A Gleaming Path

by Jeffrey Pawlak

  Alamor was left to himself. He chose to be alone for the day, refusing to speak to anyone.

  When night fell over the ocean, Tiroku, Tridian, and Tagran once again met with Tsunari, this time to discuss the idea behind freeing the Onda’s guardian. Tsunari took them to a high ledge outside of her hall that provided them a panoramic view of Onda Reef and the vast ocean surrounding it.

  Tsunari pointed out to the darkening horizon as she explained the whereabouts of the island known as Waverock. “It rests only a few miles to the south,” she explained. “The waters that you will pass through are fairly shallow compared to most regions of the ocean. The ocean floor does not fall very far from the surface in these parts, so you will not be swimming at a very great depth, at least until you reach the island. Waverock’s terrain is very steep, and there is little, if any, flat ground there. You won’t be able to traverse the island’s surface. You’ll need to enter through one of the chasms beneath it.”

  “And all of this is underwater, as I understand?” Tiroku asked.

  Tsunari nodded, but showed no worry for the fact. “Waverock’s core is a series of enormous caverns, some of which run below even the ocean floor in those parts. Be assured, though—you will not get lost along the way. All of the Onda scouts that I will have accompanying you have swam within Waverock before. Sharq is especially familiar with it; he will have no trouble guiding you to where Samuras is trapped.”

  “I do not mean to disregard any of your intentions, Tsunari,” Tridian broke in, “but you say all of this as if myself, Tiroku, and our other companions are also Onda. We humans aren’t made for the water like your kind are. The depth doesn’t need to be very great before it can become dangerous to us. That’s not to mention that swimming the whole way will be impossible for us. No man can hope to hold his breath for that long.”

  “There is a solution for that, Prince Tridian, one that my people have spent generations perfecting,” Tsunari said. She lifted her free hand, and as if at will, a stream of water suddenly rose from her feet and began to hover in mid-air around her fingers.

  Tridian stepped back in surprise. He looked down to the ground, where he saw that the stream of water Tsunari somehow produced was the conglomeration of the moisture that lay over the rock. The thin, slick layer of water on the ledge’s floor had gathered into what looked like a long tendril at Tsunari’s command.

  “Is that…magic?” the Prince of Tordale asked.

  “It is,” Tsunari answered. “We Onda call it Waveweaving. It is a form of magic unique to our people, like the magic you call Serenity is unique to humans.”

  Tridian still watched in awe of Tsunari’s spell as he spoke. “Is it like what the Aesur Airtamers can do? But with water?”

  “I am not sure if any Onda in history has been in the presence of an Aesur,” Tsunari said. “So, while I cannot speak from experience, everything we Onda do know about the Aesur Airtamers leaves me to believe that our forms of magic are indeed similar. Where the Aesur expel their innate energies into the air around them and control it, we Onda do so with any amount of water nearby. Once our magic has entered the water, we assume full command over it. We can have it take different shapes, like what I do now; we can also change the water’s form, having it become steam, or even ice.”

  Tsunari demonstrated that claim. Her eyes hardened for a brief moment, her focus assigned only to the strand of water she had summoned. In seconds, the aqueous tendril solidified, the water freezing before everyone’s eyes until it became a spiraling mass of ice.

  Just as Tsunari released her spell, and before the icy strand could fall to the ground, Sharq raised a webbed hand. He kept Tsunari’s construct aloft, revealing himself to also be a Waveweaver. With a flick of his fingers, the ice melted, becoming water once more.

  “One of the other techniques that the most skilled Waveweavers know is how to separate pockets of water within a larger amount,” Sharq said. He gestured to make the water strand morph into a ball. He flicked his fingers again, and this time, a very obvious air bubble materialized within the watery globe. “When you accomplish that feat, you can have a small area of empty air sitting inside a body of water as vast as the whole ocean.”

  Tagran’s eyebrows perked up. “So then, in theory someone could breathe while underwater?”

  “Not in theory,” Sharq corrected. “It is proven.”

