Chapter Seven
New Direction
When Evangeline woke, she had hoped to speak with Gavin before he set off on his own, but he had already left. Ryhan was still asleep and Evangeline was not sure how she would take his sudden disappearance. She could not imagine how difficult things must have been for Ryhan at that moment.
Not that learning about her own power had been easy, but at least she had time to adjust and grow with it. Thrust into a life she did not even know she was destined for, Ryhan struggled to cope. Evangeline felt a very strong connection with her that went beyond their elemental link. An almost sisterly affection that was strange yet comfortable for her.
Ryhan would probably argue that she was not someone that really needed looked after, but somehow Evangeline sensed that she needed her protection. Ryhan was strong, but she was also naive about many things. She gathered and packed the few things she could while waiting for Ryhan to wake. Tekkah would have made their journey much easier, and she hated leaving without her horse.
Convincing the tribe to let them, leave was not an easy task and there were many things left behind that she would have liked to bring. Staying any longer would have meant some sort of punishment for Ryhan. While the Mastion people knew the ways of elemental magic, they did not take interference in their customs lightly. It was best for everyone that she left when she did.
Ryhan started to stir, and Evangeline realized she was holding her breathe in anticipation of her waking. Reminding herself to be patient, she felt a calming wave wash over her. One of her greatest assets was her ability to recognize and control her emotions. She could not control other people’s emotions.
Help them to focus and control their power, yes, but the way they thought and felt was beyond her reach. Her brother however seemed to have more of a grasp on that power than he let on. While he could not use their powers himself, it did not take Evangeline long to notice that he could stop Ryhan from using her power completely.
It seemed that he had almost an opposite effect than her. The spirit element allowed her to shape, mold, and create things, which is why she could heal and move objects. It gave her an understanding of the other elements and how they work on a deeper level than even the other girls could understand.
Gavin seemed to have the same understanding, except he could break them down, and block them out. Unsure of how aware he was of it, she had confronted him about it after witnessing him in action. He had blocked Ryhan from using her power, and Evangeline wanted to know if it was intentional. He had assured her that it was not, but something in her gut told her differently.
Evangeline could not sense a connection with Gavin, at least not in the same way she could with Ryhan and Alexandra. If he could block her as well that would make sense, but she did not think he had the ability to. Linked, they shared the same power. Even if it was opposite sides, it was the same coin nonetheless.
That must have been the reason why they could not effect each other. Something was troubling her. If Gavin could block Ryhan’s power, why did he allow what happened back at the village to take place. She hoped that her worries were foolish, she hoped that, more than anything she had wished before. Not just for Ryhan, but for them all.
Yawning, a sleepy Ryhan looked around the camp. If the lack of Gavin’s presence affected her, she did not let on and for a moment, Evangeline admired her strength. However, her admission the night before that she would no longer use her power concerned her. She hoped it would not take long to show Ryhan that she should embrace her gift, not fight it.
Ryhan stood and stretched, mumbling a good morning.
Evangeline smiled at her, “I know it’s late in the morning, but I didn’t want to wake you. You seemed pretty restless.”
“Did I? I didn’t dream at all.” Ryhan said quickly.
She seemed unnerved by her observation. Evangeline thought her response was strange.
“Do your dreams bother you Ryhan?” She asked.
Trying to sound comforting and reassuring she added, “I’ve dreamt of Axiom before as well.”
“You have?” Ryhan asked surprised.
“Yes. I used to have them frequently when I first started to develop my power. It’s called dream walking.” Evangeline said.
She recalled the nightmares vividly; she had not had one in ages but remembered how terrifying they were.
“You said ’used to’, as in you no longer have them?” Ryhan asked hopeful.
“He still tries every once in a while, but I learned to thwart his efforts long ago. Most people who dream walk are only able to observe, you have to be very powerful to influence someone’s dream, but he cannot actually hurt you. He has no real power over you. One of the village elders helped me learn to block him out. I can teach you, if you’d like.” Evangeline explained.
“Please!” she responded with relief.
“Okay, we’ll start working on it tonight before we sleep.” Evangeline said.
Ryhan thanked her, sat back down, and hugged her knees, it was clear she was lost in her own thoughts.
“I was thinking that heading towards Volcaringuard first would be best. It is on the North West side of the island of Doctemptha. Ferrentri is on the southeastern coast of the island and the farthest away.
