Secretly, Falcon had hoped that he could use these training moments to speak with her, just as they used to do all those years ago. But, to his dismay, Aya acted much different. She was more silent and rarely spoke of anything that didn’t have to do with the training. Obviously the news that she was a Suteckh had gotten to her.
On the third morning of their training, Aya showed up without her usual white blouse and black skirt. Instead, she wore a white martial arts gi and baggy brown pants. She steeped over the sharp rocks of the riverbank without flinching in the slightest.
Falcon cringed. “What happened to your clothes?”
“Those clothes have the emblem of the Nakatomi clan. A family entangled in lies. I won’t be associated with that.” Her face remained emotionless as she faced Falcon. “So, I was thinking today we could focus more on one particular element, instead of a group of them.”
“Y…yes, let’s do that,” he muttered, deciding not to push the subject of her wardrobe.
“What elements do you think you have mastered?”
He scratched his head. “I think I have a good grasp of all the basic elements.”
“Even mind?” asked Aya, with a look that told Falcon she didn’t believe him.
“Well…not mind, but that’s not really important. The main ones that I need to control are holy and chaos. Chaos is the one that continues to threaten to overtake me, and holy is the element that I must master to control chaos. So I think I should focus on those.”
Aya shook her head. “No. We’re concentrating on mind.”
“But I need—”
“No buts, Falcon. Mind wielding is the element that requires the most precision of all the elements. You can’t simply go around throwing your immense pool of energy at anyone who gets in your way. That’s what has been getting you into trouble up until now.”
“Okay, then,” said Falcon, mildly irritated. “Tell me what to do, then.”
If Aya noticed his annoyance, she didn’t show it. She pointed to the river, whose current was running slowly. “Pull up your pants to your knees and stand in the middle of the water. I will create spheres of ice by your feet. Without looking down, I want you to use your mind wielding to pinpoint these balls and gravitate them out of the river.”
“Sounds easy enough.” He hoped she couldn’t hear the doubt in his voice. Of all the basic elements, he’d always hated mind the most.
He stood in the middle of the water and stared directly into the line of trees before him. A second later, he felt a small growth of icy energy floating beside his left foot. Without looking down, he focused his mind and called to it. The ball of ice glided out of the water and in front of his face.
“Good job,” said Aya. “Now let’s add a bit of movement.”
The sound of an object rippling through the water surrounded him. No, not one object; he felt two, maybe three. He closed his eyes, trying to get some focus. That helped a bit but not nearly as much as he’d hoped. He still couldn’t pinpoint the ice balls. One moment he would feel them circling by his right foot, the next second they were beside his left ankle.
Concentrate, Falcon. His hand reached out. “Come forth.” Two ice spheres shot out of the water, smashing into each other and blowing frozen ice chunks into his face.
“I got it!” he cried.
Aya gave him a wry smile. “It was a bit…unrefined, but yes, you did get them.” She waved her hand, and Falcon felt the icy energy under the water return. “Now let’s see if you can do it without blowing them to oblivion?”
~~~
The lesson dragged on most of the morning, with Falcon finding mild success. He managed to get three spheres out of the water intact, but anything over three proved impossible.
Aya told him she was impressed with his performance, but Falcon was sure she only said that to make him feel better.
After the training, they headed back to the cabin. Faith and Hyromi were in the front yard. They were sitting face to face, holding hands. A light glow surrounded them.
“How is it going?” Aya whispered to Sheridan, who was sitting on a tree stump outside the white fence.
Sheridan smiled, looking much happier than Falcon had expected. “Hemstath is amazing. She actually got Hyromi to speak in full sentences for a bit.”
“That’s great,” said Falcon, feeling more hopeful than he’d felt in a while. “What are they doing now?”
Sheridan shrugged. “Don’t know. They have been like that for a long time now.”
Both girls opened their eyes at the same moment and stood.
Faith took Hyromi’s hand. “Let’s head inside.”
“Yes.” Hyromi droned. She looked lost, as if her body was here, but her mind was somewhere else.
