Kae raises her brow. “So I am a waterfall? That is a rather interesting metaphor.” She taps her finger on her chin. “But as a destructive force of awesome elegance, how long will this last before all that is left is a meandering river following a set course to the deep blue sea, where all the tributaries that demarcate the lands lose the individuality of their own identity to become part of the greater whole?”
Chase shakes his head. “You worry too much.”
“Only in compensation for your own rash behavior,” she counters. “Your passion drives you to act when your mind tells you to wait. And because of this you’re unpredictable, like a firestorm. You burn so brightly for a time, but then are extinguished by your own fury. There has to be something in our lives to provide balance. I feel lost without you. Only when you are near do I feel complete.” She smiles. “And only in these past two weeks have I realized this. I believe that every person has a soul mate, another half that is their opposite that serves to reach an equilibrium of sorts. There may be connections with other people, but nothing can ever be as complete and seamless. I believe that we balance each other.”
He caresses her hand and whispers, “So of fire and water do we find the balance that is sought.” He brings her into his arms, cradling her as they stare at the crystalline falls before them. “Did I mention that I have found some of the answers I have sought?”
Kae turns to look at him. “Seriously? That’s wonderful.” She looks up expectantly and frowns when he remains silent. “Well, aren’t you going to tell me what you have discovered?”
Chase shrugs. “Nah. I was just going to leave you hanging. I want to see you all flustered and angry.”
“Well, if you’re going to play it that way, I guess that I just won’t show you what I found,” Kae replies matter-of-factly.
Chase rolls his eyes. “Fine.” He kisses her on the forehead and begins, “The symbol on the talisman my mother gave me stands for fire. And apparently, there is another talisman that was crafted from the same rock but bearing a different symbol. But the manner in which I discovered this was rather strange. The jeweler placed the talisman in my hand and asked me what I saw. When I told her, she said that I was “the one,” whatever that means. I believe that this talisman is far more than a simple keepsake from my mother.” He squints his eyes as if trying to focus on a distant object. “And I … my dreams … have become more vivid. I almost saw my mother’s face, but then the dream ended. And I had a vision of a flame sword. I was trapped in an illusion at the time, but I think the vision was real.”
Kae ponders this. “Do you remember those stories you used to read to me when we were younger? About the Ancient Peoples of Ilia?”
“Not this again.” He shakes his head and sighs, “I got the same lecture from Tom, a message-carrying pirate on a secret mission that somehow involves him paying a visit to the Sylvan cottage.” Raising a finger, he adds, “And the only person in all of Verdana with a boat, and who was willing to also be my guide.”
Kae refrains from commenting on this matter and instead pursues her previous train of thought, “There were essentially four tribes, each capable of manipulating a certain element. The only vestiges of their cultures are various myths regarding legendary weapons and warriors who will fight an evil that will threaten to consume the world. There are rumors that these cultures still thrive in hidden parts of the world, like inside mountains or shrouded in mist, and also of underground passageways where they can travel unseen by the world above who has all but forgotten their existence.” She frowns slightly as she idly runs her fingers over the wet dirt of the bank. “We choose to turn history into legend in an attempt to ignore the possibility of something more because such an idea threatens the comfort we find in a normal yet mediocre life.” She stares back at him. “You feel that something more remains to be found, yet you cast aside any suggestions regarding matters beyond the scope of what you have considered to be your life up to this point.”
Chase hugs her to him. “Again, you have managed to upset my opinion by integrating what I believe to be true with something that I believe to be not.” He kisses her shoulder. “But my life has been anything but mediocre. I never told you, or anyone else for that matter, what happened on my fifth birthday. And it has haunted me ever since.” He looks down at his hands, remembering all too well how he had come so close to dying. “Cole had taken me to the forest. I was captivated by what I saw around me—the trees and its protectors, and the animals, but mostly just the feeling that I was in a different world. I became lost and the forest suddenly became a very scary place. I could hear boop-boops calling to each other in the distance, but I was more concerned by the growl emanating from the bushes only a few feet away. I was being stalked by a lion and as it leapt out from its hiding place, all I could do was stand there. I closed my eyes and held out my arm in a vain attempt to ward off the creature’s attack. I envisioned its claws tearing me to shreds over and over again.” He looks up at Kae, a profound sadness inherent in his blue eyes. “Then something happened that I still do not understand. I remember this power surging through me and a light that would have been blinding had my eyes been open. The next thing I knew, the lion was dead, smoke billowing from its blackened remains.”
