Book Two Of The Void Wielder Trilogy:
Legacy Of Chaos
Cesar Gonzalez
This book is dedicated to my beautiful nieces: Giavanni, Jacqueline, Madeline, and Ariany.
Legacy Of Chaos
Copyright 2014 by Cesar Gonzalez
Cover Art- Dennis Frohlich
Editors- Laura Hutfilz and Tony Held
All RIGHTS RESERVED. Except for brief quotes for reviews, this book may not be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of the copyright holder. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this work is illegal.
Feel free to check out the Element Wielder website. There you’ll be able to find character pictures, lore about the elements, and more.
http://cesarbak99.wix.com/element-wielder
PREFACE
In planet Va’siel, there are a few beings that are born with the ability to wield certain elements. These gifted individuals are known as Element Wielders.
There are six basic elements and six advanced elements. Holding control of the advanced elements requires much more energy than a basic element. As such, wielders of advanced elements have become a rarity in Va’siel.
Basic Elements
Water: Water wielders control the element of water. Some advanced water wielders have been known to solidify water into ice.
Fire: Wielders who harness the very power of flames. The second stage of fire is blue fire. The third stage, which very few wielders have reached, is black fire.
Like Water wielders, fire wielders are highly sought out for long missions. Their ability to create campfires in almost any environment has proven invaluable.
Void: Void wielders can wield all six basic elements; however, this power comes with limitations. Void wielders can only wield weak attacks.
No void wielder can wield blue or black fire, as those are advanced levels of fire. The only exception is Falcon Hyatt. For reasons unknown to him, he can wield basic elements & advanced elements.
Mind: Mind wielders can mold the minds of others. The extent of the control they have over people depends on the power of the mind wielder & the victim.
Some have been known to drive their enemies mad with false images of pain and suffering.
Mind wielders can also use their abilities to re-awaken thoughts that have been long forgotten. Most mind wielders are highly intellectual individuals.
Wind: Wind wielders can harness the power of wind, using that power in both defensive & offensive attacks.
Even though wind is a basic element, not many wind wielders can be found in Va’siel. The reason for this is unknown.
EARTH: These warriors are numerous in Va’siel. Their attacks are sturdy and strong. Their defensive abilities are some of the strongest a wielder can ever hope to create.
But their abilities go beyond the battlefield. Some Earth wielders are able to mold and enrich soil with nutrients to create rich farmlands. The crops grown from capable earth wielders are some of the most delicious found in Va’siel.
The legendary warrior, Golden Wielder, was himself an earth wielder.
Advanced Elements
Space: Power of the cosmos is a mere plaything to space wielders. Not only can they summon the force of space to use against their enemies, but they can call forth universal anomalies like meteors, comets, and black holes.
Since there are so many mysteries in the great unknown that is the universe, the true extent to which gifted wielders can push their powers remains an enigma.
Poison: Poison wielders tend to be sick beings, both physically and mentally.
They possess the ability to create many attacks using venom and a variety of toxins.
In past times, Poison wielders have proven useful during sieges, where they poison entire cities water or food supplies.
Darkness: Only the most cold-hearted and wicked beings can properly wield the powers of darkness. Wherever they the go, pain and misery follows.
Dark wielders can control many of the forbidden wielding abilities that were banned long ago for their inhumane and unnatural power.
Chaos: Along with holy, chaos is the rarest of all the elements. In fact, in the past 10,000 years, Shal-Volcseck is the only known chaos wielder.
What exactly can a chaos wielder do? No one who has seen their power has been left alive to tell the tale.
Lightning: These wielders can summon the power of lightning. Most who practice this kind of wielding tend to be driven by offense. During battle, they rarely use their power for defense.
There are stories of exceptional wielders who have wielded red and green lightning, though, most believe this to be just tales of legend.
Holy: Only the most pure and humble of beings can hope to control this power. As such, holy wielders are extremely rare. With each passing year, Va’siel has become more sinister and wicked, full of murder, deceit, and lies. It is for this reason that many believe that the power of holy will never return to such a cruel world. However, there are stories that indeed a holy wielder has been born in the small farming village of Asturia.
CHAPTER 1
“Hand over all your gold and nobody gets hurt,” sneered the largest of the three bandits. He wore a red armor suit that encased his entire body.
“Yes, and don’t even try anything funny. No one can get anything past the Volandis brothers!” shouted the smallest bandit.
Falcon sighed as he picked at the food. He hated when the fruit got stuck between his teeth. Where was he supposed to find a wood pick in the middle of the forest?
“Hey,” sneered the large bandit. “Don’t ignore us. Don’t you realize that you’re in the brink of certain death?”
“Yes,” said Falcon as he took out a piece of the orange.
“Hey!” echoed the deep voice.
Falcon turned toward the men with droopy eyes. When he first heard the loud steps approaching, he had hoped it was Faith and Aya returning with food. They’d been gone nearly three hours. But to his sour disappointment, it was only these three men. “My companions were to wake me up when they returned. And, seeing as you’re not them, you bumbling idiots have no business interrupting my little nap, do you?”
