“This is dire news,” said K’ran. “We must take swift action.”
“Yes,” said Falcon. “The Ghost Knight said the same thing. I’m going to gain an audience with the emperor and tell him what the Suteckh are plotting. I’m sure once he sees they’re planning an invasion of every capital city of Va’siel, he’ll mobilize his army.”
“That’s not what I’m referring to, Falcon. You have a much bigger problem here than the Suteckh. Why Volcseck seeks to acquire an emblem of each element remains a mystery, but we can rest assured that whatever his plans are, they’re not good. From what you told me, I gather that Volcseck only needs a few more elemental emblems to complete his collection. A holy emblem is one of those emblems.” K’ran stared at the golden-brown haired girl with the sparkling white emblem on her glove. “He need Faith’s emblem. And to acquire it he must kill her.”
CHAPTER 2
“So what do you suppose we do, Master K’ran?” Falcon asked. “The last time I engaged Shal Volcseck, he defeated me without lifting a finger, and he can sense Faith’s holy energy; it’s only a matter of time before he finds her.”
“Tell me, Faith,” asked K’ran. “How have you managed to hide from Volcseck all this time?”
“My father has managed to suppress my energy with his mind wielding, but my power has grown to the point where he can no longer suppress it. That is why I’m here. My father was hoping that a mind wielder of Grandmaster Zoen’s caliber would be able to help.”
K’ran bobbed his head. “A sound plan. Zoen is the strongest mind wielder I’ve ever known.”
Faith and K’ran continued to speak as Aya played with the single leaf floating above her tea. She couldn’t suppress a strange sensation that surged through her. She’d been so nervous about getting to know the man who had practically raised Falcon, and he had barely acknowledged her presence. For a second she mused that perhaps it was jealousy she was feeling, but she shoved it aside. Faith had been a great friend, and she had never been the jealous type.
She yawned as she set the mug down.
“Are you tired?” K’ran asked.
“Yes. A little. Is there a place I can retire for the night?”
K’ran pointed toward a small hallway at the end of the cabin. “Go down the hallway and turn to the left. There’s a room there I use for the rare times I get visitors. You and Faith can share it tonight.”
“Thank you, sir.” She excused herself from Faith and Falcon.
Like the rest of the cabin, the room was rather simple. Two small beds were placed at the end of each side. A small painting of the sea hung between the beds. By each of the beds stood an old looking cabinet with a wax-dripped candle on top.
Aya threw herself on one of the beds. The soft cushion beckoned her eyes shut. Before she even realized it, she was fast asleep.
Aya was vaguely aware she was in a dream. She saw herself ten years back, running through a field of long grass. Her younger sister followed behind her.
“I hide and you wait here. Got it?” Aya asked.
“No fair,” whined her sister. “It’s my seventh birthday. You have to be nice to me and let me hide first.”
“All right, Selene. But I get to hide after you.”
Selene waved her hand dismissively. “Yes, yes. Now count to ten, and no peeking.”
Aya crouched and instantly lost herself in the long weeds. “One, two, three, four….” Even over her voice, she could make out her sister’s loud footsteps. “…nine, ten.” She stood and glanced around. She was nowhere in sight.
She moved out of the grass fields and toward the pond. Her sister was so predictable. She always hid inside the old canoe.
“Found you,” said Aya. But when she peered inside the canoe there was nothing. The baffled girl ran back into the grass searching for her sister. She spent then next ten minutes running up and down, looking for any sign of her.
“Fine,” said Aya. “You got me. You can come out now.”
Silence.
“Selene! This isn’t funny. Mom and dad are expecting us back soon. Come out.”
“Aya, he’s got me!”
Aya’s face turned pale as she ran toward the cry for help. She came out by the pond. Across it she saw a brown and red blur. In his hands he held her struggling sister. At least she thought it was her sister. It was hard to tell from the distance she was at.
“He’s going to take me!”
