Visions: Knights of Salucia - Book 1

by C. D. Espeseth

  And then it was gone. It was all gone.

  She opened her eyes to find a strange bracelet on her wrist.

  “You’re fine now,” a man’s soft, deep voice said calmly.

  Adel blinked and tried to focus on the face beside her. It was an older face, tanned, kind and strong.

  Gentle fingers turned over her bloody hand and something damp was pressed onto the popped blisters. The relief from the throbbing pain was heaven.

  The kind face smiled at her. “My apologies for being late. I’m Fellow Callahan, you’re safe now.”

  Adel tried to speak, but her mouth didn’t seem to work.

  “Don’t try to talk.” His hand left hers and Adel saw that the cold feeling was coming from a compress of what looked like ground leaves and mud. She noticed he was humming, deep yet soft, and overwhelmingly soothing.

  She tried to wipe the tears from her face, but his strong hands held hers down gently.

  “Now, where else are the sores?” He rolled up her sleeves and sucked on his lip. “Oh my, you poor thing.” Blisters ran all along her arm. She watched as he took a mixture from one of his pouches, dipped it in the fountain’s water and placed it upon her burns. It felt wonderful, like all the hurt was being somehow leeched away.

  She watched as he moved from one blister to another, until he came to her wrist. She suddenly remembered the strange bracelet. It was made of the same strange blue-black stone as the statues. It was heavy and gloriously cool against her skin. “I don’t understand,” she croaked – but then saw her hand was empty. I’m not holding the sword!

  Adel twisted frantically. “Where is it!?” There was anger in her voice. “I need the sword!”

  “Enough of that.” Fellow Callahan’s large hands held her shoulders. “Calm down, it’s just over there.” He nodded to his right, and Adel saw it resting on the grass.

  “I need it,” she said. The urge to grab the sword was impossible to ignore, she must hold it again.

  “Best not to.” Fellow Callahan’s strong hands turned her face to look at him. “You’re fine now, Adel. Let go, relax.” His green eyes studied her methodically.

  Something in his voice made her trust him, and only then did she feel how tense her entire body was. “Alright.” She made herself breathe slowly, but her heart still pounded.

  “That’s better.” He studied her a moment more, then looked towards her sword. “How did you come by that sword?”

  “My father gave it to me,” Adel said as she fought her way through the fog in her mind. It seemed a strange question.

  “Did he now?” Fellow Callahan’s eyes narrowed slightly as they probed for truthfulness. “And does he still …” He paused for a moment. “Does he still live?”

  “What?” Adel didn’t understand. “Yes, he still lives. He said the sword would help, and that I had to find you.”

  Fellow Callahan thought for a moment. “He gave it to you. Interesting.”

  “What do you mean? My father was helping me.” Adel was taken aback by this strange man’s judgement of her father. He held me, he loves me. “The sword saved me from burning. Who are you to –!” She was surprised by the heat in her voice.

  “Calm down.” His disarming grin reappeared. “An old man shouldn’t ramble. It’s a bad habit of mine.” He went back to studying her. “Now,” he said as he stood and offered her his hand, “you’ll need to come with me if you still want to make the opening ceremonies.”

  “But …” She pointed down at the sword. It was all so confusing. “What …?”

  Fellow Callahan chuckled. It was the most musical chuckle Adel had ever heard. “You’ll be fine, old Callahan will have you fixed up and ready to go.” His eyes nearly disappeared into his tanned face as he smiled. It was impossible not to like him.

  “Alright.” She took his offered hand and stood groggily to her feet; she had to lean against him for support. It felt like leaning against a small oak tree. “Thank you, sir … I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “Quiet now, child. There will be time for that later.” He smiled at her and patted her hand. Only then did Adel notice Naira and Matoh watching. There were tears in Naira’s eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Naira’s voice quivered. Adel had never seen her this upset.

  “I think so,” she said.

  “Come, the both of you.” Fellow Callahan motioned for them to come over. “Help me get her to the house.”

  “Don’t ever do that again.” Naira ducked her head under Adel’s other arm. “Why didn’t you tell me about any of this!”

