The next step was open handed, making it more tolerable, but it started with feet together and then a sideways step. This was the first calling that he was aware of that required the movement of his legs and feet along with his hands and arms. He found new aches and pains as he struggled to add this next move. The next three steps were relatively easy to learn and memorize. Kade had the sixth, seventh and eighth practiced and memorized smoothly. The sun slid across the sky considerably as he closed in on the ninth move. The dragon was not getting any worse, but it was clear that it was not going to survive if this did not work. If this failed, he was out of ideas.
Kade planted his feet and readied himself for the final step. The last and final move posed no difficulty. He worked this over and over until he was sure he could do it in his sleep. Now, it was time to practice the moves without calling on the Divine that would be needed to activate the calling. He worked slowly through the first eight moves and then added the ninth, forcing himself to ignore the pain as much as possible. He completed the first run through of all nine steps without a mistake. Although a little of the Divine was drawn on during the calling, it was not until the very last move that one drew on the full power and completed the calling by intoning the word for strength. If he made a mistake during the calling, he may escape with a minor injury or setback. One never knew until it happened, but generally, the more Divine that was involved, the more disastrous the consequence.
Kade wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, leaving a streak of black. He calmed himself as much as possible and tuned out everything except the calling, just like Zayle had taught him. His beloved teacher had always told him that his focus was his greatest strength, yet at the same time, it was one of his greatest weaknesses. Kade paused, thinking on this. He shook his head, not seeing how it could be both good and bad. Chastising himself for letting his mind wander, he turned his attention completely on the calling.
Kade called on the small amount of Divine Power he would need to activate each move and let it flow through him gently. He swallowed hard and began the calling. The first couple of moves were not too difficult and the golden trails left through the air were flawless as the symbols took shape. He slowed slightly for the third move but performed it perfectly while dreading the next. Sliding into the forth step, he spread his arms, and then, in an act of defiance against the pain, clenched his hands so tightly that his nails dug into the burnt flesh of his palms. More blood dripped from his fingers. So much so, that the drips were on the verge of turning into a trickle. He ignored it and focused on the next. The Divine was paying close attention to his movements as it eager awaited the Chosen’s command.
He opened his hand, and when he needed to step, he stepped hard, forcing his muscles to do what he wanted them to do instead of the slight cringe or the temptation to collapse that they preferred. The sixth step was a relief as the movement was fairly easy. Sliding into the seventh, he forced himself not to rush. Pivoting, he turned slightly and moved his hands in opposite directions as though he were stretching a band. The eighth move was smooth, but as he glided into the ninth move, sweat started to drip into his eyes, causing them to sting from the soot. His focused waivered slightly but he quickly recovered, called on the Divine Power fiercely and intoned the word strength…or attempted to intone the word, but instead, rasped the word out in a croak. He panicked, realizing his error. He had not practiced speaking. Was it enough? His throat was raw from the heat and the soot he had inhaled.
Kade felt the power pulsing slowly…at first. And then, within seconds, it increased dramatically, making Kade feel as if a hundred electric eels were shocking each and every muscle. He threw his head back and howled in pain. Every ache in his body felt like it was magnified tenfold. He clenched his jaw against the torment, praying desperately that the pain would either relent or kill him. His teeth clenched so tightly, he feared they would crack and fall from his mouth. His chest constricted, threatening to suffocate him. The world spun, and just when everything was starting to fade, the torture ended.
Kade fell to the ground on all fours with a gasp, panting hard with specks of blood spraying the ground. He felt at any second he was going to pass out from the exertion, but he knew he could not allow it. He forced his vision to clear. As he turned his head to look at the dragon, blood dripped from his mouth to splash the ground. He must have bit his tongue, but it just did not matter.
Just a little longer and then fate could do what she wants with me, Kade thought.
He forced one knee up, planting his foot flat on the ground. He leaned back, preparing to stand and almost toppled over backwards. He grabbed the edge of the barrel and pulled himself up, wavering slightly. He took several ragged breaths and waited until his vision cleared. When he felt more stable, he stumbled over to the dragon. Through the pain, a twinge of hope made its way to the surface; a ray of sun after weeks of thunderstorms. It was something to grab ahold of.
Kade looked at the dragon, but something did not feel right. He listened for breathing and felt anguish for just a moment until the dragon took a shallow breath and then let it out again. He completed the calling for healing, and even though he winced at the pain, he was immensely grateful it was not as harsh as the last calling. The dragon breathed a little easier, but it was not much.
Kade worked his way over to the wooden shaft and gripped it with his blood soaked hands. When he pulled, his hands slid effortlessly along the shaft. No! he thought in despair, as he picked up a few splinters. This has to work. He bit down on one of the larger splinters and pulled it out with his teeth.
He grabbed the beam once more, but again, his hands just did not have the strength to grasp it tightly enough. He felt on the verge of weeping with exhaustion, frustration and desperation. He latched onto the desperation, ignoring the exhaustion completely, and grabbed the wood for all he was worth. Not noticing, his fingers sank into the wood with a crunch. Kade put his foot on the side of the dragon, and with all the might and will he could muster, sent a burst of strength, forcing his leg to straighten as he let out a yell.
