by M J Webb
“What? What the hell does that mean?” shouted Jake angrily, as his emotions ran away with him. Verastus placed a reassuring hand on Jake’s shoulder, it calmed the youngster down slightly and his expression changed from anger to one of despair, as he realised that venting his fury at his friends wouldn’t help the situation.
“We have perhaps saved one in four, Jake. He has a chance, but the odds are no greater than that on Rhuaddan.” said Tien gravely. They all fell silent for a short time as they considered Tien’s words. Ben’s eyes flickered and he whispered faintly, as he felt himself getting weaker.
“Jake? Jake? Are you there, Jake? I can’t see ya.”
Jake took hold of his friend’s hand and shuffled even closer to him, the tears now streaming down his face. “I’m here mate. I’m here as usual. You ain’t rid of me yet. How you feeling?” he asked anxiously.
“Jake... I’m really sorry pal. I’ve let you down. I’ve let everyone down. I nev...”
Ben drifted into unconsciousness, his whole body stiffened and he turned a ghostly shade of white within seconds, as the poison finally reached his heart.
“No! No!!!” screamed Jake hysterically, shaking his friend in a futile attempt to wake him.
Tien and Verastus said and did nothing. They felt completely helpless, as they witnessed the display of raw emotion and love for a friend.
“Ben! You hear me, Ben? You’ve never let me down you pillock! Ever! You’re the one person outside my family who’s always been there for me. You are my family! Don’t you leave me now, Ben Brooker! You hear me? The job’s not done. Not by a long way. I need your help. I can’t do this alone. You’re my rock. Ben! Ben!!!”
When Jake had calmed himself a little, he knelt by his friend for a while, hugging his stiff body and crying unashamedly like the child he was. For a few minutes, Tien and Verastus just watched him, unsure what to say or do. And then, all of a sudden, Jake’s head shot up swiftly.
“Hey! That’s it!” he shouted, wiping the tears vigorously from his face.
“What? What’s it?” asked Verastus.
“If the odds aren’t so great here on Rhuaddan, then we have to shorten those odds, don’t we?” shouted Jake, attempting to explain to his confused companions. “Don’t you both see? It’s the only way. There’s nothing else for it. We’re going home!” he declared.
“What??!!” asked Verastus alarmed. “What do you mean you’re going home? You can not…”
“Just that ‘V’!” interrupted Jake defiantly. “Home. My best friend’ll more than likely die if we stay here. I’m not going to let that happen! Your medicine and your magic can’t save him.” he added, turning to look directly at Tien. “But, in my world, he stands a chance. We have wonderful, powerful medicine. Our doctors are all magicians of a sort. They can perform wonders. I’m sure they can save him. I have to try!” he cried, pleading for understanding.
“But, you cannot go. You must not go! There are countless thousands of people here depending on you! People to whom you have sold a dream, Jake. No! It is you who has given them hope where no hope existed. It is you who has started this thing, and you have to finish it! We have taken on the mightiest wizard this world has ever known, for you. We are locked in a life or death struggle, against the largest army in history. We have bled for you, died for you. Our entire population is now looking to you. And you are now going to leave us? I am sorry Jake, but what is one boy’s life when compared to the fate of a nation? Of a continent? Do you really believe that Ben would want you to abandon us now? Because of him? And what of the King and Princess Zephany?” Verastus raged emotionally, with real fear and desperation, as he thought of what losing the leader of the Rebellion right now might mean.
He looked desperately towards Tien. “You! You, wizard! Say something! Tell him he is wrong! Tell him he must not go! Why do you say nothing now, when it matters the most?”
Tien stared sympathetically into Verastus’ eyes. He answered him in a soft, calm voice.
“I do not speak, Verastus, because I believe the Keeper to be right.” he said, turning to look at Jake. “He has to follow his own path. He must do what his heart tells him to do. There is a reason for everything, even if we do not understand. He is the descendant of Jacob and Harry, he was chosen to protect the stones. That is not a decision the spirits took lightly. It was not by chance that he was chosen, it was destiny. We have to trust him now to make the right choice. And we have to believe that he will return. For my part, I am willing to keep faith with this ‘boy.’ He has dsplayed no weakness here. No, if this is what is written, then it has to be. Go, Jake. Go. Go and save your friend. You will not fail us, I am certain of it.”
Jake nodded at Tien gratefully. Then he glanced over at Verastus, who was clearly bitterly disappointed by the wizard’s response and still looking disbelievingly at him.
“I’m sorry ‘V’, I will be back. I promise! You have my word. I won’t leave you for long mate, just until I know that Ben is safe. I have to do this, I have to know he’s gonna be alright. Then I’ll return, believe me.”
Verastus bowed his head in despair as Jake took the two pieces of Reolite that Tien had given him from out of his pocket. He carefully placed one back inside and he was just about to use the first, when Tien stopped him.
“Jake! What of the box of stones? Are you not taking them? You are the Keeper, you have to look after them, without them...”
