by B L Barkey
“I suppose you would,” Torin said, balanced in tone.
“And in that is the conclusion to the story. Iceland led the Guardians in watching the west for any lesser dark ones who were approaching. There were a few who had sought out glory, without the commands of Morning. They were quickly departed and buried, saving themselves from further damnation. Such is a sorrow and a relief in my eyes.”
“Hmm,” Lyon hummed, taking it all in. “So the one of Energy. This once called Reverence. Did she escape with the Stone.”
“Unfortunately, yes. The Stone of Energy must suffer the darkness a bit longer.”
“And what of Voids and Dominion? To send two is already a compliment to our power, I suppose. Yet will he send the others after us?”
“You may have felt the shift in the island soon after the storm?” Torin asked, looking at Lyon, who nodded.
“That was Naomi,” Torin continued. “Soon after the attack, she took the Water Stone upon her, along with Matter, wielding them in true cause for the first time. She uprooted your island and moved it within a fog, shifting the water in the air to gas to conceal the appearance of movement. She moved it far enough to conceal it yet again from Morning, without being too obvious to those among you who study the stars.
Lyon laughed, shaking his head. “I just can’t believe her intelligence and understanding. We are lucky to have her on our side.”
Torin laughed with him. “Oh, undoubtedly. Could you imagine if she were with the darkness?” His wonderment seemed so sincere, Lyon had to wonder if Torin actually possessed foresight of any kind.
“Anyway,” Torin continued, waving his hand. “Yes, Morning is still looking for you. He had sent the one of Voids close behind, though she found only the body of Drowning encapsulated in stone. I believe she returned to Morning from there.”
“And the beacon?” Lyon asked, his tone that of concern. “The boy with darkness in his heart? Will they not just follow him again?”
“They will,” Torin confirmed. “Though it will take them some time. And now that the balance has shifted back to our side, with us possessing four Creation Stones, he is likely to be cautious in his next assault. Thus, I believe Naomi has bought us some time to train up the young ones for what is to come.”
Lyon sighed heavily then. Despite his translation, he was beginning to feel exhausted from the conversation. It was always such heavy talk when concerning the one of Morning.
“So what of their beacon? Should we watch him?” As Lyon said this, he knew Torin read his true meaning. Should we force him to relinquish this dark seed, or perhaps place him unconscious until then?
“Lyon, you are the leader of this island. Thus, take my words only for what they are, which is counsel, and not command. The boy is the one called Maison, as I suppose you already suspected. If you are able to apprehend him, he could use some extra care and attention in this time, that he might decide to follow the light. Yet in doing so, you know how it must be done. The boy must choose for himself. If not, he will either get worse, or it will hurt him more in the long run. The boy must decide.”
Lyon nodded in understanding. It was a hard truth, but he knew it to be just that. True and immutable.
“The boy has free agency, like the rest of us. He must decide for himself, as is the plan. We will do as you will it, Master of Light.”
“Thank you,” Torin said, beaming. “I know it is hard. Yet remember. Trials, my son. That is the purpose of all this. To see what you all are made of. Given the two paths, where one leads to misery and the other to happiness, who wouldn’t choose the latter, if they knew which was which? Yet when the destination for each is hidden, and mortal ones are instead meant to walk the path that they choose for themselves, only then will the true character of each intelligence be revealed.”
“It makes perfect sense. And yet, it remains hard,” Lyon said, incredulous.
“Such are your bounds,” Torin said, holding his wrists skyward.
“Indeed,” Lyon agreed. “So. On the topic of trials. Naomi seems quite impressed with the boys, Mikael and Ammon. Yet she still isn’t convinced they have what it takes.”
“Hmm. Which of her trials remain unfulfilled?” Torin asked.
“Well, let’s see. The first of romance and love. I would say they are there. The second of temptation. The whirlpool and thoughts. Moreso Ammon than Mikael, though she sounds fond of both in this regard, as well.
“Which leaves the third,” Lyon finished, sighing heavily. “The trial of facing true darkness.”
“As it should be,” Torin said. “The third has yet to determine their path. There’s a certain poetry in that, don’t you think?”’
Lyon looked at him. “Do I agree? Yes, I do. Am I surprised? Absolutely not. It dwells near your realm, after all.”
“What are you trying to say?” Torin laughed.
Lyon said nothing. Instead, as they broke from the tree line, bringing the Leviticum into view, Lyon pointed up to the sky. They both looked up, and there above them was a dark cloud. It was pierced clean through with rays of sunlight, which illuminated the peak of Cloud Mountain.
“Seriously, do you plan all these things out or what?” Lyon laughed, holding his stomach as he did so.
Torin laughed as well, causing many of the animals around them to chitter with joy. Lyon took several steps forward then, while Torin remained behind, concealed in the trees. Lyon turned then, looking back to his creator.
“Thanks to Naomi, you have been given more time. Most of the other hidden islands… they aren’t as lucky. Such is the way of the Stone of Matter. You are a cornerstone for the entire destiny of this world. Don’t let this overwhelm you. Yet at the same time, don’t forget the countless sacrifices that got us here. They watch from the Sun, after all.”
