The Awakening (The Stones of Revenge)

by Sargeant, Justin

  Suddenly, a brilliant light erupted from the pool upward toward the ceiling. The gems on the walls shone brightly radiating back the light. The room danced with beams of different colors. Landon felt weightless, and a calm passed over him. Then, without warning, his mind flashed back to the dreams he had had the previous night. They were images from his life forcing him to relive his sad childhood. The first vision was the time he first met anyone outside of the farm:

  For the most part, Mordecai kept Landon isolated. It was only until his late childhood that Landon met anyone other than the messengers who occasionally arrived at the farm. A travelling band of merchants had come to Camsbury and set up shop outside the city gates. By this time Landon had been asking many questions about the outside world, and Mordecai knew that he could not keep Landon stuck on the farm forever. And at any rate, they needed a market to sell their harvest. He decided it was time to let Landon meet the world.

  That night they readied the horses and set out for Landon’s first real adventure of his life. He remembered being incredibly excited. Not only were the two of them leaving the farm to meet others, but they were meeting people from around the world. Landon wasn’t sure what kind of people he would meet. He wondered if people in other places had four arms or two heads or some other crazy deformity that distinguished them. The few hours it took to get to Camsbury were the most anxious he had ever experienced. The anxiety made the trip feel like it had taken days.

  When they finally arrived, Landon couldn’t believe his eyes. Large tents covered the ground as far as the eye could see. Flames were lit everywhere in the twilight allowing him to see everything as clear as though it were daytime. Booths stood everywhere with sellers proffering the rarest of worldly items. Hundreds of people roamed the small tent city. Landon looked to his uncle with an appearance of amazement. Mordecai laughed.

  “Where can we begin?” Landon asked.

  “How about I introduce you to a friend,” his uncle responded. As they entered the foray the first thing Landon noticed was the first two tents at the entrance. They stood on either side rising into the heavens as two giants who stood watch over the area. Landon had to crane his next just to see their peaks. As they passed by, Landon could not take his eyes off of them. He nearly tripped over a large stone looking back to see them. Mordecai stabilized him and they continued walking, turning left and right, meandering through the throng of people until they arrived at a tent with its flap slightly ajar.

  “This is a local merchant in Camsbury. He always sets up shop when these travelers come because they draw such large crowds. His name is Archer,” Mordecai explained. They entered the tent and a burly man with a large leather jerkin greeted Mordecai warmly. They clasped hands and laughed, then, Mordecai introduced him to Landon.

  “This must be overwhelming for you, boy!” Archer exclaimed.

  “A little, sir,” he said. Then, Archer turned his attention back on his uncle. They moved over to a small round table and began a conversation that slowly made them lose interest in Landon. Feeling awkward and forgotten, Landon decided to venture out on his own. He quietly slipped out of the tent without being noticed and wandered the rows of tents trying to find something interesting. Most of the sellers’ booths were too tall for Landon to see what they were selling, so he thought about entering a tent. Finally, he found one called Godfrey’s Weaponry.

  Abruptly, Landon opened his eyes to realize he was still floating in the tarn. His uncle’s harsh words that were soon to follow had jolted him out of sleep. Realizing where he was, he recognized that the tarn had been giving him these visions. In essence it put him to sleep while still swimming. It seemed a dangerous prospect, but apparently he had survived thus far from drowning. His eyes began to gather weight again. He didn’t understand how this was supposed to help him but it seemed he had little choice in the matter now. The next dream to overtake him was a comforting, stark contrast to his previous one. It was when Mordecai first allowed him to work the farm with him:

  As Landon grew older, Mordecai began to connect with his nephew in the field. Slowly, he would give Landon responsibilities and jobs to complete which gave them their first real chances to bond. Landon yearned for this relational connection as he had never received it before from his uncle. His uncle had never trusted him to work the field and always kept him in the house when he was out on the farm. When he was eight, Landon was finally allowed to feed the animals. Though seemingly menial, it meant the world to him. He was no longer confined to the house, he was free to wander about the farm, and he began to converse with his uncle.

