The Tessellation Saga. Book Two. 'The One'

by D. J. Ridgway

  ‘Ahh Themos, if only you could have seen such a night.’ Thaddrick mused aloud, thinking sadly of his last days on his home planet and wondering if any of the tiny pinpricks of brilliance were Arotia. He had no real notion of whether Arotia had survived the cataclysm following their escape through the gateway, only a deep feeling that it was so. He had been in on the planning of the Gatherer’s downfall so long ago and had certainly felt his brother during the time of his healing after the colonists’ arrival but not since.

  ‘Are you still out there Themos, is our world healed?’ Thaddrick asked the twinkling stars; a shooting star suddenly flew across his field of vision trailing a mighty tail. In reality, he knew a shooting star was nothing more than a meteorite forced by gravity to enter the earth’s atmosphere and its tail was the meteor itself burning up as it passed through from the death of space to the life on earth, but he smiled anyway. ‘An omen Themos, home is still there, I am sure of it,’ watching the shooting star as it quickly faded from view Thaddrick turned and entered the low building closing the door quietly behind him, he saw Roidan standing alone and went to stand beside her.

  ‘I know you won’t approve but I released the constraints on the magic,’ she said, adding, ‘Gideon and the others need to learn control now.’ Thaddrick smiled.

  ‘As always my love, you are right,’ he said.

  Jonus was in the centre of the room before the fire with the travellers standing behind him. All eyes fixed on him as he slowly lifted one piece of wood after another using magic and set them aflame before guiding them slowly back to the hearth.

  ‘Now, your turn Gideon…,’ he said as the flames took hold. ‘Using the balance carefully you can do most things. I mean, I can light the wood using magic with no harm to the balance as the flames eat the wood… see…,’ he continued as if he were the adult and Gideon the child. ‘The wood becomes its own balance. To control the strength, think of a candle forever alight in your mind, you can control the magic using the candle by not letting it burn out too fast or too strongly,’ silently, Thaddrick watched as the young boy gave basic instruction in use of magic and balance, the key behind the root of magic’s ultimate power. Sonal and Varan on noting Thaddrick’s presence quietly joined him at the back of the room.

  ‘He is a far better teacher than I would have been,’ Sonal said nodding toward the youngster guiding Gideon’s first, knowing forays into the art of balance. ‘I would never have found such a simple explanation,’ he explained.

  Lemba took hold of a piece of wood and stared hard at it. Suddenly she felt as if she were part of the tree itself, she could feel the pain as its limb tore off during a powerful storm and the aging of the wood as it dried, she dropped it quickly and it burst into flame. Glancing around to see if anyone had noticed she kicked it swiftly and grinned as it flew into the fireplace. Picking another log she tried again this time not only managing to lift the small log using magic but to maintain its altitude as it burst into flame and slowly move back into the grate.

  ‘Show off,’ young Jed nudged her arm, pride at her achievement making him glow. Mayan smiled as Gideon winked at her and Thaddrick frowned as he watched Gideon preparing himself.

  ‘Watch this then…,’ called Gideon as he reached for the largest of the logs with his new found skill, he felt the shape and contours of the heavy log in his mind and willed it lighter, slowly the log before him moved a little and began to rise. He grinned quickly at Jed and the log wobbled, immediately he turned his full attention back to the lump of wood hovering unsteadily above the ground. He looked harder at the misshapen log seeing its knurled bark and tight knots, looking deeper, he saw the trees rings of life and felt the seasons as they had turned. The seasons seemed to run swiftly past, each one showing the tree from which the log had been cut, bare for winter, cloaked in a green mantle for spring, full of flower for summer and the glorious autumnal reds and gold’s for autumn. Faster and faster, the seasons whirled past until Gideon was dizzy with the speed. Suddenly surrounded by darkness he felt power growing inside him, a tiny seed bursting with life, building and filling him. He stopped, waiting for the sickness and the blinding headache that usually accompanied this feeling in him whether he knew he was doing magic or not.

