by D Leon D.
He still had so many more questions to ask, but he knew that if he was captured he wasn’t going to be able to ask any other one, so they both ran, at some point Ramsil thought he had seen the entrance to an abandoned mine.
- This way –He told the girl, who turned to look at him surprised that he led the way.
- «And now what? »–She thought, but she changed her course anyway toward where he had pointed out.
They improvised without much care some torches that provided light and they entered together the mine, trying to check if it was actually abandoned, it gave them the impression that not a single living soul had gone through there in at least ten suns, it was so silent that strange cave that they could hear clearly each other’s breathing. However the more they deepened into the mine the more they believed they could hear someone else’s breathing, they thought it could be the wind, because they could feel it passing through those wide tunnels that seemed endless.
- It’s not the wind, someone is coming, put it out –She said, referring to the torch which barely shone any light anymore.
Without the torches they both made out another source of light that was coming closer to them, it didn’t seem the same type of light they had used.
- Someone is coming, don’t make a sound and look for a place to hide –She said while she was also searching for a hiding place.
- The light is getting closer, but I don’t hear anything.
- Is it so hard for you to be quiet? –She received no answer; Ramsil had decided to shut up.
Suddenly the light became too intense, making them both cover their eyes to protect themselves from whoever was with them, just the blink of an eye was enough for the intense light to extinguish, leaving at its place the figure of a man of a mystical aspect in front of them, the man had in his hands a long staff, a little rustic and in the place where his hair should’ve been he had bad knitted knots the color of bones.
- Ramsil, Ycze –Said that man staring at each one of them when he pronounced each name– I had been expecting you a little earlier, you have taken a while. Come now, we don’t have much time left.
CHAPTER 3
- What do you mean the attack is not enough? –He shouted inside the temple.
- We haven’t found her, sir –answered one of his followers.
He raised his hand to his servant’s chest, without touching him he pushed him against the wall, he let his hand fall at the same time the body fell back crashing with several objects before hitting the floor.
- What is this scandal? –A third person intervened, who was entering the room at that moment.
- Don’t get into this, Windark, you know quite well that in my temple inefficiency has a high cost.
- How much more will you sacrifice for a meaningless vengeance, Sonyei? –The old man answered, but the monk was full of rage, he wouldn’t listen to anyone at that moment– Go away–He ordered the servant, whom without a single word stood up and left both of their sights.
- You have no rig…
- I have it –He interrupted him– that’s enough, why do wish to have this girl so much, if you have others at your service?
- You don’t understand anything old man –He answered turning his back to him, so that he wouldn’t see him to his face– This girl is different, I thought I could trust her, but after six suns in the temple she has left and the damn girl… –he spoke every time faster and faster and then he stopped without finishing the phrase.
- You don’t need those documents, there’s nothing in them that you don’t already know.
- I’m not talking about those few scriptures…
- What are you talking about, Sonyei? What else did she take?
- I don’t have time for this –He stormed out of the room bumping into the old man on the way out.
He walked through the temple from one place to another, he wasn’t sure of how he would do it, but he had to find Ycze, he didn’t understand why she had left, because he thought that she belonged in that place, she fitted in, without a doubt –or so had he thought–. Fearing making a mistake he turned to a part of the temple only few knew about, that temple was enormous and luxurious, sometimes there were many visitors in it, for some reason a few decided to make their visit a full time residency and a few were never seen again, Sonyei knew more than one was in debt with him, Ycze was and yet she still had left.
- Tell them to come –The monk told the guard at the door he was about to cross. The man, without words, retired through one of the hallways, he knew whom to give the message to.
Sonyei crossed the door, it was rather tall, one of the few which allowed him to go through the threshold with room to spare, once inside he sat in such a way that whoever entered would see him up front, while he waited he took in his hands some books and documents he had the intention to hide before they arrived, but he didn’t have time for that.
- You have called us –Said one of the four monks who entered without knocking on the door. All of them of younger aspect than him– What do you need, Sonyei? –There was a long pause in the conversation; Sonyei looked at them, one by one before answering.
- Council –He said at last, talking to the four of them– As you have already heard inside the walls of the temple, Ycze has left, this happened yesterday, before the moons were aligned in the New Phase –a little before midnight– I require a Soul. I can get this girl, but after the ritual, I won’t have enough strength to extract the abilities of her Feider, she must remain in the temple for as long as it takes me to recover.
- Why do you need us? –Another one of the monks asked without letting him finish, he seemed to be in a rush.
- I want the soul of Onevin –He said sighing after assuming a negative answer.
- This is absurd, it’s not up to discussion, we won’t even think about it and you know it.
- The answer is no –Replied a monk whom up to the moment hadn’t spoken– What you ask it’s to sacrifice a soul with abilities that we need to control, he’s still a vulnerable boy and he doesn’t know the full extent of his capacities, at this moment Onevin is in the chamber of studies of rituals, these are advanced things, give you his soul? It would be ridiculous to waste a soul that will get to be greater than yours.