“Narindig is the northern merrowfolk capitol off the coast of AltenLand, which is also where the stronghold is in Bastriean. It is just as likely that Alexandra is in the southern capitol city of Aurora. I am not sure how long the journey will take us, but I received a message six days ago from Garrel. Samhelia had another vision. It was vague. Ultimately we all need to meet with the council in Bastriean in 10 days’ time.” Evangeline explained.
“Ten days? And if we don’t make it by then?” Ryhan asked.
“Garrel only said that it was important we were there before then. I’m not sure what will happen if we fail.” Evangeline answered.
She was not sure how much of what she had said Ryhan actually heard. Waiting for a response, she sat down next to Ryhan and nudged her slightly when she didn’t get one.
Ryhan looked up at her startled, “Oh! I’m sorry. I guess I was off in my own little world. What did you say?”
Evangeline patiently repeated what she had just told her.
“That doesn’t give us much time.” Ryhan said.
“Garrel also mentioned that Axiom has been sending scouts out looking for us and that he is moving a lot of troops around. The letter seemed rather urgent. I think it would be in our best interest to try and make it there in time.” She said.
“I supposed you are right. This is the farthest I have ever been from home. I don’t know much about the world so where we go doesn’t matter much to me.” Ryhan said blankly.
“Well let’s get going than!” Evangeline said.
Her words came out with much more enthusiasm than she had meant them to, but she got the feeling that Ryhan was not the type of girl that liked an interrogation about her thoughts or feelings, much less acknowledge any sort of weakness she might have.
“Breckenshire has a small harbor on the coast to the west, at the edge of the mountain range. We will board a ship there and set sail for Volcaringuard. If we keep a steady pace we should reach the harbor in a day.” She said.
Ryhan gave her a strange expression, a mixture of horror and elation crossed her face several times before Evangeline spoke, “Is something the matter?”
Ryhan shook her head as if to clear the thoughts away, “No, its…it’s just that Roger is there. He joined the Centermerge. I did not think I would ever see him again. Do you think it very smart for us to just go marching in to a town that is home to thousands of the kings highly trained soldiers?”
“We won’t actually have to go through the town. Forgive me, but who is Roger?” She asked.
Evangeline waited for Ryhan to begin and listened intently as she told her of everything that had happened since she and Roger had left Resteir. No wonder the poor girl was hanging on by a thread. The day pass
ed by quickly as they kept a swift pace and chatted with each other. Evangeline was careful not to bring up Gavin and as far as she could tell, Ryhan was avoiding the subject as well.
For a while, it felt as though they were just two normal teenage girls and there was no great prophecy they had to fulfill. As the sun set Evangeline suggested they keep an eye out for a good place to set up camp and Ryhan agreed. They found a nice area close to the foothills. There was a small patch of trees that offered a bit of shelter and coverage should anyone pass by.
As they started to settle in, she carefully approached Ryhan and said, “I know that you probably meant what you said last night, but just listen to me for a moment,” she paused and waited for a reaction, but Ryhan just stared at her blankly.
“I can understand, after everything you’ve been through in such a short time, why you don’t want to use your power.” She stated and paused when Ryhan sighed heavily.
“But fighting something that is a part of you will not help. It will only make you frustrated and your power even more unreliable and unmanageable. It is easy to feel like you are losing yourself, but you are still you, Ryhan. You are still all the things that make you who you are. Including your power. That will never change no matter how hard you try to suppress it.” Evangeline said, as she looked Ryhan in the eyes.
Ryhan was quiet for a long time, “Okay.”
Okay? Well Evangeline supposed that was better than Ryhan down right refusing to try was. She thought maybe if she shared an experience of her own that Ryhan would understand better.
“I’ll start the fire this time, but next time I want you to try.” She said and began building a small fire before continuing on, “I was six when I first realized what my power could do. A man that came to the village often, to trade and bring supplies had seduced one of the girls already promised to another man.
“Arie was one of the few that helped to take care of me. She had run away with him. When her father and her betrothed found her, they forced her to come back home. She went through a rather gruesome ceremony to cleanse her of the filth she had acquired, both physically and spiritually, while she had been gone with the trader.
“I don’t think you want to know the details, but to give you an idea it involved bloodletting and a viscous scrubbing of her entire body with a rough salt mixture. She had lost a lot of blood and left to die. I went to her and sat with her, crying because I knew she was dying.