He stopped in mid sentence, certain that Jake understood the gravity of his decision.
Jake stared briefly at the box in Tien’s hand.
“You keep them, Tien. Look after them for me. I leave them here with you, as a sign of good faith, to show all the people of Estia that I intend to return. As I have promised to do. Continue with the quest to find the stones, I will find you. The Reolite should return me to somewhere close to the stones’ location. That much I have learned. Now, I have to go, time may be critical for Ben!”
Tien nodded at him and Jake knelt down at his friend’s side. He lifted Ben’s stiff body up with a little help from Verastus, who rushed to his aid. Then he threw the Reolite stone on the floor in front of them as he shouted out loudly.
“LeaddFenukearalesskechad...... Ferek!”
The words came out of nowhere. He hadn’t thought, he’d just spoken, and it had flowed instinctively. A bright light shone out of the stone, it shot quickly up to the sky, reaching the clouds in less than a second. Jake nodded to Verastus, who let go of Ben. With a brief glance at Tien, he shoved Ben into the light, following immediately behind him and falling into it just before it disappeared. A dull stone was all that was left on the floor.
The Keeper was gone! Whatever trials and tribulations lay in store for all those opposing King Vantrax on Rhuaddan, they would now have to face them alone. For the moment at least. Tien looked over at the disconsolate face of Verastus.
“Well, my friend. It is you and I who must now rise to the challenge. Jake will need us all to be strong, we must try to minimise the disruption to our plans that his absence brings. Are you with me? We are on our own, it is an unexpected and unwanted development, but we are a force to be reckoned with, are we not?”
Verastus lifted his head slowly to speak. “Yes, wizard, I am with you. I have yet to repay my debt to the Keeper and I am sorry for my show of despair. Many years of captivity have eaten at my courage. It is like you appear to be I am afraid, frail and....”
“Chaar, yes,” interrupted Tien, but, like me Verastus, appearances can be deceptive!”
Verastus smiled at him and walked over to pick up his bag. He returned as Tien was packing the box of stones away into Ben’s.
“Tien, tell me truthfully, can Jake save Ben? He looked as close to death as any creature I have seen. Will he succeed? And, I do not believe I am saying this, more importantly, will he return? Can you see it?” he pleaded anxiously.
“I told you,” began the old wizard, “I cannot speak of events to come, though I yearn sometim
es to warn of danger. I could not interfere with what was meant to be! Events such as these happen for a reason. My powers are limited, the spirits know this, I can only see that which I am allowed to see. The gift of foresight has deserted me now, I see nothing. I am as blind as you are to future events. All I have now to guide me, is faith. And I tell you, Verastus… The Keeper will return!”
Chapter 43
‘Home’
Jake stepped into the light with Ben’s stiffened body falling just ahead of him. For a split second or two his senses were overloaded by a kaleidoscope of different, brightly coloured lights. He found himself whirling round and round inside some kind of vortex, a long, blurred tube which seemed to have no visible end. Both of its sides seemed to be constructed from a cacophony of different sounds and sights, none of which he could identify clearly no matter how hard he tried, as he hurtled past them at breakneck speed.
Everything was different this time. When he’d past through the light before, he had felt and seen nothing, travelling through its entirety in what seemed like the blink of an eye. But now, for the briefest of moments, he was experiencing fully the whole journey. It was a weird and wonderful sensation. The wildest ride of his short life so far!
The haziness ahead of him seemed to suddenly tear itself apart, opening up rapidly to reveal the lush green ground ahead. But he was hurtling towards his landing far too fast for his liking and Jake braced himself for the impending impact. He bounced off the grass and ended up flat out on his stomach. He took a second or two to recover and, winded a little, rose to his knees to take a couple of deep breaths.
Then, he remembered Ben. His best friend was only a few feet away from him, lying motionless on his back with his mouth closed. His body was still as stiff as a board and his complexion was still worryingly white. His eyes were wide open but he didn’t blink.
Jake looked around in a frantic attempt to get his bearings. He was happy and relieved to find that they’d returned to Harry’s front lawn. The light had worked just as he had hoped!
He immediately began looking around, searching desperately for someone to help him. A Police car was parked at the end of the drive but he could see that there was no one inside. He looked over at his granddad’s house, the front door was wide open. ‘That’s not a good sign,’ he thought, ‘why is it open?’
He shifted his concerned gaze towards the large front window, he could see through it clearly, right into Harry’s living room. Terry Faulkner and another Policeman were there, they seemed to be chatting, he screamed urgently at the top of his voice, begging them for help.
“Oh my God!” shouted Terry, as he rushed outside. “Jake! What...? Jake, where the hell have you been? Your family have been... Ben? Is that Ben? What’s happened to him? What’s all that blood? Oh sh...”
Terry saw the state Ben was in and he was seriously concerned. He was about to swear but he stopped himself as his instincts took over and he reached for his radio to call for an ambulance. His Police colleague applied pressure to Ben’s wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding at the same time.
