by Aaron Thomas
Kilen had no problems avoiding the rocks as long as he was careful. As he continued to listen to the men in his head he would find himself putting his knee on a pebble. Kilen had to keep his mind on the act of crawling. He continued to crawl late into the day. When Leroy arrived with the evening meal Gortus rose from his squatted position. “Stand Kilen, you have reached a new age. I will not make you crawl any longer. You have reached the age of standing. I will warn you that it is not as easy an age as you think.” Gortus smiled a devious smile foretelling of trials to come. “Tomorrow we will resume your training. Tonight Twilix wanted to train with you. She said you should come to the king’s gardens, so eat quickly and make your way there. I will see you at first light.” After that he uttered only grunts between bites as he dug into the whole chicken Leroy had brought him. Kilen ate quickly the pieces of chicken he was brought. The vegetables seemed to vanish. Finally Kilen took a bite of the bread and realized that he had become use to the spice in the food. He no longer was tormented by the burn in the food. He finished his plate and grabbed a raspberry tart as he ran to meet Twilix, pleased to be able to run freely again. He made good time running through the castle, which earned him strange looks and gasps as he passed servants in the halls. When he arrived at the gardens, Twilix was seated on a bench holding the same book. She closed it promptly and looked up from where she sat. Her eyes were lined with dark circles and her whole demeanor seemed to droop. She had put too much effort into healing him and he saw the result.
“I am glad that he let you free of your training to join me.” She smiled, “I was worried that he would ruin us both if he continued throughout the rest of the day. You seem to be doing well now though. How was the rest of the training?”
“It was not as difficult after the first, I just had to crawl on my hands and knees. Gortus said that I was finished with all of that. It seems he will have more surprises for me tomorrow.”
“Well I will be sure to be there to watch then,” she patted the space next to her on the bench. Kilen sat next to her, “I was going to try and show you how to summon an elemental today. Unfortunately, I don’t think that I have the strength to show you the way.” Kilen sat silently waiting for her to tell him what she had planned to teach him instead. “Let’s just practice the forms for summoning an elemental, and I’ll do my best to describe it to you. Can you do me a favor and help me to the ground?” Kilen helped Twilix to the ground where she laid on her back and Kilen laid next to her. She laid silent a moment before speaking, “It seems I lack the strength to make it rain, could you?” Kilen had never tried making it rain before. He had always just gathered the water to himself and focused it into whatever he needed. He felt the water in the air and started gathering it into small beads of water until they started to fall on their own. The task was relatively simple and soon the ground was wet and the plants in the garden were drinking fervently. Twilix smiled, feeling the water on her skin. Even Kilen felt a little rejuvenated by the rain. Suddenly he remembered the rings on the necklace around his neck. He fished them out of his shirt and undid the chain to relieve it of one of the rings. Then reclasped the necklace around his neck he turned to Twilix.
“I think it would help if you wore this,” he said offering her one of his father’s rings. She looked at the ring and then at Kilen.
“Thank you but it’s not necessary. You will need all the energy you can get for his training tomorrow.” Kilen smiled and then put the ring in her weak hand and closed it around the ring.
“You are the reason I was able to complete the first set of training. Besides you need to recover more than I do. I feel better than I have for a while. You used all your magic to restore me and I offer this for just one night so that you will be able to assist me if I need it tomorrow.” She knew it he was right.
“One night, that is all. You will take it back in the morning so you will have it to train with.” She took a moment and held onto the ring, “It does feel good to have some strength back. I think I might even be able to train you a bit today. Let us begin. We start on the ground because when we summon an elemental we will lose control of our bodies. So relax and concentrate on the elements around you. Feel the water on the ground, the soil, the plants, the birds, and all the magic around you. You are a small part of the magic and must realize that you can control the other elements around you and use their energy in it.” Kilen tried his best to do as she asked. He looked at every detail of the world around him using the water vision and reaching out to the feelings inside the plants. They were happy in the garden and paid him little mind. “Now to form an elemental you must first form its body. You will be able to form different shapes later, but for now form water about your size in the form of a man.” Kilen gathered water from the air and the water that laid on the stones from the rain, forming a man to stand in front of him. “When I first learned to use an elemental, I tried to picture myself inside the form, to see through its eyes. I tried to picture what it would look like, to see myself lying in front of it. I would put my mind inside the elemental until the two merged and I only felt my real body, relatively. I had it described to me as though you were sick with fever and seeing yourself outside your body. Like your mind was floating just outside.”
Kilen knew the feeling of being outside of his body when sick. He had been very sick only two winters before and nearly died from fever. He tried to remember what the feeling was like. The more he tried the more he felt the individual limbs and fingers of the water form in front of him. He pushed trying to assume the water as his body and something snapped in his mind. A small reverberation, as if something had just disappeared. Kilen opened his eyes, the feeling of loss overcame him. Sorrow sank into his bones. A feeling of homesickness overcame him and then he saw it. The elemental moved, it looked around the garden moving of its own accord. “Very good Kilen, it would help if you closed your eyes and looked through only one pair.” Kilen closed his eyes and observed the elemental through the water vision.
