Book One: Beginnings

by Nicole Ashley Brown Segda

  “Control your temper, lest it gets the better of you. You have great passion, great power, but you lack the control necessary to harness these gifts without destroying yourself and those around you. Without control, the gift becomes a curse.”

  Chase tries to look away, but Tom’s stern gaze holds his attention. Abashed, yet terrified at the same time, he struggles to regain his composure only to find himself paralyzed by Tom’s magnetic stare, barely able to breathe, much less blink. He opens his mouth to speak, only an indiscernible mumble allowed to escape from his dry throat. The wrinkles in Tom’s forehead soften as the intense fire in his eyes dwindles to a dying spark. Then the gravity is gone, overtaken by an overwhelming sympathy. With the release of tension, Chase feels freed from the invisible bonds that had held him in stasis.

  Once again Tom speaks, but his tone is gentler, if not empathetic. “Yes, I was there. But you must understand there are many painful memories associated with that night. Memories which I have tried to forget, only to see them more clearly. I know your pain, the pain of loss. Please do not force me to relive it.” He turns away and hurriedly rids his face of all signs of his sadness.

  Chase moves to put a comforting hand on Tom’s shoulder but is interrupted by the sound of a horn that pierces the still forest with its shrill call. The call is answered with a chorus of men’s voices, raised in anticipation for battle. The bugle blares twice more in rapid succession and is once again drowned out by the return of shouts. Voices screaming what could only mean “Charge.”

  Without a word, both Tom and Chase head for the direction from whence the sounds of battle came. Both eager to learn what battle is possibly being fought on the shores of Smithee, and against whom. Neither one inclined to voice their fears that the war in Sentra is spreading, that the dark power is growing.

  Tom places a hand on Chase’s shoulder as he urges him to take cover behind a stand of bushes. “Wait.”

  Chase looks back at him with indignation but follows his instruction. Breathing heavily with the anticipation for battle, he gasps. “What’s wrong?” He looks impatiently towards the direction from which the battle is being fought and then turns his gaze upon Tom. “Why have we stopped?”

  Tom lowers to his haunches and pulls Chase down with him. He wipes away the sweat condensing on his furrowed brow and stares resolutely into Chase’s blue eyes, demanding his attention. His voice is kept to a whisper but holds authority, “What do you hope to gain by charging into battle not even knowing which side to fight for, much less what you are fighting against?”

  Chase, frustrated, wipes his clammy hands on his trousers. “What do you mean?” He points towards the battle. “People are dying while we rest here doing nothing! I do not have time for these games!”

  Tom puts his hands on Chase’s shoulders. “Listen to me. If you go out there, you will die. This is not some game. This is war. You cannot be strutting about like some chicken with its head chopped off!” Chase starts to rise but Tom tightens his grip, pushing him back down. “I know you only want to help, but your corpse will not be of much use to anybody save to serve as food for the crows.” Chase stops struggling so Tom removes his hands. “I know how you feel, but you must understand that any action you take in this will be rash—it will be your death.”

  Chase fidgets as he looks away. “You cannot expect me to wait out this battle when I can hear the screams of the men as they die not even a quarter of a mile away!”

  Tom stands. “I expect no such thing. I am a veteran of war, you are but a novice. We will do this my way.”

  Chase looks up at him with reverent shock as he falters to stand. He straightens as his body becomes rigid with resolve. “Tell me what must be done.”

  * * *

  The earth itself seems to stand still in accordance with the paralysis that has overtaken the two men, watching, waiting for the lone wolf to either attack or flee. Ashe’s vigilant eyes shine like two emerald flames, desperately searching the amber windows to the soul of the beast for any indication of its intentions. Yet the eyes hold no secret, only serving as a device through which the creature sees.

  Cole is more focused on the wolf as a whole, seeing the creature as less of a threat and more of an obstacle. The creature stands on the path that leads toward Cape Terna, wherein lies the intended transport vessel that will take them to the Nesthran Islands and deep into the heart of battle. Cole finds this to be rather amusing, as if this wolf would intentionally block their passage in warning of what is to come should they continue. He laughs, realizing that his mind has manipulated the situation to coincide with his fears of going to Nesthra.

