“Darcienna, you can stay here if you want,” Kade said as he looked at Marcole. Darcienna huffed in frustration.
“No! I am coming with you,” Darcienna said tight-lipped with a focused glare.
She hugged Marcole tightly as she walked up the porch to stand in front of Kade’s mother. Judeen did not reach out right away, giving Darcienna every last minute she wanted with her son. She understood fully what it meant to leave your son in the hands of another. Finally, Darcienna handed him to her and stepped back off the porch while wiping away a tear.
“Darcienna,” Judeen called. Darcienna turned and gave a confident smile.
“I will keep him safe,” she vowed, not needing to hear any more to know what was going to be said. Judeen closed her mouth and nodded once.
“We should go,” Darcienna said as she turned away from her boy who was starting to fuss.
“I will never be able to tell you how much I appreciate you looking after Marcole,” Kade said to his parents.
“I can’t watch you go, my Son,” Judeen said as she gave him a hug and then retreated into the cabin. It reminded him of the previous time he had left. Kade was sure she was crying again, but he knew it was out of his hands to fix. His heart hurt for her. Dran gave Kade a smile, a nod of his head and then turned to go check on Judeen.
“Go look after mother,” Kade said as his mind already started plotting out the path he must take to Master Chosen Doren’s home. Kade turned to leave when a shimmer caught his eye. It was like when heat rises up off a dark rock in the middle of a hot, sunny day. When he focused on it, it was gone but there was a definite sense of urgency now that made his heart pound.
*CH8*
Kade tried to ignore the panic that threatened to well up in him. He could not race off every time something or someone told him to. His nerves were already on edge as it was. He did his best to ignore the knot in his stomach and mounted the dragon. He reached down and pulled Darcienna up to sit behind him. He gave the signal to the dragon to go and off they went.
The dragon started out and Kade gave it directions. Unfortunately, it was in the direction of the town they had just left. Kade could not help but to focus on the time he had wasted going back and forth between the town and his parents’ home. It was for a good reason, he told himself. I had to make sure my parents were safely home.
Kade’s mind returned to the old grizzled man. He kept seeing him holding the axe, ready to do battle, but at the same time, he would see him shaking in fear as the weapon fell from his grasp. If there was one thing his master preached almost incessantly, it was to never use the power for revenge. Once on the path of using the power for revenge, from there it was for using it for anything with no moral compass to guide your way. Kade knew this and so did anyone who knew anything about the Divine. It made sense to him why his mother and father reacted so strongly. Zayle had made it clear that Kade would be taught to use the power justly and that to do otherwise would be a step towards self-destruction. But, it felt so good to destroy the man, Kade thought and then gasped at his own thinking.
“Kade, what is it?” Darcienna asked.
“I just thought I saw something,” Kade said, not wanting to give her something to worry about.
Kade let his mind wander as he considered what Doren was going to be like. Was he going to welcome Kade as a friend and ally, or was he going to treat him as an adversary who he had to guard his secrets from? With the way Zayle used to describe other Chosen, it could go either way. But, one thing Kade knew for certain; he needed to guard the secrets in his books.
Kade could see the town of Dresben off in the distance and turned north to give it a wide birth. He was not going to take the chance that Morg may be there. As the lights of the town faded behind him, he felt himself relax more and more.
“Kade?” Darcienna asked hesitantly after sitting quiet for almost an hour.
“Yes?” Kade asked casually.
“I’m not sure how to say this without sounding crazy.”
“After the last few weeks, I doubt anything you say can surprise me.”
“When we were back in the cave, it looked like there was a face in the darkness.”
Kade stiffened momentarily and then relaxed. He took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then let it out. He cast a glance over his shoulder and found her innocent blue eyes watching him.
“I…can’t say for sure,” Kade said, not wanting to discuss the issue. “I don’t know what I believe,” he said quietly as he turned forward. It was obvious he did not want to discuss this any further as the silence dragged on, so she let it drop.