Torin winked. Lyon blinked. And just like that, Torin was gone, leaving the wood to its normal glory. It was always darker when Torin first left him. Yet even so, as he walked the rest of the way back to the Leviticum, passing between the majestic Wind Caves and Lake of Light, he felt comforted by the light still shining within the world.
* * *
Chapter XXX
Dark Portals
Why am I the only one who saw the storm beasts that night? And did I lead them here?
These questions had been circulating in Ammon’s mind ever since the Gathering. Master Lyon had made no mention of beasts or glowing figures, nor did Ammon hear about it amidst hushed conversations. It was clear the storm was abnormal, particularly how it had appeared from nowhere, earning it the name ‘phantom’.
Even so, the most significant details of this phantom storm were only known to himself. It left him feeling alone. Cold. Numb. Not even his best friends could relate, nor did it feel right discussing it with them.
Such unimaginable power. Such destruction and chaos inflicting insufferable change. Would even the Sector Guard stand a chance against it? Could that be why they never stepped in? The thought angered him. Even in the face of utter despair, the Guardians were sworn protectors of the island.
Another heavy weight on him was the death of the Arcanums. Stunning Celia. Curious and kind Terra. Dead. Not the stepping off into light as they had discussed, but a fiery, burning decimation, like dry leaves thrown in magma. The thought made him sick.
Sick with disease. This is not the way things should be. Something is disrupting our lives, eating away like decay. These thoughts startled and frightened him. He thought of the whirlpool, of the coincidence. Of the death of only one family…
But why not him and Mikael, or even Jonah? Why only the two adults who had shared the secrets of decay and temptation? It seemed absolutely insane to assume the storm killed them for the secrets they shared. Nevertheless, the correlation was there.
And what about his dreams? The storm beasts seemed like they had just walked out of his dark dreams, to then wreak havok on his island. Still, the glowing beasts had looked much different than Conqueror or Venetia. H
e shook his head, laughing at his folly. Though the cautious words of the snow leopard echoed in his mind, he knew it was childish to believe in such fantasies.
After the Gathering, Ammon had spent the entire afternoon in the spring between High Forest and Cloud Mountain, hydrating and resting his body. Bastion and Mikael had followed him, though they left soon after dipping into the waters. He was glad when they left. He needed to be alone. Being alone was when he felt the most rejuvenated, re-energized by reflection and nature.
Krystal had returned to her home immediately after the Gathering. Ammon had planned on visiting Jonah, before realizing what that would mean. It would mean acknowledging the reality of my sorrows. This was something he couldn’t afford to do. Not yet. For the next five days, in the midst of the Trials, he would need to pretend nothing was wrong.
The recent events were far too great to comprehend in a day, the change too great in magnitude. The Trials would begin tomorrow morning as planned. He had trained for this moment his entire life. No matter what came up, he had to focus on his dream.
The Sun had long since passed over the peak of Cloud Mountain, though the sunlight still outlined the mountain edges as sketches in the purple sky. Despite himself, Ammon smiled. Cephas knows, we will need as much light as we can get before the darkness comes.
A flash of thought struck him, weighing him down into himself. What a tragedy. Poor Jonah. Such a good, hard-working guy. One of my best mates. It would be impossible to count the wilderness and glisc game adventures they had shared together.
Now, Jonah was trapped in the hospital, passed out from shock, still unaware that both his parents had been taken from his life. It was literally unbelievable to Ammon. He could not comprehend it as truth. This cannot be the way of things. It would take months, maybe years, for it to sink into his mind as reality, and they weren’t even his blood parents. He prayed to Torin that Jonah would find a way to recover.
Ammon looked at the rippled reflections of surrounding trees and vegetation. Branches hung down, supporting of leaves, creating bridges for small critters to walk across. Ammon watched them for a time, both in the surface of the water and directly, with no other medium but air. His mind was lifted away from his own worries, bringing him great peace. Once again, nature knew just how to soothe him.
At first thought, Ammon never saw the point. Why go sit in the trees and do nothing when he had things to do? Each time he stepped from his life and into the wild, he was acting on faith. Faith that, once he got there, he would find exactly what he desired for growth. He knew from experience that this was true. And it never failed him. He had come to love it. It was part of his Wayothe. It’s just the way things work.
Alas, Ammon let himself think about last night’s events one more time. Then, he would lock it up in his mind for later comprehension, after the conclusion of the Trials. What bothered him the most, of course, was the well-being of Jonah and Lumena. He was worried for his friend. At the same time, though, Ammon knew that they would make it through. They were strong. They had been raised by two incredibly strong spirits. They will make it, he hoped.
Another thought he had, beating him from within, was what Master Lyon had said at the Gathering. Rather, it was what Master Lyon had not said that bothered him.
There had been no mention of the other tree, the dark tree, though Ammon knew that many others had witnessed it. The dark tree. The void. The rip to the outside. A dark portal. It now lies in ashes, erased from matter and memory. But I remember.