Aya’s eyes widened in recognition. There was no doubt. That was her sister. She untied the rope and jumped into the canoe. With shaky but determined hands, she water wielded it forward, but when she looked up there was nothing. No blur. No screams. No sister. Only a piercing silence.
“Selene! Where are you, Selene?”
“How could you allow this?” demanded a thick voice.
Aya turned. Her frowning father stared back at her.
“Dad. I…I don’t know what happened.”
Her mother materialized behind her father. She looked down at Aya, tears in her eyes. “How could you lose my little baby? You were the older sister. You were supposed to protect her, you wretched child.”
“I’ll find her. I’ll find her.”
Her eyes snapped open. “I’ll find her!”
She pressed her trembling hand over her mouth. Did anyone hear me? A calming breath filled her chest when she noticed the bed beside her was empty. Faith had not gone to sleep yet.
She caressed her temples, trying to force the visions of her sister away. It didn’t immediately work, but after a few minutes her breathing returned to normal.
Her nose wrinkled as the strong scent of smoke filled her nose. She turned to the candle, which had burnt down to its core. Only a pile of watered down wax and dark smoke remained.
Aya picked herself up and grabbed the candle bowl, placing it gently by the window. Her heart skipped a beat as she made out the sound of footsteps on the roof. She broke into a smile. Only one person would be crazy enough to be on the roof in the middle of the night: Falcon. This was her chance to be with him alone for a while and catch up.
She quietly made her way out the window and onto the wet grass. Sparks of lightning flashed in the distance. A soft breeze moved through her black hair. The thought of going back for a blanket entered her mind, but she opted against it. She wasn’t planning to be out for too long, after all.
“Hey, don’t worry about the cold. Just get up here.”
It was Falcon, and he was talking to her. How did he see me? She was certain she hadn’t made a noise. But as she gazed up the roof, she saw that Falcon was talking to someone else; in fact, he hadn’t even noticed she was there. Instead, he was sitting cross-legged on the roof. Besides him, Faith did the same.
“See?” said Falcon. “It’s not too bad.”
Aya felt a pit grow in her stomach. She quickly made her way back into the room. She couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid. Of course Falcon was spending more time with Faith. He had a lot of catching up to do, after all.
Aya was twelve years old when she met Falcon on their first day at Rohad. The five years after that, they were inseparable. She didn’t know what to make of her feelings for him, but she figured she had more than enough time to figure it out. After all, there weren’t many other girls in Falcon’s life. There was the flirtatious Hiromy, but Falcon never paid much attention to her. But everything changed once they’d gone to Asturia. There, Falcon reconciled with his long-lost friend, Faith.
Seeing Falcon and Faith together brought forth a symphony of mixed emotions. She didn’t know what to make of them.
No. Those feelings are not important.
She closed her eyes and tried her best to push them away. But no matter how much she meditated, the river of emotions remained.
~~~
Faith remained quiet as she gazed at the stars.
“What is it?” asked Falcon.
“Um…nothing, I suppose. I thought I heard someone down there.” Faith took a second
look down at the grass below, but there was no one in sight. “I guess I’m just a little jumpy. That tends to happen when you have a psychotic chaos wielder on your trail.”
Falcon remained quiet.
“Sorry,” Faith mumbled. “We spoke more than enough about him tonight. No need for me to bring him up again.” Faith wanted to kick herself for being so careless. Volcseck had killed Falcon’s parents. How could she have been so tactless?
“Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Yes?”
“Back in Sandoria, when Volcseck showed up, I almost lost control…again. The element of chaos almost took hold of me until you arrived.”
Faith thought back to that moment when Falcon’s anger had overtaken him. He changed into some kind of monster.
Falcon continued. “The Ghost Knight suggested that when those feelings of chaos rage emerge, I concentrate my thoughts on someone I hold dear.”
“Oh, and who is that?” She quickly wished she could take the question back. Of course Falcon would think of Aya. The bond between them was undeniable. To Faith’s relief, Falcon didn’t appear to have heard her, or maybe he acted like he didn’t.
