“I think we’re all nice and prepared now,” Achan sighed. “Now, I was having an interesting conversation with Aqua today about the significance of our mission. Does anyone know what this stone is?” he asked, holding up the stone they carried.
Someone raised their hand immediately.
“Yes, you, Elder.”
James raised an eyebrow at the boy known as Elder. No one knew his real name. Supposedly it was so embarrassing that he referred to himself only as Elder, since he had gained so much knowledge during the little time he had been alive. His parents were said to be scholars in the castle.
“It is an instrument, so to speak. It measures the density of the ether that clouds our sky.”
“What ether?” James blurted out. Achan pointed upwards.
James and the other recruits looked up for a moment to see a dark green haze masking the canopy above them. He squinted, trying to see through it to the crystal clear night sky he was accustomed to, but to no avail. James frowned and waited to hear more about what he was seeing.
“Some of you probably don’t know. That’s why we’re discussing this,” Achan said. “Most of us have never been outside the Kingdom of Allay, where you can so easily see the sun and the moon, the stars and the baby blue sky. In other Kingdoms, it is not so. This is their sky, all day, and all night. This mist. This green haze.”
“Why is that?” Chrillian asked, a little afraid.
“That is a story that goes back to the foundation of the five Kingdoms. The very beginning.”
“First, a question…” Elder began. “How many of you believe in the Maker?”
Half of the group raised their hand. Chrillian held his hand high while Alicia made a “so-so” wave of her hand.
“It’s not that I don’t believe in the Maker, it’s just I have no reason to believe,” she muttered.
“How many of you believe you have a soul?” Elder asked.
The entire group raised their hand.
“Not surprising, considering we all had aspirations to be a Sage at one point, except for maybe my dear friend here,” Elder motioned toward Achan. Achan leaned back against a boulder in satisfaction.
“The words Sage and eidolon go hand-in-hand. The idea that one can take their own soul and manifest it into the form of a sword. The very definitions of Sage and eidolon testify to the fact that there is a soul in each of us. One final question…how many of you believe there is a Paradise and an Oblivion?”
No one raised their hand, not because they doubted their beliefs, but because of the unsettling fact that the word "death” suddenly had some weight to it. They had been hearing plenty of warnings about the death and destruction that could ensue during the third test, but this was the first time they had actually wondered what would happen should they meet their end.
“It is a humbling subject, to be sure, yet necessary. I myself have been to neither so I cannot speak on either behalf, however, I can tell you what I have seen concerning the subject. When I was just becoming a teenager, I learned of my uncle’s love affair with a woman from the Kingdom of Prattle. Now, I myself find nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but the problem arose when he tried to claim her for himself, and to unacceptable ends. When her father and mother learned of their courting, they were furious and demanded that they abstain from each other’s presence. My uncle would not have it. Enraged, he did not seek any peaceful means of reconciliation, instead relying on the edge of a sword and the throats of his respective in-laws. Unfortunately for him, he did not count on the skill of her father, a man who—despite being advanced in years—had been trained to wield a blade with great dexterity. The father and mother were slain, yes, but my uncle was wounded to the point of no return. I remember I was with my father and mother at the time, studying a particular species of toad at the edge of this very forest, when he stumbled along. To have made it this far from Prattle was a task altogether, but he was doomed, despite my parents’ knowledge in medicine.”
Elder paused to wipe down his glasses.
“We were under this green sky then, aware of its purpose, yet unafraid of its grip on our very souls. My uncle was very aware, and very afraid. From the moment he knew his fate, he ran toward Allay. He was so close…but he inevitably died… and in the forest, under the green sky. Maybe some of you have been blessed or cursed to see some spiritual occurrences in your lifetime. I know I have. Your belief in the Maker is your choice, but I know where I have to stand. Ever since I was a child I had a fervent belief in the Maker, and in time he has enabled me to see things beyond human capacity. This was one of those instances.
“When my uncle died, for some particular reason…I could…see…literally see…his soul. It was a little hazy, a bit intangible, but his soul nonetheless, coming out of the lifeless body that lay still in the forest dirt. I remember he was screaming towards us, my father and mother unaware of his plight as he floated upwards. They were still examining his physical corpse. He was mute, unable to call out to us audibly, and he must have realized it eventually, for he soon stopped and stared up at the green haze before him with hope. He hovered up to the top, and reached the edge of the green ether, and then he went no further.
“He pounded on the green haze with what appeared to be hands of a sort, screaming frantically toward the heavens. It only took a few seconds, before he began to fall. Faster and faster with increased velocity at every second. He continued his silent screams for help as I could only watch in horror. His eyes widened at my feet as, right in front of me, the very ground opened up, and all I could see was the black of darkness. The hole was only a few feet in circumference but it appeared bottomless. My uncle reached for me but grabbed nothing, falling down into the hole that was before me. The hole shut in the instant he was done entering it. It was as if it had never been there, but the memory was imprinted on my brain like a branding iron. I could never forget what happened, or what I had seen, and that’s when I purposed within myself that I would join the Academy, for no one should have to suffer as my uncle had.”
