Savior

by Laury Falter

  I remembered Jameson’s warning…to save my energy because I’d lose it soon enough. The Vires purposely created these prisons to sap us of us our abilities. I also recalled something else Jameson had said, and although he hadn't initially meant it as a warning, it certainly applied now. Vires are immune. They have full influence over their abilities. I drew in a sharp breath as the conclusion I struggled with surfaced:

  Vires are powerful here, we are not.

  The instant I pieced it all together, the door closed behind Jameson.

  I rushed for it, taking four long strides and yanking the doorknob back before I knew what I was doing.

  Jameson was exposed now, and it terrified me.

  “Jameson?” I cried out, but he was already gone, his strong legs having carried him two docks toward the heart of the village.

  I released a frustrated sigh. Turning my attention to the shacks across the way, where our families were staying, I focused on the bodies moving in the dark.

  “Mother?” I called out, receiving no answer.

  I gave it four more tries, randomly calling out the names of both my family members and the Caldwells, only to be met with the sounds of rustling clothes, creaking docks, and faint, terrified whispers.

  Suddenly, my focus was sidetracked as flashes of light began skimming across the water.

  Those are too big to be mistaken for lightning bugs, I realized.

  They slammed into shacks just down the waterway, igniting them, and propelling flames that claimed homes along the banks. Smoke billowed and screams reverberated all around, but I was frozen, trying to process everything that was happening around me. I stood motionless as reality slowly began to sink in - Lives, mine included, were suddenly in danger, and for no reason at all.

  Then I saw something that took my breath away entirely.

  In the light cast from the burning wood shacks, a wave of people headed for me, hundreds of them. They paddled their canoes or leapt from dock to dock, clutching their family stones, not realizing in their haste that they would do no good here. Their terrified shrieks echoed through the night, uttering fragments of casts as they fled.

  “Blind in night, blind in day, send these Vires far away, send them…"

  “Eye of bat, tongue of toad…”

  “…Watchtower of the South…”

  The casts being spoken began to blend with more authoritative voices, ones that came down on me like the lid of a coffin, suffocating, terrifying.

  The Vires are here, I thought, as I slipped the hood over my head; but I did not step back to the shadows.

  “Incantatio incendo!" they shouted repeatedly. As they approached, their voices grew louder and flames danced on the air in front of them.

  I stepped out of the doorway so I could see better, just as they appeared from around the bend in the waterway. A solid line of them spanning from bank to bank levitated above the water, as if it were a black carpet laid down to greet them.

  In the midst of the chaos, I studied the shacks opposite me, terrified of what I might find. Several were already on fire.

  “No…," I said under my breath, and then repeated it much louder, “No!"

  Although my heart had been racing moments ago, in Jameson’s arms, it was beating rapidly now for a very different reason. Anger pulsed through me as I stood there, unable to help, watching for any sign of Jameson, my family, or the Caldwells to emerge, willing it to happen. The rage was so concentrated it made me tremble.

  The wood planks beneath my feet vibrated, as the horde of people caught up to me. I turned just in time to see three people dart by; two younger boys following closely behind a lady carrying a baby on her hip. After that, the passing group became a blur.

  “Incantatio incendo!"

  Judging by their voices, the Vires were getting closer. I couldn’t see anyone, because the fleeing mass blocked my view.

  I searched for a familiar face but saw none, not a single Weatherford or Caldwell.

  “INCANTATIO INCENDO!” the Vires voices boomed.

  Through breaks in the fleeing crowd, I found the bayou was glowing. Nearly every shack ahead of the Vires’ path had been set on fire. Flickering yellow-orange flames reached into the night sky, sending taunting shadows swaying across the water and over the trees beyond.

  Last to reach us before the Vires, was a young girl - no older than ten. She stumbled, landing at the end of the dock; sliding to the ground and clutching her knee, she cried out in agony.

  Without thinking, I rushed into the crowd and managed to stay on my feet despite the people slamming against me. By the time I reached the girl, my right shoulder was stinging with pain, but I didn’t take the time to repair it. Someone else needed to be healed first.

  She caught sight of me from the corner of her eye and her head snapped up, trying to distinguish the person coming at her.

  Crouching down, I explained, “I’m a healer.” There was no time to elaborate. The boards beneath me shook so violently from the force of the fleeing crowd that one of them loosened. Leaning my full weight onto it, I hoped it was enough to keep it secure for the next few seconds. I placed my hand on her injured knee, hastily stating, “Incantatio sana."

  She was still staring at me, peering from beneath the edge of my hood, as I did this. It made me question whether it worked.

  “Incantatio sana!"

  “It’s better,” she confirmed, still continuing to stare.

  I sighed, wondering why she hadn’t mentioned it quicker. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

  She shook her head.

  That was all the answer I needed. Peering back over my shoulder, through the smoky haze, the figures of the Vires were beginning to emerge. “We need to move!”

  “I’m not worried…,” the girl muttered, calmly, as I hauled her up.

  Her next statement overlapped mine, each of us firm in our opposing beliefs.

  “You should be,” I told her.

  “…because I’m with The Relicuum.”