  “I didn’t want to ruin today for you.” Adel bowed her head. “You’ve been looking forward to this for so long and I just thought –”

  “How can someone as smart as you be so dumb?” Naira shook her head and hugged her close. “You tell me from now on, alright?!”

  “Yes, Mother.” Adel had to laugh. She saw Matoh grinning behind Naira’s back.

  “I might as well be. Goodness me.” Naira wiped her eyes and took a deep shuddering breath. “Right, so is she okay now?” Naira looked to Fellow Callahan.

  “We will find out very soon. This way.” Fellow Callahan held out his hand for them all to follow. “Matoh, would you be a gentlemen and take over from me?”

  Matoh took her hand from Fellow Callahan and put his arm around her waist. It felt a bit like having a bull under your arm. “I’m glad you’re alright,” he whispered.

  “Me too,” she said and tried to smile. “Thank you.”

  They walked towards a small cottage near the back wall, almost hidden amongst small trees and plants. It looked as if it had grown right out of the ground.

  “What a nice house,” Adel said. Her head was feeling fuzzy. She looked over to Matoh. “And you’re a nice man.” She laughed. “Everything is nice, and I think I feel a bit funny.”

  Fellow Callahan smiled. “Ah good. The salve is starting to work. Are you feeling a bit ‘floaty’?”

  “Yes, actually.” Adel giggled. “That’s exactly what it feels like! Floating. But I can see my feet moving. How am I floating?”

  Matoh and Naira smiled for some reason.

  “You have a nice smile,” Adel said to Matoh. “Doesn’t he have a nice smile, Naira?”

  “Yes, he does.” Naira laughed, and for some reason that only made Matoh’s smile broaden.

  “And you’ve got lots of muscles. I can even feel them through your uniform.” His shoulders were so wide she could barely get her elbow round to the other side of his neck. It was then she noticed something odd about the stone bracelet on her wrist.

  It had begun to glow orange.

  She froze as the familiar tingle began to warm within her once more. She was siphoning.

  “What’s wrong?” Matoh asked. He had stopped with her.

  “No, not again,” Adel whimpered.

  “Well, that was fast.” Fellow Callahan shook his head and walked over to them nonchalantly.

  “Let me see that, maybe a slight …” He trailed off as he took her wrist and placed his hand on the bracelet. He began to croon softly, and all of a sudden she could feel the bracelet vibrating, as if it was singing back to him.

  “How are you doing that?” Adel watched in amazement as the orange pulsing within the bracelet stopped and seemed to settle into a thin and almost imperceptible line within the stone bracelet. The tingling stopped as the bracelet quietly hummed.

  He took it from me. Somehow Fellow Callahan had controlled her siphoning.

  “How?” Adel said. The faint line of orange running along the inside of the stone was like a line of fire beneath black ice.

  “So many questions. Just like your father.” Fellow Callahan chortled to himself. “There will be time for answers, but first we need some more bandages – and a spot of tea, I think.”

  They reached Fellow Callahan’s strange little cottage and stepped inside.

  “Are these still alive?” Matoh asked as he ran a hand along one of the wall beam
s. Green leaves poked out from the beam near the window.

  “Yes, that is Merryweather Elm, a very cooperative tree. You can get them to do all sorts of tricks if you have the patience,” Fellow Callahan answered, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “Sit down, sit down. Get comfortable and I’ll brew us a pot of Bo-Ling tea.”

  “Bo-Ling tea?” Matoh asked.

  “It’s a blend of raspberry leaf, nettle, and a special black tea I grow,” Callahan answered

  “Sounds horrible.” Matoh grimaced and gave Adel a funny look.

  She smiled at his attempt at humour, but she was too exhausted for any sort of real levity.

  “Does the body good though.” Fellow Callahan’s eyes twinkled and gave his chest a solid thump.

  Adel’s head felt as if she had lost a sparring match. She sat down and looked out of the window. “Hey, those stones are glowing, just like the bracelet.” Each of the great blue-black stones which stood outside had a soft orange glow within its core.

