Enaya: Solace of Time (13 page)

A large atomic sound expelled beyond the stables. A sound so rattling that everyone jumped, especially Dywnwen, almost coming out of her skin. Roland grabbed her and pulled her in tighter, and then another sound went off, and lights flashed through the small circular window at the arch of the stables.

Leo crawled on his knees toward the closest window. He flattened himself against the wall, mumbling to the chill of the stone, and pulled himself up. He peered over Woodlands—or what was left of Woodlands—and another sound went off. Leo flinched in fright, pushing himself away from the wall.

“What is it?” Milos asked.

Firtha pulled Milos deeper in her arms.

“Cannons? Large explosions and clouds of fire, like a dragon’s breath. It’s comin’ from those flyin’ things.”

“This is my fault,” Nile muttered.

Roland looked at him. “As much as I hate to admit it, Nile, this is not for you to blame alone. Enaya was bound to do this. It was going to happen, whether you did it or someone else.”

“It’s our fault,” Leo said.

“What have I done?” Nile asked, wanting to believe it wasn’t real.

Roland reached into a pouch hanging from his side and pulled out Enaya. “Enaya, it has so much power. And to think it was crafted by the magic of the moon—so pure and so innocent—but condemned to darkness forever.”

Nile saw a shadow in the corner of his eyes. There was nothing there, but he swore there was something. He sprang to his feet, looking around the room. Then, unexpectedly, the horses below began to snort and kick the walls. There was something else, something lurking in the stables.

Roland lunged forward, grabbing his sword. Dywnwen rolled off his shoulder and straightened herself up against the wall. “Maybe we’re just on edge.”

“Perhaps,” Nile said, turning and peering off the edge. He stared hard at the dirt path below covered with rocks and twigs and straw and horse manure. Nile turned back around, his head held low, and took a step back to his spot and then . . .

Smack!

A hard blow flew into Nile’s face. He stumbled back, trying to catch his balance, but slid off the edge and fell. There was a loud
ka-thump
. He winced in pain. The breath was knocked out of him and his face turned bright red.

“Are you okay?” Leo asked.

Nile took a deep breath and rolled to his knees. He pushed on his hands with all his might, bringing one foot under him, but a large force imploded on his back and he was forced down into the ground. A pile of horse manure was steaming fresh across his face.

“Nile?” Leo asked awkwardly.

Nile looked up, and then, through the moon’s rays, he saw something in the corner of the room. It was tall and black with scaly skin. One eye was missing, the other scarred, and chains were wrapped around its snout and neck. Nile’s heart trembled with fear. The creature walked out of the moonlight and wasn’t seen again.

“Ard’Ol,” Roland said. “They are crafted with the magic of the moon. Only the moonlight will expose them.”

“There!” Firtha said.

The figure passed through a small ray of moonlight, but vanished again. Firtha followed the sound of the footsteps. It was coming toward her. Slow at first, and then it sped. The pitter-patter of hard hoofed steps ran across the floor and Milos was pulled away. He screamed.

Roland rushed toward the boy and swung his sword. His blade clashed into something thick, something tender. The sword rubbed against something like bone, and Roland pulled it out of the air and a puddle of blood fell to the ground.

Milos fell to the floor. His legs above his head, he hit the wooden floor on his shoulders. Every bone in his body cracked, but he was tough. He refused to cry. He crawled toward Firtha, who pulled him into her arms and then . . .

Cadona began to cry. Her chubby little cheeks brightened like the sunrise, and tears streamed down the soft skin of her cherry face. Firtha scooped her up in her arms and rocked her back and forth.

Roland jammed his sword forward again, this time hitting something hard straight on. He twisted his sword and pulled out. Blood splattered to the floor, and then something fell. The moonlight caught the creature as it hit face forward, bleeding out onto the floor. Nile took a deep breath of victory, nearly smiling as he did.

Leo took a step back and something grabbed his leg. It was sharp and pointy and scrapped against his skin like deadly knives. He fell backward, smacking the floor as hard as gravity would allow. Leo rolled over, pulled out his sword and swung, but nothing.

“Leo!” Roland yelled, pointing to the ground.

Leo’s eyes followed the stiff finger, and to his dismay, it was a board of splinted wood sticking from the floor. He smiled, put his sword up, and rolled his eyes to Roland. Then, with the rattling of boards against the wall, Nile climbed up the ladder.

Cadona was still crying.

“Now, shall we try to relax?” Roland asked, glancing to the baby.

Nile staggered over to the wall and slid down it. He lowered his head and closed his eyes, hoping that the dawn would soon rise. Nile continued to take breaths, and after several long hours of waiting or wondering if he was going to die, he began to nod off. He didn’t want to, but he became tired and the long hours of sitting in the stables wore him down. After Milos and Cadona fell asleep, it became more tempting.

Nile and Roland would stay awake as long as they could. The sounds outside became less and less dense, fading away, and when Nile thought they were gone, he finally fell asleep.

Chapter 19

Solace of Time

It was reaching for me, this ghastly thing of a man. Its sharp yellow fingernails slowly wiggling toward me like spider legs. Then behind me another flock of crows landed. They united together as one, and this first creature referred to the second as Ramiel, and Ramiel referred to the first creature as Srinath.

