“Hey, there.” She tried to sound as nice as she could.
Joey raised her tattered doll in front of her chest. “Hello.”
A chill ran up her spine. Sara much preferred Lee’s monotone interpretations of what Joey was saying over the eerie din of that button-eyed doll. She had never seen such a strange thing. Al had tried to explain it – how Joey attached part of her spirit to the doll and was able to manipulate the mechanics inside it to produce a ‘voice’. The Owah tribe apparently cut the vocal cords of any child born with the ability to become a Spirit Talker in order for them to become more in tune to the spirits that they were able to see.
Pulling a thin arm from under her woven tunic, Joey pointed off towards the North side of the building. “I am sorry to disturb you, but, they want you to go over there.”
“Who wants what now?” Sara pulled herself up from the grass, pulling her shorts down into a more reasonable position.
There was a slight teetering to Joey’s stance, something she seemed to do when she was nervous. She lowered her head and let her straight, dark hair fall over her downturned face. “The mirrors.” Her doll whispered, “They want you to go over there.”
What moisture there was in her mouth, was gone in an instant. “You mean the spirits?” She tried to laugh it off. From what she understood, spirits were just left over energy from a living being that had passed on. They didn’t have minds or intentions.
The little girl rolled her head to the side and pulled her shoulders up. “No, the mirrors – those are what we call the spirits who still have there souls attached.” The mechanical voice spoke with a meekness that suited its master. “I am very sorry, but they say it is urgent.”
Sara didn’t know what to say, or what to do for that matter. “Do you know why?” It was a reasonable question.
With a shake of her head, Joey hugged the doll so tight Sara was afraid the head might pop off. “No, I’m sorry, they won’t tell me, but…” The doll’s voice quivered as it whispered, “I think they want to show you something.”
Just the thought that there were spirits of the dead hanging around them that had conscious thought made her pull in her arms as close to her body. “Tell them it’s getting late and I don’t think I’ll have time to see anything before its dark.”
Joey nodded timidly and backed away. “They understand, but if you change your mind, look for the place where the forest won’t grow and the flowers never die. They call it the garden of the dead.”
Didn’t really make it sound any more appealing. “Okay. Thank you, I’ll think about it.” She put on her best fake smile, “Maybe we can both go there in the morning.”
Joey returned her own feigned look of joy, “Okay.”
Sara glanced to where Joey had pointed, over to the North of the building. Even now in the dim, purple light of the approaching dark she could see what Joey must have been talking about – the part of the structure where the forest abruptly stopped. In all honesty it looked like the trees around that whole side of the building were leaning away from it.
Curiosity got the better of her, “On second thought kiddo,” She turned, but Joey was gone, having disappeared as silently as she had come.
Sara rolled back onto her heals and wondered if she felt like a little stroll. She twisted her fingers in the ends of her hair…and then began to walk. Her sandaled feet were steady upon the ground, not wanting to give away her growing anxiety to even the spirits. It was hard not to think that every cool patch of air or rustle in the underbrush was some feisty little ghost lying in wait.
What am I doing? This is what happens when your stuck in the middle of nowhere for days on end.
The wind picked up gently as she approached the North clearing and she caught a light, delicate scent. She raised her head in the air to smell the sweet perfume again, and there it was, growing stronger as she advanced. Under her feet the sparse blades of grass began to thicken with each passing step until they became a lush, green carpet.
The moment she entered the clearing her head became light, in fact, her whole body felt energized. A smile managed to creep its way slowly onto her face as her eyes widened to take in the breadth of flowers, ferns, and vines that had exploded onto the scene. Every inch of the clearing was crawling in beautiful, rich foliage. Light from the setting sun danced across the shimmering leaves and illuminated everything in an unearthly light.
It was certainly a magnificent area, overrun with beauty…but, why would the spirits need to show her? She let her eyes track over every inch of the clearing, wondering what she was missing that she was supposed to see. She took a step back, widening her angle, but still saw nothing. A feeling she couldn’t describe passed over her – like invisible hands urging, pushing her around to face the building itself.
And then, there it was.
Overrun with vines, and covered in seals was a grave. She looked around again at the magical landscape that surrounded her and understood. No one else could see the beauty of the garden of the dead - it was shrouded in illusion.
She turned her attention back towards the grave and stepped forward, holding her breath against the heavy, fragrant air.
She dragged her hand over the intricate seals, most she had never seen before. Her hand moved along the aged and weathered stone, pulling at the vines to reveal the name carved beneath them.
“Don’t.” Joey’s small voice spoke calmly, but firmly from behind her.
Her heart jumped into her throat and she fell back a step.
“They say not to disturb the grave.” Joey walked up beside her looking around the space, but Sara could tell by her unassuming face she saw nothing but the darkening forest around them.
“Her name was JoAnna, they say. She was Skyden’s mother.”
An emotion that felt a lot like grief overcame her as she stared down at the stone. “What did they want to show me?”
Joey stood there, looking up with those big brown eyes. “She wants Sky to wake up.”
Sara’s heart dropped. “Well, tell her we all do.”
