The Trials (The Elite Series)

by Jonathan Yanez

  “Yes, it is, Kwon. Never thought I’d see you again.”

  “Oh my! And Morrigan, as well! This is such an honor. Master Zheng will be so glad to see you all. I must tell him. Please do excuse me.” The little man’s orange robes swished as he turned and his bald head was gone in a few seconds as he ran ahead.

  They walked through the large palace courtyard, where Connor and Zheng’s bloody battle had taken place, up the long set of stairs, and into the palace. The group couldn’t feel more out of place. Filthy couldn’t even describe how they looked and felt after surviving the fire, burying the dead, and then sleeping in the burned down castle.

  But Zheng ignored all of that as he came and embraced Caderyn, Orion, and Morrigan first, and then Connor. He was dressed like all the other monks, his amber eyes worried and happy at the same time. “Connor, you are most welcome to the palace as a brother. Are you well?”

  “Yes, but we need your help.”

  “You need not look further, brother. You have it.”

  “Thank you, Zheng, and you should tell your men that there is a dragon roaming your jungle, but don’t worry, he’s with us.”

  Zheng gave him a quizzical look, but instead of questioning, introduced himself to Katie and Miyanda. Looking at a worried Lu, he asked, “Would you like to see your mother and brother, Lu? Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, thanks, Zheng. I’d like to see them.”

  “Of course. Kwon will show you the way, and the rest of you, I’m sure, are weary from your travels. Would you like to shower and—”

  “Zheng,” Caderyn said, interrupting the lord of the house. “Before you become too inviting, you should know that the Council has been killed by Vercin, and by aiding us, you are not only allying yourself with us, but declaring yourself his enemy.”

  Zheng didn’t hesitate at all with his response. “Then we had better get to planning. It sounds like we have a war to wage. But even warlords need clean clothes and food.”

  Kwon showed them all to their rooms down the same hall. Connor couldn’t help but notice Lu didn’t enter his room, instead he followed Kwon to his mother and brother.

  “We’ll meet back in the hall as soon as we’re changed and go over the next step with Zheng,” Caderyn said to his son as he hesitated by his door. “I know you’re eager to take the fight to Vercin and find Laren—you have too much of your mother in you not to be feeling that way.”

  Connor gave his father a grin. “I’ll meet you in the hall as soon as I clean up.”

  The shower that Connor had that day was the best he’d ever had in his life. It was torture for him to rush through the motions, but he knew time was always working against him. Exiting the ecstasy of the bath, he found clean clothes waiting on his bed. Black hair still damp, Connor stepped out of his room and headed for the main hall.

  Hearing footsteps behind him, Connor turned to see Miyanda dressed in similar clothes; sandals, white pants, and a long, wide-sleeved shirt. “Connor, I wanted to catch you and tell you again that my people will answer you if you call on us. Not just because my grandmother was killed, but because you have proven yourself as the Judge.”

  “Thank you, Miyanda. I have to discuss it with the others, but I’m sure we will take you up on your offer.”

  Miyanda nodded and hesitated. “Do you think that Lupus, I mean Lu, will be all right? I’m worried for him.”

  Connor once again was struck with the idea that there were more feelings than mere friends at play—that Miyanda cared for Lu on a deeper level. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’ll need us, though. No matter how tough he is or pretends to be, any of us would need help if we were in his position.”

  Connor and Miyanda rounded a corner and were once again in the palace’s large hall. With the exception of Lu, everyone was already there. A feast had been brought for the group and was being put to good use as they sat waiting for Connor and Miyanda to begin the conversation.

  “There you two are,” Orion said.

  “Sorry, Connor. We were going to wait for you to eat, but…” Katie motioned to the buffet on the table.

  “It’s okay. Sorry I took so long. I thought I was being quick.”

  “No need for the apology, Connor,” his father reassured. “We were just informing Zheng on our current situation.

  Zheng smiled as Connor took a seat and reached for a peach. “First, I want to say thank you for sending Orion back with the stone so quickly. It’s safe once again deep inside the palace walls.”

  Connor nodded. “Of course. That was our agreement.”

  “Now that you are all cleaned and eating, tell me what happened and what our next move will be?”

  Connor started and with a few additions from Morrigan and Katie, was able to relate the entire story to Zheng. He told him everything; about the last trial, the return to the castle, and the trip to The Island. Miyanda didn’t flinch as Katie and Connor told about her grandmother’s death, but Connor knew she had to be feeling not only a huge sense of loss and sadness, but a degree of anger as well.

  “Now we’re here and we need to make a move. Vercin is calling more and more Elites to his banner and he already has an army of the worst kind after he freed the inmates of Karnag,” Connor finished.

  Zheng sat with his deep orange robes, fingers steepled, lips pursed in thought. “To defeat our enemy, we must understand him and anticipate his next move.”

  “He’s already killed the Council,” Caderyn said.

  “Vercin will move again quickly. When he is done calling as many Elites to him as he can, he will strike against the human world. With the Council gone, there may be a few that would stand against him, but with an army of that size at his command…” Morrigan shook her head.

