The Heroes Fall -1- When War Calls

by Zy J. Rykoa

  Chapter Nineteen

  You and I move as one, so I call you friend.

  February 1, 997 R.E.

  Sunlight glistened off the stream as the two teenagers played and splashed around, swimming into the many rock pools and diving deep before coming up in the shade of the surrounding trees. The aromas of wilderness were plentiful, delighting the small company’s senses as they rested in the afternoon heat. They had travelled far since crossing the great river over a week before and were now approaching the first city in many miles, Ceahlin.

  Tarsha sat idly against a tree, not wishing to move in the heat. She had already swum for a little while, but decided it was better to rest her exhausted muscles, where she didn’t need to concern herself with floating in gentle currents. She was content to simply watch the two youngsters enjoy themselves while she contemplated the journey ahead and what she might do when they arrived at their destination. Unlike her homeland, civilisation was rare on this continent. For all their travelling, they had not yet come across a single village or city. She had thought she might have missed them on her way to Callibra, but now she was certain that Aurialis was the nature preserve many had said it to be, and that the cities scattered over it held such strong forces that they were able to protect and keep it this way.

  After spending some time in Ceahlin, allowing the Daijuar to do whatever it was they had to do there, they would move onto the next great city, Waikor, and from there they would move on to Corsec, the city that stood between the Alliance and victory over this beautiful and majestic continent.

  But the Alliance was already here, and now they threatened to take Corsec from all sides. That was why the company had travelled this way, and why the Daijuar were continually discussing the war’s direction with one another. Even now they were sitting in meditative positions some distance from her, never taking their eyes off Jaden as they spoke of his destiny and what they would do once they reached each city. They believed Tarsha was out of their hearing, and she had no trouble in letting them believe that. The Daijuar kept many secrets, and this was her chance to find out something more about them.

  ‘We may call for transport at Ceahlin,’ said Adonis.

  ‘They will take us to Waikor if we have something to offer them,’ Blair agreed.

  ‘The message must be sent.’

  ‘Word will spread. We need only show ourselves in Ceahlin.’

  ‘There are others in Waikor,’ said Adonis. ‘They will need to see one of us before they move.’

  ‘We must separate.’

  ‘I will offer protection to those in Ceahlin.’

  ‘I will continue to Waikor.’

  ‘What of the others?’ asked Adonis.

  ‘They will remain with me in Ceahlin.’

  ‘He still needs to be trained.’

  ‘He does not wish for training,’ said Blair.

  Tarsha turned her head slightly as if stretching it, and saw that Adonis was looking toward the rock pools. He then glanced over at her and she slowly turned back, doing her best to hide that she was listening to them.

  After a moment, Adonis asked, ‘How does one alter another’s desire?’

  ‘They must believe it is what they want.’

  ‘There must be a choice.’

  ‘Or no other way,’ added Blair.

  ‘His power must come forth.’

  ‘He must reach Corsec.’

  ‘We must separate them,’ concluded Adonis.

  ‘What of his training?’ asked Blair.

  ‘He may come to us, still.’

  ‘They act as if they have been in love for many years,’ said Blair.

  ‘He will not risk it.’

  ‘He must be encouraged.’

  ‘She needs to be in danger.’

  ‘How strong is his love?’

  ‘Let us find out. Woman!’ called Adonis, and Tarsha turned slowly to them. After being signalled forward, Tarsha stood up reluctantly and dawdled over to them.

  ‘Again, my name is Tarsha, Sentinel.’

  ‘Who is the girl?’ asked Adonis, as if he did not care for what she had to say.

  ‘Her name is Alyssa. I hope you show enough respect to call her by it rather than “girl” or “woman”,’ said Tarsha bitterly.

  ‘How do they know one another?’ asked Blair.

  ‘They are both from the same village.’

  ‘Another survivor,’ said Adonis.

  Tarsha nodded. ‘From what she has told me, she was riding through the mountains with her father before the attack. They both fled and had been travelling as far as they could when we caught up with them. That was her father that we saw lying lifeless near the scout.’

  ‘The boy saved her life,’ said Blair.

  ‘They are in love?’ asked Adonis.

