Awakening (Telindell Book 1)

by Darren Lee

  He looked to Kane and spoke in a calm, numb voice, “Here.”

  Kane nodded to Lian and sat next to the tree. Lian softly laid Lyssa’s body next to the tree. Lian began to dig with his hands. Kane approached Lian and attempted to dig alongside him.

  Before Kane’s paws could pierce the dirt, Lian pushed him away. “No.”

  Kane whined and resumed sitting next to the tree. He watched Lian closely. Lian’s hands dug through the dirt. He grunted and dug faster and faster. Tears streamed from Lian’s eyes, and he let out a sorrowful scream that echoed through the forest. Lian fell backward and sat with his head bowed while he cried. The black wolf approached him and pushed his furry head against Lian’s cheek.

  Lian wrapped his arm around Kane. “Why, Kane?” he said while sobbing. “Why did it have to be her?” Lian closed his eyes tightly. “Why would anyone order that attack? We never harmed anyone…” Lian paused and gritted his teeth. “Nobody even knew we were there!”

  Lian started to dig once again. Tears dripped from his face and dampened the soil. Kane grabbed Lian’s shirt and pulled him back. Kane jumped in front of Lian and the grave, shaking his head at Lian. Then, he turned and began to dig.

  “Thank you, Kane,” Lian said.

  Kane looked back to Lian and nodded. Lian pulled his knees to his chest, lowered his head against them, and closed his eyes. Kane dug feverishly. Once the grave was adequate, Kane tugged at Lian’s pant leg. Lian looked up and nodded to Kane. He stood and scooped up Lyssa’s body. He looked at Lyssa’s cold lifeless face. Lian closed his eyes tightly and gritted his teeth. He softly placed Lyssa into her final resting place and crossed her arms against her chest. Finally, he pulled a blue ribbon from her hair, the same one he had given her when they were reunited.

  “I promise, this crime will be avenged,” he said softly. He placed the ribbon in his pocket. “You will always be with me, mother.” A tear dripped from Lian’s face and softly landed upon Lyssa’s.

  Lian stood and looked to Kane. Kane looked at him and then to Lyssa. Then, he sat and let out a long, mournful howl. The two then began to cover Lyssa with the cold excavated dirt.

  Lian looked at the unmarked grave of his mother. He turned to face the stream. Growing next to the stream’s edge was a single blue rose. Lian approached the rose and gently plucked it from the ground. He stared at the rose for a few moments. He then turned and planted it at the head of Lyssa’s grave.

  “Come, Kane. Time to go,” he said.

  Lian and Kane walked toward the stream. Suddenly, a violent wind began to gust throughout the clearing. Lian looked around quickly. A bolt of lightning struck the stream in front of them. Blinding green light overtook Lian’s and Kane’s vision. Lian covered his face and turned his head away. When the blinding light faded, Lian looked toward the steam to see a glowing green figure levitating just above the water’s surface.

  Lian took a slow step back just as a soft, soothing feminine voice spoke, “Do not be afraid.”

  Lian trembled at the figure’s words. “What are you?”

  The figure hovered toward Lian and Kane. The green glow subsided just as the figure touched ground. It revealed a woman with long, flowing black hair. She looked upon Lian with her piercing dark brown eyes. Lian stared at the woman before him. She had light brown skin and green clothing. Green silk wrapped across her breasts and left the rest of her upper body exposed. She wore a transparent, flowing green skirt that was short in the front but draped to the ground in the rear. Underneath, silk undergarments could just barely be seen.

  The woman smiled. “I am Elintae, Goddess of Dusk.”

  Kane immediately leapt towards Elintae and lowered his head in respect at her feet.

  Elintae smiled at Kane. “It is good to see you again, my friend.”

  Lian looked at Elintae and chucked a bit to himself. He snorted and glared towards the Goddess. Lian slowly shook his head and shouted, “You? You are Elintae?” He pointed toward the goddess. “All these years, and now you show yourself? You allowed my village to be slaughtered, and now you have allowed my mother to be killed?”

