Balance of the 12

by Ania Bo

  Dwade waited for Shasta to choose her weapons until he noticed she wasn’t moving. Her hands shook as she clutched them in front of her stomach.

  Dwade picked up one of her hands and squeezed it gently. “Maybe you’d be comfortable with a knife? Just in case.” She nodded gratefully and took the knife along with its sheath.

  “Let’s go then,” Kajleh called. “I wish for you to be in Raiju’s territory before sunrise.” He allowed the four of them to exit first.

  Dwade started to wave goodbye to Kajleh when the captain grabbed his arm and swiftly placed a small metal bird into the palm of his hand without the others seeing. “Protector, when you feel the need, rub this bird on your bracelet and throw it toward the sky, and I will come to your aid.” A sadness covered his concerned face as he spoke. “Please, don’t trust anyone or anything, only your instincts, Protector. Your intuition will not fail you. Everything is not as it seems.”

  Dwade stared into Kajleh’s eyes, and he saw fear. I knew I was right, something is wrong. He nodded and said, “Thank you, may the Balance be with you, Kajleh.” He put the bird in his pocket and hurried after the others. Ideas flew through his mind, but he tried to block them out, afraid Shasta eavesdropped on his thoughts. She was so trusting of the Balance, the Chancellor, and Atlantis that he couldn’t trust her with his misgivings, but now he was sure there was more to this mission than they had been told.

  Kajleh called out to them all from the aircraft. “May the Balance be with you.”

  Waving at the captain, the group descended from the ramp to find their horses waiting for them. This time Dwade had to ride a horse all on his own. Great, he thought. The Readers’ surprises for him had no end. The three Readers mounted their horses while Dwade was forced to receive help from one of Kajleh’s soldiers.

  “No worries, it will guide itself,” Violen told Dwade.

  It was hard to believe, but she was right. The horse was well trained and did its best to keep Dwade upright and in stride with the others.

  “Hurry,” Violen commanded. “I wish to reach the Hikar before morning.”

  The sun had already dipped below the horizon, and Dwade could barely make out the others’ facial features. Fortunately, the horses’ tack had small, blue lights attached to them, making it easy to keep track of each other in the dark.

  Violen took the lead and told the others to follow, while Han took his position at the rear, protecting Dwade and Shasta. In the darkness of the night, the four white horses shone like bright spirits flying through the forest. Any light from the stars had completely vanished under the shelter of the trees, and the forest clouded their vision like black tar. Eventually, they broke out of the forest and arrived in a valley where a large river flowed. It split into multiple small branches, cutting the green land into sections. It was here where Violen held up her hand and motioned for everyone to halt.

  “Why have we stopped?” Shasta asked, her voice shaking. The impenetrable darkness of the forest had stolen her courage. There was no telling what dangers lurked in the shadows.

  Violen looked at the sky and calmly answered, “They are coming to us.”

  As her words faded, lightning bolts struck the ground only a few yards ahead of them. The loud crack terrified the riders, and Shasta lost control of her horse. She toppled from its back, landing on the ground hard, her scream causing it to flee into the safety of the woods.

  “Shasta!” both Han and Dwade yelled as they jumped off their horses to help.

  Shasta lifted herself off the ground but didn’t answer. She stared out ahead of them, her eyes wide with fear, causing the two men to slowly turn around. Before them Violen was still on her horse, the beast shifting nervously, and Violen’s sword was half drawn. Han and Dwade followed suit once they saw the five figures in the distance.

  Dwade sidled to the side of Violen’s horse. “What’s going on?” he asked. She only shushed him.

  The figures gradually became visible. Their white skin shimmered just like when the sun hit the surface of a creek. Their blue and white hair was bone straight and swayed just above their hips. They had strong bodies and faces that somehow appeared wolf-like. These were the Hikar, and they did not look welcoming. They bared their teeth and sniffed the air, eyes narrowing harshly.

  Violen, always the personification of calm, called out to them. “We are here in the name of the Balance. We seek permission to see King Raiju.”

