The Diamond Bearers' Rising

by Lorena Angell

  I sure hope I didn’t just do a bad thing. There’s no time to ponder further. Our plane descends to land at the Greenville-Spartanburg airport in South Carolina.

  Once on the ground, Clara rents a car and soon we are on our way, heading to a town called Rocky Bottom, in the heart of Jocassee Gorges Wilderness Area in the Smokey Mountains.

  “This place is beautiful,” I state, more to myself than anyone else. The lush greenery, ferns, and moss remind me of Portland, OR, along with the humidity levels.

  Beth says, “Yeah, I can see why they call these the Smokey Mountains. The low clouds and mist make them look that way.”

  Once we reach the small community of Rocky Bottom, Clara turns the car off the main street onto Horse Pasture Road. We drive the windy road for a few minutes till we reach a pullout where a couple of cars are already parked.

  “Is this it?” I ask.

  “No. We will walk from here.”

  We all exit the car and Clara opens the trunk. I can smell the aromas of nature’s sweet, piney, fertile soil. The hanging mist makes me wonder if we’re going to be rained on.

  Beth asks Clara, “Are you sure this is safe? I mean, these are Hunters.”

  Clara chuckles. “Beth, leaders of all the clans are coming too. If this wasn’t a safe place, do you think they’d put themselves in danger?”

  “A simple yes would have done fine,” Beth mutters.

  I say to Clara, “Are we being watched?”

  “Probably. This location is heavily guarded.”

  Beth asks, “Do people die in this forest?”

  “Many people ‘get lost’ and return from where they came. In fact, if you tried to find this location without me, you’d fail.”

  “That’s just freaky.”

  “Beth, you’ll carry these,” Clara hands her the cloth bag of prisms from the power-removing machine. “Calli, you and I will carry the others. You’re not supposed to have contact with the prisms.”

  Clara locks the car and we walk toward the trees. She leads us to a trail that is probably more for animals than hikers. Much of it is uneven, with roots creating tripping hazards, and slippery moss-covered rocks. We follow the trail for a half hour.

  Clara stops and looks all around, for what, I don’t know. Then she moves off the trail. She pulls out a peculiar rock from her bag and holds it in front of her. She says, “Stay close to me.”

  Beth’s wide eyes meet mine.

  Clara leads us through the thick bushes and evergreens at a brisk pace, turning this way and that, making it difficult to stay close. The incredible stench of Hunters hits my nose. I mentally reduce my olfactory receptors, so I don’t dry heave.

  “Why does it suddenly stink?” Beth asks, her hand to her nose.

  “Hunters,” Clara says. “Don’t worry. You’ll adjust soon enough, and it won’t smell so bad.” She stops walking and raises the rock above her head. Astonishingly, the air in front of us parts like living-room curtains, enough for us to walk through.

  After entering through the “doorway,” I turn around to see the opening merging back together like oil spots on water joining together, similar to the opening we went through on our way to Maetha’s island.

  Beth looks at me and I read her mind. She’s also likening the experience to Maetha’s island.

  Clara says, “We’ve entered the Hunters’ Forest. Now that we’re inside, you don’t have to follow close anymore.

  I ask, looking over my shoulder, “Clara, what was that?”

  She smiles. “The whole camp is surrounded by a magical bubble.”

  I point to her hand. “What does the rock do?”

  “It’s a key. If anyone accidentally bumps into the boundary without a key,” she holds up the rock, “they’ll be rendered confused and disoriented.”

  I want to discuss this more, however my nervous jitters flare up, reminding me of the reason we’re here. I’ll have to put the bubble/rock topic on my mental shelf for now.

  We walk for another ten minutes and come over a ridge where down below is a village populated with small log cabins, tents, and rudimentary huts. People move about with purpose, carrying armfuls of firewood, buckets of water, baskets of berries and other edibles. Children run and play as if they haven’t a care in the world. The whole scene makes me think we just passed through a portal and have gone back in time.

  A tall woman with dark skin and long flowing brown hair approaches us. She wears clothing made of tanned leather, like what old trappers might wear, with a bow and quiver full of arrows strapped to her back.