  Elintae knelt down to pet Kane. “I understand you are angry with me. I understand if you distrust me.”

  Lian clinched his fists. “Anger and distrust are not strong enough words.”

  “You feel I have forsaken you and those around you,” she said. Elintae stood and smiled at Lian. “I assure you, that is not the case. I have watched over your ancestors for generations, including you and your mother.”

  Lian gritted his teeth, then shouted, “Bullshit! Where were you when those monsters killed everyone?” Lian closed his eyes tightly. “You let my mother die! You were never there!”

  Elintae smiled again and spoke with a long absent voice from Lian’s past, “Yes, Lian, I was there.”

  Lian’s eyes widened in disbelief. “No,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s not possible.”

  Elintae nodded. “It is possible.”

  Lian shook his head once again. “You’re dead. Eva is dead. I watched it happen.”

  Elintae nodded. “Indeed that body is dead. I am not.”

  Tears swelled in Lian’s eyes. “I… I...”

  Elintae smiled. “I have missed you as well.”

  Lian backed away from her. “How can you be Eva?”

  “I can manifest my essence into a mortal’s body whose soul has already been released,” she said. “That is how I protected your bloodline through the centuries without drawing attention. When the Dalronians emerged, that body had to die in order to release me.”

  Lian remained silent for a few moments. He took a deep breath. “You lied to me! You said you were the one who told my mother about Dawn’s Grasp and that she left me with you, not someone named Lana.”

  Elintae smiled. “I was Lana as well. Something required my attention. I had Kane and his pack kill that body in order to release me.”

  Lian quickly looked to Kane. “Is that true?”

  Kane nodded.

  Lian turned away and took a deep breath. “This makes no sense.”

  Eva slowly shook her head. “It doesn’t have to.”

  Lian turned and glared at Elintae. “If you are Eva and the Goddess of Dusk, why didn’t you stop those monsters six years ago?”

  Elintae sighed. “I was bound by the limits of a mortal body. Even if I was not, I still could not have truly defeated Dreathous.”

  Lian sighed. “I suppose the stories are true,” he said, giving her a disappointed look. “Not even the gods can stand against them.”

  Elintae nodded. “We were not enough. That is why you came to be.”

  Lian crossed his arms. “Who is Dreathous?”

  “The Dalronian’s Lord Commander,” she said. “A man twisted by the consumption and corruption of magic.”

  Lian quickly shook his head. “Those were not men. Not even close.”

  Elintae turned from Lian. “They were indeed once human.”

  Lian’s mouth dropped. “How? What happened to them?”

  “In a lust for power,” said Elintae, “Dreathous and the sages at his command devised a way to not only manipulate magic, but consume the very life force and power of Dalron. Its magic.”

  Lian shook his head. “How do you know this? How do you know of this other world?”

  Elintae glared at Lian, her eyes glowing green. “Do not question me about such things.” The glow faded from Elintae’s eyes. “I do not wish to speak of it.”

  Lian gasped and nodded. “I won’t.” Lian ran his hands down his face in an attempt to compose himself. “They consumed the power of Dalron?”

  “Yes,” said Elintae. “The power of Zaneen courses through your veins, but it is still the power of Zaneen. They took the power of Dalron as their own and left their world nearly lifeless. Dreathous used the remaining power to force open the gate between our worlds.”

  Lian snarled. “Are you saying I’m like them?” Lian shook his head. “I am nothing
like them!”

  Elintae smiled. “You are nothing like them. The only similarity is that you, like them, wield the power of an entire world.”

  Lian dropped his arms and turned away. “Then why am I still human?”

  “We desired you to be human,” said Elintae. “It is why you have the sword. You are human, enhanced, but human nonetheless.”

  Lian glanced back to Elintae. “The sword? Enhanced?”

  Elintae smiled. “Surely you have noticed abnormalities. Your hair. A blend of colors that no other human alive possesses. Your strength. Your speed. The rate at which your wounds heal.”

  Lian faced Elintae and crossed his arms. “What caused it? I wasn’t always like this.”