“Idiots you say?” The medium-sized bandit laughed. “We already found your companions and slit their throats. It wasn’t hard—”
“Funny, I don’t recall having my throat slit,” said Aya. The dark haired girl was dressed in her usual white blouse and short black skirt. In her hands she carried what appeared to be a bag of stewed lamb. “I think I would have remembered someone doing that. How about you?”
Faith smiled. “No, I don’t recall any attacks.” Even from afar Falcon could make out her light-green eyes.
“Shut up!” snapped the bandit leader. “We’ll teach you to mock the might of the Volandis brothers, and we’ll start with you two pretty little lassies.” The bandits sprang toward the girls.
Confident that they weren’t in any danger, Falcon put his hand behind his head and lay back on the tree.
Aya was one of the best martial artists Falcon had ever seen. With her fists or baton she could hold her own against the strongest of foes. And if her martial arts failed her, she could always call on her element, water.
Then there was Faith, the only holy wielder on planet Va’siel.
The bandits dove forward with their swords raised above their heads. A second later they fell flat to the ground. The smallest one spat out the lump of dirt that had found its way into his mouth.
“What is this?” asked the bandit leader. He held his hand, touching the rainbow-colored shield they had run into.
“It’s a shield,” said Faith. “Had you paid more at
tention instead of rushing in mindlessly you would have noticed when I put it up.”
“No shield of fire, errr…I mean water. Or is it mind? Arghhh… whatever it is, it will not stop the Volandis brothers.”
“Then maybe this will,” said Aya. The blue emblem at the dorsal part of her glove shined brightly as water gathered behind her. The gust of water smashed into the bandits. They crashed into a tree. Dozens of leaves rained down over their heads.
“Damn wielders always ruining our fun!” exclaimed one of the bandits. “If I could wield the elements I would put these teenagers in their place.” The bandits hastily took off down the dirt path.
Falcon extended his arms. A water lasso shot out and wrapped around the bandit’s feet and pulled them back. His emblem turned from blue to a light-green as he switched to wind wielding. A burst of wind raised the brothers up to their feet.
The large bandit gritted his teeth. “At least I have the satisfaction of knowing you’re just a void wielder and can only do weak attacks.”
With a simple wave of Falcon’s hand, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, missing the brothers by a hair.
“B…but you’re a void wielder,” stuttered the bandit, his eyes wide. “I saw your emblem before you wielded. It was gray! How did you wield lightning?”
Falcon grinned. He had been getting reactions like this all his life. Regular void wielders could only perform weak attacks using the six basic elements. Falcon, however, was also able to wield advanced elements. It was both a gift and a curse.
“Did you really think we were going to let you free?” said Aya.
“The roads will be safer without you lot stealing from innocent people,” added Falcon.
“What’s it to you, stranger? What do you care what happens?”
“I’m a Rohad mercenary from Ladria. I don’t like bullies who cause suffering on those weaker than themselves.”
“What do you know about pain, you pampered brat? You don’t even know the meaning of the word, not like us.”
Falcon couldn’t help but smirk at the remarks. Even at the age of eighteen, he knew more pain than most had experienced in their lifetime. The monster, Shal-Volcseck, killed his parents. He and his brother, Albert, had survived the attack and moved to the capital city of Ladria to begin anew. For years they lived happily, but then one night his brother disappeared after being accused of murdering the Ladria council. After that day the entire city turned against him.
“You’re wrong, bandit. I know about suffering, but I choose to not impart the same fate that I’ve suffered onto others.”
“I don’t need a sermon from you. You defeated us already. Just get it over with it.”
“Get it over with? I’m not going to kill you if that’s what you’re suggesting.”
The bandit raised an eyebrow. “Then what? Torture?”
“You have a lively imagination, don’t you?” Falcon pulled out a long piece of rope from his duffel bag and with it tied the three bandits to a tree trunk. “Don’t worry, fellas. We’ll tell the guards of the nearby village where to find you. You’ll be sleeping soundly in your very own jail cell tonight.”
The bandit mumbled something back at him, but Falcon couldn’t understand him. After all, it’s hard to understand someone gagged at the mouth.
~~~
They slowly moved down the narrow path that weaved through the forest.
“I still can’t believe K’ran is your master,” Faith said. “My dad fought on the alongside him during the Emblem War.”
“K’ran is one of my masters, but I’ve been lucky to study with many great wielders,” said Falcon as he stuffed a mouthful of stripped lamb into his mouth. “I studied with my brother, Albert. I also studied with K’ran and many Rohad professors. Some people think that all of the great professors are at the royal academy, but Rohad has some wonderful teachers as well.”
“You forgot Professor Kraimaster,” said Aya.
Falcon frowned. “Oh yes. Him.”
“What’s wrong with him?” asked Faith.