  Fellow Callahan nodded. “They are linked. I’ll explain more later.”

  Naira looked outside and then back to Adel. “What happened to her?” she asked Fellow Callahan. “She’s sat down now, we’re having tea. It’s time for you to supply some answers.”

  Fellow Callahan smiled at Naira’s tone and shrugged. “Adel has opened a sort of conduit within herself. She doesn’t yet know how to control it.”

  “Inside herself?” Naira asked.

  “Yes, very few people survive it anymore. It’s what you call ‘burning out’,” Fellow Callahan said as he bustled around the small fireplace, picking leaves from different jars and placing them in the little iron pot hanging above the fire.

  “Will it happen again?” Adel heard herself ask. Her body felt as if were made of glass, like she might break if she moved too fast.

  “Yes.” Fellow Callahan nodded. “But in time you should learn to control it.”

  Adel felt as if a weight had been lifted from her. So there was hope. “Thank you.” She could feel the tears of relief in her eyes.

  “Enough of that now.” Fellow Callahan handed out cups and poured everyone tea. He paused before giving Adel her cup and sprinkled a few different leaves into it, then stirred it quickly with a small spoon. “Here, drink this.”

  The tea tasted strong and bitter, but with only a few sips Adel felt her body begin to relax.

  “Your father should have sent you to me earlier,” Fellow Callahan said sternly. “Leonard should know better.” He trailed off, mumbling angrily to himself.

  “I only told him just before I left. His church?” Adel asked. What did the Singers have to do with any of this? Her mouth felt as if it were full of cotton. “What did you put in my tea?”

  “You need rest.” Fellow Callahan smiled gently at her.

  Adel struggled to stand, “No I need to go ...” but she trailed off as Fellow Callahan put a comforting hand on hers.

  “What you need is rest. I’ll have you as fixed as I can get you and ready in time. You’ll make the initiation ceremony. You might as well catch a few hours’ sleep while I work. Besides, they won’t begin the ceremonies without me. We have time.” Callahan smiled at her and Adel knew she could trust him. “And if you need something to mull over in your dreams, young Corbin, lesson number one is stop being so hard on yourself. It was a lesson your father could never learn, but one I’m going to make sure you do.”

  “I’m not sleepy.” Adel yawned.

  “I beg to differ.” Fellow Callahan winked at her. “Matoh, there is spare bedroom just back around the corner. Help Adel to it please.”

  “Sir.” Matoh nodded. He trotted over to her and picked her up as easily as if she were a child.

  “I’m not sleepy,” she protested again. I need to get ready for the initiation ceremony.

  She felt a soft mattress beneath her as Matoh set her down. It felt so wonderful, the tea was so warm, and everything was cosy and lovely. She was safe, the siphoning was under control, and the tension in her body let go for the first time in a long, long while.

  She was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

  * * *

  Fellow Callahan looked at the two young recruits watching him as he administered the salve to Adel’s back, and shook his head sadly. How she held on for so long is a miracle. She should be dead.

  He could almost sense the connection between these three. How their paths were connected was unclear, but he could sense the intertwining nature of what lay ahead of them.

  He touched the blue stone bracelet on Adel’s wrist once more, making sure it felt in tune with the flow coursing beneath her smooth skin. Just a little more. He found the note he knew the stone would resonate with, and hummed in such a melodious tone it could have been on an organ. He pushed the note out of himself and coaxed it towards the bracelet, caressing the stone with the soft music. The inner ring of orange began to glow again within the stone. “There, that’s better. It should keep you safe until we learn to control it.” Fellow Callahan knew Adel slept deeply, but he also knew that part of her mind was still listening.

  He smiled down at the young woman, glad that he had given her some peace, for he knew that the daughter of Leonard Corbin would not have experienced much peace in her short lifetime. Then he sighed, for he knew she was unlikely to have it in her future either.

  “Rest now,” he said softly. “Rest now, young Arbiter.”

  21 - Royal Repercussions – Echinni

  Amongst the Old Gods, Halom, The Singer of the Great Song, Creator and Lover, saw the plight of humanity and was moved. Long had His people forgotten Him, yet now was a time of new birth.