“She says there is a stone, here – it’s what gives this place its energy. You need to find it and take it to him.”
“A stone?” She looked around the garden. There were lots of stones scattered about, but none that stood out. “I don’t see…” No, she didn’t see, but she could feel it. She had felt it the moment she had crossed the threshold into the garden.
She wandered away from the grave, towards the stone wall. Letting the energy surround her. “It’s here.” She looked down at her feet. “Under the ground.” Sara knelt and placed her hand to the damp earth. The grass was cool, but underneath, she could feel the heat radiating up, pulsing from deep underground. “How do I get it?” She dug her fingertips into the soft earth.
“I can handle that part.” Joey chimed in. “You say it is here?” She placed her small hand next to Sara’s.
“Yeah, I don’t know how deep though.”
“Don’t worry.” Joey stood and spread out her arms. The wind around them picked up, whipping through the trees and bending the flowers.
Sara inhaled sharply as she saw the golden tendrils that came floating in on the wind, riding up to them and encircling Joey in a gilded tornado until disappearing into the ground beneath their feet.
“Voax,” Joey explained as the wind died down and the air became still. “One of my great guardian spirits. He will retrieve the stone.”
She just nodded, still a bit blown away over what she had just seen. “Okay.” Was all she could think of to say.
It wasn’t long before she felt the rumble under her toes.
“He has found it.” Joey smiled and without any other sign or glorious display a small stone shot out of the earth and into her outstretched hand. “Take it to him.”
Sara took the stone from Joey’s hand. It was heavier then it looked, and she couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped her lips as an inexpressible sensation overtook her. A cold energy sized her
body before rushing into her head.
“Sara.” The tinny voice of Joey cut through her revelations.
“Joey.” She whispered, “What is this stone?”
“They call it the Sage Stone, but that is all they say.”
Sara clutched it to her, feeling high and mighty she let the biggest smile she had ever smiled reach across her face. “This will wake him up for sure. Tell her that. Tell JoAnna” She looked down to Joey. “Tell her not to worry, okay.”
Joey nodded with a soft smile. Something off to the right must have caught her eye and she looked toward the forest. “She knows.”
Sara waved her a farewell as she ran off towards the back gate, grasping the stone tightly in her hand. She could do this. She could bring Sky back.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
He felt so helpless sitting there. He stared down at the flat, lifeless imitation that resembled his best friend and kept a steady grip on a hand that might have well been made of stone.
“I’m so sorry.” Al whispered for the hundredth time. He didn’t know what exactly he was sorry for, he just knew that he…if he could take back every moment since they had started school he would have. There were so many things he would have done differently. So many things he would have said.
“It’s my fault.” He said into the darkened room. “I told you to go home that day.” He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he didn’t remember it so clearly, “You weren’t supposed to be there.” If he hadn’t gone home early that day, he never would have been involved. They might not have ever even known about the Man of Mist, or the Book of Nine.
“And you and Sara would have been taken.” Lee’s deep voice resonated off the bare, stone walls. “And the realm of the Living would be facing its greatest threat. Things happen for a reason Allen, I do believe that.”
Al shook his head, “Why doesn’t he wake up?”
He could hear Lee step into the room, “He will. When he is ready.”
“No, he’s getting farther away, I can feel it.” Al squeezed the cold hand he held. “And even if he comes back…”
Lee placed a heavy hand on his back, “Believe in him, he needs our strength as well as his own.” He gestured to the seals and symbols that were written across the bed, on the walls and across Sky’s still body, “All the charms in this world are worth nothing if our energy doesn’t fuel them.”
Al stood, he had heard it all before. They kept telling him to be strong and he had tried, he really did, but what did it really matter when the cause of all of it was still out there?
Lee was right though. If it hadn’t been for Sky stumbling on the Man of Mist, he and Sara would certainly have been taken by now. But to just run and hide, it wasn’t just cowardly, it was insulting. Zeph assured them that his people would take care of it, but how could they? Al was the only one who could stop it, the only one who could find the Book of Nine.
“Lee…” Al gently touched the fabric covered in ancient symbols that lay across Sky’s eyes. “How bad do you want to go back to Archaios?”
“I do wish to return, but...” He said with reservation, “Allen, what do you plan on doing?”
Al turned around and headed for the door, knowing Lee would follow. “I’m going to find the Book of Nine,” He said as strongly as he could manage, “and I’m going to destroy it.”
Lee didn’t say a word; he just followed silently behind him as they wove through the dim halls to Al’s room.
“Your room is much bigger than mine.” Lee stated, looking around.
Al was quite surprised he hadn’t heard any protest from him yet. “Have you ever heard of the Path of the Mind?” He asked, crossing his room, a particular bag on his mind.
“I have.” He answered with slight reservation.
“Then you know how it works?” Al rooted around in the bag until he finally found what he was looking for. He sat back on his heels as he pulled out a wooden box.
Lee looked over curiously, “Yes. On Agon we often studied other types of telepathy, often to reassure ourselves that our form was the most superior. However, I always found the Telic version quite interesting.”
