Jak tried once or twice to stop people from talking about her, but all that did was cause them to timidly apologize and bow or curtsy as if she were a noblewoman. After a few attempts, she stopped trying.
Naem visited her a few times, but she kept her distance. They hadn’t had a close talk since before the battle, and when he tried to kiss her, she withdrew. With Marek dead, and knowing how he had felt about her, it just seemed...disrespectful. Or maybe she just didn’t want to complicate her life further right now. She was dealing with enough.
Major Skellig, thankfully, was healing nicely. She woke a few days after Jak, and immediately sent for her, Naem, and the Fae leaders.
“We would have been lost had it not been for you and the Fae.” she told them from her bed, having just finished her own meal. “As long as I’m in charge, you will always have a place here at Foothold.” That last comment was reserved for Karlona and Yewin. Of course, none of them knew how long Skellig would remain in charge of the fortress. With Bennet dead, Watcher High Command would have to appoint someone new. Perhaps that would be Skellig, perhaps not. But the Fae appreciated the gesture nonetheless.
Major Skellig waved to an assistant who brought a small parcel wrapped in cloth. “I’ve reserved these for you two,” she said to Jak and Naem. “Both of you have undergone hardships that most fully-grown soldiers will never have to endure. You’ve lost ones you’ve loved, been disfellowshipped by your fellow Watchers, suffered mortal wounds and lived, and led others into battle against an army of demons. You suffered valiantly, and it is my pleasure to award you with the silver star, the highest honor I have the authority to bestow.”
She unwrapped the parcel and revealed two medals, both silver and fashioned in the shape of a five-pointed star, a symbol of courage and fortitude.
Jak and Naem took the medals in silence. It was a hard moment, thinking of all the valiant men and women that had died and therefore couldn’t receive proper recognition for their work.
Skellig seemed to be thinking along the same lines, “I know this is a tough time for you. We’ve all lost people we cared about. But know that without you, the rest of us wouldn’t be alive either. We owe you a debt.”
And with that, she saluted. Naem returned the salute on instinct. Jak did the same a moment later. Then Skellig’s nurse shooed them out of her quarters to give the Major some air.
Outside, Jak fingered her medal. “I kind of forgot that I was actually one of the Watchers myself, albeit a Watcher in training,” she said to Naem. “After I met my mother, I kind of felt like I lost my affiliation with the band.”
“There will always be a place for you among the Watchers.” Naem replied, and Jak could hear the subtext, there will always be a place for you with me.
Naem excused himself, and Jak was about to leave for her room when Karlona strode up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. “So what are you planning to do now, stay with the Watchers?”
Jak kept silence for a time, then answered, “No. The Watchers were never where I belonged. After father died, I thought joining the Watchers was the only way I could make a difference, I thought of the band as a way to make up for choosing a worthless brand. But now...I realize that being a Gifter could possibly be the most beneficial path I could take. I want to go to Skyecliff and train at the college.”
Karlona nodded, but hung her head. “I see.”
“You could come with me,” Jak encouraged her mother. “We could use this opportunity to spread the word about the Fae, to show people that you helped us here in Foothold.”
Karlona smiled but shook her head. “I’m sorry, child. I am needed here, among my people. It’s not time yet to go to Skyecliff. It will take long enough to fully integrate into Foothold. The people here are more accepting, but change doesn’t happen overnight.”
Jak looked away. Well, she had expected this. At least her mother was still alive. At least Jak had accomplished that much. “I’m going to miss you,” she said finally.
“And I you, Jak. We’ll find a way to see each other. I want to be a greater part of your life now.”
Jak smiled, and her joy was genuine. She would go to Skyecliff knowing that someone cared what happened to her there. That was enough.
“I won’t leave for a while,” she said. “We have a lot of catching up to do.”
Her mother returned Jak’s smile. “Sixteen years of catching up, yes.”
The two of them retreated to Jak’s room, where they sat and talked long into the night.
Epilogue
The Gifter known as Gabriel walked the path that led from Tradehall to Foothold. Rumors were running wild about the unusual events that had transpired at the Watcher stronghold over the last few weeks. Merchants that he met on the road told of demon armies and magical Fae, though no one seemed to make up their mind on whether the latter had acted as friend or foe.
Among the rumors were tales of a girl with raven hair, streaked with red. Most of the stories agreed that the girl had led the Fae against the demons. Some said she led the demons against the Watchers, using her brand as a Gifter to turn all that opposed her into more demons to fill her ranks.