Kade felt as though he were flying and then floating. He hit the ground hard and rolled, not putting any effort into stopping his tumble. The wind was knocked out of him as he landed with the piece of wood still in his grip. His ribs protested as he breathed. He spit blood and chuckled slightly, thinking, what are a few broken ribs to add to the rest. He felt a sense of giddiness as the world spun. The ground felt odd against his cheek as he sucked in dust.
Kade rolled onto his back to get his mouth out of the dirt and stared up at the sky. His mind cleared, and he smiled slightly as he thought to himself, see fate, I can beat your odds. He chuckled again and quickly stopped, overwhelmed with the pain in his chest. He turned his head and saw that he had landed at least thirty feet from the dragon. Rayden was bleeding freely from his wound now that the spear was removed.
“Oh no you don’t,” Kade croaked as he tried to get onto his knees. The first attempt caused him to roll onto his back, but his next attempt put him up on all fours. He tried to stand but pain lanced through his hips. He was afraid he may have broken his pelvic bone.
Kade put his head down and started to crawl, focusing on making sure to keep moving forward. The dry ground, mixed with his blood, caused mud to cake on his hands. Soon, he felt a bump on his head and looked up to see a flow of crimson liquid running down the dragon’s side. He placed his hand on Rayden and slid up, putting most his weight on the leg that hurt the least. He stood and called on the Divine Power. He could not feel the dragon breathing, but he knew the spark of life was still there. It had to be. He let the healing flow, and it sank into the dragon’s flesh. It seemed to take hold. He performed it again and could have sworn the blood had stopped flowing, but everything was a blur as the world began to spin. He called on the Divine Power over and over, fighting to keep from passing out. By now, he was performing almost blind, as blackness crept over him. Desperation threatened to overwhelm hi
m as he called on the Divine Power….or tried to call on it as he hit the ground and was out.
Kade could hear muffled sounds, and surprisingly, his mind was just barely clear enough for him to remember some of what had transpired. He fought to drag himself out of the dream world and into the waking world. He wanted to leave the nightmares of monsters and burning buildings behind.
Kade forced his eyes to open just a sliver. The light helped fade the dreams, but exhaustion and pain throughout his body made it difficult to want to wake fully. Through blurred vision, he was able to barely make out a huge mound not more than ten feet away. It rocked slightly as it reached to scratch at its back. For some reason he could not quite put his finger on, seeing this caused immense satisfaction. His body was starting to let him know just how badly it was injured when blackness called out for him once again. He let it come, eager to escape the pain that was steadily building. A single tear leaked out of the corner of his eye and slid down his face to drop onto the dry, dusty ground. The nothingness took him away.
The sound of crickets chirping near his ear slowly dragged Kade from sleep. The air was cool and crisp with none of the feel of the heat that he remembered. His mind felt like it was wading through molasses, as it slowly fought to organize itself. A cool breeze blew across his face, and he welcomed it.
Forcing his eyes open just a crack, he could not see much as it was a very dark night without one of the two moons to light the sky. He tried to get his vision to clear, but it was a losing battle. His mind started to fall back into the abyss, but just before he crossed over into the world of dreams, he felt the ground thud, as though something large had dropped down almost right on top of him. His mouth quirked ever so slightly in what might have been the faintest of smiles, as he eagerly went with the dark once again.
A slight nudging on his shoulder brought Kade back to the waking world once more. It was every few seconds and would be followed by rapid breathing, as though something large were trying to catch a scent. Every so often it would huff in frustration and the process would start again. The nudge would send pain shooting into his brain, dragging him further and further from that comforting abyss. Opening his eyes, he stared directly into a huge, golden disc that blinked back at him.
“My friend,” Kade tried to say, but no sound came out. His mouth was as dry as a desert. He tried to swallow but his throat was not able to work up enough moisture. He did his best to wet his lips, but his swollen tongue felt like leather. His cracked lips were not much better.
Breathing in slowly and deeply, he refocused on the dragon and smiled the best he could. Unfortunately, it only served to show how much torment he had been through. The emaciated image did not instill comfort. The dragon let out a quiet whine as it continued to check over its friend. Kade slowly lifted his hand and brought it to the dragon’s muzzle. He might not be able to talk, but he knew this would communicate what he needed. He felt an odd sensation on the lower half of his body. It was cool. He looked down at his legs, surprised to see that they were half submerged in a shallow stream.
With a considerable amount of effort, Kade turned so he was facing the water. He attempted to cup his hand and bring it to his mouth, but most of the life giving liquid ran out. Still, he was able to moisten his lips enough to soften the skin. He did this several times until his throat was not so dry and his tongue moved without sticking to the roof of his mouth. Wiping his face with water also helped him wake a little faster.
Kade put his lips into the water, drinking deeply. At that moment, the water was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted in his entire life and he could not resist gulping, but unfortunately, his stomach retched hard, rejecting most of what he had drank. He took a few seconds while staring at his reflection to compose himself. He wiped his mouth and drank again, but this time, more slowly. He fought the urge to gulp. As the liquid worked its way down his throat and into the pit of his stomach, he was able to trace its path every inch of the way. He closed his eyes and savored the clean, cool flavor. He could feel the life in him returning by the second.
