Elemental Courage

by M. W. McDonald

  “You’re his mother, you would never truly put him in a situation where he might question his own mortality. We have to make him draw from the strength that he never knew he had. If you were to train him, he might not find that in himself, or worse yet become dependent upon you to protect him.”

  “You said we…” Dyaina’s voice had some remnants of hope in it. She hoped he had meant herself and Owen.

  “Ren and I will train him. We don’t have the parental connection of the two of you, and we will push him.” Dyaina was more than a little uncomfortable with Renai teaching her son anything, especially with the skin-baring ensemble she had on now. He was an 18-year old young man after all.

  “Ren will be training him also?” David asked as if he had ripped the very question from Dyaina’s mind. Renai laughed softly and nodded.

  “Don’t worry I do know what I am doing.”

  “It’s not that, I just-,” David started, but Renai cut him off, her voice serious.

  “We know what has to be done, and we can do it. Don’t worry I only tease in fun. This is quite different.” Renai spoke with a rare seriousness now. Dyaina felt a little bit better. “Besides, Owen can be intensely focused. William will need someone around that can keep Owen in line and keep him from hurting William permanently.” Renai winked at her husband.

  “He will get hurt,” Owen said simply. “It will never be permanent. All of our beds, including the one he is probably sleeping in now, care for and treat wounds and fatigue.”

  “He will be right as rain again the next morning…” Renai said confidently. David looked at Dyaina and took her hand.

  “William has to do this. We don’t have a choice. He needs to control his abilities. They are the only people I trust to do this until you are strong enough to control your abilities again.” David said. Dyaina looked down and nodded quickly, the frustration of helplessness rooted in her immediately. She looked up at Owen and Renai once more.

  “I want to watch his training,” She said adamantly.

  “It’s best if he doesn’t know you are around,” Owen said. “I do have an observation chamber in the upper dome of the training chamber. I use it to watch Ren train, you can use that.” Renai raised a single eyebrow and cocked her head to the side. She had no idea that there was an observation chamber above the training chamber. “It will be sealed, so you won’t be able to use your abilities to assist him. You will be a true observer, if you can handle that disconnection from the situation, then you are welcome to use it.”

  “When will you start?” Dyaina asked.

  “We start first thing in the morning.” Owen’s voice was deep and resolved.

  “I must get some rest then,” Dyaina said as a yawn crept into her voice as she stood up. As if by some unspoken command, the golems came into the room to escort Dyaina and David to their room. Owen watched them leave, watched them following the heavily plodding constructs. Renai had stood up to make some tea as they left the room. The kitchen was in the smaller chamber adjacent to this larger sitting area. Her voice called from the room.

  “So what do you think?” Renai asked calmly.

  “I think that we are all in for a world of hurt. We must observe him carefully, we must learn the color of his heart and weigh his intentions. He has every possibility of becoming another Khorynn.” Owen replied, deep in thought.

  “What if he chooses that path?” Renai asked as she set a large handled cup of tea in front of Owen.

  “He will wish he hadn’t. I will not see another destroyer in my lifetime.” Owen replied as he sipped his tea slowly, the liquid warming him to his core. He had to break 18 years of bad habits in a boy that was given too much power too soon. He frowned in thought as methods and tactics raced through his mind. Renai sat back, cup in hand, watching her husband’s thought process knot and control his face unconsciously. For the first few days, it would be rough for both William and Owen. She knew that. She also understood the importance of the task at hand and could feel the body language of her husband. She stood up, nearly the same height as Owen sitting, and approached him from behind. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck. She kissed him on the cheek and whispered softly to him. “Get some rest, training starts tomorrow.” She kissed his cheek again and then headed to bed, leaving Owen with his thoughts.

  “I do this in your memory brother. He will be prepared.” Owen said as he drained the last of his tea. He stood and followed Renai’s path. The lights of the nearby crystals dimmed to darkness as he left the chamber.

  31

  Brian awoke, feeling as if he had been asleep for weeks. His eyes focused on his surroundings, the faint glow of light was behind him, casting its soothing glow across the smooth stone walls. He looked at a clock on his bedside table, it read 3 am. That was not possible, he had only been asleep for a few hours, but he felt completely rested. The pillowy mattress he was on sensed his relaxed state and seemed to stiffen to allow Brian better movement. He got up and stretched an extremely satisfying joint-popping-makes-your-day-better kind of a stretch. He glanced back over his shoulder and looked at the bed.

  “You and I are going to become great friends,” he mused out loud to the bed. Brian couldn’t think of a reason to stay in his room, so he opened the heavy door and walked down the hallway, walking the same path he took just a few hours ago.

  The hallway opened into the immense training chamber, and Brian stopped walking. Straight ahead of him, on one of the nearby rock formations, sat Alex. He was leaning back and staring at the ceiling.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” Alex asked, his eyes never left their focal point.

  “Apparently I did, actually. Thought I would have slept for a week. Instead I woke up feeling like I had slept for a month. Owen should market those beds, he would make a fortune.” He sat down a few feet from Alex and looked up at the dimly lit crystals glowing across the vast expanse of a ceiling. There was a long silence between the two men before Alex finally spoke up.

