Shattered Destiny (37 page)

“We need the Kromins,” Saemus said.

As a group, the Chosen called out to their telepathic comrades, hoping against hope that they were nearby.

--There is no need to shout. We can hear you.

“Where are you?” Saemus spoke aloud, not caring if the Nomad thought he was speaking to himself.

--We will be there shortly.

“How shortly? We are staring at a bunch of machines tearing up the land!” Saemus shouted.

--Not for an hour. Your world is on the other side of the galaxy from Volgon.

The Chosen and the remaining two Guardians felt helpless. The machines were getting closer to the mountains. In a few hours, it was possible they would cross them and begin making their way across the eastern continent.

“Let's head down. There is no sense in staying up here,” Forka suggested. It would do them no good to simply sit and wait for their Kromin comrades to arrive. If they were moving, it would help to distract them somewhat.

Shel Nal’ Vi led them along the summit, searching for the path that would lead them down into the desert. The path the Nomad chose looked like many of the others, but he picked his way with confidence.

“You knew about them didn't you?”

The Nomad glanced back quickly at Saemus before looking ahead again. “Yes.”

Saemus nodded. The Nomad hadn't seem surprised at the metal machines digging up his land. It also explained why the others they'd met in Yis had refused to guide them. “Why did you agree to bring us here? Surely you know how dangerous those things are.”

“Our bone readers spoke of those that would come to save us. They said they would be in Yis. When I heard you were asking for a guide, I thought perhaps you were the ones the tellers spoke of.”

There was no more time for talk. The path had become steep and treacherous. They needed every ounce of concentration to keep from falling and sliding down the mountain. The path was littered with
sand and scree, and there was no vegetation to hold onto. The camels seemed to have no trouble navigating the steep path. They plodded along much as they did on horizontal ground.

As they got closer to the desert bottom, the noise of the machines got louder and louder, until the Astran Chosen had to use the power to block the noise.

“Look out!” the Nomad shouted.

A scouting droid had rolled closer to the steep mountain range. The rumble of its engines shook the ground. Rocks and boulders rolled down the mountain. The Chosen shouted in alarm as they struggled to scramble down to the desert floor. The camels bawled and jerked against the reins. They wanted to go back up the mountain to safety.

The Nomad kept a tight grip on the animals, more afraid of losing the water they carried than his own safety. Whether by fate or luck, the man managed to reach the desert floor and hold the reins of the terrified animals in both hands, keeping them from bolting in fear. He struggled to reach an area that offered some shelter beneath an overhang of rock.

He sent up a prayer as the rocks and boulders rained down. He couldn't see the others from his little shelter.

Suddenly he heard a blood-curdling scream, then shouting and yelling. His stomach turned when he saw someone fall to the ground. The young man, Saemus, struggled to get up, but it was clear he had broken several bones in the fall. His cries of pain were lost in the noise of the machines and a powerful rumble that got ever louder.

The Nomad struggled. If he let the camels go to help the lad, they would run, and the group he led would be left helpless, with no water to get them through the journey. If he continued to hide under the shelter, the lad could be crushed by falling debris.

Suddenly, Saemus went flying, as if he had been picked up by some invisible force and tossed to the side. He landed hard.

The Nomad cried out as a large boulder landed in the spot where Saemus had been only moments before. It sent up dust and small pebbles which landed on the unconscious boy.

Kaelin was the first to reach him. The others gathered around,
unsure of what to do. Small pebbles and dust still fell. The scouting droid was nearby, drilling and chewing up the desert floor.

The Nomad called them over, urging them to get under the safety of the overhang.

“Moving him could kill him!” Kaelin yelled.

“So could staying here! What if another rock comes crashing down?” Jon asked.

Saemus once again rose from the ground as if carried by invisible people.

“Jon, you have to heal him.” Kaelin knelt next to her twin, shaking and sobbing. She smoothed his hair from his brow.

Saemus was covered in blood. His left arm and right leg were at odd angles. Shel Nal’ Vi wouldn't doubt the boy had serious injuries that couldn't be seen.

