The Quest for Nobility

by Debra L Martin

  Chapter 11 - Eclasius

  Eclasius Jortac stood on the parade grounds replaying the events of yesterday’s graduation in his mind. He had fervently hoped that graduating with top honors from the prestigious Otharian Institute would be the catalyst to rebuild his damaged relationship with his father. He had naively thought his father would be proud of him.

  No such luck.

  His only pleasant memory of the day was seeing his mother’s smile after the ceremony. She was proud of him, although she’d never speak her mind openly, especially not in front of his father. Just as well, Eclasius thought; he didn’t want his mother to bear the brunt of his father’s brutal temper because of something he did.

  Eclasius fought hard to convince himself that his father’s words didn’t matter, but the sunken feeling in the pit of his stomach told a different story.

  Throughout his young life, he’d tried hard to live up to his father’s expectations. Unfortunately, nothing he did was ever good enough. Yesterday, when his father said he was disappointed because Eclasius had not made the ‘right connections’ while in school, he bore the criticism silently. It was merely the latest in a string of criticisms and insults that the elder Jortac barraged his son with.

  Eclasius kicked the dirt in frustration.

  “The ‘right connections’? What does that mean? He can’t expect me to be friends with those Dalcon idiots.”

  In his mind’s eye, he saw the scene unfold. His father’s tirade, watching him stride off the field without a backward glance for his son, storming through life with his mother following close behind like a small bird caught in the wake of a fierce wind. He thought of answers after his father had left him, but it did little good now. He secretly feared his father was right and he would never measure up to the expectations of a Jortac heir.

  Eclasius looked up and spied the Telkur twins approaching from the dormitories. He was puzzled why these two would be here today. Like everyone at graduation yesterday, he’d heard the tragic news of the Persing murders and thought they’d be in mourning. Eclasius looked at the twins suspiciously. What could they possibly want from him?

  Damn, I don’t need this today.

  The perfect Telkur twins, the duo that excelled at everything. He wanted to walk away, but seeing Dyla coming toward him held him in check. She was a devastating beauty and he didn’t want to give up an opportunity to talk to her one last time. He doubted that he would see her again anytime soon.

  He liked her and had tried numerous times to talk to her during their school years, but the right time never seemed to present itself. She seemed to have an impenetrable wall surrounding her. Her biting wit and icy veneer made even casual conversation difficult. Of course, her brother didn’t help matters, always hovering nearby whenever Eclasius found himself lucky enough to be alone with her.

  Eclasius had met the twins through Ty. Ty’s acknowledgement of his telekinetic power had brought about a certain level of trust in Eclasius and that trust blossomed into a friendship between the two young men. It was during one of those telekinetic practice sessions that Eclasius had met the twins.

  From that first moment, all Eclasius could concentrate on was Dyla in her form-fitting training attire. Even though Dyla tried hard to downplay her beauty, it only served to make her more attractive. He was still looking at Dyla when Ty introduced him to Darius. As Darius shook his hand, the handshake turned into a vice grip and Darius’s expression changed. Eclasius quickly backed away from him, not realizing what had happened.

  It wasn’t until later that Eclasius learned Darius was a telepath. He guessed that Darius had read his thoughts during their brief handshake and, with Eclasius engrossed in his sister’s figure, it was no wonder that Darius had turned sour toward him. He often wondered how much of his thoughts Darius had read while he was admiring Dyla. Neither Ty nor Dyla had seen the exchange; both were occupied in their own conversation.

  From that inauspicious beginning, Darius had a knack of interrupting Dyla and him at the worst possible moment, usually when he had finally built up enough confidence to carry the conversation beyond talk of schoolwork.

  Looking at Dyla walking toward him, Eclasius again felt the pull of her allure, but quickly dispelled the feeling as her brother also approached. He worked hard at concealing his feelings toward Dyla whenever Darius was around.

  Eclasius took a deep breath, clearing his mind of Dyla and pushing away the lingering thoughts of his father. He would come to grips with those feeling later, when he was alone, as he always did.

  The twins were nearly upon him. Dyla’s dazzling smile captivated his attention and it was only because of her that he didn’t simply walk away from the pair.

  “Hi Eclasius,” Dyla said. “Do you have a minute to talk?”

  The sound of her voice thrilled him and his heart started to race.

  “Hmmm, sure. What can I do for you?”

  “We have a problem, and I think you can help us.”

  Darius stepped between the two.

  “Yeah, Eclair, maybe you can help us.”

  Darius’s arrogance was too much for him to bear today and he turned towards Darius, refusing to step back. Eclasius felt his power flair and the air around them suddenly crackled with his simmering power.

  “Back off, Darius, we’re not in school anymore. Do you really want to antagonize the top graduated telekinetic? You’d be truly surprised at what I can do.”

  Darius raised his hands in mock surrender and stepped back beside his sister.

  “Calm down, calm down. I’m not here to argue with you today.”

  As quickly as Eclasius’ ire surfaced, it dissipated. He looked over to Dyla and winked.

