The Ranger (Book 1)

by E. A. Whitehead

  “Of course not,” Mayberry spat condescendingly, “only a true Pallàdrim can control High Flames: the fire from the High Plain.”

  “Then how can I break them?” Vincent was becoming frustrated.

  “To break these bonds you will have to break your limits,” Mayberry explained. “Only then can you be free.”

  “But that could take weeks,” Vincent protested. “I don’t even know where to start.”

  “Exactly,” Mayberry’s smile had become truly evil. “That is where Lauren comes in.”

  Vincent quickly turned his attention to Lauren. She still stood bound, with a serene look on her face; but there was fear in her eyes. The cords tightened around her briefly and she gave a muffled cry.

  “What are you doing to her?” Vincent shouted. “Let her go, this is between you and me.”

  “Here in lays the secret, Vincent,” Mayberry purred threateningly. “As I said, it is do or die; but it’s not your life on the line.”

  Mayberry’s words filled Vincent with horror. Lauren had lost her composed look as her eyes were now wide with terror.

  “You have four hours, Vincent,” Mayberry stated coldly. “If you haven’t broken your limit by then, she dies.”

  “When I get out of this,” Vincent shouted, rage coursing through his body, “you’re dead.”

  “If you get out,” Mayberry mocked. “The time has begun.”

  Vincent started drawing on his token, pulling as much energy as he could to push against the fiery cords. His head throbbed as he tried to channel more power, but it wouldn’t come. He was now surrounded by a deep red glow.

  Time seemed to crawl by. Nothing he did was working. The harder he tried, the tighter his cords seemed to become.

  Lauren let out another muffled cry as the chords around her tightened again. She was now sobbing uncontrollably.

  “One hour gone,” Mayberry sneered. “If you truly value her life, then you had better hurry.”

  Time was slipping away. He redoubled his efforts, but with little effect. Slowly, he managed to pull a bit more power into himself, but the cords still held strong.

  “Thirty minutes left,” Mayberry taunted.

  His time was running out, and Vincent was out of ideas. He pushed harder against his bonds, but they still didn’t budge. The glow around him was a deep, dark red, and it rolled over his body like tongues of fire. He felt helpless.

  Vincent looked despairingly at Lauren, who looked back fearfully, desperately begging for him to keep trying. He gritted his teeth and tried again. Nothing changed. He was fully at his limit.

  “One minute.”

  Mayberry started forming a ball of concentrated flame in his hands; it glowed white. Once again the cords around Lauren tightened, but this time the cords covering her mouth were released and she cried out in pain.

  “Vincent, please,” she sobbed desperately.

  “Ten,” Mayberry started counting down.

  Desperation was filling Vincent’s mind.

  “Nine.”

  He started pushing against the cords with his arms as well as the token, but they still didn’t budge.

  “Eight.”

  Lauren was crying too hard to speak now. Frantically, Vincent tried to pull more power from his token. He could almost sense that there was more there, just out of reach.

  “Seven.”

  He focused everything on reaching that power. Instead of pounding against the cords, he focused his energy on grasping for the power that was just out of reach.

  “Six.”

  He knew it was there, just behind a wall at the edge of his mind.

  “Five.”

  He started pounding on the wall, but it seemed impenetrable.

  “Four.”

  Lauren cried out again as the cords continued to get tighter.

  “Three.”

  Vincent was giving everything he had as he desperately beat against the wall in his mind. The answer was behind it. He could feel it.

  “Two.”

  Mayberry was preparing to shoot the ball he had created, a look of malicious pleasure on his face. Vincent let out a cry of rage as he threw everything he had left against the wall. To his relief, he felt it crack. Like a trickle of cool water, he could feel the power seeping from behind the wall.

  “One.”

  Vincent threw himself at the wall again. The barrier broke and the power flooded into him. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. The power flowing through him was warm and comforting, yet it raged through him like a surging river. The glow around his arms burst into roaring flames that dug deep into his skin.

