The Rules. Book 1; The End

by Jon Jacks

  ‘That’s a massive depletion of energy,’ Galilee breathed uneasily.

  Anxious glances were now being fleetingly swapped.

  The sky’s angled movement churned, drawing the deeper colours together into a whirling, towering spout of mauve and orange.

  The lowest, sharpest end of the spout pointed off towards a field a short distance away.

  Without a word, everyone began to run towards the field. Epona leapt athletically back onto her horse, immediately spurring it into a fierce gallop. The crusties, after only a moment’s hesitation, followed everyone else.

  ‘No, no! Most of you have to stay,’ Galilee yelled, signalling to Tull that he wanted him to organise some form of defensive line. ‘All this could be intended to draw us out. Defend the farm!’

  Heddy drew up on her horse, trailing behind her two empty mounts that she offered to a grateful Galilee and Beth. They slid into the saddles, setting off at a fast sprint after Epona.

  As soon as they cleared the field’s open gate, they couldn’t miss it; a soaring, gleaming black stone.

  It dominated the field’s very centre like an unimaginably large Neolithic monument.

  Being the first to reach it, Epona leapt down from her horse. She moved swiftly around its base, as if studying it closely.

  Yet her moves were odd, for she moved back and forth, her head bobbing violently.

  A low, sorrowful wailing came from the stone.

  It shifted and changed in intensity, the way a strong wind howls around a series of buildings.

   A tortured face appeared on the stone’s face.

  It was swept away, only to briefly reappear somewhere else.

  Alongside the face, hands clawed at the surface from inside.

  It was a trapped, imprisoned person, fruitlessly attempting to break free.

  It was Barry; Barry was trapped inside the stone.

   

   

  *

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Chapter 57

   

  ‘Why Barry? He wasn’t any harm to anyone.’

  ‘Why do it so obviously? Whoever did this had the power to simply make him disappear. We wouldn’t have even known he had gone missing until hours later.’

  ‘And why sign post it anyway? That was a massive use of energy, way over what was needed. We were supposed to find him!’

  ‘Look, can’t you two just stop asking these useless questions,’ Beth screamed at Epona and Galilee. ‘Can’t you just actually do something to help him?’

  Epona looked at Galilee with a ‘Well should I tell her or will you?’ expression.

  With a jaded sigh, Galilee explained. ‘We can’t free him or change him back, if that’s what you mean Beth. It’s not possible.’

  ‘Well why not? That’s what magic’s for isn’t it? To do the impossible!’

  ‘The magic’s too deeply embedded.’ Epona sounded authoritative, competent, confident. ‘It’s easy to turn eggs into an omelette; a whole lot harder to turn an omelette back into eggs.’

  ‘Harder?’ Beth picked up on the word Epona had used. ‘Not impossible?’

  Now Epona and Galilee glanced at each other like they had been caught out.

  ‘Okay Beth, so yeah; it’s not impossible. But it would mean using a colossal amount of energy. That not only means we’d be left defenceless if anyone chose to attack us. To use it, at least one of us would have to give ourselves over to our inner spirit.’

  ‘One of us would die,’ Epona added tersely. ‘Who do you think that should be? You?’

  ‘So that’s it? You’re just going to leave him here?’

  Barry screamed and cursed as he flew around inside the stone, his features stretched, contorted, wraithlike.

  ‘Beth,’ Galilee said consolingly, ‘I think that’s why we were supposed to find him like this. To tempt us into attempting a rescue.’

  ‘It’s almost deliberately ironic; the way he’s been effectively solidified.’

  Epona refused to explain further. She either assumed Beth would understand or she was hoping Beth would have to admit her ignorance and ask for an explanation.

  ‘Barry – Tsao – could transform into a wisp of smoke.’ Galilee said. ‘It was assumed in his legends that he could ascend to heaven, taking messages from earth.’

  ‘His form was insubstantial.’ Epona stared despondently at the wretched, ghostly image of Barry flowing around inside the gleaming obelisk. ‘Now he’s rooted and immovable.’

  ‘The girl!’

  Beth recalled the girl with the harp. She had been playing the silent music that Barry had somehow heard and danced to.