  Elintae chuckled. “Ebon.”

  Lian laughed. “The boy I almost killed? How did he cause it?”

  “He triggered the need,” she said.

  Lian snorted. “What need? To not get killed?”

  “The need to fight,” she said, smiling. “The need for the power within you.”

  Lian laughed again. “I found a rock.”

  Elintae glared towards Lian. “You survived longer than any human would have. Anybody else would not have had the strength to swing that rock. After that, the power grew within you with each passing day. Your training has only furthered it.”

  Lian shook his head. “Then tell me, what about my body is enhanced?”

  Elintae shook her head. “I know you have heard the stories, the legends, the myths.”

  “I have,” said Lian. “You are the one responsible for this power. I want to hear it from you.”

  “Understandable,” she said, nodding. “Your blood. Olbien, and I altered your ancestor’s blood. We forged a direct connection between his blood and Zaneen’s life force. We did not anticipate the duplication of the connection within descendants. I have noticed through the centuries that only one connection may be active. When you accessed your connection that day six years ago, your mother was rendered unable to access hers.”

  Lian sighed. “Better that way. I would rather her not bear this burden.”

  Elintae approached Lian and placed her hand upon his shoulder. “I am glad to see your purity is untouched by the horrors you have endured.”

  Lian pushed her hand away. “Tell me of the sword.”

  Elintae turned from Lian. “Very well. I hope you will come to trust me in time.”

  Lian took a deep breath. “The sword.”

  “As you wish,” she said. “It was forged and tempered with the blood of your ancestor. It enables you to harness the power of Zaneen.

  Lian shook his head. “I don’t need the sword. I can harness the power without it.”

  Elintae turned to Lian and glared. “Tell me, what did it feel like without the sword?”

  “Excruciating,” said Lian. “It felt as if my body was being torn apart from the inside.”

  Elintae nodded. “Your human body cannot withstand the power for long. The more power you wield, the more damage it will do to you. Eventually, it will consume and destroy you, along with everything around you, without that sword.”

  Lian’s eyes widened. “Why? What does the sword do?”

  “It focuses the energy when you harness it,” she said. “Like a lightning rod, it attracts the power to one point instead of letting it be unpredictable and untamed. Elintae pointed at Lian and spoke sternly, “The sword is part of you now, and you must never cast it aside.”

  Lian nodded. “Alright.” Lian sighed. “You spoke of Olbien. Has he returned as well?

  Elintae turned away from Lian as a single tear escaped from her eyes. “Olbien has not returned. I have lost someone very dear to me, just as you have.”

  Lian’s mouth dropped open in confusion. “Gods can be killed?”

  “Yes, indeed we can,” said Elintae. “I am free from the constraints of time, age, sickness, and hunger. This is my true manifestation, my true form. If I am struck down in this form, I will simply cease to be. Then, the lost souls of the world, the magic that is released when life passes will wander hopelessly. Over time, the souls will warp and twist, leaving them damned and malice-filled specters that exist only to torment those who failed them.”

  “I understand,” said Lian, nodding slowly. “You and Olbien. If you fail, they come for you.”

  Elintae nodded. “Indeed they do. I have performed both mine and Olbien’s task tirelessly in his absence.”

  “To shape and guide life, in both the beginning and the end,” said Lian. “What happened to Olbien?”

  Elintae wiped the tears from her eyes while she turned to face Lian. “He sought to face Dreathous. He did not agree with passing the burden to your ancestor.”

  Lian shook his head. “Why?”

  “It was his mistake,” she said.

  Lian raised an eyebrow. “His mistake?”

  Elintae took a deep breath. “I do not wish to speak of it.”

  Lian nodded. “I’m the only one that can defeat Dreathous, aren’t I?”

  Elintae sighed. “You are. Know that within you, you wield the power and wrath of every creature that has been and ever will be. The power of our entire world. Learn to fully harness that power…” Elintae smirked before speaking once again, “And you will be the most powerful being in existence.”