  “That’s how you brought us to your island safely, isn’t it?” Tagran deduced. “You used your magic to keep us from drowning while you swam all the way from our ships.”

  Sharq nodded, adding a grin. “There would have been no other way for us to get you all here alive; at least, as quickly as the other scouts and I did.” He lowered his hand, and just like that, the watery globe he once commanded fell to the ground with a splash.

  “I assume that Waveweaving wears on your physical being, just as my magic does, when immense quantities are summoned,” Tiroku said, turning to Tsunari. “Are you confident that you Onda can maintain those spells long enough for the journey to and from Waverock for my party?”

  “My scouts will only have to summon the spell as an act of desperation,” Tsunari said. “I do not say this to boast, but I am the mightiest of all Waveweavers among the Onda; it is a power that runs through my family, and part of why we have always been the leaders of the Onda. My magic, alone, is strong enough that I will be able to grant every person in your company the freedom to breathe while you swim to Waverock.”

  “I know it might sound scary, but you’ll see firsthand that Tsunari means what she says,” Sharq interjected. “My scouts and I were able to cast the spell long enough to bring you all here to Onda Reef, and none of our magic even begins to compare to Tsunari’s. With any luck, hers will last long enough that we’ll only have to cast something on you all for the final few minutes of our swim home.”

  Tridian pursed his lips worriedly as his eyes moved back to the ocean. “We’re going to need a lot more than luck for what we have ahead of us, though” he said.

  Tagran also stared pointedly into the dark, watery horizon. He laid a reassuring hand on Tridian’s shoulder. “At least we have this opportunity before us, your Highness. This small hope is better than none at all.”

  “I learned a long time ago how to get by with only meager shreds of hope,” Tridian replied, clearly reminiscing on the many struggles that he had seen in his lifetime, both old and recent. “If I thought that there was no chance for us to succeed, I would not have us join this mission.”

  Tiroku let a faint smile cross his face. “I am glad to hear that you have made a decision in this matter,” Tiroku said. “We will need your support if we are to accomplish this task.”

  Tridian did not express the same enthusiasm that Tiroku did, but he showed that he was in agreement. “If it gets us any closer to possibly finding my sister and the others, it has my full support. I promise that I’ll give whatever effort that I can, as will my remaining soldiers.” He turned again to Tsunari and Sharq. “I just hope that this monster of yours doesn’t think of us as her enemy when we head into Waverock. Or, as a meal.”

  Sharq had to restrain himself from breaking out into laughter. “Trust me, you won’t have to worry about that,” he said. “We’re so tiny compared to her that we’d hardly make a satisfying snack, even if she saw us as an enemy. If Samuras wants to hunt, she goes after the biggest prey in the ocean, creatures like whales, giant squids, and the largest serpents. She doesn’t do that regularly, though. She usually prefers to feast on the huge kelp holdfasts that gather throughout the ocean, or any of the coral reefs, like some of our formations here. She’s always found the coral on Onda Reef particularly enticing, which we believe is partially why she returns here so often. If it wasn’t for Tsunari and other Onda leaders’ ability to communicate with her, we doubt Samuras would permit us to live on this island.”

  There was a hint of regret in Tsunari’s smile as she chimed in. “I still feel as if there is more that I could
contribute to this task. I am sending you to free the mightiest creature in the ocean, who will likely terrify many among your company, into an environment not meant for your kind. That is much for me to ask of allies we Onda have only met this day.”

  Tiroku returned the smile. “You said it, yourself, that if we have Sharq and the other Onda scouts with us, they will be able to show us the way, and that your guardian will know that we are not her enemy. There is no reason for you to put yourself in danger. The rest of the Onda will need their leader here if anything unexpected should happen while we’re gone.”

  Tsunari nodded in concession, still smiling the whole time; she had no argument for the Champion of Light.

  Tridian’s blank stare slid to Tiroku. The Prince was surprised, maybe even impressed, to hear what influence Tiroku’s wisdom had on the leader of another race.

