Aruters

by D Leon D.

  CHAPTER 6

  - Try not to move, it has been bad.

  - Do you think he’ll make it?

  - If Darrell is alive, he’ll know the only thing we have left is the Coat.

  - What shall we do with Onevin?

  - I don’t know, I don’t know. We must come up with something.

  - It won’t last long; Sonyei will know the coat is our refuge.

  - Then we must go without Darrell, I don’t know how much time we have left.

  - Well, go and wake Onevin up, do it and explain to him why without crossing a word you put a sleeping spell on him.

  - He’ll understand, he knows we protect him, that’s why we live for, that’s why Falan died at the temple.

  The door of the coat was opened, interrupting the conversation between the monks, who were alerted of every move, they got ready to attack.

  - Darrell, you’ve taken a while to show up –Said the monk who was badly wounded.

  - Falan has died, what has happened? –He asked, there was no time for protocols.

  - Sonyei… we don’t know how everything began, but Falan intervened his attack and after that everything was confusing –The other answered, still trying to relieve the pain of his partner.

  - Where is Onevin?

  - He’s safe, I had to put him to sleep, I guess he heard everything and got scared; he’s too young to understand.

  - We must get him out, Sonyei won’t take long, he’s blinded by rage.

  - We can stop him; take him someplace where he’ll be safe.

  - You haven’t understood; Onevin isn’t safe anymore.

  - Darrell, Onevin is immortal, IMMORTAL, he can’t be safer than that, he’ll be alright, he knows more than what we suppose his predecessor knew at his age.

  - It doesn’t work like that; being the carrier of the Feider vitae only makes him a more wanted target for Sonyei, even more than Ycze.

  - We must stop Sonyei, the carriers must do it.

  - And who do you think will take Sonyei’s Feider?

  - Perhaps it won’t be necessary, leave the coat, I’ll wait for Onevin to wake up and I’ll take him as far as I can.

  - No Darrell, leave right now with him, the first thing Sonyei will look for is the coat.

  - I hope to see you again –Darrell said and he felt that he was fooling himself.

  Without wasting time, Darrell turned to Onevin, still asleep, he passed his hand over the face of the boy to wake him up from the spell, the young boy awoke as it was expected: stunned and nervous, but the three monks that were with him were no strangers, he knew something wasn’t right.

  - Do we have to go? –He asked Darrell who was looking at him.

  - That’s right Onevin, the temple isn’t safe.

  - Where are we, Master?

  - You’re the only one in the whole history that without belonging, in this moment you belong.

  - The Coat of the council.

  - We must go Onevin, here, put this on –Darrell said handing him a Robe of the council to the young boy, who put it on with some calm, showing respect for the official clothes.

  When they were ready to leave the Coat, one of the monks that was staying interrupted them, explained to him that Sonyei would arrive soon and that maybe they could win more time if when he did he found them both dead.

  - It would confuse him and that would give you more time.

  - Are you asking me to kill you both? –Darrell asked, clearly surprised.

  - No, Sonyei must feel more than surprised, stunned, that is why you cannot do it, what I ask is that Onevin does it, his abilities are different and it’s there where you’ll win time.

  - You can’t ask…

  - I can do it –Onevin interrupted– Don’t speak about me as if I weren’t present.

  He walked to the monk that had just made that strange request, it wasn’t something he wanted to do, but Onevin knew that it was all part of something bigger than himself, for the first time in history someone who was not part of the council entered the Coat, the Coat allowed this, they had taken him out of the temple, the only place he knew, all the cares they’d had with his teachings had to correspond with a responsibility that he couldn’t understand, but he could imagine, he turned to look at Darrell who nodded subtlety, he hesitated for a second how to do it, what ability could he use, it couldn’t be something weak, he understood they wanted to deceive Sonyei, using a weak ability would assume submission by the monks to give their lives for him, it couldn’t be an extremely strong spell either, he didn’t want to put the council in evidence, they always taught him more than it was allowed, after thinking it through he had already decided, he went in first for the wounded monk, after a minute he came out with some tears in his eyes, he extended his hand to the other monk, and he returned the gesture and took it.

