Shattered Destiny (10 page)

“I think it's over,” he said, gasping for breath. He did not look at the dead men that lay in a circle at his feet.

“You're not supposed to use the dark magic—”

“I'm tired of the same old arguments. I did what I had to.”

“The rest of us managed to keep fighting by using only our own power.”

“Well, good for you. Must be nice to be so self-sufficient,” Jon snapped.

“Maybe you'd be stronger if you used your own magic instead of relying on that filthy power,” Gwen shot back.

Jon marched so close that he towered over her. Gwen refused to step back. “It's none of your business. Just keep out of it.”

Gwen watched Jon stalk off, anger and disappointment leaving her thoughts in a jumble. Tears sprang to her eyes. She hated the dark power that was taking over the boy she had loved for so long. He wasn't the same. The old Jon had been kind, funny, and patient. The new Jon was hurtful and callous, even sneaky.

Gwen followed in the direction Jon had taken. The Volgon Chosen were gathered around someone lying on the ground.

Gwen drew in a sharp breath.
It's Seelyr.
The woman was drenched in blood.

Saemus and Kaelin ran up and knelt next to the injured woman. They held hands and linked their power. Kaelin let Saemus guide the magic. He had an instinct for healing, as had been proven so long ago when they'd healed the little boy at Midsummer festival. Seelyr gasped as the magic entered her injured body. One by one, her smaller cuts began to seal shut. The larger gash across her abdomen took a little longer to close.

When they were finished, the twins moaned and slumped to the ground, utterly spent.

Gwen glanced up as Feeror came to stand by her side. “You fought well today. You accepted the fear.” Feeror did not look at her, and his neck and face were tense.

“I wanted to fight well.” She would never say the words “to make you proud of me,” but she was afraid the big Volgon knew anyway. He met her eyes briefly without moving his head and nodded.

Her heart raced at the intensity of his eyes. It pierced right through to the tips of her toes, like an electric shock. Her breath came faster and heat rushed to her cheeks.

“Where is Master Brok?” Keera asked. She was the first to notice that the old man was not among their group.

Gerok told them all to stay put, and he went in search of Brok, starting where he had last seen him. Gerok made his way through the trees, ignoring the dead bodies. He looked down, and his heart sank. He knelt and picked up Brok's pack, which contained his herbs and potions. He spotted tracks leading off to the east.

Gerok ran back to the others. “I fear he's been taken.” He tossed the pack down on the ground.

“Then we must go after him,” Jon stated.

“He would not want us to go after him. His first duty is to keep you safe. We must return to the portals immediately before we are attacked again,” Gerok said.

“We're not leaving him in the hands of these men! We have to help him.” Gwen stood facing the big man, arms crossed over her chest.

“We cannot, little one. With Brok gone, I am the only Guardian. It falls to me to keep you all safe. We have already lost one of the
Chosen. If more of you die, it could be catastrophic.”

“I don't care. I don't care about the Mekans. I don't care about your duty. I don't care about this stupid destiny! Our teacher is in trouble, and we need to help him,” Kaelin said, her anger boiling over.

Gerok turned to his Chosen, hoping that they would force the Astrans to see reason. He sighed when he saw them stand firmly alongside their comrades, although he wasn't surprised. His Chosen were warriors and enjoyed running headlong into danger. Normally he would be just as eager to join them, but he had a greater duty as a Master and Guardian, and had to try to make the others see reason.

“Going after Brok is too dangerous. We have already lost one of the Chosen. What if more of you are killed? Brok would want you to leave him behind,” Gerok said.

“I'm not leaving without him. I'll go alone if I have to,” Jon said.

“I won't leave either,” Gwen said.

Gerok's jaw clenched as the rest of the Astran Chosen and his own nodded and spoke their own wishes to rescue the old Guardian.

“Perhaps we should travel on to Heart Stone and see if we can find out who attacked us, and why. We also need to find out what happened to the villagers and farmers,” Saemus suggested.

The others readily agreed, and Gerok was forced to concede. He could not force them to leave.
Besides, I don't want to leave the old man here either.

The Astran Chosen were eager to leave the area and the dead behind. Saemus and Jon took the lead. Just as they reached the outskirts of the village, Kaelin felt something small and furry launch itself at her chest.

“Moira!” Kaelin cried out in pure joy. Moira's cheeks were full to bursting with her latest foraging. The little urgit reached up to stroke Kaelin's cheek with her chubby paws. Moira trilled and purred as best she could around the food stuffed in her cheeks, trying to burrow closer to the girl.

“I can't believe it! I never thought we would see her again.” Gwen clapped her hands, glad to see the little urgit. She held a special place in her heart for Moira – the creature had been the one who had made it possible for Jon to escape the clutches of Queen
Cheye.

“What is it?” Seelyr's eyes were as wide as they could go. She held her hand out to Moira, who pulled back. At gentle urging from Kaelin, the urgit reached out with her chubby paws to touch Seelyr's hand. “What an adorable little thing!” Seelyr said, laughing at the Moira's antics.

The group made their way into Heart Stone, which was just as deserted as Willow Haven had been, with one terrifying difference. Here, there were more signs of a struggle with whomever had orchestrated the attacks on the villages and towns. There was overturned furniture, broken dishes, and spots of blood that stained the floorboards. Here and there were little wooden crosses that marked hastily dug graves. Livestock wandered amongst the buildings, helping themselves to the choicest vegetables growing in the goodwives’ gardens. Kyron and Voilor trotted down the main road and split up when the road forked, each trying to find signs of where the villagers might have gone.