  Ashe breaks his gaze upon the wolf to momentarily look upon his friend who seems to be going out of his mind. “What’s so funny?” His gaze returns to the wolf before he can completely get the question out.

  Cole lowers to the ground, balancing himself on the balls of his feet with his elbows resting on his knees. “Would you think me crazy if I told you that I thought this wolf is guiding us, warning us?”

  The wolf yawns and stretches its front legs before circling around in search of a good resting spot and finally lying down once it finds one. Its yellow eyes stare up at Cole for a few seconds, and then disappear as the wolf closes its eyes to sleep.

  Ashe keeps an eye on the wolf as he thwarts Cole’s question. “Guide or not, it is still a wild animal. I think it best that we leave now before it wakes from its slumber.”

  Cole rises and laughs. “And here I took you for the ultimate authority in animals.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  Cole sighs, “She is not sleeping.”

  Ashe raises an eyebrow. “She? How do you know for certain that this wolf is female and that it is not asleep?”

  “I just do.”

  Ashe clutches his pack as he maneuvers around the wolf. “Well then, yes.”

  Cole looks tenderly upon the silver mass of fur lying in the center of the road and then follows Ashe’s lead. He stops for a moment to ponder Ashe’s remark. “Yes to what?”

  Ashe answers over his shoulder. “I do think you are crazy.” He laughs. “But then again I must be as well, for I believe you.”

  Cole eagerly takes this opening. “Then, in light of this warning, why do we continue? Why risk our lives to rescue this territory from oppression, opening up an opportunity for some other power-hungry government to replace it in the meanwhile? It’s a never-ending cycle. It’s pointless. It’s futile.”

  Ashe turns and takes a deep breath. “The warning serves as a reminder to take caution, not to retreat. If you backed down every time an obstacle was thrown in your path, you would never get anywhere. You would accomplish nothing. You need to learn to take risks, because life is full of them. Fighting this war may very well be the last things we do, but I would rather die in battle for the life of another and for the peace of mind of an entire nation, creating a world where the child can go to sleep at night and have his father be there to tuck him in, than to idly sit at home as if the world is free of problems and waste away to dust, having done nothing. Life is not a spectator sport, for if it were, we wouldn’t truly be living it. That is pointless.” He pauses to take another deep breath and calm himself down. “Feel free to return home, but know that that journey I do not plan to make until I have accomplished what is required of me in this war. Go home. I hope you can live with yourself for doing so.”

  Cole looks down in embarrassment, his face red with shame. “No.” He looks up, his jaw set with determination as he stares at Ashe. “I couldn’t live with myself. Especially if anything should happen to you. I made a promise to myself that I would look out for you, Ashe, for Lara’s sake.”

  Ashe studies Cole’s face and nods his head in understanding. “I can’t say that I am sorry. Perhaps that is selfish of me, but I love her, too.” He deliberately turns and walks down the path.

  Cole sighs and then ambles after him, unsure of his thoughts, his feelings. He shouldn
’t be ashamed of his feelings; after all, he has no control over them, so why does he? He shivers involuntarily, his mind wary of where his heart is taking him and in what his uninhibited yet unrequited love could result. And the worst of it is that Ashe knows. Cole has no fear that he will tell Lara, but he knows. Ashe knows. And he will be watching him like a hawk, restricting him from indulging in fantasy, restricting him from even a single unwarranted look. All of a sudden the world seems to have gotten smaller. The cramped space is dizzying and he falls to the ground, unconscious.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Maria quietly sips a cup of tea, her eyes staring past the two women sitting across the kitchen table from her. The cup in her hand rattles ever so slightly, her nerves still shaky from that morning’s events. With a sigh she returns to the present. Seeing the worried faces of Lara and Kae, she smiles to help relieve the tension. Finishing the last of her tea, Maria gingerly gets up and places the cup in the sink. For a moment her hands grip the edge of the countertop as a fit of hysteria seizes her. Lara and Kae rush up to support her as tears uncontrollably fall from her eyes. Maria is helped back to her seat, and once seated she breaks the mournful silence.