  - Thank you, Master –the monk answered with a brief bow, imperceptible because of the sublime of it, it was almost just the blink of an eye– I’m sorry –After a brief silence he spoke again– Absorbet vitae.

  That spell took all the vital strength of its victim, unique to the carrier of the Feider of the same name, the monk practically got old until the moment of his death, all in very few seconds, Onevin released his hand and then he fell back on the ground, as if the body knew that the hand kept all its life and had waited to detached from it to cave in to death. With a similar spell to the one Darrell had used to come into the Coat, they managed to get out, part of the function of the Coat was to keep safe those who entered or left it, therefore once outside of it, they weren’t in the same place Darrell had seen when he got inside, to his back and a little far there was Sonyei’s temple, what they had ahead of them was something new to both of them, studied for a long time, but it had never been seen by either of them with so much closeness: The Exile of Crystals.

  - Don’t trust anyone who comes from the temple, here is where we separate –Darrell said and without waiting for an answer he turned on his back and walked, Onevin knew that wasn’t easy for the only member of the council alive, because even for himself it wasn’t, he encouraged himself thinking that it was all part of something more important, very important, soon he’d know, but, for now, all he had left was to enter the exile of crystals, something in that place made him feel free.

  He started walking without being able to stop remembering how his life had been until that moment, always at the temple, at the care of the council and of Sonyei, since he could remember he had remained in preparation to improve his abilities, he knew he was the carrier of a powerful Feider, of which he didn’t know its origin, he also had the knowledge of four more Feiders, he guessed each one was destined to a carrier. Sonyei without a doubt was one of them and he wanted to possess them all, if the council had decided to get him out in hiding, warning him of the risk, then he truly was, and it could only be because of Sonyei.

  - He wants me dead –he said in a low voice, talking to himself.

  He removed the robe of the council and let it drop on the floor after walking without a course, enough for two moons to change of phase. One day had died in Tenebris and another one had started, that day would be very different for him, in fact, the rest of his life would be.

  CHAPTER 7

  In the vision, Ramsil was able to see a puzzle of images, as though he could see all the existence, very fast to understand if it was telling a story, he saw Soid fighting in Tenebris, he could make out for a second some sort of ceremony, only one moon, two, three, five moons, five Feiders, at some point in the swaying of images he heard the word “Guardians”, deaths, four deaths… an attack from the sky, Aruters?!, running everywhere, devouring everything at their step, every life they stumbled upon, creatures that he could only describe as beasts, and someone in the middle of them, faster, every time the images flashed faster, at least ten old men who seemed to escape through a narrow tunnel… dizzy, more death, the kiss of his father on Ybrian’s forehead, a shiny kiss, a Feider… The explosion in Aruland, Ycze runn
ing scared, he saw a monk taking Ybrian’s life, he saw her lifeless on a dark pit, he saw himself crying, that hadn’t happened, however, he was watching it, he couldn’t stop crying, suddenly it wasn’t the images he was seeing, it was him himself who was crying, he felt his face wet by tears. He tried to recognize where he was, he could only feel himself under an intense light, as if the world limited to that reduced space, voices around him, names pronounced in a hurricane of words.

  - Sonyei.

  Among the cacophony he distinguished the name; he heard how heavy those words fell: vengeance, war, death.

  - Ycze.

  - Onevin.

  - Ramsil.

  The names he managed to distinguish had to be the carriers. More words, there wasn’t a way to know what was the effect of the Agatha Crystal, he was actually hallucinating, was it a genuine vision or had something gone wrong?

  - Ramsil –He heard his name again, but the fifth hadn’t been pronounced– Ramsil –One more time– Ramsil, are you all right? –a sharp sound exalted him; he woke up stunned in Ycze’s arms in the mine.

  - Did it work? –The girl asked and her face showed worry.