  Lian shook his head. “I have great power.” He looked away for a moment. “I can’t be that powerful. It isn’t fathomable.”

  “You have only scratched the surface of your power,” she said. “It is why, even without using the power, you are stronger, faster, and more agile than any warrior Zaneen has to offer.” Elintae held out her fist and clinched it tightly. “You must learn to control and harness your power.” She sighed. “Do not be foolish like your ancestor.”

  “How was he foolish?” said Lian. “Didn’t he stop them?”

  “Temporarily,” said Elintae. “He was arrogant and eager for battle. He rushed off right after the transformation. He waited for no guidance, no training. Shortly after, Olbien was lost. Without him, I cannot recreate the connection of power. Lianus was the world’s last hope. He did drive the Dalronian legions back. During his push, he met a woman.” Elintae smiled at Lian. “From her womb your bloodline spawned. She traveled with the human and Elven armies. She tended to the wounded. When Lianus learned a child of his was to be born, he decided to end the war himself.” Elintae turned and peered at the glistening stream. “He fought a long and hard battle against Dreathous and his Generals. He could have matched Dreathous in a one on one confrontation. Against all four of them, he was overwhelmed and struggled to stay alive.”

  Lian listened to the story of his ancestor intently. “How did he send them from our world?”

  Elintae took a deep breath. “He abandoned the only warning we gave him. He cast aside the sword. He summoned the entirety of Zaneen. Dreathous and his forces retreated. Lianus’ power was overwhelming when untamed and unfocused. He was able to force them through the gate, but it destroyed him.”

  Lian shook his head. “Can we send them back through gate once more? How did they survive for a thousand years?”

  “No,” she said. “Dreathous destroyed the gate. Time passes differently in their world. They may have only been gone minutes or days.”

  “Well,” said Lian before letting out a sigh. “At least his bloodline continued.”

  “Indeed,” she said, nodding. “I immediately sealed the gate upon their retreat. I then constructed the Telindell Mountains and hid the weapon. I knew they would return, and I knew I would once again have to call upon a Telindell.” Elintae turned to face Lian and glared at him. “A reckless act will not buy us time now, only our doom.”

  Lian lowered his arms and clinched his fists. He glared back at Elintae while his lip quivered. “You aren’t going to like what I’m about to do.”

  Elintae squinted and shook her head. “You rush to avenge your mother.”

  “Yes, and I will have it,” he said. “Whoeve
r ordered the attack will die by my hand.”

  Elintae sighed. “Hate and anger fills your heart, Lian. I understand. I too wish vengeance for Olbien.”

  Lian nodded. “Your lover.”

  Sorrow filled Elintae’s voice when she spoke, “Yes.”

  Lian glared at the Goddess of Dusk. He clinched his fists tightly. “Help me avenge those I have lost. Then together, we will avenge Olbien.”

  The Goddess slowly nodded. “Very well,” she said. “Go to Riverwood. Seek out green eyes and have them lead you to the place from which they first spilled blood.”

  “That’s it?” he said, shaking his head. “That is all the help you offer?” Lian gritted his teeth, then shouted, “A riddle?”

  Elintae nodded. “That is all the help you need. Kane will stay with you. If he wishes it.”

  Kane looked up to the Goddess and nodded before he stepped back to Lian’s side.

  Elintae smiled slightly. “He has grown quite fond of you. I sense that he too wishes vengeance for Lyssa’s death.”

  Lian looked to Kane and crossed his arms. “How exactly do you know Kane?”

  “He is a very old soul,” she said. Elintae looked to Kane. “He has guarded the Exodus gate since I created the Telindell Mountains. When Dreathous killed my mortal manifestation in front of you, I summoned him to protect you at any cost.”

  Lian looked to Kane. “You’re a thousand years old?” Lian then looked to Elintae. “How?”

  “It is not important,” she said. “Just know that Kane can be killed, just as any creature can. Protect him and he will protect you.”

  Lian looked down to Kane and placed a hand on his head. “I promise. He is my oldest and most dear friend,” he said.