Sapling: The Broken Halls
Page 28
His stomach sunk in despair as he considered the brief but intimate encounter. Never mind how she had reacted; he could not fathom his own actions at that time. It was a strange impulse that had come over him to be close to her. He thought back and considered his emotions over the time he had known her. Somewhere deep below the surface, he had felt an attraction toward her. He thought that night he fought off the demon had drained his affection - so great was his repugnance of the terrifying entity that resided beneath her soft white skin. He mind shuddered at the memory, but his heart clung fast to the deep roots of fidelity. That was why he couldn’t leave her or the others, after so many opportunities.
Shien was at a loss as to what he should do. Soon the monk would meet them back at the gate, but a feeling of alarm had firmly rooted in his breast and refused to leave. Something was happening, and Firah was again at the centre of it all. He only wished that he could be more confident in his ability to reach out and locate her in the Void.
It was that way ever since the Rift, when he came into contact with that turbulent energy. His latent ability to perceive emotion seemed to have changed under the wild chaotic power. He considered that fate had intervened in his choices of books from the Halls. They seemed now to apply to his abilities. The smaller and more worn tome, Unfettering the Mind, was detailed and explicit in outlining the mastery of the mind. He truthfully could not read past the first doctrines, for after some pages the words seemed meaningless to him; so advanced were the techniques, he lacked context. It was assumed that the reader would build upon the foundation of knowledge stone by stone, in the construction of a mental fortress. Shien knew that he was but a fledgling in the art and had much to learn. Yet there was no denying the increase of power that was at his command.
Now, after taking time to centre his own thoughts, he could reach out with his mind across great distances. The new gift was peculiar for it had the power to penetrate flesh, metal and stone. He could literally touch upon the surface thoughts of most sentient beings. The experience of sending his conscious mind amongst other creatures was difficult to explain in words. The unaltered Void of Thought, as described by the tome, was a darkened plain devoid of any physical descriptors or detail. It existed between the physical and ethereal realms. This was due to the nature of the mind, which received its normal impressions through stimulus from the eyes. Seeing with ‘the mind’s eye’ was much different for it did not interpret images the same way. Movement, time and space all felt altered in the Void. When he moved, he could elevate or soar over countless numbers of ghostly and shrouded spheres, each representing a living soul. At times the shape and form would change depending on the state of mind of the person in question. Strangely, he could not read everyone the same. Some people required more intense concentration, and there was no way to determine which mind was more defended and which was as a scroll to be unrolled against his probing.
It was in the spirit of curiosity that he had examined his companions on more than one occasion. Zyr was a strange one, for when he had dared to scry upon the monk, he found himself staring at an empty sea of glass, with fluid barely moving beneath the endless crystal. Then he would quickly turn away his passive searching, for he felt that the monk would turn to catch him in the act at any moment. He felt rather strange - like an intruder. It was not that he was seeking out intimate details or the most guarded thoughts, for that was quite beyond his ability to see. It was simply the feeling of looking in unannounced and uninvited that unnerved him.
The ability to view the outer mind without the subject having the slightest clue was both alluring and repulsive.
Firah was a whole other enigma, and a frightening one at that. Her mind was best described as a constantly shifting ocean of dark swirling colour. Thoughts and images would flash momentarily and then vanish beneath the turmoil, as the swirling mass lashed out randomly into the Void. The vast expanse of her thought-energy seemed to be composed of the blackest pitch, a chaos that one would be drawn down and quickly smothered in. Being in the vicinity of that terror always triggered warning signals in his mind and, at best, he observed from a respectable distance. That was why he could not easily see even her most casual thoughts. It was quite the reverse of the monk; instead of the close inspection of a cold crystalline fortress, he actually felt afraid to ‘touch’ upon the swelling sickly ichor that drowned her thoughts.
Despite an acute memory of her presence in the Void, to locate her he would need to delve outward, almost recklessly. The book had warned that there were dangers in that endless realm, and he always went in cautiously. His worst fear was to lose his mind in it or pass too close to a dangerous element in his haste. Yet, in this moment of desperation, he needed to find that same horrific, blackened, spherical sea that terrified him, for it lay somewhere amongst all these others. Slowly he stopped his fruitless rush through the crowds and pulled off to the side of the cobbled thoroughfare.
The fledgling Cerephor breathed deeply and concentrated on shutting out all the turmoil of the markets and city life. He stretched out his thoughts, slowly rising over the sea of misty spheres of thought-energy. Then he began to move gradually, increasing the pace, rapidly taking in all the minds passing by. “Come on Firah, I know you are out there,” he whispered even as he skipped over the misty domes. At first, he had no idea what his own form might look like in the Void, for he didn’t know all the rules and laws that governed it. The primary lesson from his studies was to assume a form, also referred to as the Antessence or Versor. Shien felt unstylish at first and only imagined his own body. After several trials, he soon found that some forms were more effective than others. His actions in the Void were directly connected to the capability of the form. With some humility, he had begrudgingly conceded that there were creatures superior to a bipedal construct.