  - I think so –He said and his voice sounded tired– How long has it been?

  - I don’t know, Ramsil, maybe half a phase of one moon, one phase, I don’t know.

  - It has been three phases –Cornelium clarified– You must become friends with time in this path, you can’t keep being indifferent toward it; and, so?

  - Who is Onevin? –Ramsil asked while he was standing up.

  - A boy from the temple of maybe twelve suns, I don’t know exactly, he’s still young, he has probably been there his whole life.

  - He’s a carrier.

  - It doesn’t surprise me, Sonyei and the council protect him with their lives.

  - So, you know who the carriers are? –Asked Cornelium.

  - I think so, it’s hard to explain, I heard four names, mine at the end, but then I woke up, Sonyei and Onevin were two of them, ours the other two –He explained looking at Ycze who nodded with her head.

  - What should we do now? –Asked the girl curiously to the Old man.

  - It isn’t wise to use the other Agatha Crystal at this moment, we know what we need for now, I think it’s best to rest, we don’t know how much energy Ramsil’s vision emitted, maybe Sonyei was able to feel it, we shall leave in the new moons, in the mean time try to get some rest –He said and he retired leaving them alone.

  They remained in silence for a moment, Ramsil thought about that vision, he was able to see so many things he didn’t fully understand, but he felt it was all part of the same story, even himself.

  - How was it? You know, the vision and all that –Ycze asked clapping her forehead a few times.

  - I’m not sure, you know, I managed to see a lot of things, but now I can’t remember everything and I feel like I’m going to forget all about it, it’s hard to explain.

  - I know how it feels –She whispered– Sonyei subjected me to the effect of the Agatha crystal when I was in the temple –She said and turned her sight to the empty air, as if she were looking the emptiness of the images in her memory– he said he wanted information about the carriers and that I could obtain it, that and anything else, he gave me the crystals and after I woke up he’d asked questions and wrote everything down, I didn’t have much rest –she looked down at her hands, she didn’t want to face Ramsil’s gaze– That’s why I asked you to use it, I didn’t want to do it… I don’t want to do it ever again. I’m sorry.

  - Don’t worry about it, but I think we have to do something, I feel that… it’s up to us, I don’t know what’s supposed to happen, but if he, Sonyei, I mean, wants something from us, we will not give it to him.

  - That reminds me that he also wants some scriptures I got out of the temple, I didn’t have time to read them, I hid them in the Exile of Crystals.

  - What kind of scriptures?

  - Books, those sorts of things, perhaps even maps. I don’t know, I just wanted to steal something from him, with some luck something that was useful for me too.

  - Who was following you, Ycze?

  - Sonyei’s army.

  - They… destroyed my home, separated me from my sister, she died a little after while I was running to save myself… I was selfish.

  - No, you weren’t. It had to happen that way, I suppose that what Cornelium says it’s true, it is fate, I guess it’s just not fair sometimes –She slid on her back against the wall until she was sitting– I’ll sleep, Ramsil, I mean, it’s not safe, but I’m tired.

  - I am too, but I don’t think I can sleep like this, I guess I’ll walk a little.

  - Don’t do anything foolish –She said while yawning– Tomorrow we’ll look for the scriptures together, so don’t go too far, Ok?

  - Ok –He answered after a few seconds.

  After he said that he walked for a while inside the mine, he had the intention of going outside to see the moons, they would never take that away from him, Ybrian was gone, but the moons would always shine in Tenebris, always for him.

  The path was confusing, after all, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, even the air was somehow the same in every direction, there wasn’t any natural light, and therefore there was no trace of an exit. “Feel the signs”, those words he didn’t hear, there was no eco, but somehow he knew that was what he was supposed to do. He concentrated for a moment and allowed his body to perceive everything, as much as it was possible, air, the first thing that was tangible was the air, coming from different directions, he closed his eyes and he could feel that the air had different colors, they didn’t come from just one exit.

