by Phoebe Brown
“I’ve been hoping you’d come.” The woman said, “I’ve been praying you’d come.”
Gaia tried to take a step backward but her fear prevented her.
“Don’t run.” She whispered, “I need to talk to you.”
Gaia shook her head, but she couldn’t move. Her body was no longer hers, and she needed to regain control. The woman stepped closer and soon she was standing so close that Gaia could feel her breath.
“I bet you don’t even know who you are.” The woman said reaching up to run a finger along Gaia’s cheek.
The moment her finger touched Gaia’s skin; Gaia felt pain radiate through her entire body as though she was on fire. The woman’s eyes widened in horror.
“You, you’re not.” She began.
Gaia screamed and reached up to touch her face in a desperate attempt to stop the pain.
“You shouldn’t be here!” The woman said angrily as if Gaia was in danger of being hurt by someone besides her.
Without saying anything else she morphed back into the beast and growled at Gaia.
Something inside Gaia told her she would have to follow. The woman had commanded her in the same way Master Morrell had commanded her except now she couldn’t disobey. The beast took off into the town and Gaia followed swiftly while trying to ignore the pain in her face that was spreading swiftly all over her body.
They ran until they reached a secluded part of the village. The woman bounded into the first cabin and Gaia watched as she transformed before crossing the threshold. She rushed out and pulled Gaia inside. Gaia screamed when Ellion’s hands touched her again and the pain began to radiate in her hand with greater intensity than before.
“Where is it?” The woman asked patting her down. Gaia felt as if she would wretch. With every touch of this woman’s hand, she was sent into wave after wave of pain.
Finally, the woman’s hand rested on the necklace.
Gaia tried to resist, tried to prevent her from taking it but she was helpless. The pain was blinding her. She had always told herself that pain was mental, but this pain was neither physical nor mental. Still, she was useless to stop it. It was something supernatural. The woman ripped the necklace away and clutched the gem. Her eyes widened but there was an intensity to her that told Gaia she knew what she was doing.
“It’s going to get much worse before it gets better.” The woman said.
Gaia watched in horror as she threw the necklace to the ground and crushed it under her feet. She began to chant something in a language that Gaia hadn’t even heard the Templers speak. It was loud and vile and the more she chanted, the more Gaia’s pain intensified. She heard herself screaming but she couldn’t stop it. She crumbled to the ground and suddenly she saw dust rising above her in a red mist that choked her. She coughed and choked and writhed on the floor but the mist didn’t stop. Instead, it enveloped her. It was then that she realised she was dying.
“Elchaievet.” The woman said before Gaia blacked out.
Gaia gasped for air as she came up from the water. Only she wasn’t underwater, she was on the ground covered in hibiscus leaves. She glanced around the room trying to figure out where she was when the reality hit her. She was in Kent. She was in a cottage. Jumping to her feet she reached into her pockets to find her horologe. She had only been out for two hours. It felt like a lifetime. Across the room, she saw the strange woman sitting in a chair.
“What did you do?” she asked frantically as her memory returned.
She had broken her pendant. It was the only thing she had of her old master.
“I had to,” she said, “whoever gave you that necklace should have done this a long time ago.”
Gaia walked over to her but when she stood, Gaia backed away. She didn’t want to feel that pain again.
“You’re immune.” She said, “You are the invincible. The Kahli”
Gaia looked at her as if she was losing her mind.
“What?” she asked, “Are you mad?”
In the blink of an eye, the woman moved from where she’d been standing and stood before her. She clutched Gaia’s chin between her fingers. She stared into her eyes and winked before stepping away.
“What do you feel?” she asked.
Gaia tried to remember the pain she had felt earlier and how crippling it had been. Now she felt nothing.
“What did you do?” she asked.
“I set you free.” She said flashing her a crazed smile.
“What are you?” Gaia asked wondering again what type of powers this woman had.
“I’m a Nightfox.” The woman replied plainly, “Ellion.”
“I’ didn’t know things like you existed.”
Ellion shrugged.
“If it were up to the old king, we wouldn’t.” she said, “What stories have you heard about our world?”
Gaia repeated the stories she had heard at the temple and the explanation Kirk had given her. The woman seemed surprised to hear it.
“I see,” she said, “You were never taught the truth.”
“What’s the truth?” she asked
“There are many more powers.” She replied, “There are people like me, people with subtle powers. But there are also people who can bring stars crashing down on us.”
“Who are those people?” Gaia asked, “Do they live here?”
“They’re all but dead.” Ellion replied, “You see, when the gods were leaving, they bestowed many powers. Each holder was told to live wherever they wanted to and so they decided to live and create their nations. Generations ago, the kings decided they wanted to form an alliance among all the guilds. Still, quietly, one of the kings began killing those who were weaker. Those who spoke out against his actions were threatened and eventually killed. That happened for many years until only the five guilds remained.”
Gaia was shocked. Not only was it impossible to believe, but she also couldn’t understand why anyone would want to do something like this; it was so cruel.
