She rolled over to check on Armand. He was sleeping soundly. This alone brought her peace. If Armand was okay, she would be okay. She tried to chase Zack Temba’s face from her mind and get some rest.
Chapter 9
After several days had passed, Adele convinced Armand that they had to leave the house at some point. The two went out for groceries. Armand was still a bit out of sorts. He was constantly looking around. Adele, on the other hand, had chosen not to live this way. She knew going into the very first meeting with Armand that her life was at risk. She knew that it was dangerous meeting a stranger who knew things about her. So when the resistance was started, Adele knew there was a chance she would be killed. She had to accept this in order to fully commit herself to it.
Adele suspected that death wasn’t what worried Armand. She suspected his pride was a bit injured. He thought he was a step ahead of everyone, but there were people out there who had played him by assisting in his riots only to use the new lack of government to further Biolance.
His pride and his dark, masculine features, next to her serene smile and effortless femininity, made them a striking couple. With her new, red hair, Adele noticed strangers staring just a little bit longer than they had before. She wondered if they had always stared, and she had never cared to notice, or if it was the dye. Either way, she felt confident and reassured, as if the imminent threat of their deaths was not lingering just above them like storm clouds.
At the market, Armand grabbed a basket and hurriedly threw essentials into it. Adele grabbed a second basket and filled it with sweets, wine, cheese. Armand had already gone several aisles ahead of her, but she caught up with him and he looked at her basket as if it annoyed him.
“Life is meant to be enjoyed, Armand,” she whispered, picking up a head of lettuce he had tossed into his basket and returning his look of dissatisfaction. His face softened and he met her eyes with a gentle grin.
After checking out, they walked home slowly, enjoying the sun and one another’s company. As they approached their neighborhood, they spotted a small, frail older man leaning against a tree. He appeared to be in his 80s. He watched Adele and Armand walk, a peaceful smile on his lips.
“Is that guy watching us?” Armand whispered to Adele.
“I think he is, but don’t worry. He’s quite old. What could happen?”
The couple walked past the tree where the old man stood. Adele smiled and nodded in his direction. The man approached them.
“Hello, Armand,” the man bowed, “and?” he looked at Adele patiently.
“Adele, and you are?” Adele returned his bow.
“Victor. How do you do?”
“We are fine,” Armand cut in suspiciously, “but what do you want? Why do you know my name?”
“Let me show you something,” Victor whispered, stepping back into the grass. He took a deep breath and lifted his hands above the ground. He moved them away from each other, and the ground parted before him. It was a small crack, but it was amazing nonetheless.
“Oh my god, how did you do this?” Adele gasped.
“I will tell you in good time. But first, I would like to speak with you both privately if possible. I was thinking you might invite me into your home for a cup of tea.”
“Hold on. How do we know we can trust you?” Armand replied, sounding mildly offended at Victor’s suggestion.
“I suppose you don’t. But after all, how many men have parted the earth just to get an invitation into your home?” Victor continued the same peaceful smile, knitting his hands behind his back and fidgeting.
“Okay fine,” Armand motioned toward their townhouse.
When they entered the home, Adele went to the kitchen to put away the groceries and prepare tea. Victor made himself at home on the couch, while Armand sat directly across from him in a recliner. Armand’s eyes bore into Victor. He was silent, but his distrust was loud. Adele returned with a plate of cookies and a tray holding three teacups, sugar and milk. She sat the tray on the table and attempted to strike up a conversation.
“So, Victor, tell us about yourself.”
“Oh, that is kind, Adele. There is not much to say about myself. To be honest, the matter at hand is quite pressing. Armand, you wanted to know how you could trust me. Well, I am here right now because I trust you. I am what we call a Keeper. You saw how I parted the ground earlier. I can do much, much more. I’m quite old and I never had a child or anyone to pass this craft down to. I know that I will die soon and there are few others who know they’re like me. I wanted to be sure I left something behind.”
“Why have you come to us today?” Armand asked, eyeing the man with cautious curiosity.
“If you’re asking why now, it was that terrible commercial on the television. I’m sure you saw it. That company is going to try and turn our society into robots or slaves. And from the looks of it, they are acting fast. But if you’re asking why you, that’s easy. As a Keeper, one develops incredible instinct. I was able to find you on that alone. That is to say, Armand, that you too possess the Keeper abilities.”
“I’m sure I don’t.” Armand paused and shook his head. “I have never experienced anything like what you did today.”
“Well I should hope not,” Victor teased, “You’ve never been trained. Rest assured, Armand, the ability is there and it is strong enough that I found you above anyone else in the country. I have no question that you would save the sanctity of our practice.”
Armand sat in silence, considering Victor’s words. He was a bit of a skeptic when it came to things like magic. Sure, he believed that there were aliens somewhere in the universe. He believed that there was artificial intelligence the government had been hiding from them. He was sure that there was so much to science that had been discovered, but never shared. But this seemed like a bit much.