Kilen, Joahna said worriedly. Max…is gone.
Observing the elemental move Kilen laid stock still on the ground beside Twilix. The elemental moved slowly, looking at its limbs, hands, and fingers as it stood there. The details were not as Kilen had imagined them to be. They had changed into something different, still a man but different. He did not know how he was supposed to feel or control his elemental. He tried to imagine himself inside the elemental looking down at his body, but there was no change. Once again Joahna shouted from inside his mind, Kilen, Max is gone!
He knew immediately what had happened. He had pushed Max’s consciousness into the elemental. The feeling of loneliness now made sense. He missed Max like missing memories. Twilix lay beside him and he saw her smiling through the water vision. “Good, walk around a bit and try not to trample any of the plants. If you feel tired, let go of the elemental and resume your body. Kilen saw the elemental shaking its head. Kilen knew what it meant. If Max was to remove his mind from the elemental, it could remove his consciousness from Kilen. On the other hand, if Kilen created elementals and was not in control, others would see him as a danger. Max said nothing as he moved a small amount to please Twilix. “You should let go of it now. Too much your first time could drain you of your energy. That is if you don’t know how to pull energy from the element itself. I haven’t seen you consistently do that, so I want to make sure you don’t kill yourself while holding the elemental.”
“I don’t know how,” was the only response that he could give Twilix. He wasn’t in control. He couldn’t force Max to give up the elemental. Even if there was a way, Kilen didn’t know how.
“You do know that you can speak using the elemental.” She said giggling.
Max spoke through the elemental pretending to be Kilen, “How will I know my mind will return to my body?” Kilen was ecstatic with joy knowing Max was thinking the same thing. “If I let go of the elemental, could I die?” Kilen could do nothing but lay and wait for Max to give up the ele
mental.
KILEN! MAX IS GONE!! Kilen could feel Joahna searching frantically inside his head for his lost companion. He was so panicked that he hadn’t noticed the conversation. He wanted to get Joahna’s attention but he still didn’t understand how to shout to him. Kilen tried to send Joahna pain to help him to calm down, but none came.
“Kilen, you’re starting to worry me. You need to let go of the elemental. If you don’t you could die. I suppose I should have mentioned it before, but I didn’t expect you to succeed.” Kilen heard the tone in Twilix’s voice as she spoke and waited for Max to stop. After a few moments of silence Twilix came to her knees and put her hand on Kilen’s chest, “Please. You must stop,” she pleaded, but didn’t know that it wasn’t Kilen’s choice. He wasn’t in control of the elemental. Finally in act of desperation, Kilen stood to look at the elemental eye to eye. Max stared back. Kilen did the only thing he knew to do. Force Max to let go. He used his skill with water to slow down the elemental, freezing it. The now ice statue of a man stared back at him with crystal eyes, as if pleading to stop. He knew that it could be Max and Kilen or just Max to die. Kilen drew his sword for the first time to slay a man with the blade. There was no fighting back, only the silence of the ice blocks hitting the ground around him.
Thundering inside of Kilen’s head forced him to his knees in pain. Then the most wonderful noise Kilen could have heard at that moment, Max screaming inside his head. The world went black with pain and shock of the senses, but he smiled all the way to the ground.
***
Kilen woke to three faces looking down on him, Brent, Brandon, and Twilix. Brent and Twilix smiled as he began to recognize their faces. He tried to remember what had happened and he finally recognized the ceiling of his room. Leroy was in the corner with a covered plate on the desk, sewing Kilen’s ripped pants. He immediately checked to see if he had pants on. When he realized he didn’t he turned red in the face. The wizards all laughed and Brent spoke, “We made her leave.” Kilen smiled and nodded as his face got redder. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Twilix directly.
“I think I may have pushed him too far too fast,” she said, drawing the attention to herself.
“I’m not so sure,” Brandon said in a flat tone. “If he managed to summon an elemental on his first try I think that you have been too soft on him. After all, he managed to subdue Mary on his first try also didn’t he?”
Brent watched his brother speak with great concern in his eyes, “You of all people should know better than that Brandon. Your first trainee died from pushing himself too far too fast. I would think your preference for prudence in training would be your greatest concern.” He turned to Twilix, “Be sure you take greater care when asking him to perform acts this difficult or you should feel the weight of this councilman’s seat.”
Brandon headed for the door but stopped in the doorway and spoke over his shoulder. “Maybe if you had pushed harder she wouldn’t have to make up for your lack of training.” He calmly walked out of the room while a Brent turned three colors of anger.
“I’m sorry Kilen, but I must have a word with my brother,” Brent said, leaving the room after his older brother. Twilix walked to the side of the bed and held out Kilen’s earth ring in the palm of her hand.
“I am sorry, I shouldn’t have pushed you so far. I think you should have this back. I’m feeling quite a bit better now.” Kilen shook his head as he sat up in bed, pulling the wool blanket around his midsection.
“I feel a lot better now myself, I will not be taking that back ‘til morning.” He saw Leroy looking at them between stitches on the pants. “Thank you for helping me summon that. I think it taught me a lot about using magic. I will do better next time.”