The Astran Chosen were frantic with worry. Gwen tried to keep up with Jon as he raced down the road toward his family's farm, but her short legs couldn't cover ground fast enough. Her heart felt as though it would burst from her chest, and tears of frustration and worry and fear fell down her cheeks. Gwen watched Jon burst through the door to the house as she turned down the little road that led to her family home. She stood panting in front of the closed door, too terrified to open it.

“I am with you, Gwen.”

Gwen jumped as she heard Keera's voice. She had been so intent on keeping her legs moving that she had not even heard her friend following closely behind. Gwen took Keera's hand, which trembled as much as her own, and opened the door.

She felt a sigh of relief when she saw that nothing in her home looked like it had been disturbed. She ran through the house, calling for her mother and father. Her voice echoed hollowly in the empty house.

She left by the front door, feeling both elated and terribly frightened at the same time. For while there was no sign of a struggle, her family was nowhere to be found. Jon was running
down the road, worry etched on his face.

“The house is a mess, but I did not see any blood. Where could they all have gone?”

As if in answer, Voilor came trotting up, barely out of breath. “I found tracks that lead that direction.” He pointed to the north, where the Shadow Mountains could be seen, their tops hidden by fluffy white clouds. “They tried to hide them, but it is obvious that a great many people and animals headed to the mountains.”

They ran back to tell the others what Voilor had found. Saemus and Kaelin were happy that there had been no sign of foul play. They had searched the buildings near the Town Center and had been horrified to find Master Brok's house burned to the ground.

“We need to follow the tracks into the mountains. We must know what has happened here,” Saemus said.

“Isn't it obvious? The Queen is behind this. She is the only one who knew where we lived, and she had every reason to be angry. Angry enough to kidnap Master Brok,” Gwen said.

“But why would she resort to killing all those people at the villages? They have nothing to do with us!” Keera pointed out.

The others frowned. They had been sure that Queen Cheye had been behind the kidnapping, but what Keera said made sense. The burned villages, the dead that had been buried or left to hang in the trees did not fit.

“Something far worse has happened. And somehow we are a part of it, though I don't know how,” Gwen said, shivering. She knew the truth of her words, could feel it.
I wonder if this is related to my ability to sense if someone is lying.

“How could all those deaths possibly have anything to do with us?” Keera asked, eyes wide. “I mean, we haven't even
been
here!”

“I don't know. But it all ties in together. We just don't have all of the pieces yet.”

“Which is why we need to find the villagers. They may be able to explain what has happened and who is responsible,” Jon said.

Gerok frowned. He was Guardian, and it was his responsibility to watch over the Chosen. Allowing them to continue traveling when there was obvious danger lurking was unacceptable.

And yet, he found himself agreeing to follow the tracks into the
mountains. He too wanted answers, and he did not want to leave his friend to his fate.
Besides, I can't force them to return to the portal.

“We will stay here for the night and then make for the mountains first thing in the morning,” Gerok said.
Hang on, old friend! We're coming for you.

GENTRA

“I WONDER WHERE
they could be,” Martha said. She floated in the library, her pink and purple bell shot through with magenta, indicating her anxiety. She crossed both sets of arms across her body.

“I'm sure they're fine. Time doesn't work the same when we go through the portals. I bet our Astran and Volgon comrades will be back in no time,” Sloan said. He stood off to the side, looking out one of the large windows at the Gentran landscape. He liked this peaceful world. His thoughts turned to the Chosen from Astra.

Keera.

He smiled when he thought of her fiery temper. And just as quickly the smile disappeared when Valery's face filled his mind. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to force her away. As she faded, Amber took her place. He missed the two women, but at the same time, he hated them both for feeding his need for revenge.

Tess Golden's face was the next to invade his mind. This time, he did not try to force his thoughts from someone he had once been proud to call a comrade and friend. In his mind, she rubbed her crooked nose and her dirty blonde hair blew in wisps around her face, coming loose from her customary braid.

All of a sudden, her face changed, turning grey. Her hazel eyes
were glazed and her head tilted back, revealing a gaping wound that had nearly taken her head from the rest of her body.

The guilt tore at Sloan, ate at him like a predator gnaws a bone. He did not try to fight it. He deserved every second of misery. He longed for death to take him. All he could hope for was that the coming fight with the Mekans would end his life and that it might erase some of the harm he had done.

His self-reproach was cut short by the arrival of Master Ferrok. “The other Masters and I are worried by the continued absence of the Chosen that traveled to Astra. Even with the difficulties in predicting exactly how much time has passed, based on previous excursions to Astra, the others are long overdue.”

The Earth and Kromin Chosen gathered closer, sharing Martha's anxiety. Now that Ferrok had spoken his worries aloud, it was as if he was giving them permission to admit that they had all been feeling uneasy.

“It has been decided that you will all travel to Astra and see if you can find out what has transpired. They must be in trouble of some kind or they would be here. Your Guardians have already been told about this and they will meet you in the portal chamber in short order.” Ferrok left the domicile of the Chosen, the dull colors of his bell indicating his fear and worry. Events were spiraling out of control and he was powerless to stop it. Ferrok wondered for the thousandth time whether he was responsible for what was transpiring.

*   *   *

The Earth and Kromin Chosen floated in front of the portal, waiting for their Guardians to arrive. Sloan found himself growing worried for Keera, hoping that nothing had happened to her.

“How are we going to find the others? We don't have time to search the whole planet,” Brad said, his long siphon blowing his exasperated breath out in a rush.

--We can find them. Number 1 said blandly.

“You can sense them even if they are not close by?” Martha asked incredulously.

--We can sense them now, but their signatures are faint.

“That's unbelievable!” Brad said.