  ‘And Tull! They did it! I saw them scheming together!’

  She was irritated when, once again, Epona and Galilee exchanged knowing glances as if Beth were a naïve child.

  ‘I saw them,’ she insisted angrily. ‘Tull and this girl! And I saw Tull having an argument with Barry only a few moments ago!’

  ‘Which girl?’ Galilee asked patiently.

  ‘She was playing a harp last night! Barry was dancing to it, even though no one else could hear it! Can’t you remember? Everyone was laughing at him, poor man!’

  ‘I think she means Canola,’ Epona said calmly.

  ‘Canola? Is that her name?’ Beth was relieved that they were at last taking her seriously.

  ‘Beth, I think it’s far more likely that someone like your friend Drek is invol–’

  ‘Drek? How could Drek do this?’

  Beth was appalled that Galilee was once again accusing Drek.

  ‘So it couldn’t possibly be your friends, eh? It has to be one of mine!’

  ‘It couldn’t have been Drek,’ Heddy pointed out sullenly.

  Unlike the others, who had dismounted to closely inspect the stone, she was still astride her horse. She found comfort in its warmth and movement.

  ‘He was with me when this happened.’

  ‘Okay, so he didn’t do this!’

  Galilee, his growing irritation with Beth aggravated by Heddy’s unwanted intervention, indicated the stone with an angry stab.

  ‘But we should be asking him about what happened with this other friend of yours, this Foley! If I’d asked him earlier, this might not have happened!’

  ‘How do you figure that out? You’ve just heard Drek had nothing to do with it. But this girl–’

  ‘Beth, Canola has a magic harp!’ Galilee’s fury was getting worse. ‘Anyone who hears it is more or less destined to die pretty soon after.’

  ‘But I honestly saw her, saw her looking strangely at Tull. Like they had arranged something!’

  ‘They had arranged something,’ Epona agreed flatly. ‘Tull asked her to play to see if any of us were in danger. He hoped it would give him some idea if we might be attacked.’

  ‘So the argument you saw him having was probably just him trying to warn Barry to be careful Beth!’

  Galilee’s eyes flared furiously as he leapt back onto his horse.

  ‘Just stop being so suspicious of people like Tull, can’t you? Your friend Drek’s got far more to answer for, you ask me!’

  With a sharp prod of his knees, he rode off at a fierce gallop.

  Beth felt stupid, humiliated. She just seemed to sink lower in Galilee’s eyes with every passing hour.

  ‘He doesn’t mean to be so angry with you.’

  Epona no longer sounded superior. She was soothing, consoling.

  ‘He’s not sleeping well; he’s endangering himself to know more. He doesn’t want to make mistakes.’

  It only made Beth feel even worse. Epona was obviously aware of what Galilee was going through.

  More aware than she was.

  It’s really not going too well with lover boy, is it?

  Don’t you start!

  ‘I’ve got to go.’

 
Beth spoke brusquely as she stepped towards her mount. With a wave of her hand, she called on Heddy to follow her.

  ‘We have a friend who needs our help.’

  She had to warn Drek that Galilee was looking for him!

  And warn him before Galilee found him!

   

   

  *

   

   

  It’s strange, don’t you think? How lover boy’s always telling you to keep a ridiculously tight control? While he’s picking up every little bit of knowledge and power he can from Machal?

  He’s endangering himself. Didn’t you hear?

  Beth and Heddy were spurring their mounts into a continuous headlong charge across the fields. They both rode gracefully, expertly.

  The horses powered forward, sweating and breathing hard.

  Oh, of course he is sweetie! Oh, wait; if he doesn’t want you to copy him, don’t you think he’s bound to make out that gaining more power is dangerous? Just a thought, but…

  He’s scared, scared he’ll go too far. But he doesn’t have any choice.

  Ah yes; the complaint of every dictator who’s ever achieved power.

  I don’t think they were putting themselves in danger like Galilee is, do you?

  Oh dear! You really are a naïve little thing, aren’t you? Is it all those new muscles that are blinding you to his faults, darling?

  Don’t start all that again!

  Touchy are we? Oh, but of course; you know he’s way out of your league now, eh?