  “What kind of problem do you have?” Eclasius asked Dyla, purposely ignoring Darius.

  “We need a third for our team, a telekinetic, and we’re thinking of you.”

  Eclasius opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He stared incredulously at Dyla and then at Darius. It took him a few moments before he could gather his wits and answer the question.

  “Your team? You mean for the Grand Competition? I heard about Ty’s family tragedy, but I figured you two would drop out.”

  “Yes, we thought the same thing until a few hours ago,” Dyla said.

  “What do you say? Yes or no,” Darius asked impatiently.

  Eclasius’ head swiveled back and forth between the twins. Their question was so unexpected, his mind was reeling.

  “I don’t know what to say. The Grand Competition is pretty heady stuff. People have gotten killed competing.”

  “People get killed if they are careless. We are not careless and we need a telekinetic if we want to compete. You’re the best telekinetic in the school. We can’t have Ty, so we want you.”

  Eclasius saw Dyla cringe at her brother’s bluntness.

  “Eclasius, what my brother said is true. Of course, we want Ty. We’ve trained hard together, and we make a good team. But, with this tragedy, he won’t be able to compete and we don’t want to quit. We need a telekinetic, and we both think that you could help us win the competition.”

  Eclasius stood mesmerized by Dyla. This was the longest conversation he’d ever had with her in all these years of advanced training.

  “Why stay in the competition now? Why not wait until the next one when Ty can rejoin the team?” he asked.

  “Because we have to do it now,” Darius growled.

  Eclasius was stumped by Darius’ answer, but thought better about further probing on the subject.

  “You’ll have to come to our estates to train and learn to move with us as a team. It’ll definitely not be a walk in the park,” Dyla explained.

  “I want to think about it,” Eclasius said flatly.

  “What’s there to think about? You’re either in or out,” Darius shouted. “We don’t have time to waste. We need someone now. We have two weeks to train and every minute we stand talking about it is wasted. Come on, Dyla, I told you thi
s wouldn’t work.”

  Dyla didn’t move.

  “How long do you need?”

  “I need a day. I’ll give you my answer tomorrow.”

  Dyla smiled.

  “Fine. By the way, Eclasius, you realize that your name is a mouthful. If you decide to join the team, what should we call you?”

  “Uh, I guess Eclair will do,” he said with a shy smile.

  “Eclair it is. See you soon,” Dyla said, grabbing her brother’s arm and pulling him away.

  Darius let Dyla pull him away. Dyla’s contact with Darius elicited a stream of chaotic thoughts between them. Dyla’s thoughts were too fast and fleeting for Darius to make much sense of, but he did get an underlying sense of confidence from her. They were halfway across the parade grounds when Darius finally looked back at Eclasius. He was still standing there watching them leave and Darius turned back to confront his sister.

  “What’s that all about? If he doesn’t show, we’re screwed! It’ll be another day lost and we’ll still have to find another damn spoon bender.”

  “Don’t worry Darius, he’ll show. He wants to do this. I felt it in him.”

  “I hope you’re right. I wonder why he needs a day, though. Don’t you find that odd?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m sure he has a good reason.”

  “Then let the waiting begin,” Darius said.

  Excerpt from The Chronicles of Otharia during the reign of the First Vacancy:

  Division II – The PSI Potential

  Subsection V – Crystals

  The overall power of any person with PSI ability is directly related to his ability to concentrate and focus, as well as the quality of the crystal he is using. The quality and size of a crystal controls the degree to which PSI power can be multiplied. The fractal properties of a crystal - the number and symmetry with which it is copied within itself to then reflect, refract, magnify and multiply a PSI focus - is what determines the relative worth of a crystal. Crystals carry ratings from 1K to 10K. The 10K crystals, or traveling crystals, are the most powerful crystals and are used to open long-distance portals between duchies. Personal crystals are used to open short-distance portals of usually not more than ten leagues at a jump.

  Chapter 12 – The Experiment

  Eclair stood dumbfounded, watching the Telkur twins walk away. His mind was a whirlwind of confusing thoughts that he couldn’t quite get a grip on. Working closely with Dyla was a dream come true, but Darius could easily turn that dream into a nightmare. Entering the Grand Competition was another chance to make his father proud, but he wasn’t sure if anything he did would really matter, and he wasn’t sure he was ready to swallow such a bittersweet pill.

  At least he had enough wits to tell them he needed time to think about it. Deep inside, he had no doubt he would join them, but there were a few things he wanted to do before leaving the Institute. He shook himself from his thoughts and moved off toward the telekinetic lab.

  Let’s get to it.

  Walking through the deserted hallways of the building, a wave of melancholy swept over him. These halls had been his home and sanctuary for years. It was where he went to escape life’s miseries and where he discovered some unique aspects about his own telekinetic powers. He was loath to give it up.

  It was ironic that this was an institute of teaching and learning, especially since the main lesson he learned was not to share any of his new findings. Early on, he realized that his instructors didn’t appreciate being surprised in class when he demonstrated something new that they had not taught. When his first few revelations were met with disdain, he decided to keep future discoveries to himself and hone his newfound powers alone, through trial and error.