“I knew, because I could hear her heart slowing and could sense everything that was going on inside her body that was causing her to shut down before my eyes. She held me and hummed one of my favorite songs. As a child, you do not think about things as finite. You often imagine things are able to change in the most impossible of ways.
“So I lay there with her and just imagined all injuries repairing themselves. And they did. At first the elders were confused as to what brought on her miraculous restoration; they realized it was me after I accidentally healed a mountain goat’s broken leg a few weeks later.”
“Accidentally?” Ryhan asked confused.
“I say accident because I really wasn’t aware of what I was doing. It just happened instinctually. I never purposely intended to heal either one of them. After that I was kept away from most of the villagers until I was older and learned more control.” Evangeline said.
“Why did they isolate you?” Ryhan asked with puzzled admiration.
“They were worried that if all the villagers knew what I could do, there would be a never ending barrage of requests to heal all sorts of ailments. They didn’t want me to mess with the natural cycle of life.” Evangeline explained.
“That makes sense I suppose. But you never killed anyone, you helped them.” Ryhan said sadly.
“No I never killed anyone, but I understand how you lose control sometimes. When I feel extreme empathy for someone, I find it harder to stay in control. I have tossed about entire rooms with my mind in anger. I have hurt people on accident when they were not doing something I wanted them to. I could just as easily rupture a vein in someone’s head as I could repair it. It just takes time, be patient, and have a little faith in yourself.” She said.
She thought she might actually be getting through to Ryhan and was about to say something when harsh grating sounds, loud as shrill alarm bells, interrupted her thoughts. It startled them both and Evangeline grabbed Ryhan’s hand and told her to stay as still as she possibly could. She looked up at the night sky and muttered to herself under her breath to stay calm.
The temperature had dropped dramatically in the last hour and her breath came out in large foggy puffs. Evangeline closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, she focused on picturing the both of them the same color as their surroundings. Imagining them both to blend in so perfectly, that if someone was to look down on them from above, they would think they were looking at nothing but the frosty earth.
“What is going on?” Ryhan asked alarmed as the shrill call sounded again much closer.
Evangeline shushed her and concentrated. She felt the essence creep out of her and surround them both in her misty tendrils of magic. Please work, she pleaded silently. She ceased breathing when she spotted the two large ravens flying low to the ground a few hundred feet from their camp.
When they reached the clearing, they circled several times before flying off to the north over the mountains. She had to remind herself to breathe again. The fact that those birds were out scouting made her nervous.
“What the hell is going on?” Ryhan asked her afraid.
“Those ravens were Mentis and Memoria. They are the king’s familiars. He sends them out to gather information for him.” Evangeline said nervously.
Ryhan looked at her with disbelief, “Birds?”
“They aren’t normal birds Ryhan, they are mystic ravens. They can see anything and hear anything for miles. They speak to the king and tell him the secrets of the land.” Evangeline explained.
“Why are you so worried?” Ryhan asked.
“Because if they saw us, then that means Axiom will know that we are together. If he knows that, then he knows we will be joining forces with the other daughters soon.” She said.
Evangeline hoped with everything in her that Mentis and Memoria had not seen them. Otherwise their travels were about to get a lot more difficult. Ryhan did not seem to grasp how serious the situation was.
“The reason we were all split up was so that the king wouldn’t be able to find us easily. It has been our biggest advantage. One that we no longer have if he knows where we are and where we are going.” She explained to her calmly.
Ryhan seemed to understand better and looked a bit frightened. Evangeline patted her shoulder and reassured her.
“I think that my magic worked.” She said optimistically. “Let’s practice warding off dream walkers eh?” She said with a sigh.
Evangeline had Ryhan lie down next to the fire. She sat next to her close enough to be able to reach out and touch her if needed.
“Close your eyes and ground yourself. It’s no different than when you practice centering yourself to control your power.” She directed.
“A lot of good that’s done me.” Ryhan exclaimed sarcastically.
“Ryhan, everything takes time and practice. Be patient, your control will come to you.” Evangeline replied sternly.
“Okay, okay.” Ryhan sighed as she closed her eyes to relax.
“Let me know when you feel you are sufficiently grounded.” She requested.
After several minutes, Ryhan acknowledged her focus by nodding her head slightly.
“With your eyes closed, allow them to relax and stare into the back of your eyelids. See the darkness all around you. Let it envelope you and allow your body to completely unwind, letting each of your body parts rest against the ground.” Evangeline said.