Still, Armand could not deny that he had seen Victor part the earth with only his hands. Armand was well versed in what was possible. The hacker in him knew a great deal about technology, and the anarchist in him knew a great deal about how to fool people. He couldn’t think of any possible explanation for what Victor had done, other than magic. Further, he couldn’t come up with an ulterior motive for Victor, unless he wanted to kill Armand, but that did not seem likely. Adele had taught Armand a thing or two about gauging a person’s character. Victor truly seemed like a kind person.
“Okay, what would you want me to do, if I agreed?” he finally replied.
“We would need to go away. There is too much turmoil in our country right now. I am certain that we are being watched, even now. I think nearly everyone is, at this point. There is a safe place to train in the Black Forest. I would want you both to come with me. We would spend a time there training. The amount of time depends on how hard you work.”
“But why me? If Armand has the ability?” Adele blurted.
“Many can be Keepers. We will test your abilities too. I think you’ll have one, but if you don’t, it’s okay. Now is a time in desperate need of leaders. You will be very valuable in this.”
“Fine. We will do it,” Armand replied thoughtfully. A smirk crept across his otherwise serious face. He couldn’t believe this was happening.
Victor took the couple to the Black Forest by train. They tried to rest on the train, but Adele found herself waking up often. She had been to the Black Forest when she was a child. Her parents had taken her on a family vacation. She recalled the fun she had. They swam in the lake and went on hikes. They visited museums.
But Adele knew that the Black Forest was huge and doubted they were heading near the tourist attractions with which she was familiar. Still, her mind reeled, as she thought of the magic she was about to witness, and the fact that all this time, she had been so close to it without knowing.
When they arrived, Armand and Victor awoke refreshed. Despite her lack of sleep, Adele wasn’t very tired either. She was more excited than anything. Still, she knew that rest would have done her good. When they left
the train station, she made a point to stop for breakfast and coffee.
Victor led them deep into the woods and explained that they would have to hike up to a cliff. This particular hike was off trail, so they would not pass many other hikers. Victor also chose this cliff because the hike was one of the more advanced in the forest, so less people tried it.
They hiked for hours with few words exchanged. They stopped briefly to relieve themselves behind trees or eat a snack, but always carried on quickly. Armand recalled Victor saying that the amount of time spent in the forest depended on how they progressed. Armand enjoyed the forest, but he was competitive. He wanted to complete the training as quickly as possible. He wanted to be the best Keeper he could be.
Finally, Victor suggested that they take a break. He opened his backpack and pulled out two hammocks. He set up the smaller one, and handed the larger one to Armand and instructed him to set it up. Armand blushed. He had never been camping.
“How do I do it?” he asked sheepishly.
“I’ll show you,” Adele chirped, grabbing the hammock. She looped the rope around a tree and tied a tight knot. Victor watched out of the corner of his eye, pleased to see them working as a team. After their hammock was set up, he pulled a book out of his backpack and handed it to Adele and Armand.
“While we rest, let’s discuss this book.” Victor climbed into his hammock and laid back. The sunlight snuck out from between tree branches above, dotting his body with spots of warmth and light. Armand climbed into the bigger hammock and helped Adele up. They relaxed and opened up the book, each holding one side of the cover.
“So what is this?” Armand asked.
“I created this book for you. In it is everything you need to know about being a Keeper. There are rules, techniques and guidelines. While we are in the forest, I will teach you everything I can, but there will come a time when I am gone and you will need to ask questions. This book should have your answers. When in doubt, there is one important rule to live by. Always trust nature. The more in tune you are with nature, the better Keeper you will become. So when you find yourself asking the hard questions, try leaning against the wind, looking into the fire; try listening to the water or becoming one with the earth. If you can master this technique of presence, alignment and trust, you will never be without your answer. Now turn to page 10. There it talks about discovering your abilities. I want you both to read this section carefully. When you’re done, I want you to close the book, close your eyes, and practice relying on nature. When we are ready, we will pack up and continue on to the cliff. When we reach the cliff, we will test your abilities.”
Armand and Adele flipped to page 10 and began reading about testing their abilities. There were detailed descriptions about how it would feel if you had an ability, and step by step instructions on how to figure that out. They read silently to themselves, careful not to miss any details. When they had finished the chapter, Adele immediately took a deep breath, allowing her muscles to loosen, and closed her eyes. She felt the sun against her skin, the wind against her face. She considered the amount of moisture in the air. She took the time to acknowledge and accept nature. She trusted it, so even if there was a strong gust of wind, her posture did not change. She did not worry about falling out of the hammock, but remained calm.
Armand took a little while longer to loosen up. At first, he felt silly. Victor’s instructions had been so vague. What did it mean to rely on nature? After seeing Adele do it with such ease, he felt even sillier. He was meant to be a Keeper. He shouldn’t have such a difficult time tuning in with his surroundings. He chose not to focus on what should be, and focus on what is. As soon as he made this choice, he felt his body slip into a different state of awareness. He felt one with his surroundings.
