“If Satar is looking for Permona, how will he find her? Where will he go?”
“He will find her in the place he did before. He will remember it as he remembers her. He will find her soon enough.” The Seer’s eyes went back to white.
He is going to find her where he did before. She had to think about this for a moment. Where is that? Suddenly, she thought she knew. If he is looking for Permona than it must mean he will find her again in the same place. He will find her again, where they already met. Hearing this, acknowledging it, understanding that much, she nodded. She even found a smile.
“Thank you for your guidance.” She turned.
The Seer watched her closely and had to stop her for one last time, “Remember what you know Lady Sharlia of the Southern Continent. Understand what you are about to find.”
Sharlia did stop. She did turn back around, but only briefly. While doing so, she gave the young Wanderer one final look, and then turned back and headed out through the mouth of the cave. Once clear of it, and back on the beach, she took a huge breath of the cool night air. Again, she had to clear her thoughts. She had to balance her mind. The air helped.
What was all of that about? She watched the waves smash the shore. She heard the sea birds call their mighty songs. I have always searched for Sharlia the One. I have longed to see her again and tell her how grateful I am for the life she has given me. She could see her smooth and youthful face. She could see her olive colored skin. She could smell her everlasting sweetness. She did miss her so much. It made her hurt. It made it hard for her to breathe. He is searching for the same thing that I am trying to find. She replayed that part in her head several times, but it only made it hurt even more, so she forced it to stop. Now was not the time for such pleasures. She had other things to do, and maybe after that, she would search for the meaning to all of this. Maybe she would take the time for herself. I have to get back to Odan and tell all of them what I now know. She agreed.
She left the beach. She crossed the shore, and as fast as she could run, she headed back north.
7
“Kenar? What are you doing here?” Rochie asked just after climbing off his horse. The ride was short, and thankfully, it was now over. Seeing another one of them there, also waiting, at least he hoped he was, made him relax instantly. It seemed that Rana was mistaken after all.
Kenar stood just in front of the large steps that led up into the great hall of Devish’s castle. The courtyard around him was huge, surrounded by think stoned walls and facing the only gate to the road outside it. The castle itself was massive. Two large doors stood at the top of the stoned steps. The four towers of the main keep flanked it on all sides. The central tower was the largest and he could easily see it even from the steps, reaching up to the nighttime sky above them.
“Rochie, my old friend.” When Kenar heard his friend, and saw his golden aura surrounding him, he gave him a hearty smile. He also felt relieved. He also feared why all of them were there.
He held up his arms to him and embraced his young friend.
“How have you been?” He released the embrace.
He was completely blind, except for his gift of seeing the life force around people, and because of it, he saw Rochie clearly.
“I am well.” Kenar might have been young, only in his twenties, but he understood his power. He had lived long enough to respect the other Wanderers all the same. With that respect, he treated every one of them the same way. However, Rochie was different. He was the first of them, and being that he was the oldest, he, like his Walker parents, was also the most powerful. “And you?” He dropped his arms back to his sides. “And how is Rana?” He kept his smile, and his respect.
Rochie nodded. “She is well. I am well.”
“Very well.” Kenar held out his hands for them to head inside.
He followed him into the Great Hall.
They were not alone. Three others were now with them.
He saw Patrice, the Wanderer of the southern world. She was a part of the Adollo clans. Her gifts were like his and they were strong. She too could move objects with her thoughts, but where he couldn’t move people, she could, but only to a point. She couldn’t see through them as he could. She couldn’t feel them as Rana could feel them. Because of this, it limited her strength.
Next to her stood Shandra of the Southern Continent and a member of the Sharlia clan. Her gift was being able to control the winds. Doing so she could even fly by using it to push her and lift her high off the ground. She was so strong with this power that it made her stay silent for most of the time. After all, breath is wind. She feared herself.
Standing by her side, on the other side of the great staircase that wound up to the second floor closer to Kenar was Garreth. He was a tracker. He used the senses of the Walkers as none of them ever could. He could see their scents. He could see their heat. He could use all of this to hunt anything, Walker, Wanderer, or human alike, and find them with an almost endless ease.
Seeing him, Rochie now had an idea as to why they were there. They want us to find something, or more importantly, someone. It made sense. With Kenar also with them, he expected who that was. “We are here to find a Walker.” He looked back to his friend.
Kenar nodded. “Not just any Walker at that.” He already knew the truth. Like Gorhan, he could read the mind of every one there. It was another of his great gifts. He read them even without trying to do it.
“Satar? They want us to search for Satar.”
All of them bowed their heads with hearing this.
Seeing them, Rochie knew he was right.
Satar had disappeared several years ago, after spending much of his life mourning the loss of his wife during the great Walker dying. She died giving birth to their only son, and since then, he became solitary, almost feared, especially by the other Walkers—a fear that has now apparently called them there to the very home of the son who took his wife away.
Malana stopped at the entrance to the great hall, and watched all of the Wanderers turn to her all at once.