Ramiel had no eyes, but could sniff. He hunched over and his nostrils would flare, breathing in the world around him, but he was focused on me. So I ran. I ran as fast as I could, screaming for my mother and Isaiah.

They were screaming too.

I could hear them beyond the woods. I looked over my shoulder to see them, and Srinath jumped forward, almost like he was diving into water. When he hit the ground, he exploded into these crows and he flew after me. My mother and Isaiah ran out of the forest and met me in the field, but it was too late.

These crows ambushed us like a plague. Their beaks burned like fire every time they pinched at our skin. They tore at my mother’s corset, my brother’s ragged clothes. One tore at my upper lip. We did everything we could to get these birds off us, but Isaiah fell to the ground. They toppled over him, and I could see one of them pecking at his nostril. He screamed in pain.

There, in the tall grass, was a thick branch. I grabbed it. I swung at the crows, hitting a few and they dispersed like fireworks, but then fluttered back together. They were persistent, I remember that. As I moved around, swinging the stick, I remember seeing Woodlands and smoke. The Lucian Empire had made its way into the kingdom.

Then all of a sudden a horse appeared, from out of the woods, separating us from the crows. On this horse was a knight, with pepper-gray hair and a beard. My father. My father had rode in just in time to save the day, just like all the stories said about him.

I remember glancing to my mother and she smiled helplessly. She was so happy to see him ride in, but the crows weren’t. They came together, forming those two awful-looking creatures. They stared at my father, circling around his horse, but he wasn’t scared. My father wasn’t scared of anything.

“Nile,” he said, “get them to a safe place.”

I nodded, grabbing each of their hands, and we took off running into the woods. Sweat and fear rolled down my forehead like a sickness. I was so scared and determined to save my brother and mother just so I could impress my father.

I looked back and saw Srinath. He dispersed into those crows again and flew toward us. These crows quickly filled the forest and they cast themselves over us like a shadow . . .

Nile awoke to the sound of slamming doors. He could hear horrific screams echoing through what was left of the kingdom, but even the screams weren’t loud enough to muffle out what just came through the stable doors.

“Sweep this area and then wrap it up. Let’s go home,” said a hollow voice.

It was the Silvago knights.

“Home?” mocked the other voice. “We ain’t nowhere near close to home.”

“Norcross said he would fix this,” replied the first voice.

“Hey, you voted for him. If he doesn’t fix this soon then he is going to have all of Silvago in an uproar.”

“He already has them in an uproar. Rumor has it that he ain’t planning on goin’ back anytime soon.”

“How do you know this?”

“General Javeiro.”

Nile heard them move around the lower area, squishing their feet in mud and manure. He took a deep breath but squeaked. He covered his mouth. He looked over at the others, but they were all sleeping. A soldier opened one of the horse pens and the horse neighed. The soldier let the door slam shut. Leo jumped in his sleep.

Nile’s heart raced. Sweat matted his hair together and his shirt glued to his back. He thought of death. This was how he was going to die, in a stable, by some foreign weapon that he had never heard or seen before. He had always been afraid of death, since he’d witnessed the murder of his brother and mother years ago. He had a hard time accepting that the body just quit. In just a few seconds, he was going to meet death and all his questions were going to be answered.

“I believe we captured all the Magical,” said another voice.

“There’s been enough blood tonight. Give any remaining survivors the Dekosha shot,” said the other, “Orders from the Lucian Empire.”

“Yes sir.”

Then the ladder squeaked. Someone was coming up.

Nile flattened his back against the wall and gulped. He was now swimming in a pool of sweat. He pushed on Leo and he slowly awoke, and he reached over Dywnwen and pushed on Roland’s armor. Roland slowly woke up too, but it was too late. The soldier had already made his way to the top.

He stopped, watching them through his black hollow eyes. Nile lost his breath. He reached over and grabbed Firtha’s leg, pushing on her. She awoke, looked up, and screamed at the sighting. So did Milos, and Dywnwen and Cadona, who only started crying.

The soldier took two steps forward. “Do you join the Lucian Empire?”

Their eyes froze on the black masked knight. Nile’s lips muttered. He grabbed Leo’s hand and Dywnwen’s hand and he squeezed as hard as he could. The rifle lifted up, fixed on him. He was going to be the first to die.

“N-no,” Nile said, closing his eyes.

The other soldier climbed up there. He lifted up his rifle. “That’s the princess and the prince,” he said. “Let’s not kill them.”

The other soldier nodded. He pulled a lever back on his gun, aimed it upward, and pulled the trigger. They screamed as a white capsule shot out, hitting the wall above them, and falling to the floor like a dropped coin. It spun around instantaneously and then exploded into a whirl of white gas.

The Magical fell back asleep.

***

Nile felt like he was flying. He was dreaming though, or at least he thought it was a dream. It seemed so real. Nile found himself standing alone on an island that was filled with beautiful trees and grass, and the ocean around him was so clear he could see right through it. Nile’s eyes followed the ocean until it met the sky. He took a deep breath and a pure, clean feeling came over his heart.