“When I was losing control and you hugged me, I felt a peace I have never felt before. I think it was your holy energy spilling into me. I’ve demonstrated that I can wield most of the elements, including chaos, so maybe my body is more prone to taking in your holy energy than most people.”
“So you think we can use my holy energy to suppress the chaos energy inside you?”
Falcon ran his hand through his dark hair. “Maybe. It’s certainly something to think about, don’t you think?”
“Yes.” She yawned. “But I think for now I should go to sleep. I’m tired and I think better when I’m rested.”
“Of course.”
Falcon jumped down first. He landed on the grass without making a noise. Faith doubted she could be that graceful. A childhood of falling off roofs attested to that. Every time she found herself in high places, her heart rate quickened.
“It’s really not that much of a jump,” said Falcon, noticing the fear etched in her face. “What happened to that little girl that used to hop from tree to tree?”
“You forgot to mention that that little girl fell off more trees than she can count. I still have my share of scars to prove it.”
“Here, I’ll help you.” Falcon jumped atop a log and grabbed Faith by the waist. He hoisted her down to the ground. Faith’s leg tangled with his and they crashed to the ground. She fell safely on top of him.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered with hushed laughter. “I’m such a klutz. Are you alright?”
“My wounded pride notwithstanding, yes, I think I’m fine.”
She became quiet as she took in his gaze and musky aroma. She stared at his eyelashes, realizing how the curl of them made his eyes stand out.
Falcon reached out and brushed back strands of her golden-brown hair.
Faith’s entire world spun around her as she stood. She nervously patted off the dirt that had settled on her white and pink jumpsuit.
“Sorry,” Falcon apologized. “I shouldn’t have dropped you like that.”
“No, no, no,” said Faith, sensing the presence of death around her. It was the same feeling she always got when that monster came for her.
Falcon waved his hand in front of her. “What is it?”
Faith hastily searched the forest for any clue of where he could be. No matter how much she looked, she saw nothing. “I thought I sens—” A hand reached behind her and clenched her throat shut.
“Looking for me?” sneered Volcseck.
CHAPTER 3
Volcseck’s tone was as relaxed as the last time Falcon had heard it.
“Let her go!” ordered Falcon as Faith struggled to break free from Volcseck’s grip. The more she moved, the tighter he tightened his grip.
“I said let her go.” His body energized. A second later a red lightning bolt slammed into Volcseck’s chest. The attack dissolved harmlessly into him.
How did an advanced element not even faze him?
Volcseck tossed Faith to the ground and turned his attention to Falcon. “You again, boy. Didn’t you learn your lesson from our last encounter?”
Falcon ran over to Faith, who was still coughing while clutching her neck. “Are you well?”
Faith bobbed her head. “Yes.”
Satisfied, Falcon returned his gaze to Volcseck. He was garbed in a black cloak with red cracks. His face, as usual, remained obscured under the hood.
“Don’t interfere with my plan, boy.”
The low whisper sent a shiver down Falcon’s spine. He ignored the feeling as he took out his katana. “Shut up. I won’t let you touch her.”
“As you wish.”
Faith stood, putting herself between Falcon and Volcseck.
“What are you doing?” asked Falcon.
“What I should have done long ago. Giving myself up. No more people need to die on my account.”
“I won’t let you do that.”
“We don’t have a choice. He’s too strong. Neither of us can hope to beat him.”
Volcseck extended a welcoming hand. “Listen to her, boy. You don’t have what it takes.”
Falcon stomped his foot. How dare he? Who was he to judge him? And now he actually thought he was going to stand back and watch him take Faith? Never. He would do whatever it took to protect her. Even rely on that power. “You want more? I’ll give you more.”
“No Falcon,” cried Aya, as she rushed toward him. The ruckus had apparently woken her up. “You can’t control it!”