Kae brings his hand to her lips and tenderly kisses it. Leaning back against him, she looks up at the crimson clouds languidly floating across the orange sky. “You once told me to stop lying to myself. You said that I had been afraid to admit the truth. Chase, the truth lies before you. Open your eyes.”
Chase sighs, “You’re right. I have been running from the truth. It all just seems so absurd.”
Kae laughs softly. “Absurd relates to what an individual deems normal. But what normal is changes through time. If two weeks ago it would have been normal for us to be fighting, imagine what changes can take place in a century, or three for that matter.” She sighs, “And with the addition of war, the change was brought about that much more rapidly. Who knows, we may still have had a High King of Ilia whose steed was a dragon instead of a horse. You are right that we cannot ignore our pasts, and I understand your reasons for your journey, especially given the ghost that has haunted you for the past eleven years, but just remember the promise that the future holds.”
The red of the clouds fade to a soft pink as the orange sky gives way to a fast-approaching horizon of deep blue. Chase rests his chin on Kae’s shoulder and kisses her on the cheek, his warm breath a sweet caress. “The ceremony should be small. Only our closest of friends shall be there, and well of course, the priest. And at night, under the stars shining brightly from the heavens. But the brightest star will be you, with jewels of ruby and sapphire in your hair falling gracefully over your delicate shoulders. Your sparkling blue gown the color of the ocean waves will wrap around you in a series of ingeniously placed folds that accentuate your frame in a way that will leave me and everyone else breathless.”
Kae giggles as she stares up at the stars beginning to burn brightly in the night sky. “And for our wedding, you will be the epitome of a prince, with your dashing smile and overwhelmingly debonair presence that will make me weak in the knees. If not for the look in your eyes and the pain in my heart for being even any small distance from you, I wouldn’t make it down the aisle. The red velvet accents of your dark blue suit will give to your dazzling blue eyes a fire to outshine that of the stars.”
Chase smiles. “I see you standing by my side, and I am no longer afraid.” He laughs. “It truly is unbelievable. But if I am this savior from legend who will receive an equally legendary weapon, I must first learn to harness this power.”
Kae turns her entire body to face him and crosses her legs. “We’ll learn together.”
Chase stares at her. “I don’t understand.”
She smiles. “Like you said, I am a waterfall.”
He shakes his head in amazement. “How long have you known?”
Kae shrugs. “Two weeks. I have been to this waterfall
every day since you have left, and on the day that you left, Nikoi helped me to realize a truth which I too had been trying to avoid.” She leans forward and smiles coyly. “I am glad that this is one secret we can share. That way, we can fight the ghosts of our pasts together.”
Chase leans forward and kisses her. Kae smiles at him before rising to her feet. She holds out a hand and he takes it, standing up himself. Occasionally looking backwards, she leads him closer to the waterfall. “I want to show you what else I have discovered.” Letting go of his hand, Kae scrambles along the mossy rocks of the wall which the cascade tumbles over.
Chase follows her lead, but not nearly as sure-footed as Kae on such a perilous climb. Kae disappears behind the waterfall and he frantically calls out to her. “Kae!”
She pops her head out. “Come on, slow poke.” Seeing the deathly white cast to his features, she frowns. “Are you all right?”
Vehemently shaking his head, he yells over the roar of the falling water. “No!”
Kae shakes her head and laughs, helping him the rest of the way up. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Risking a look over the edge, Chase looks at Kae and raises an eyebrow. “A rather precipitous descent, don’t you think?”
