Enaya: Solace of Time

by Justin C. Trout

  “Can’t you see you’re hurting him?” Ashera cried out. “What do you want with him?”

  Shebris remained silent.

  “He has done nothing to you,” Ashera cried.

  Then, at that moment, Shebris felt different on the inside. It wasn’t her dark, corroded heart, but a warm tingling sensation she hadn’t felt since she was human. Wait. It was human emotions, the same emotions she grew up with. Remorse ate her as she watched Ashera hold Nile’s hand, rubbing her fingers through his hair. Ashera leaned over and kissed Nile on the forehead as he tried to catch his breath. Shebris was reminded of the time she fell in love, and memories flooded the shore.

  A wave crashed on the shoreline, leaving behind a broken carriage. Shebris focused on it, studying the chipped paint, the splint wood, the loose wheel, and the broken windows. Then, light hit the carriage—a beautiful golden light that healed the chipped paint, the splint wood, the loose wheel, and the broken windows. Shebris then saw herself with long blonde hair, blue dazzling eyes, and perfectly curved lips. She was beautiful once and across from her was a man who was strikingly handsome. They held each other and kissed, and Shebris watched, repulsed by her memories, aching at the corpse of her soul to feel this again.

  She had almost forgotten this memory.

  All it took was the compassion of two other people to remind her.

  She looked to her skin, her pale gray skin and felt her cold, deathly figure as she felt the warmth of sunshine. It felt different this time. It felt real. She took in a deep breath and a tear fell from her cheek. She wiped it off and looked at her finger to see the remains of her tear and it was clear. There was no dirt or mud to it. She watched as the handsome man pulled her into his arms in the carriage and she forced a smile, a smile that she hadn’t shown in dozens of years—a smile that stole the stars.

  Shebris turned, and for the first time in a long time, she felt pain. It welcomed her and she rejoiced in it. She laughed, but not a cynical laughter, not a laughter that haunted her or her memories, but a real, hearty laughter. The sand around the carriage turned white and she stepped forward. A ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and touched her. She became empowered.

  “How are you?” Ashera asked.

  “I don’t know,” Nile replied, holding his chest.

  Ashera placed her hand over his. “I believe in you.”

  Nile slightly smiled. “Why are you here with me?”

  Tears surrounded Ashera’s eyes. “I want to be with you, and I have wanted to since we first met.”

  Nile looked up at the sky, noticing the light breaking through the darkness. “Why?”

  “I need you.”

  Nile said nothing, but he only gazed into her beautiful eyes. She sniffled as tears fell onto Nile’s chest. He lifted up a hand and touched her cheek. She let her face tilt into his palm and she kissed the tip of his thumb. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.

  “We are trapped,” Nile whispered.

  Ashera kissed Nile softly. “We are never trapped.”

  He took in a deep breath, and this time he moaned as he exhaled. “I can’t defeat her.”

  “Yes, you can,” Ashera said as if she were giving him some sort of hope.

  “No. No, I can’t.”

  Ashera reached for Nile’s other hand. “Don’t give up.”

  “It isn’t that easy.”

  “Then let me lift you up.”

  Nile looked off to the side.

  “Don’t give up,” Ashera repeated.

  “We are lost in time. The only way out for you is to let her kill me.”

  Ashera kissed Nile again. “She may have the element of time, she may have an army or a big book of magic, but you have something far more precious. You have love. You have something to fight for, something to gain, to miss, to spread, to share. You can teach it, for all the world cares. On the other side of this space, you have friends who love you, who came looking for you because you’ve given them hope. Nobody can take that away from you. Nobody. If you die here today, then you didn’t die in vain, or in fear—you died because you fought for love, for what you believe in. Don’t give up.”

  Tears filled up Nile’s eyes. “I’m scared. I’m scared that if we leave here, then what? Those people on the other side are just waiting to die—Leo, Locklin, Charis, and Bancroft. Bancroft has a whole family somewhere. I did this. I’m scared that in the end, we’ve fought for nothing.”