  CHAPTER 8

  He entered in a rush into the old man’s room, all the chaos that had just happened could not be in vain, he needed Onevin’s soul, and everything that had happened at the temple corresponded to that one result.

  - Windark, I need you to take me to the coat of the council, I don’t have time for your negative answers –Sonyei demanded to the old man who looked at him calmly through to the reflection of him in a big mirror.

  - You know quite well that no one who isn’t from the council knows the location of it, don’t be so impulsive, see how you have left the temple all because of a whim.

  - It’s not a whim and you know it, there’s little time left in this temple, so it doesn’t matter to me if it’s left in ashes, I need to control them.

  - All my loyalty is set on you, but you are blind, greed has poisoned you –He answered getting up and turning his face to him– Control them? You can’t even control yourself.

  The old man ended the conversation by retiring, passing by Sonyei’s side to get through the threshold of the door, his room was luxurious–As everything in the temple was–, bigger, some kind of fusion between bedroom, library and study, everything in the right place for what it seemed to be designed for, nothing out of place.

  - Someone must take responsibility for your mess –He told Sonyei just before going outside.

  He went out of the room and walked calmly, as if he didn’t know that Sonyei’s blood was boiling with anger and rage, but he did know it quite well, after all, he had been his right hand since his arrival at the temple some suns back, when Sonyei was barely taking control of the temple, with malice, but without power. He headed for one of the upper floors of the temple, with access to a balcony that oversighted the main hall where the recent chaos of the eye of the storm had marked it. He was sorry to his insides for Falan’s death, who was still lying on the floor, almost ironically he remembered that a girl had been on the floor of that very same hall, a girl who was supposed to be a carrier, the idea sickened him and very deeply filled him with a great sorrow that he didn’t dare to manifest, Sonyei was capable of everything and for the moment, only he could delay the monk.

  - Residents of the temple, I have a message for all of you –he said in a loud voice, having an immediate effect on that hall, the silence was almost unreal, the
few residents looked up to see him and hear what he had to say, but what was he supposed to say? – I know everyone is scared, so am I, I must admit the security in the temple was violated, but this will be corrected before the moons reach the new phase –before midnight–. We need all your cooperation –he talked while he climbed down the stairs with his eyes still on everyone– the importance of your stay and you education must not be underestimated, all of you, all of us, we are here with one sole purpose, and that day is coming closer, we’ll be put on trial in tense situations like it was today, you must be prepared –he had reached the floor, at their same level. He spoke making pauses, leaving time for everyone to be able to understand and knowing it wouldn’t make sense for some of them– However, it’s not time to act. I ask the youngest not to be alone –He walked slowly toward Falan’s body– We will answer for all of those who were wounded in the attack –He kneeled in front of the body of the dead member of the council– For everyone –He looked up to the balcony where he had started speaking, now it was occupied by Sonyei, to whom he nodded perhaps confirming the death of the member of the council– Retire calmly to your bedrooms, your activities will continue tomorrow, according to the same programming.

  After the hall was emptied, Sonyei indicated with a gesture to the old man to move the body, he couldn’t lose that soul, after all, Falan had been a member of the council, half carrying and half dragging, Windark guided the body, he knew Sonyei –who walked ahead to guide him– could not use his abilities as if it were another part of his body, because using any ability tired him. They walked through the temple, Sonyei had walked calmly and cautiously, they crossed the hall, then a room that connected with a narrow hallway of several doors on both sides of the walls, Sonyei stopped in front of one of the doors and opened it with a key of two pieces, the first piece was hung up next to the door, as if it were pretending there was no secret behind it, however, by itself, that piece alone wouldn’t open the door, the other piece was on his neck, in some sort of necklace under his robe, he put them together and a certain golden glow covered the new key formed by both parts, he opened the door of a room that was almost completely empty, less luxurious and certainly less visited, on a corner, a set of common stairs went down to a basement, they went down there for what he thought had been a long time, he didn’t have a way to know. Everything in that basement was silent.