“I don’t think I am the right person to be instructing you in that area. Perhaps I can have Brent teach you elementals.” Kilen was frustrated by her lack of will to teach him, so he did the only thing he could think of.
“Fine, if that is the way you will have it. I know that Brent is busy and I hate to bother him. Perhaps I’ll just practice summoning them on my own.” He laid down on the bed and closed his eyes. He drew on the water magic through the blade next to him in bed and used the wash water to form a man out of the water in the basin.
“STOP! You don’t have the strength to do this again,” she pleaded with him. Kilen started to make the man larger, gathering the water in the air. “OK, ok, I’ll teach you, but not unless we’re both full strength.” Kilen put the water back in the bowl and pulled himself up to one elbow in bed.
“Ok, great. I hope that it won’t be too far away. I do need a break from all the training I have been getting from Gortus.” She snickered at him and gave him a half smile.
“Well seeing as you’re well enough to extort people, I think I’ll retire for the night. It has been a trying day looking out for some people.” She gathered her skirts and glided out the door into the hallway, which Leroy promptly shut. Then he shoved the plate of food underneath Kilen’s face. When he opened the lid he found krechen roast Leroy made the first day, but this time the edges were black and the potatoes were burnt and dry.
“Don’t ask. Someone turned up the heat in the cooker. I asked where they put the wood but they just looked at me confused and shrugged. They don’t even know where the heat comes from to cook their food.” He took a moment to breath before sitting down, and resuming his sewing. “It’s good in the middle though. Sorry it’s so little. Gortus took most of it, by the brights that man can eat. Kilen heard a voice in the back of his head.
Kilen, hurry and get rid of him. We are waiting to talk about what happened. Joahna is having a little difficulty understanding and I need answers too. Max voice was commanding and urgent. Kilen ate in a hurry as Leroy went on about being glad to spend the night in the cool barracks. Something had happened in the castle and all the rooms were as hot as a summer day. Kilen ate quickly and didn’t notice the heat of the food. He was hungry and hoping the small amount was enough to restore his energy.
“Leroy, could you do me a favor and check on the horses? Maybe make a run into the city and get me a couple more sets of clothes. I might need more to let you keep up on the sewing.” He hoped that it would buy him enough time to talk with Max and Joahna alone.
“Uhm, sure, but I was told to stay with you in-case you passed out again.” He truly looked concerned for Kilen.
“If I feel bad, I’ll call for Ted. He’s trained to look out for this kind of thing. While you’re at it, why don’t you stop off and get a drink and a dance or two. Maybe see if Bowie is doing ok. I know you haven’t had much time to spend with him lately. By the way you guys talked on the road, you’re pretty good friends. I’m sure he’d like to know what has been going on anyways.”
“Well, if you say so. I would like to see one of those dancing girls again.” Leroy blushed a little.
“Just don’t get caught staring this time. It didn’t go well the last time. I won’t be there to protect you from anyone.” Leroy smiled and nodded as he gathered his cloak to go out into the failing light of the evening. When he was gone, Kilen hurriedly put on some pants and sat in front of the mirror.
YOU KILLED ME AGAIN!! Max started without any hesitation, but Kilen was already ready for his arguments.
“It was either take a chance on you dying, or both of us died.” Max took a moment before speaking again.
For a moment, I had a body again. Do you know the joy of having a body again? I think we have stumbled upon something great, Kilen.
You did not, Joahna piped in. It must have been a hallucination. You disappeared from his mind for a moment. Whatever Kilen did made you have experiences that were not natural. None of this is natural, I do not know what happened, but I do not think we should do that again. We could disappear from his mind altogether.
It did not happen to you Joahna. You do not know the feeling. I will take that feeling anytime over being stuck inside this black nothingness in which we are confined
. If the only way to prove it is to force you out of his head, I hope that you are the one to experience it next. Kilen thought for a moment before speaking to the both of them as they argued.
“I didn’t mean to force you into the elemental, Max. Just before you became the elemental what were you thinking?”
I was trying to help you see what it felt like. I was once a weapon bearer of wind. It was a much different experience. I was only trained to be able to pick up a dropped blade and didn’t get to carry a imbued weapon, but I know how summon an elemental. I was trying to help.
“Thank you, I think the only way to show Joahna is to push him into an elemental so that he knows it for himself. Now that we know it is safe perhaps I can even stay awake this time.” None of the men spoke for a few minutes. “Look, if this is going to happen we need to at least be able to control it. I can’t be passing out every time I summon an elemental.”
I agree, Max said, waiting for Joahna to come to terms with the situation.
I felt very lonely in the darkness that is your mind when Max left. You must be prepared to help steady him when I leave and return. If you promise to do that, I will give it a try. Kilen felt the determination flare in his mind. He was ready to try now. He moved to his bed and laid down to begin gathering the water. The basin had been filled and he emptied it now forming a man. He tried to remember all that Twilix had told him, to see through the eyes of the elemental. Before he knew it, the concussion in his brain happened and the elemental took on the form that Kilen remembered that day in the forest outside of Gulrich. He moved about the room and finally looked up from the floor.