  “Then we fight for that.”

  “What?”

  “The end,” Ashera remarked, as if a little bit of hope rolled off the tip of her tongue.

  Nile nodded in agreement. He leaned up, resting on his elbows, and kissed her. His lips trembled between hers, and he brought up his right hand, ran his fingers through her hair, then to the back of her neck, and pulled her in for a deeper more intimate kiss.

  They pulled away from each other, resting their foreheads against one another. Ashera said, “I believe in you. In the end, I just want to be with you in your Solace of Time.”

  A shadow befell upon them, and Nile looked up to see Shebris. Nile got to his feet and pulled Ashera up with him. He gripped his sword tightly and stared into her eyes, hoping to transfer some bit of hope. Shebris pulled out Enaya and handed it to Nile, which he reluctantly took. He watched Shebris for a moment, knowing exactly what was going on. She was beginning to feel again.

  “You can go,” Shebris said.

  Nile loosened his grip. “What?”

  Shebris turned toward the ocean. “All I wanted was to feel human again, and seeing you together made me feel that. I will stay here, with my memories. This is where I belong. I had my chance.” She touched his face with an open palm. Her touch felt warm. “Thank you.”

  Ashera tugged at Nile and smiled at Shebris. “Can we go?”

  “Yes,” Nile replied. He stared into his hand to see the element glimmer. He smiled though, roughly. He looked up to Shebris one last time and then clutched the element in his hand. He nodded and in a flash of bright light he was gone. Just like that. Shebris smiled and looked toward the horizon.

  The clouds broke apart, revealing a blue sky. The clouds became engulfed in the colors of red, orange, purple, and yellow. A sunset. One that Shebris has not seen in many years. The ocean faded into a blue paradise and Shebris laughed.

  She turned to see Srinath, who was slowly moving around. He pushed himself up and looked back to see the sunset. Where was he? He had no memory, but he saw Shebris smiling. He had never seen that smile before, but he too sensed something different about her. He sat on his rear and allowed the sun to overcome him, and he, too, smiled.

  Shebris reached up and felt her hair. Her hair was actually there—not a few strings, but a full head of hair—and she laughed. She had not felt this way in a long time. She was beginning to accept her memories, accept the way things had been, and instead of dwelling in them, she was going to rejoice in them and of all things, she felt loved and wanted to love in return.

  She took a step toward Srinath. Her black dress became shreds, and a long pale leg stuck out. Her crooked toes disappeared in the sand, but as she brought her foot out to walk again, her toes were straight and the pale color was replaced with a tan. She walked toward Srinath. She hadn’t walked in a long time. She reached down to give him a hand.

  His cold hand reached for hers, and she massaged his cold, frail fingers within her warm palm. There was a deep smile that became her face, and maybe there was a tear of joy. She gasped, looking into Srinath’s eyes, watching them transform from black to blue in a matter of seconds. The sun consumed him as well, and she pulled him to his feet. They stood there for a second, staring at each other, and finally Shebris broke the peace.

  “My name is Nellwyn. Nellwyn Faith,” she said.

  “Wyndham Oar,” Srinath replied, except that he wasn’t Srinath. His hair had changed to blond, his brow low, and his cheekbones high. His ears were normal and his clothes had burned fr
om him in the hot sun. All that remained was his brilliant smile and a white cloth over his body.

  They turned to see the sunset, and the grip on their hands grew tighter and tighter and tighter and tighter. So tight, that when they looked back at each other, they had fallen in love. There were no words, because love didn’t always involve saying anything, but was sometimes just a look or a stare. They stared at each other for a long, long time.

  And they remembered.

  Chapter 45

  Capture

  A bright light flashed across the temple grounds, brightening the forest, blinding the soldiers, and then it faded, revealing Nile and Ashera. They slowly opened their eyes, gripping each other’s hands tightly. Before them, there were about fifty soldiers, each with their guns on them. Norcross caught a glimpse of Enaya in Nile’s hand and he smiled.