  He turned his head looking for a light in the darkness and as before with the lady, he could see his body standing with that of his friends far below, a log balanced carefully with a tiny lick of flame trying to rise from one end. The power continued to grow as the darkness intensified, Gideon reached forward to see if the darkness was as solid as it looked and immediately saw a glow following where his hand had been. He moved his other hand and watched amazed as the movement also left a trail of colour more vibrant than he had ever seen. He moved his feet creating a dance of colour, feeling like an artist creating a magnificent picture, reds, green and gold’s burst through from his fingertips creating rainbows of light, purples, greens and shades of pale pearlescent pinks, white and soft lilacs blended in harmonious accord. I need music, he thought as the darkness around him already filled with light and colour added sound, each shade and hue of colour singing a different tone, each note in total and perfect harmony with the other.

  He reached up into the ether sending the symphony of colour and sound high and wide creating a glorious crescendo of intense power flowing thought his veins.

  ‘I am doing this, me… I’m a magician… I could rule the world,’ he shouted, elated as his voice added cadence to the body of the song.

  ‘You could…, we could,’ an oily voice seemed to answer him. Giddy with power and emotion he continued his dance.

  ‘How can I?’ He asked the voice, ‘I get sick if I try magic away from the forest, I, get sick if I’m away from the forest,’ he corrected himself.

  ‘I will show you,’ the voice answered and led Gideon’s song in a new direction, the colours slowly began to change, darkening and becoming more dense, the music grew louder and here and there a note of discord slipped in, creating a jarring sound in Gideon’s ears. Like a child learning to play an instrument for the first time, the music slowly became harsh and grating and with the conflicting clashing notes ringing shrilly in his ears, Gideon began to feel nauseous. The notes became low and threatening as the same sickness that had made him ill when he had left the confines of the forest, threatened him once again. Suddenly he understood.

  ‘I see…,’ Gideon began, ‘if I forget the harmony I become ill. My magic, my music needs…colour and life, it needs light and dark but in balance…,’ Gideon laughed as he realised this was how to overcome the sickness and stop the build-up of power, like the overload that had killed the soldiers in the woods outside his grandparents’ home.

  ‘Thaddrick was right after all,’ he said laughing. Suddenly the music changed once more and Gideon immediately felt as if his mind was tearing apart, the song now jarred constantly, he held his hands to his ears to stop the noise from entering his skull and he felt the chill in his bones and his mortal body shivered violently.

  ‘Gid, you ok man?’ Jed asked as he watched his friend intently, Gid shivered again despite the warm evening; Jed threw another log manually onto the fire. ‘Be a little warmer now,’ he added as his friend remained still.

  In the ether, Gideon watched as the colours became a sickening mix of oily yellow, green and black and he felt as if he were somehow detaching from himself, disappearing.

  ‘Join with me or die,’ he heard as the throbbing in his head intensified, ‘join me…’ he heard as the pain made him light headed, every bone in his body jarred with the colours and the notes of the awful song, he felt his belly churn as his body far below became weak. I could let go, he thought then it would not hurt anymore. His thoughts continued as his physical body fell to its knees, his skin turned ashen and his lungs refused to work. Every breath came as if drawn over hot and acid coals burning his throat and he felt death close by him. He saw stars bursting far away in the darkness, stars beautiful and true, if only they cou
ld reach me, he thought, somehow knowing help was out there he just had to find it.

  ‘Stop please,’ he begged as the pain continued and mounted, finally, as he could take no more he felt something in his mind give. Before him suddenly was the lady, slowly fading away, tears rolling down her face and as she vanished, Mayan appeared, naked and looking up at him with large bruises on her body, she opened her mouth to scream but as she did he saw a stump where her tongue used to be.

  ‘No,’ Gideon said, shocked as he looked at his beloved, ‘no,’ he said again as he shook his head attempting to rid himself of the vile unwanted image of Mayan and he thought of Toby smiling as he raped her on the dirt floor of the wood and the pain she had gone through for him. He felt something holding him, trying to shake him, part of his being, his soul, that which made him who he was loosen and he realised this was the thing that would hurt his Mayan and this was the thing ready to steal his body and his power.