Submerging his face completely in the water, he sat there for several long moments, allowing the cold to wash over him. The burns on his face and hands were not as bad as he remembered, but still, the cooling water felt good. He lifted his head, took a deep breath and then plunged it beneath the surface, swishing back and forth to clean the soot from his face and hair. Almost losing his balance, he decided he had had enough. Just as he was moving back from the water, he saw his reflection again and froze. If he did not know it was his image staring back at him, he would not have recognized the person in the water. The growth of hair, the shallow cheeks and the sunken eyes sent a chill through him. The burnt hair did not help the image either. He wondered how much soot and ash, along with blood, had been on his face before he had plunged it into the water. His eyebrows were just starting to grow back. His skin was pasty white from severe malnourishment. Not wanting to see the image any longer, he splashed it away into ripples.
A grunt caught his attention, and he turned to see the dragon watching him anxiously. Getting to his knees slowly and carefully, he felt for any injuries on his body that he had not noticed already. His hips pulsed with pain, and the rest of his body protested against any movement, but it did not appear that anything was broken.
“You are the most beautiful sight I could ever hope to see,” Kade said in a whisper while looking up at Rayden. Still on his hands and knees, his head slumped toward the ground once again. He pulled one foot up and leaned back slightly, testing his balance. He slowly rose but waivered dangerously. After taking a few seconds to get his balance, he shuffled forward, wrapping his arms around his quivering dragon. He let his head fall onto his friend’s chest and heard a quiet rumbling that reminded him of a cat purring. It brought a smile to his face. He was grateful to be alive, and he had his dragon to thank for it.
Looking around to get his bearings, Kade recognized this as the stream that ran behind his cabin. He took just a few more seconds and then started in the direction of the burnt dwelling. His legs hurt furiously, and every step made him clench his teeth, but he kept moving, taking one small, shuffling step after the next. He looked over his arms and legs as he walked, seeing enough cuts and bruises to make him wonder why he was still alive.
Soon, the charred cabin came into view. It was almost burnt to the ground. Kade looked hard and saw not even a wisp of smoke. The fire appeared to have been out for days. A pang of sadness welled up in him as he recalled his incompetence that brought the home he loved to an end so quickly after becoming its owner. He chastised himself harshly. He closed his eyes and could see the bright bolt of lightning that had shot out of his outstretched hand. That image was burned into his memory, as was every step of the calling.
The pungent smell of smoke was still strong as he worked his way through the wreckage. Heavy of heart, he moved things with his foot in hopes that something of importance had survived. Everywhere he looked, he was reminded of his folly and it hurt. Despair overtook him as he stood where the den used to be. He cleared a spot where the chair previously sat and then slowly sank to the ground and wept. Tears dripped to the floor, making a small puddle. After a while, Kade stopped weeping and sat staring at the boards that made up the floor. His eyes traced the lines in the wood where his tears had landed. As the time passed, so did his sadness. He sat in the same spot for over an hour as he pictured the den as it had been.
As Kade prepared to stand, something caught his eye. What do we have here? he thought as he brushed away some of the soot. Rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand, he focused on the floor. One of the boards was not the same as the rest. It was slightly raised and half the length as those surrounding it. Kade brushed away the rest of the ash, and gripping the edges, pulled it up easily. Beneath was a small enclosure. Kade sat there and stared at its contents, wondering what new thing was about to turn his world upside down. So far, nothing good had come of anything he had found her
e in the den.
Kade took a deep breath and reached for the scroll. When he held it, he could feel the Divine Power pulsing through it and almost dropped it as if he had grabbed ahold of a deadly viper. He unclenched his jaw and slowly set the parchment down on the floor. The simple looking scroll, tied with one very bright, red ribbon looked harmless as it lay there on the ground, but Kade knew better. He shook his head at his folly for even touching it before using his Divine sight to check for traps. Angry at himself, he got to his feet and stalked from the cabin.
“Am I going to constantly bungle everything?” he raged as he walked away from the charred remains of his home. “Again!” he screamed with his damaged voice. “I could be dead. What did you see in me that I was worth putting up with?” Kade asked as he looked toward his master’s grave. “I know better, and yet, here I am, making the same incompetent mistakes over and over again!”
Kade yelled several more times to the heavens with his dragon nudging him as if to ask, “What?”
“I should have known to check for the Divine Power,” Kade said as he rounded on the dragon. “I am a buffoon. A complete and utter buffoon. If you knew what was good for you, you would run from me as fast as you can,” Kade said. The dragon stood still, patiently waiting for Kade to do what it was he was doing. After several long moments to give the dragon its chance to flee, Kade stalked back into the cabin.
Making his way to where he left the scroll, he stood looking down at it. Everything looked the same, no thanks to him. He took a deep breath and forced his mind to think.
“Now, use your head. Think,” Kade said out loud. “No more stupid mistakes.”
The Divine Apprentice (The Divine Series) Page 13