  He ignored the pain as he drank ravenously of the seemingly endless font of power that was flowing into him. He pushed against the bonds again, bursting them. Vincent raised his arms toward Mayberry, who simply stared at him with a look of shock and fear. A pillar of white fire burst from Vincent’s hands, engulfing Mayberry and shooting him across the clearing and into the forest on the other side, blasting through several trees as he went.

  The bonds holding Lauren disappeared and she started to fall. Vincent ran quickly and caught her. She held him, sobbing hard into his chest, pounding him with her fists as she cried. Vincent wrapped his arms gently around her.

  “It’s all right,” he said comfortingly. “You’re safe now.”

  Lauren relaxed a bit, but continued crying.

  The pain from the tight cords was started to come back to Vincent as the effects of the adrenaline wore off. His arms still felt like they were on fire. As he looked down at them, he almost thought they were. Just like Auna and Silva, flames still seemed to dance up and down his arms, but it was just an illusion created by the marks on his arms.

  “I think we should get back to the encampment,” Vincent said once Lauren stopped crying. “We’ve had enough excitement for one day.”

  “No,” Lauren said softly, still holding Vincent, “Let’s wait a little bit longer.”

  Chapter 18: Revealed

  It was growing dark as Vincent and Lauren returned to the encampment. Trent was just returning from patrol as they entered the small gate.

  “You two are back late,” he laughed as he caught up with them. “Couldn’t get enough punishment?” Trent’s laughter was cut short as he noticed Vincent’s arms. He stared in disbelief. “What did you do out there?” His voice was little more than a stunned whisper.

  Vincent looked at his arms. They still looked as though fire was crawling up them, even though he had released his token.

  “I,” Vincent started but he was cut off.

  “He broke his limits,” Silva said as he walked over. “He is now free.”

  “But Master Silva,” Trent said sounding worried, “What if someone sees him like this?”

  “We’ll just have to be extra careful,” Silva answered confidently. “I’ve done it for four hundred years. I’m sure Vincent will be able to manage for a few months.”

  “Then you think it’s that close?” The colour was draining from Trent’s face as he spoke.

  “I do,” Silva nodded solemnly, “which is why we must prepare now. We will begin by recalling the Rangers.” Silva grabbed both Lauren and Trent by the arm and started ushering them away. “Vincent, I need to speak to these two for a moment; then I will need to speak to you. Meet me in my cabin in a few minutes.”

  Silva disappeared into the descending darkness with Lauren and Trent in tow leaving Vincent alone. Vincent felt like he was floating as he made his way to Silva’s cabin. The incredibly detailed marks on his arms consumed his mind.

  Almost unconsciously, he entered Silva’s cabin and sat in his usual chair. He embraced his token to watch with wonder as the marks seemed to lift from his arms and dance like flames.

  The ocean of power now at his disposal was almost frightening. He started drawing it in, basking in the vastness of it. The auras that had surrounded his hands were no longer a deep glow, but true balls of fire.

  Silva entered
the cabin, startling Vincent who quickly released his token. Silva didn’t seem to notice. He sat down across from Vincent with a huge smile on his face.

  “Jerome was right about you,” he said excitedly. “You’re beyond anything I’ve ever imagined.”

  Silva rolled up his right sleeve, revealing the same tattoo that burned in both of Vincent’s arms.

  “You are now ready,” Silva said, offering Vincent a hand.

  “Ready for what?” Vincent asked as he hesitantly took the offered hand, shaking it.

  “Ready to awaken as a Pallàdrim.” The words caught Vincent off guard.

  “No,” Vincent said disbelievingly, “I’m nowhere near the level of control that you and Master Auna have.”

  “You think so?” Silva sounded amused. “Look at your arms, those marks are a symbol of your level of control over your token. Normally a Pallàdrim is gifted only one,” he indicated his own arm. “I have never before seen a Pallàdrim with two; not even Nick, your father, who was the most powerful Pallàdrim I ever met. I didn’t believe it was possible. Yet here you are: the Chosen of Sandora, and now you bear the marks to prove it. Add that to your newly acquired eye colour and I would say you will be the strongest Pallàdrim ever.”