  The soldiers gave no reply and made no move. They just stood there and stared. Dwade saw Violen and Han glance at each other. The Hikar should have known they were coming. As the suspicious soldiers silently drew closer, Violen and Han prepared for an attack. Something was terribly wrong.

  “Wait, hold on a second,” Dwade said and left Violen’s side, walking boldly toward the soldiers and signaled Han and Violen to stay behind. A fight was certainly not something they were looking for especially with a race they were an ally of.

  “Dwade,” Shasta tried to call to him in a quiet voice, but he ignored her. She expected Violen and Han to advance with him, but they stayed put as they were told. Not wanting to let her partner face the Hikar soldiers alone, she ran after him, ducking out of Violen’s reach as she tried to restrain her. Violen and Han were good soldiers to do whatever they were told, but Shasta would never let those Hikar hurt her comrade.

  As Shasta ran after Dwade, Violen growled with anger, “How are we supposed to protect them when they act like a couple of children!” Without having another choice Violen and Han relented and went after the two of them on foot. They had to keep the Protector and Visionary Reader alive, at least till they found the Regenerator.

  Dwade put both his hands up as a sign of goodwill while the soldiers watched him motionlessly. “We are asking for permission to pass. We don’t intend to stay in your lands but to go on to meet with the Zaends.”

  The soldiers laughed softly among themselves. “No sane person would go to the Zaend lands, and any who did would not return,” said the tallest one with the crooked nose.

  Dwade exchanged a confused and concerned look with his companions, afraid of what the soldier’s words implied. The Hikar advanced further, double-edged swords shaped like lightning bolts materializing in their hands as they took a defensive posture.

  “Nobody is permitted to enter our lands!” one of them yelled.

  Violen and Han shifted their feet, gripped their weapons, and prepared themselves for battle. Figures these two rookies would get us in a fight, Violen thought.

  Han moved closer to Shasta and looked into her eyes, hoping to make her feel safe.

  But even her first love was not enough for Shasta to control herself. Her eyes begged Han to find a way to solve it. For the first time in her life, she was faced with real danger, and she was scared.

  Han whispered, “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt us.”

  Shasta nodded, but one of the soldiers warned them again, “Go back to your lands, strangers, nobody is welcomed.”

  Shasta was overwhelmed by hopelessness. As sadness encompassed her heart, a strong wind began to blow. Electricity traveled around her body, and her breathing came in short bursts. She unwillingly went down on her knees as she became lightheaded. Her eyes closed, her head fell to one side, and her hands clawed at the ground bringing up clumps of grass.

  Dwade started to ask her what was wrong, but then the same feeling of lightheadedness flowed through him and he stumbled.

  The soldiers continued to stand at attention, unsure of what was going on with the female Reader. The ground shook beneath them, and the Hikar soldiers looked at each other anxiously; this was more than they bargained for. The shaking became so powerful the trees in the forest swayed, some of the smaller ones crashing to the ground. Suddenly, a more powerful bolt of lightning struck the other side of the river running alongside the road, and a familiar figure appeared—Raiju. The leader of the Hikar made a motion with his hand as though telling his soldiers to clear the way, and they obeyed
. The earthquake ceased, and Raiju crossed the river, walking on the water. He approached Shasta and got down on his knees next to her and held her hand. His mere presence was so intimidating that Han, Violen, and Dwade could only stand and watch. They knew who he was, but seeing him up close, they saw he appeared as a wolf created from the very lighting that brought him there. He had huge hands like paws and piercing eyes.

  “Utsu ren, ele ren vok sevegul julak.” Her fingers relaxed their grip on the earth, and she fainted into his lap. With a slight tap on the head, she reawakened. “Welcome, Visionary Reader,” Raiju said with a smile while holding her in his arms.

  Dwade came to his senses and rushed to Shasta’s side while Han and Violen were too astonished to move. Nobody understood what Shasta had done except Raiju. Nevertheless, Han watched the Visionary Reader with a new sense of admiration.

  Raiju addressed the four of them after he reassured himself that Shasta was all right. “Please excuse our border patrol. Hoglem declared war last night. My people are suspicious and on high alert. They were ordered not to allow strangers to pass into our lands.”