  As if someone had taken a sledgehammer and swung it into my belly, I felt a physical response from her announcement.

  It was full of hope.

  And I couldn’t help her.

  Only the feeling of the Vires coming up behind us kept my body moving.

  We leapt to the dock of the next shack, away from our oncoming enemies and in the direction of those who had fled.

  Had I been paying any attention, I might have recognized that none of them were visible any longer. There were no grunts or squeaking boards. The girl and I were completely alone.

  “INCANTATIO INCENDO!” was heard echoing off the trees, through the crackling fires, and over the top of the collapsing roofs.

  By the third shack, just as we were about to hurdle the water, I rotated my head to confirm the Vires’ positions. They were assembled several rows deep, advancing like a meticulously organized fleet. However, it was the two people in the rear, materializing out of the swirling smoke, who drew my attention. One was short, plump, and wide-eyed with apprehension. He held the arm of the other man, assisting him to hover over the water, because the cane he was holding was useless in the air. I recognized the one being held up instantly, even before my eyes could focus on his face.

  His name rushed to the forefront of my mind, shoving every other thought aside. “Sartorius…”

  Amidst flying ashes, flames, and smoke, he surveyed the scene with acute interest.

  At that moment, I realized what he was attempting to do…

  Flush us out.

  This awareness momentarily constrained my legs, just long enough to ensure they couldn't absorb my landing. I stumbled, flailing my arms to keep upright, my cloak wrapping around my legs, immobilizing me.

  I’m going down, I realized, bracing for the impact of splintered wood against my skin and, worse, for my enemies to catch up to me.

  Suddenly, I felt a hand slip beneath my forearm, helping to stabilize me.

  “I have you,” said
the voice next to me, on the opposite side from the girl.

  It filled me with relief…sweet, placating relief.

  Snapping my head toward the voice, while registering that it came from Jameson, I was exhilarated…until I saw what lay ahead.

  Nothingness - absolute darkness.

  “We’re at the end,” I said, unable to conceal the dread in my voice. “We’re at the end…"

  “I don’t see anything…" muttered the young girl. Her tone remained steady but curious, because she was with The Relicuum now, the person she believed would save her. Only I had no way of doing so. I was her last hope and I could offer no salvation at all. Feverishly, I began to search for a way out, a boat, a piece of land hidden in the dark, anything….

  Swiveling to my right, I found that we had reached one of the outposts, buildings that held weapons for the very situation we were now in. Hope washed over me as I ran for the door.

  “Wait!” Jameson called out from behind me, but I didn’t stop. We needed some form of defense, and we needed it fast. Inside the building was pitch-black, so dark that I stumbled into an overturned chair on my way through the door; but the flashes of light brought on by flames outside allowed me to find the swords and daggers mounted to the walls. I had my hands on one of them by the time Jameson was at my side.

  “I have another idea,” he explained.

  The resolve in my tone was unexpected, least of all by me. “I’m not running anymore, Jameson.”

  “This isn’t the time to talk about it,” he replied, flatly.

  Although we didn't agree, I knew he’d made a good point. However, it didn’t deter me.

  “They’re almost here,” I said, breathlessly.

  “Yes, they are. And that’s why we need to go outside.”

  While I registered his words, they didn’t seem logical to me. He hadn’t taken a weapon for himself and his agreeable tone didn’t indicate he was interested in fighting. A flash of light brought me out of my daze.

  Supporting myself against the wall with my knee, I yanked the sword from its hinges with one notion in mind. “This is going to be a slaughter, our slaughter….”

  Jameson’s hand came down on mine, stopping the sword from being dislodged.

  I snapped my head in his direction. “I’ve had enough, Jameson. They imprison innocent people and then attack them without cause. They force us to live in fear for our lives. They have enslaved us, all of us. I’m done running.” Our eyes met and with vengeance in my voice, I seethed, “We can fight them.”

  “Not today.”

  “We won’t live past today if we don’t.”

  “Would you listen?” he asked, exasperated. “I have a plan.”

  I blinked, not quite understanding his meaning. We were at a dead end, with no way out, and with Vires rapidly coming up behind us. How could he possibly have a plan?

  An explosion shook the outpost walls, illuminating the sudden intensity in his expression.

  “Outside. Now!” He said this in a way that left no room for argument.

  Once through the door, I caught a glimpse of the first line of Vires. They were a few yards away, wrapped in the smoke as it caught up with them.

  I had one question. Once again, my words competed with the young girl as we spoke at the same time.

  “Where is everyone?” she asked, shrugging in bewilderment.

  “What is your plan?”

  Jameson responded; his voice so deep and hurried that I nearly didn’t comprehend what he was saying. “Brace yourself.”

  His eyes turned to longing and concern then, and the words that followed sparked fear in me. “I love you,” he said, squeezing me gently on my forearms.

  My forehead creased in confusion. Why was he suddenly telling me that he loved me with so much apprehension?

  I didn’t have time to ask.

  Suddenly, I was ripped from his hands. The wind flew passed my ears so swiftly the sounds of attack diminished and my view of the village radically changed, becoming an inky smudge. After gaining my senses, I found myself hovering well above the bayou, staring down at a gloomy maze of impenetrable, thick trees and narrow strips of still water. A single yellow slash stood out in the eerie darkness, as if it were exposing the sinister underworld. But it wasn’t. It was the village…

  …where I’d left Jameson.