  They talked mostly about the fieldwork. Mordecai would explain how the fields were prepared for planting, how the oxen needed the exercise, and about how long it would take between planting and seeing the first bud. Landon reveled in every word and absorbed as much as he could about how to operate a farm. There were times, however, when Mordecai would venture from the discussion of fieldwork into rumors from distant sections of the Realm. These stories ignited a flame inside Landon, and a desire to explore the world and meet new people.

  Soon, he was begging for more responsibilities. He moved from just feeding the animals to cleaning them. He went from cleaning them to learning how to ride them and control them. Eventually, Landon was equally responsible for the workload.

  That harvest season of his eighth year was a turning point in Landon’s life. It was the first bright light he had been given since going to live with his uncle. Before then was a different story. Pain was the one word that described Landon’s childhood. The worst dreams for him were the images of him as a baby with an uncle who had no clue as to how to raise a child:

  He lay in his crib crying, yelling for anyone to hear him or acknowledge he existed. He cried for long hours hoping his uncle would come in just to be with him. Eventually, Mordecai would enter asking him to stay quiet then leave the room again. Landon would comply, learning to play with his crib of straw and his tiny imagination. This was not necessarily all Mordecai’s fault for in his panic to learn all he could about how to raise a baby, he sought advice from many prominent women in town who all told him that babies would cry themselves to sleep and that they slept constantly. Mordecai assumed he was to feed the baby and let him sleep. Never did it occur to him to play with the child especially when he had work in the field to do.

  For much of Landon’s life as a baby, he received little interaction from his uncle. This caused him to be slow on learning how to speak, which also made Mordecai unsure of his intelligence. Eventually, though, as Landon aged, he did learn to speak and was quite curious about many things. Mordecai would often answer his questions, but usually he would tell him to stay quiet and play in his room. The only friends he had were a stuffed horse a woman in town had brought when he was barely a year old and an old leather pouch Mordecai had given him. Those toys had gotten him through many lonely hours.

  As Landon awoke again, these memories came back to him. They rent his heart for he believed he had buried the pain. He splashed and squirmed trying to move away from the pond, trying to leave the memories, but something held him in place. He could not outmaneuver the invisible grip or the pain in his heart. Then, it occurred to him. The toys from his last vision brought untold hours of pain and loneliness. The image of himself playing alone with them struck his own heart with grief. He held onto the vision of him and the horse until suddenly he felt warmth spread through his body. His hands in the water began to tingle as the heat intensified. All the while, Landon held on to the image of himself with his toy horse in his mind. He held himself across the chest feeling the anguish build inside of him. Then without thinking he threw his arms outward from his body exploding a massive ball of fire with him. It vaporized the water he was floating in which dropped him to his feet only a foot below where he was suspended. The crystals and gems in the walls captured the light and emitted a brilliance radiance fully illuminating the room.

  Landon stood amazed at the burst of energy tha
t had emerged from him. He felt his skin and realized it was dry. He turned toward the rim of the tarn and began to crawl his way out. He retrieved his clothes with an understanding of how to control his power. All he needed to do was capture the image in his mind. He began to exit the room when he realized he had just vaporized a lake that had lay there for countless centuries. He felt guilty. But he knew he needed to return to Aldous and share his newfound discovery. He ran out of the cavern as fast as he could.

  With his first step outside of the room, however, the light from the tarn vanished, and Landon was enveloped in darkness once again. His first thought was to panic then he realized he had just discovered the ability to create fire and light. He closed his eyes and conjured up the image of him with the toy horse. Immediately, his hands began to tingle. He intensified his focus on the image and on the feeling in his hand. He tried to feel the tingle consolidated in his hands. He felt as it grew heavier and became a solid burning feeling. He opened his eyes and in his hands was a small ball of flame. Landon noticed that he only felt a slight warmth instead of the intense heat he should have been feeling. He looked around for something to create a torch with, but found nothing. In exasperation, he threw the ball of flame to the ground. Then, it occurred to him. If I can hold the flame in my hands without being burned, why do I need a torch?