  ‘I do not know,’ said Tarsha. ‘I think he loves her, but they are only now getting to know each other. In time, I think so.’

  Adonis and Blair exchanged glances.

  ‘It will soon be time for you to eat, Tarsha,’ said Blair. ‘You should find food before we move on.’

  Tarsha eyed them both suspiciously. ‘What are you planning on doing?’

  The Daijuar let their shoulders drop a little to show that they did not know what she was talking about.

  ‘Come on, I’ve heard you talking. What are you going to do to Jaden?’

  ‘We are here to train him,’ said Adonis.

  ‘We must teach in whatever way that we can,’ added Blair, bowing his head a little.

  ‘You are not to bring harm to either,’ said Tarsha strictly.

  ‘The Daijuar are here to protect,’ Adonis assured her with a comforting tone.

  Tarsha flicked her vision between the two of them, and then knowing she could say or do nothing more, she left with a “humph!” and wandered away, but not so far that she could no longer hear what the Daijuar were saying.

  ‘Jaden,’ called out Adonis, rousing the youth’s attention.

  Jaden swam quickly over to Alyssa and said something to her, then kissed her gently on the cheek before getting out of the water and picking up the Daijuarn vest. As Alyssa lay on her back, floating gently in the current, he walked slowly toward the Daijuar as he put on the vest. Once before them, he knelt and waited for them to speak.

  ‘We thought you should know of our plans,’ started Blair.

  ‘We must move from here soon,’ continued Adonis. ‘Once we arrive in Ceahlin, we must seek out the others.’

  Jaden nodded, but allowed them to go on.

  ‘Noviahn has asked us to take you with us. He wishes to meet you again in Corsec city.’

  ‘I understand,’ said Jaden.

  Adonis smiled. ‘She is a beautiful girl,’ he said, inclining his head toward Alyssa.

  Jaden returned the smile. ‘The most beautiful,’ he agreed.

  Blair stood up and excused himself. ‘I will find food,’ he said, leaving Adonis to speak with Jaden alone.

  Adonis nodded and then turned back to Jaden. ‘You are in love,’ he said, still smiling.

  ‘She makes the pain go away a little,’ he said, looking over his shoulder.

  ‘Ah,’ said Adonis in sympathy. ‘You still suffer from the loss of your home.’

  Jaden nodded. ‘I don’t know what else to do. She is the only one that can make it go away.’

  ‘The Daijuar can help you.’

  Jaden lifted his arms so that he could see both endobraces. ‘Releasing the energy doesn’t help,’ he said.

  Adonis laughed. ‘No, but the Daijuar are more than just powerful. We have an understanding of ourselves, and the world around us. Remember, we are a race by ideal, not by blood. Perhaps there is something we know that could help you deal with the pain.’

  Jaden shrugged. ‘I don’t want to think about it.’

  ‘There is no need for it now. However, if you ever feel that you need to revisit events lost in the past, remember my offer.’

  ‘I will,’ said Jaden. />
  ‘Good. We hope to move from here soon. Will you be ready?’

  Before Jaden could respond, Alyssa screamed from the rock pools. The gentle current had become faster and was now a rushing tide with so much water that Alyssa was being swept away.

  ‘Alyssa!’ Jaden cried out, racing toward her.

  ‘Jaden! Help!’ she screamed back to him, but already the current was overwhelming her, the rumble so loud her screams were barely audible. It was as if an entire dam had just burst further up the mountain, tossing her about like a rag doll as she was thrown under the surface constantly, bobbing up only briefly to take in what little air she could.

  Jaden was racing to her, but was too far away to save her.

  ‘No!’ he shouted in vain.

  Darkness fell then as if a cloud had blocked the sun, but a flash of light broke through the shadow with a powerful roar, and the air was filled with white light. Incredibly the flow of water changed direction. Alyssa was left suspended in the air as Adonis walked forward, pushing the water away from her with his endobraces. He signalled for Jaden to run behind him to get to her, and soon the water subsided and the stream returned to its gentle calm.

  Alyssa had fallen heavily and remained down, exhausted. Jaden ran to her and helped her upright.

  ‘Are you all right?’ he asked.

  Alyssa coughed a little, but nodded.