“Do you know anything about where Doren lives?” Darcienna asked, purposefully changing the subject.
“Not really,” Kade responded, somewhat relieved.
“I think it’s time we move a bit faster,” Kade said as he urged the dragon to increase speed. Rayden was more than okay with a faster pace now as he lowered his head and took off.
The sun had been down for hours as they came to the base of a small mountain. Kade looked up at the double moons as he pondered the information that he had received from the book. Yes, this was the perfect place to stop. They were getting close so it was a good time to rest and prepare. He wanted to be sharp when he met another Chosen for the first time.
Kade brought the dragon to a stop and slid to the ground. Not quite as graceful as he wanted, but he did not fall flat on his face, as he feared he might. Long rides like this tended to make his legs go numb. He turned, ready to catch Darcienna. She was more stable than he expected, needing only a little support, although she did not walk as upright as she normally did. He was sure she would need to work out some of the kinks in her back and deal with the bruises on her bottom.
“We should rest for a little while before we go,” Kade said, squatting down to flex his legs.
“Agreed. And some food and warmth might be nice.”
“The food I can do,” Kade said as he felt the dragon focus on him. He had to figure out a way to feed the dragon more efficiently. Conjuring one piece at a time was getting to be too tedious.
“And the fire?” Darcienna asked.
“I don’t want to take the chance that we may be seen. If he were to see the light…,” Kade said and let the thought trail off.
“Well, as long as I have some way to keep warm,” Darcienna said, giving him a smile.
“It’s time for me to start making food,” Kade said as he focused his mind and stood up slowly, still aching from the ride.
Kade went through the ritual, forcing himself to keep his mind on task at every step. He created ten pieces without issue so he decided to continue. He felt good that his mind had not wandered as he continued. Rayden was also very pleased with the extra pieces of meat. Kade patted the dragon on the neck and pushed him away, signaling that the feeding was finished. The dragon moved off a short distance and then dropped down heavily.
Kade made two pieces of meat and handed them both to Darcienna. Next, he made a loaf of bread and handed that to her, also. And finally, he made a chunk of cheese. He sat down next to her, and after several exchanges back and forth, they both had their three course meal. Kade enjoyed the flavors as he swallowed the juice from the meat.
“It is getting a little chilly out, don’t you think?” Darcienna asked, hinting at him to share some of his body heat with her.
“Here, take this,” Kade said as he pulled an extra shirt out of his sack. “This should help keep you warm.”
“Thank you,” Darcienna said, shaking her head and breathing a sigh. Why do men have to be hit over the head with the obvious before they see it? she asked herself. “I think I will look around for a torok tree. Some wine would be perfect with the rest of this bread and cheese,” she said as she rose and turned to go.
“I think you should stay here with the dragon while I go,” Kade said. She put her hand on his chest and held him still.
“You finish eating. I will be close. If I ne
ed anything, I will call to you. I won’t be far,” Darcienna said as she pushed him back to the log they were using as a seat. “And besides, I do need just a little time alone,” Darcienna said as she turned to go. Her meaning was not lost on him.
“Just stay close,” Kade called after her.
Darcienna moved off through the woods on what looked like a very lightly travelled path. She continued to walk, looking over her shoulder every now and then to ensure she had not gone too far. Although she could no longer see the dragon or Kade, she was certain she was within screaming distance. It could not have been more than ten minutes when she spotted the tree she was looking for. It was several strides off the path to the right. She felt herself start to salivate at the thought of wine as she walked up to the tree and reached for one of the lower leaves. She twisted and broke it free of its stem. A small shadow the size of a mouse drifted from a bush behind her to a similar bush just a little closer. Darcienna reached for another leaf and pulled, but it ripped. She huffed in frustration, and again, missed the shadow that was half her size as it moved just ten feet off to her side. It disappeared into another bush. Her eyes glowed softly. She glanced to her right at the bush for several seconds and then went back to reaching for another leaf.