  Clara introduces us. “Huntress, this is Calli Courtnae and Beth Hammond.”

  I extend my hand in courtesy, but she doesn’t reciprocate. She says, “Pardon my hesitation, Ms. Courtnae. I’ll reserve my welcome until I feel like welcoming you. Dominic was my brother and didn’t deserve to die.”

  Beth tries to stifle a protest, which only draws Huntress’ attention.

  Huntress says, “Ms. Hammond, please accept my condolences for the loss of your parents.”

  “Uh, yeah, well, thank you.” Beth clears her throat and asks, “Is your name really Huntress?”

  “I am the leader of the Hunters. Anyone wishing to address me must do so using the name Huntress. Come with me.”

  Some children run past us, giggling as they go. They’re so dirty. It seems Hunters are more ‘primitive’ in their lifestyle and actions. As we walk and approach other adults, they bow their heads when they see Huntress and step aside. I get the idea that if this were a pack of wolves, she’d be the alpha wolf.

  Clara asks, “Is your food and water supply holding out, Huntress?”

  “Yes. We manage our resources well, along with our population.”

  Beth points to a child. “Are the children Hunters as well?”

  “No. They are born here in the forest to mated Hunters. They are learning the ways of the Hunters. They know nothing else of the world outside.”

  “Do they have cosmic abilities?” Beth asks.

  “The electromagnetic disruption of the dome prevents that from happening.”

  I deduce that the words dome and bubble are referring to the same thing. I glance around at the children and feel for their powers. Huntress is right. They have no cosmic abilities, yet they are not Unaltereds either. So, some DNA alteration has occurred even with the electromagnetic disruption. Interesting.

  A shrill whistle interrupts our conversation. Huntress looks beyond us. She says, “The others are arriving. Follow me and I’ll take you to a safe place.”

  Beth glares at Clara as we follow Huntress. “What does that mean?” she whispers.

  Clara says, “The other clan leaders still believe Calli murdered their leaders. We can’t risk vigilante justice being carried out before Calli has a chance to clear her name.”

  My own alarm bells go off and I quickly look for my future. I see myself in a hotel room. That’s all it takes for me to know nothing fatal will happen to me here in the Hunters’ forest.

  Huntress leads us to a small cabin. “Wait in here. I’ll come get you when we’re ready.”

  The old-fashioned cabin is dark and rustic, with wooden furniture and cupboards. The sound of an igniting match pulls my attention to Clara who lights an oil lantern on the wooden table. Beth wanders around the room investigating the grimy environment.

  “Why is everything so dirty? Don’t they ever clean?”

  Clara doesn’t answer.

  I sit on one of the chairs and close my eyes.

  Beth and Clara carry on a conversation about how the bubble works concerning the electromagnetic interference properties. Satellites cannot see or detect the camp because of the disruption in radio waves and visual clarity. Heat sensing devices don’t work against the dome. Animals can walk through, allowing Hunters food. However, humans who come too close to the bubble without a key will pass out, at which point Hunters will carry them back to the trail they came from.

  Huntress comes to o
ur cabin. She seems distressed. “It’s time. I’ll escort you.”

  I follow directly behind her and can’t help but feel I’m heading to the electric chair or some other doomed place. My heart thuds nervously and my insides twist around.

  To get my mind off the impending grilling, I focus on the bow and arrows on her back. One of the arrows is upside down with the tip pointing up. On the very point is a black triangular piece. I narrow my vision and study it. It’s obsidian, I’m positive. I say to Huntress, “Those are interesting arrows you have in your quiver. Did you make them?”

  “No. I found them next to a skeleton of a Native American during my explorations of the Badlands. I reported the skeleton to the local tribe, so a proper burial could take place. Because I did so, the chief awarded me with the arrows. The arrowheads take away cosmic powers when stabbed. I carry them as a symbol of my leadership, knowing I can disable anyone in a flash, including anyone in my forest.”

  Beth throws a wary glance my way.

  “When did you find the skeleton?” I ask.

