Changer's Blood (Balancer's Soul cycle)

by Lee Morgan

  Jillian asked empathically “Doesn’t it bother you about not knowing?”

  “It used to, but I’ve come to grips with reality and decided that my life should be looking forward and not looking back at the past. Don’t get me wrong because I still glance back from time to time.” He said and Jillian gave him a pleased look, like his answer was satisfactory to her.

  Sarah spoke in her velvety voice that always makes his heart beat just a little bit faster. “Well this is what you have to look forward to in your future.” She touched the top of her left breast where her heart beats just under the flesh. And with her other now freed hand placed over her belly. “And this is also your future.” She smiled his favorite heartwarming smile.

  He entered her mind. “Have I ever told you how much I love you?”

  “All the time and I will never get tired of it. Plus our love came together to make this new little treasure.” Her eyes dropped to her belly and he could see her smiling.

  Connor stood up. “How about we make some dinner?”

  Sarah stood as well. “I’ll second the motion.” She smiled for only a moment. “Umm, but first…where’s the ladies room?”

  “Oh, sorry.” he walked over to the bags and pulled them off to the side. Hidden beneath lay a wooden latch that was in the solid stone floor. He turned to the three people staring at him. “Give me a moment to light the torch.” He dropped down the small, pitch black shaft and landed on his feet about ten feet from the surface of the dome. He didn’t need to use the hand holds because he knew precisely what he was doing. After all, he constructed everything. He could sense where everything lay even without any light. The sound of a water stream came off from the right and he knew that it was fresh water for both drinking and sanitation. He closed his eyes and imagined a small flame above his hand. As he released the energy the heat in the small room focused just above the palm of his hand to the point of ignition. When the flame came to life he used his own energy to fuel the flame. Taking three steps forward he grabbed the torch and used the flame to light the pitch. He used a fresh cut limb from an oak tree to use as the handle while using the resin from a pine tree as an accelerant. The moment the flame ignited the pine sap, he placed the shaft end back into a hole in the rock.

  With the room lit, everything looked the same. The room was just a few inches taller than himself and about ten feet wide and long. It wasn’t a large room, but for its purposes it remained adequate. The stream of fresh water cut right down the middle of the room and is about two feet wide and about shin deep.

  With the room illuminated he walked under the shaft and said “Princess, it’s safe to come down now!”

  Suddenly he saw not one, but three heads looking down into the hole. Jillian asked “Are you sure?” Sarah pushed her mother out of the way as she sat down and threw her legs over the edge. Then she saw the hand holds and used them to ease her way down to the lower level. The moment she touched down Jack began his decent.

  With everyone down here he explained what they saw. “This place has a moderate flowing stream of fresh water cutting through the mountain. You can clean your clothes, drink and even do your business. Plus the water’s sound muffles out any noise. I chose this spot for all of these reasons.”

  They decided to get a closer look for a moment.

  Sarah touched the cold water. With her back turned she said “Everyone out. I can’t hold it in much longer.” The three of them climbed back up to allow her to do her thing.

  While he started cooking a small dinner for the four of them, Sarah returned looking refreshed. Connor had several hotdogs cooking over the fire while her parents took their turns in the lower room.

  With everyone eating their own packages of hotdogs Sarah scooted over to sit with him by the fire. He asked Sarah “Did you like your birthday?”

  She swallowed the last of her meal of apples before she spoke. “I can say this has been the happiest birthday in my life.”

  “I’ll second that.” Jillian said playfully, but for another reason all together.

  A few hours later he added a few sticks into the fire and opened their sleeping bag and placed it just close enough to the fire to keep warm, but not become a fire hazard. Both Jillian and Jack fell asleep in their sleeping bag and Connor had to smile because Jack snores almost like Sarah does. Connor took Tool and placed it about a foot above his head. He hopped into the bag first after unzipping it and Sarah quickly joined in. The moment she was in Connor threw the bag across the two of them. He brought a small pillow for his head while Sarah used his left arm for her pillow. When she fell asleep and began snoring softly Connor looked at the roof of the dome and slowly went to sleep as he watched the flickering lights make the glass twinkle like the stars.

  Wake and Sleep

  Connor began having the strangest dream once again. It felt so real. For some reason he was still just a toddler and had just crawled out of a hole in the ground and stopped when he caught the movement of a flickering shadow within the night. He stood stark naked and feeling a little cold in the night air, but it was bearable. The shadow creature just stayed there just watching him closely, but he felt no threat until suddenly warm arms picked him up in the darkness.

  Then the strange dream changed slightly when Connor saw a hulking black shape that looked humanoid, but it wasn’t human by any means. The eyes of the creature were blue and brown, kind of like hazel. It was walking towards Connor, but it was benevolent and didn’t hold any malice in its eyes.