So intent on removing the leaf from the tree, Darcienna missed the faint warning. She twisted and turned, trying to get a better position on the branch as it fought to keep its leaf. She gritted her teeth, trying her best not to tear this one and did not see as the shadow glided ghostlike behind her. It began to grow. She froze as her eyes began to blaze brighter and brighter by the moment. Her heart started to pound, and her eyes came open wide as she listened, hardly breathing. There was not a sound, and yet, the feeling of danger was increasing by the second.
The shadow was now her height and growing, still. Its arms were as thick as her waist and its legs were like tree trunks. She was torn between calling out and remaining silent. She listened hard but heard nothing. If she stayed quiet, the danger may pass, but if she called out, it would surely be on her instantly. She told herself to move as the leaves slipped from her hand, all but forgotten. The face formed and the eyes shown as it grinned down on its prey. Her eyes blazed. Run! She screamed at herself, but by this time, she was petrified with fear. Just call out, she begged herself, but she was hardly able to breath much less call for help. The fear of being alone and away from the dragon and Kade in the dark with this ever increasing danger paralyzed her. She was certain that if she took a step, her knees would buckle. A tear seeped out of the corner of her eye as she tried to call out, but it was no more than a whisper. She could feel its presence behind her as her warning of danger flared even brighter in her mind. The fear in her was so profound now that she almost welcomed death just to escape it. Almost.
“Darcienna, you are taking a long time,” Kade said as he called out to her. Unfortunately, there was to be no response.
The creature was completely formed. It smoothly reached around her with both hands, clamping one over her mouth while smoothly lifting her off the ground with the other in a grip like granite. The more she struggled, the more she felt herself bruising. She was sure she was going to have a broken nose. She tried to press her head back away from such tremendous pressure, but her head was already against its chest. There was no getting away from the grip that felt as hard as rock.
“You are taking too long,” Kade called out. There was no reply. Kade tried to put it off to her needing that private time, but it was not working. “Darcienna,” Kade said as he got to his feet and started to walk in the direction she had gone. He stopped and looked further down the path as something caught his attention. His pulse started to increase as he studied the dark. He watched closely for any movement. “Darcienna,” Kade called out again. He was looking forward to giving her a tongue lashing for making him worry like this.
Kade looked at the dragon to see if it was sensing anything, but Rayden showed no signs of concern as he was lying calmly, licking the juices off his front legs. The fact that Rayden was not acting as if there was any danger was comforting, but still, why was she taking so long? Kade went along the path she had walked, listening intently for any sound as he searched the dark.
Looking back and forth as he listened closely for any sound, Kade could not find even a hint of her. As he moved along the path, he spotted a torok tree off to his right. He listened carefully as he worked his way toward the tree, his gut instinct warning him over and over that something was not right. He approached the tree and stood completely still, scanning the area. He was barely breathing as he listened for any sound of her. There was nothing. His chest started to tighten as worry started to make his heart pound. He turned to go when he stepped on something that flexed slightly under his foot and then gave a soft pop. He lifted his foot and saw that he had crushed a leaf from the tree. There, next to it was another one. Two intact leaves and one ripped leaf.
Exactly two good leaves that could have been used to hold wine, Kade thought to himself and could no longer convince himself that everything was ok. He quickly returned to the dragon.
Rayden, Kade sent as his head started to spin. Darcienna is missing. Can you sense her? Can you sense anything at all?
Rayden inhaled deeply several times. He swung his head around to look at Kade, not sensing anything out of the ordinary. He sat back on his haunches and then stood up on his hind legs, using his tail for balance. Kade estimated that the dragon must have stood thirty feet at the top of its head. He looked up, surprised.