“Jake! Talk to me. You both look like you’ve been in a war! What’s going on? You’ve been posted as missing. We’ve had people out searching everywhere. Your poor mum and dad have been beside themselves.” stated Terry, as soon as he’d radioed Control.
Jake didn’t answer. He didn’t know what to say and all he could think about now was Ben.
“Alright, never mind, Jake.” said Terry. “You’re obviously in shock. We’ll talk later, let’s see to Ben, eh?” Jake nodded at him and still said nothing.
A few minutes later, they heard the approaching wails of a siren. The ambulance screeched to a halt at the end of the drive and parked up just behind the Police car. The Paramedics exited their vehicle, grabbed their equipment and immediately ran over to where Ben lay on the grass.
“Okay, we’ll take it from here.” one of them said, kneeling down quickly to examine Ben. “He’s in a bad way! You boy, what has he taken? Drugs, yeah? What drugs? I need to know, please. And where did he get these wounds?” he shouted at Jake. But still the young boy didn’t reply.
“Hey! Listen to me. We’re gonna have to get him to hospital and quick! Look, snap out of it!” He turned to Terry in frustration. “Sarge, he’s not helping. We have to get going! We don’t have much time!” rasped the Paramedic, realising the urgency of Ben’s case and desperate to minimise any delay.
Ben was placed in the rear of the ambulance and taken to hospital. Jake travelled with him in complete silence, whilst the Policemen followed closely behind in their car. When they arrived at A and E, everything and everyone was already waiting for them and a team of doctors and nurses immediately whisked Ben away to an Operating Theatre. Jake was left standing alone at the entrance, struggling with his emotions and unsure what to do. Then, Terry arrived, having pulled up just behind the ambulance.
“Come on, Jake. Come with me, we’ll go to the reception area, they’ll take him to theatre I’d imagine, he’ll need expert care and you won’t be allowed to go in mate. Let’s go and get a cup of tea or something, eh? And we’ll get your parents. They’ll want to be informed, won’t they? Err... What do you reckon about Ben? Should we phone his dad, do ya think?” he asked, using all his experience to deliberately engage Jake in conversation and trying to shake him out of his obvious state of shock.
“Huh?” replied Jake in a daze. “Wh... Err, yeah. I mean, I suppose so.”
Terry placed his arm around him comfortingly and led him away the short distance to Reception. He sat Jake down on a chair and walked over to the vending machine to buy them both some drinks. As Terry stood by the machine, fumbling about in his pocket for change, Jake sat staring blindly into the space in front of him, looking at nothing and no one in particular.
Everything seemed to be blurred. He was completely and utterly shattered. His eyesight and his mind were now acting as one it seemed, both of them unable to achieve the clarity he sought. In the midst of the bleariness ahead of him, he noticed a black shape on the wall and he shook his head from side to side, blinking several times in an attempt to focus on it. As it became gradually clearer, he saw that it was a digital clock. The time was showing as one thirty pm. The sight of the modern technology cleared his mind somehow and he looked at Terry, who was walking over to him with the drinks.
‘Oh, Christ.’ he thought, as the Policeman approached. ‘How am I going to explain everything that’s happened?’
Terry handed him a drink and sat down. “You know, you’ve scared a lot of people, Jake. We thought you were dead.”
“Yeah... I’m sorry, Terry. I suppose I’d better phone home?”
“Eh? No need. They won’t be there mate. They’ve been living here at the hospital, looking after Harry.”
“What??!!” exclaimed Jake. “What did you say?”
“Harry. He’s alive, Jake. You thought he was...? No, he’s in a coma, he’s lost his arm and he’s hooked up to all sorts of machines, but the doctor’s are hopeful he’ll...”
“Yesss!!!” Jake shouted out triumphantly. He shot up and grabbed Terry’s head to kiss it. “Ha ha!!! I knew it!! You beauty!!! You absolute star!!! Quick Terry, take me to them! Please mate, I have to see them. There’s so much I have to say.”
* * *
Jake and Terry walked briskly down the long hospital corridor. A million and one thoughts were rushing through Jake’s head as they stopped outside the door to a small side room.
“He’s in here.” said Terry, reaching for the door handle.
“No. Please, Terry. Let me will ya?” asked Jake, stopping him in his tracks. “I think this is a family moment? Can we have a little privacy please?” he begged.
Terry nodded reluctantly. “Okay, Jake. I guess you’re right, as you wish. But, I still want to talk! You’re not getting off that easily. I’ll be in Reception, checking on Ben.”
Terry walked off and Jake slowly and quietly opened the door. He pe
ered around it to see his mother and father sitting either side of Harry, who was lying on the bed, an oxygen mask covering his face and a bandaged stump where his arm used to be. His mum was fast asleep in her chair, she looked completely worn out. But his dad was awake and holding Harry’s hand. Graham turned around slowly to see who had opened the door.
“Jake!!” he screamed in amazement. “Oh my... Thank the Lord! June! June! It’s Jake!” he shouted excitedly, as he bolted out of his chair and rushed to hug his son.