  Suddenly Connor heard a loud DONG, like that of a bell ringing inside his head. It vibrated throughout his entire body. His eyes shot open and he grabbed Tool that lay above his head, right where it was left. Connor jumped to his feet instantly, not knowing what just happened, but not taking any chance. His empty hand felt warm, but Connor didn’t pay it any mind. He prepared for a fight against an unknown assailant or threat.

  The dome wasn’t moving nor was there any noise except from the crackling of the fire. Something must have made the noise.

  Connor saw the cover of his blanket finally land on the ground. Sarah was sitting up with a hand over her heart. Off to the other side of the calm fire both Jillian and Jack were sitting up as well. They looked at each other seriously and nodded at the same time. They knew what happened.

  Scared of not knowing what was going on Connor asked in a steeled voice “What the hell was that?”

  Jack looked over and said “That was a Keeper’s Call. That was the summons for the next Mélange meeting.”

  Connor looked over at Sarah who nodded, but still trying to catch her breath. Her green eyes shifted down as he straightened out of the battle stance. She said in a shocked, startled voice “Connor, your hand!”

  He looked at his hand and saw a flame of dark blue fire covering his left fist. It started at his wrist and encased the entirety of his hand. He dropped Tool loudly on the stone floor and brought the flame closer to his face to study it. His hand was glowing whiter, but not blindingly. The flame was putting out a tremendous amount of heat, but was using the same amount of energy as a regular orange flame. Upon closer inspection the flames weren’t touching his skin, but actually coming out of the tiny pores. He used the other hand to touch the flame and it actually felt like the warmth of the sun in springtime.

  He had an idea and a theory that he had to try out. Connor leaned down and grabbed a twig from the fire that didn’t burn yet. Both Jillian and Jack were standing as they looked at him with shocked interest. Sarah stayed seated where she was. He decided to back away because the heat looked to be too intense.

  With his fist still clenched and the blue flame burning brightly, he touched the end of the twig to the flame. The end of the twig burned white hot for only a second before turning to ash and Connor knew exactly what was coming from his hand. He then immediately stopped the flow of energy and the flame disappeared. His hand came out completely unscathed from the fire.

  Movement off to the right came from Jack. He
grabbed Connor’s hand and turned it over. He wanted answers as he looked back into his hazel eyes. “What kind of a flame was that?”

  Connor took a deep breath. “A Blue Flame. It is a flame that is so hot that it needs little to no oxygen at all to burn. All it really needs is fuel. It is the most dangerous flame because it can burn just about anything and won’t suffocate…”

  Suddenly he released the hand like a snake just bit him. “How did you manage it?”

  “I don’t have the faintest idea.” Connor looked at Sarah who looked like she was trying not to laugh at her father. “It just appeared when I thought Sarah was in danger.”

  “Try it again, but let us get back. It was quite…warm.” Jillian said smiling weakly. She helped Sarah up from the sleeping bag and the three of them stood at the far end of the dome. It was hotter to them than they let on. The wielder of the flame must be immune to the intensity.

  Connor focused on a dark blue fireball surrounding his hand, in his mind’s eye. Using power and instinct to guide, a dark blue flame sprung to life after his hand began to faintly glow. He instantly stopped the flow knowing that it is possible to be activated on command.

  He had to change the subject back to why Jack became so defensive in the first place. “Can you please tell me what that feeling was? You know that ringing dong sound that could wake the dead!”

  Sarah walked over and sat back down on the sleeping bag. She patted beside her and he slowly sat beside her. Her green eyes were fully awake. “Connor, that feeling emanated from a single Keeper. It was a worldwide telepathic call that only we immortals can receive. No human or form of technology received it.”

  Jillian sat down beside them and said “I have been waiting for the call for well over a month now.”

  Connor asked “Where is it at? How do we get there?”

  Jack came over and sat down beside his mate. “Connor, close your eyes and focus on the bond. Tell me what might be different now?”

  He decided to do what he said. He focused at his gut, where he could always feel where the bond to Sarah is. He could feel exactly where she was as she sat beside him, but there was something else. “I feel something.” He pointed behind himself. “I somehow feel another bond, but how can that be?”

  Sarah’s green eyes captured his attention. “That is a temporary bond placed by the Keeper who sent out the summons. When we arrive and meet the Keeper, he or she, will remove the bond they placed on us.” She smiled. “We’re lucky this time because it feels like the bond is pointing to the north of us. It looks like it’s going to be held in northern Canada this time.”

  Connor looked so handsome yet so confused at what has happened in the past few minutes. He began looking up as he processed everything.

  Jack gained her attention. “Sarah?” She looked at his shadowed face because the fire was to his back. “Are you capable of making a blue flame as well?”

  “I’m not sure, but I can try…”

  Connor stood up saying “How about we get our things together and do this top side? I felt how hot it got in here and I know that some fresh air will do us all some good.” He was setting his penetrating hazel eyes on her father and his tone laced with authority even if he was asking a question.