  “Two years ago.”

  “Too bad you didn’t have those when the Death Clan was running amok,” Beth adds.

  Voices and murmurings reach my ears as we near the group. We stop beside a cabin. The group must be around the corner. I can’t see anyone, but their angry energy heightens all my senses.

  Huntress turns to me. “I suggest you be open and truthful. We all deserve to know what happened.”

  I nod, trying to swallow against my dry mouth.

  She leads us around the corner to a wood plank platform overlooking the gathered crowd. As she tries to calm the increasingly agitated group, I scan faces for familiar people. I see some I recognize, those I assumed would be present. Huntress motions for me to step forward and begin.

  My hands are cold and clammy. I want to wipe them on my jacket, but I don’t want to reveal I’m nervous. I clear my throat and say, “Many of you were at the clearing where the Death Clan was destroyed. I was injured in the blast. A piece of the diamond lodged itself inside my heart.”

  Arthur Stiles, the Seers’ leader asks, “Why weren’t we told about that?”

  Grant Winbush, looking exactly like he did when I met him at the hotel the night before the Death Clan meeting, says “How are you still alive?”

  “I don’t know the answers to those questions, Arthur and Grant. But Clara and the Healers can confirm my story.”

  Heads swivel to the Healers, Andrew Stuart and Robert Yates, who look shocked I would call them out like this.

  Arthur asks, “Is this true?”

  Both Andrew and Robert nod. Then Andrew says, “We were ordered to secrecy by the Spellcaster Maetha.”

  An older woman asks Clara, “You knew all this time she had a diamond piece? Why did you keep that a secret, especially after Charles died?”

  I scan the woman’s mind and find she is Charles Rhondell’s wife, Irene, who was one of the kidnapped victims of the Death Clan. She saw the diamond explode on my chest.

  Clara says, “I was also ordered to silence. Calli has more to tell you. Please save your questions till the end.”

  I continue, “Thank you, Clara. The abduction of the amulet wearers for the Readers, Seers, and Hunters was orchestrated by an ex-Runner named Justin Macintyre. He wanted to reunite the shards for himself. I showed up at the Healers’ compound with Brand Safferson, who possesses a new power, to introduce him to the different clans. One element of Brand’s power is he can experience what’s going to happen and make changes to the present to avoid or alter the outcome.” I direct my next words to the Healers. “Right after you relinquished your amulet to me, Brand could tell you were about to die, not from the drug-laced food, but from Justin who was about to shoot you. Brand told me if we ran away at that moment, the lives of everyone in the room would be spared. I ran with your clan’s amulet to save your lives, not to steal it.”

  Andrew Stuart says, “Was Justin responsible for the drugging too?”

  “Yes.”

  A woman I identify as a Healer shouts out, “It’s a little too convenient that you and your friend arrived at the same time as our food had been tampered with. How do we know you weren’t working with Justin?”

  Someone else asks, “What is the new power? Is it like the Seer power?”

  Beth steps forward and raises her hands toward the crowd. “Let her finish talking.”

  I thank Beth, then say, “I’ll tell you more about the new power in a minute. After Brand and I fled the Healers’ compound, we were kidnapped by Justin and taken captive, the same as Charles Rhondell, Curtis Schultz, and Chris Harding. Dominic the Hunter was delivered the next day.” I skip over the details and move to the reuniting of the shards. “Justin didn’t know he’d been misled about the diamond shards. He didn’t know reuniting the shards would kill him. He died a bloody death. However, Justin wasn’t working alone. Another man named Henry from a secret government organization arrived right after Justin died. Henry carried a black rock that we now know is Yellowstone obsidian. It disabled our powers. Henry ordered the guards to kill everyone. We fought back, but unfortunately only Chris and I escaped. I was able to grab the diamond before fleeing. Henry was responsible for the deaths of Charles, Dominic, and Curtis. He misled Justin into believing he could become all powerful.

  Andrew asks, “Where’s the diamond now?”

  “Inside my heart. The whole Sanguine Diamond is inside me.”