“Nothing,” Falcon mumbled. He didn’t much feel like talking about the teacher who had made it his goal to insult and embarrass Falcon every chance he got.
Faith seemed to understand, because she then turned her attention to Aya. “What about you? I know you studied at Rohad like Falcon, but who did you study with before that?”
“My parents hired many private tutors. Even during my year’s at Rohad they would still bring in tutors during the summer when I was off from class.”
Faith nodded her head. “Wow, that’s impressive. No wonder you’re such a great water wielder.”
“Thanks, but what I did is not that impressive. I had water wielders to show me the basics. You’re the one who had to learn how to holy wield by yourself. I can’t even fathom how it feels to be the only wielder of your class in the world.”
“It does feel lonely sometimes.”
For a minute the three of them remained quiet as they made their way down the leaf-covered path. A family of owls hooted from atop a branch. To Falcon, the sound was a sign that darkness would soon be upon them.
“I know that tree,” he said, pointing at an old black Greir tree. “We’re almost to my home. K’ran is going to be so shocked when he sees me.” Aya and Faith followed close behind as he left the path and moved into the forest.
“It seems like we’re going in circles,” said Aya. “I’ve seen that tree before.”
“Oh, no,” said Falcon. “Many of the tress here look the same, but they’re not. Don’t worry. I spent a lot of time here. I know where I’m going.”
“Of course,” said Aya, her voice doubtful.
“That’s so nice,” Faith said. “You left the forests of Asturia and ended up with another forest as your backyard.”
Falcon stopped as visions of Asturia rushed back. Memories of running through the garden with his mother. Memories of playing with Faith and Albert as children.
“Falcon.” Faith shook him. “Hey, Falcon, are you felling well?”
He shook himself back to the real world. “Yes, of course. Let’s keep moving.”
After a few minutes of silence they came upon a small wooden cabin perched atop a hill. A small fence separated it from the hundreds of trees that surrounded it. Black smoke rose from the chimney.
Falcon walked up to the oak door and knocked.
“Maybe he’s not home,” said Aya.
“I barely knocked once. I’m sure he’s on his way.”
Falcon narrowed his eyes. He’d known Aya most of her life, and she wasn’t one to get nervous. So why was she so jittery all of a sudden?
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“It’s just that he’s the closest thing you have to a father. What if he doesn’t like me?”
“He met you once, remember?”
“That was only for a few seconds.”
“I’m sure you’ll be just fine.” Falcon knocked again.
There was loud ruckus as someone struggled with the lock on the other side. A second later, the door creaked open, and there stood K’ran. His body looked as strong and muscular as the last time Falcon had seen him. His one good eye, though, appeared tired. The other, white, marbled eye remained as hard to read as ever.
Falcon gave his master a slight bow. “It is good to see you again. How are you, master?”
“I’ve been better,” said K’ran as he returned the respectful bow.
“You don’t look so well, master?”
K’ran ran his hand trough the thick scar that ran down his left eye. “I’m afraid I’m suffering from a mild case of dysentery infection. Nothing major. My entire body is aching, but I’ll be good after a few days of rest.” He turned his attention to the girls. “Where are your manners? Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?”
A pang of guilt hit Falcon. How could he have been so rude? “As you already know, this is Aya Nakatomi, my friend from Rohad Academy.”
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br /> “Nice to see you again, sir,” said Aya. She took K’ran’s hand and shook it vigorously.
“It’s good to see you again too.” K’ran returned the shake.
Falcon motioned toward his other friend. “This is Faith Hemstath. She’s the daughter of the mayor of Asturia and she’s also a holy wielder.”
“Nice to finally meet you, sir. My father has many times told stories of your bravery.” Faith stepped forward and embraced K’ran in a hug.
Falcon braced himself, not sure how his master would take the unexpected show of affection. But he was soon relieved to see that despite his initial shock, K’ran was smiling.
K’ran stepped back. He took ahold of her hand and stared at her white emblem. “Many believed that another holy wielder would never be born in such a wicked world. I’m glad to see that those rumors were wrong.” K’ran let go of her hand. “Come in. I must hear everything that has transpired.”
Falcon held the door open as the girls stepped into the cottage. As he walked in he felt a set of eyes watching him. He turned and scanned the surroundings, but besides the leaves that danced in the wind, there was no movement. I must be going crazy. He closed the door and stepped into the warm cottage.
They sat on the old chairs that K’ran had built eons ago. He then served them each a mug of lime tea. A warm fire blazed in the fireplace.
“So how did you first mission go?” K’ran asked, taking a sip out of his mug. “I want to know everything.”
Falcon ran his hand through his hair, not really sure where to begin. He decided to start from the beginning and go from there. He told him how his best friend, Lao, had turned on him and joined the Suteckh Empire. How the Ghost Knight had saved them from a Suteckh ambush. How the monster, Shal-Volcseck, had been hunting Faith for years, and he told him about the upcoming attack of the Suteckh on all the capital cities of Va’siel.
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