CHAPTER 4
They walked inside the mine in silence, both following the mysterious old man, because of his clothes he didn’t seem to be Arudian, but he didn’t look dangerous either, because he didn’t have the same aspect of the army that had attacked Aruland, and moreover he seemed to know the way around, but where? It was Ramsil who took the courage to break that long silence.
- Do you know him? –He asked the girl who only responded negatively shaking her head.
- I know you –The old man intervened– I hope so –He completed in a much lower voice, he kept on walking ahead of them– As I told you, we don’t have much time and I’ll try to be brief, thanks to Ycze they’re looking for the three of us now.
- How do you know who I am? –Ycze asked, who until the moment had remained in silence.
- For similar reasons– He said just at the moment he stopped and turned to look at them up front– You both have a destiny in common, that you have found each other in the Exile of Crystals is no coincidence, each one of you is the carrier of one of the five Feiders.
They were both perplexed by that statement; it was supposed that no one should know who were the carriers of such abilities known as Feider, Ramsil had the impulse of fleeing running, but he held back because he felt that that man could help him and he could learn more about himself, he looked at Ycze for what it seemed a second, she nodded, closed her eyes and breathed deeply, the veins in her right hand and arm lighted up with that neon glow that he already knew, it took her a moment to spread the light to the rest of her body, while it was going through her veins her wounds were…
- You’re regenerating! –He knew that was one of the five abilities, although he never knew which one was Ybrian’s, of which he was the carrier now.
The man didn’t seem shocked, what he was hearing didn’t surprise him in the least; it was as if he already knew what was going to happen.
- Wonderful demonstration, but if you don’t mind, stop it now, or you’re going to warn everyone about where you are and they’ll come for you in a matter of seconds –He said peacefully, he seemed to know too much, was he another carrier?, Ycze stopped, she knew the man was right, but she felt weak and she needed to heal part of her wounds, she looked at Ramsil who was admiring her in silence.
- I didn’t have time to introduce myself, I’m Ycze, although you already know that, the old man nodded assuming the responsibility of having revealed her name– Yesterday I escaped from Sonyei’s temple, I had intentions to reach Aruland, but you went ahead when you left running, I was looking for you, carrier –While she was talking her skin was losing that glow that she had had while she healed her body.
- Ramsil –He replied saying nothing more, a little ashamed of not knowing what he was capable of doing, because that girl seemed beautiful to him at that moment, how hadn’t he seen it before?
- I’m sorry if I’m interrupting you, but we must go on –The man said indicating with his hand the path to follow, inviting them to walk ahead of him.
They walked a little further before the man told them that they had arrived.
- We have some matters to attend before we begin, do you recognize this? – He pulled out of his suit some sort of black diamonds, they appeared to be very solid on the outside, but on the inside they seemed to contain a gaseous and jelly substance, with some dark glow.
- Agatha crystals, I read about them at the temple, how did you find them? –Ycze answered almost without letting him finish talking.
- We are in a mine that used to be of Agatha, it’s abandoned, naturally, there are no more crystals, but these two are mine –He said watching them before looking up one more time– I worked in this mine many suns before, a little while after evacuating it I decided to go back every certain time, I have these two since then –He extended the crystals almost at their eye level– These are for you.
- I thought they were legends –Ramsil said a little shocked; he felt like it had been too long since he left Ybrian. Now time became important.
- Ramsil –Said the old man in a fatherly way– Legends are stories of witnesses who have already died, in this case, I am a witness who escaped, I want you to understand me and open your mind. Ybrian didn’t know it, but she could feel she was part of something bigger; you must take that place now.
- Ybrian is… –Ycze started saying, but then she stopped.
- My sister, she gave me her Feider and a little afterwards… –Ramsil remained quiet, it gave him time to think a little– You must be Cornelium –The man nodded with a little movement of his head.
- I’m so sorry – The girl said with warmth, her words seemed to have the same effect of healing her wounds, because they comforted him.
- Do you know what these crystals work for? – Cornelium intervened to bring him back to the topic.
- No, although I must assume they’re valuable–he answered, looking at them with fascination.
- The Agatha crystals are some sort of short term Feider –Ycze answered– They grant some abilities to those who use them, but they don’t last for long and they don’t always work as you expect them to.
- But we are carriers –He said without understanding why the old man had kept them for them.
- We don’t know what they’re capable of, and I’m not sure of how they’ll work on you, but I hope that they can give you a vision which will guide you to your destination –The old man answered.
- So… Ramsil first? –The girl said with a funny look– Come on, it can be… fun.
- I guess so, but how are they supposed to work?
- That’s the fun part –Cornelium said handing him one crystal– We don’t know, I don’t know how to use it, but you on the other hand, I don’t know, just try it.