  “I have failed my brother. I promised to protect her, but when she needed me most, I too was helpless.” She futilely attempts to wipe away her tears. “Oh, Albert, I am sorry that I was not strong enough. I can only pray that she has the strength to do what I could not. Please, Lord, protect her and watch over her. Please, Lord, forgive me.”

  Lara kneels down and hugs this woman upon whom was placed a great burden, herself understanding of its import.

  “Maria, let me bear this load with you. Albert never expected you to do this alone, yet you have taken it upon yourself to do so. I commend you for your sacrifice. You have not failed—we are all alive and well. That is all that matters.”

  Maria bites her lip. “But I should have given more of myself.”

  Kae puts her hand on Maria’s shoulder. “You have already given more than enough. Maria, you mustn’t worry so; through your efforts we have seen your unerring love not only for Jessica but for all of us. But someday we must learn to fight our own battles. And in doing so, we gain the confidence that we will succeed and the determination to not only succeed, but to surpass.”

  Maria stands and walks towards the window, the bright sun illuminating her tear-streaked face as she observes Jessica and Joel resting outside atop the hill. Despite all the hardship they had faced, being orphans, never knowing the past or what the future will require of them, the secrets that have been kept, they are still innocent. Joel has a way about him in which he can discern the truth of the beauty in all things, tirelessly seeking knowledge but in the process also gaining a wisdom well beyond his years. Jessica sees the world through new eyes, delighting in the wonders it has to offer but ever fearful of embracing them, much in the same way that Kae deals with whatever life hands to her. And Chase, she knew him to be the most afraid of all. He pursues his past but fears confrontation, and he discounts the future but inadvertently acknowledges it with the continuation of his journey. Maria sighs.

  “I guess that all that I can do now is pray. Pray and hope that we will survive this.”

  Kae looks questioningly at Lara. “Survive?”

  Lara only nods, staring out at the world as if searching for some sign. A foundation for which to believe that they have a chance, however slim it may be.

  * * *

  Joel supports himself on one elbow as he looks over at Jessica. “How are you feeling?”

  Jessica wraps her arms around her knees and shrugs. “I’m scared, Joel. I am really scared. I have this nagging feeling that something is going to happen. Something that will change all our lives forever. But it is strange, as if this something has already taken place. And it is just waiting to strike. It has been waiting for a long time, but soon its waiting will end.” She involuntarily shivers. “And I also feel that we have some role to play in all this. What happened this morning was not an accident.” She looks at Joel, trying to hold back her tears. “If you hadn’t been there, I don’t know what would have … I might have….”

  Joel takes her in his arms. “You don’t have to worry. If this thing ever comes back, I’ll be right here next to you. We’ll beat this. You can count on it or my name isn’t Joel Blader.” He smiles down at her. “But you know, you have the worst timing. I was about to eat breakfast, which I still haven’t done yet by the way.”

  Jessica punches him in the stomach and laughs. “That’s not fair. I am trying to wallow in grief here and here you are making me laugh.”

  “No,” Joel pushes her to the ground and tickles her, his hysterical laughter matching hers, “this is making you laugh.”

  Jessica wiggles free of Joel’s hands and clumsily stands up, holding her hands up to ward him off. In broken speech riddled with hiccups and giggles, she gasps. “That is not helping. I am trying to be serious.” She manages to maintain a stern face.

  Joel crosses his legs and folds his hands together. “Okay, I am listening.”

  She eyes him suspiciously and then takes a seat on the ground next to him. With a heavy sigh she continues, “I think I had a vision.”

  “A vision? Do you mean like a premonition or something?” Joel taps his finger to his lips.

  Her chest heaves in frustration as she pleads, “I don’t know exactly. All I know is that what I saw I don’t ever want to see again.” She pauses as she gathers her thoughts. “I saw a man completely dressed in black. He was … he killed someone, a woman I think. There was blood all over his hands and he was laughing, the laugh of a madman. And then it was as if I was the man hearing his thoughts, seeing through his eyes. I have won. At last, this world is mine. The very elements which have sought to destroy me are now at my disposal. I saw a world destroyed in fire and countless bodies strewn upon the ground, as if there had been some great battle. And kneeling before me was….” She closes her eyes and clears her dry throat, unable to continue.