  “The human world?” Connor asked. “You think Vercin will try and take over the world? He’ll make the Elite race known?”

  “Vercin did it before when he plunged history into the Dark Ages… he won’t hesitate to do it again. If anything, he’s even more dangerous now after his captivity,” Orion said with a furrowed brow.

  “So we make a move against him now before he can move against the humans and—”

  “Connor,” Morrigan said in a soft voice. “Seeking him out now would be premature, especially with the numbers we have. We need to make it known to the Elite race that you are alive and the prophecy lies with you. We need to show them that you have passed the three trials. If we do that, then they will come and we will have an army of our own.”

  “But Laren—he still has Laren. I can’t just sit around and wait.”

  Morrigan, Orion, and Zheng were all frowning, and Connor knew they wouldn’t let him go. “There may be a way we can not only rescue Laren, but at the same time, spread the word to the rest of the Elites of Connor’s survival and success on the trials,” Caderyn offered.

  All eyes turned to him. “It’s true a strike against Vercin and his army would be suicide, but a few may succeed where many would fail. Let me and Connor go to rescue Larentia Abelardus. We can do it quietly and quickly. In the meantime, the rest of you will spread the word, and Orion and Morrigan can bring those willing back to the palace. When we return with Laren, the army will be ready.”

  The table was silent as the group contemplated the idea. Flames flickered against the walls and the feast at the table now lay in ruins.

  “It may work,” Zheng said, speaking first.

  “I know I’m not going to stop two Judges when they have their minds set to something, so I’m not even going to try,” Morrigan said with a small smile. “Just be careful.”

  Connor broke out into a smile of his own and mouthed the words ‘thank you’ to his father.

  Caderyn moved his shoulder-length grey hair from his face and winked at his son.

  “So then it’s decided. We spread the word immediately and my father and I will rescue Laren.”

  For the first time, all heads at the table nodded in agreement. “We’ll leave tomorrow, Connor. I know h
ow badly you want to go now, but we need to find out exactly where Vercin is, and getting some rest wouldn’t hurt, either,” Caderyn said.

  Connor couldn’t argue with that. They couldn’t rescue Laren if they didn’t know where she was. “How do we find her?”

  “Oh my,” Katie said, speaking up for the first time with a mock sense of despair. “If only you had two sorceresses that could perform location spells.”

  “Perfect,” Connor said.

  “While Morrigan and Katie locate Vercin, I will send my quickest messengers to the remaining Elites who have not thrown their lot in with Vercin,” Zheng said, turning his amber eyes on Miyanda. “I’m sure your people would much rather hear the news from your lips than ours. Would you go back and tell your mother what has happened?”

  “Yes, I will go and my people will return with me. You can count on us.”

  “Okay, we all have jobs to do,” Connor said, looking at each individual in turn. “Let’s get this done. The faster we can, the faster we can take the fight to Vercin. Hopefully we’re in time before this war spills over into the human world.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Orion and Morrigan spent the next hour sending Miyanda and several of Zheng’s emissaries through the portal to the human world to spread the word of Connor’s survival, his success in the trials, and now his call to stand against Vercin.

  Caderyn and Zheng sat at the table discussing battle tactics and who they thought might come to their aid and how best to use them in the coming days.

  “Care to join me for a walk?” Katie asked Connor.

  “A walk?”

  “Yeah, you know, slowly move one foot in front of the other, usually around parks or nice scenery? You remember those, right? I mean, before we found out we were members of an Elite human species and got caught up in a war with dragons and zombies.”

  Connor smiled at his oldest friend. He had known Katie since they were kids, and now, despite everything that was going on around them, she still held her girlish wit intact. Katie brushed a long strand of blonde hair behind her ear and extended a hand. “Come on. Sitting here worrying isn’t going to do anyone any good. You have to wait until Morrigan and Orion are done before she can start the locator spell, anyway.”

  Connor took her hand in his and tried not to let his expression give away how comforting it felt to be close to her again, even if it was just holding her hand. The two walked outside to the palace courtyard and strolled through the large, perfectly cut landscape.

  The sun had just set and the air was still warm from its rays as the stars and moon took their places in the sky. They had the courtyard to themselves.

  “The last time I was here, I was getting the living daylights beaten out of me by Zheng.” Connor laughed, massaging his healed shoulder as a phantom pain reminded him of the fight.

  “Already laughing about it?” Katie asked. “Because you looked horrible when you came back from The Island the first time. You looked as bad as I’ve ever seen you.”

  “Yeah, that was rough. I wouldn’t want to have to fight Zheng again. I’m glad he’s on our side during all of this.”

  Katie nodded and the two strolled the grounds in silence for what seemed a long while before Katie asked, “What do you think will happen if Vercin makes his move in the human world before we can stop him? World War III?”

  “’In the human world,’” Connor repeated, “That sounds so weird. But it’s true now. I’m not sure, Kat. I’m not sure how he would start seizing power. One country at a time? With nuclear weapons? We have to make sure we stop him before he does.”

  “You will. We will. Connor, don’t worry. We’ll stop him. I mean if the athlete of the year and the head cheerleader can’t save the world, who can, right?”

