“No,” Traven stated. “I believe that is exactly what my vision means. If I had a vision of the princess, there must be a reason. If I can do something to prevent her death, I have to do it.”
“I don’t know that I agree with your decision,” Eldridge said. “Where is the princess?”
“She’s on the other side of Kalia, marching with the Royal Army towards Candus,” Traven replied. “I kind of feel like that’s where I belong anyway,” he mumbled.
“You want to be in the middle of a war?” the keeper asked. “Are you seeking for power and fame? A war is not a place you want to be.”
“I don’t want to be there,” Traven said firmly. “But I do feel like that is where I should be. I am a soldier in the Royal Army. The Balthan Army has a wielder at its head. As a wielder myself, I feel like I have a responsibility to help the Royal Army.”
Eldridge stared at him earnestly. Traven returned the keeper’s gaze, refusing to flinch. The more he thought about going to join the army and protect the princess, the more right it felt. He didn’t want to leave the keep with so much left to learn but knew that even if he left now he might not reach the army in time to help with the battle or protect the princess. He felt the same sense of urgency that he had felt in his dreams. He needed to find the princess, and he needed to find her soon.
“You are determined then?” Eldridge said it more as a statement than as a question. Traven nodded in reply. The ancient keeper let out a sigh. “I suppose it is as it must be. How soon will you be leaving?”
“I feel I must leave immediately in order to have any chance at catching up to the princess in time,” he replied.
“I thought so,” Eldridge answered with a defeated shrug of his shoulders. He then grew firm as he looked directly at Traven. “However, one thing I won’t let you do is leave without being taught how to use the ambience in defense. I will not have you die in battle because I didn’t teach you how to defend yourself. Do what you must to prepare for your journey, but meet me in the courtyard in one hour. I will be ready to teach you what I can.”
The keeper then rose and walked from the dining hall. Traven sat in place, digesting everything that had just happened. Was he crazy? He had just decided to leave the keep and journey across the entire length of Kalia because of a dream. He felt that he needed to do it, but he also felt foolish for abandoning the keep so early in his training with the ambience. He felt ungrateful and fickle to just abandon the keep and the keeper so suddenly.
As he made his way back to his room, he tried to think of a way he could show his thanks to the elderly keeper for all he had taught him in such a short period of time. He reached his suite and opened the door. He glanced around the room and realized it wouldn’t take him more than a few minutes to get all of his things together. He thought about taking a quick nap, but his eyes were drawn to the door that led up from the antechamber of his room.
He had never had a chance to see where it led. He supposed he had plenty of time before he needed to meet with Eldridge, so he walked over to the door, opened it up, and looked up the stairs. They spiraled upwards into what had to be one of the keep’s towers. He began climbing the stairs, curious as to what he might find in Faldor’s personal tower. As he ascended, the musty and burnt smell that he had noticed when he had first opened the door grew stronger.
He reached the top of the stairs and looked around but couldn’t make out much in the darkness. There were piles and stacks of things everywhere, but he couldn’t tell what they were. He carefully made his way over to one of the windows, unlatched it, and pulled it open. Light and fresh air streamed into the forgotten room.
Traven stared at its contents with wonder. The entire room was full of strange objects. There were books, models, instruments, and all manner of other objects that he couldn’t identify. There were chemicals and powders in small jars. He could also see where the burnt smell had come from. There were scorch marks all around the room.
Apparently Faldor had used this tower to experiment. He carefully rummaged through some of the objects on the various tables. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what half of them were for. He wondered what the ancient wielder had discovered while working in this very tower. What types of discoveries had the wise wielder achieved?
His gaze finally fell upon a small model that looked familiar. He picked it up and carried it to the window. Looking down at the courtyard, he compared the model to Faldor’s stone sculpture. It was an exact match, except that the model still had all three stones in it. He glanced at the model as an idea came to him.
He put the model back down and closed the window. He then descended the stairs and returned to his room. As he packed his few belongings, he set aside the golden chest. He could certainly leave it in the keep. It was Faldor’s chest after all. He opened it and looked at the two might stones. Grabbing the energy stone, he smiled. He knew what he could do to show his gratitude to the keeper and the guardians.
19
Eldridge looked out from his window at the courtyard below. He was deeply saddened by Traven’s unexpected and rash decision to leave the keep. He had been looking forward to continuing teaching and training the young wielder. The young man had been at the keep for less than two weeks but had already grown in the ambience immensely. Still, the young wielder was only beginning to scratch the surface of what he was capable of. There was so much more for him to learn, but he was already preparing to leave.
The keeper shook his head. He couldn’t really blame Traven. Visions were said to evoke strong emotions in the wielders who had them. If Traven really felt that he needed to protect the princess, the feeling would not go away. The young wielder was only doing what he felt he had to.