It was then that she remembered the vision in the clearing. That must have been one of the nations that had been destroyed.
“Why would they do that?” she asked.
“Fear.” Ellion replied, “What others don’t understand, they fear.”
“What did they fear?” she asked.
“The most powerful of the nations were the Kelwah.” She said, “Their power was strange because they could possess multiple powers but never all at once. Once in a thousand years, a Kelwah child would be born and that child would possess all the powers of all the gods all at once. This child would rule over all the people and overall kings. In this way, the world would be ruled by the child of Lod. I think it was the gods’ way of reminding us that they were with us.”
Gaia suddenly remembered something Ellion had said.
“Just now,” she said, “you said I’m invincible.”
Ellion nodded and turned away.
“The last invincible child who was born was killed by Solomon’s father.” She said, “no one even knew that the child had been born but we did. We’re the guardians of the old truth. When you were born, we all knew it but we didn’t know what you looked like. Some of us would have dreams of you. Visions of when you were coming and where you would be, but your life was such a secret that even those set to guard you didn’t know. Only one person knew.”
“Master Morrel.” She whispered
“I assume he was your Cenobyte master,” Ellion replied.
“Yes,” Gaia replied, “who is the ‘we’ you refer to?”
“We are the remnant of the Kalwah.” She replied, “We’ve lived for many years and we cannot pass away until we’re given leave to. Until the invincible permits us to return to Illyica.”
Gaia found it hard to believe any of this. It was strange and new, but as Ellion spoke she could feel the truth of it. She remembered the pain, the feeling of death, yet here she was. She’d seen the woman transform and she remembered clearly the burning.
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��What did you do to me tonight?” she asked
“All invincible are vulnerable as children because they cannot be awakened to a body until the body can sustain them. In the past, most of the invincibles were awakened on their sixteenth birthday. Yours passed a few weeks ago.”
Gaia was so surprised she stumbled backward. This woman knew everything about her.
“How do you know that?” she asked.
“I knew the day you were born.” She said, “I’ve been counting down to this day all your life.”
“Do you know anything about the Abyssinians?” Gaia asked remembering why she had come in the first place.
Ellion let out a low growl as if she was still in the form of the great bear.
“The people believe them to be anti-god rebels.” She began, “But they’re much more than that Gaia. They’re a body that exists in our daily life. They’re the ones who hunt us and they’ve worked hard to maintain the world as it is now. They will do anything they can to stop the invincible from being transformed.”
“What does the transformation do?” she asked.
“You cannot be defeated.” Ellion said with a smile, “You are the only person in the entire kingdom who the Abyssinians cannot kill. No matter what they do and until you die of your own will, they will never be able to be rid of you.”
Gaia thought about it for a moment. There had been times when Solomon had looked at her curiously. She wondered if maybe he had thought that she could be the Kahli.
“Do you have any idea what they’ve been planning?” She asked hoping for any information that could help them.
“There’s a rumour that the new Tyrian king has fallen out of favour with the old king. I think they’re planning a genocide, but they can’t execute it unless the new king agrees. He would never and so they may try to kill him and the crown prince.”
Her heart sank when Ellion referred to Kirk. So, they had been trying to kill him that day and now she knew why. Solomon wanted the throne again and he wanted to use his powers to build the world into whatever he wanted it to be.
“I’m sorry,” Gaia said.
“It’s not your fault child.” She said, “This world is filled with people who want nothing but to have their own way. There are only so many of us who even care about others.”
Suddenly Gaia felt anxious to be in the village. She wanted to see what it was like.
“I need to go to the village.” She said.
“Why?’ Ellion asked, “You need to get back to wherever you came from.”
“I need to know more about the Abyssinians.” She replied, “We need to figure out who they work for before we get back to the palace.”
“Others are here?” Ellion asked as if she was about to look out the door of her cabin.
“They’re all over.” She replied
“You need to leave.” Ellion replied, “You’re in danger. The Abyssinians have been camping nearby for weeks. They have a plan for the Gitreg gathering, and they wouldn’t want to have Cenobyte spies here. Go back to Tyre.”
“I’m not coming from Tyre.” She replied, “I’m a student in the palace.”
“This gets worse.” Ellion said with a look of horror, “Your friends are in danger. Get them out of here.”
Gaia nodded.
Just as she had done before, she focused her energy and tried to connect with the Earth. She felt a burst of power flood her and suddenly everything was amplified. This time she was shocked to realise that not only could she feel everything, but she could also see everything.
It took her a moment to adjust to the change. She felt as if she had become air and that she encompassed everything. Slowly, she focused and extended her powers to surround the city. She felt the boundaries in her mind and did her best to control her reach. It was as if her mind wanted to take it all in.
In a few minutes, she felt something familiar, and one by one she identified her friends. They were all over the city exactly where they had planned to be. She checked and realised that they were all surrounded in some way.