  Tsunari eventually waved a hand to dismiss her fellow Onda. Sharq and the other scouts turned and walked off into the island’s central chamber, as Tsunari prepared to follow behind. “I would think that we have discussed all that is necessary, then,” she said. “Is there anything else to be said here, or that I can do for you before we all retire for the night?”

  Tiroku briefly glanced over the ledge, down to the beach below. He held his gaze upon the lone person sitting among the sands. “No. At least, not between us.”

  * * * * *

  Alamor sat in silence, his languid eyes settling upon the night sky and the dark ocean that filled the horizon. He had not moved from his place on the beach in hours. He had no desire to.

  He isolated himself since learning that Raissa was missing, refusing to eat, speak with any of his friends, or even dress in his armor. There was no will in him for any of that. The only time he left the beach was for a few minutes to grab one of his possessions from the armory.

  He looked down at his hand, which cradled the Radia of Gallantry.

  It bought him no comfort.

  Hardly a week ago, Alamor held the blessed relic and felt the greatest source of power he could ever have imagined. It was the culmination of a series of events that saw him discover new purpose in his life, and saw him redeem himself for his most painful failures.

  He had rekindled his relationship with Raissa. He had finally learned to channel his Serenity, the very same that once defeated him, and haunted him for so long. He had realized that he played a role in protecting his homeland from a terrible threat.

  In just one night, all of that was ripped away from him. All of the progress he had made was for naught. The greatest source of inspiration in his life—the very person who had helped him overcome his fear of the Serenity and learn to harness it—was lost. She might no longer be alive.

  He had also lost his ability to control his magic. When he tried to summon it on his own as the Balcryst was attacked by Garadev and the other monsters, he failed—just like all of the other times before.

  Alamor was not sure why. He had felt no different at any time leading up to that night during the storm, no less capable of projecting the magic that dwelled within him. But when he attempted to call the Serenity to his aid, he received no answer. He felt as weak and as powerless as he had when he first endeavored to be a Spiritcaster.

  If he could not use his Serenity when he needed it most, how could be possibly defeat Baldaron?

  He heard someone nearby, but he did not have the interest to look and see who it was.

  Tiroku eventually joined him at his side, and they sat together on the sandy shore. They did not acknowledge one another. It was as if they were oblivious to the other’s company, not so much as looking at the other as they sat in strained silence. Alamor aimed his sullen expression into the sand, while Tiroku’s stoic countenance reached far over the ocean.

  The drawn out hush lasted for some time before Tiroku finally spoke. “What did you feel the other night when we fended off that beast on the Balcryst?”

  Alamor lifted his bemused eyes. “What do you mean?”

  Tiroku kept his gaze fixated ahead of him. “You tried to summon your Serenity when you went to attack that monster. I know this.” He spoke his words in a kind of commanding declaration, as if he expected Alamor to deny any of it. “Tell me what you felt when you attempted to project your Serenity.”

  Alamor’s gaze dropped. He felt any trace of emotion that might have existed in his features dry up. “Nothing. I didn’t feel a thing.”

  Tiroku nodded, stoically accepting the answer. “Then we have yet another grave concern on our hands.” He finally looked at Alamor. His eyes were cold and penetrating. “You have a grave concern that you must solve on your own.”

  Alamor could not bring himself to meet Tiroku’s eyes. A crippling mixture of distress and disinterest amassed inside of him. “I don’t know how I can do that.”

  “Then I implore you to find a way past this issue as soon as possible,” Tiroku said. “We need you to be at your most capable when we set out to free the Onda’s guardian tomorrow, and especially for when we continue on with the rest of this journey.”

  Alamor’s lips curled. “Didn’t you hear me before? I don’t have any idea how to use my Serenity! The only way that I’ve ever known clearly doesn’t work. Either it’s not the proper method, or I’m just not capable at all.”

  Alamor expected Tiroku’s own anger to rise, but the Champion of Light remained calm in response to the defiant outburst.