Chapter 10
Once Victor sensed that both of his students had accomplished their tasks, he told them that it was time to carry on. When they reached the top of the cliff, they all took a moment to marvel at the beautiful view. Across from them were taller, majestic looking mountains. Below them was an ocean of trees. It was breathtaking.
The cliff was fairly small at the top. There was enough room for the three of them to sit comfortably, but not much extra space, so Armand silently hoped that no one else would come to the top of the cliff and spot them.
“There is no trail that leads directly up here, so don’t worry,” Victor said, noticing Armand’s expression.
Victor chose to trust that the two of them had absorbed everything they read, as they had not asked any questions. He started with Armand’s evaluation first. He simply asked Armand to see if he had the ability of wind. Armand did not ask any questions or hesitate. He simply positioned himself as described in the book and focused hard on the wind. Nothing happened.
They repeated this with earth. On his third try, Armand discovered that his ability was fire. He was able to conjure fire far more easily than he had expected. It was only a small spark at first, but considering he had never done it before, Armand almost didn’t believe it would work.
Upon seeing the spark, his body was filled with adrenaline. He had never felt so confident. In that moment, he shed the former version of himself and became someone new. The new Armand felt lighter and stronger. He felt like he could take on the world, but he no longer felt like he had to.
Next, Victor tested Adele. On her very first try, she discovered that she had the gift of water. Victor’s face lit up. He looked surprised for the first time. He and Armand clapped and cheered. She had never felt more proud. Victor did not bother to see if either of them had more than one ability.
“It is not important if you can control more than one element right now. What is important is that you master one today. Then, over time, you must master them all. Both of you. I am pleased to see that you each have a different ability to start. This will help you to train one another in the future. It is important that you keep our craft alive. And not just with the two of you. Find and cultivate the next generation of Keepers. You will need them to fight off Biolance. The book that I gave you has instructions on mastering the other elements. So let’s dive into water and fire.”
Victor spent the next 24 hours teaching them how to master fire and water. They stopped for a few hours to sleep in the hammocks.
“We don’t have any nets or tarps or anything to cover us,” Adele commented, concerned.
“Yes. That is by design. Before you fall asleep tonight, you must figure out how you could use your element to protect yourself, and if you are feeling very creative, also protect myself and Armand. Same goes for you, Armand. Once you figure out what you’re going to do, the next step will just be to do it. You may not ask any questions until the morning. You will find rest as soon as you have created a safe space for yourselves. Good night.”
Armand noticed Adele shivering next to him. She was trying to ignore herself, but the evening was chilling her. Armand conjured a fire next to their hammock. He was able to get it close to them without creating a hazard. He also managed to keep it contained to its own pit. Adele smiled, a look of pride washing over her face.
A half hour later, Armand had begun to fall asleep, but Adele was still unable to find rest. She hadn’t bought them any protection. She felt a huge drop of rain fall onto her nose. A few others followed. Armand stirred. He was still asleep, but was trying to swat the raindrops off of his face.
Adele concentrated hard and within seconds, the rain stopped. She laughed in amazement at her own ability. She had stopped the rain in the sky. It was incredible. She had never done something so important or valuable. Sleep came quickly after.
The next morning, Victor awoke, put out the fire Armand had set, and woke them up to see the sunrise. The three sat on the edge of the cliff and watched the sun come up in silence. Leaves around them rustled. Birds chirped. The sounds felt like hearing their own hearts beating, now that they truly knew what it was to be one with nature.
After the sun came up, Victor tasked them w
ith gathering breakfast. They were to find fruits or nuts or leaves that were safe to eat, and they were to do this on instinct. The two split up for this activity, so that they truly relied on themselves, and returned an hour later with their finds.
They dumped their harvest out for Victor to evaluate. They had succeeded. There was only one item that Armand had brought back which was not a good food source. It was a type of leaf.
“It is not poisonous, and it won’t hurt you, so technically, this is acceptable, but it tastes foul and it doesn’t have any real nutritional value. So we will skip this one today. But good work, both of you.” Victor distributed the harvest between the three of them.
They crunched on nuts, berries, seeds and leaves. Victor seemed to thoroughly enjoy his breakfast. Adele just wanted to get the meal over with. She didn’t dislike the food, but she didn’t enjoy it either. Armand didn’t enjoy the food, but he seemed to enjoy the idea of not enjoying the food. It was the grocery store all over again. Armand drew satisfaction from the idea that he could survive off the bare essentials.
After their meal was more training. They continued training all the way into the evening, when Victor informed them that he felt they were ready. Armand made for the hammock, excited to get a good night’s rest after their long day of work, but Victor stopped him short.
“Your last task is to make your way home,” Victor said, placing a hand on Armand’s arm. A look of wistfulness covered Victor’s face and his eyes were misty. “Go in the dark. Find your way back. Trust your instincts. Use your powers.”
“Okay, well let’s go,” Armand said, afraid of what would follow.
“You are a kind man beneath that tough façade,” Victor replied. “I must push you both out of the nest. You must go without me.”
“But what about you?” Armand and Adele both blurted at once.
The Great Keeper boxset: Science Fantasy Page 4