She paused to observe Ryhan as her breathing slowed and her limbs lost their tension, letting her fall deeper into relaxation before continuing.
“G
ood, now as you are staring into the darkness, look ahead, and imagine a white light coming closer to you. The closer the light gets to you the brighter it becomes. You can feel the warmth from the light on your skin. Picture the light spreading out, forming long strings that wrap around you like tentacles.
“These tentacles encircle you completely and form a barrier against the dark. You are now in a womb of light and it has completed illuminated the darkness around you. Are you in your womb Ryhan?” Evangeline asked soothingly.
“Yes.” Ryhan answered softly.
“Good! Keep that image in your head as you let yourself drift into sleep. Once you are sleeping I will try to enter your dream, hold on to that web of light around you and don’t let me in.” Evangeline said.
She gave Ryhan a few more minutes to fall into a deep sleep and then laid on the ground next to her, using the same relaxation techniques she had just described to Ryhan. When she felt herself falling into sleep, she imagined stepping outside her body. Looking down on herself and Ryhan sleeping she willed herself to step into Ryhan’s body.
It felt as though she was free falling through darkness until she landed softly in a pile of dried out leaves. Standing, she looked around her. She did not understand. Ryhan should have been able to keep her out. Maybe she had not done a very good job explaining it, she thought disappointed.
“RYHAN?” She called out to her.
No response.
“Can you hear me?” She called out again.
Nothing.
“Ryhan I need you to come to my voice.” She exclaimed.
Silence.
Evangeline started to walk aimlessly. She could be anywhere in her mind, finding Ryhan would be difficult. A forest surrounded her, but the colors were off, bland and washed out. The trees grew thicker the farther she walked, until there came a point when she could no longer continue going forward.
Turning around to head back the way she came Evangeline was startled when she realized she was no longer in the forest. Instead, she was ankle deep in sand on the edge of a lake. Ryhan stood in front of her, in the middle of the water completely engulfed in flames.
“RYHAN!” She called out to her.
Ryhan looked at her intensely, but said nothing.
“What is going on? I need you to concentrate. You weren’t supposed to let me in.” She said poignantly.
“You think a little meditation will keep me out?” A man asked amused.
She had not heard him approach and jumped at the sound of his voice.
“What are you doing here Axiom?” She asked him crossly.
“Don’t you know?” He laughed.
“Look at her out there, beautiful isn’t she?”
Evangeline followed his gaze and she watched as Ryhan stood in the water, helpless and on fire. The flames did nothing to her of course, but she looked as if she were in agony.
“Ryhan you can fight him, imagine that web of light.” She said.
“Oh please!” He laughed wickedly.
“-Imagine it coming out of you like a sphere,-” She continued, ignoring his interruption.
“Try all you’d like, she is getting weaker by the minute.” He scoffed.
“-push him away with the light Ryhan,-” She said.
“My brother is coming to me now as we speak, she’ll be mine soon enough. You all will.” He growled.
“-do it Ryhan, you can do it.” She pleaded with her.
Ryhan’s head fell back and she screamed. At the same moment, she released a great wave of light that washed over them all. Evangeline woke with a start. She reached out for Ryhan who grabbed her hand eagerly.
“What happened?” Ryhan asked with tears in her eyes.
“I’m not sure.” Evangeline admitted.
“I don’t understand, you said it would work.” Ryhan said angrily.
“I’m sorry, it should have. I do not know what happened. It was like he was waiting for us.” She said.
“He’s too strong.” Ryhan stated sadly, sounding defeated.
“Don’t give up ok. Please. We will keep practicing.” Evangeline said.
Ryhan nodded, but looked at her as though she did not believe it would work. She wanted to give her some encouraging words, but none would come to her. Axiom’s power had obviously grown, or he had someone helping him dream walk. Either way she felt the same fear Ryhan had expressed creep over her.
If he could reach them in their dreams, it was only a matter of time before he found them when awake. The sun was already peaking over the horizon and they both agreed that getting an early start would be best. They walked in silence. Evangeline too consumed in her own thoughts to carry a conversation.
It did not make sense. If Ayden truly were alive, why would he be going to Axiom now? Where had he been all that time and why was he hiding out? Questions came and went through her mind as quickly as a bee buzzing from one flower to the next and about as orderly as that too. Perhaps it was not true and Axiom had just said that to confuse or get a reaction out of her.