There was something in the link now. Rayden came back down with a thud as his head swung around to stare at Kade. There was now fire in its eyes and its muscles were tense as if ready for battle. Kade’s heart pumped hard. Rayden turned and then headed toward the path. Kade was more than eager to follow, certain the dragon was on the trail of something.
“What do you see?” Kade asked.
He felt the dragon in his head and realized it was trying to show him something. He closed his eyes and did his best to open his mind. The image of a large, hulking creature lumbering toward the mountain with Darcienna held tightly to its chest flashed in his mind. He gasped.
“They have her!” Kade exclaimed.
He grabbed the sack of books and was about to swing them up onto the dragon when he stopped, setting the bag back down. Carefully reaching into the sack, he pulled the black book out and tucked it into the back of his pants. He signaled Rayden to kneel and pulled himself up, quickly tying the books into place. Kade performed the Silence Calling and then the Transparency Calling as his pulse started to race. Dragon and rider faded from view, and Kade signaled the dragon to go.
Rayden moved along the path, knocking branches out of the way as he traveled. The trail opened to a hillside where the landscape thinned. Kade could see the creature now with Darcienna held fast and yearned to send the Divine Power crashing into it.
Just put her down, Kade thought as he fought the urge to blast it in the back.
He watched closely, hoping to see Darcienna move. He focused on the limp form, desperate for a sign that would indicate she was still alive, but she hung limp in the creatures grasp as it moved methodically. It did not matter if it was up hill or downhill, it walked at the same steady pace as though gravity nor the steepness of the grade had any effect on it.
Kade rubbed his eyes, sure they were playing tricks on him. Or, maybe it was the lack of light, but he was sure there were two smaller creatures trailing the other one, now. Where had they come from? He turned away and rubbed his eyes once more, but when he looked back, sure enough, there were definitely three of them. Kade could feel the ground shake as their heavy footsteps thudded with each time their feet hit the ground. They marched in perfect step with each other as if something or someone were calling cadence. Kade could feel the vibrations, even from this distance.
He heard a sound so faint that he almost missed it. He paused, hoping he was wrong about what it might be. For just a moment, he
could have sworn it was the sound of laughter.
Morg? But, if it was Morg, wouldn’t he just come for me? He asked himself. His jaw hit the ground, and his eyes came open wide as the sound drifted to him once more.
One of the trailing creatures turned slowly to look back, and then just as slowly, turned to face forward. Something about the way it moved concerned him, but he was not able to say why. He continued on, watching for an opening, hoping he could swoop in and grab her, but they did not show any signs of stopping or releasing their grip on their captive. She was a ragdoll in their hands.
Kade kept his eyes on the creatures as they trudged up the mountain…or maybe it was more accurate to call them huge, rolling hills. The creature in the back and to the right would look behind itself every few minutes. It gave Kade a bad feeling but he continued, regardless.
What could it be looking for? Kade questioned as he studied the three figures. It cannot see or hear me, and I am too far back for them to catch my scent, so what could it be looking at?
They gave no other indication that they knew they were being followed except for that glance back. Maybe it was just their way of watching for me to make sure I was not following. Yes, that makes more sense, Kade thought.
Rayden had to work his way around rocks here and there but nothing that hindered their travel. Kade continued to close the gap. Again, one would turn and look back, giving him the eerie feeling that they were looking right at him, watching him as if they knew exactly where he was.
The creatures crested the top of the hill and continued in their methodical march. As Kade closed the gap, he could see light in the distance. He came to a stop and listened. Sure enough, there was laughter again. He prepared to signal the dragon to continue when a movement off to his right caught his attention. His head whipped around, but there was absolutely nothing. If there had been something, he definitely would have seen it. Rocks, mounds of dirt and a few sparse shrubs here and there were all that littered the hillside. Something was nagging at him, but nothing seemed out of place. He closed his eyed and used the Reveal Calling, but yet again, nothing. He continued to stare for several long moments and then refocused his attention on the sound coming from over the hill.
The Divine Path (The Divine Series) Page 24