  The Jendar paid for their sins with their lives. Lady Death and her Black Whale Orcanus harvested the souls of the unbelievers as they fell to the wrath of the Old Gods upon land and sea.

  Decades of destruction wiped the unholy Jendar scourge from the earth, leaving it clean to begin anew.

  - Tenets of the Elohim

  “Are you out of your bloody mind?!” Ronastan Mihane’s voice boomed through Echinni’s room like thunder.

  “No, I was out of the palace actually,” Echinni replied. She knew her tone would only infuriate her father further, but the shock of just how quickly her secret sojourn had been discovered was making her especially irritated.

  “Do not twist my words.” Her father spun around and fixed her with a threatening stare. He was a man so powerful with muscle that the violence of the move made Echinni take an involuntary step back.

  Her father, High King Ronastan Mihane, was a true son of Asgur. He had muscles like fat snakes cording around his arms, and hands so big he could grab a person’s head as if he were holding a small melon. Scars and tattoos marked his dark arms. He wore his gold pendant of Fenris, the Wolf of Asgur, on a gold chain hanging between his massive chest muscles, which showed above his deerhide waistcoat. He was brutal, ruthless, passionate and powerful, all of which was on full display now. Violent rage shone behind her father’s hazel eyes, a rage which had brought nine nations to their knees.

  Yet Echinni made herself stand tall, and she tilted her chin up, daring him to strike her. Her voice was cold. “Yet that is what you have trained me to do. To twist words, to use them as weapons. Who better to practice on than a tyrant?”

  As soon as she said these words, Echinni knew she had gone too far. Ronaston Mihane loomed over his daughter so much like the Iron Bear he was named after. Nearly as tall as Yuna, he towered over Echinni and could have snuffed her out in a heartbeat if he had decided to. He huffed bestially and clenched his hands until Echinni heard his knuckles pop from the pressure. He had killed many with those same bare hands.

  “Bah!” The High King spun and smashed his fist through the door of her cabinet as easily as if it had been paper. The cabinet remained on his arm. Instead of removing it, he just twisted and hurled the entire thing against the far wall, shattering it.

  Echinni had stood in the eye of this
storm before. Where others would shrink and cower, Echinni knew how to survive this. He would not strike her; it was a line she knew deep down he wouldn’t cross. She knew he was fearful of his own power around her. Yuna had told her about how he had dared not touch her as a baby for the longest time because he was scared he would crush her delicate bones.

  He had never hit her, and he wouldn’t now.

  “You put everything we’ve fought for in danger! Don’t you see!? We have enemies all around us,” he pleaded. The fragments of wood sticking out of his knuckles were so insignificant to him they might as well have been flower petals alighting there. “You must stay where I can protect you.”

  He looked at Yuna pointedly and the big woman hung her head in shame.

  “You can’t keep me locked up like this forever. I am a person, not your prisoner … or am I?” Echinni could feel her voice shaking, and her eyes began to moisten. “How am I meant to learn to survive in this blood-soaked world you are bequeathing unto me if I stay locked away from it? How am I meant to understand my people if I never meet any of them?”

  Her father paused at this. His breathing slowed and he picked some of the splinters from his knuckles. “And frequenting rowdy taverns is meant to toughen you up? Educate you on how best to serve the people?” His voice dripped like acid. “Or is it our reputation you want to drag through the mud as some sort of childish rebellion? Is that what you were going for? Royal tramp? Queen of loose morals? Echinni the Unchaste?” He growled, “Your mother would have been ashamed.”

  Echinni’s retort died on her lips. The comment had been a slap worse than any his giant hands could have delivered. “It wasn’t like that … I …” She suddenly realised he had said nothing of inviting Kai and Jachem to stay at the Oratorio, and that surely if he had known, he would have brought it up. Apparently the spies had missed something, so she decided to keep quiet.

  “Well, I’ll be sure to correct all the whispers in court then.” Her father had finished picking the wood from his fist and turned to face Yuna.