“They are ready to receive you.” And she bowed.
Rochie, Kenar, and the others all took a deep breath before they followed her into the throne room.
8
“Masters,” Kenar stated first.
Rochie walked with him into the room, a large and palatial stoned room that served as the throne room for the Devish and Satar clan. Hanging on the walls torches burned with their usual orange colored glow. The effect caused shadows to dance along the walls. It looked dark and gloomy. It looked just as the Walkers meant it to look for those whom they called to see them. It helped to cast the mood, and it worked well.
Seeing Odan there, along with Adollo, Rochie now knew how right they were. Seeing two powerful Blood Walkers gathered at the same time, in the same place, he truly held his breaths. He almost lost them when he saw Devish there too. The situation is serious. Something must have happened for all of them to be here together like this. They never do this. It is too dangerous for them. Blood Walkers, like all gods, stayed apart. It was their method. They never strayed from it unless they had no other choice.
Odan left Devish and stepped to the Wanderers with his arms behind his back. It made him look formal, and frankly, with his long golden colored enameled gown that he now wore, the look suited him well. His white hair made the black color of the gown stand out. The look said volumes. He wanted to look elderly. He wanted to look stately. He meant for the look to speak for him.
“My children, we thank you for coming so soon.” Odan spoke with such gentleness in his human form that it made most people cringe. Of course, it was a mask. His true face was far more hideous than that. He meant it that way. After all, he needed their help and now wasn’t the time to show the truth.
Kenar, of course, did. “My Master, we came as fast as we could, as called.” He bowed his head. He always knew that they were aware of his gift, but showing them that he could read their minds would hav
e been painful. He always believed to keep one’s strengths hidden from those who could do you the most harm.
“You know why we have called all of you here?” Odan respected, if this was a good word to use in this circumstance, he wasn’t sure, but he did accept Kenar for what he was, and of course, for what he could do. He did fear it, and with it, him. He even smiled.
A look that didn’t look natural for him at all.
Rochie and the others did nod.
Kenar did too, harder than the others did.
“Good.” Odan looked back to Devish, but only briefly before turning back to the Wanderers. “As you may have heard, Satar attacked a human village last night in the south.” He glanced to Adollo, and turned back again. “He attacked Master Adollo’s kingdom before that. He has destroyed over a dozen villages over the past several weeks.”
As he talked, Rochie studied his face. He could see the fear in his eyes, and with it, he knew why. They hunted the precursors to the humans to extinction and with Satar now doing it again, they fear what that could mean. How could they survive without humans as food? They do not want to find out. It made sense, so he nodded to himself.
“He has destroyed every village and left none alive. As you all know, we cannot let him continue down this path.” Odan kept his eyes on Kenar’s face. He felt comfortable knowing he was blind, as only he accepted it at that.
Kenar blinked softly, listening to the words, but that wasn’t everything that he heard. In Odan’s mind, he saw something else, and that almost knocked him down. He almost couldn’t believe what he heard, and spoke it without thinking about what it meant, “You wish for us to kill him.” Seeing Devish’s eyes burn at him, and comprehending what Odan was continuing to think, he realized what that was. He realized that he shouldn’t have said it. Odan wanted it, but didn’t. He didn’t want Devish to know what he truly intended with his father.
Odan did gush some. He also swallowed very shallow as well.
“No my child. You are not to harm him.” He looked out from the corner of his eyes towards Devish, but didn’t look at him. He couldn’t bring himself to do that, even if he wanted to. He knew what it would mean.
“You would not dare take a life of one who was born, Odan.” Devish growled with a low ebbing flare. He saw this too inside Odan’s mind, and his eyes flared to a deep and bright red. Like the Wanderer, he possessed the gift of seeing one’s thoughts. He was just as good at it too.
Odan blinked again, before looking back to Kenar. “You are only to capture him and bring him home to his son.” He smiled, trying to show his earnestness. He knew he had to say something and keep it that way, even though Kenar was right. He would have preferred Satar’s capture but would accept his death. He had his reasons, but quickly closed them off in his mind, and left it at that.
Kenar blinked and said nothing else.
Rochie now came in, “My Masters?” He took a single step forward. Of course, he had no real idea what was really going on, and being this way, he felt it was time to speak his mind. “How do we find him?” He looked at all of the Walkers in turn and stopped on Devish. “It was my understanding that you have all been looking for him for years and have not found him.” He looked at Odan, his Master, his lord, his head of his family. “How do we do something that you have not been able to do?” This seemed like a good question to ask. As he knew it, the Walkers have done just that. They have searched to the ends of the earth and have found nothing. If they failed, then how could we succeed?
Devish bowed his head. He was not about to answer him. He just couldn’t bring himself to do it.
Odan understood, as said, so he knew that he would have to be the one to answer, so he did, “He has eluded us for a long time, my child. He has escaped us because of who we are. There is no other explanation for this. It is time for us to try and see if you can do what we could not.”