He also learned that it was one thing to appear as a creature and another to move or act in that form. For the time being, most of his many hours of diverted study had produced one fairly reliable and versatile form.
He imagined his versor as a sleek and agile predator running swiftly through the dark Void, searching endlessly.
At last he spotted something that gave him a start. There was a vast blackness looming terribly above him. It grew ever larger as he moved carefully toward it. The source was difficult to ascertain. It seemed to him that it could be the girl, but there was no black sphere in sight. All he could see before him was the dark foreboding blanket. He wondered what to do next, for passing through the cloud was not an easy option to choose. Even as he watched it shift, it enshrouded the smaller ghostly spheres, consuming them utterly. It was startling to say the least. All this gave Shien pause for the survival of his psyche. It gave him the same impression as that night he had battled fiercely against the demon. That alone would be enough to keep him from proceeding farther, but he was almost certain she lay just beyond, in desperate need of help.
Summoning his entire mental faculty, he prepared to try a technique that frankly he had only half understood. It involved the use of a protective shield around his mind's form which was designed to repel hostile elements within the Void. He wasn’t sure if he understood the concept enough to try to create such a thing. Assuming a form had proven enough a daunting task.
Yet as before, he had little choice; Firah was all that mattered. He carefully began a step by step procedure of building the walls of the shield. He envisioned the versor sliding into bristling armour, completely encased - whiskers to tail. He made sure to leave gaps where he would need flexibility. He found it strange that he could not move without this accommodation. What made the ‘mind armour’ superior to the physical variety was the absence of weight. How nice to move about at the speed of thought, rather than clunking around hopelessly encumbered!
Shien’s mental construct drew a deep breath but then laughed sadly. Here in this great Void there were no physical laws to abide by, and yet he found himself copying physical mannerisms of a man in feline form.
So with an impulse he suddenly imagined his versor and armour melding into a great bird of prey. Suddenly the winds decreased as he stretched his wings, slipping through the tight streams. His movements were somewhat erratic as he only attempted flight a handful of times. Yet, from the intensity of the moment, he gained a certain reckless courage. With a cry of exhilaration, he darted through the barrier of black mist losing track of all bearings. He aimed as true as he could in the mist and kept himself aloft. Pressure was growing steady as he moved blindly through the cloud. Undeterred, he willed his mental self onward.
After some moments, he penetrated through the edge of the mist again and immediately saw something below him.
Surrounded by a pall of blackness stood a small sapling; its tender branches bent as if by a terrible weight. Here at the eye of the dark storm, all seemed calm and at peace.
However, Shien could feel the oppressive weight upon his slender wings as he soared overhead. The overwhelming blackness enthralled the sapling, reaching out with blasted tendrils that caressed the drooping tender branches. Circling lower, he could make out the small tree with greater detail. It was weathered and haggard despite its young age. Shien knew it was only a symbol of Firah, but he could never have imagined her in this environment. She was so vulnerable here, unprotected against the lashings and buffetings of the dark entity’s power.
He felt his mental armour groaning under the great pressure and he watched as mental energy eroded from the wings of his projected form. Judging by the rate of deterioration he knew he had little time. He could locate her in the physical realm; all that was needed to send her a warning and mark her position. Once marked, he could follow her up to a certain distance.
Flying low toward the Sapling, he called out to her in a sharp piercing cry which penetrated through the blackness. The Sapling turned toward him as he called out. The armour was quickly breaking apart and Shien dove fast and hard through the black storm. The power of the barrier prevented an all-out withdrawal back to his body. He felt his mental will strain against the vicious wrath of the tempest. All was gathering blackness as he surged through …
“Shien?” Firah called out suddenly. In her mind amid the dark and terrible visions there came a wondrous manifestation. A glorious shining golden form had appeared in the likeness of a Great Falcon. It had moved toward her through the black fury and dispersed the shadows even as it screeched out in power. She had heard it in her mind, the words were there, even if for a moment.
“Firah! Don’t give up! I am coming!”
Then it was gone, and the darkness in her mind pressed in upon her once again. That small ray of hope was all she needed and she clung to it desperately as the buffetings began again in earnest. She prayed to ride out the darkness and then perhaps Shien could convey her to Zyr. She had no ability to move, let alone find the monk. The living fears had managed to seize upon her joints and limbs so powerfully as to render her immobile. Her concept of reality was twisted and perverse. She clung to her knees and waited, keeping her eyes shut against the visions. Suddenly, she heard the sound of footfall just outside the door. Her heart leapt as she awaited the face of her friend … and yet Firah knew it had changed; it was much more than friendship. Wearily she opened her eyes to gaze toward the entrance.
The door opened slowly, and Firah gave a start at the sight of something quite unexpected appearing at the base of the doorway.