Kae shrugs. “If we climbed it, yes, but I find it much easier and quicker to just jump.” She reads the question on his face and answers it. “Do you forget so quickly? I am the waterfall. I will not let it pull you under and sweep you away.” Laughing, she takes his hand and leads him to a niche behind the waterfall. “Isn’t this great?” Taking a deep breath, she closes her eyes. “It can be our own little hiding place within our own little hiding place.” She smiles at the superfluousness of the statement as she sits down and leans against the back wall.
Chase surveys the relatively large size of the space, at least enough for five people to sleep, albeit not comfortably but nonetheless secure from the elements and creatures that may lurk below. He stares through the sheet of water rushing past them, spraying a soothing mist into the makeshift cave. He gasps. “I can still see the stars!”
Kae giggles. “I know. We can see what goes on outside of this little window to the world without the world even knowing we are here, much less the very existence of this alcove.”
Chase peers intently through the waterfall as he holds up a hand to signify a warning. “There’s something moving across the bridge.”
Kae springs forward to get a better look. “It seems to be men. A lot of them.”
Chase nods his agreement. “Soldiers. I wonder where they are headed.” He squints his eyes. “What’s that on their armor?”
The moonlight reflects off a white chestplate set into the black metal of their armor. Kae clutches Chase’s sleeve as she gasps, “Those are Sentran ranks!”
Chase sets his jaw as he places a hand on Kae’s shoulder. “The Sylvan cottage. We must warn them.” He rises to leave.
Kae stands but holds him back. “We’ll never be able to get in front of them.” Tears fill her eyes. “What are we going to do?”
“We can go to Verdana, or to the castle. We can warn the king…,” he replies reassuringly.
Kae cuts him off. “They are most likely burning as we speak. And even if all these troops somehow miraculously bypassed the castle and Verdana, we would still be too late to help our friends.”
Chase runs his hand through his hair in contemplation. “We have these abilities. We should be able to use them.”
“But to what extent? Take out the rear guard while the front is busy annihilating our friends, and then be killed ourselves?” She goes to her knees and puts her palms together. “Dear Lord, we need a miracle tonight. Please guide our hand as we venture into what very well may be our deaths.” She abruptly rises and races out from under the safety of the waterfall.
Chase runs after her. “What are you doing?”
She smiles at him and then places a kiss on his mouth as if it is the last time their lips would meet. “You were right. We should be able to use our abilities. And if we aren’t successful, at least I found you.” She kisses him again and smiles. “Take off your shirt.” She jumps off the ledge into the pristinely cerulean lake that serves as the reservoir of the waterfall.
Chase quickly removes his shirt and plunges feet first into the icy chill of the waters below.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
The white waters churn violently, threatening to drown him, but some force buoys him. The force swirls in flashes of periwinkle light that counteract the gravitational pull of the waterfall as it plummets into the lake. A hand pushes softly against his back, driving him forward and reassuring him that he is safe. His lungs strain with the effort of holding his breath, but Kae’s voice whispers gently in his ear, “Breathe.” Putting his faith in her presence, he exhales deeply. The pressure that had been building in his lungs dissipates and he finds that he truly can breathe underwater. Inhaling the artificial air, he laughs in amazement of such an exhilarating experience. Kae is in her element and she is sharing with him all the wonders of her powers. He can feel her hands on either side of him now, steadying him as they break free of the rapidly swirling current. The storm is suddenly behind them with only calm waters lying ahead. With her hands still on his sides Kae pulls him upward, their heads momentarily breaching the surface.
Kae releases him and swims on ahead. She turns to him before diving once more. “I trust you can handle the rest by yourself.”
Chase shakes the moisture from his hair and lunges forward, swimming towards the southern bank. He pulls himself ashore and makes for the foot of the bridge upon which the Sentran ranks are crossing.