  Jaden then noticed the wounds she had suffered, a cut above her eye and some bruising already starting to show on her shoulders. The Callibrian garments she wore were torn a little, exposing much of her neck and chest. Jaden took off the vest he wore and put it around her, he then held her to him to comfort her.

  After a moment, he turned to Adonis and thanked him.

  Adonis bowed in return. ‘When she feels she is ready, we will leave.’

  Jaden nodded that he understood, and then he turned his attention back to Alyssa.

  Adonis wandered away to where he had been sitting, where Blair met him shortly after.

  ‘He has seen our power,’ said Blair.

  ‘Now we wait.’

  ‘His training will resume.’

  They were interrupted as Tarsha returned with some berries she had found, and then her jaw dropped at the sight of destruction that now lay before her. ‘What happened?’ she asked.

  ‘There was a flood. The Alliance must be in the area,’ said Adonis. ‘We should move soon.’

  Tarsha looked bewildered at the now water-damaged scene before her. There were puddles where there had been dry ground, branches and leaves ripped from trees, and grasses and small plants all pushed over. Before she could say anything more, Adonis was moving past her.

  ‘They are ready. We will go now,’ he said.

  Perplexed, Tarsha followed obediently, trying to make sense of it all as she did.

  Together, the small company travelled for the remainder of the day without rest. They found a comfortable rhythm in which to walk, and avoided the sun as much as possible. By night, Jaden, Alyssa and Tarsha all wanted to rest, but were urged on by the Daijuar, who assured them they needed to make up for lost time.

  As they pushed on, Alyssa had begun to drop in pace, and Jaden joined her so that she would not have to walk alone.

  ‘Does it hurt?’ he asked her, looking at the cut above her eye.

  ‘No,’ she said. ‘I just need rest.’

  ‘Me too,’ he lied. Since finding her, he had felt a lot better. Even the sickness didn’t seem so bad. He had started to believe that Alyssa was the cure he sought after, not the endobraces or Daijuarn healing. Just being with her made everything seem like it was going to be all right. There was a connection of a sort, something they both shared deep down that neither really understood. He would have thought that it was simply him falling in love with a beautiful girl, but now that he had spent time with Raquel and the Daijuar, he was guessing that things were not exactly as they seemed.

  ‘Do you remember the sharp movement we were meant to speak about?’ he asked.

  Alyssa nodded and looked at him with wide eyes, waiting to hear what he had to say.

  ‘I’ve had dreams about it since, but I’m not sure about it. What do you think it is?’

  ‘I’m not sure either; it could be real or it could just be in our heads,’ Alyssa said thoughtfully. ‘But we both feel it, so either we’ve both been poisoned or there’s more to it.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Jaden. ‘Have you had dreams too?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘How long have you felt it?’

  ‘I think always, but only strongly recently. You…?’

  ‘Same. Maybe something is changing in the world,’ said Jaden. ‘Have you heard the whisper on the wind?’

  ‘What whisper?’

  Jaden laughed. ‘Just me going crazy, I think. I keep imagining a voice speaking to me, but maybe it is just stress.’

  ‘No,’ said Alyssa softly, ‘I think I’ve heard it too.’

  ‘What does it say?’

  Alyssa began to mouth words but only made some audible, going through her memory for the words she thought she had heard, ‘Ice. Icy. I seek ... sense. I seek presence ... rue you. Through you. I seek presence through you. Go on while ... no, child, with you. I seek presence through you, go on, child, I’m with you.’

  Jaden felt a chill run down his spine, as if a ghost had just touched the back of his neck. ‘What do you think it means?’ he asked, doing his best to sound unaffected.

  Alyssa shook her head. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘Are you scared?’

  ‘A little, but I think it is safe, or I am going crazy, too,’ she said, looking at him with a faint smile.

  Jaden reached out and held her hand, smiling back, hoping to comfort her.

  ‘I almost jumped off a cliff, but the whisper told me I had to stay alive,’ said Jaden, now realising how glad he was that he hadn’t.

  Alyssa turned to him again. ‘You were going to end your life?’

  ‘I was not myself, the attack had ... I was devastated. I lost everyone. I didn’t know you had survived.’

