’ Michaela said slowly, trying to hide a smile.
Joshua answered by trying to grab her but she was already running. He chased after her into the bushes. A lot of giggling and laughing came from the woods.
‘Great, now I have more children to look after,’ Adri said rolling her eyes.
‘I’m guessing you two are going to vanish into the woods as well leaving me to do the cooking,’ she said to Brighton and Lilian, fists on her hips.
‘Adri, we’ve offered to cook often. You always refuse,’ Brighton said, a little surprised.
‘I’m just teasing you,’ Adri laughed. ‘I’ll go get those two love birds just now and we’ll get some lunch ready. You rest a while longer.’
Adri started gathering wood.
Lilian leaned close to Brighton.
‘I’m glad she is not jealous of the happiness Michaela has found. Hopefully she will also find someone.’
Brighton nodded, deep in thought.
‘What are you thinking my love?’ Lilian asked.
‘I was wondering who attacked us with the energy link,’ Brighton answered.
Lilian frowned.
‘Not Richard?’ she asked.
‘No, I didn’t recognize the energy; it had to be one of the Supremes’ children. Richard is still alive and he knows how to attack us. He almost succeeded. I think this was a test to see if his tactic would work.’
‘That’s bad news,’ Lilian said worriedly.
Brighton nodded and said, ‘We have to strengthen our defences and I have an idea how.’
Lilian started asking what he had in mind but Joshua and Michaela returned to the camp, their clothes and hair full of grass.
‘I don’t think I’m going to ask them what they were doing,’ Brighton whispered to Lilian.
He called Joshua over and asked, ‘Why did the Dark Ones follow you back here? They don’t know you.’
Joshua didn’t take any offense at the question; he knew he should have been more careful and observant.
‘Richard apparently made a rule that everybody had to be with at least two other people known to them. That way there are always two people that can vouch for a person. I didn’t notice this until it was too late. They spotted me alone in the streets and I ran. I’m sorry; I will do better next time.’
Brighton waved off the apology.
‘Not your fault. I should have expected Richard to take precautions. He knows I’m coming for him. We have to be ready for the next attack.’
He called Adri over.
‘I have an idea but you might not like it,’ he said to all of them, mostly to Lilian.
‘Well, let’s hear it and then we can decide,’ Joshua suggested.
‘I can transfer energy into any object; this is how my arrows can travel so much further than others. If I can transfer an energy shield into your spear and bows, you could use that to block further attacks from Richard or other Dark Ones who can use the energy link. That way I will be free to attack and destroy them.’
Lilian frowned.
‘It sounds like a good idea, which is the part we won’t like?’
‘We need to test it,’ Brighton said flatly.
Only Lilian realized what he was suggesting.
‘NO! I can’t do that!’ she protested.
‘Do what?’ Joshua asked.
Brighton answered.
‘I will create the shield, Lilian will try and break through it with her talent. She won’t be taking any energy from you, simply trying to establish a link.’
Lilian put her hand on his shoulder.
‘Bri, please don’t ask me to do this. You know I hate using the talent,’ she begged him.
‘My love, if I had another idea I would try that first but I don’t. This could work and we need to strengthen our defences. We barely escaped with our lives last night.’
Lilian nodded slowly. She knew he was right.
Brighton turned to Joshua.
‘Are you willing to try?’ he asked.
Joshua nodded and fetched his spear.
Brighton took the spear in both hands and concentrated on it. Energy flowed from him into the wood. He handed the spear back to Joshua.
‘It’s warm,’ Joshua said.
‘It’s the energy you’re feeling. If I put any more into it, the spear will go up in flames. It’s a good way to know when the temporary energy is spent, the spear will be cold,’ Brighton explained.
‘Hold the spear in front of you,’ he instructed Joshua and nodded to Lilian.
She slowly lifted her hand. Nothing happened.
‘Bri, I can’t do it,’ she said.
‘Please my love, we need to test this,’ he said softly.
‘No, you’re misunderstanding. I am unable to call my talent forth. It’s like I don’t have it anymore,’ she explained dropping her arm.
Brighton was confused.
‘Your talent is gone? How can that be?’ he asked.
‘I don’t know,’ she replied.
She lifted her hand again. Still nothing happened.
Joshua put the spear against a tree.
‘What does this mean?’ he asked.
Brighton scratched his chin.
‘I think I know.
It might have something to do with me healing your wound,’ he said to Lilian. ‘Maybe when I used my talent on you, it removed yours.’
Adri decided this had nothing to do with her.
‘You work it out; I’m going to make lunch. Michaela, please come help me,’ she said.
Michaela looked at the pile of wood.
‘Brighton, please light that for me,’ she asked.
Brighton pointed to the wood and instantly it was alight.
Mischief walked out of the woods behind Michaela.
Adri saw him and said with a laugh, ‘The quickest way to get that cat here is to mention food.’
Brighton’s eyes snapped to the big panther.
‘When he was born I healed him. In fact, I brought him back to life with my talent. It seems to have had a permanent effect on him. Dark Ones can’t sense him, just like me,’ he said slowly.
‘And you think I am now like you and Mischief?’ Lilian asked.
‘No, your wound was small, Mischief was dead. I think the effect will be temporary in you. For the time being Dark Ones can’t sense you,’ Brighton explained his theory.
‘This could be a big advantage. Keep trying to use your sense and tell me when it’s back,’ he said to Lilian.
Lilian nodded. She still could not use her talent no matter how hard she tried.
Brighton lay down on the grass again.
‘I need to rest a while. It still feels like a tree fell on me,’ he said.
Lilian lay next to him, her head on his chest.
Joshua decided to leave them alone and went to go help the girls with the food.
Chapter 17
ADRI GENTLY SHOOK Brighton awake.
‘Is the food ready?’ he asked.
‘Long ago,’ she replied. ‘But we decided to let you sleep.’
Lilian was just waking up.
Adri spoke again, ‘Michaela and I want to go bath in the river and fetch some water but Joshua won’t let us go alone. He won’t leave you unguarded either so I decided to wake you. I hope you don’t mind.’
‘Not at all,’ Brighton said with a smile. ‘How long did we sleep for?’
‘The whole afternoon, it’s almost time for dinner.’
Brighton noticed how hungry he was.
