Energy - Awakening

by MJ Schutte

  ‘Yes?’

  ‘Before you go, don’t you want to take a quick look at Adri please?’ Brac asked.

  ‘Sure, what is the problem?’ Brighton replied.

  ‘It’s not really cold in here but she said she was freezing. The funny thing is, her body is burning up,’ Brac told him.

  Brighton gently shook Adri’s shoulder.

  ‘Adri? Adri?’ he said.

  She didn’t wake up.

  Brighton cupped her cheek in his hand.

  ‘You’re right, she is very warm. We should check her for injuries,’ he said to Brac.

  The hunter got a panicked look on his face.

  ‘I…um…I’m not…uh…well…it’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just…’ he stammered.

  Lilian smiled at him and said, ‘Relax, I’ll do it.’

  She quickly laid out a blanket on the ground and said, ‘Put her down here.’

  Brac carefully laid Adri down.

  ‘It’s not that I’m unwilling, you understand. I will do anything for Miss Adri, but…’ he tried to explain.

  Lilian smiled and finished for him, ‘I understand. You’re a gentleman.’

  Brac nodded sheepishly.

  ‘Now turn around so I can check her for injuries,’ Lilian said to both the men.

  They walked a few paces into the cave.

  ‘Can you sense anything?’ Brac asked Brighton.

  Brighton knew he was referring to the soldiers.

  ‘They are still coming up the mountain,’ he answered.

  Brighton also sensed the plants and animals in the direction they came from, above them and in the direction they will be travelling. What he didn’t tell Brac was that the energy seemed to just stop some distance ahead of them.

  Lilian called them over.

  ‘She has a scratch on her left arm. That’s all I can find,’ she reported.

  Brighton kneeled next to Adri. He put his hand over the scratch and tried to heal it, but nothing happened.

  Putting both his hands over the wound, he let more healing energy flow.

  ‘Something is wrong,’ he muttered.

  No matter how he tried, he could not heal the wound.

  ‘Perhaps I should try something else,’ he said.

  He touched her again and let a tiny amount of her energy flow into him. A sharp pain shot through his hand.

  ‘Her energy feels…strange,’ he said.

  ‘Strange? What do you mean?’ Lilian asked.

  ‘I can’t explain it. It’s not normal,’ he said.

  Lilian stuck out her hand and said, ‘Let me feel.’

  Brighton quickly stopped her.

  ‘No, as soon as I took a small bit from her my hand started hurting. I don’t know what’s going on but I don’t want you to also get sick,’ he explained.

  ‘May I look at the wound?’ Brac asked.

  Brighton lifted Adri’s sleeve for Brac to see.

  He took a long look and said, ‘It looks like this was caused by a darkweed.’

  Neither Brighton nor Lilian had ever heard of a darkweed.

  Before they could ask Brac continued, ‘It’s an extremely poisonous plant with sharp thorns. One scratch will kill a person.’

  Lilian’s hand shot to her mouth.

  ‘NO! Are you sure?’ she gasped.

  ‘Well, I’ve never seen it for myself but from the look of the scratch, yes, I’m sure,’ Brac answered.

  Although Brighton didn’t feel calm, he forced his voice to be soft and even, ‘If you’ve never seen this, how can you be so sure?’

  ‘My father taught me about them. He never saw it either, his father taught him. In fact, it is believed that darkweed has been extinct for many generations. Our family and a few others, kept the knowledge alive by passing it on from father to son.’

  ‘Why?’ Brighton asked.

  ‘Darkweed is very tough to kill. If you try to burn the bush, it explodes. Any tiny fragment that comes into contact with the ground will sprout a new bush. Cutting it down has the same effect, tiny fragments fall to the ground and soon there is more darkweed than you started with.’

  ‘So how do you kill it?’ Brighton asked.

  ‘Darkweed doesn’t like growing in the same ground as Avrilias. It’s a small purple flower named after a lady, Avril, who discovered that the little flowers somehow kill the darkweed. Avrilia seed was collected and sowed everywhere in and around the darkweed bushes.’