  ‘Jed help me…,’ he screamed silently as Jed in the real world worriedly placed his hand on Gideon’s arm.

  ‘Gid…,’ he began, as he felt something drawing on him. Gideon’s white face flushed with colour as Jed himself felt suddenly weak, he wanted to pull his arm away from his friend but held on, knowing somehow, Gideon was in a struggle, perhaps for his very life.

  ‘I’m here fer yer bro,’ he whispered into his friend’s ear remembering how he himself had very nearly killed the man before him. ‘I’ll always be here fer yer,’ he whispered again as he fell to his knees weaker than he had ever felt in his life. Mayan, ever sensitive to her twin grabbed him in terror not knowing why but knowing she had to hold on. Gideon felt the sudden rush of strength and power building up in his head.

  ‘NO,’ he shouted, ‘NO…,’ he screamed again as the accumulation of energy was finally released throwing the usurper out of his head.

  The song disappeared as Gideon found himself back in his body with the log crashing to the floor. Tears rolled down his face as he looked at his friend and Mayan, who stood beside her brother and her fiancé.

  ‘What ‘appened Gid?’ She asked, confused and worried, her hand tenderly stroking his head. Thaddrick crossed the room walking slowly toward the young men still kneeling on the floor.

  ‘My dear, dear Gideon,’ he said sadly, as Gideon turned his head toward Thaddrick’s voice unconsciously putting Mayan behind him. ‘You have fought your first battle with a terrible foe, he may never be able to best you alone but you must always be on your guard and keep Jed near you,’ he said, pulling the young men to their feet and helping them inadvertently complete their turn away from Mayan. Varan and Sonal who had also been silent watchers of the battle in the ether smiled in encouragement.

  They had been amazed, as they had watched Jed lending his strength to Gideon to fight off the attack, all three men had attempted to help Gideon during the battle but Gideon’s own magic had rejected the help, seeing Gath’s power as part of itself.

  ‘We were unable to aid you as the balance in you sees his strength as part of yours, the choice was and has always been for you to make. You chose Gideon, with Jed’s help you chose, but be warned, he will use any and all means to harm you now you have defied him.’ Thaddrick added finally.

  ‘Who was he?’ Gideon asked as he rubbed the tears from his exhausted face.

  ‘He was the Gatherer…, your biological father.’ Thaddrick replied, ‘and he now knows without a doubt that I also am alive.’

  Mayan looked at her fiancé, his arms held by her brother and Thaddrick; even the older twins had their backs to her. She suddenly felt alone more than she ever had in her life before. The truth of her words days before hit her with a violence that made her physically sick.

  ‘Good thing yer love me then Gid eh else, there really would be no use fer me…,’ she had said and it was true. There really is no place fer me amongst these mages an’ magicians, even the youngster, Jonus ‘as more magic in ‘is little finger than I ‘ave in me whole body an’ Jed, me own twin is connected ter Gideon in a way I never could be… she thought quietly backing away from the group shaking her head in sudden bewilderment. Lemba watched her go, intuition telling her now was not the time to go and comfort her friend. Tonight, she decided, I will talk to Jed about it; he’ll know how to ease her mind.

  Chapter 36

  Lessons Continue

  Days followed into weeks as the lessons continued, never again with as much impact as Gideon’s initial foray into the world of magic but always under the watchful eyes of Sonal, Varan or Thaddrick himself. Lemba and Rhoàld were delighted in their newfound talent where Gideon’s own, still frightened him a little. For some reason Jonus, their young friend always seemed to be around to help with an intonation or a word in the right place if one of the friends were in difficulty, especially if Lemba was present and the one having the problem.