  Both of them erupted in laughter. “Thanks for making me take a walk, Kat. It’s helping. I feel better already.”

  “No problem, and if you ever need anything, I’ll always be here.”

  The two had reached the end of the path and began their walk back to the palace. Connor knew Katie wanted to broach the subject of where the two of them stood relationship-wise. Katie was leaving all the right hints and pausing at all the right times. Her blue eyes, if nothing else, gave away her ploy. But Connor wasn’t ready to open that can of worms, not now. Not when they were so close to seeing an end to Vercin.

  “Well, we better get back.” Connor said. “Morrigan and Orion are probably done doing their magic gateway thing.”

  “Yeah,” Katie said with a sigh. “I guess you’re right.”

  They walked back through the main entrance and into the large hall. As Connor suspected, Morrigan, Orion, Caderyn, and Zheng all sat at the large table. The food and plates were cleared away and all that was on the table now was a large map of the world.

  Morrigan stood over the map, eyes closed, and her right hand extended. Red and Brown energy rose from her palm like smoke from a small fire. Morrigan’s hand shivered and she opened her eyes.

  “It’s not working, is it?” Zheng asked.

  Morrigan shook her head. “It seems as though Julie has placed a spell on wherever they are camped, masking their location.”

  Connor felt his heart stumble and fall in his chest. This was their only chance at finding Laren. If this didn’t work, they had no idea where to look.

  “Well, there must be another way. There has to be,” Connor said, trying to sound as optimistic as he could.

  “Not through magic, there isn’t,” Morrigan said

  “There’s still hope, Connor,” Caderyn explained as he rose from his seat. “As Elites gather here to see their Judge, they may know where Vercin is camped and where Laren is being kept. Don’t lose hope yet.”

  Connor fought back the anger and frustration. His temper had never been an issue before, but he could feel the blood rushing to his face. He knew his father was right and that everyone was doing all they could, but it just wasn’t good enough. Now, all he could do was wait.

  “Go get some rest, Connor. We’ll find out more tomorrow when my messengers return,” Zheng said in his soft, passive manner.

  “Come on, I’ll walk with you.” Caderyn motioned as he made his way to leave.

  Saying good night to the group, Connor followed his father down one of the many halls and to his room for the night.

  “I know it’s eating you up inside, but rest now, so when the time for action does come, you will be ready to give it all you have,” his father advised.

  Connor nodded. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Anything.”

  “How are you handling the transition since Karnag? I mean, you seem great and not like someone who has been locked up for eighteen years. If it was me, I think I’d go crazy.”

  Connor was right. Caderyn was looking better and better every hour. He was already walking on his own. His once dull brown eyes were transitioning to their normal light brown, and less bone showed through his skin.

  Caderyn looked over at the son he had dreamed of meeting for so long. “The same way Vercin stayed alive and sane all those years. He held on to hate and revenge to keep him alive. I held on to hope and faith that something would happen and I would be able to see you and your mother again. It was you two that kept me going. I had faith one day that I would get out to see you.”

  Connor realized that he not only had truly forgiven his father, but now he was learning to respect him as well. His father was a Judge like him, and a fierce one at that. But he also held values like hope and faith in high regard, a combination that Connor hadn’t seen very much of growing up.

  Thoughts of how his childhood would have been with a father present began to tickle his mind. Of who he would be now if he had had his father growing up. But things had happened the way they had, and unless Morrigan had a “back in time” spell, there was no going back now.

  They walked down the hall and Caderyn turned to his son as they reached Connor’s door. “Sleep well, son. Be ready for t
omorrow.”

  Connor smiled, and half of him even wanted to give his newly found father a hug, but not yet. It was too soon. He was still getting to know him.

  “I will. Sleep well.”

  Connor turned the brass knob and let himself inside. It was the same simple room he had stayed in when he was a guest the first time he visited The Island. The bed, although small, looked like heaven, but Connor couldn’t go to sleep yet. He knew he had to find Lu and see if he was all right.

  Although the two had their differences, Connor knew how hard of a time Lu was going through, whether he admitted it or not. It almost seemed unfair as Connor exited his room and walked down the dark hall. He had found his father and Lu had lost his on the same day.

  Worse, Lu had lost a father and his sister was missing. Connor massaged his left shoulder as Laren and her situation tensed him once again. Before he could start worrying about Laren for the hundredth time, he heard a child sobbing.

  It was faint, and coming from a room somewhere to the left. Connor opened a large door that led to an even larger room. The room had to be a library, there were cases and cases of books lining every wall from floor to ceiling. Torches lit the area in eerie shadows as Connor entered the circular room.

  In the center of the library, curled up in a ball on a red couch, was Reap. Reap sniffled as Connor walked in, his tear-streaked dull green eyes telling the entire story on their own. “He’s gone, Connor. My dad is gone.” This tiny outburst brought on another deluge of tears as the small boy sniffled. He tried to hide his face in his small hands, embarrassed to be seen crying by the Judge he looked up to so much.

  “Hey.” Connor took a seat next to Reap on the couch and put a hand on the boy’s small back. “Hey, buddy.”