Falcon and Aya followed them inside, where a warm fire roasted on the chimney. Three cinnamon scented candles rested atop the kitchen table. Flanking it were a dozen plates of food.
“I didn’t know you knew how to cook, Doctor Solis,” Falcon said hungrily. He rubbed his growling stomach as he eyed the bowls of clam soup resting on the table.
“Before becoming doctor, cook I was.” She poured steaming milk into the empty mugs.
“Doctor Solis is the best cook I’ve ever met,” said Aya, looking hungrier than Falcon. She took a seat on one of the empty chairs and reached for each of the food bowls at the center of the table. By the time she was done, her plate had a little bit of everything: drumsticks, bread rolls, clam soup, and dried berries.
Faith, being a vegetarian, only put berries on her plate.
Falcon winced, wondering how she could ever go without meat.
“Is there a place for me?” asked the emperor. Before anyone could answer, he took a seat on the large dark chair that rested at the end of the square table. It was the same chair that had once belonged to Master K’ran. Despite his annoyance at this, Falcon remained quiet. He focused on his food and let his anger at the man dissipate.
“So…” said the emperor. “How goes the healing session, holy wielder?”
“Very good,” answered Sheridan. He seemed a bit happier than before. “She spoke a few words and even seemed to recognize her surroundings for a second.”
He reached into a bowl and took a pichion drumstick, taking a large bite out of it. “I wasn’t speaking to you, was I, boy?” His lips smacked loudly as he chewed with his mouth wide open.
Falcon took a deep breath. Obviously, the fact that Zoen had returned to Ladria had put the emperor back in his talking mode.
“We are making very good progress.” Faith gripped Hyromi’s hand proudly. “I have managed to clear much of the mist obstructing her mind. I’m sure that she will soon be able to recognize people.”
“That’s it!” The short man stood as he slammed the table with his fist. The bowls of food bounced before settling back down. “All these days and that’s all you have managed? To have her behave like a common chimp?”
Hyromi stood. Her body shook violently.
“Calm down, sir,” Faith warned. “Can’t you see you’re scaring her?”
Emperor Romus pointed an accusing finger at Faith. His wrinkled face turned a deep shade of red. “This wouldn’t be happening if you would only do your job properly. You’re a holy wielder. Where are all those legendary healing abilities I read so much about?”
“Don’t speak to her that way!” Falcon stood, sending the chair he’d been sitting on clattering to the floor. “She’s been doing a great job with Hyromi.” He stood face to face with the short man, fuming. “This is all your fault! This happened because of your insolence!”
“My head,” shrieked Hyromi. The next series of events seemed to last hours, though they were mere seconds. The princess swept her hand over the table, sending bowls, mugs, meat, blueberries, and soup to the wooden floor. They crashed with a bang. The soup and milk intermingled in a pile of slimy mush as it raced across the uneven wooden floor. “So much noise. My head hurts!” She crouched down, banging her forehead
on the hard table surface.
“Stop!” The emperor hugged his daughter.
She twisted his arm and, with a firm push, tossed her screaming father backward into the living room. He staggered back and fell over a wooden stand. The flower pot that had, until moments ago, rested atop the stand, shattered on the floor.
Blood ran down from Hyromi’s forehead and down the side of her nose as she banged her head two more times.
Faith reached her hands around the princess and tried to pull her back, but even with Faith trying to hold her back, Hyromi still rammed her head into the table once more.
Falcon ran around the table, eager to get to his confused friend. Sheridan got there first.
Something strange happened. As soon as Sheridan’s hand landed on Hyromi’s shoulder she became as still as a rock. The entire cabin was ushered into a deep silence. Hyromi turned to Sheridan and took his hand as she stared into his eyes.
“I know you,” she said. “I…I was thinking about you. Looking for you. Saw you in my dreams.” Her hands reached around Sheridan as she took a step closer. Her head rested on his chest.
“Don’t touch my daughter!” yelled the emperor, as he struggled to pick his large body up from the ground.