  Joel puts his hand on her shoulder. “Who was kneeling before you?”

  Jessica looks up at Joel. “It was Chase.”

  * * *

  A pungent wetness trickles down his face. Cole moves to wipe the moisture from his brow but finds himself unable to do so. His entire body lies motionless, paralyzed. He desperately tries to move his muscles, even a finger would suffice, but his efforts are to no avail. Darkness surrounds him, though he can feel the warmth of the sun beating down on his body. No, not darkness. His eyes are closed. He seethes with frustration at the idea that he lacks the strength to even open his eyes. The slow rhythm of his heartbeat pounds through his ears, his head throbbing with the undulating tone. He can hear voices, low voices. If only he could reach them, he might be able to escape from this prison. Panic seizes him. A prison? Where are the bars? Where are the guards? What is going on? If he could breathe at this moment, he knew that his breath would be sporadic. Panic grips him again. He cannot breathe. Is he dead? No, he couldn’t be. He hears his heart … heard his heartbeat. Where has the pounding gone to? His mind races. The low voices he had heard before are but a distant whisper. Ever fading into the surrounding darkness that threatens to devour his very essence. He can feel himself being sucked into the void, helpless to pull himself free from the swirling abyss.

  Sinister laughter resounds through his head, beckoning for him to let go of his inhibitions. The taunting laughter grows in strength as he is pulled farther into oblivion, now being accompanied by a voice. “Fighting this inevitability is futile. I promise you, my child, you will die.”

  As quickly as the void and the voice had come, they are gone. Perhaps they had been sucked into the swirling darkness that had threatened to take him as well. His lungs swell as he takes a deep breath. He coughs and rolls over, his muscles constricting and expanding rapidly with the shock of being able to function once more. Something laboriously beats against his chest, gaining strength with each breath that he takes.
The pain of it is almost unbearable, the agony of being given new life. He rests his head on the inside of his arm, unwilling to move for fear of the pain that it would bring. His entire body seems thin, as if stretched and pulled in all directions. His insides heave viciously as the bile rises quickly from his stomach and into his throat. He vomits, the action draining any ounce of energy he may have had left. His breathing normalizes, each breath expelling the pain that had accompanied his revival. He rolls onto his back and, for the first time, he opens his eyes. His smoky gray pupils take in the sight of a smiling Ashe looking down at him. Something warm and wet brushes the side of his face. He turns his head to see the wolf that they had encountered before. She ceases licking him and looks up to stare at him with her deep yellow eyes. Cole looks past the wolf to a man whom he has never seen before. The stranger balances himself on the balls of his feet and rests his elbows on his knees. His leathery face is rugged yet kindly. The man smiles at him. “Ya all right, stranger? Yer friends here were mighty worried ‘bout ya. I guess it be a good thing that I came along, eh?” He extends his hand.

  Cole takes it and is helped to a sitting position. He looks around, his gaze resting once again upon the stranger. He clears his throat. “What … happened?”

  Ashe speaks. “I was walking down the road and then I heard a desperate howling. I turned around and you were gone. I knew then that something was wrong. I ran back the way I had come and found you lying on the ground. The wolf was by your side with her muzzle lifted toward the heavens as if in supplication.” He pauses. “As soon as I saw your motionless body, I knew that if I didn’t act quickly you would be dead. I checked for some type of wound, but found none.” He nodded towards the stranger. “Then he came along. Without a word he began removing various items from his pack, only looking up once from his task to ask me your name.” Ashe sits on the ground next to Cole, the serious expression on his face drawing his features taut. “It was the strangest thing. He just leaned back and told me to begin. Somehow I understood what I needed to do in order to bring you back, knew what potions to use and to what extent. I felt as if I had done this sort of thing countless times before. And when it was done, I knew that you would return to us, to the world of the living.”