  Heads turn back and forth while whispers and mumblings fill the air. “How is that possible?”, “Where is Henry?”, and “He should be punished.”

  I state clearly, “Henry is dead. The important thing to remember is I follow nature’s will. I use these multiple powers for the betterment of humanity.”

  The grumblings and whispers grow in volume, laced with doubt.

  Beth jumps forward, obviously alarmed by the growing hesitation in the crowd. “Hey! I was assigned to find Calli and bring her in. When I caught her, I learned the man she talked about was behind the deaths of the amulet wearers—your friends.”

  Irene asks, “And you believed her?”

  “No. Not at first. But then I was shown proof. The proof was compelling enough for me to join Calli in the battle to keep Henry from getting the diamond.”

  “What proof?”

  “Henry confessed everything directly to me.”

  Grant shouts, “You should have brought Calli to us.”

  “Time was of the essence. Look, if any of you doubt Calli or her intentions, you should know the Shadow Demons are gone because of her. She and Brand experimented with the demons to find out how to get rid of them.”

  The crowd silences, riveted by Beth’s words.

  I feel the need to correct her. “They’re not gone entirely, they’re just not a threat anymore. Does anyone have more questions about the clan leaders’ cause of death?”

  No one speaks for a moment, then Huntress surprises me with a question. “Will there be more demons?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve designed Pulse Emitter devices that offer protection in the rare case we missed one or if new ones come about.”

  She asks, “How did you get rid of them?”

  “I used obsidian to remove their powers.”

  Arthur Stiles asks, “What can you tell us about all the nonsense concerning obsidian going around on the Internet?”

  “I recommend you don’t buy any offered online. It’s a scam. Not all obsidian will negate powers, only the kind from the Yellowstone National Park outcropping.”

  “But what if we need to defend ourselves from someone like the Death Clan?”

  Someone else in the crowd shouts, “Yeah! It sounds like a piece of obsidian would have protected lives and prevented them from killing with their thoughts.”

  I speak over the crowd’s growing questions. “Obsidian removes your power too. Besides, we didn’t know about it when the Death Clan was a problem.” My brain runs through the different scena
rios where obsidian doesn’t work, like what if the Death Clan had charged Imperial topaz on their bodies, or what if their power had been removed and stored in a quartz crystal and they had that on their person? The crowd doesn’t know about these things yet. Instead, I say, “The moment we identified the black rock as obsidian, we began looking for a way to counteract it. What we didn’t know was the secret government facility in Denver, CO, was already two steps ahead of us. They’ve been running experiments on people with powers. They’ve also been trying to create synthesized powers. Brand Safferson’s new power is actually not natural. It’s human-made. His power was created in the government facility twenty years ago.”

  The crowd murmurs and shuffles.

  “We’re still sifting through data recovered from the Denver compound, and more recently, a similar compound located in China. The clans need to unite and coordinate. You’re too disorganized, relying on yourselves, being picked off one by one.”

  “What do you suggest we do?” Grant Winbush asks.

  “Well, for one,” I say, “you need to have meetings like this more often. Come together and fight this enemy as one strong unit.”

  Unknown people ask, “But won’t that bring unwanted attention?” and “Like from the government?”

  Huntress says, “We’ve kept our location off the government’s radar for over fifty years. I for one don’t want to bring attention to the Hunters.”

  I reply, “All meetings don’t have to take place here. They can be revolving. There are a couple reasons why you must unite together. Evil forces, whom we call Reapers, are using cosmic powers to enhance their technology, and they’re taking the powers directly from you.” I point to the crowd. “Clara was almost a victim of this a year ago.” She nods. “Reapers want your power. They will take it and transfer it into one of these pieces of quartz using a special machine.” I hold up a bag. “These belonged to Healers. Some of you may know someone who has lost their power.”

  I set the bag down and motion for Beth to hold up a prism for all to see. “Clans choosing to unite with me will receive one of these quartz prisms containing all the powers, just like the diamond amulets. However, these prisms are not deadly to the touch. For example, Beth is a Runner and she can hold the quartz with her bare hands.”