Hyromi’s eyes widened. “Screams in my head. Screams in my head!”
Sheridan whispered something into her ear, and her eyes returned to normal, though she still retained a haunted look across her face.
Faith looked down at the red-faced emperor. Her finger came over her small lips. “Shhhhh. This is good.” She spoke in a hushed whisper. “She finally recognized someone. She’s making progress.”
The emperor looked as if he wanted to continue screaming at the top of his lungs. His eyes travelled from Sheridan, to Hyromi, to Faith, and then to Falcon. Still shaking, he got on his feet and stormed out the door. Doctor Solis took ahold of the door handle before he could slam it again.
“I think you should leave, too,” Faith suggested.
Falcon glanced around, trying to figure out who she was talking to. That was when he realized that she was looking straight at him. “Me?” He pointed at himself.
“Yes,” mumbled Faith. “You and the emperor were the ones who caused this. Your presence right now will only aggravate Hyromi.”
He lifted a finger, ready to protest, but a quick glance around the cabin made him think twice. It was a mess, and whether he liked it or not, a lot of the blame fell on him.
“Fine,” he said. Head hunched, he walked out the door, making sure to close it slowly as he stepped outdoors.
Why am I always screwing up? He leaned over the white fence and took in the woodsy smells. The stars had come out full force this night, illuminating the sky with their glow. Looking up at them reminded him of the space wielder, the Ghost Knight. He’d last seen him months ago, but his words remained with him: When I feel like I might lose myself, I think back to my most precious memories. You could try the same. Allow your dearest memories to become your barriers.
His brother had told him something similar when he told him to stop and listen without always being in a rush.
Albert? Where are you? Most people believed Albert to be dead, but Falcon refused to believe that. He was sure his brother lived. If he could find him and speak to him, then maybe some of the rancor he felt would go away. There were so many questions he had to ask. Questions that, left unanswered, only served to fuel his already substantial amount of anger. He had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he did not hear Sheridan approach from behind him.
“Hey, Hyatt.”
Falcon turned, surprised to see him. “Shouldn’t you be inside? Hyromi needs you.”
“She fell asleep almost as soon as you walked out. I laid her on the bed. Aya and Faith are going to look over her.”
“That’s good,” said Falcon, feeling a bit relieved. “I was afraid I had screwed up things beyond repair. I’m good at that.”
“Don’t say that. You brought Hemstath. So in a way, you’re also responsible for the progress Hyromi has had.”
“That’s really reaching, isn’t it?”
Sheridan shrugged. “Perhaps. But like the Golden Wielder always said, ‘If you can’t find the light in the darkness, make your own.’”
“We’re going to need more than wise words to help Hyromi.” He thought back to that outgoing girl he’d known. His heart sank as he realized she was now lost forever. Never would she be able to smile the way she used to. Never again would she charm her way into getting what she wanted. Never would she be able to live a normal life. Instead she would always be a prisoner, trapped inside her own body, screaming to get out but never able to escape.
Sheridan stared directly into Falcon’s eyes, which made him feel a bit uneasy.
“When I was ten years old, I was walking through the flea market,” said Sheridan. “It is something I would do every morning. You know, head out and get the groceries for the meal of the night.”
Falcon nodded, wondering what the point of this story was.
Sheridan took a seat on the old tree stump. “Most of that day is nothing but a blur, but there is one thing that I will never forget.” His eyes turned dreamy. “That was the first time I saw her. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen.”
“Yes,” agreed Falcon, not wanting to say what he really thought. Hyromi was beautiful, but to him, Faith and Aya were on a class of their own. “She does have a beautiful smile.”
Sheridan smirked. “Yes, she does. But that’s not what I mean.” He looked past Falcon and toward the stars. “My family has always been poor, but when I was a child, we hit an all-time bad. Both my father and mother had lost their jobs. They couldn’t afford to feed my brothers and me. Being the oldest, I decided that I had to do something.” His voice cracked ever so slightly. “I decided to kill myself.”
