The Children of Calm (34 page)

Therefore you shall be mighty in all eyes.

I delight in you, and you shall delight in me.

Now, breathe in, and receive of me.

In the middle of the infinite space of light a small bright object appeared, shaped like a teardrop and fluid in nature. It radiated myriads of tints of red, orange, yellow, and brightest white as it grew larger to Rylek. Then quite suddenly it disappeared, and he felt great heat within him.

The voice continued:

A poisonous seed has taken root within you.

My servant, the Auk’kyura, will soon tear it out;

Then you shall be free from its stranglehold.

Go in peace and walk with boldness the way that is prepared for you.

I am with you always, even through death itself.

Then with a sudden fierceness, the odd sensation returned to his stomach, and he felt flung again. The light began to fade away as the cascade of images and thoughts began to bombard his consciousness once more. At the same time he actually began to hear something with his own ears – a whooshing, swirling sound grew louder and higher until it drowned out the noises inside. He was also suddenly aware of being cold. With a start he opened his eyes and saw his name carved next to Tresten’s in the rock outcropping on The Balcony. Smoke filled his lungs. Below him lay the smoldering ruins of Calm.

***

Summoning all the strength he could muster, Rylek shakily brought himself to his feet. An instant wave of nausea hit him again, and this time he vomited on the ground. His knees buckled and he had nearly collapsed once more when something from deep within steeled his resolution, overpowering the exhaustion and shock. Slowly he rose until he stood erect and confident in his balance.

Quickly he looked behind and saw the other three lying on their stomachs unconscious. Then he turned his eyes back to his home, and a fiery fury rose within his chest. Faldrahil pierced the air as he drew it from its scabbard, and he resolved to meet whatever fate was awaiting him down in Calm.

Not questioning where the sudden energy was coming from, he raced down the path from The Balcony. His footing was sure – he was all too familiar with the path. There was no plan in his mind other than to exact justice on whomever was responsible for the atrocity.

As the path leveled out, a figure emerged far ahead from among the outskirts of the village. Rylek now ran to meet it, Faldrahil making small slicing motions through the air. The figure called out to him, “Rylek!” Instantly Rylek stopped, and he recognized Altan’s form rapidly approaching him.

“Rylek, I told you to remain at the top of the cliff!” Altan said. “You should not have abandoned the others!”

Rylek suddenly realized his lungs were on fire as he struggled to breathe. His knees grew weak again. “I…” he said softly. “I didn’t…”

“It matters not,” Altan said, putting his arm around Rylek to support him. “We must go back and see about the others. There is nothing more to do for the present moment.”

Altan led him back up to The Balcony, where the other three were still unconscious. He kept his back on the others and his gaze on the remains of his beloved home while Altan went to each one and gently touched their heads. Slowly all three awoke and sat up in the grass.

“My head is killing me,” Tresten said roughly. “What happened?”

“Where are we?” Lana asked. “Is it much farther to Calm?”

Altan looked to Rylek to see if he would say anything, but he stood still and silent like a statue.

“Rylek, what’s wrong?” Lana asked.

“Oh, we’re back!” Tresten suddenly exclaimed. “See, we’re on The Balcony. What are we waiting for?” He started to stand but a light touch on his shoulder from Altan brought him back down. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly.

“My dear children, my dear, dear friends,” Altan said as he looked again towards Rylek who was still unresponsive. “First of all you must know things are not as dire and desperate as they may appear.”

“Smoke!” Selenor called out. “There’s so much smoke!”

Instinctively the three started to rise.

“
SIT!
” Altan said using his commanding voice. Immediately they obeyed, though Rylek remained on his feet. Altan took a deep breath. “Your home has been burned to the ground…”

“
WHAT?!
” the three said in unison as they once again attempted to stand. This time Altan said nothing but it seemed to them as though their pants were stuck to the ground. They could not move.

“What in all of Mira is going on?” Lana cried out in a fit of tears.

“Everyone appears to have been evacuated,” Altan said. “I found no remains of anyone, save one person.”

There was silence for awhile as each of the three inwardly debated whether they would be the one to ask the question now made obvious.

“Who is it?” Selenor finally asked.

“Come and you will see,” Altan said. “But you must stay with me for now, for you are all more exhausted than you can possibly imagine. I am doing all I can to aid you the best I know how. Let us walk together and see whether or not we can deduce what happened.”

The three found they could now stand, and Altan led them by Rylek who was still motionless. As he approached him, Altan laid his hand on his shoulder. “Come, Rylek,” he said. “Do not allow emotion to overturn what needs to be done.”

Lana placed her arm around Rylek’s and led him away. He seemed to her to be in a stupor, with eyes seeing things not there. “I need you, big brother,” she said softly to him.

“I’ve failed,” he said in a voice so cold that chills ran down her spine. “I’ve failed once again, and I don’t deserve the honor. I wish it were me that was…” His voice trailed off.

Horrified at what he was saying, Lana did not respond with words but with tears.

***

After they descended down the path, they walked past the village cemetery. Tresten glanced into it and let out an exclamation, then ran past the gate. Selenor followed him as the others stopped to see what had caught his attention. He was standing in front of Retessa’s headstone. With a start, Lana realized someone had removed her from her grave.

“Where is she?” he yelled at the top of his lungs as he drew Silran. “What happened to her?”

Suddenly a few tombstones fell over, all in a circular pattern radiating out from him.

Lana looked to Altan who appeared to be considering something. Then that something must have clicked, because his face tensed even more.

Selenor collapsed to her knees behind her brother, her face buried in her hands. But Lana looked around and saw another grave had been desecrated.