  Nearing the Tech Lab, Eclair grew excited.

  This is it. I know I’ll do it today.

  Eclair pushed open the double doors to the Tech Lab and headed in to conduct his experiment. He went straight to the portal room, where an exquisite three-inch crystal hung suspended from the ceiling on a long, silver chain. This was a powerful crystal used to teach new students the process of opening distant portals. This particular crystal was a gift from the Grand Duke himself, another subtle reminder of the Grand Duke’s influence and power.

  Opening distant portals was a unique skill that many students failed to grasp, but those who did master the technique found themselves very highly sought after when they graduated. Duchies depended on trade to thrive, and required both powerful crystals and skilled telekinetics to keep them profitable. For those who had the skills, portal station careers were very lucrative.

  Eclair had worked diligently in this lab mastering the skill of opening distant portals. Throughout his school years, he continued to experiment with both the large crystal and his own personal crystal in order to discover their limits. In fact, it was during these experiments that he came to believe there might be something truly amazing about his powers. A particularly unpleasant memory of his youth had led him to this realization. It had been one of the worst days of his young life.

  “Father, no,” a young Eclasius pleaded, trying to pull away from his father’s grip. “I’m scared. Please let me go.”

  He was eight years old and had been thrilled when his father told him they were going on an adventure. He didn’t know that the Duke had plans to rid him of his ridiculous fear of heights. Fear was a sign of weakness, and that was something Lucas would not tolerate, especially in his own son. His father wanted him to confront his fears, so he was brought to the edge of a steep cliff overlooking a deep chasm.

  “Eclasius, step up to the edge. There is nothing to fear. Look down over the edge and you’ll see there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

  “I can’t,” the young boy whimpered, terrified to be so close to the edge.

  He imagined himself falling, falling forever into a sea of nothingness. He faltered as his imagination got the better of him and he fell to his knees.

  Lucas grabbed his collar and jerked him to his feet.

  “Get hold of yourself, boy.”

  It was too much. Lucas had no patience for such childishness and he pushed Eclair closer to the edge. Eclair’s fear was paralyzing and it unleashed a torrent of emotions, gushing forth from within him. As he began drowning in his own fear, he fervently wished for the sanctuary of his room and rescue from this nightmare. In the next moment, to the shock of both of them, a portal materialized at the edge of the cliff straight into his bedroom.

  “What’s this?” his father exclaimed.

  Eclair didn’t need any prompting, and he instinctively jumped through the portal to the safety of his bedchamber. As soon as he jumped through, the portal snapped shut. When he stopped trembling, he sought out his mother to thank her for helping him. His mother was a strong telekinetic, but denied that she had opened the portal for him.

  The aftermath of that day was nearly as horrific as standing on the edge of the cliff. When his father returned to their manor house, he raged relentlessly against his mother, believing that she had opened the portal, no matter how much she denied it.

  Lucas never believed Janal’s story and the incident led to a devastating change in their relationship. From that day forward, they slept in separate rooms. At the time, Eclair didn’t understand what was happening, but as he grew older, he came to understand why he was an only child.

  Growing up, he continued to reflect back on the incident. His mother had always denied opening the portal, and Eclair couldn’t help but wonder how it had appeared. Though he had been tested as a telekinetic, he’d been too young at the time to have a crystal of his own. It was only after hours of training and honing his telekinetic skills that he began to believe he might have actually opened that portal himself all those years ago.

  On many different occasions, he had tried to recreate that moment and the powerful feelings of need and urgency, but his only success without a crystal thus far was to open a vague "shadowing" of a portal.

  Today would be his final attemp
t within the sanctuary of the Tech Lab. Eclair unhooked the silver chain around his neck and took off his personal crystal. He did not want his crystal to interfere with this attempt.

  He had been surprised when his Father had given him the new crystal for graduation. But he soon realized that it was more about keeping up with appearances, and had nothing to do with him personally. It would be expected of his father to present him with an exquisite crystal for graduation, and Duke Lucas was insistent about making the right impression within the ranks of royalty.

  Eclair laid the crystal on the table, and walked to the farthest corner of the room so that neither the suspended crystal within the room, nor his own personal one, would interfere with his experiment. Determined to succeed this time, he closed his eyes, took a deep breath and began to concentrate. He took himself back to that terrified eight-year-old boy crying at the edge of a cliff. He allowed the fear and anxiety to envelop him and concentrated his energy on opening a portal to safety.

  His entire body soon became drenched with sweat, his blond hair plastered to his skull. He held on tightly to that little boy’s fear and slowly felt it give way to something different. A feeling of power from the core of his being, slowly and reluctantly came to life within him. It was his inherent power, pulsating and building.

  He began to focus the energy, channeling it, directing it to open a portal. He opened his eyes as a pinpoint of light appeared in front of him. It soon expanded into a portal to his bedchamber. The portal would not stabilize enough for travel, but it was strong enough for viewing the remote site. He released his power and the portal winked out of sight.