There had been no mention of the two glowing beasts that fought in the sky, bringing the rain and torrential havoc upon their island. Flashing greens and yellows still reverberated in his mind.
Mysteries held hostage. Then, to top it all off, the final bomb had been dropped in their laps. Mother and Father Arcanum were now gone, hurriedly taken from their island, planet, and mortal realm.
This world he lived in… It felt like a different world entirely. The world in which he had seen the beasts, fighting in the sky, with otherworldly trees appearing and Jonah injured; that world was completely separate from his normal world. In his normal world, it was time to devote all his attention to the Trials. This was truly how it felt, though his heart still held subtle worry for his friend. He hoped Jonah would be okay, promising to help him afterwards. After I complete the Trials.
Mother and Father held Ammon when they returned home. Bastion had gone to care for the Vivarium, leaving Ammon to sit on the couch and spiral into darkness, even with the skylights casting a glow onto the cabin walls. Mother and Father sat on either side of him, and just held him. All three of them. Sitting there. Hugging one another without words. It was just what he needed. Pure love from his parents.
He felt complete. And in that moment, he knew that Jonah still harbored the same love from his own parents, though they may be departed from Proelum. Ammon didn’t have particular spiritual beliefs, yet even so, in that moment, he knew Jonah would see his parents again. He didn’t just believe it. He knew it.
Mother had left to start dinner then, with Father soon following, leaving Ammon alone with only silence as company. That’s when Tobias had entered the room, jumping into his lap. His mind was instantly distracted, making him cry tears of joy into his puppy’s fur coat. He held his pup then as they sank deeper into the couch. He could see particles of dust dancing about, as they were blissfully unaware of the hardness in the world around them. He was envious of them.
Mikael had gone up to their room, but soon came back down dressed in shorts and tank-top, announcing that Bastion was on his way. Ammon quickly changed into a similar outfit, adding a winter cap on his head. Bastion rapped on the door, and they’d all joined on the front porch, heading for the western staircase.
That was a few hours ago. Now, Ammon’s toes were aging forty years in the pool, despite the rejuvenating effects the spring was supposed to have. Ammon closed his eyes, and breathed. He took in the smells and the sights. Breathe. He focused on the air entering his lungs, and then leaving. Breathe. He focused on the present moment, searching for clarity on where he should go.
Once and for all, he resolved to push the thoughts of the weekend from his mind. There would come a time, yea, a time even soon that he would be able to muster the strength, courage, and understanding to cope with the events. Now, however, it was time to prepare for the Sector Guard Trials.
Ammon stood up, starting a light jog towards home. When he made it, the light was mostly gone, leaving the sky a dark purple. Lights began to flicker on all-round, coming from path lamps and adjacent homes. Ammon walked inside, took a warm shower, shaved, and cleaned himself entirely.
After changing into his clothes and packing a light bag for the week, he came downstairs and joined the family for dinner. Bastion joined them, but Krystal stayed with her family. The meal was delicious, warming their hearts inside and out. Bastion left shortly after, leaving Mikael and Ammon with their parents.
Tonight was the night. Starting tomorrow morning, at the fifth hour, the Sector Guard Trials would begin. It was their childhood dream. It would be their career and passion for the rest of their lives. It would help them grow in strength and knowledge. To protect the history of their island. To protect the inhabitants thereof.
There had to be a reason why the Sector Guard did not interfere last night. Or perhaps they had? What was the green creature that seemed to fend off the other? Was that conjured by the SG? That must be it. The creature must have been from them. Of course! Why would they just sit idly by, letting the storm destroy their island? The SG would never do that.
Though the power of the dark eagle had been overwhelming, the green beast had fought back enough to prevent further damage to Cephas. The beach and High Forest had been struck, while the rest of the island had been unharmed. A few people had lost much in the storm. But in comparison to the whole island, the damage was rather small.
Yes. I saw what the SG did to those enemy ships that day, without even break
ing a sweat. And now they have defended us again, pushing back the dark eagle. They can help me become stronger. I can still defend this island from the world.
The voids of dread within him were refilled with hope. This was the way. This was the path to power. This was the path for Ammon and Mikael, for the Delkai family.
Before bed, Father gave them an encouraging speech. “Although you have caused your fair share of mischief on the island, I cannot imagine two others more worthy of guarding our home. We love you. We trust you.”
“We’re a bit biased, of course,” Mother chimed in. “But I wholeheartedly agree. You both have the drive and passion, the strength and experience to do this. Remember what you know. Remember where you come from. And remember who you are, and who you want to become.” She sealed her words with a kiss for each of them, then headed to bed.
Ammon and Mikael followed her up the stairs, prepared their clothes and equipment, then crawled into bed. Thin wisps of cloud remained in the sky, though many stars still shined through. Ammon laid half under his covers, his white t-shirt keeping him cool, both hands clasped behind his head. Mikael was sitting up against the bedpost.