  “You managed to escape Shebris! That’s a knight’s tale,” Norcross said, slapping his good hand against his shoulder like he was applauding.

  Four soldiers ambushed them; two grabbed Ashera and drug her to the side and the others grabbed Nile, punching him in the stomach. Nile lunged forward, being held by his arms. He could feel his back muscles strain and he struggled to look up. When he did, he saw his friends. A smile stretched across his face. He was so happy to see them, so happy to know that he was going to die with them by his side.

  His eyes followed them one at a time. He admired them. He had fallen in love with all of them because they shared something together that nobody else had shared. They shared an adventure. Bancroft had become like a father figure to Nile, and he found himself almost wanting to call him father. Charis was just herself. Locklin had given up his life and his home for something he didn’t know much about. That was sacrifice. Then there was Leo.

  “What happened to Leo?” Nile screamed.

  Leo had been wounded. He was hunched up against two soldiers, his shoulder coated in blood. It took Nile this long to realize that. His eyes widened and his heart pounded. He almost felt like he was watching his younger brother . . . again. He struggled to get free, but he was punched again in the stomach and then across the face.

  “Leo!” Nile shouted.

  Leo looked at him, slowly breathing. “Ughh . . . I’m fine.”

  Norcross approached Nile. “He’ll be fine. Give him a day or two and he’ll be as good as new; however, you’ll be giving me Enaya now.”

  And Nile opened his hand to see Enaya sparkle.

  The element had never seemed so beautiful. There was no struggle as Norcross swiped it from his sweaty palm. Norcross held the gem up and Nile gazed at it, remembering his family, Roland and Dywnwen, King Aidan, his father and his friends, Shebris, Peoria, the attack, his mother’s smile in Solace of Time, and the kingdom. He had found a new family and a new life. He looked at Ashera, who was as beautiful as ever, and he smiled at her.

  Norcross held he gem toward the sky. “She is gorgeous.” He walked off and called back, “I want them under arrest.”

  Then a metal object hit Nile in his face and everything went black.

  Chapter 46

  Walk With Me

  When Nile awoke, he was lying flat on his stomach in a beautiful field of flowers and tall grass. He could hear water running in the background, but he was too weak to do anything. He had a hard enough time looking around at his surroundings. His face felt as if something heavy had fallen on it; then there was this sickening feeling as if he were going to throw up. But as he widened his eyes a little bit more, he knew where he was—Solace of Time.

  He looked around, knowing that he was not dead, but asleep in the real world. He hoped Leo and Ashera and the rest were still alive. He hoped he was with them. Nile looked up and saw a figure coming his way. He was looking straight into the light, and the figure appeared as a black blur.

  Nile moaned and dropped his head back to the ground.

  The figure stopped over him and fell to its knees. Nile slowly lifted his head and was surprised to see his little brother. He looked just like he did the day he died, but he was wearing a white robe. Nile wanted to jump up and hug him. He wanted to embrace his little brother and kiss his forehead, but he could not move.

  Nile reached out his hand, and his brother placed his hand in his. Nile grasped his hand tightly. Isaiah smiled and leaned in closer, resting his forehead on Nile’s forehead, and looked into his eyes.

  Nile could see their memories together stare back at him, scene by scene, laugh by laugh. This was what Nile was missing, or perhaps this was where memories went. It was then Nile learned that relationships lasted forever, even if it was through memories.

  Nile wanted to cry.

  Isaiah lifted his chin and kissed Nile on the forehead. “Walk with me,” he said softly.

  The voice soothed Nile to the bone, and his body did not feel pain. Isaiah grabbed Nile’s hand and gently pulled him up. When Nile got to his feet, he looked at his brother. He had never felt so much love in his heart as he did at that moment. Seeing his little brother gave Nile hope.

  And Nile knew then that hope would carry him through.

  An exclusive chapter from Book II in the Enaya series

  Song of the Earth

  ***

  Chapter 1

  Blinded

  I see her.