“Good.” Al pulled a locket from the box.
“Is that a link to your mother?” Lee asked while he watched Al closely.
“Yup.” Al clasped it around his neck and gestured Lee over. “Just to warn you, I’ve never done this before, but I’ve read that having a second will help with focus. That’s where you come in.” He sat Lee down on one of the tattered wingback chairs that made its stand near the window. “Just help me concentrate. I’m sure you know better than me how to accomplish that.”
“You think this is wise?” Lee sat stiffly in his chair.
Al sunk back into his chair, almost absorbed by it. He pulled at the chain around his neck and let his fingers find the smooth round locket at the end of it. “Probably not.”
Lee tried what looked like a smile, but ended up more of a grimace. “Allen, you can not really mean to do this.”
Al kept his focus trained on the shine of the metal, “I do mean to do this. I’m finding that damn book and I’m gonna destroy it.”
Lee leaned forward, most likely he wanted to reach out towards Al, but he never followed through, “You do not know the consequence of such action.”
“This isn’t going to stop, Lee. No matter how well they hide her, no matter how well they hide us, nothing is going to stop until someone finds that book and it might as well be us.”
“I just do not-.”
“You want to go back to Archaios, right? Back to REALM? Back to normal? This might be our only chance to make that happen.” Al shook his head, “Please, Lee.”
Lee sighed heavily, dropping down onto the bed. “I do wish to go back, like I said, but do you really think these Councilmen will forgive you for destroying their chance at taking control of the realm? Or have you considered what the other Telics might do if you do this to one of their last sacred artifacts?”
“I don’t care about any of that. Sky’s dying because of them, they’re ruining our lives, and in the wrong hands that book is nothing more than a gateway to destruction…so, I think I can take whatever punishment they have in store.”
“You are truly brave, Allen Kane. You have a warrior’s heart and a champion’s mind. A true hero.”
“I’m no hero. I just want to do right for my friends.” Al gave his most pleading look to Lee. “Will you help me?”
Lee stared down at the necklace in Al’s hand for the longest time. If there was breath in his lungs he did not show it. “All right.” He finally said. “I will help you find your mother.”
Chapter Thirty
She stood there, just looking down at him. Move. Just do it. She kept telling herself. But she just stood there. She wondered if she should get Master Zeph or Rintin, or his father or Al. She hadn’t expected that he would be alone and in the dark.
Sara took another small step forward, but got the feeling like something was pushing her back.
The sheets were pulled up to his collarbone, but were so thin she could see the bandage that covered his chest. That was there because of her – the result of her stabbing him without a thought for his safety. If she had been thinking, she would have realized that without the Furies power he wouldn’t have been able to heal. She swallowed hard and braved another step.
In her own defense she had been terrified. She swore in those last few moments when he was being sealed that the world had once again gone gray and she could feel the fabric of reality pulling apart, molecule by molecule, and the only thought in her head was to save her own ass and so she tried to kill him.
She backed up a step, not having realized it before. Sara pulled the stone to her chest and fought to breathe in a regular pattern, unable to grasp the thought that she had intended to end his life to save her own. That would mean the feeling that had been gnawing at her this whole time wasn’t grief, it was guilt.
“First time I’ve se
en you in here.” A silky voice floated across the room.
Sara wanted to turn and looked surprised at Ixanna’s silent arrival, but it just wasn’t in her. “I’ve been meaning to come.” She forced out once the silence grew too long.
Ixanna crossed the room with a grace not found in humans and sat beside the bed. She stared curiously down at him and moved like she was going to pull the seal across his eyes away, but let her fingers play with the few strands of hair that still clung to his forehead instead. “He never much cared for me.” She said, “I was never very affectionate towards him, so I can’t blame him.”
Sara inched closer, but didn’t dare stand beside the bed. She didn’t know what to say. This Iko, more then any of them, was a mystery to her.
“I wish I had treated him more kindly.” Ixanna whispered, mostly to herself. She looked so sad, almost desperate.
“He’s not dead.” It came out bluntly even though she had meant it to be encouraging.
Ixanna’s red lips quivered, and she gave an unconvincing nod. “I suppose not.” Her hand gently pulled the seal across his face away. “He just looks so much like his father.” She slid her long fingers down his unmoving face. “Maybe that’s why I couldn’t…” she trailed off with unspent tears glazing over her wide eyes.
“I, well,” Sara couldn’t let it go on any longer. “I came here to wake him up.”
Ixanna nodded solemnly, “I know.” She said and tapped gently on Sky’s forehead and smoothed back his hair, “Set the stone here, but only for a moment. The power will wake him, but it won’t accept him.”
She was dumbfounded to say the least, “How-”
“I buried the stone. Long ago.” Her eyes drifted off towards the door, “I felt it the moment you pulled it from the earth.”
“You knew about it?” Sara stuttered, coming up beside Sky. “And you knew it would help him?”
“I knew it could possibly wake him,” Her eyes came back from the door and bore into Sara’s cold stare, “But I don’t know if that’s helping him.”
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