  “Declared war?” Dwade turned to his friends exasperated. “I wonder how the Chancellor overlooked that tiny detail.”

  Violen and Han stayed silent as Shasta shook her head in disbelief.

  Raiju chuckled at the Protector’s hysterics, an emotional response quite uncommon among his own people. “We haven’t been introduced, human, but I assume you are the Protector. I welcome you to the land of the Hikar as King Raiju. I am sure the Chancellor didn’t want to distract you with thoughts of war. Your minds and hearts must be focused on procuring the Regenerator.”

  “Thank you, King Raiju. It is an honor being in your lands,” Dwade replied stiffly.

  Raiju took a long hard look at Dwade before continuing. “We were expecting you tomorrow, but it is good that you’ve arrived now.” He turned to face Violen and Han. The King preferred informing soldiers about the war as he knew they would protect the unexperienced Protector and Visionary Reader. “The Jatuk are marching on Utsuhapok. We estimate they will arrive in a week’s time. As soon as our army is ready, we will join Zeus’ forces in the Immortal Savannah.”

  “And the Dvay?” Violen asked.

  Raiju said sadly, “Hoglem has already left his homeland along with his troops. He is probably joining forces with the Jatuk as we speak. It looks as if war can no longer be avoided.”

  Trying to keep calm despite what he heard, Han approached Dwade. “We will save the Regenerator, Protector. As soon as we are back in Atlantis, she will be safe.”

  No matter how much Dwade wanted to hate Han, he knew he had a pure and clean soul. Dwade looked at him and nodded. He tried to appear strong, but it was his own people who were under attack. It was his entire race—his family and friends—who were in jeopardy. And even King Raiju gave information about the war to Violen and Han, not him. Dwade felt so weak. Everyone saw him as a child who needed to be protected. A protector who needs to be protected, he thought bitterly. Neither Shasta nor he was strong or trained for this mission, yet the universe assigned them by giving Shasta weird, meaningless visions. I really hope you know what you are doing, Balance. I really do.

  Shasta stepped toward Dwade’s steed, her legs still shaky. “We shouldn’t dilly-dally then, King Raiju. We must continue our mission.”

  Raiju nodded. “Kene kishon lerez. It looks like you have misplaced a horse. My soldiers will ensure it returns to you safely. Follow me in the meantime.”

  Han and Violen mounted their horses while Shasta rode behind Dwade. She felt Han’s eyes on her as she wrapped her arms around Dwade’s waist. She caught his look, liking the idea of Han being jealous of her.

  “The journey isn’t long to our main city,” Raiju said. “Please keep up.”

  The Hikar leader started to run, and even the Readers’ oversized horses had a difficult time staying with him. They crossed the river at a stone bridge much further down and rode their horses as fast as they could. Eventually, they were able to catch up with Raiju at the foot of a small mountain. He winked at them then in a blink, turned into a ball of light and launched himself into the sky. Seconds later, Raiju struck the earth as a bolt of lightning, hitting a designated point near the base of the mountain. The horses became restive again, but this time they were under control. Slowly, a portal opened where Raiju had struck. The Readers and Dwade stood stunned, staring at the swirling, white disc of light, but as it began to shrink, the companions rushed forward on their horses, jumping into the portal before it quickly closed behind them.

  They gracefully landed on the opposite side of the portal where they found themselves in an entirely different landscape. There were constant strikes of lightning as Hikars appeared and disappeared. Where they landed, small cracks opened in the ground sending out rays of light toward the sky. The effect was extremely beautiful as if northern lights danced in the night.

  Once they were no longer distracted by the lightning show, they noticed Raiju beckoning for them to follow. The lightning strikes increased as they neared the city. The Hikar people were nocturnal creatures who preferred to move about in the darkness, and they used their ability to turn into lightning as a form of transportation. Being with the Hikar was like being in a perpetual lightning storm that would continue until sunrise.

  As they approached the city, Raiju told Dwade to put on his hood. He did not want the people to realize he was human. The Hikar were friendly with the Readers and got along with most races but not with the humans or the Jatuks.