  She is standing, facing the ocean. Her hair blows with the breeze. I’m standing some feet away, watching as she faces the world—the beautiful earth that was given to us. I miss her. She doesn’t know I’m behind her, nor does she care. She is there, and I’m here. Watching, waiting, wanting.

  The wind lifts her hair and brushes it back. Her hands clasp together and she raises her left leg and scratches the back of her right leg with her bare foot. I want to grab her, but I’m only allowed to get so close.

  I never wanted anything so badly.

  Not since Dywnwen.

  Not since my mother and brother.

  But this . . . this I want.

  She turns to face me and my heart stops. Ashera

  She walks toward me, smiling, and her hair falls down. Her toes bury beneath the sand with each passing step. She extends her hands to grab mine, and I feel warmth when we touch.

  She rises up, hand around my neck, and pulls me closer to her. I can feel the warmth of her breath as we kiss. Our lips intertwining within each other and I don’t want it to stop. My hands find themselves behind her back and I squeeze as hard and as tight as I can.

  Then, from the corner of my eye, white orbs float around, as if they are dancing. The water cascades against the rocks and the shore. We spin around, holding each other, and I look up, letting her kiss my cheek and my chin. I see the mountaintop, with the trees and the green grass. It is so beautiful. I don’t deserve this view, but my Solace of Time has been so merciful to me.

  Ashera kisses me then pulls back, staring into my eyes.

  All I need is her.

  But I can’t have her.

  Because she doesn’t exist.

  And my memory starts to fade, and I start to . . .

  Nile woke up.

  Alone.

  He stared at the ceiling. The stone was cut into patterns and Nile believed that he could make out faces. These faces have kept him company. He scratched his face, feeling his long prickly beard. Nile hadn’t eaten in twelve days. He kept count. That wasn’t the only thing he kept count of. He hadn’t seen Ashera, Bancroft, Charis, Leo, and Locklin in four months.

  He missed Leo and Ashera so badly that he could barely take the pain.

  The pain had consumed him.

  His itchy eyes moved from side to side. His hands felt their way through the jungle that had grown over his face. He rubbed his eyes, then rolled to his stomach. He gasped in pain, gasped for air, hoping to suck in what little bit of life he had left. His fingers walked across the cold stone and found their way across the cell bars. Nile mustered all his strength to pull himself up on his rear, but he slipped and fell back to the floor.

  He tri
ed again.

  This time, he came up only so far. He leaned against the bars and looked to the corner of the cell. He saw the dirty wall, covered in dust and urine. Nile had to dispose of his waste somewhere. There was a metal bucket in the corner of the cell that got changed every other week if he was lucky. Nile had gotten use to the smell.

  Nile was lost, confused. There was nobody in the cells. He had been by himself on this floor for months now. It killed him, the loneliness. Sometimes, to pass the moments that slowly drifted by, he talked to himself. He replayed humorous conversations he had with Leo, pretending to do his best Leo impersonation. Sometimes, he pretended to play guitar, and then there were times when he pretended to kiss Ashera, but he would slowly awake to find himself kissing the wall.

  He hallucinated a lot. Especially since he was only given an eight-ounce glass of water every three days. One time, he’d tried to make his water last by only sipping on it every other hour. It was a small sip, but nonetheless, it was a thirst quencher. It got so bad that on the sixth hour he finished it. The guards would come in and taunt him, sometimes throw a bucket of water on the ground outside the cell. They would laugh and watch as Nile stuck his fingers through the bars and run them across the wet stone, then lick his fingers and hands.

  It was miserable.

  He was miserable.

  Death never seemed so pleasant.

  His throat was parched and he swallowed, only feeling dry lumps of mucus run down the back of his scratchy throat. He coughed, fell to his side, and coughed again. He coughed so hard that when he slid his hands from the bars to cover his mouth, he fell to his back.

  He lay there.

  Nile rolled his eyes to the wall and saw something blue about the size of a coin. He could see the sky. There was actually a small opening, a crack, that provided a view of the outside world. He smiled warmly and stared at it for a moment longer.