by Blair Drake
“How can you be so sure?” Jasper cried, not at all convinced.
“Because it’s been foreseen in the book that knows all truths. Ye saw it for yerself.”
“I saw a drawing that looked like me in the middle of a fearsome battle. Is that what you think’s ahead of us?”
Rylan held his gaze, his expression somber. “I don’t know the exact details, but it’s not going to be easy. Even so, I believe with all my heart we’ll find a way through it. Ye’ll break the spell, and life will return to the way it should be. My beautiful Aeysha was lost to me forever, but I’ll be content to have my health and my powers restored so I can help others in the same way I used to and fulfill the life I was meant to live.”
“And what about me? Supposing I find this mysterious stone, and you’re returned to your former glory…what happens to me? How do I get out of this place and return home to where I belong?”
“I have no power to predict the future, Jasper,” Rylan replied quietly. “I can’t promise a trade-off and ye can’t expect that, for a certainty. All I can tell ye is what I know. Ye have been sent here to find the stone, to complete the quest, to break the spell. Ye were given the power to do it, even though ye don’t understand what that power is. When the time comes—where it’s needed— it will manifest itself. Of this I’m certain.”
“How can you be so sure?” Jasper insisted, needing more than some vague promise of magical intervention to assist them on what would apparently be a dangerous journey.
“Because that’s how magical powers work,” Rylan replied simply. “We don’t know what our powers will enable us to do until we need them.”
Jasper compressed his lips and sighed. He wasn’t satisfied with Rylan’s answer, but it was obvious it was the best he was going to get. The very idea he had magical powers was ludicrous, and yet everything he’d experienced since he arrived in Yarrin had an air of the fantastic. There was nothing for it but to put his trust in the healer and do what he had to do. Hopefully, they both survived this quest and Rylan would then help him return home.
The sun had barely peeked its face above the horizon when Rylan and Jasper set out. Each of them carried a knapsack filled with pieces of dried food, water, and other essentials. The cool air was sharp against Jasper’s nostrils, but it was a welcome relief from the humidity.
Jasper had long since ditched his school blazer, and now started out in only his long-sleeved school shirt and pants. The tie around his neck seemed incongruous in these ancient surroundings, and though he loosened it, he left it on anyway. It was a link to his past and much easier to carry on him than the blazer.
“Which direction are we headed?” Jasper asked, puffing slightly under the weight of his backpack.
“South. We go south until we hit the Maji River.”
“How far away is it?”
“It will take many days, mayhap as much as a week. It depends upon what…challenges we encounter along the way.”
Jasper shot him a look filled with suspicion. “What do you mean, challenges?”
Rylan merely shrugged. “Who knows, but if this quest were easy, anyone could have done it. I’ve waited the best part of twenty years for the right person to come along—for ye to come along. Now that yer here, I’m more than grateful.”
Jasper remained silent, and the two of them trudged forward. Jasper’s shoes crunched on the hard ground. Had it only been yesterday he’d pulled them on in readiness for school? It felt like a lifetime ago. For all he knew, it was even more than that.
They trekked for over three hours before Rylan called a halt. The hot sun had barely climbed a quarter of the way across the sky. Jasper checked his watch. It was a little after nine. He showed the device to Rylan. The old man shook his head in amazement.
“What do ye call that contraption?”
“A watch. It keeps track of the time.”
“Does it use the sun?”
“No. It runs on a battery. The battery keeps the hands moving. See.”
Jasper showed him again, but Rylan’s eyes clouded over in confusion. Jasper swallowed a smile and didn’t bother to explain to him about cell phones and televisions and motor cars. No sense in boggling the man’s mind completely.
The terrain continued to be challenging, with rocks and high grass hampering their progress. Every now and then they came across a small patch of turned earth where a few straggly plants struggled to survive. Jasper wondered where the large-scale farming took place and how the people managed to grow food in such a dry and arid land.