  Didn’t I already say that I didn’t want you to start?

  Well, he’s hardly a boy anymore, is he? And our little red haired floozy has definitely got her eyes on him too, don’t you think?

  Shut it!

  There’s quite a nice relationship developing between them, you ask me. One based on mutual respect, as well as attracti–

  ‘Galilee!’ Beth bellowed. ‘Leave him alone,’

  Ahead of her, Galilee was holding a terrified Drek high above the ground in a whirlwind of violently pummelling air.

  Without even having to think about it, Beth sent forward a surge of water sucked and plucked up from hollows in the ground.

  It struck Galilee hard, sending him bowling across the ground.

  The currents of air surrounding Drek wavered and shifted. He toppled then fell slowly to the ground.

  ‘Have you gone crazy?’ Beth yelled at the sodden Galilee as he wearily got back to his feet. ‘What’s wrong with you?’

  Galilee appeared shocked and dazed. Leaping from her horse, Beth steamed towards him.

  ‘He said he heard voices,’ Galilee spluttered in a half-hearted defence of his actions.

  Despite this, he was cowed, chastened. Far from being defiant, he seemed surprised by his own behaviour.

  Heddy had leapt from her horse only a second after Beth, rushing over to console a shocked and frightened Drek. She spat back angrily at Galilee.

  ‘Of course he heard voices! He’s always heard them!’

  ‘He suffered a bad childhood, Galilee,’ Beth added. ‘Ever heard of that phenomenon?’

  Galilee gave a humbled nod of his head.

  ‘Yes, yes, of course; I’m sorry. What a fool I’ve been. Please forgive me.’

  Now he was shaking his head, like he was trying to regain control of his thoughts and actions.

  His embarrassment increased when he noticed a gawping Gerry, observing him warily.

  She was open mouthed, as if she had witnessed everything and couldn’t quite work out what had been going on.

  At last, she turned away, clutching thirstily at her can of lager as she took a long drink.

  ‘I don’t know what came over me,’ Galilee added contritely.

  He shook his head again, this time in bewilderment at what he had just put Drek through.

  ‘I need a rest; all this is just getting too much for me.’

  Beth wasn’t really listening anymore. Her eyes were on the retreating Gerry.

  Should she tell her what had happened to Barry? Had Gerry really grown that close to him, in the short time she had known him, that she would want to know all the details?

  ‘Beth, Galilee.’ Heddy stepped over to them, having reassured herself that Drek hadn’t been injured. ‘Could I talk to you for a moment please?’

  ‘Sure Heddy; what do you want?’ Beth smiled, surprised by Heddy’s obvious agitation.

  ‘I know you just treated Drek badly Galilee, because you were trying to figure out what had happened when Foley died.’

  ‘Yeah, I’m sorry Heddy. I over reacted.’

  ‘We know you couldn’t see,’ Beth said. ‘You and Gerry were in the barn.’

  ‘Yeah, that’s right; only, just seeing Gerry there, well, it made me remember something odd. Or, rather, I remember thinking I saw something odd at the time. Only I can’t remember what it was!’

  Beth chuckled. ‘You might have to run that one by me again Heddy before I begin to make any sense of it!’

  ‘Gerry?’ Galilee was far more serious. ‘Can you try and think what it was that you thought was odd? Did she disappear for a while?’

  Beth eyed Galilee uneasily. ‘Galilee. You can’t go starting on Ger–’

  ‘Yes, yes. I’m sorry Beth, I won’t, I promise. But this is important! Heddy, please – was there a time when Gerry was out of your view?’

  ‘No, no; she was still there with me. I’m sure of it. That’s why I find it hard to think what it was that I thought was so odd at the time. It was just pure chaos at the time; the fire, the terrified animals. So whatever it was that I thought I’d seen, I just had to put it to the back of my mind and get on with saving the animals. I thought, anyway, that I must have just imagined it – that the fumes were perhaps making me a little dizzy. Giving me hallucinations, you know? Once everything was over, and we were all safe, I simply forgot all about it; until just a moment ago, when something about Gerry made me think of it again.’