Kae is waiting for him, hiding in the shadow of the bridge. Standing there drenched and dripping, she still manages to look beautiful. The moonlight reflects off the water, casting a blue glow upon her wet hair. Her smile is mirrored in her lilac eyes as she whispers softly, “In spite of the situation, I cannot help but smile in considering what just happened. I was swimming through the water, but it was so much more than that. I was the water. And I was able to bend it to my will.”
Chase stares at her as he runs his fingers through his damp hair. “I could breathe it as if it were air. But it was so much purer. Untainted.” He touches his index finger to the tip of her nose. “Just like my Kaela.” His brow furrows and he closely examines her hair. He leans his forehead against hers and whispers, “Your hair is blue.” Kae smiles as he twirls a strand around his finger. “I kinda like it.”
Tears unexpectedly well in her eyes. “I am scared, Chase.”
Putting his hands on her shoulders, he lowers his gaze to match hers. “I love you, Kaela. Remember that. If we don’t make it through this, at least we were granted this day to spend with each other.” He squeezes her shoulders before removing his hands. Nodding resolutely, he clenches his jaw. “What’s the plan?”
Kae stares thoughtfully at the wooden bridge above them that is trembling with the footsteps of the Sentran troops. Without averting her gaze, she whispers vehemently, “Burn it.”
With one last kiss, Chase nods and climbs the rocks, positioning himself in the corner between the bridge and the slope. Placing a hand on the wooden platform, he closes his eyes and calls forth the anger, calls forth the fury that burns just beneath the surface. He summons the pain of knowing what their failure would mean. He takes the fear that he has harbored these past eleven years and uses it to fuel the fury. Opening his blue eyes, he releases the power surging through him, erupting forth like a volcano. The bridge bursts into flames, the angry tongues trapping those soldiers on the bridge and burning them alive. Flaming embers pour down upon the river as the bridge collapses, the sizzling cinders hissing snakes as they reach the water. He can hear the cries of alarm turn into agonizing screams of pain. Their burning bodies plunge into the stream, some already dead and others seeking respite from the flames.
Kae acts quickly, calling forth her powers of water to trap the fallen soldiers beneath the
tumultuous waves, drowning them and crashing their fragile bodies against the sharp rocks. Soldiers at the ends of the bridge see the watery death waiting to swallow them, so they desperately cling to the cliff, all the while their skin burning. Yet they too are swept away by the torrent as a pale blue arm reaches out from the depths and claims them for its own.
The soldiers standing on either cliff look on gravely as they watch their companions die. The voice of their commander bellows and the men who have crossed the bridge turn their backs on the scene without so much as a word. Those trapped on the other side of the river continue to stare helplessly, unable to heed the command of their leader to march on and unable to help their friends.
An arrow of flame shoots into the sky, bursting at its apogee high above the trees and raining fire down onto the trapped remainder of the black hordes below. Their black leather uniforms go up in flames, and they drop to the ground trying to extinguish it but to no avail. The angry fire has a life of its own, clinging to its victims like a hungry lion to its fallen prey. The fire goes out, leaving behind a charcoaled mass of steel and bone. Others cower behind their shields, only to be swept away by a bone-crushing wave that hammers the life out of them and carries their broken bodies into the raging river of which their comrades have already met their fate.
Chase stares at the waters rising high above him, himself unharmed by the wave that parts to either side of him. Black blurs rush past him, the roaring of the river muffling their cries. He can muster no sorrow for these men. His gaze continues upward until he can once again see the brilliance of the stars. Floating high above him on the rushing waters, arms outstretched and eyes closed, is Kae. Her shimmering blue dress clings to the back of her legs and her turquoise hair whips across her face as she stands motionless and unaffected by the waters streaming beneath her. The last of the bodies are carried into the river and out to sea. Kae drifts to the ground as the waters gradually recede. Touching land right in front of Chase, she opens her eyes. Taking a step forward, she moans and collapses into Chase’s arms. Falling to his knees, it takes most of his strength just to lay her carefully upon the ground.
Book One: Beginnings Page 14