  “I need to ask you a question, Brian.”

  “Shoot.”

  “What, exactly, have I gotten myself into? Michael saved my life and for that, I’m thankful, but I think I am entitled to at least some details.” Brian broke his gaze from the ceiling and smiled to himself.

  “Yeah, I would say that you’re entitled to some,” Brian said.

  “So what is all of this?” Alex asked again. Brian looked around, surveying his surroundings before he continued.

  “I was unsure of David’s intentions when he brought us here, but I have a feeling that they are going to train William here.”

  “I overheard some of the claims you made on William’s behalf last night when Owen nearly killed David. Where they true, did Dyaina really die?”

  “Yes, it’s true,’ Brian’s face saddened visibly. “And yes she died. Any other means of resuscitation would have instantly failed. No doctor that I know of unless we refer to Dr. Frankenstein, would have thought it possible. But William… He resurrected her.”

  “How is that possible? Who has that kind of power?”

  “It shouldn’t be possible, but for Will it is. He is something else entirely. One of the reasons that I’m sure we are here is that he needs to be able to control those abilities. It is very important.” Brian paused a moment, before continuing.

  “Everything that has happened up to this point in your life has been directly caused by William’s actions the night he cast resurrection.” Alex dismissed that entirely.

  “I can’t blame the kid, my problems started after the energy ripple.” Brian looked him in the eye. “And where do you think that ripple came from?” Brian asked.

  “You mean-?” Alex’s voice died in his throat.

  “Yep, the energy ripple you felt and saw was the expelled excess energy that William had channeled to bring his dead mother back.”

  “Where did he manage to get that much energy in the first place?” Alex was trying to find holes in Brian’s story.

&
nbsp; “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Brian’s voice begged Alex to ask.

  “Try me.”

  “He had David and Michael hold a rift open, and he siphoned the energy directly from the vortex itself.’ Alex had recalled the tremendous energies he felt exposed to as they traveled through the rift, he stared at Brian un-believing. “If he feels better soon, ask to see his back.”

  “Dear God…” Alex muttered under his breath. “If Dyaina was such a figure in Owen’s life for so long, why was he so angry at William after he found out about her revival?”

  “That’s a damned good question,” Brian thought to himself.

  “Back in their day, all resurrections were forbidden. The only other person to have ever performed a successful, side-effect free resurrection was Khorynn.”

  “Owen thinks that William is the next coming of Khorynn?” Alex asked.

  “That’s my guess. I have a feeling that William will be under a tight fist for a while.”

  “Correct me if I am wrong, but Khorynn was an Archmage. William isn’t. That alone should be proof enough for Owen.” Alex looked at Brian and saw that Brian was about to correct him but had stopped himself.

  “Is he an Archmage?!” Alex felt like he was reaching now, but curiosity got the better of him. Brian answered as truthfully as he could.

  “William is a shaman with potential for so much more than the rest of us, but at the end of the day he is just another shaman.” He didn’t bother to tell Alex that after the training that he was sure Dyaina and Owen were lining up, he wouldn’t be an average shaman any longer.

  A rift opened in the center of the training room, and Michael bound through it, shifting quickly to his human form carrying a fast food bag from a chain in Texas. “Hey, Michael what do you got there?” Brian asked extremely interested in the contents of the bag. Michael was caught off-guard with the question seeing as no one was supposed to be awake at this hour. He composed himself quickly and smiled holding up the fast food bag like a victory cheer. “Chili Burgers! You want one?” Michael said beaming. “Of course I do, leave one on the kitchen table for me, will ya?” Brian asked. “I’ll take one too!” Alex said as he popped into Michael’s vision from behind a rock. Michael was fine with sharing usually, but he didn’t prepare for this many people to be awake right now. “Ok! If you guys eat them all, you get to do the next run.” The two burger requesting men laughed and thanked Michael as he walked to the kitchen to drop off the burgers.

  Silence fell on the men again. Alex had run out of questions for the time being. Almost an hour passed before Brian jabbed Alex in the ribs.

  “She looks great for a 4500 plus-year-old dead woman, doesn’t she?” Alex rubbed his ribs as he pictured Dyaina’s long blond hair, pristine features and fantastic figure.

  “Yeah, yeah she does,” Alex said laughing.

  Through the rest of the early morning hours, Brian caught Alex up on most of what happened the last couple days leading up to him joining the group. Any gaps would have to be filled by Alex as he found them out.

  32

  William awoke with his body encased in the soft, seemingly living, mattress. He felt better than he had in a very long time. He felt different as he scanned the room. He remembered the almost surreal feeling he had when he entered the room. All of the items were made with painstaking detail. And then he had seen the bed. Oh, the bed! His arms stretched out above his head, the bed released its hold on his limbs as if it understood the value of a good stretch. He looked around the room again, taking in his surroundings. Such loving work is done in the rock, but he noticed something he hadn’t before. His mind had to be playing tricks on him because he could see the marks made by Owen’s energy along the rock’s smooth surfaces. The scores should be impossible to see, but there they were, glowing softly against the backdrop of the dark stone. William adjusted slightly and rolled onto his side. The bed released its hold on him to let him make the necessary adjustments before it moved back to cover him up again. He yawned.

