by Jaci Miller
She stared at those words, a feeling of despair creeping up from inside her as something in her subconscious seemed to understand its meaning. She pushed the small parchment to the side and returned her attention to the drawing of the tree.
What did her grandfather mean by portal?
Carefully she turned the parchment over and written in the bottom corner in the same handwriting was—the past is the key.
Obviously, her grandfather thought the old tree in Braemore woods had something to do with unraveling the truth behind the family legacy and as she read through the parchments again, she began to think so too.
As she climbed into bed that night she was more determined than ever to find some answers.
Dane heard her name whispered among the treetops as she carefully made her way through the woods. The air was tainted with the smell of burning sage and there was a slight calm that seemed to follow the night breeze. The whispering came from somewhere up ahead and she carefully made her way through the dark toward it, guided only by the soft light that filtered down from the full moon.
As the whispering intensified, an ethereal glow suddenly penetrated the dark woods up ahead. The warm caressing light beckoning her toward it. As she entered the clearing the whispering ceased. The air quieted. The glow was emanating from the trunk of the old tree.
She felt a sudden shift in the erratic energy that flooded the clearing as a calm strength pulsated from the stately tree, the ethereal glow seeping from its cracked bark. The white light spilled onto the forest floor, slithering toward her, pulsating and morphing its shape as it drew closer. Crackling with intensity, the light expanded upward and outward, stopping when it hovered only a few yards from where she stood. It shifted and sparkled in front of her, in constant motion crackling and spitting small shards of light in every direction.
She stared at the light, the center began to dim as a shadow slowly emerged from its core. The brilliant white light giving way to whatever was moving through it. Unable to look away, she watched in awe as a man emerged from the light’s center to stand calmly in front of her, his piercing green eyes gazing curiously into her own.
She looked the man up and down comforted by the calm strength he eluded and the quiet warmth in his eyes. He reminded her of a knight, a fierce warrior from another time. Dressed head to toe in black, his dark armor was polished to a high sheen. The hooded black cloak that cascaded down his back was fastened at each shoulder with a large cloak clasp; round medallions that bore an interesting mark and one that she had seen before—a dagger protruding from a sphere.
At his hip hung a large sword; the intricately carved hilt sticking out from the edge of his cloak was capped with an iridescent green stone. It glowed with ferocity under the dimming light still pulsating from the tree. The blade was long and thick pushing his cloak hem up at the back. It too was polished to a perfect sheen and glinted brightly in the shadows.
His strong, handsome face was tanned, his jaw angular, and laugh lines spread out like a web from the corners of his piercing green eyes. His hair was silvery white, cut short yet still tousled by the evening breeze and his perfectly trimmed goatee ended in a point two inches below his chin. He had a thick scar that ran from the corner of his right eye down his cheek, ending just before it intersected his goatee.
He stood very still staring at her, his green eyes acknowledging her confusion as a slight smirk appeared on his lips. After a few more minutes of silence, the man reached out and laid his gloved hand gently on her shoulder. Suddenly, she heard his voice in her head; a voice that matched the power that this man’s appearance evoked. It was deep, steady, and familiar and made her feel safe and comforted.
“Your destiny awaits Callathian. Here the answers you seek will be revealed but first, you must unlock the past. Find the key.”
With those words still vibrating in her mind, the man lowered his hand and walked into the waiting light. As she watched, the light receded back into the tree, leaving her standing alone in the cold, dark clearing. A strange wind began to howl snaking its way through the shadowy forest as the trees once again began to whisper.
Chapter 14
Dane had woken exhausted, her mind hazy with lack of sleep. She felt like she was walking through sludge, her body tired and sore. She had experienced another strange dream last night, and it had again sapped her energy. Sitting at her office desk, she tried to recall details of the dream, only retrieving bits and pieces from the thick fog that dulled her memory.
Taking her grandfather’s medallion from the metal box, she held it gently in her hand twisting the thick chain around her index finger as she studied it. There was something bothering her about the medallion. Ever since her father had given it to her she had experienced a nagging feeling that it was something more than just a piece of jewelry to hang around her neck. The cryptic note her grandfather had included with it also made her think it was of importance.
Holding it in her hand she turned it over and over examining its surfaces for the umpteenth time. It was obviously very old, the etching on the front had tarnished slightly; a dark grey appearing in the thick metal’s crevices.
Her finger slowly traced the words that were delicately carved into the metal, feeling each letter as it passed under her fingertip. The front was detailed and beautiful, but it was the simplicity of the back that kept drawing her attention.
The glyph that protruded slightly from the brass plate on the back was small but very defined. The lines ridged and square, the metal curiously unblemished by time. She tilted it back and forth certain that there was something she was missing. Her fingers continued to search the medallion’s surfaces looking for anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, her finger hit a slight bump on the edge of the medallion. It was subtle but seemed out of place, like a flaw or afterthought not part of the overall design. Turning her attention to the side of the pendant she saw a small round button, no larger than a pinhead, protruding above the base metal. Grinning, she pressed the hidden button.