Nile turned to the middle of the island, looking into the cluster of palm trees. The wind brushed against Nile and his muscles relaxed, his pores inhaling the fresh air. He took a step forward and wobbled, like he was drunk. He took another step and almost fell.

He stuck his hand out, grabbing the trees for balance, and he walked to the edge of the island. He stopped for a second and took in another deep breath. The breath refreshed his heart. It did not hurt anymore. It did not ache with misery or pain. There was nothing and Nile smiled.

He stepped closer to the edge and peered off into the ocean. His jaw dropped. There were islands, lots of little islands. The ocean was endless, and bold waves crashed against the rocks surrounding these islands.

Nile wanted to explore every ravine of this beautiful island. He took a few steps forward, wobbled, but managed to walk in a perfect balance until he reached a tree. He fell to his knees and leaned forward, resting his head against it.

“This cannot be happening,” Nile whispered.

“But it is,” said a soft female voice.

Nile didn’t move. He recognized that voice. That voice belonged to a wonderful and beautiful woman. A woman who nursed Nile, cared for Nile, told Nile she loved him when he was at his weakest. That voice belonged to his mother.

“Mother?” Nile asked.

“This is the Solace of Time,” said the voice, ignoring the question.

Nile rolled to his back and rested against the tree. He smiled the biggest smile. There was a huge sense of relaxation. He looked around and white orbs began to float from the ground to the sky. He inhaled deeply. The orbs reminded him of giant snowflakes.

“Solace of Time?” Nile asked.

An orb passed in front of him. Inside the orb he could see people. He leaned closer and he could see himself, running across a field, swinging a wooden sword. He lunged forward at the orb, grabbing it in his hands, and he stared into it. The memory continued to play out and Nile saw himself hitting at a tree.

“What is this?” Nile asked.

“Your memories,” the voice replied.

“Is this a dream?” Nile asked.

“No, it’s real. This is a place where your past and present unite. Here, you can dwell in all your memories.”

“How come I’ve never been here before?” Nile asked, looking up to the sky.

“Enaya,” said the voice.

“I’ve heard enough of Enaya.”

“Let me explain,” she said.

“Please.”

“When you used Enaya, element of time, it bonded with your memories. The power of this element matched the essence of your mind, crafting a sense of euphoria. You now know the true meaning of time and what changes time. This is the power of Enaya. It is embedded into your brain cells; you will always be able to visit Solace of Time.”

“Does everybody have a Solace of Time?”

“Every time somebody remembers a past moment, yes.”

“But they can’t visit Solace of Time?” Nile asked.

“Correct. All memories go to Solace of Time, and everyone’s Solace of Time looks different.”

“Then why an island?”

“It’s from a story your father told you when you were three.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“Of course not, but it’s the first memory you have.”

“Well, do the other Enaya elements do this? If I use the element of earth, am I going to have an Earth Solace?”

The voice laughed. “No.”

“Can I change what I’ve done?” Nile asked, looking up.

“No,” said the voice. “When time happens, it can never be changed and only few can use Enaya.”

“Time is beginning to be my enemy,” Nile said.

“Time is never ending. It was and is and continues to be. Time will never change, even when the world is destroyed. Time will always be there.”

Nile got to his feet and staggered to the edge of the island. He glanced over it again, still coming to terms with everything that was happening. Then, as the waves crashed on the shores, and the orbs floated from the ocean and filled the sky of all his memories, which must have been from every second of every day, he wondered if any of his memories were lost.

“Jump,” the voice said.

Nile threw his hands up in the air. “What?”

“Trust me, trust time. If you are in time, then it is endless. You have nothing to fear. Jump.”

Nile looked to the sky, one eyebrow raised. He took a deep breath and took a step off, holding his foot above the ocean below. He brought his foot back and in Solace of Time, for just an instance, fear took over.

“I can’t,” Nile mumbled.

“Then I will make you,” said the voice.

A strong gust of wind blew through the island, forcing Nile off his feet and over the cliff. His arms and legs were swaying and kicking about. He screamed, but the scream became a boyish laughter. His clothes fluttered against his body and the ocean was coming toward him fast. He threw up his arms over his head to protect himself, and as he did, he hit something hard. The breath was knocked out of him, and he kept his eyes closed until he could maintain his breathing. His back grew sore; He rolled onto his stomach and got on all fours, still breathing. He opened his eyes, and to his surprise he saw the grass. He was back on the island. He’d never hit the water. He pushed himself to his feet and laughed with excitement.

“Do you see, Nile? In time, you are only back where you started. It does not change. Yesterday will always be there and tomorrow is always to come. It is the time you are living in that matters.”

Nile stumbled to the tree and rested against it. “That was exciting.”

The voice laughed and Nile smiled. It was his mother’s voice. He knew it. He might not have heard her speak, but he knew who she was. He could still remember her, and the way her lips felt against his forehead.

“How do I get back here?”

“In time you will know.”

Nile slide down the tree and took in a deep breath. With the sound of the waves, and the thoughts of his memories ruling this place, he closed his eyes, and, in weird way, he felt like he was home.