Jon knew he couldn't heal Saemus with his own power. “I will need to use the other magic.”

“I don't care what you have to use. Just do it.” Kaelin snarled.

Jon blinked. “So you're okay with me using the dark magic as long as it suits you, is that it?”

Kaelin refused to meet his eyes. “Just save my brother.”

“Your wish is my command,” Jon said mockingly, as he took a deep breath and prepared himself for the raging fire he was about to feel moving through his veins.
It's been so long.

Before he could draw on the forbidden magic, the tale of the mad Lord Lucian flashed through his mind.

I'm stronger than Anali. I'm one of the Chosen.

The forbidden magic filled him as nothing else ever had. It made him feel alive, invincible, unstoppable.

Shel Nal’ Vi backed away as inky darkness covered Jon's blue eyes. His skin prickled, and the tiny hairs on the nape of his neck stood on end. He moved his hands in the complex series of movements his people believed could ward off evil spirits.

Jon knelt next to Saemus’ head and gently laid his hands on the boy's chest. Jon's body arched back, and a groan of ecstasy escaped his lips. A strange, orangish-yellow light emanated from between his hands and suffused Saemus’ upper body, moving slowly into his extremities. It looked as though his bones were on fire from within.

Saemus cried out as the light moved down his body, knitting together sinew, bone, and muscle. Kaelin sobbed and rocked back and forth, wringing her hands. She wanted to lay her hands on her brother, hoping her touch would bring some comfort.

And yet she hesitated.

She did not want to be exposed to the magic Jon wielded. It frightened and sickened her.
That magic will save him!

Kaelin turned back to Saemus, focusing her thoughts on her other half. She barely noticed when Brad came to sit with her, but she leaned against him when he pulled her close, taking comfort in his strength.

Jon sighed and slumped forward. He felt so empty in the absence of the power, and yet a surge of adrenalin filled him with life.
I did it. I used the magic without losing myself.
He watched Kaelin as she held her brother in her arms. Jon fought the bitter rage that filled him. She had been one of the most outspoken when it came to his using the dark magic, but the second someone she loved was in real trouble, she'd ordered him to use it.
She should be on her knees thanking me.

Voilor brought Jon a water skin. He drank, taking special care to not allow a single drop to escape down his chin. With his thirst slaked, he needed nourishment. He walked to the nearest camel, ignoring the group gathered around Saemus, who was sitting up and asking for water.

“How do you use the magic to heal?”

Jon glanced at Shel Nal’ Vi. “It is difficult to explain. With the power, I can sense the injury and then use the magic to fix it.”

“Our people can use magic, but they can do nothing like what you did.”

“I have knowledge of forbidden magic.”

Shel Nal’ Vi nodded. He had heard rumors of those who had the ability to take the life force from living things around them. This was the first time he had ever come into contact with someone who could do so.

“That boy is lucky you have this ability.”

Jon snorted. “Try telling them that.” He shoved the flap down on the large knapsack and walked away from the group.

Shel Nal’ Vi watched Jon, feeling sorry for the lad. It was apparent that the others’ dismissal bothered Jon tremendously.

Not one of the Chosen approached Jon. The more time that passed, the more tense he became.

They should be thanking you, not treating you like this.

Jon grunted at the voice in his head. It was right, of course. He had once again done something that none of the others could do.
They treat me like a child with a dangerous toy. Well, I'm no child, and I don't have to allow them to tell me what to do.

The scouting droid moved back to the lead machine, leaving the group in relative peace. Since there was no guarantee it would last, they needed to come up with a plan.

“The Kromins will be here soon. Should we move away from the mountain and take our chances out there?” Feeror tilted his head away from the mountain and toward the vast emptiness of the Blasted Lands.

“Why can't we just wait here until the Kromins come?” Keera asked. Her posture made it clear she liked the idea of staying under the rock ledge.

“The sound weapon will work better if we get away from the mountain. If we discharge it here, the sound can only go one direction. But if we get out in the open, the sound will be all around. We have a better chance of killing the machines that way.”