  ‘Ok, so we know how to kill the bush. What about Adri?’ Brighton asked.

  ‘I honestly don’t know what will happen to Miss Adri. You have to understand I’m giving you information that is centuries old. For all we know I only have a tiny bit of the original knowledge. I do know that feeding a victim Avrilias, or their seeds, has no effect. Once the poison is in the blood it cannot be removed,’ Brac replied.

  He was trying very hard to hide his sadness but Lilian could see it in his eyes.

  She touched his arm and said, ‘If there is one man that can cure this, it’s Brighton.’

  Brighton looked at Brac and said, ‘Tell me everything you know about this darkweed.’

  Brac thought for a moment and said, ‘The only other thing I know is that the bush was named after the Dark Ones. Just like them, the poison will suck away all your energy. Depending on the amount of poison that entered the body it could take anything from a day to five or six for the victim to die.’

  Brighton waited for Brac to continue but the hunter remained silent.

  Eventually Brighton asked, ‘How sure are you that this is in fact a darkweed scratch?’

  Brac stepped closer and pointed at the area around the wound, careful not to touch it.

  ‘Look at how the skin has turned black around the scratch. That part of her arm has already died. Soon the rest of her body will look the same. I’m sure this is a darkweed scratch,’ he said confidently.

  Brac stepped back.

  ‘Anything else?’ Brighton asked hopefully.

  Brac started shaking his head but stopped.

  ‘There is a story about a Dark One that stole the energy of an infected person. I don’t know if there is any truth to it but apparently the Dark One died a few days later. His whole body had turned black,’ he said.

  Brighton thought for a moment and said, ‘That makes sense. When I took some of Adri’s energy just now, it felt…wrong, like it was poisonous.’

  Softly Lilian asked, ‘Does this mean you will also get sick now?’

  ‘I don’t think so. I immediately channelled the bad energy into the ground,’ Brighton replied.

  Brac looked at Brighton hopefully.

  ‘Is there anything you can do for Miss Adri?’ he asked softly.

  ‘I’m not sure. I’ve healed wounds before but I don’t really know how to do this. I’m going to try everything I can though,’ Brighton replied.

  ‘How many?’ High Commander Tristan growled.

  ‘Fifteen dead and another twenty two infected. The healers say that the infected ones will die soon.’ the commander in front of him replied.

  ‘This is one of Brighton’s tricks! I will kill that boy if it’s the last thing I do!’ High Commander Tristan shouted.

  ‘Uh…excuse me High Commander but I don’t think Brighton had anything to do with this,’ the commander said nervously.

  High Commander Tristan glared at the man. The commander didn’t know if that meant he should keep quiet or share his information with the High Commander. He decided silence was the safest.

  High Commander Tristan leaned forward in his chair.

  ‘WELL? Are you going to make me beat it out of you?’ he boomed at the man.

  ‘No High Commander, sorry High Commander,’ the man quickly apologized.

  He relayed what one of his men had told him about darkweed.

  ‘I’ve never heard of it. Is your man trustworthy?’ High Commander Tristan asked when the man finished.

  ‘Yes High Commander, I’ve known him al
l my life,’ the commander replied.

  ‘And this darkweed will kill anybody including those cursed Dark Ones,’ the High Commander prodded.

  ‘According to my source, yes, it will,’ the commander answered quickly.

  High Commander Tristan smiled and sat back in his chair.

  ‘Gather the best archers we have and bring them here,’ he instructed the commander.

  The group slept for a while before travelling deeper into the caves. Brac had made two torches from thick branches and some cloth. The cloth was coated in a paste made from specific leaves he had collected outside.

  ‘This way it will burn longer,’ he explained.

  Brighton didn’t want to wait for morning. The soldiers were getting closer with every passing moment.

  He insisted on carrying Adri, he didn’t want the others coming into contact with the poison.

  Brac and Lilian carried the twins and a torch each while Mischief followed at the rear.

  Brighton laid Adri down and stepped away. She was again lying on a blanket that was spread out on the ground.