Its head was dark and slick and somewhat bestial in appearance. It was sniffing the air strangely and then a tongue suddenly flicked out and back into its furry maw. It turned slowly to peer in Firah’s direction and grunted. Firah was suddenly taken in fear and backpedalled herself to the wall and into shadow. She was unsure whether this was another phantasm for her mind or cold reality. She had never seen such a beast and it could have easily been conjured by her frenzied mind.
Then her reasoning faded as she saw a pair of worn grey boots appear at the same entrance. Looking upward she gazed upon a cloaked figure. The intruder reached down and stroked the neck of the creature, which crooned in return. The creature entered and, moving upon all fours, shifted just inside to sit down upon its haunches. The tall visitor moved slowly from the entrance and gently closed the door. Firah was panicking but found herself quite incapable of running or even speaking. Her breath was coming fast even as she fought to keep sight of the strange trespasser through mists of darkness. The visitor spoke in deep tones.
“I am amazed that such a waif came into the possession of this.” His hands withdrew from the robes a long slender ashen bow. Firah started at the sight and somehow unconsciously managed to gape her mouth open. The man placed her recently bartered bow upon the floor ever so carefully and stepped nearer to Firah. She tried with all her might to move her body, and yet in frustration it would not obey her will. Her wide eyes shifted to the creature and then back to the man. Running was useless, for her way was barred, but it was agonizing not being able to move. The stranger spoke again. “I don’t suppose you can tell me where you acquired it, can you?” Firah shook her head slowly in decline. She merely mumbled indistinctly at the attempt to lie herself out of the situation. The tall one nodded slowly in understanding. “Well then, I suppose I shall have to convince you otherwise. I realize that now is not the time or place, especially as we seem to be imposing upon a Terlan’s hospitality. You will accompany me …” His voice was suddenly stern and cold as ice. Firah did not know what to do. Shien had to hurry … and perhaps she could stall somehow.
She scarcely had a moment to think as suddenly his hand was at her head, clutching her ebony locks. He pulled upward sharply dragging her body into the air. A small wail escaped her frozen lips, and the man’s brow raised slightly even as he dropped her limp upon the floor. Examining the dark threads of hair in his gauntleted hand he looked down callously at the girl.
“This won’t do. I cannot drag you about the streets, even in a city such as this. Hmm …” His gaze fell upon the contents of the room and settled on certain large round containers.
“Ah, I think I have the solution,” he spoke casually.
Crossing to the shelf upon the wall, he withdrew the stopper in one large container. Sniffing and nodding in satisfaction, he drew over to Firah and proceeded to empty the contents upon her. Dark pungent liquid splashed over her skin, hair and clothes. The aroma was strong. The creature near the doorway wrinkled its snout and brought a weathered limb across its face in disgust. The man leant down and tenderly replaced the long bow inside his cloak.
“Now then, as you were,” the large brute chided as he grabbed Firah about her throat and heaved upward.
She gagged weakly as he shifted his grip about her torso to keep her aloft. The debilitating gloom had not ceased and she found herself drained of all energy to resist even in futility. The man opened the door and hauled her out into the bitter wind. People who happened to pass by held their hands to their noses and stepped quickly by the man and his smelly charge. There appeared no words needed to be spoken; no one questioned the man taking his helplessly ‘drunk’ companion to their destination. The beast loped alongside the man as they moved farther into the busy streets. As Firah was hauled along, she cried out desperately in her mind for her companions. Where was Shien? It would be too late soon …
&nbs
p; Shien gathered his thoughts and hung his head low even as he crouched against the sturdy wall. The ordeal of escape from the clutches of the dark cloud was unspeakable. His mind was reeling now, so great was it taxed in the effort to locate and mark her location. He had come so close to Severance, which would have separated his mind from his body. His recklessness had nearly cost him his life. Shien’s usual self-chastisement panged at his carelessness.
Yet, despite it all, thoughts of Firah were foremost in his mind and there was little time to spare. He could sense her for now, but he was not sure how long it would last. Rising wearily, he made to move through the thronging crowd. He kept his beleaguered mind focused upon hers. It was a ways down the crowded street, but he could make it. As he dodged around the slow moving crowd, he suddenly felt her moving.
‘No, Firah. Stay where you are!’ he shouted angrily inside. The girl was in quite a state and it was all his doing. He willed his body to move quicker, but it was his mind that was limiting his motion. He had taxed his inexperienced abilities beyond their limits and was left simply exhausted mentally. The crowd made things all the worse, for he could not negotiate their movements as well as he would like. His reactions felt delayed as the mental patterns reorganized themselves to operating a physical frame and not an ethereal one. The book warned against disorientation on the very first page, before any lesson was given. He was feeling it painfully now, but he moved onward as best as he could.
The passive link he had established between Firah and him was fading quickly. With teeth grit in desperation, he shouted out angrily for the people to move. All that he received for his frustrations were angry scowls and mocking laughter. He could try moving them, but that would require a lot of energy and it was nearly fruitless. The amount of people in the streets was unfathomable. Luckily, she was not moving quickly either, and Shien felt the distance growing shorter. She was so close now.