  “Your magic has not vanished,” Tiroku noted, his tone still stern. “We can see this because of your ability to hold Xogun’s Radia with your bare hands. That may not seem like very much of a feat to you at this moment, but it proves that you still have tremendous Serenity welled up inside of you, just as I have always suspected. You unleashed that magic once before. It may have been under very unique circumstances, but if you were able to do it once, you can certainly do it again. You have merely arrived at an impasse where your struggles are the same, but you require a different path to overcome them. You thought that you had solved everything with Serenity, as well as everything with your relationship with the Princess. You were wrong, but as you should understand very well by now, you can always make things right if you strive for it. You must endure this shock that you are feeling and realize that you can resolve all of this by getting back on the path that you set yourself on, where you sought to restore the faith between you and the Princess, and your faith in your Serenity.”

  At once, Alamor’s anger subsided. He felt his disappointment and anguish renew themselves as he thought back to when he battled Ilios and Iras inside the Hallowed Plane and released his magical ability for the first time.

  He thought of the one reason why he was able to do so that time.

  “Without Raissa, I don’t think I can ever do it again,” Alamor said, choosing not to hide any of the shame that he felt about himself.

  “You must not think that way.”

  “How else can I? You said it yourself that night we sailed out of Sleekleaf Forest—Raissa inspires more confidence in me than anyone or anything else, and I knew it to be true. I’ve always wanted her to be proud of me. If it wasn’t for her, I never would have believed in myself enough to channel my Serenity in the first place.” Alamor stopped for a moment, the realization of his futility hitting him harder than ever before. “That’s why I couldn’t summon my Serenity the other night, because she was still upset with me after my fight with Tridian. Knowing that she was so mad at me, disappointed in me, I didn’t have the same faith in myself as I did before. Without her, I’m clearly powerless.” He looked up at Tiroku, his face suggesting that he had been defeated. “I’m no Champion of Light, Tiroku, and I’m definitely not one of the Echoes of Light if I can’t use my Serenity without Raissa’s encouragement.”

  Tiroku stared at Alamor’s expression of hopelessness for a few moments before releasing a quiet sigh. He turned away, his eyes closing with a subtle grimace. “You do not have a choice, Alamor,” he said, an edge in his words. “It pains me just
as much to say this as it probably does for you to hear it, but there is a chance that Princess Raissa perished last night. I pray that there is hope for us to someday reunite with her, but we must accept the possibility that she will no longer be with us on this quest. If that may be the unfortunate case, we still have a mission to complete, and you have a task to complete. With or without the Princess, we must stop Baldaron. Otherwise, all that we know will come to an end.” Tiroku’s hardened visage fell back to Alamor. “You must let Princess Raissa embolden your power, but you cannot let her be your power.”

  Alamor knew that everything Tiroku said was true, and that Raissa would agree with all of it. If anything, she would probably say the very same things to motivate Alamor, if she could.

  If she could…

  Alamor understood the responsibility that lay before him—the kingdom itself, and every living being in Tordale, their fates rested on the success of his company claiming the Radia and fulfilling the Legend of Light. Of everyone in his company, Alamor carried the biggest responsibility, as he was supposed to use the Radia against Baldaron, the harbinger of Scourge.

  He knew all of this.

  He also knew that he could not see it come to fruition.

  “I can’t do it,” Alamor finally said, his mind wrought with so many doubts. He extended his hand—and the Radia of Gallantry—to Tiroku. “Here, you hold onto this. I’m not capable of the Serenity that we need, but at least you may be.”

  Tiroku did not face Alamor directly. He peered out of the corner of his eye, where traces of anger began to kindle. “No, Alamor, I cannot use either of the Radia.”

  “But you’re a Champion of Light, one of the greatest Spiritcasters in Tordale,” Alamor pressed, in desperation. “If anyone can do it, it has to be you. Why waste time and hope in thinking that I can wield the Radia? With you, we’ll stand a much greater chance of stopping Baldaron and saving Tordale.”

  “You know that I failed to acquire the Radia of Gallantry when I first tried.”