The further south they walked, the higher the temperature rose. They found a spot under a stand of trees providing a modicum of shade.
“We’ll rest awhile and catch our breath,” Rylan said and divested himself of his pack.
Jasper followed suit, grateful for the chance to remove the heavy weight from his back, even for a few moments. Rylan undid the strap on his knapsack and handed Jasper a chunk of cheese. Jasper accepted the food with a murmur of thanks.
“So far, so good,” Rylan said, chewing on another piece.
“Yes, although I’m not used to lugging around a backpack containing so much stuff. Are you sure we need all this?”
Rylan nodded. “We have a long and difficult journey ahead of us, with many potential dangers along the way. It’s good to be prepared.”
Jasper accepted the old man’s explanation in silence and took the time to look around him. They were in the middle of nowhere. Apart from a flamboyance of startled flamingos, and an equally surprised antelope, they hadn’t passed another living thing in the past three hours. Though Jasper was in a strange world, and on a completely different planet and time, the terrain and the animals they came across reminded him of Africa.
When he was fourteen, Jasper’s parents took him on a safari through Zambia during the summer break. They traveled in relative comfort in a modified minibus along with a group of noisy Australian tourists. They managed to spot four of the big five game animals Africa was famous for, and even saw the Victoria Falls. His parents were amazed at the wonder of it but personally, Jasper preferred the magnificence of Niagara Falls. Being an American and living in Canada, he was probably a little biased.
He glanced across at Rylan. The man was settled against a baobab tree. His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be dozing. Jasper cleared his throat to get the healer’s attention. “Rylan, when you speak about potential dangers, are you talking about wild animals?”
“Yes, and other things.”
“Like what?”
Rylan sighed. “Let’s just say, when word gets out of yer arrival, King Defyron will be far from pleased. He’ll know ye pose a threat to the spell he cast over me. He’s powerful, but not as powerful as the gods who rule this land. The gods were displeased by the curse he laid on my head. For three days after that, there was darkness over all the land. Like I said, I always used my powers for healing and making others rest a little easier. The gods were angry the King interfered with that. King Defyron knows as well as I do the gods promised to send someone to defeat his curse. It’s written in the Book of Griffin. The king will call on all of his powers to prevent ye from achieving yer goal. ”
“So Aeysha’s father is still alive?”
“Very much so. He’s far too wicked to die. He lives in the castle on the highest mountain peak overlooking the valley where I live.”
“How will he find out about me?”
Rylan regarded him somberly. “Baron Drakor is the King’s right-hand man. He’s very powerful in his own right. Mark my words, he would already have told the King about ye and yer fight. The King will wonder about this boy who managed to best his strongest man, and he’ll recall the words of the gods. We must be prepared for retaliation.”
“Will he try and stop us?”
“Ye better believe it. He’ll do everything he can to prevent us from reaching the stone.”
“Does he have the same map we do? Does he know where the stone is?”
“That I can’t say. I hope not.”
Jasper shuddered, and his belly filled with dread. How can I go head to head with an evil warlock? I’m barely a man. What does Rylan expect of me? Jasper wished he knew.
“Don’t ye worry so, boy. We’ll work it out.”
While Jasper marveled, not for the first time, about Rylan’s mind reading skills, the healer went about packing up their things and secured the strap on his knapsack. Getting to his feet, he jiggled the backpack until it rested in place. Jasper sighed quietly and followed suit. Their break was over.
Rylan took the lead as usual, setting the pace, and Jasper followed close behind. He thought about the days and weeks ahead of them and barely suppressed a groan. Though he was fit from regular football practice, he didn’t relish the thought of lugging a heavy backpack halfway across the plains.
His gaze fell on the healer who walked in the body of an eighty-year-old, and he was ashamed of his thoughts. If Rylan could trek over field and forest without a word of complaint, so could he.