What worried Eldridge the most was Traven’s youth and inexperience. He believed the young man had a good heart and hoped that he would not let his new found power corrupt him. Of more concern to him was the safety of the young man. Professor Studell had shared the reports of what the wielder in Balthus had done when conquering major cities. If the rumors were true, Eldridge was afraid that Traven was not yet prepared to face him.
The keeper could only hope that Traven’s life would be spared, and he would be able to return to the keep and continue his training. Traven had so much potential but such limited training. He hoped the young man would be safe at the battle front. To lose one so young and so full of potential would definitely be a tragedy.
Eldridge was pulled from his thoughts as he watched Traven enter the courtyard. The young man walked directly to Faldor’s monument in the center of the courtyard and looked up at it. After a few moments, he wrapped his arms around one of the stone pillars and began to climb up. What was he doing?
When the young wielder reached the top, he straddled the stone pillar with his legs and began inspecting the two might stones that lay embedded in the solid rock. Eldridge’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t thinking of taking the stones was he? The keeper remembered all too well the story of Faldor’s apprentice’s flight a thousand years earlier. Was history about to repeat itself?
Eldridge watched with concern as two guardians entered the courtyard and looked up at Traven. However, the young wielder didn’t reach for either of the two might stones. Instead he sat back and pulled something from his pocket. The ancient keeper strained his eyes to see what it was. In Traven’s hand rested a stone. The stone appeared to be green with slight flashes of yellow sparking across its surface. It was the energy stone.
The keeper watched as the young man stared down at the empty socket where the might stone had originally lain. A flame appeared above the socket and began to spin in on itself. It spun faster and faster. Eldridge watched as it solidified into liquid fire. The liquid fire slowly descended to lay inside the shallow socket on the stone pillar. Traven watched it for a few moments as the liquid fire’s intense heat caused the stone of the pillar to melt slightly. He then carefully set the might stone down into the glowing socket and jerked his hand back
as it flashed a brilliant white.
The ancient keeper immediately felt a wave of energy wash through his body. He gasped at the feeling and stared at Traven, in awe of the young man. He felt guilty for his earlier suspicions. The young wielder had melded the might stone back into the column. He had restored Faldor’s monument to its original glory. The monument would now give extra energy to all those at the keep. It would also strengthen the animals and plants nearby.
The young wielder would do just fine with his new power. He would be just fine.
* * * * *
Traven created a small ball of ice and held it in his right hand. It quickly helped to ease the pain of the slight burn on his fingertips. He had forgotten how hot liquid fire was. He tossed the ball of ice to the ground when his hand got too cold to hold it anymore. He glanced down at the might stone, newly embedded in the monument where it belonged. He created a small amount of water in front of him and doused the top of the stone column. He smiled to himself as the stone hissed and hardened around the might stone. He then turned around and slid down the stone column to the ground.
Two guardians stood at the edge of the courtyard staring at him. He had been so focused on setting the might stone into the top of the column that he hadn’t even noticed when they entered the courtyard. They glanced from him to the monument and back to him. Both smiled, nodded to him, and then continued across the courtyard and into the keep.
Traven sat down and leaned back against one of the stone pillars. He was reminded of how much effort it took to create liquid fire. He closed his eyes and rested while he waited for the keeper to come and give him his last training session. He allowed his mind to open up as he tried to sense all that was around him.
He could feel a faint pulsing coming from the monument at his back and spreading outward in all directions. He could feel the currents in the air as they swept particles around the monument. He let his senses stretch further and could tell where the walls of the keep began as the particles in the air crashed against them and rushed up over and into the open valley beyond.
He found it fascinating that he could sense where things were with his eyes closed. It was his ability to sense the particles in the air that allowed it. Wherever the particles moved freely, he knew there was open air. If the particles went around something, he knew something solid was there. Eldridge had told him that if he meditated enough, he would get to the point where he would be able to sense everything around him whether he was meditating or not.
The particles in the air shifted, and he knew someone was entering the courtyard from the keep’s main doors. He opened his eyes and was surprised to find Studell walking towards him instead of Eldridge. He pushed himself up to his feet to greet the philosopher.
“So you’re leaving already!” Studell exclaimed before Traven had a chance to say anything. “We’ve only been here for about two weeks. I think if we spent the rest of our lives here we wouldn’t be able to learn all of the knowledge that’s stored here. Must you go so soon?”
“I don’t want to go,” Traven replied. “But I feel like I must.” In his hurried decision to leave the keep he had completely forgotten about the philosopher. He imagined that Studell wouldn’t be happy about leaving. “I’m sorry to drag you away from here so soon.”
“Drag me away from here!” Studell exclaimed. “I’m not going anywhere. The keeper has offered to let me stay here until the day I die, and I think I might just take him up on it. Besides, I would just slow you down. If you’re really going to try and catch up to the Royal Army, you are going to have to travel fast. Even so, I don’t think you’ll be able to catch up with them before they reach the pass.”
Traven supposed Studell was probably correct. He just hoped that he would get to the princess in time to keep her safe. He assumed she would stay in Candus when the army continued on to the pass. There was no reason for her to be anywhere near the battle. He hoped he would be able to at least reach Candus and the princess before the battle began.