  Alyssa was silent. She was looking forward, now seemingly in a faraway place.

  ‘Sorry,’ said Jaden, ‘I don’t mean to remind you, it’s just hard...’

  ‘I know,’ said Alyssa, squeezing his hand a little, ‘I understand.’

  Jaden could see the tears welling in her eyes. He knew she was thinking of her recent loss. She and her father had escaped, but only temporarily. Jaden had mostly evaded the Alliance scouts, but her father had not been so fortunate. Knowing the pain she felt all too well, Jaden stopped and embraced her. It took a moment for the others to realise they had stopped, but soon the two Daijuar were walking back to them.

  ‘Why have you stopped?’ asked Adonis.

  ‘We need rest,’ said Jaden, careful not to speak too loudly next to Alyssa’s ear. ‘This is far enough.’

  The Daijuar exchanged glances before nodding and setting about making camp.

  The forest had become thicker over the previous miles, making it difficult to find a place in which to rest. Despite Jaden’s protests, they had to walk another mile, with him half carrying Alyssa, before they found another stream. Blair lit the immediate area with his endobraces, just enough so that Tarsha was able to collect what firewood was available, while Adonis called for Jaden to follow him to gather more from around the area. Adonis led the way, keeping the immediate area alight as Blair had done. They kept the light low to avoid confrontation with any Alliance scout wandering the area, and used strong bursts only when they were needed.

  Jaden watched silently as Adonis scanned the area with the endobraces, sometimes using them to move rocks out of the way and clearing scrub. When they were almost ready to return to the others, Jaden paused.

  ‘You saved Alyssa,’ he said.

  Adonis gave a quick nod, but continued searching around the area.

  ‘I want to learn how you did that.’

  Adonis n
ow stopped what he was doing and turned to Jaden. ‘It takes years of practice.’

  ‘Can you teach me?’

  ‘If there is time,’ he said with a smile.

  ‘We have a long way to go,’ said Jaden. ‘You can teach me along the way.’

  Adonis seemed to consider the thought for a moment. ‘Do you have the dedication?’ he asked.

  ‘I want to be able to protect Alyssa.’

  ‘The Daijuar protect more than just one.’

  Jaden knew what Adonis was asking him and was thoughtful. In truth, he wanted only to know how to use the Daijuarn arts so that he could make sure both he and Alyssa were always safe from any danger, but to be trained by the Daijuar would mean he would have to abide by their code. He would have to use his powers to protect the innocent in wars as well as Alyssa. He began to think of what life would be like lived in such a way; being unable to call a place home, to be always needed somewhere, and to knowingly place one’s self in danger in hope of ensuring safe passage for others. War had already taken his home, so he was bound to no place. If he could be sure Alyssa was safe while he was away, it was a small sacrifice for being able to save her life in the way Adonis had earlier during the day.

  ‘I will do what it takes,’ said Jaden.

  Adonis seemed satisfied.

  ‘We will start training tomorrow. This is enough wood,’ he said, and began walking back the way they had come.

  But Jaden didn’t follow.

  Adonis stopped and shone the light back at Jaden. Jaden’s eyes were closed and he was standing completely still in the moon and ring light.

  ‘What troubles you?’ asked Adonis.

  Jaden began to sprint in the opposite direction, his own endobraces now coming alight.

  ‘Where are you going?’ called out Adonis, and quickly ran after him.

  Jaden didn’t turn to answer the questions. He kept on running as fast as he could, dodging through the trees that were lit from the left, then right and then left again his arms moved with his stride. Adonis had trouble keeping up, but always had Jaden in sight, and saw that he had stopped far ahead in a small meadow.

  When Adonis arrived, Jaden was tending to a chestnut horse that had been grazing in the meadow. The horse seemed to be comfortable with him, nuzzling at him playfully as he petted it, and both appeared to be oblivious to Adonis standing just a few yards from them.

  ‘Why did you run?’ asked Adonis.

  ‘This is Elijenda, Alyssa’s horse,’ said Jaden simply.

  Adonis eyed him curiously. ‘How did you find it?’

  Jaden shrugged. ‘I heard it call.’

  ‘I didn’t hear anything,’ said Adonis.