In the distance, he saw a thick line of trees. Though they were still the best part of a day’s walk away, Rylan told him they were headed to the edge of that rainforest.
Great. Just what he needed, to be battling slithering, slimy creatures and leeches that would suck his blood. Not to mention the gnats and mosquitoes—he was sure they had no repellant in their packs. He hoped Rylan had some magical potion to ease the torment and pain because he was always a target for insects.
They continued to march along in silence. Jasper found himself trailing farther and farther behind. His shoes began to rub, and blisters broke out on his heels. The pack on his back was heavy. He didn’t know how much further he could go. He stared at Rylan’s back and wondered where the old man found the energy and stamina. They rounded three large boulders, and suddenly the air was filled with a roar so loud and menacing Jasper’s blood ran cold.
Chapter 6
Out of the tall grass, a lioness bounded toward them. Up ahead, Rylan froze. Jasper’s first instinct was to run in the opposite direction and leave his guide to his own devices, but that impulse was quickly curbed. There was no way he could abandon the old man.
The lioness roared again, and this time she bared her teeth. She was less than twenty yards away from where Rylan stood. To his credit, the healer held his ground. Jasper didn’t know whether to applaud the man’s bravery or call him stupid.
Without conscious thought, Jasper threw off his backpack and ran toward the lion. His heart pounded as fear tightened his chest. Still, he kept going.
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” he shouted, waving his arms back and forth. The distraction worked. The animal pulled up midstride, sleek muscles rippling, and turned in Jasper’s direction.
“Jasper! What are ye doing?” Rylan cried.
“I’m trying to save your life.”
The lioness sniffed the air, swinging her head to and fro. It was obvious, she was torn between going for Rylan and sinking her teeth into the new threat Jasper presented. Her indecision worked in their favor. From the corner of his eye, Jasper saw Rylan undo his knapsack and withdraw a lethal-looking weapon.
It was a short, thick club. The staff was wider at the top and decorated with nasty looking spikes. If Rylan managed to connect with the animal, it could prove fatal for the lioness. Once again, the big cat snarled its displeasure and showed its impressive array of sharp teeth. Jasper trembled with fear but remained where he was.
The three of them stood that way for what seemed like forever, then the lioness decided she’d had enough. In one fluid movement, she leaped from the ground at full stretch, headed straight for Jasper. He cried out in terror but didn’t move. Rylan swung the club. And then a weird thing happened.
A bolt of electricity shot through Jasper’s body, and his hair stood on end. He tingled all over. At the same time, his school pin glowed red, emanating heat.
As if on command, his arms came up, and he stepped forward and caught the full force of the lioness’ body against his chest. Her jaws snapped open and closed mere inches from his face. He turned his head away, and with a strength he didn’t know he possessed, he tossed the lioness away.
She hit the ground hard, more than fifteen yards away. She yelped once, twice, and then lay still. Jasper stared at the animal, unsure what just happened. Rylan hurried forward and patted him on the back.
“Well done, my boy! Well done! That was closer than I was comfortable with. Still, I guess we have confirmation of yer magical power now, right?” Rylan grinned.
Jasper, in shock, continued to stare from the giant cat to the man and back again. Did I really just catch a lioness and throw her to her death? It certainly looked that way. He stared down at his hands as if he were seeing them for the first time. They looked the way they always looked, but somehow other things were different. He felt stronger and broader and taller. He felt like he ruled the world. It was the way he’d felt after breaking Drakor’s arm, only that time he’d been so dazed and confused he hadn’t had time to contemplate what happened.
It was like that now. He’d killed a lioness with his bare hands and by doing so, managed to save their lives. As he became fully aware of what happened, Jasper’s knees weakened, and he sank to the ground. Rylan’s expression gentled with understanding. He set aside his club and knapsack and crouched beside Jasper.