“Look!” she pointed. “Elder Caenar’s daughter’s been taken, too.”

The others saw that, not ten yards from Retessa’s grave, Amilla Tocelen’s headstone was also marking a freshly dug hole in the ground.

“I don’t understand,” Lana said.

“Truth will out,” Rylek suddenly said.

Lana looked at him and saw he was staring blankly at some unfixed point.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Altan was studying Rylek and seemed to make a quick decision.

“We mustn’t tarry here,” he said gravely as he turned towards the village proper. “Follow me, and perhaps soon we shall have answers.”

On they walked, and Lana began to feel as though she were in a living nightmare. Selenor was reduced to tears as Tresten supported her. Lana wondered why Rylek seemed so detached from the situation – especially from Selenor. Hopelessness was tightening its icy grip on her heart, but she fought back the urge to give in to it.

Now’s not the time, now’s not the time,
she kept repeating to herself.

The streets were completely empty. All that was not metal or stone was consumed by the fire. Her eyes burned, but she could not decide whether it was from the last remaining columns of smoke or from her tears.

Probably both
, she concluded.

“Nothing matters anymore,” Rylek abruptly said in a cold unattached voice. “All is vain and for naught. Soon I will join him…”

She looked into his eyes and saw something there that she had never before seen. It seemed to her that someone had replaced his eyes with another person’s. There was also a look about them that sent chills down her spine. She could not explain it, but it reminded her of how the eyes of the Empress Keona looked.

“Rylek!” she said quietly but forcefully as she shook him. “Rylek, stop it!”

“See?” he said, pointing forward. “We shall all soon join him.”

Lana looked up and saw they were in front of what used to be the Hall of Knowledge. The statue of Kael was still there, though all the gold plating had been melted down; all that remained was the bronze base. But that was not what drew her eye. An elderly man’s body had been driven through the spade that was in the statue’s hand. It was limp and lifeless.

Selenor screamed and collapsed.

“No, no,
no
!” Lana exclaimed, falling to her knees.

Tresten stood speechless, too shocked to know what to do or say.

“Tresten, Rylek, give me a hand,” Altan said.

As Tresten started to walk forward, Rylek spoke again in an emotionless distant voice. Everyone stopped and looked at him. “One down, two to go; one is taken, one is hidden, and one is here. But where shall I find the one? Only time will tell, and then I will finally be free. But free to do what? To die the death of a coward. For where there is great fear and loathing…”

“
ENOUGH!
” Altan commanded, stretching out his arm towards Rylek. “Cease and be gone!”

As though struck by an invisible blow, Rylek flew backward and landed on his back.

The girls raced over and knelt beside him, but he was soon enough sitting up again, rubbing the back of his head. “What in the name of Mira is wrong with me?” he asked. “I fear I’ve been talking like quite the frass.”

“The seed was deep and its roots were strong,” Altan said. “Hopefully you are finally free. Now come lend us your aid.”

“Okay,” Rylek said as he stood.

Lana looked into his eyes and saw they looked normal again. They were filled with a storm of emotions, but they were certainly Rylek’s eyes once more.

By standing on the base they were able to lift the man’s body off the spade and then they laid it on the ground. Altan tore off a piece of his robe and wrapped it around the bloodied and grievous wound, and then placed his hand on the body’s forehead. Lana ran her fingers through his hair and closed his eyes. Selenor knelt down and held the man’s hand, softly stroking his palm as though the sensation could awaken him, while voicelessly her lips kept forming the words
Elder Caenar
.

***

After a few minutes of silence broken only by the crying of the girls, Tresten began pacing. “What is all this then?” he asked, his voice rising. “Who would do this? Who could do something like this? Where is everyone else?”

“Altan, can’t you bring him back like you brought me back?” Selenor asked faintly.

Altan remained silent with his hand on Caenar’s forehead.

“And what is going on with you?” Tresten asked Rylek. “Those were not exactly children’s rhymes you were just producing.”

Rylek shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said softly, watching Altan. “There was something inside of me that suddenly felt dead and it just…took me.”

“Whatever,” Tresten said, turning his back on him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rylek asked, frustration getting the best of him. “If you had any idea what I’ve…”

But he stopped dead in his tracks when the Oathbinder flashed before his eyes. He cast a quick glance at Selenor.

“What you’ve what?” Tresten asked. “Go on – finish your thought. I would love to know what it is. You’ve been acting oddly for days now. Are you keeping something from us we should know?”

“Stop it, both of you!” Lana cried. “Things are bad enough without the two of you mucking things up even worse.” She looked at Altan. “What do we do now, Altan?”

He was quiet for a few more moments, and then he took his hand off Caenar’s forehead. Slowly he stood up and looked to the sky. “No, dear Selenor,” he said in a low voice, “I cannot bring him back. His soul fell asleep many hours ago. And as for what we are to do now, Lana, you must first hear what I have to tell you - or, rather, what Caenar has to tell you.”

“Excuse me?” Lana asked.

“Something unique to the Aedaar is our ability to commune. That is, we fellowship together for the purpose of intimacy and unity by sharing our minds with each other. It is not possible for us to do the same with a living Aenosh…” Altan briefly trailed off, and Rylek saw a shadow of sorrow cross his face. “But we can commune with the mind of a deceased Aenosh. Though of course it is really only a one-way communion. But I have been communing with Caenar’s mind for the last few minutes, picking through his final thoughts, and piecing together what has happened.” He paused and looked at each of them. “You are not going to like what I am about to say.”