Gabriel seriously doubted that last rumor. It had been told to him by a shifty-eyed merchant that Gabriel wouldn’t trust as far as he could throw the man. Everyone else he encountered seemed to agree that the girl was on their side.
Gabriel knew this girl, having given her the Gifter brand himself several months earlier. He had to leave in a hurry that night when the demons attacked Riverbrook, and was then saved by a band of Watchers under the command of someone from Gabriel’s past, someone he would rather avoid.
For a while he had tailed the group of Riverbrook refugees, staying far enough back not to be seen. He had assumed that the girl went with the main group to Tradehall. But when he arrived and talked to some of the villagers that knew the girl, he realized that he had been wrong. Jak had gone to Foothold, and had quite the adventures from the sound of things.
And now he followed the rumors hoping to follow them to their source. He had made a promise to train Jak as a Gifter, and he would fulfill that promise if he could. But part of him knew that the girl would be a far more gifted apprentice than any he had taught. They were entering a new age, one where new races sprouted from the ground, and where magic found new ways to manifest itself. It was an age of change and chaos. And something told Gabriel that young Jak was going to find herself right in the middle of it.
“Good day, traveler.” A voice spoke ahead of him. It was a tall man with blonde hair and well-defined muscles. He was walking towards Gabriel from the road ahead, coming from the direction of Foothold.
“Hello,” Gabriel responded.
“I don’t see too many people going that way, are you headed to Foothold?” the man asked.
“Yes, I have a student there.”
The man smiled. “I’m Doran,” he offered his hand with a smile. “I was the blacksmith in Foothold.”
“Oh, then perhaps you knew my student, a young girl by the name of Jak.”
Doran’s smile widened, but something about it made Gabriel uneasy all of a sudden. “Yes, I met the girl. She was quite remarkable.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“And what’s your relation to her?” the blacksmith asked.
Gabriel didn’t want to say any more than he had to, but suddenly his mouth opened as if on its own and words began pouring out.
“I gave her the brand she carries. I realized at first that she would be a smart student, but I had no idea she would make a name for herself like she had. I’m going to take her away to Skyecliff. I have high hopes that she could be my replacement some day.” His took a deep breath. What had compelled him to say all of that? He looked back at the blacksmith. “Who are you?”
“Be careful with that one, Gabriel. You may find she’s more trouble than she’s worth.”
The blacksmith took a few careful steps around Gabriel, who stood there, bar
ely even aware that he had never told the man his name. Everything seemed suddenly…fuzzy.
But after a few moments of just standing there, he continued on his way, unsure of what had troubled him just moments earlier.
Read the prequel!
Heroes are never born...
Before Jak became a hero, a horrible secret surrounded her birth. Witness the beginning of that secret as we follow her father while he searches for his wife, and finds more than he could possibly imagine.
Now he's faced with a choice. Follow orders, or turn against his comrades. What will he do when his wife's safety is on the line?
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Author’s Note
Thank you so very much for reading this book. As my first proper release, it means the world to me that you would take the time out of your day to spend it in my little universe.
The story of Jak is one that I’ve had in my head for a very long time, and it is one that ties into my larger universe in a very big way. You’ll have to wait for some of the upcoming books to know why that is ;)
Over the years, the story has changed quite a bit. In fact, she was once a boy, a kind of Rand al’Thor from the Wheel of Time series. Boy am I glad I didn’t stick with that idea. She works so perfectly as she is.
The story of Jak is the story of how someone goes from being nobody to becoming one of the greatest heroes that this fantasy world will ever see. I liked the idea of starting her off as a nearly useless character, but building her up until she began to show a lot more promise. And you will see more of that development in later books.
Out of Shadow, like all of my science fiction and fantasy books, is part of the Argoverse. Check out my other books for more stories set in this universe.
Until next time, thanks again for reading.
About the Author
Jason Hamilton is an unapologetic nerd of all things science fiction and fantasy. He is the author of the Roots of Creation and Alice: The Last Founder series, and many other forthcoming novels.
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www.argoforce.com
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www.jasonleehamilton.com
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Also by Jason Hamilton
Roots of Creation
A New Light (short story)
Out of Shadow
Growing Ripples
Through Fire
Into Storm
To World’s Above
As Winter Spawns
Seeds of Hope
In Creation’s Heart
Alice: The Last Founder
Year One
Ghosts of Greenfield
Taking the Fight
Out of Shadow: An Epic YA Fantasy Adventure (Roots of Creation Book 1) Page 23