  That was the reason for his declaration of love. He hadn’t expected to come with us.

  The second these notions came together, fear absorbed me and I swiftly began fighting against whoever held me captive in the air. My torso rotated wildly and my legs kicked, trying to find leverage against anything they could find.

  “Shhh,” urged someone nearby, and I realized I wasn’t alone.

  Aware of someone else's presence, I was flooded with optimism.

  The girl who’d been with me was hovering to my right. I swiveled my head to the left only to find a vacant spot where Jameson should be. Beyond it, there were others.

  Hundreds of bodies forming dark silhouettes against the night sky floated nearby. I heard weeping and saw some attempting to stabilize themselves midair. Yet others didn’t bother fighting it, instead, choosing to focus on the devastation below us.

  In the distance, I recognized Oscar first, his massive body standing out in the middle of the crowd. Next to him was the rest of my family and beside them, in a group, hovered the Caldwells. Jameson was the only one missing.

  We were levitating, but I couldn’t comprehend how until I heard the person, who had shushed me earlier, speak again.

  “Quiet! He’s concentrating.”

  I looked around in search of the he being referred to and my eyes landed on the only person who still had the ability to levitate an entire village.

  Theleo hovered a few feet from me with his eyes closed. He had his chin down, fighting the pressure. As I opened my mouth and drew in a breath to demand he return me to Jameson’s side, I found someone blocking my view. And the profile was one I couldn’t have mistaken.

  “Jameson,” I exhaled, relief shooting through me.

  He gave me a victorious gaze before calling out in Theleo’s direction.

  “It’s safe. They’re gone.”

  At that news, we began slowly descending, our hair and clothing fluttering in the breeze. Some landed on juts of land protruding around the village, some on docks that remained intact, and some on boats floating abandoned in the water.

  Jameson and I, by coincidence or design, I couldn’t be sure, ended up on his dock, where we’d last seen each other.

  We stood still for only a second before embracing each other.

  “What happened to you?” I asked, my words being muffled in the curve of his neck. His seafaring, woodsy smell enveloped me. “I came back for you, but you were gone.”

  “No, not that. I can take care of myself. What happened when I was pulled away from you? Why weren’t you able to come with me?” I sounded upset, which would be an accurate description of my feelings at the moment.

  He slowly inhaled, giving me the impression he was taking in my scent…as I was drawing in his.

  “That was part of the plan. I’m sorry, I had to wait…” he whispered into my hair, stirring the strands along my ear with his breath. “We needed to be sure everyone was out.”

  I pulled my head back, understanding immediately what he meant. But it was Theleo, who now stood behind us, who validated it.

  “He stayed to ensure no one was left behind.”

  My eyes never left Jameson, a part of me, a strong part, not wanting to let him out of my sight just yet.

  “You put your life at risk,” I stated, anger finding its way into my tone.

  “I did,” he acknowledged, unashamed.

  “I’m…” I paused to determine my emotion. “…furious.”

  “I can see that,” he replied, a shallow smirk hovering below the surface.

  “At you.”

  “I know.”

  We stared at each oth
er for what felt like a very long time and then I exhaled loudly, exasperated. Just as I released my breath, he offered an explanation. Apparently, he had been allowing time for my anger to subside.

  “I had no choice-”

  “There’s always a choice.”

  “Not in this,” he firmly declared, his smirk disappearing. “Not in this situation, Jocelyn.”

  “Jameson is the Officer of this penal colony,” interjected Theleo, sensing a rise in tension between us.

  My confusion caused me to blink several times. “Officer?” I then pivoted my head from Theleo to Jameson, awaiting a response.

  Jameson gestured for Theleo to explain, which he did with an air of respect. “The Dissenters have selected one person in each province to oversee each penal colony within that province, to protect the imprisoned as best they can. Jameson is the chosen Officer for this one.”

  I stood back, dumbfounded. An Officer? Of this penal colony? “So that’s why you were the one who delivered the supplies here for all those years?” I asked, although it sounded more like a statement.

  “Yes.”

  “I can assure deliveries were the least of it,” Theleo added, implying there was far more responsibility to the role.

  Certainly what Jameson just did – nearly sacrificing his life for the rest of the village – was a clear example.

  “And that’s why you were gone…today…,” I surmised, out loud.

  “I was starting to establish a stronger perimeter around the village,” Jameson admitted.

  “So was I,” I muttered, still deep in thought.

  He chuckled under his breath. “Why am I not surprised?”

  When I looked up, he was grinning at me.

  Shrugging in response, I changed the subject, choosing instead to ask a question that was lingering in the forefront of my mind. “So, who are the Dissenters?”

  Theleo’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

  “No, I’ve never heard the term,” I clarified.

  He overcame his reaction to reply, “In that case…You are,” replied Theleo, plainly. “Rebels who oppose The Sevens rule. The Sevens have known for some time that you,” he stopped to correct himself. “They have known that we exist but only a few have ever been discovered and apprehended.”