  Galilee’s face was creased in pained frustration.

  ‘Galilee, I’m not letting you treat Gerry like you did Drek!’ Beth warned.

  ‘I know, I know! But, see, we don’t even need to ask Gerry, do we? It’s Heddy’s memory that we’ve got to somehow jumpstart – and I know just the girl to do that! Canola!’

   

   

  *

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  Chapter 58

   

  Galilee moved fast, very fast.

  It was an urgent, rapid walk. Almost a run.

  It was hard for Beth to keep up. Her walk was jerky, uncomfortable. Every now and again she had to do a little skip, a little jump, to catch up.

  Heddy and Drek were falling behind. They were holding hands, and in no rush at all.

  They were heading to the area were the magical training had started once again.

  Each one of the trainees was partially veiled, completely surrounded by a quivering, hollow column of air, water or fire they had conjured up.

  Some of the walls were stronger, thicker than others. Some wavered violently, possibly uncontrollably.

  Some, on closer inspection, weren’t columns of air or water after all, but pulsating waves of heat or even sound. One column of sound was so high-pitched it caused Beth to wonder if, directed into a more concentrated form, it could disable or even kill.

  ‘Now hold it, steady it. Don’t push it too much. Just get used to it!’

  Canola, the girl Beth had seen playing the magical harp, stood at their head, directing and advising them.

  No magical field surrounded her, but her speech was as dreamy and calming as Beth imagined her harp must sound.

  ‘Focus on it; draw it back in.’

  Shimmering folds of air, water, fire, sound, and heat withdrew back into their creators.

  ‘Then, gently, let it o
ut again. But slowly, slowly, and controlled this time. Like it’s a breathing, breathing, breathing exercise.’

  She breathed out slowly as she spoke.

  Before her, her class followed her instructions. The energy suffusing them expanded gradually, the waves building from shallow wrinkles to a deeply undulating swelling.

  ‘Breathe out, breathe out. Let it all expand lazily, easily – until it’s just touching your nearest neighbours.’

  The cocoons of fluctuating energy gradually spread out until they touched another field. Some passed through and into each other with a fizzle, or a pop. Others flattened as if striking something solid and immovable.

  ‘Can you feel that other energy? Like it’s touching you? Yes?’

  They didn’t need to answer. Anyone could tell from their surprised reactions that they had sensed when the fields had touched or embraced.

  Galilee remained to one side, refraining from interrupting Canola’s teaching even though his face became increasingly creased with anxiety and impatience.

  Having witnessed the way Galilee had exploded earlier, Beth now recognised the need for Canola’s exercises. The way they helped instil control and understanding of the powerful and potentially dangerous energies contained within each of them was obviously essential.

  ‘Can you sense, too, how they are drawing on the same energy that you are? When under attack, you have to carefully judge how much energy to draw on. Use too much in an attack against a powerful foe, who can draw on energy from farther afield, and it could eventually leave you defenceless. Use too little, and you could allow a more powerful foe to draw away all the energy immediately surrounding you.’

  The fluctuations of heat surrounding a tall, emaciated woman oscillated and dropped away as she raised a hand and spoke.

  ‘Wouldn’t it make sense to draw upon all the energy surrounding us? So they have nothing to use?’

  ‘There are few capable of such a thing. It would almost certainly result in your death, and probably even of your inner spirit. Besides, drawing on so much all at once can draw extra energy in, like air rushing into a vacuum. As you will learn, it’s also possible to, as it were, hitch a ride on such an attempt – allowing you to pull in energy from the edges.’

  No longer prepared to wait, Galilee stepped closer to Canola.

  ‘Canola, I’m sorry, but there’s something urgent, something I need you to do for me.’

  Despite being interrupted, Canola beamed beatifically. With a gentle nod of her head, she indicated that she would be with him in a moment.

  ‘I want you to gently, gradually boost the power of your defensive cocoon without letting it expand,’ she said to her class. ‘Try and sense the depletion of energy taking place as you all draw on it. When I get back, we’ll look at feeling for energy beyond our immediate area. We’ll also track the way the depleted area can be more swiftly replenished if it comes in on a wind or a storm.’