  He closed his eyes again to focus on the image, then, when he felt the prickle in his hands, he formed it into another ball of flame. He opened his eyes, and sure enough, he held an orb which lit the corridor. He used it to light his way back towards the dwelling. He carried the flame through the hallways, turning right and left following the arrows he had carved into the walls, and made his way back into the great chamber where Aldous was still sitting sipping from his cup and reading a scroll. He looked up leisurely.

  “Well now, how about that? The tarn gave you what you needed.”

  “Aye, it did,” Landon said as he let tossed flame harmlessly into the tunnels. “What comes next?”

  “Next, we refine your skill. You can make balls of flame for light, but that will not be enough for the approaching tempest. You must reach a level capable of creating lightning at will, melting objects with an intense heat, and master every kind of possible scenario fire can give.”

  “Sounds exciting, how do I do that?” Landon asked eagerly.

  “The daughter of Lord Dawson of Ellington has gone missing. I am sending you to find her and return her safely to her father. First, you will need to speak with Lord Dawson. I am giving you these provisions which should last you for a month.” He handed Landon a sack already packed. “You will find Aquila cleaned and prepared for the journey as well.”

  “When do we leave?” Landon inquired.

  “This journey is for you alone,” Aldous said. “But you will leave this hour. Always practice your skill, and remember, creating is always more fatiguing than manipulating. When Lady Mackenzie is home safe, return here and we will continue.” With those last words, Aldous bid Landon a farewell and retired to his chamber. Landon stood shocked. He thought Aldous was going to teach him how to develop his skill. Why had he sent him on this wild mission when he did not have the skills he needed? Having to be content without an answer, Landon retrieved his sword from the room with Gavin, who was still unconscious, and returned to the great room. Standing alone in the great room that had once seemed strange, Landon felt as though he were saying goodbye to his second home. He slung the pack over his shoulder, turned to walk away, and disappeared into the darkness.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Brigands and Blades

  A patch of grass and earth gave way as Landon thrust the trap door upward through the ground. A blast of light exploded into his eyes. Immediately, he fell backwards down the steps letting the door slam shut. Composing himself, he tried again to open the door, this time much slower. His eyes gradually accustomed to the light before he swung the door open flinging pieces of earth. Landon stepped out into the cool morning and was greeted by a breath of fresh air. He hadn’t realized it, but he had forgotten what clean air tasted like. The mustiness of the caverns had become so natural.

  He also noticed that the weather had changed slightly since he and Gavin first entered Aldous’ hideout. It was noticeably cooler than he remembered, so he decided to use his power to keep warm. He closed his eyes to find the image, then, began to form the feeling in his hands into a solid object. He opened his eyes and there, resting in his cupped hands, was a ball of flame. As soon as he had created it Landon realized that there was no way to draw warmth from it, so he let it drop to the ground. On impact, the flames spread out as a liquid across the tan grass. Instantly, it caught fire. Panic gripped him, and he understood his mistake. He was no longer under the ground standing on dry earth. He had to be more careful. The fire began to spread across the area.

  Landon thought rapidly about how to fix the situation. He watched as the fire began to quickly consume the drought ridden ground. He could already smell the sickly sweet odor of burning grass. Hurriedly he decided to try to call the fire back to himself. He had never controlled the fire, only created it. This would be a good test of his ability. Quickly, he closed his eyes and found his power. He tried to envision the entire area on fire and feel all of the flames around him. In his mind he could see the fire destroying the grass. He stretched his arms out in front of him pointing towards the center of the conflagration. Landon believed he could feel everything and, once he was ready, pulled his arms into himself. He thrust his arms back out in front of him and, once again, pulled them into himself. Landon could feel the edge of the flames with his mind. As he reached out with his hands again, he felt as though he grasped hold of that edge and pulled it slowly towards him. He continued this motion until the large outer edges of the fire receded. Landon quickened his pace, pulling the fire back towards him until in his hands rested another ball. He opened his eyes and saw that the ground was blackened from where it was burned.

