Harmonizer's Evolution (Balancer's Soul cycle)

by Lee Morgan

  When the sun first began dipping behind the trees Sarah felt a new mind attempting to gain access. She turned around and looked up to see a female Keeper with grayish-white eyes peering down at her strangely and it felt off for some reason, unsettling. She wore a gray robe belted closed with gold that had been spun into rope. “Might you be the one they call Sarah?”

  She turned completely around to give her, her full attention. She smiled pleasantly and said “That would be me. Is there something that I might be able to help you with?” It became a habit to ask this because many people that she’s never met keep coming up to her for only two main reasons, to meet the children or to gain information on what strategies were being developed inside the cabin when the Elders counseled. They’ve kept everything a secret pertaining to what will be done and who will be going where.

  “Actually I was going for a walk and was wondering if you would like to join me? I’ve seen your strength and was hoping to get some pointers on a few questions. It would be a great honor to walk with the mate of a Harmonizer.”

  Sarah stepped down to the ground and remained polite in her tone. “Actually a nice walk will be just what is needed. By the way what is your name?”

  Her hands fumbled for a minute until she placed one on her breast. She smiled calmly, without showing her teeth. “Please forgive me for forgetting proper etiquette. You may call me Agnes.”

  “Ok, Agnes. Take the lead.”

  The Keeper turned around and finally took those unsettling eyes off her.

  “Veronica,” Sarah said with a closed telepathy that only she could hear. “this Agnes person just asked me for a walk out of nowhere. Before Connor left with your mate he looked like something was off.”

  “I noticed it in my mate as well. He was searching for something.” She admitted. “Is something the matter?”

  Sarah began walking behind the Keeper while thinking “I’m not completely sure, but this Keeper is making my insides very queasy. The way she looked at me just gave me an uneasy feeling. Despite this feeling I’m going to go with her.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?”

  “Yes, but keep a safe distance and be sure the kids have someone watching over them. I think something strange is happening around here and Agnes could be involved. Plus completely seal off your mind and don’t use your abilities so that she has nothing to read and give away your position. I’ll speak aloud for you.”

  “Very well.” They ended their conversation and closed the link.

  Before Sarah started walking up to Agnes’s side she made sure that each of her daggers were free in their scabbards. This sickening feeling Agnes is giving off has put her defenses up.

  Agnes led the way to the north side of the clearing and soon they were in the confines of the darkening forest. They had a quiet and pleasant walk for an hour and it had indeed become dark outside. Sarah made a fireball in her hand to give them a light source. They continued walking through the forest even then and in a straight line. While in the walk, she never once heard, saw or felt Veronica’s presence, but it was comforting to know that the close friendship with her kept Sarah’s apprehension from making her make a run for it.

  Then before she knew it, they came upon a tiny clearing that looked to be used quite often. It was so far out of the way that no one has been here, but her. It made Sarah wonder what she was doing living out here. She then scanned the ground and said “Oh good. You already have some firewood.” Sarah tossed the fireball and soon the fire brightened up the darkness of the clearing. It was unmistakable to see that she is alone because only one side of thick grass has been spread and crunched under a heavy weight that matched Agnes’s size.

  Everything about this place was giving her the creeps as much as it did from Agnes herself. Sarah then had an idea to get a conversation going.

  “Thank you for such a lovely stroll through the night, but I must get back and go put my children to bed.” She took a small flame from the fire and made it grow with her energy into another small fireball.

  As she turned around and began walking, Agnes finally gained her attention. Her tone had become strange and detached “Before you make your final exit, there is something that I need to hear from you.” Sarah stopped and returned her vision upon the Keeper and noticed that she stood between her and the fire, about twenty feet away. She stood tall and rigid while her grayish-white eyes still looked strangely at Sarah. “I’ve seen you entering the establishment, along with those that wear the black robes that have gold engravings, for the past week. I am going to hear what has been going on in there.”

  “You’re sounding a little forceful.” Sarah spoke calmly and lazily placed both of her hands in the hilts of her dagger, after dispersing the fireball in the air. “You will be told, just like everyone else, and wait for the news on the plans that have been put into place. I’m sorry, but I cannot give anything away.”

  The Keeper didn’t show any reaction to hearing her words. A few moments later she began slowly walking back and forth while keeping her sights fixed completely on Sarah like a tiger stalking prey. “I have also been watching your lessons with the old-one’s mate. You are a very dangerous creature despite your size and lack of coordination. What is unfortunate is that your strength rivals that of our kind and that is unacceptable. We are the supreme species of the world. But lucky for me you aren’t at your peak like you were. Using Dark Steel was unfortunate for you, puny thing. Right now I’d measure our strengths to be relatively close. I won’t be able to get another chance like this ever again.”

  Sarah’s hands gripped the handles of Fangs much more tightly. Her heart began racing at getting conformation from this sickening feeling. Agnes kept walking back and forth like a predator, playing with its food. The way Agnes spoke said that she wanted three things. First she wanted insider information on the plans concerning their strategies. Next she wanted to remove Sarah as her threat. Finally Sarah understood that look in her eyes. Agnes was hungry and saw her as a food source. Only Ranvan and his followers could see the world of man as a buffet.