Their enemies had discovered them and she thought maybe they had walked into a trap. She wanted to call out to them and tell them to move but she couldn’t. She realised that Kirk was not where he had told them he’d be. Instead, he was at the very centre of the city in a hut with a singular man. His guards were with him, but she could feel the tension in the room.
“Let’s go.” She whispered and released herself from the connection that had just enveloped her.
Ellion went through the door first; transforming into the bear as she went. She crouched into a predatory position and Gaia could tell she was as fierce as they came. They took off running in Khar’s direction first.
She was happily chatting to a group of sailors in what appeared to be an old tavern. They were telling her stories of their adventure that day which Khar listened to with great animation. Khar hadn’t noticed the group of men in the background watching her but as Gaia approached, she realised she had to be careful or they would be spooked and possibly move in on her other friends.
“Can I become invisible?” she asked remembering what the seer had done in her room.
Ellion nodded and her silver wolf eyes gleamed with mischief as she vanished from before Gaia’s eyes.
“How?” Gaia asked herself
She wondered if there was a list of powers hidden somewhere that would tell her what she could and could not do.
She closed her eyes and breathed in trying to unlock the knowledge that was already within her. She exhaled and opened her eyes. Whether she was invisible or not, she would get her friend out of there.
Chapter 18
Gaia entered through the doors of the old tavern. Instead of allowing the doors to close noisily behind her, she gently eased them together. She could hear the noise of the men talking to Khar mixed with all the other noises of the small room. Looking around, she saw the men shadowing Khar. Gaia walked slowly towards her. Khar continued chatting excitedly as if she couldn’t see her. She tapped her on the shoulder and for a moment Khar looked directly at her before turning away.
“Khar.” She said softly, “It’s Gaia, you’re surrounded by Abyssinians and you need to find a way to leave right now.”
Khar’s eyes widened and she turned to look at her once again. For a moment Gaia could feel Khar’s powers. She realised that Khar was using her powers to locate her in the room which meant that although she couldn’t see Gaia, she could feel her.
“Boys!” Khar said with a sly smile Gaia had never seen before, “You’re upset. Today was a terrible day and you will kill anyone who tries to touch me.”
The instant the words left Khar’s mouth the men’s faces began to contort in anger and she watched as they began to argue. An Abyssinian stepped forward and attempted to hold unto Khar’s hand. The moment he reached out his hand, it was bent backwards and broken by one of the burly fishermen in the group.
Khar didn’t check to see if her orders were being obeyed, instead, she walked towards the door watching as Abyssinians surged towards her. With each attempt they made, they were rebuffed by the seamen. Soon she was out the door without a scratch. Gaia followed close behind shielded from view of anyone who couldn’t sense her. She waited until Gaia was outside before revealing herself. The small girl snickered and hugged her.
“What happened to you?” Khar asked, “I couldn’t even see you in there.”
Gaia wondered how she could be so calm when there were still screams coming from the tavern just behind them.
“I, I’ll explain later.” She answered stuttering. “we need to get to Tafari.”
In an instant, Ellion was next to her and she saw Khar’s eyes widen. She stepped back and Gaia stopped her.
“She’s with me.” she said, “Let’s go.”
Khar couldn’t move as fast but she made up for it by clearing the path for them and forcing the people to look away and forget what they’d seen. It was a power she didn’t even kno
w the girl possessed. She had always thought she would be a liability in battle, but her powers were magnificent.
“This way,” she said sensing that Tafari was in danger. She could tell that he was now tense and she hoped they could reach him before he moved.
“We won’t make it,” Khar said.
A flash of lightening suddenly split the skies and struck the ground. She felt the force of it as if it had touched her. She realised then that Tafari had summoned the elements to his aid. She rushed even faster as more lightening cut through the skies landing all around Tafari. She sensed his potent power and a part of her relished the feel of it.
As they drew nearer, she saw what he was doing. In his hand, she saw him holding what looked like live fire. The lightening flashed around him in jolting volts. Men surrounded him but none was powerful enough to break through the wall of fire he had created. Gaia rushed forward and watched as a few men turned towards them. She didn’t waste any time.
Before they could move, she was upon them. Instinctively she began to fight with her bare hands. She struck one man in the chest which sent him to the ground without a sound. She imagined she had broken a rib which punctured his lungs. When they saw him fall, they all rushed forward. She took this time to test out the powers she hoped were buried within her.
One man threw himself at her but she held out her hand and caught him by the throat as he charged. From her fingers, she felt power seep into his skin and his scream was so loud and soul-crushing that a few of the men stopped short. She threw his body to the side without so much as a second glance before moving forward. She advanced on the others and struck down anyone who was still standing with her bare hands.
After some time, she realised they were retreating. She felt herself yearning to go after them, but she knew that chasing a fleeing foe in a situation like this was a mistake. As soon as the haze lifted, she turned to see Khar standing next to Tafari and watching her. They both looked away when her eyes met theirs, but she knew what they might be thinking.