Ramsil took the crystal and looked at his two companions, he felt that he was where he was supposed to be, he felt like Ybrian would be proud, he stared at that crystal which had that strange aspect of being able to break, he thought he had to make it work, there were only two of them and just like he had said it before, they were legends, anyhow it wouldn’t be simple to find another, at that moment he remembered the events of that day, having woken up covered in the rubbles of his home, somehow with few wounds and without Ybrian, he remembered how he got up and searched for her with his eyes, seeing her wounded and running back, for him, he knew she was coming back for him. “Ybrian” he said in a low voice, as if he talked with the crystal, Cornelium and Ycze looked at each other for a second, that look transmitted a clear message: “He’s going to make it”.
- Ybrian… –he repeated to the crystal, put it close to his mouth and finished the phrase– Help me.
The crystal cracked and little by little the gaseous content became dense in the mine, just where they were, silent and dark, no one spoke, they didn’t know if it had worked, when none of them could see anything more than a black fog, they heard a thud with an eco very close, little by little they recovered their sight and then they realized where the sound had come from, unconscious and on the ground of the mine lay Ramsil: He seemed dead.
CHAPTER 5
After refusing Sonyei’s request, the council retired to continue guiding the studies of those who were beginning their lives at the temple, however Darrell, one of the youngest, wouldn’t stop thinking about what they had just done, he felt that Sonyei wouldn’t accept that answer, he could feel the blinding desire that moved his intentions, no, he wouldn’t stay calmed, with a respectful gesture, Darrell separated from the rest of the council just enough to lose them from their sight, he decided he had to warn Onevin that he was in danger, although this supposed exposing himself to his worst fate if the council or even worse, Sonyei himself found out.
He walked stealthily through the temple, every so often he turned to see in every direction, because he felt like he was being watched, he was getting closer to the chamber of studies, where Onevin was, almost as a prisoner, he asked the guard to allow him entrance to the chamber in the name of the council, who represented the highest authority inside the temple after Sonyei, the two guards –who were wearing an apprentice uniform– looked at each other, and one of them said no with a gesture.
- Sonyei asked us in person not to let anyone in, but himself, he emphasized that today in particular, we cannot do it –One of them explained with respect.
- I understand, maybe I misunderstood him. I’ll go back to him to clarify this situation.
Darrell turned around and at that moment he heard screams in the temple, they were coming from everywhere, he faced once again the guards who had a shocked look, as much as himself.
- Don’t just stand there staring at each other, something’s not right –He told the guards who looked at each other with a surprised look, interchanging some gestures they decided that one of them was going to stay and that’s what they did, the selected one rushed away from the chamber leaving Darrell with his partner.
A few seconds after Darrell decided to go too, he looked at the guard that was staying at the care of Onevin, “No one” he told him, he ran, rushing with the intention of reuniting with the council and explain to them what he wished to do, something wasn’t right, that was evident and he was sure it also had to do with Sonyei, he kept on running and then he saw that the temple was in chaos, everyone was running, there were many initiates who didn’t know the temple well, they awkwardly tried to get out and stumbled on each other in their useless attempt, he saw that on the floor there was someone passed out or dying, he didn’t know well, somehow he got closer, he crouched on his knees, when he realized who it was about without thinking he ran back to chamber of studies, he ran faster than what he thought he could, leaving behind the lifeless body of one of the three members of the council, of whom he had separate
d from.
When he got to the chamber, the guard wasn’t there and the chamber was open, he got inside to take Onevin out, but he wasn’t there anymore, he could feel as if his heart were beating in his fingers, his sight, he started to get dizzy, he wasn’t safe staying in that place, once again he got outside and he saw the body of the guard, it must have been there when he went in for Onevin, but he was in such a rush that he didn’t notice it then, he got closer to check if he was still alive.
- Who did this? –He asked the guard, who was breathing with some difficulty.
- The council came for him –He answered whispering his every word.
- Where did they go? –Although he looked up and without waiting for an answer he left rushing– The coat –He said to himself.
He ran until he was outside of the temple, there was only one place in the territory which although Sonyei knew about, he didn’t know where it was located, because it was built for the four original members of the council and it was entrusted to their successors, always preventing the anarchy. It wasn’t all clear for Darrell, he could understand that the ruling monk wanted Onevin’s soul for its abilities, but he couldn’t justify the damage that he had done to Tenebris, especially in the current sun.
He started to slow down, to access the Coat of the council he had to be at peace, otherwise not even himself would be able to enter it, he stopped in what at a simple look seemed like a random spot, he bowed in sign of respect and submission.
- I come before you at peace requesting the promised coat, I come before you at peace, I come before you with my heart at peace –He extended his arm keeping his eyes on the ground, his fingers seemed to bend the empty air, as if the wave created a single drop that fell into a tranquil river, he went through the space, as if where he was standing up the vacuum had swallowed him– Give me your coat –He concluded. If someone had spied on him, he’d have only seen how the arm and then the body of a monk vanished without an explanation.