  Sarah unnoticeably pulled Fangs from their scabbards by the smallest of measurements. Her voice hardened as her body prepared itself for a fight. “So what are you going to do about me? Even if you do get me to speak, what would you be able to tell Ranvan about us?”

  Agnes’s leathery lips pulled back in a grotesque smile at hearing his name. She looked completely normal as a female Keeper should, but her crooked teeth would be a dead giveaway that she is an enemy spy. “So you dare speak the name of the one who freed us? It doesn’t matter much because our exalted one will bring us back from hiding and make us the rulers of this world once again.”

  Then the Keeper dropped down on all fours and continued pacing. “Now tell me what you know and your end will be quick, meat thing.”

  She finally stopped moving once a choked laugh escaped Sarah’s lips. “Do you honestly believe that you have that capability? To think that a spy would be stupid enough to take out someone much stronger than they are, let alone confirm that they are indeed a spy who is trying to gain intelligence directly from that person. You and the rest of your breed must be truly pathetic if you believe those tactics will work.”

  “If you’re through mocking,” Agnes lined her body straight towards Sarah’s. “tell me your secrets or things will get bloody.” A threatening hiss passed her mangled teeth.

  As a result of her threatening words Sarah instantly cleared Fangs from their home and took a defensive position. “Forget it, Freak!”

  Apparently she didn’t like being called that terminology. Agnes growled and suddenly launched herself.

  At the exact same time there came an explosive movement from the woods and her rescuer Veronica flipped midair and struck with her tail like a whip, that had gone supersonic, across the back of Agnes’s skull and the only ones to remain conscious were Veronica and Sarah.

  The danger has been quelled before any blood could be spilt.


  They locked their eyes on Agnes incase she should react. Once they were sure she wouldn’t, Sarah said lightheartedly “Veronica, it seems like we have a present for our men when they get back.”

  She hissed a laugh. “That they will. Now we have proof for everyone to see the enemy we face. Now we need to get her back to camp and set up some procedures for our guest as long as needed. I’ll carry her back, but stay close incase she wakens unexpectedly. We cannot afford to lose such precious information on our enemy.”

  She walked up to Veronica and patted her cool scaled thigh. “Thanks.”

  She nodded in understanding of the words.

  “It seems like it’s over.” Connor thought to Sorono as they continued flying north at incredible speeds.

  “Indeed. Veronica seems much more relaxed than she was a few minutes ago. Now that our worry is over, we should move more swiftly.”

  Their speed instantly increased as more energy funneled down their legs and out of the soles of their feet and boots. Since Sorono knew the location of the prison, he took the lead. He made a Pressure shield to aid in the flight north.

  They crossed the Canadian border hours ago and were still flying after the sun finally set. Then the scenery slowly became familiar in the darkness.

  They passed the large mountain that they resided in during the Mélange meeting. Neither of them said anything, but they did look at it until it dropped out of sight. Connor continued remaining quiet as they still flew and the air continually became colder. As a response Connor used his control over Fire to cocoon himself in a thin layer of his own body heat and didn’t allow it to radiate away.

  Sorono finally broke the mental silence as the continual sun began rising to show that they were somewhere near the North Pole. “Connor, we are very close to our destination so follow me.” He followed him as he descended towards the ice and snow covered mass.

  A freezing windstorm blasted all around as they landed, but Connor diverted it around himself with his own Pressure shield while still keeping warm thanks to the enveloped body heat. They had landed in the middle of a ferocious blizzard. The wind was too loud to speak as it howled continually and visibility was pretty much nonexistent. “So Sorono, this is why you told me that they would jump at the chance to leave this place. It isn’t very hospitable. I know you only feed the prisoners enough to keep them healthy, but not enough to use their abilities. So if they could escape they wouldn’t be able to survive long out in this kind of unforgiving environment.”

  Sorono turned to smile down at him. His Hazel eyes were calm and calculating as he began walking. Connor followed once he began speaking. “What you say is mostly correct, but there are a few things you need to know before we go in. Yes they get fed properly, but only enough to keep them well. Then you said something about them breaking out. That isn’t accurate. In the prison the prisoners are free to roam as they’d like. I call it a prison, but realistically it’s more like a holding facility until their time is served. Well…they are about to get a reprieve.” Sorono smiled oddly at his small joke. “Inside there are three districts that are each separated by a wall so that the peace can be relatively maintained. I usually have about five thousand Immortal Guardsmen maintaining the integrity of the facility because it is their yearly rotation.” Then his eyes widened for a moment. “I had forgotten to factor in their numbers as well.

  “Many of the Guard that are posted here are Keeper, but we do have several hundred other of the two races. They keep the prisoners from killing each other and also manage the daily rations. I or another elder come to check on things every three months to make sure everyone is treated fairly.