A series of clicks sounded and the brass plate on the back of the medallion loosened. She grabbed the edges and pulled the plate from the back revealing a small key hidden inside. Her grandfather’s words written at the bottom of the old parchment now made sense, maybe the medallion was the past and this key was the one she was meant to find.
Suddenly, she remembered last night’s dream and the words the mysterious man had spoken. This key must have something to do with the past, and the answers must be at that tree. Carefully, she placed the brass plate on the back of the medallion and pushed, hearing it click into a locked position.
Jumping up from her desk she ran down the hallway. She was going back to the old tree where hopefully she would find answers regarding the past and the prophecy. She quickly got dressed and sent a text to Stevie saying that she would not be able to meet her and Gabby for lunch. Grabbing her backpack and calling for Tyson to follow, she headed to the trailhead parking lot.
The sun was shining brightly in the late morning sky as she parked the Jeep in the lot. There were a few cars parked in the far corner but none she recognized. Hurrying, she moved onto the shadowy trail. The temperature was cooler inside the tree line and she shivered as she walked, Tyson running up the path ahead, as a squirrel caught his attention.
The path to the old tree was clear, most of the snow compacted from use and she made decent time getting to the clearing. Cautiously, she walked around the rock cropping, Tyson close behind her.
Entering the shadows of the clearing, the hair on her arms bristled as a chill ran down her spine. It was extremely quiet.
Too quiet, she thought to herself, hooking Tyson to his leash and clipping the handle to her belt loop.
As she moved deeper into the clearing the breeze picked up, the low branches of the old tree scraped the forest floor, a slow methodical movement that made h
er shiver in anticipation. The overhead branches, groaning in protest, swayed back and forth allowing sunlight to seep through the thick canopy and ignite the old tree in a soft sparkling light.
Abruptly, the breeze subsided. She heard a faint hum emanating from the tree. Taking a step forward she placed her palm gently on the trunk feeling a slight vibration. Her palm prickled slightly as the vibration quickened, flowing into the ground and causing the area she was standing on to shudder. A faint glow began to flow through the depths of the tree, light leaking from the cracks in the bark, and oozing downward.
Startled, she removed her hand and back away from the tree watching as the glow intensified, pushing through the cracks in the bark, light flowing toward the massive roots protruding from the ground. Stepping further away from the tree she pushed Tyson behind her as the light continued its descent down the trunk, across the roots, and onto the forest floor.
It slithered silently toward her, the light getting brighter. She lifted her hand, shielding her eyes from the sudden glare. The closer the light got, the calmer she felt. She could feel her own magic pulsing through her veins, curious about the strange familiarity that emanated from the light. Her heart pounded as the light drew closer and a sudden deep sense of knowing flooded through her.
Expanding, the light rose upward in front of her, pulsating erratically as it took shape. A subtle shadow darkening its center, growing until it blocked the brightness of the erratically pulsating light, completely.
As quickly as it appeared the light receded back into the tree and standing directly in front of her was a man—the one from her dream!
He was tall and dressed all in black; his tanned face surrounded by silvery white hair. His burnished armor caught the glinting reflection of the midday sun. The long blade of his sword extended from his left hip, disappearing under his long black cloak. Everything about the man standing in front of her was just as she had envisioned it.
She stood staring in awe at this stranger, her mind trying to make sense of his sudden appearance.
Her eyes moved down to Tyson who was sitting quietly beside her, his eyes curious but his body exhibiting no signs of fear or distress as he stared casually at the stranger.
She waited but for him to speak and after what seemed like a long period of silence he did, his voice deep, calm, and controlled.
“You received my message,” he said, his strong voice filling the quiet that still enshrouded the clearing.
“Who are you?” She asked her voice cracking slightly.
“You may call me Sebastian,” he answered matter-of-factly. He hesitated slightly before continuing, “Your attention is not easy to get.”
“So, I wasn’t dreaming,” she said to herself more than to Sebastian.
“Not exactly,” he responded, a smirk briefly appearing on his tanned face, his piercing green eyes twinkling as they looked at her. “Your second awakening gave you the power of telepathy, and foresight, both ancient powers that are common to our kind. Once the channel was open, I only needed to enter.”
“Channel?”
“It is a bridge within the mind, a way our kind contacts and communicates with one another.”
“Our kind?”
Sebastian smiled. “I am a Warlician warrior, one of the few that still remain after the Great War transformed my world. You by birthright are one of us.” Sebastian stated simply.
“I thought Warlician warriors were a myth. A make-believe part of my family’s history. You are telling me they were real?”
“The Warlician Order is very much a part of our history. Unfortunately, history fades with time, turning truth into memory and memory into legend but our world was once a great place of ancient magic, powerful realms, and mystical beings. In this world, we may be a myth but our existence comes from truth.”