  The ball in his hands was decidedly bigger than the one he had dropped just minutes before. Now, he just needed to find a way to dispose of the flame properly. He looked around for somewhere to put it, and immediately the chimney sticking out of the roof of the hut caught Landon’s attention. He carefully opened the broken door with his feet and walked into the abandoned place cautious not to let the flames spread to the building. In the far corner of the front room was the old hearth. Landon was not sure how long it had been since it had been used, but he figured it was his best option. He walked over to the fireplace and laid the ball into its mouth. The flames exploded with a burst, then hastily quieted down keeping only old embers alight. What a waste, Landon thought. He was just warned about wasting energy in using his power, and the first instance he found to use it, he wasted it.

  Drafts of cold wind blew through the deteriorated building. They stoked the fire Landon had just created in the hut. He stood close to it trying to feel its warmth, but it was being overshadowed by the wind. Looking around the inside of the hut he found some old decrepit pieces of wooden furniture. I’m sure no one will miss this. He broke off a few pieces from an old chair and tossed them into the fire. Then, he concentrated on the embers beneath the new wood and tried to build enough flame for it to catch. The process began to tire him. He had already created and wasted a ball of flame, now he was trying to create again. He focused his energy on the embers and watched as the orange turned to red, then to purple, further to blue, and finally ignited the timbers. Landon fell to his knees. The energy he had expended in the last few minutes had taxed him a great deal. He was beginning to understand the limit of his strength. His eyes grew heavy, and he longed for rest. The energy cost of his ring was more than he had imagined. If he was going to become proficient, he needed to find a way to replenish his energy or ration it. He sat down in front of the flames and let the warmth roll over his body. The warmth began to replenish what he had already spent.

  Landon knew, however, rest was not in his foreseeable futur
e. He needed to get Aquila, ride to the summit of Ellington, and speak with Lord Dawson. For the moment, though, he rested near the fire letting the warmth revive him. He felt himself grow less weary as he took in the heat. He felt it move throughout his body battling the drafts in the old shack. After sitting by the hearth for a good amount of time, Landon knew it was time to move on. He stood leaving the fire to burn.

  At that instant, the door to the cabin flung inward. Landon spun around to see what had caused it to do so. In the doorway stood Gavin, sword in hand. It hung at his side dripping blood. Blood was also smeared on his face, there was a deep gash on his left side. Red was seeping through his tunic. He took a few shaky steps forward and almost collapsed onto the floor. He caught himself with the back of the chair Landon had ripped apart for the fire.

  “Give it to me,” Gavin rasped. He seemed a wild man on a mission.

  “Give what to you, friend?” Landon said his poor attempt at being modest. In truth, he knew exactly what Gavin was after.

  “That ring of fire!” He screamed. “You are such a fool. Did you really think I was unaware that whole time? As you and Aldous held your secret conference, I listened and waited until you revealed all of its secrets. Now that you have, it will be mine!”

  “Gavin … you misunderstand,” said Landon trying to remain calm. “The ring is of no use to you.” Gavin took another step forward. “I intend no evil with it but to use this gift to help the world.”

  “What a waste.” Gavin retorted. “All this time we have spent together, and I haven’t hardened you one bit? You are still the worthless runt we captured in Camsbury,” He raised his sword towards Landon.

  “I will not fight you,” Landon said calmly. “You are wounded. You would stand no chance.” He closed his eyes and focused on the flames at his back. I wonder if I can pull a ball from the flames. Using the energy from the hearth, he formed a small ball of flame in his hand as if to add credence to his statement. He impressed himself that he was able to so quickly using a different source than himself. I need to remember this for later. Immediately, with apparent difficulty, Gavin stepped backwards. His eyes held the truth of Landon’s words, but his insanity amid them grew stronger still.