  “Then there is the prisoner’s hierarchy. Inside the facility they have created their own system that works to make their terms pass as smooth as possible. Usually the leaders are chosen in tournaments that are done on a yearly basis. Only the best mannered and respectable prisoners are allowed to enter. Once a victor is decided they deal with the problems that the prisoners have and seek a respectable compromise with the guard. The leaders also are listened to unequivocally by the other prisoners, until the next tournament.

  “If there is a dispute that needs attending and immediate action, the prisoner is locked in a glacial prison with only the ice to keep them company. And if the prisoners wish to go outside they are escorted outside in regular intervals. We do not shackle them because they know they won’t get far in this environment.

  “Finally there are quarterly supply drops and by my calculations there was one yesterday. That is a wonderful sign. We can use up all of the supplies to strengthen our potential fighters.”

  They went silent as Connor felt him use a trickle of his power. Then came the rapid pulses as he began using his sonar. Connor followed his lead and soon things changed from a wall of white to black and white.

  Several hundred feet away stood a large cabin, but what laid below is more remarkable. There was a large elevator shaft leading straight down into the ice. Then at the end of the shaft, it broke into three directions. One direction led to a large cave that held large crates that were filled with dried and frozen food, exactly like what were dropped back at the clearing. The next direction held another cavern that was larger and held multiple cabins that were crammed together in a multitude of sizes. He guessed that to be where the five thousand Immortal Guards reside.

  Then the third tunnel led to a gargantuan dome beneath his very feet. Several ventilation shafts were leading through the dome and up to the surface. Two walls inside the cavern separated the three classes and they were at least sixty feet high. The central section held large buildings whereas the other two sides held building of the same size because Balancers and Changers remained the same height as a human. The three sections were set up in long rows that held straight lines of walking space. In the furthest end held the hundreds of individual chambers in the shape of a bubble and he recognized them to be where the unyielding prisoners were confined to chill out.

  It felt almost like a city down there because of the activity. Some stayed stationary whereas many others were walking around, going to different locations inside their section. Along the outskirts of the dome and the two dividing walls patrolled the Immortal Guard. Many of the Guards were Keeper, but there were some smaller human, and not so human, shapes moving around the area.

  “Connor, are you coming or what?”

  Connor moved his sonar’s focus ahead to see Sorono already waiting by the enclosure. He then picked up the pace and was soon by his side.

  He stopped using sonar to see a large cabin that helped block much of the blinding snow. They stood before a door made of wood and painted white like the snow. Even the outside panels were painted white. Despite being out in the middle of nowhere they still took precautions against the human eye.

  His eyes met Sorono’s and his tone became louder that the storm. “I’m here!”

  Sorono nodded and pushed the large door in. He entered first and closed it after Connor’s entrance. Things became much quieter and less hostile. In result, he stopped using a pressure shield and holding his heat around himself. The air still felt quite cool, but at least it was bearable.

  “Elder!?”

  Sorono and Connor turned around to see a silver eyed Changer sitting behind a desk in his human form. He had long dark brown hair and a copper skinned complexion. He situated himself over in the far corner of the opened spaced cabin. He wore a parka and thick pants along with boots. His pendant hung around his neck showing that he is one of the Immortal Guard.

  The cabin was bare except for basic necessities. There were two snowmobiles, one small fireplace for light and minimal warmth, a curtained toilet, and a book shelf with several novels resting in the panels.

  The Changer stood and bowed deeply in their direction. “Please forgive me, but you are early, Sir. We weren’t expecting your presence for another month.”

  “Rise, Hatchling. My brother and I have come here on urgent busines
s. Please activate the elevator and ride down with us. Once we arrive at the bottom I will need you to go into the Guard’s barracks and awaken them all. We will wait on the stage and explain the current situation.”

  The Changer looked at Connor strangely and then his eyes widened. He remembered him. He too must have been at the last meeting. He understood and turned around, removed a wooden panel to reveal an old fashion way to communicate. There was a pipe that led straight down. He said into it “Head Elder Sorono has just arrived. He is ordering that the elevator be activated.”

  Connor’s acute hearing heard several seconds later, from across the room “Ten seconds until activation. Clear the center of the floor before I start.” The Changer replaced the panel and moved to stand by them.

  The center of the wooden floor opened straight down the middle to reveal a flat, but large elevator. They all walked on it and waited until it began dropping. After forty or so feet, the flooring of the cabin came back together and sealed their descent. Off to the right moved a weight system and foot thick cables for this elevator. That is what they used to lift and drop the elevator safely.

  After ten minutes of dropping they finally made it to the bottom. Connor realized that they had electricity down here and also that they were being greeted. A line of forty Guards stood in no particular order.

  They were all bowing respectfully.

  The Changer began his task after the elevation finally stopped. As he ran through the tunnel leading to the barracks Sorono said “You may all rise. Please will you escort us to the stage? We are not here for inspection and we must make haste. Once we make it to the stage have every single Guard and prisoner come forth to hear what I’ve come to say.”

  “Do not forget to release those being confined in the bubble chambers, in the back.” Connor spoke after Sorono finished and he didn’t mind him speaking. “Every soul must attend this announcement.”