  ‘Every time I give her some healing energy it seems to just disappear into her body. She isn’t getting any better. In fact, the infection is spreading faster now,’ he said worriedly.

  ‘How can that be?’ Lilian asked.

  ‘I don’t know. The poison seems to feed off any form of energy. It looks like I may have made the situation worse by trying to heal Adri,’ Brighton replied.

  ‘How long?’ Lilian whispered past the lump in her throat.

  ‘A day, maybe slightly more,’ Brighton answered honestly.

  ‘Can’t you think of anything else to try?’ Lilian asked, tears rolling down her cheeks now.

  ‘You know I will try everything I can think of, my love,’ Brighton softly answered.

  ‘Yes, I know,’ Lilian choked out.

  Brac didn’t attempt to speak. He didn’t trust his voice.

  ‘Let’s keep going for a while, maybe I will think of something else,’ Brighton suggested.

  He didn’t tell the other two that his right hand felt like it was on fire.

  Gently he picked Adri up and set off again.

  Brighton estimated that they had travelled for about another half a day. So far, the cave was high and wide enough for them to walk comfortably.

  Adri was close to death. Her breathing was shallow and uneven.

  Brighton sank to his knees.

  ‘Bri, what’s wrong?’ Lilian asked.

  Brighton couldn’t hide it any longer.

  ‘The poison is in me,’ he replied without looking back.

  Lilian handed Clarissa to Brac and rushed forward.

  She held her torch close enough to see his face and lifted her hand to feel his temperature.

  ‘Don’t,’ he quickly snapped as he pulled away.

  ‘I don’t know if you can also catch this by touching me,’ he said in a softer tone.

  Lilian pulled her hand back. Unsure of what to do next she just stood looking at Brighton.

  Brighton put Adri on the ground, stood up and turned so he could face both of them.

  ‘This poison feeds off energy. The more I get from the plant life above us the quicker it spreads. There is only one way to rid both Adri and me of this,’ he said.

  ‘So you have a solution?’ Lilian asked hopefully.

  ‘Yes and I don’t have the strength to argue with you about it,’ Brighton answered.

  ‘Argue? Why would I argue?’ Lilian asked with a frown.

  ‘I need you two to keep going without us. You have to get further away from me than what the plants above us are,’ Brighton answered.

  ‘Why? How is that… ’

  Lilian stopped as realization washed over her.

  ‘NO!’ she shouted at Brighton. ‘I will not allow you to do that!’

  ‘It’s the only way, my love,’ Brighton said calmly.

  ‘NO!’ Lilian screamed again, her tiny hands clenched into fists.

  Brac looked from face to face.

  ‘Would someone mind telling me what’s going on?’ he asked.

  ‘Bri wants to kill himself and Adri. Talk to him Brac!’ Lilian answered harshly.

  Brac frowned and said, ‘It doesn’t seem like the best solution. I thought you were trying to save yourself and Miss Adri?’

  Brighton nodded and said, ‘Yes, that is the idea.’

  ‘You will need to explain this,’ Brac said calmly.

  ‘If I’m close to death my instinct for survival will take over. My body will draw energy from any available source to stay alive,’ Brighton explained.

  ‘So you won’t die. That sounds good to me,’ Brac replied.

  ‘No, I will die. Eventually the energy around me will be used up and the poison will kill me. I don’t think it will go that far though, my body will fail long before it reaches that point. If I try to fight the poison I will end up dying slowly and painfully,’ Brighton said calmly.

  Brac was starting to understand.

  ‘Because of all the energy that will flow through you. So this leaves you with no options,’ he surmised.

  ‘There is one option. I will gather all my energy and send it into the ground. That way the poison will be out of me completely. My spirit will go to the afterlife. Hopefully I can maintain a link to my body for long enough to return to it,’ Brighton answered.

  Lilian shook her head and said, ‘It won’t work.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’ Brighton asked.

  ‘Because you will be keeping your body alive from the spirit world. That means you are not really dead and the poison will not leave you,’ she argued.