  ‘No,’ said Jaden. ‘I guess I didn’t hear it. I felt it.’

  Adonis cautiously moved around Jaden and the horse to the other side. ‘You found her in the same way,’ he noted aloud. ‘How did you know where they were?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Jaden. ‘Sometimes I sense what’s nearby.’

  ‘How long have you had this ability?’

  ‘Since the attack. Sometimes there are whispers. Other times there are movements. I can’t explain it.’

  Having nothing more to say, Adonis motioned for Jaden to follow him back to camp, Alyssa’s horse following close behind without needing to be led. Once back at camp, Alyssa ran to them when she saw Jaden with Elijenda. As she embraced the horse, Jaden smiled and moved away, giving her some time alone with him. Adonis offered him a chance to light the fire with the endobraces as a test of his ability. He failed several times before his energy pushed the wood out of place. Adonis repositioned it so that he could try again. His next attempt provided the same result, and Adonis thought it time to step in.

  ‘Imagine heat coming through you. The energy responds to how you intend it to. Feel it burn, there will be fire. Feel it freeze, there will be ice.’

  ‘What about the emotion Vennoss taught me about?’ asked Jaden.

  ‘For more advanced users,’ said Adonis bluntly. ‘He expects too much from you. We will start with simple tasks. Feel it burn.’

  Jaden concentrated on feeling fire flow throughout him. He didn’t quite understand what he was meant to do, but imagined heat building in his heart before slowly releasing it through his arms in a steady stream. The endobraces began to glow with orange instead of white as Adonis encouraged him, and then Jaden increased the pressure on the release. His hands felt warm then and burned slightly. When he opened his eyes, smoke was rising from the pile of branches and twigs, and a fire was slowly being born on the side.

  ‘Continue,’ said Adonis. ‘The fire must not go out.’

  Jaden did as he was instructed, and soon the fire was roaring. He looked over his hands as Adonis congratulated him, and then he spun to see Alyssa watching as she hugged Elijenda.

  ‘We should rest,’ said Blair.

  ‘Are we going to eat?’ asked Alyssa.

  ‘Unless you can find food, we will have to wait until tomorrow.’

  ‘I don’t mean to be any trouble but I’m feeling weak,’ she said, and leaned her weight against her horse.

  ‘I will find you something. Wait here,’ said Jaden, and stood up to leave the camp.

  ‘We should all rest, we will not stop tomorrow,’ Blair warned.

  ‘I’m not tired,’ said Jaden, and with a last look at Alyssa, he disappeared from sight.

  Jaden was not sure where he would find food of any sort, but did not want Alyssa to feel hungry. He didn’t feel the need to eat much anymore. There always seemed to be enough energy available to him. When he thought about it, he decided he felt well enough without it. He wondered if it had anything to do with the Daijuar. They did not eat either, even though they had walked away looking for food from time to time. They were strange. But everything seemed strange to him lately, but for the first time since the attack, things were beginning to feel right.

  He breathed in the cool night air, thinking of what had happened over the previous weeks. The sickness had all but disappeared once he had left the Daijuarn Monastery, and the dreams of the dark-haired boy no longer plagued his sleep. It was almost as if simply knowing Alyssa was still alive was enough to cure all of his illnesses and make his life seem right again. That was why he felt he had to take care of her, he thought, and why he had run to find food as soon as she had said she wanted some.

  He smiled to himself, almost unable to believe that after all the chances he had missed talking to her because of Ardim or her riding away somewhere in the mountains, he now had the rest of his life to be with her. It did not take away the pain of losing his family and friends, but he had found a little piece of light in an otherwise dark and unforgiving world.

  As he came to a stop, he looked about him. He had run all the way to the meadow where Elijenda had been grazing. He hadn’t noticed, so lost he had been in his own thoughts. Remembering why he had come, he began to search for food of any kind, lighting the way with the endobraces. But he shut the light off as soon as it had come alive. Adonis and Blair had used low levels of light because of Alliance scouts potentially lurking nearby. It occurred to him then that he probably shouldn’t have run off so quickly without one of them to protect him. He was alone under the cold blue light of the rings above, out in the open of the grassy meadow. It was as empty as the forest had been thick, and it ran directly alongside their path. The Daijuar must have chosen to move through the forest to avoid prying eyes, but Jaden now no longer had the luxury of such safety.