What in the world does this have to do with the Academy? James thought as he listened attentively.
“I don’t understand,” Rahima spoke up. “What happened to him?”
“He is in Oblivion,” Elder spoke softly, wincing at the word. “That green ether, serves as a barrier to our souls. As long as we are under it, we cannot go to Paradise. Our souls cannot transcend it, and if we cannot reach Paradise, our souls are claimed by Oblivion. We are fortunate in Allay to not have the ether cloud over our Kingdom. However, this is not the case in others. My parents have told me that the ether at one point did not even cover the forest, but it gets thicker and it spreads further towards us every year. It is only a matter of time before Allay is shrouded. This is why our mission is so important. Allay must be able to accurately read, every month or so, these changes, which tell us how strong the ether is getting so we may act accordingly.”
The group sat in silence, contemplating Elder’s words.
“Then why are we here?” Chrillian asked frantically. “Under this green sky? We should get out of here before we get ourselves killed and damned!”
“Idiot,” Achan spat toward him. “That’s exactly why we’re here. So others won’t be killed or damned. For one reason or another, the other Kingdoms are stuck under the ether. Many of them are too hardheaded to believe they’re doomed and the ones that do realize it all too late. Why do you think there are only recruits around here? Because when you graduate, you head off to other Kingdoms, trying to not only defend our souls, but theirs as well. We’re risking our own lives for the sake of others. We can’t just stay in Allay for the rest of our lives and do nothing while others are doomed to eternal death over and over. Besides, you heard what Elder said, the ether is spreading. Soon, Allay will also be covered. We have to do something about this. Once we get the stone back with the reading, Allay can prepare for what needs to be done.”
“And what’s that?” Rahima
snapped. “What can be done? How can we actually stop what’s happening?”
“Don’t know,” Achan shrugged his shoulders. “That’s for the leadership to decide.”
“Ridiculous!” London spat, standing up for all to see. “Who cares about the other Kingdoms? Like you said, they’re hardheaded! They chose their own fate! Who cares if they die?”
“They are hardheaded,” Achan said patiently, “but so are we. Human beings are naturally selfish. We’re trying to better ourselves. I have no doubts that there are those who die in Allay and still go to Oblivion. Don’t think that ether is all that’s stopping us. We are all judged.”
“By who? There is no Maker judging us! None! I see no Maker judging me or punishing me. This is crazy!"
“Says the fool.”
“London,” Elder soothed. “If you don’t believe in the Maker, then why are you so worried about death and the afterlife?”
“All I’m saying is, Allay should watch out for Allay.”
“And that’s why you could never be a Sage,” James declared. He was sick of standing by and listening to London rave on and on.
“What did you say?” London screamed. James stood his ground.
“Sages are pure-hearted. For a human being to literally take his soul, bring it out into the world, and put it at risk, all to save others from certain death—that sounds pretty noble to me. Nothing like how you’ve been acting.”
“What does it matter?” London spat back.
“It will do us no good arguing like this. I’ve never experienced anything like this myself, but I also can’t just dismiss it either, and that scares me even more. If I get so much as a small cut while I’m taking this test, and while I’m under this green sky, I’ll be terrified to no end. We all will. I acknowledge that openly, but now that we know we’re all going to be scared, we just have to deal with it. We have to get to the end, exchange the stone and hurry back as quickly as possible. Afterwards, we can decide if we want to continue in the infantry or not. I’ll admit, if I had known this new information before the exam, I may have quit before it even started, but now I also understand why it’s good the quitters of the second test don’t know about this. Better to live their lives in ignorant bliss for a moment while they are still safe in Allay. Should I leave now, this night would always linger in my mind. I know I will never be able to look up at the sky again without wondering if I see a hint of green behind a cloud. But it’s too late for me to turn back now. I will at least finish this mission and what I’ve started.”
London nodded his head in reluctant acceptance, clenching his jaw in suppressed anger. They were already a day into the forest. No point in going back empty-handed.
“Well, whether this is true or not, we stick with one another,” London breathed out, shaking. “Make sure none of us get killed under this.”
“Thank you for the boost in morale,” Achan yawned as he turned over to his side. “Now all of you get some sleep. We could stay up all night discussing things we have no control over and, in turn, forget about the things we do.”
Achan turned over and began breathing heavily as everyone found a spot to lay their head. No one spoke, but no one could sleep either. Elder sighed as he lay down next to James.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have been so hasty in telling my story,” he muttered.
“We have the right to know,” James replied. “Then we can all decide what we want to do with it. I’m learning more and more that it’s a long, hard journey to accomplish anything in life.”
“Still want to be a Sage, huh?”
“More than anything. Your story only made me want to help even more.”
“Are you sure you want to help others? Or do you just want all the glory of being a Sage?”
“I’m not sure, to be honest with you…I know that since I’ve joined the Academy, I’ve met different people, some I might consider friends, and I couldn’t imagine anything bad happening to any of them. Then again, I don’t want to die either, so it’s kind of a hard decision.”