  “Eye color?” Vincent muttered in confusion as he grabbed the pitcher of water off of the table to look at his reflection. Sure enough, his eyes now had a vivid red colour. “So,” Vincent asked quietly, “am I a Pallàdrim then?”

  “Let’s not get carried away,” Silva said, erupting into laughter. “I said you were ready to awaken. You still need to prove yourself to the Goddess.”

  “What do I need to do to prove myself?”

  “That, I cannot say,” Silva said, becoming serious again. “It is different for every Pallàdrim, but when it happens you will know. The Goddess will give you the last two signs, the sword and the eye.” Silva opened his hand, revealing the mark of the eye on his hand. “They come together.”

  “So, what do I do until then?”

  “You wait,” Silva answered, “patiently. However, until the Goddess grants you the final signs you must be very careful to ensure that no one sees your arms. From now on you will wear a long sleeved tunic, like mine. I don’t want to see you with your arms uncovered, ever; not even around the encampment.”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Good,” Silva finished. “Now I will need you to come with me. We have a visitor that I would like you to see. He should be regaining consciousness soon. He was very injured when we found him in the woods.”

  “Who is it?” Vincent asked, intrigued.

  “An old friend.”

  Silva would say nothing more as he led Vincent through the encampment to the sanctuary. He opened the door and Vincent entered. Trent and Lauren were already there, sitting next to a small bed where a large motionless form lay. Vincent approached, unsure of what he would find. To his surprise, a very familiar face greeted him.

  “Kai,” Vincent said, astonished. His old companion from the academy looked pale and tired. His red hair, which had always been pristinely kept, now hung matted around his shoulders, and his beard had grown long and tangled. Kai looked as though he had aged a decade since they had last met. His eyes fluttered open at the sound of Vincent’s voice.

  “Vincent,” Kai sounded equally surprised, “I thought you were dead, or am I still dreaming?”

  “Most people think I’m dead,” Vincent said, brushing off the comment. “Why are you here?”

  “My people are in danger,” Kai replied, an urgent tone to his voice.

  “Your people?” Vincent didn’t understand what he meant.

  “The Draylor,” Kai stated. “They’re being held captive.”

  “How is this possible?” Silva asked.

  “We were betrayed,” Kai whispered, his breathing was ragged and he could barely manage to talk. “There was one dissatisfied with the rule of the Elder. He gave the Magi access to our city. They took the Elder. In exchange for his safety, we were forced to wear a peculiar bracelet. I don’t know how they did it, but with these bracelets, they were able to control us. Any attempt to remove them caused us tremendous pain.”

  “Then how did you escape?” Trent inquired.

  “Sometimes, for the cause of freedom, sacrifices are necessary,” Kai said, holding up the bloody stump of his left hand. The priests had stopped the bleeding, but the dried blood was testament to how bad it had been.

  “Do you know what the Magi are planning?” Silva asked, his voice was becoming agitated.

  “I do,” Kai replied, “but I fear that it may be too late.”

  “I will be the judge of that,” Silva said firmly. “Tell us what you know.”

  “The Magi plan to use the Draylor to start a war with the Order,” Kai started hesitantly. “They started last night. They sent my people out to attack cities, starting with Spacco. Everyone knows the Draylor are servants of Sandora. The Emperor has already sent his army to eradicate my people. Once they finish there, I do not doubt that they will turn their focus on the Order.”

  “Is there anything we can do?” Vincent asked in disbelief.

  “I don’t know,” Kai answered mournfully. “There is a way to remove the bracelets, but it takes time, and the traitor would never allow it.”

  “What if the traitor were distracted?” Lauren asked.

  “If he were distracted then I may be able to save a few,” Kai reasoned, “but what kind of distraction did you have in mind?”

  “What if he was challenged in battle,” Lauren continued, “would he accept?”

  “There is no doubt about it,” Kai replied, “but who would fight him? Even if I were uninjured, I could not stand against him.”