  Carefully, he began to walk forward, alert to each sound as if it were an approaching scout, each piece of dirt that fell underneath his feet as if it were an Alliance landmine. Fear of the unknown in the darkness made him want to turn and run back to camp, but the need to find food for Alyssa kept him in the meadow, completely alert to all that was nearby.

  A moment later he froze. He had sensed something nearby, moving toward him. It was not a horse this time, or any other inhuman animal. It was a being
on two feet, moving swiftly across the meadow. He could see nothing, but knew that it was getting closer. He would have fled if not for the noise he would have made. Although there was a hint of danger to the presence, running now would have meant certain capture.

  Jaden lowered himself to the ground and held his position. The white of his Daijuarn lower garments was all he needed to conceal, as without the vest his skin reflected only a little of the light from above. He took a breath as he guessed the being was now changing direction. He could barely sense it anymore, and decided it must have been moving away. What it truly was, he couldn’t guess. It did not seem human, but it walked almost as if it were.

  Relaxing slightly, he remained on one knee and turned to his left, where he thought he had felt something like a shadow next to him, mimicking his every movement. As he turned, he saw a woman crouched on one knee as he was, staring in the same direction as if hunting the very same thing he was.

  Jaden yelped as he jumped away from the woman kneeling beside him, catching himself on his hands as he fell backward, his heart racing as the shock sent adrenaline through his veins. When he had a chance to breathe again, the woman stood up and smiled at him, then walked straight past.

  ‘Raquel?’ he asked.

  The woman gave no reply. Jaden quickly hopped up and chased after her.

  ‘Raquel, wait!’ he called out. ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘I am going north.’

  ‘I know, but … where have you been? I thought I lost you.’

  ‘You did.’

  Jaden took a moment to regain composure. He had found Raquel again, or she had found him, and now that she was here, he didn’t know what to say.

  ‘I am training to become of the Daijuar. See?’ he asked, displaying his wrists to her.

  Raquel paid no attention to what she was being shown. ‘Your path is long,’ she said.

  ‘What do you mean? Raquel, please stop,’ Jaden tried to reason with her as he continually fell behind her step. ‘I can’t go too far, I am with some people. They have made a camp not far from here. You can come join us if you want to … we are going north as well.’

  Raquel paused, turning to him as if only to give him a small chance to speak.

  ‘I don’t know who you are or where you are from,’ Jaden began, ‘but I know I want to speak with you.’

  ‘What would you speak about?’

  ‘I don’t know. No, please wait!’ he called out again as she continued on her way.

  Jaden tried to think back to all that he had learned of her in the short time they had together. She had not answered a lot of his questions, but she had always seemed to understand him better than he understood himself. She would speak in riddles as much as she spoke directly and in plain fact. And for all the care and compassion she held in her eyes, she was equally as free from her own and others’ emotions. He had to search for a way to make her stay with him; if she would not travel with them, he could at least hold her company for a little while longer.

  ‘Wait!’ he called. ‘I want to learn more about this!’

  He ran toward her holding the chain she had given him out in front, the crystal dangling at its end.

  Raquel stopped and nodded as she took the crystal from his hands and placed it between his eyes. In an instant he was sent spiralling into the emptiness before landing heavily on the same smooth stone ledge of the crumbling tower as the first time. He stood slowly, nursing his ribs. The fall had slightly winded him. The sky was as grey and haunted as ever and he stared at the city of ruins before him, stretching as far as he could see.

  Raquel walked from the single door behind him to stand next to him.

  ‘What is this place?’ he asked.

  ‘Your mind,’ she said.

  ‘There’s nothing but ruins here,’ Jaden observed.

  ‘Each holds a part that must be healed. You may heal them with the jewel.’

  Jaden scanned over all of the buildings ahead.

  ‘That would take thousands of years,’ he said, and Raquel did not seem to disagree. ‘How do I heal?’

  Raquel turned to walk back to the single door behind them and Jaden followed her down a staircase to the left he had not seen before. She led him into another door at the bottom of the staircase and entered a room where there was no light, but their footsteps had echoed for miles in all directions.