“Somehow I knew you would say that,” Keera said resignedly.

“Stick together. And we may need to rely on you to use your power if a Mekan gets too close,” Feeror said.

“We can't leave yet. Saemus needs to rest a bit more.” Kaelin stood next to her brother, acting for all the world like a mother hen watching out for her brood.

“I'm fine, Kae.” Saemus tried to sound strong but his voice betrayed him. Truth be told, he would rather stay and close his eyes, and sleep for a week. His body felt strange. His bones tingled and arms and legs felt as though they were attached to his body with string. He felt fragile and was not sure he wanted to try his luck at walking; he feared his legs would buckle under him as soon as he tried to take a step.

“We can stay a bit longer, but we must get moving soon. We
need to be in position closer to the largest machine when the Kromins arrive,” Feeror said.

Kaelin wanted to argue, but Saemus shushed her. He wasn't about to let his clumsiness keep the group from doing what needed to be done. He opened a pack and took out some dried beef and biscuits. As he ate, he finally noticed Jon for the first time, standing as far from the group as he could and still be under the canopy of the rock ledge.

“Thanks for saving me.”

Jon grunted but didn't turn around.

Saemus sighed. “I know what it cost you. I am sorry you had to touch the magic again.”

“You don't get it, do you? I
like
touching the magic!” Jon's face was filled with both anger and longing. “The urge to touch the magic is so strong that it takes all my will to fight it! A part of me wants to push you down the mountain just for the excuse to use it again.” Saemus faced this boy whom he had once called friend and realized that that boy no longer existed. His training at the hands of the Queen had changed him, forever.
Can you still be his friend?

“Now you see.” Jon turned away and refused to face him.

Saemus knew there was no use trying to talk. The damage was done. If he hadn't hesitated, perhaps he could have convinced Jon that he still thought of him as the same person he had met so many years ago in Heart Stone.

Convinced Jon? Or convinced yourself?

*   *   *

Feeror ordered the group to make ready to leave after barely an hour's rest. The Kromins had contacted them, and they were heading for the Blasted Lands. They would remain in orbit until the rest of the group was in position.

“The small ones are scouting droids. They move about the ground and mark it somehow for the larger machines. Then the large ones come and dig for a time and the scouting droids either move to
survey another spot, or they begin hauling the dirt back to the biggest one,” Feeror explained, wondering what, exactly, they were digging for.

“These things you call Mekans do not seem to notice anyone or anything. That can be advantageous to us. We should be able to get close. All we have to worry about is avoiding the scouting droids -” the Nomad frowned as he said the strange word “- when they move about.”

“I watched the small droids while we descended the cliff. The two on the right finish first and go back to the large Mekan. The one on the left finishes next, followed by the one nearest us. If they stick to the pattern, we should be able to predict when they will be on the move and get out of the way,” Sloan said.

The others were surprised any of them had been able to pay attention to anything besides keeping their footing. Forka knew that it was Sloan's ability to assess a situation quickly, often while doing another task, which enabled him to gauge the machine's movements while stumbling down a steep hill.

As the group left the shelter of the rock, a scouting droid left the belly of the large Mekan and started heading their way. Shel Nal’ Vi cried out as his arm was nearly wrenched out of its socket by the pulling and tugging of the poor terrified camels.

Suddenly, the beasts stopped moving and just paced nervously, snorting and bawling.

“I used magic to blind them. It works with horses.” Gwen smiled.

The Nomad chastised himself for not using folds of cloth over their eyes. It was often done when the beasts were introduced to a new routine or an area that frightened them.

The group jogged to the south in order to avoid the arrival of the small drilling Mekan. It got more and more difficult to walk as the machines came closer. The ground cracked and split as the tread on its huge wheels pushed the ground past its breaking point.

The Mekan grew in size as it moved closer and closer, looking like some enormous metal mountain range. Even with their eyes blinded with the power, the camels could still feel the vibrations as the thing moved toward them. The Nomad wrapped their leads
around his arms, trying to keep them from running.