This didn’t answer his question, so Rochie asked it again, “How can we Wanderers do this? How can we do anything against one such as you?”
Odan smiled, and locked his eyes onto Rochie’s inquisitive stare.
“You can do more than you have ever believed one could. You have the abilities to find him. You have it within you to find him and stop him, and bring him home.”
“My Masters, how? Rochie is correct. How can we mere low-lards do this?” Patrice now stepped forward. She, like Rochie, had far too many questions about this and it was time for her to speak them.
Odan continued his smile to her young and smooth face.
“You,” he paused and turned to all of them as he spoke, “All of you have it within you to do this. You have the strength. You have the courage to find him.” He looked back to Kenar. “You can see his thoughts.” He looked behind Rochie to Garreth. “You can track him.” He looked back to Rochie. “You can stop him with ways that we cannot.”
The Wanderers each felt astonished by this. All of them questioned it, all except for Kenar. Inside the Walkers, he could feel something stirring within them. They were now blocking his gifts, blocking their thoughts to him, but he could still feel those thoughts. He could feel what they caused to their bodies. He couldn’t place the feeling in any other terms than fear. They feared them. They feared the Wanderers and all that they could do. They were actually terrified of what would happen if they learned what that was. We are stronger than we think. They know it, but they also fear more than that. I am not sure what that is, but it is there. They know more than what they are saying.
Rochie nodded, accepting this. “We will do what we can do my lords. We will do as you have bid us to do.” He tried to smile but it faded fast. In all fact, he had no idea how to do it. He had no idea where to start. If what they said was true than there had to be something that they could do. He looked at Devish and the idea did come to him. It turns out that he did have something that may stop and hold Satar after all. It was something that Devish helped him find.
Odan smiled, hard and proud. “Good. We know that Satar is heading north from the shadows of the Central Mountains. He is moving along their base, heading down the valley of the great river, and towards the shallows.” He turned back to the other Elders, stopped and turned back to the Wanderers. “You will find him, and bring him back here.” His hands went to his sides. “Please do so quickly. We can suffer no more lost blood.” He kept the smile.
Each of the Wanderers bowed before turning and leaving the room. They said nothing else.
When they were gone, Devish had enough. He reached out, grabbed Odan’s right shoulder and spun him back to face him.
“How dare you contemplate my father’s end?” His eyes roared with a fire red. His face curled into the face of a half bat, half wolf’s snout. His ears pointed up near the top of his head, and his flesh turned white and cold. His body moaned with the sound of his bones cracking as they formed into an oval, elongated stance. His feet blasted out to the shapes of a wolf’s paws. The true face of a Blood Walker now showed. It took only seconds to complete the change.
Odan took Devish’s right clawed human looking hand by the wrist and pulled it off his shoulder with relative force.
“How dare you touch me like this Devish?” He struggled some, but did still manage to get his arm away from his chest. “How dare you question me with my intentions?” His own eyes flared to red and blazed like the glow of the sun.
“Do you wish my father’s death?” Devish pulled his arm out from Odan’s grip and brought it down to his sides. He now stood a good one, maybe two feet over his much older friend’s head. The true form of a Blood Walker was large. No human form could look them in the eyes.
Odan laughed. When he finished it, he grew serious all too fast.
“Your father was my closest friend and family Devish. I loved him and still do.”
Devish bowed his eyes. “Then why did you think that to them.” He motioned to the door. He motioned to the Wanderers now on the other side of it.
Odan smiled again. “My th
oughts are my own. My fears are there too.”
Devish growled some before letting his human face come back again.
Odan and the others watched him slide back to his human form.
“I am sorry Odan. I fear what this means.”
Odan took Devish’s shoulder with his right hand once they were the same height again. “I understand your fear my friend. We must do this. We had no other choice.”
Devish looked down before looking up again. “That is what I fear.”
All of them relaxed. All of them now stood still. All of them now waited for the coming days to see what would happen next.
9
Kenar, Rochie, Patrice, Garreth, and Shandra left Devish’s castle just as dawn broke the sky. Rochie rode his horse with Kenar riding behind him, while the others had their own steeds. They reached the forest line just to the south of the castle near the base of the hill, and there, they stopped. There, they would have to make their plans.
Garreth the tracker spoke first. “All Blood Walkers must sleep during the day. I say that we look for him now, while the sun is high in the sky.” Blood Walkers, like all nocturnal beings, moved about at night and rested during the day. The sun only harmed them if they stayed out in it for too long, but otherwise it didn’t bother them much. Knowing this it seemed logical for them to search for him while the sun was still out.
The others couldn’t argue with this logic.
“Where would he sleep?” Patrice stopped next to Rochie’s horse. As far as she was concerned about any of this, she had no idea what to do, or where to start. She had never once thought about hunting one of their fathers. It just didn’t feel right. She just knew that she didn’t have to like it to do her job. She planned to do it well.
A Werewolf's Saga, The Beginning (A Werewolf's Saga Boxed Sets Book 3) Page 4