  Without further complications, they packed up the bags and cleaned up the room. Connor allowed Sarah to make a fire shield to absorb the energy from the campfire. When she made the rotating shield, it absorbed all the flames and it gave a much needed energy boost. It has become eerily dark in here so she used sonar to guide her way. Her parents did the same from behind.

  Connor was first down the hall with his pack on his back as well as hers. Sarah stood next in line and was empty handed so she got permission from her parents to fly them back to the surface. As Connor used his power over Terra to push the boulder out, sunlight shone through. It was blinding and shockingly cold for a moment. Then her mate used Pressure to make himself fly as he stepped out of the tunnel and into the sunlight.

  Sarah turned around as she made it to the mouth of the cave and took both of her parent’s wrists in each of her hands. She focused her power and lifted off of the ground. As she took the weight of her parents she noticed that she has become stronger because her parents weighed next to nothing. She flew up the wall slowly so as to not startle them. As she touched them to the snow covered ground they heard the boulder getting put back in place.

  When Connor touched down next to her he smiled softly. “I’m sorry for making the ending of your birthday turn out like this.”

  Sarah knew he was feeling upset and knowing that he thought it was his fault. So she touched his cheek gently. “Connor, nothing could ever diminish how much fun I had yesterday.” He smiled, but there wasn’t much sincerity in it.

  Jillian changed the mood by chirping “I want to see if you can also do the blue flame thing too!”

  Connor took her hand from his cheek and kissed each of her knuckles. “Thanks, Princess.” He strolled away to stand next to her parents.

  Sarah turned around to look at the three observers who waited intently.

  She closed her eyes after taking in a deep breath. She focused on her right hand and funneled energy down into it like always, but with a twist. She imagined a dark blue flame that Connor showed them inside the dome just minutes before. Normally when she pours energy for fire into her hand it feels like warm flowing water going down the arm, but this feeling was like the warmth of the sun just under the skin. As she opened her eyes a ball of blue flames danced over the palm of her hand.

  She then looked up and snuffed out the flame. Connor had a half pleased expression while her parents were shocked. “Father? What’s wrong?”

  He shook his head and said “I’ve never seen a blue fame from any Fire Balancers before. I haven’t even seen a Keeper with the power to make a flame that color before. Not even I can change the shade of my flames.”

  Connor changed the subject again. At least this time he sounded more like himself. “Jillian, how long do we have until the Mélange gathering?”

  She smiled up at Connor’s resiliency. “We have two weeks until the meeting begins. We’ll want to get there earlier than that because they have games and entertainment that can’t be matched by normal humans. The gathering lasts for about six months, but the Elders only take a little over a month of our time. The rest is up to us.”

  “Like what?”

  Sarah spoke up because she wants him to be surprised for once. “You’ll see when we get there. Trust me, you’ll absolutely love it.” She smiled. “I had to wait for my present. Now it’s your turn.”

  Connor turned back to look at her. This time his smile was genuine. “Well, what are we waiting for?”

  Jack gained her mate’s attention. “There are two things we need to do before we go.” He held up one finger. “We will need to prepare to be gone for the next six months because the meeting, in my experience, will last two whole months by itself. So prepare everyone who knows you that you’ll be gone for that long.” Jack held up his second finger. “We will have to travel on foot to get there and the only exception will be for the people who live overseas. We have to use our own strength to get there. So when everything is finished we’ll leave. Not before.”

  Sarah walked up to Connor. “I’m hungry again. The sooner we leave the sooner we can get things finished.”

  He smiled down at her. Looking at her parents he asked “Would the two of you like to fly back to the truck or would you rather walk?”

  Jack said modestly and not disguising his fear “We would rather run on the ground if you wouldn’t mind.”

  Connor didn’t mind and the four of them began to run back to the truck. Running about the same time back to the truck was actually relaxing. She says that because with each step her stress diminished slowly.

  Pulling into her parent’s driveway Connor turned off the ignition. The four of them stepped out of the vehicle, each grabbed their bags and went their separate ways.<
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  As Connor and Sarah stepped into the clearing of their home they walked to the cottage and Sarah twisted the doorknob. She whispered to her mate. “Connor, I locked the door before we left.”

  His face became stone serious as he softly put the bags on the snow and didn’t make a single sound. He grabbed Tool and held it with his right hand as he opened the front door to their home to greet whoever wasn’t invited.

  ####

  Look forward to the next Chapter in Connor and Sarah’s life as they search for answers to a question they’ve been unable to answer; Why are they so unique? Hopefully someone at the Mélange can answer it.

  The journey continues in:

  Keeper’s Knowledge

  Contact me:

  http://facebook.com/h.leemorgan

  Balancer’s Cycle:

  Balancer’s Soul

  Changer’s Blood

  Keeper’s knowledge

  Harmonizers Evolution

  Item Trilogy (Coming in fall of 2012)

  Untamed Gift

  Furion’s Trials

  Ra’van