“Kill yourself!” asked Falcon, shocked. He certainly hadn’t expected such a revelation from his friend. “Isn’t that a bit of an overreaction?”
“You had no idea how bad it was. We were literally on the brink of starvation. With me gone, there would be one less mouth to feed.”
Falcon remained quiet, hanging on Sheridan’s every word.
“Anyhow. I found the perfect place. Do you know that bridge that overlooks the garden sector of the city?”
“Yes,” mumbled Falcon, thinking back to the red wooden bridge.
“Well, I was there, preparing for the jump. I had taken off my hat and shirt and thrown it on the floor. That’s when I heard the bells of the royal horses. Sure enough, when I turned, the royal family was rounding the corner and coming straight at me. The emperor, the royal guards, the councilmen. They all passed by me without bothering to glance at me.” His eyes lit up as he stared down at the grass. “In the rear of their group was Hyromi. And, without saying a word, she winked and tossed me a bag. At first, I was confused. Why would she give me this for no reason? But after a moment, it all became clear. She had seen the hat on the ground facing up, and taken me for a beggar.”
“What was in the bag?”
Sheridan looked up. “Fifty pieces of gold.”
“What?” asked Falcon, his head trying to register what he’d just heard. “Fifty? That’s a fortune!”
His friend nodded. “Yes. It was that gold that got my family out of poverty. But it was much more than that. I was a nobody. Just another nameless kid from the streets. Yet, the princess of Ladria had reached out to me. Do you have any idea how wonderful that made me feel? She is physically beautiful, yes, but that’s just a bonus. Her real beauty lies within. It is that beauty that I fell in love with all those years ago.” Sheridan perched himself by the gate. “I don’t mind in the slightest being there for her now, and for the rest of my life if need be.”
As Sheridan finished speaking, Hyromi’s scream rang out. “Where is he? Where is he? I saw him!”
Sheridan turned and rushed into the cabin.
Falcon pushed down the lump that ha
d formed in his throat as he watched his friend disappear behind the door.
Chapter 10
Falcon wished that Faith and Aya hadn’t woken him up so early. He’d gone to sleep late and was still tired. He didn’t complain, though. They had already spent a week in the cabin. They needed to get on the road if they were going to reach Missea before a Suteckh attack.
Falcon knew the woods inside and out, so he led them through the narrow path that took them to the Nalia desert. Ideally, they would have travelled on horseback. Speed was essential; horses, however, were too loud and would be too easy to spot. Not to mention the fact that, in her current condition, Hiromy was in no shape to ride a horse.
“We’re going the wrong way,” said Hiromy for the third time in the last few minutes. “We’re going East, but Missea is West.”
Falcon was glad at just how quickly Hiromy’s speech had improved. The sessions with Faith and being around Sheridan had obviously boosted her recovery. Nonetheless, he wished she wouldn’t ask the same questions over and over again. They were becoming tedious.
“I told you,” said Sheridan. “We need to go to the desert first.”
“Oh, yes, right,” Hiromy said as she nodded her head eagerly. “I think I understand now.” She took a few more steps before voicing another inquiry. “What are we going to the desert for?”
“We can’t travel through the main roads to Missea because they are all being patrolled by the Suteckh,” Faith explained calmly. “We also can’t take any travel ships because those on the port are being inspected by the Suteckh. Which means we only have one option. Pirates.”
“Pirates are scary,” said Hiromy worriedly. She cringed and took Sheridan’s hand. Her scared eyes darted around her, scanning the many trees and bushes that surrounded them.
I can’t blame her, mused Falcon. He also cringed at the prospect of seeking help from a pirate. They were just a lot of conniving thieves in his eyes. They cared for nothing but riches, fame, and gold, which was why now the Rohads found themselves headed into the desert in search of oil rocks. The dark rocks could power up a ship for weeks, sometimes even months. They were dangerous to obtain, but if they could get their hands on one, then they could exchange it for safe passage to Missea.
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