  Dwade knew well why. Humans were the main reason the Founding Agreement had to be made. Jatuks and humans had for years tried to acquire the Hikar diamonds. These powerful gems stored and released electricity making them a formidable weapon. In order to obtain great power, there were attempts from both races to steal the diamonds from the Hikar, disrupting the Balance. In the end, they failed, and many perished needlessly. As part of the Founding Agreement, Raiju’s father had given a Hikar gem to Zeus to secure his rule over the humans and had thus gifted him with the power of lightning. It was the only diamond to ever leave their lands.

  Dwade hoped the relations between humans and Hikar had improved slightly over the years, but he wasn’t going to take any chances and listened to every word Raiju said. This time Dwade would keep himself in check.

  The city was dizzyingly bright since the houses glowed with their own radiant white light. The holes in the ground around the city were clearly landing sites; hundreds of them dotted the city. Here they were able to see more of the Hikar walking around on foot. None of them wore any clothing, though it didn’t seem to matter as their white skin made them glow, and there didn’t seem to be any distinction between male and female. The only thing they wore on their persons was either a neckband or a medallion which held a single diamond that blazed just as brightly as they did.

  The Hikar form of travel was quite unnerving for the visitors as they were often startled when a Hikar appeared before them with a loud clap, and the sound of thunder was constant background noise. Dwade remembered his mother couldn’t stand loud noises. She would have had her strong headaches here, he thought. Even that small memory was enough to make him smile sadly, missing his family. Once the elder of his village said to him, “The family is the purest form of love, and a man can never really fulfil his heart till he has a real family.” Dwade knew the old man was right. Just thinking about his family was enough for him to feel stronger and calm.

  As they approached the palace, they noticed an increasing sense of urgency among the people. The palace, which resembled icicles with its pointy towers, was simple yet magnificent at the same time. Within the palace courtyard, it was crowded and busy. Hikars were rapidly going about their business—organizing diamonds, manufacturing neckbands and medallions—and even the children were training with double-edged Hikar swords. This was a people preparing for war.

  The foursome dismounted and tried to keep up wit
h Raiju’s pace as he entered the palace. His people stared at the newcomers, but since they accompanied Raiju, they remained unconcerned.

  Inside, the walls of the palace appeared to be made of ice, but there was no chill in the room. It reminded Shasta of the walls of the Glass Pyramid in Atlantis except these possessed a more natural quality.

  There were a few Hikar who were sweeping up what looked like shards of ice. Raiju noticed Shasta observing them. “They are cleaning up the damage from your earthquake.”

  “I did this?” Shasta couldn’t believe she had affected the palace when it was so far away, especially since she didn’t fully understand what she had done in the first place. Raiju just smiled in answer.

  As they entered through a large pair of doors with lightning bolts chiseled into their surfaces, they saw a staircase that led to a magnificent throne, and on each side sat what looked like two wolf-like statues. Yet, as Raiju neared his throne, the wolves rose and greeted their master. Dwade looked at the wolves with amazement. They were beautiful, triple the size of a regular wolf. Their blue and white fur mixed together and gave the illusion they glistened as they moved.

  Shasta could not help but ask, “Are they Skoll and Hati?”

  Raiju was impressed with her knowledge. “Yes, my faithful companions.”

  Shasta knew them from her studies, and she expressed her admiration. “They are as magnificent as the tales make them out to be.”

  Raiju smiled. “Yes, they are, but they are not pets as they are told in other lands. They are honored and feared here.” He put out his hand and Skoll touched it with his wet nose. There was an obvious sense of mutual respect between the two of them. “I have something for you,” he said to Shasta as he neared a large table set apart from his throne. “Join me, all of you.”

  When the guests gathered around the table, they saw a neckband with a diamond sitting in a tray on the table. Raiju picked up the neckband and offered it to Shasta. “This is for you to keep, Visionary Reader.” He turned to Dwade apologetically and said, “With all due respect, the energy needs to be transferred correctly if it is to be of any use, and there is no room for hesitation in battle. It would be easier for a Reader to use than an untrained human. Unfortunately, we have no time to train you, Protector.”