Even if it was true, she decided to wait and speak with the council before she came to any conclusions. Not that there were any conclusions to form from the information. If anything, it just made things more puzzling. They kept a quick pace for most of the day only stopping once to rest and reached the edge of Breckenshire by dusk.
Hoping to avoid entering the city, they made their way around the surrounding wall, searching for a path that would lead to the harbor. They thought they had found one, but it lead instead to a high wooden fence and an abandoned guard station. The fence stretched out into the ocean, and with the high tide in there was no way around it.
“We are either going to have to climb the fence, or look for another way.” Evangeline contemplated aloud.
“Do you think that it is deserted?” Ryhan asked motioning to the guard station.
“Perhaps. Or they could just be changing over.” She replied.
“Well now is as good a time as any.” Ryhan exclaimed as she ran towards the fence.
“No, wait-” She started. But it was too late.
Ryhan was already scaling the fence. As she got closer to where Ryhan was climbing, a guard emerged from a small door beneath her. He looked at Evangeline with a puzzled expression.
“Who are you and what the hell are you doing way out here?” He asked irritated.
“Sorry to trouble you. I…well I uh-” She was not sure what to say.
He stared at her, not noticing Ryhan on the fence behind him.
“I…” Her mind was blank.
“WELL GET ON WITH IT.” He shouted at her.
She jumped at his roar. The last thing she wanted to do was draw more soldiers out, so she did the only thing she could think of…she cried.
“Well you see, I lost my cat. She climbed right up over the wall this morning and I came out here to try and find her, but then I got lost.” She sobbed.
He softened a bit.
“I am cold and tired and I just want to get back inside the wall so that I can go home.” She wailed.
He patted her on the shoulder and told her it would be all right. Turning around to open the door for her, he stopped as he spotted Ryhan.
“Now wait just a min-” His speech cut off as Ryhan jumped down and knocked him upside the head with her bag.
With a soft thud, he fell to the ground. She had not quite knocked him out, but he acted disoriented. Ryhan pulled the small iron skillet they had used for breakfast that morning out of her bag.
“Thanks for packing the heavy stuff in my bag.” Ryhan said mockingly as she raised the skillet to strike him again.
“Don’t hit him again; let’s just go now before he gets his wits about him.” Evangeline pleaded, grabbing her head.
She would never get used to feeling other people’s pain. Usually it was easy for her to block it out, but when it was sudden or unexpected, it sometimes leaked through her barrier.
“So he can sound an alarm and let eve
ry soldier in the city know we are here, no thanks.” Ryhan said. She inched closer, raised the skillet over her head, and was just about to bring it down on the man again when she dropped it excitedly.
“It’s Roger!” Ryhan exclaimed.
They sat him up against the fence and gave him some water. It took a few minutes, but he recovered his thoughts quickly. Ryhan kept a look out while Evangeline explained to him why they were trying to get into the city.
He shook his head, “Axiom has a sketch of you two up in every guard station in the city.” He said.
“How?” Ryhan asked confused.
“Mentis and Memoria?” Evangeline asked him.
He nodded rubbing the knot forming on the side of his head.
“I had hoped that they couldn’t see through my magic.” She stated sadly.
“Now what?” Ryhan asked impatiently.
“I can get you into the city, but you’ll have to procure passage on your own. If they find out I helped you…” He stopped and looked at them both gravely.
Ryhan sat next to him and replied sadly, “Oh Roger! Why did you have to get mixed up in all of this?”
He told her not to worry about him. Evangeline could see how much he cared for Ryhan. She knew he would do whatever he could to ensure no one found out they were there. He led them through the fence and pointed them towards the harbor. They thanked him and Ryhan embraced him before they left him to his duties.
“Are you ok?” She asked Ryhan.
Nodding she shrugged her shoulders and said nothing.
They found a small cargo ship getting ready to set sail for Doctemptha. It did not take long to convince the captain to take them on, especially after Evangeline gave him a purse full of coins with promise of more when they arrived to the island safely.
By the time, the moon had settled into the night sky, the shoreline was far in the distance. Evangeline felt better knowing that they were on their way to Volcaringuard, but her troubles were not comforted by their distance at sea. She needed answers to many things and hoped reaching Volcaringuard would shed some light on them.
Fated Volition: The Sapphire Star Saga Page 8