  Gideon teased his friend endlessly about Jonus but Jed took it well, liking the boy for who he was. He even joined in when Lemba began teaching Jonus the finger-speak mainly to keep in practice as she knew when they left the valley she would lose her ability to speak once more. Jonus was a quick study and caught on easily with all the slight nuances and movements that meant different things if performed badly. Mayan tried to learn too but as the others were too quick for her, she smiled politely and left them to it assuring herself constantly that she would be of use somewhere else. When I’m not feelin’ ser ill anyway, she thought, having been plagued with more than one headache as she tried to come to terms with what was happening. Personally, she believed it was worry and constant tiredness, even in their bed at night she felt as if Gideon were a million miles away, though in truth she could reach out her hand and feel him next to her, usually sleeping soundly.

  Eventually as Mayan began to feel more and more isolated, she began to look for companionship amongst the other women of the community and she felt instantly better when Jonus’s mother asked her to help run the vast kitchens and prepare the rooms every day for the guests, herself included. Doing these menial tasks was a stark reminder to her of the plight her family, friends and the villagers and she tried not to feel guilty, knowing that their group had to be here in the valley, both for Gideon and for the others. They all had to learn to control their newfound powers and here was the only place they could do so but she promised herself to seek out Thaddrick and ask his advice at the first opportunity. Iffen I can get him away from Gideon’s father that is... she thought, laughing merrily, busy and happier than she had been for many weeks and content in the knowledge she was doing her bit.

  Jed, Gideon’s father was spending a lot of time alone with Thaddrick either walking along the riverbank or in Thaddrick’s workshop and often the older twins would join them there in the evenings.

  ‘It might help, my friend,’ Thaddrick said handing Jed a number of small coloured phials.

  ‘It ‘as ter help Blue, yer knows ‘ow I feel about ‘em all. I can’t spend any more time ‘ere with yer than I ‘ave ter whilst they be sufferin’.’ Thaddrick smiled lovingly at his friend and the use of his wolf name. To Jed, he would always be Blue, sometimes man, sometimes wolf and Thaddrick did not think even he had the courage to ask Gideon’s father which persona he preferred.

  ‘The Journey wills us all Jed but we can try to help it a little.’ He smiled knowing the time for parting was coming upon them sooner rather than later, he only hoped Gideon and the others were ready. The small spells filling the coloured phials were little enough he could contribute.

  Chapter 37

  Mayan is Lonely

  Mayan hung the washing quietly on the line in the early morning sunshine, she was exhausted, having spent the long evening before scrubbing the dirty linen whilst the other members of her party practiced their various arts or spoke in hushed tones before the fire. This morning she had risen from bed early and kissed Gideon on the nose as he slept, noticing a few more wrinkles than she had previously seen. Gideon looked slightly older than the man she kne
w him to be, she also knew it was something to do with him not achieving the proper amount of balance yet, despite Thaddrick telling her he should not require balance because of who he was. Jonus’s mother had told her how difficult it was as a beginner and how things would even out but the new wrinkles still upset her; he was changing just as her brother had changed when he joined the army.

  As she watched him sleeping she realised she had to climb halfway over the bed to reach him, not slide from beneath him as she had been wont to do when they first arrived here in the valley. Last night had been another night when he had said goodnight with a peck on the cheek and turned to sleep facing away from her. Then, she had been so tired she had not noticed but this morning she did and took her thoughts with her as she went about her daily chores. She had been fooling herself; she had taken to working very hard, scrubbing and cleaning all day, sweeping the floors and doing the community washing. Roidan, Thaddrick’s wife had tried to befriend her but she had been too busy with her chores and even Roidan had eventually left her alone. She was sure she had caught a chill too as she felt awful, her head was constantly aching and she had been sick more than once. This morning as she pegged out the brilliant white sheets in the sunshine they failed to give her the pleasure they normally did, so she left the washing still half pegged out and walked slowly away, up the slight hill and away from the gurgling river; on and on she walked her brain in a whirl. Finally, she reached the place where she had first fallen through the gateway with Gideon’s father and Varan, not noticing the involuntary shiver as she crossed the magical barrier protecting the valley and its inhabitants.