“You do realize you’ve already missed the Arrow,” the philosopher stated. “I’m not even sure how you’re going to get away from this desert.”
Traven stared back at Studell with worry. How was he going to get back? He supposed he could follow the coast, but it would take longer and be a difficult journey. The more he thought about the journey that lay ahead of him, the worse it looked.
“I suppose I’ll have to follow the coast,” Traven replied. “I’ll be able to travel faster by myself, but I don’t really like the prospect of traveling alone.”
“You won’t be traveling alone.” Traven turned to see Eldridge listening from the front steps of the keep. “I have informed the guardians of your decision to leave and two have volunteered to accompany you. They feel a certain amount of responsibility to protect the wielder of this keep. They are preparing the necessary items for the journey.”
Traven was relieved to hear that he wouldn’t have to make the long journey alone. He wondered which of the guardians had volunteered. He watched as the keeper made his way down the steps and shuffled over to him.
“The guardians will lead you east along the route they use when coming to and returning home from the keep. They will also sail you across the gulf in one of our small ships. This will hopefully allow you to catch up to the princess and return to us sooner.”
Traven let out a sigh of relief. Perhaps he wouldn’t be too far behind the army after all.
“I see you have restored the energy stone to its proper place,” Eldridge said with a smile, changing the subject. “For that I am very grateful. Faldor certainly would have approved of such an act.
“Now I would like to quickly teach you about defensive magic. The concept is simple and builds upon what you already know. One simple way to counteract anything a wielder casts at you is to form a particle sphere around yourself. Just as the sphere of particles you use to whisper on the wind doesn’t let anything out, a tight particle sphere won’t let anything in. Shall we practice?”
“Sure,” Traven replied. He concentrated and instantly had a sphere of particles surrounding him.
“Have you created it?” Eldridge asked after several seconds.
“Yes.”
“Then we will test it.” The keeper carefully bent over and picked up a clump of dirt. He then threw it directly at Traven’s face. Traven flinched in surprise, but the clump never reached him. It hit the invisible barrier and burst into pieces that all fell to the ground.
“Good,” Eldridge said. “Now a few words of caution. If you hold the sphere for too long you will run out of air to breath. Also if the force of the attack against you is greater than your hold on the particle sphere, the sphere will either break or be thrown backwards. Either one could result in injury to you, so you must be careful. Oftentimes it may be better to create a flat shield of particles to deflect the individual attack.
“Another way to fight against attacks is by using the ambience to create something that will stifle the attack. For example, if a wielder throws a fireball at you, you can create water that will extinguish the flame. If an arrow is shot at you, you can use a gust of wind to alter its course. There are countless ways to counter an attack. I just wanted to mention a few to get you thinking. I wish I had time to teach you more but that will have to do for now. I expect you will practice all of these things along your journey so that you will be prepared when you reach your destination.”
Traven assured the keeper that he would practice them. It seemed like it would not be much different than practicing wielding any of the other things he had learned. He figured that if he continued practicing wielding the ambience along the way to Candus, he would be much stronger and more skilled using the ambience when he reached his destination.
“Another useful trick is the ability to hide yourself from your enemies,” Eldridge continued. “If this wielder in Balthus knows of you, he will definitely want to follow your movements. This trick will not only allow you to keep
him from screeing you but will also allow you to stop those nearby from seeing you. A wielder hides himself by creating a particle shield around himself and then wrapping light around the shield. It takes practice to perfect, but I assume you could do a descent job of it right now if you wanted to.”
Traven decided he might as well try it. He quickly created the particle shield around his entire body. He then pulled light around it. The keeper’s eyes grew large and then he smiled as he shrugged his shoulders. Traven let the shield drop.
“Was I invisible?” he asked excitedly.
“Not exactly,” Eldridge responded. “You were more of a shadowy blur, but with some practice you will be able to fully hide yourself. You already have the basic idea.” Traven was a little disappointed at his failure, but eager to work on perfecting invisibility while journeying to Candus. Being invisible could definitely prove useful.
“There is one other thing that I wish I had time to teach you before you go,” the keeper said. “Unfortunately, it’s something that would take you years to master. It is the art of healing with the ambience. It is truly an amazing thing, but one must understand the body in precise detail or else he will do more harm than good. It would be very useful in the field of battle. However, since you do not have the time to learn it, you must make careful use of the healing stone. I presume you have it with you?”
“I do,” Traven replied. He hadn’t had a chance to learn how to use it but had hoped to discover its properties on the journey.
“It is simple to use,” Eldridge continued. “You merely need to place it near a wound and feed it with energy. You will see certain particles rotating around the stone. You feed the stone by creating a flow of those particles from the air into the stone. The stone will absorb the particles and then transfer the energy into the person who is wounded. The stone will allow the wound to heal much quicker than it would by itself.
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