She stared at the intimidating man in front of her, his calm demeanor slightly unnerving. “What does this have to do with me?” she asked thinking back to her grandfather’s papers and the prophecy which he was so sure she belonged to.
“You are a descendant of a long line of extremely powerful Warlician warriors,” Sebastian said slowly taking a few steps toward her. “Your family’s legacy is strong, the oldest clan in our race. You are a Callathian and your bloodline connects both our history and our future—the future of our kind and others like us.”
She stopped for a moment when she heard Sebastian say Callathian, remembering that he had called her that in her dream as well.
“What is a Callathian?” She asked.
He stared sternly at her. “Not what, but whom—your ancestors.”
“But I am a Callan,” she said slightly confused.
Sebastian nodded, “Mortals have a strange way of changing their birth names over time. The Callathian name of my time has become Callan in yours. Your immediate ancestors in this world are Callans, it is true, but your ancient ancestors, those from which your power derives, have claimed the Callathian name for thousands of generations.”
“What did you mean when you said others like us?”
“Our race is not the only magical one, there are five realms within our universe, each home to a different magical kind. Warlicians are witch-warriors, descendants of an ancient race of powerful sorcerers and enchantresses. But there are others—mystical beings born of magic and ruled by the elements, each race singular in its identity and yet connected to each other by the threads of magic.”
“I still don’t understand what this has to do with me?”
“It’s your destiny to reunite the races and bring our worlds back to greatness,” Sebastian said, a shadow of sadness passing over his sculpted features. “A destiny that must be initiated to save the future of this world.”
“My grandfather mentioned a prophecy, he thought it was about me. Is this the destiny you speak of?”
Sebastian’s green eyes searched deep into hers, his face softening as he placed a strong hand on her shoulder. “Your grandfather was a smart man, he believed like no other before him. He knew what your future held, accepted what you would become. He had seen your destiny long before you were born. His was to guide you to it. I know he never got that chance and I am sorry.”
“You knew my grandfather?!”
“In a way.”
The shadow of an old memory passed across his features. “Your grandfather figured out what your true destiny was and now so must you. But first, one’s destiny is better understood if they realize their past. Let me start from the beginning, your beginning,” he said taking a deep breath.
“Your ancestors are from a magical universe located in another time and place. It is called Thanissia—a universe that is home to the Five Realms; magical worlds that were once inhabited by six powerful supernatural races. For centuries, the Warlician warriors defended the realms parameters, keeping peace among the different races. Known for their potent warrior magic the Warlicians were a deadly fighting force. Each race ruled their own specific realm, but all were overseen by one neutral entity—the Guardian of Deities, the most powerful of all the supernatural entities. For thousands of years, the people of the Five Realms lived in peace and harmony until the Great War. Enticed by the powerful magic that thrived in the Five Realms, a violent predator from a distant universe came. It attacked the realms one by one, a decaying smoky shadow that fed off the life forces of each world and weakened the magical powers of its inhabitants. We called it the ‘ancient dark’ for it was unlike anything we had seen or known. Its hunger was insatiable. It was void of mercy. It decimated ancient kingdoms and hunted and slaughtered thousands without forethought or remorse. Its power grew as the magic of the Five Realms depleted, turning once vibrant and potent lands into dark, dying wastelands. Your ancestor, I, and hundreds of other Warlician warriors struggled to stop the extermination of our home but it was no
t to be. Our end was upon us.”
“What happened?” She was entranced by Sebastian’s story.
“Faced with extinction the Guardian of Deities harnessed and combined the Five Realms remaining magic and used it to create a new universe, in another time—earth,” Sebastian said, lifting his hands to indicate this world. “The surviving inhabitants of the Five Realms escaped to the new world through magical portals; gateways in the ether. The Guardian created mortal man, a non-magical entity whose ordinary energy acted as a shield, camouflaging the supernatural being’s magical auras and hiding them from detection.”
“Wait,” she interrupted as pieces of Sebastian’s story clicked into place. “This Guardian of Deities created earth and man—are you saying that your entity is this world’s, God?”
“I believe that is the name mortals have adopted to refer to him. But he is anything like the image man has created.” Sebastian replied, quickly continuing with his story wary of the passing of time.
“Without the magical essence of the races, the realms began to recede into dormancy; this deprived the ancient dark of its power source, weakening it. Using this to our advantage we trapped the ancient dark on the largest of the realms, in the deep caverns located on its furthest edge; a barren place known as the Dead Lands. The evil was trapped but the Thanissia Universe lay dying, its magic disappearing leaving the remaining warriors weakened and vulnerable. In a final sacrifice, the Guardian of Deities used his life essence to conquer the ancient dark, encasing him in an underground tomb far beneath the newly created world. A sacrifice that cost the Guardian his physical form and much of his power but ending the Great War.”