  ‘They have fought since their awakening,’ came Raquel’s voice from a few steps ahead, but he could not see her.

  In the emptiness, a whole array of strange life had formed almost instantly, with animals and plants covering the now-scenic landscape. There were dark mountains in the distance, entire forests covering them and the land below, while the sun hid behind the clouds above but kept the sky blue. There were dark shapes moving about in the sky, birds of some kind, and ahead, a two-legged reptile chased down and killed a baby reptile with four legs. Both disappeared and were replaced by four-legged mammals hunting down other mammals with four legs, in the same manner as the first. They were soon replaced by men in uniform hiding from one another, guns held ready as aircraft replaced the birds in the sky.

  ‘In the name of life, they cry for death,’ Raquel continued. She was now standing beside him, as they both watched.

  Gunfire erupted as a group of soldiers spotted some fleeing people, many of whom were now dying at their hands. The soldiers continued their ruthless fire as they shot one after the other, without thought or regret for what they were doing.

  ‘Strength will see survival, until one more powerful rises.’

  As Raquel’s words sounded, energy shields were erected around the battlefield, people dressed in Daijuarn garments now protecting those that fled.

  ‘Power grows, balance comes,’ continued Raquel, and then all except the landscape disappeared. The animals no longer chased or fled. The soldiers no longer attacked the people running away. And all but the plants had gone.

  ‘I don’t understand,’ said Jaden. ‘What does this have to do with the crystal?’

  ‘All paths are long when lived by chance. Paths are shorter when lived on purpose.’

  ‘Then the crystal gives purpose? How? What is my path?’

  Raquel turned to him as the sky became black with cloud, the many breaks in its blanket shining brightly with blue from the rings above. All else disappeared as the animals did, leaving only the dark mountains around them.

  ‘One life or a thousand, the path is lost to those who walk it.’

  ‘Then how do I find my path?’ asked Jaden.

  ‘No matter the world, there is always a choice,’ she said, her eyes staring at him intensely while her expression remained relaxed.

  ‘My thoughts, my own,’ said Jaden.

  Raquel bowed slowly.

  ‘I want to be as powerful as the Daijuar. How do I make my path shorter?’

  ‘See what is there. The answers lie before you,’ she said, and as her hand waved over what was in front of them, the world came alive again but remained shadowed by the cloud above. All was dark blue, but this time Jaden noticed that everything around him was moving. From the tallest mountain to the smallest grain of dust, there was movement, as if all he saw was buzzing with life.

  ‘Once you have seen, you may learn. Once you have learned, you may use.’

  Jaden looked down at his wrists where the endobraces remained underneath his skin. He began to feel the energy drawn to him as he imagined giant waterfalls all about him. As Raquel had said, his visions became a reality inside the crystal’s realm, and with the energy he had mustered, he began to push the water left and right, throwing it around him with the power of the endobraces. He could feel it all, the energy and power at his calling. With each push and pull he felt he was gaining strength.

  He recalled what Adonis had told him of feeling and began to feel the energy cool. The water turned to ice with his energy and then melted again as he let them burn.

  Suddenly the giant waterfalls were gone, replaced
by an image of war below him. He was standing in the heart of Callibra as the approaching army unleashed its attack. It seemed as real as it had when he had been there, and the crushing feelings of helplessness were threatening to overcome him again. He fought back, using his anger to rid himself of them as he felt his rage burn throughout him. Each bullet sent at him was vaporised in the intense heat, and wave after wave of energy was sent flying at the oncoming soldiers. But they were endless. They seemed to just keep coming and coming; no matter how many died at his hands, more would rise. There was an infinite source of them. He began to feel weak as his power faltered and a stray bullet made its way into his chest. He fell backward with the impact and closed his eyes as death reached out with its cold embrace.

  ‘Emotion may leave one’s path in darkness,’ said Raquel, leaning over him. ‘The jewel allows you to see what may come of actions before they are acted.’

  Meditation, he thought. That’s how the crystal allowed him to shorten his path. He was to use it to mediate, to see what the world would become before he acted on his emotions. It was his final thought he remembered before losing consciousness.