  “Vincent could do it,” Silva said suddenly.

  “Sir, I don’t think -” Vincent began, but he was cut off.

  “The only thing you need to worry about when fighting a Draylor is its fire breath. You have the level of control now to be able to deal with that. For you, it would be the same as fighting a normal fight.”

  “But surely you would be more suited for this task, Master Silva,” Vincent stammered.

  “No,” Silva replied calmly, “I don’t have nearly enough control over my token to be able to fight a Draylor at close proximity and win. You are our only hope.”

  “But there is still the problem that the Eresians have already started marching. It takes nearly a week to get there,” Vincent protested.

  “It takes only a matter of hours by air,” Kai said, standing up. “If it even has a chance of saving my people, then I will see it done.”

  “Then it is decided,” Silva said firmly. “How many people can you carry on your back?”

  “Two at the most.”

  “Then it shall be Vincent and Trent that accompany you,” Silva said.

  “But shouldn’t I be going with him?” Lauren protested. “He is my partner after all, we are a team.”

  “Trent will accompany him,” Silva repeated. “This is far too dangerous for me to send you.”

  Lauren glared at Silva for a moment before storming from the sanctuary.

  “You shall leave at first light,” Silva continued. “Vincent needs to rest. It will be a very difficult day for him tomorrow.”

  Lauren didn’t say a word to Vincent as he returned to their cabin. She just glared sullenly at him as he walked into his room and closed the door.

  Morning came far too quickly.

  Lauren was still sitting at the table when he woke. She looked as though she hadn’t slept. Vincent waved as he headed out the door.

  “I didn’t thank you,” Lauren said, drawing Vincent back into the cabin, “for saving me. You saved me from Frost and you saved me again from Mayberry.”

  “I don’t think Mayberry would have actually hurt you, and besides, you were only threatened to provoke me,” Vincent replied awkwardly.

  “It means more to me that I mattered enough to you that you would be provoked by
me being threatened,” Lauren continued. She stared intently at Vincent. There was a strange glow in her eyes. Could it be affection? No, surely he was imagining it, maybe even wishing.

  “I’m sure you would have done the same for me,” Vincent commented.

  “You better come back,” Lauren snapped suddenly. “I’ve already lost one partner; I don’t want to lose another.” She seemed to be quivering as she spoke.

  Vincent started to reply, wanting to reassure her that everything would be fine, but as soon as she finished speaking she got up and ran into her room, slamming the door.

  The sun had barely peaked over the horizon as Vincent walked through the lines of cabins to the sanctuary where Kai was staying. There wasn’t another person anywhere in sight.

  “Vincent,” Trent said putting a hand on Vincent’s shoulder from behind. Vincent nearly cried out in shock. “Do you really think you’re ready for this?”

  “I don’t know,” Vincent replied quietly. “This is beyond anything I’ve ever done. If Silva can’t do it, then how can I even consider it?”

  “I think you’ll be surprised,” Trent said as they walked. “I think you are much more powerful than you give yourself credit for.”

  Vincent didn’t reply. They walked in silence the rest of the way. Silva was waiting for them outside of the sanctuary with Kai. Kai still looked pale, but he seemed in much better spirits than he had the day before.

  “Good, you’re both here,” Silva called as they approached. “This mission will be incredibly dangerous and delicate. I’d say were dealing with a red class mission; but I’ll let Kai explain the details.”

  “We need to be careful,” Kai said, his voice was still weak, but he had a much more positive countenance about him. “The traitor must be distracted while I free the others, and that will take time. Also, the Eresian Army must be kept from attacking at all costs while I am freeing them.”

  “And I suppose you have a plan for that,” Vincent said hopefully.

  “I do,” Kai replied, “but it’s very dangerous, and it might not work.”

  “Let’s hear it then,” Trent said impatiently.

  “Vincent will have to approach the gates of the cavern and challenge the traitor,” Kai said slowly. “He will then come out to do battle. That is his responsibility, having claimed the rights of Elder.”