  “I should sleep a little while longer.” He thought to himself. His body felt better, but he was still really sore. The grasp of the bed beckoned for his sleepy return. His eyelids grew heavy, and right before his eyes shut he was afforded a glimpse of the way things worked. Pulses of dimly lit energy ran through their pathways in the room like a softly glowing blood in an invisible vein. It pulsed with the earth’s heartbeat. The particles stopped and resumed their journey in time with that pulse.

  William’s eyes finally closed, his mind was too tired to register what he just saw, and there was no guarantee he would ever see it again. His mind wandered as sleep crept into his vision; he welcomed the creeping darkness of sleep. He walked sleepily through the energy within himself and found great delight in trying to figure out how it worked. He would learn what all this was, after he slept some more, that is.

  33

  Owen slept very little it wasn’t on account of his nerves he just merely seldom slept. His crystal statues initially started as an insomniac’s way to pass the time. He had lied down for a few hours at least. If this boy was to be as powerful as Owen felt he could be, the few hours were undoubtedly welcomed. He may need all the rest he can get soon. Those hours passed; sleep had eluded him the entire way. Owen didn’t see the point of staying in bed. Tossing and turning would only wake up Renai, and creator help him if he woke her up before her alarm. He got up quietly, moving lightly on his feet for a man so large. He put on some long khaki shorts and stayed shirtless as he walked towards the bathroom. He kept the lights dim as to not wake Renai. It didn’t matter if it was pitch black, the rock and stone told him where everything was. His ability to communicate with and manipulate the earthen element acted like a feeler of sorts that guided him in the darkest of conditions.

  Owen entered the dark bathroom and closed its heavy door before brightening the lights to a tolerable level. He rested his massive arms on either side of the sink and stared into the mirror. Visions of Owen’s brother were being projected from his mind onto the polished stone mirror. Images of both of them as children playing in the vast fields of wildflowers and Gaia flowers, and then it shifted to another glimpse of his brother protecting Owen from some kids who were bullying him because they thought he was overly slow and lacking. Owen ran the tap a moment, filling the sink with water. The visions raced faster across the mirror as Owen washed his face. His eyes were glazed and distant as a vision of Brolin’s face caught his eye. It was the last memory he had of his brother before his death. Owen couldn’t remember what they were doing, but they must have been having fun because Brolin looked so happy. His smile was broad as his eyes looked past Owen intent upon something long since forgotten.

  “This is for you my brother.” He dried his hands and left the room. The lights and the image of his smiling brother slowly dimmed and faded as he went. Owen grabbed a shirt from the closet adjacent to the bathroom and slung it over his shoulder. He then started walking down the hallways towards the training chamber. He stopped at William’s door. He placed his large hand on the wall next to the door and closed his eyes. The wall turned translucent as he opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the bed. William was sleeping, his bed still enveloping him. Owen decided to let him heal completely before he broke him. He removed his hand, and the wall went back to its brilliant opaque state. He continued to make his way down the hall. Every crystal statue he passed turned and acknowledged him with a short nod of their heads. Owen’s mind was too preoccupied to respond as he came into the training chamber. The watchful eyes of Brian and Alex noticed the large man instantly as he came into the room, shirt slung over his shoulder, and his face was lost in thought. Owen looked up as he felt eyes upon him.

  “I need to do a bit of adjusting in this room, you guys may want to clear out for a minute.” Brian and Alex nodded in unison only guessing at what he meant by ‘adjusting.’

  “The hall far enough away?” Brian asked munching on the remainder of his
chili burger, anxious to see an enchanter in action.

  “It should be fine, with earth comes debris just be prepared for it,” Owen spoke over his shoulder to the men as he walked to the nearest crystal statue and draped his shirt across its now outstretched arms. He faced away from the men and took a deep breath. His massive torso expanded with the breath as he turned back around and walked to the center of the expansive training chamber.

  “Damn this guy is big,” Brian said to himself as their paths intersected, the two men leaving and the more substantial man entering. Owen was built heavily and he looked tremendously strong. Brian once again felt small by comparison to his companions.

  “I’m going to take my small pecks over here,” Brian said pointing to the hall that Owen came from. Owen smiled. Brian and Alex reached the hallway in time to turn around and see Owen settle into the middle of the room.

  Owen concentrated, his eyes half open and focused on the ground a few feet in front of him. He needed a clear space to train William. These obstacles would have to come later. He outstretched his hand; the ground beneath his palm churned and ripped open. The earth released his hammer once more. The hammer came to rest in his hand handle first. Owen took the tool and heaved it over his shoulder effortlessly. He stood still for a while. Brian and Alex stood watching Owen. Brian wondered precisely how heavy that hammer was. Brian’s thoughts were cut short when Owen propelled himself into the air on a pillar of earth and stone that grew from the ground. A slow, low rumble and the sound of small debris striking the floor were the only sounds made. The pillar and its passenger stretched up towards the crystals in the ceiling.

  “So that’s how he reached those,” Alex said in awe of the control required to do what Owen just did. The pillar stopped about three-quarters of the way up the dome.