Falcon ignored the pleas as he gave himself up to the chaos inside of him. His eyes burned with intensity. He looked down at his hands, which were now a dark brown with countless scars marred in them.
“I must say, boy. That is rather impressive,” admitted Volcseck. “You seem to able to have access to all the elements. I believed I was the only chaos wielder to roam Va’siel in the last ten thousand years. Apparently I was mistaken.”
“My name is not boy! It’s Falcon, and after today you’ll never forget it!” His speech was more growl than voice. He pounced. Mere inches from his attack making contact, Volcseck disappeared in a puff of white smoke. A split second later he reappeared. This time he stood behind Falcon.
Falcon brought his hands together and formed a ball of purple energy. With a loud growl he released it.
Volcseck held up his hand. The attack changed course and returned to its sender.
“Frost wall,” said Aya. A white ice shield materialized before Falcon.
Faith shot a beam of energy at the shield. A clear barrier reinforced the wall.
The ball slammed into the barrier. The ice crackled as the energy dug into the wall. Moments later, the attack dissolved.
“Good teamwork, girls.” Volcseck nodded his head. “Halting a chaos attack is no easy feat, but it wont divert my plans. As for you.” He pointed at Falcon. “Your ability to wield chaos could prove problematic for me in the future. I’ll have to destroy you now.” He wielded an energy ball, much like Falcon had done, except this one was triple the size. In the blink of an eye the ball blazed toward Falcon.
In his state, Falcon was barely aware of what was going on. But he knew enough to realize that a direct hit by the attack meant death. He tried to move, but his body remained frozen.
Seconds before the attack made contact, a blur hopped directly in its path.
There, holding the ball in his palms, stood K’ran. Green lightning surged through his hands, shielding him from directly touching the ball. He flattened his hands. There was a high wheezing sound as the ball disintegrated.
Volcseck put his hands together and bowed his head. “Master K’ran, it is an honor to meet such a legendary wielder.”
“I wish I could say the same to you.” K’ran let out a hoarse cough.
“Clearly, Master K’ran, you’re in no
condition for a confrontation. Step out of my way and go back into your home. If you do, you have my word that I won’t bring an end to your legacy tonight.”
The master took a long whiff. “I rather like the fresh air. I think I’ll stay.”
“So be it.” Volcseck teleported to Faith and reached out for her. Red lightning surged around her. He drew his hand back at the last second.
K’ran clapped his hands. In an instant red lightning surrounded Aya and Falcon as well.
“I was going to take the girl and leave,” said Volcseck. “But since you put a shield around her, I’ll have to dissolve it by killing you first, Master K’ran.”
Shal Volcseck teleported behind K’ran and threw a punch. K’ran grabbed him by the arm and threw him over his shoulder. Before he slammed into the ground, he teleported again. This time he appeared in front of K’ran. He kicked high. K’ran crouched under the attack.
Falcon’s features had returned to normal as he stood in his lightning prison watching the duel. His two cellmates did the same.
Both masters were now fully engaged in a dance of life and death. A parry, an attack, a jab, a block; it was almost too fast to follow.
Falcon’s mouth grew dry as he noticed K’ran’s movements slowing. He knew his master well enough to know he shouldn’t be tiring this fast. The illness was obviously taking a toll on him.
K’ran parried an attack. He dove in for a punch. But he suddenly stopped and stumbled back, going in a fit of sickening coughs.
I have to get out of here. I must aid my master.
“Your age betrays you, Master K’ran.”
Despite his illness, K’ran smirked. “Oh, the irony. I’m not the one who is over ten thousand years old. Tell me, how have you stayed alive this long?”
Volcseck paused. “Those who give themselves to the chaos can attain anything.” With a wave of his hand, a large cloud of raw energy appeared above them. The cloud dropped, threatening to crush them.
With one hand K’ran shot green lightning at the cloud. It held it in place, but Falcon knew that it wouldn’t do so for long. His master was clearly overexerting himself.
Void Wielder 2 Legacy of Chaos Page 2