“Thinking about Catherine? I know you two were friends.”
“She’s one of the people I was talking about. Yes.”
“We all think the same way. She is to be the heir to the throne, and as her people, we must be at the ready to be her sword and shield. Of course, you were referring to her in a different manner, am I right?”
“You’re too analytical for your own good, Elder.”
“You’re not the first to tell me so. Well then, I’ll leave you with a word of advice, just my own. If you are unsure of where you stand with Catherine, then don’t bother pursuing it any further. There is too much at stake with her, Allay, and every other Kingdom on this planet, for one man with an ego trip to mess it all up. Just leave her alone.”
“Well, at the same time, I’m not going to let that bonehead Dominic marry her.”
Elder laughed before he glanced over at Achan.
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. He would kill me for telling you, but Achan is madly in love with her and he has the same aspirations as you. And if you don’t mind me saying so, he’d be a little more efficient in serving her as King than you or Dominic would.”
“I do mind you saying so,” James sulked as Elder laughed again.
“Just worry about yourself. Work out your own demons first, before you try handing them off to someone else.”
James grunted in response and turned over, thinking about what Elder had said. He couldn’t deny that Achan was the better man. Unselfish, brave, well-respected; maybe he would make a great King. Catherine would almost certainly find him more desirable than an unstable man—unsure of what he wanted, where his loyalties were…whether they were for others, or himself.
But that didn’t mean James could just pretend that the feelings he had weren’t there.
***
The night was as uneventful as they come. Whenever it was James’ turn to watch on guard, he would just stand at the base of a tree, trying not to talk so he wouldn’t wake the others. Simultaneously, he would desperately try to find other forms of entertainment, so he wouldn’t be stuck thinking about Achan and Catherine being together.
James didn’t hold anything against Achan. HeknewAchan was the better man, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t meant to just stand idly by while everyone’s lives went on. He had been idle for years, and he was sick of it. Days used to turn into months in a matter of minutes. James would simply sleep a day or two away, only to wake up for the bare necessities. His life had been a daydream, staring out of a window for hours on end, laughing at his father’s attempts to get him to do some work. He had thought it was a good life, full of luxury. No hardships or trials. He had loved it, but what kind of life had it been after all? He was simply taking up space, barely a handful of people being aware of his existence. What did he matter in the grand scheme of things?
The Academy had given him a second chance to redeem the life he had never appreciated, and yet every time it seemed that James finally found something to fight for, it was taken away as quickly as it had arrived. He had not only lost a best friend and his first chance at love (for now that he thought about it, he was sure Catherine was fond of him), but now he wasn’t even a Sage, a bodyguard, or someone that could protect her. His life was meaningless.
“I have to find meaning,” he said under his breath.
“What?” Tyler asked, startled. He had fallen asleep.
“Never mind me. I was just thinking out loud.”
“Yeah, you do that from time to time.”
“What?” James exclaimed, appalled that he did it often enough to warrant such a response.
Tyler yawned and ignored him. James sighed and looked to the sky. The morning sun began to beam through the canopy. Eerie green illusions danced around them as the haze began to smother what little sunlight had broken through, as if to steal their hopes and dreams in one fell swoop. James shuddered at the thought of dying during
their time in the forest, as he had many times the night before. Clutching his sword fervently, he tried to soothe his nerves as the rest of the group began waking from their slumber. Achan wasted no time in surveying the emotions of his team, wondering if the night’s sleep had calmed them down, or simply given them nightmares to combat. Feeling somewhat satisfied, he allowed himself to yawn without restraint before pushing himself to his feet. James observed the entire ritual, just in case he had the privilege of leading a team himself one day.
“How much further to the shrine?” Aqua inquired, a question that was on everyone’s minds.
“We’re practically there. Another hour or so,” Achan replied. “I wanted to set up camp here because I didn’t want to run into any animals while we were sleeping. From this point on, however, is where we need to be cautious from what I’ve heard. The stone, when it is done reading the ether, emits a weird kind of aura that attracts the local wild. They’ll be distracted by the stone for the most part but that doesn’t mean we can just walk up and take it. The closer we get to it, the harder it will be, and once we take it, I’m assuming the animals will turn on us.”
“We seriously only have an hour left?” London asked. Was it too good to be true?
“The test was designed to last three days. One to get there, one to get back, and one, you know, in case anything out of the ordinary occurs.”
“Which it probably will,” James spoke up. “If I know Arimus, then he and the other teachers designed this with just enough time to make it out. I keep thinking about what Kyran said, and how few recruits actually make it out alive from this exam. We have to be ready for anything.”
“As long as no one deviates from my orders, we should be fine,” Achan stated matter-of-factly. “I’ve known about this trip for weeks, and I’ve been studying my behind off for the past three days. Not to mention I’ve had plenty of discussions with Elder who has surveyed this forest with his parents on numerous occasions. As a matter of fact, I asked Elder, who had been too terrified in the past to take the infantry test, to join me here because of his expertise.”
The Works of Julius St. Clair - 2017 Edition (Includes 3 full novels and more) Page 17