  ‘Technically my body will be dead. My spirit will simply keep a link to it so that I can return,’ Brighton explained.

  Brac couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

  ‘This is a very dangerous theory. Isn’t there something else to try first?’ he said to Brighton.

  ‘It’s not a theory, I’ve done it before,’ Brighton replied.

  ‘How many times?’ Brac asked.

  ‘Once,’ came the reply.

  ‘And you feel confident that you could do this again?’ Brac asked.

  ‘No, but there is no other way,’ Brighton replied.

  Brac nodded with understanding.

  ‘Fine, let’s say this works, how does it help Miss Adri?’ he asked.

  ‘I will drain all her energy before I send mine into the ground. The poison will leave her too,’ Brighton answered.

  ‘And how does she come back to life? She is not talented like you,’ Brac said.

  ‘I will bring her back as soon as I have returned to my body,’ Brighton explained.

  Before Brac could ask the question on his lips, Brighton spoke again.

  ‘I’ve also done that before, with him,’ he said as he pointed to Mischief.

  ‘And me,’ Lilian said softly.

  ‘Yes and you,’ Brighton smiled at her.

  ‘Then how come your talent stayed behind in Mischief and not in Lilian?’ Brac asked.

  ‘I channelled energy from Carmen to Lilian that time, I did not have any of my own to give her like I did with Mischief,’ Brighton replied.

  Brac shook his head in amazement.

  ‘One day we’re going to have a long talk about all of this but for now I think we should do what Brighton is suggesting,’ he said.

  Lilian knew it was the only chance Brighton and Adri had to survive but she didn’t like it one bit.

  ‘Lily, my love, this is the only way. Now go please and take Mischief along,’ Brighton said softly.

  Lilian took Clarissa from Brac and stared walking away with Brac following.

  She stopped for a moment and without looking back she said, ‘If you don’t come back to me, I will go to the spirit world myself and fetch you.’

  Brighton smiled and said, ‘I love you too.’

  He used his sense to track them.

  When they were far enough awa
y he said to Adri’s still form, ‘Let’s do this.’

  He took her hand and concentrated. Adri had very little energy left. As soon as Brighton started draining it from her, a sharp, shooting pain travelled through his entire body.

  Brighton fought against the darkness that threatened to overcome him. When he felt no more energy coming from Adri he concentrated on his own.

  With one last burst of willpower he sent everything he had left into the ground.

  Chapter 26

  BRAC AND LILIAN walked in silence for a long time. Brac knew she was getting tired but it didn’t look like she was going to stop soon.

  ‘Miss Lilian, would you mind if we stopped for a rest?’ he said carefully.

  Lilian nodded. She handed Clarissa to Brac and spread out a blanket on the ground for the babies. Brac put the twins on the blanket and sat down next to them.

  ‘Sit down for a while,’ he suggested.

  Lilian wordlessly sat down.

  ‘Do you think Brighton’s plan will work?’ he asked her.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she whispered.

  ‘When did he bring you back from the spirit world?’ Brac pressed on.

  ‘In the palace. Seth killed me,’ she answered.

  ‘Brighton is certainly a very special person,’ Brac commented.

  ‘Was,’ Lilian said.

  ‘What do you mean was?’ Brac asked.

  Lilian looked at him, her eyes filled with tears.

  ‘Oh, I see,’ Brac said softly.

  He realized that Lilian must have been using her sense and knew that Brighton and Adri were dead.

  ‘Ah, this is a welcome surprise. Young Brighton has come to visit us my love,’ Evangeline said to Robert.

  Brighton got up from the ground.

  ‘Hello Evangeline, Robert. I’m glad to see you two are back together. Now if you will excuse me I have to return to my body,’ he said to the couple.

  ‘Not so fast young man. Why do you assume I will let you go?’ Evangeline said quickly.

  ‘Let me go? I didn’t think I needed your permission,’ Brighton replied.

  Evangeline smiled at him and said, ‘I am in charge here. Nothing happens without my permission.’

  Brighton didn’t want an argument so he quickly said, ‘With your approval I would like to return to my body now.’