“It’s all right, boy,” he murmured, stroking Jasper’s back. “Don’t be frightened of it. We always knew ye had magic in ye. Well, I did, anyhow. After witnessing that fight with Drakor and now this… Anyway, be proud of yer ability. Extraordinary strength! Who wouldn’t want that? And ye can’t tell me it didn’t come in handy. I might have fended her off with my club if I’d managed to get in a decent hit or two, but there was no guarantee those hits would have been enough to save us. Lucky for me, I had ye.”
Jasper stared up at Rylan in confusion and disbelief. He started to tremble violently. Even his teeth chattered.
“Yer in shock, boy. Just breathe in slow and deep. Don’t try and think about what just happened. It’s a lot to take in all at once. I was born into a family of healers. Even though I resisted for a number of years, healing magic was always a part of my life. For ye, it’s been different. Now that ye know, it’s important to come to terms with it, accept it, embrace it. But just remember to use it for good. The power is in yer hands. Magic can just as easily be used for evil. If Aeysha were still alive, she’d tell ye all about that.” The old man sighed with regret.
Jasper fixed his gaze on the ground. He hugged his knees to his chest and rested his head on them. He scraped his knee against his injured cheek and didn’t even twinge. It was a miracle; it was magic; it was… Hell, he didn’t know what it was. All he knew was he was now part of all this. And it scared him half to death.
Gradually, the trembling subsided and the tingles left his arms. He looked like he always looked, felt like he always felt. Finally, he felt able to stand. He glanced at Rylan.
“I’m okay now. Thanks for your concern. And thanks for explaining what happened back there.”
Rylan nodded and stood. He put out a hand and helped Jasper to his feet. Still a little shaky, it took Jasper a moment to get his bearings.
“Remember, slow deep breaths. Take yer time. In an hour or so, we’ll make camp. Night falls quickly this time of year. We don’t want to be caught out in the open when the sun sets.”
Jasper shuddered at the thought other man-eating predators might come out to hunt and feed at dusk. Would he be forced to confront other dangerous and frightening creatures in order to survive? Yet, hidden behind all the questions and doubt there was a part of him surging with confidence and wanting to test the limits. Supernatural strength came to him when he most needed it. Like Rylan implied, he should take pride in that. The more he thought about it, the more he warmed to the idea. He’d fought and killed a lion with his bare hands! How cool is that?
The sun was low in the sky
when Rylan finally indicated they should stop. The grassy plains had been replaced by thick, tall trees with leafy branches that reached for the sky. The ground was damp underfoot and moss grew on the rocks. A thick bed of leaves cushioned their steps. Jasper followed Rylan into a small clearing and collapsed on the ground.
He was so tired he could barely summon the strength to wriggle out of his backpack. With a gargantuan effort, he pushed it aside and leaned his head on it. His feet were sore, his legs ached. His arms felt like they’d been pushing iron. In some ways, they had. Nothing about catching the charging lioness had been easy.
“We should eat before we lose the light. There probably isn’t enough dry wood to make a fire.”
Jasper stared at him in surprise. He knew from his history books the first modern self-igniting match wasn’t used in Europe until 1805. He was curious to discover how people who lived on Ardhi made fire one-hundred-and-thirty years earlier than that. He put the question to him.
“Why with a flint and some pyrite, of course,” Rylan replied. “How do ye make fire?”
Jasper considered explaining to him the modern world process then let the thought drift away. He was too tired for a science lesson. All he wanted to do was eat and then sleep the night away. Tomorrow there would be more walking—according to Rylan, at least five or six days in all, and that would only get them to the river. Who knew how much longer it would take them to get to the mysterious cave. He didn’t know how he was going to survive it.
After a simple supper of bread and cheese and a few berries Rylan found on a bush, both men settled down to sleep. It seemed like Jasper had barely closed his eyes when Rylan was shaking him awake.
“Jasper! Wake up! We need to move on. We still have a long way to go. The sooner we get a start, the better. When the sun gets up, it’s going to turn this place into a steam room.”