Aya held her hand up, signaling everyone to stop.
“I hear voices,” she said in a hushed whisper. “Sounds like a patrol.” She pointed to a large green bush to their right. “Behind there, everyone.”
The five wielders wasted no time. They ran and huddled behind the bush.
For a moment, Falcon was afraid that Hiromy might start talking and give away their position, but she remained silent.
Through the small gaps between the leaves and branches, he saw a group of a dozen men move at a steady pace. Two of them were mounted on horseback. They wore black uniforms with white helmets.
“They’re no patrol group,” whispered Falcon. “Those two are Suteckh commanders. No doubt they’re going to reinforce their Suteckh forces at Ladria.”
“I know,” said Aya. “But there’s nothing we can do about it. We’ll just have to let Zoen and the others figure a way to stop them. We have our own mission.”
Falcon cursed silently as the commanders and their escorts moved down the path and out of view. Letting the enemy simply walk away made him feel like a traitor.
Faith was the first to stand. “They’re gone. Let’s keep on moving.”
Annoyed but ready to press on with his quest, Falcon stood and continued to lead the small group. It was mostly a silent quest. Once in a while Hiromy would say something random about a passing bird, or comment on the flowery scent the lilacs they passed emitted. But that was it. Everyone seemed too tired, sad, angry, or discouraged to speak.
When they finally reached the end of the forest, the two suns were about to descend.
“I think we can keep on going for a bit longer,” Falcon suggested. “K’ran told me once that there is an oasis east of here. We should be able to reach it if we move at a steady pace.”
The wielders nodded and trudged into the desert. It was barren, with only a random cactus plant dotting the red sand. Large rocks burst from the ground in uneven formations, making it hard to see beyond a few feet.
I hope I don’t get us lost. Falcon didn’t dare voice his worry out loud. The desert was large; any wrong turn could lead them in circles for hours, maybe even days. That was precious time they simply couldn’t waste. And to make matters worse, the entire landscape looked like a crimson puzzle with no beginning or end.
“It’s so beautiful!” Hiromy suddenly shrieked. She ran to a dry tumbleweed that had come to a stop by a prickly cactus. “It’s like a maze in the shape of a circle.” She moved around the tumbleweed, with mouth wide open. Her hand reached out to touch it, but at the last second she pulled back, as if the tumbleweed was much too precious to defile with human hands.
“It is beautiful.” Sheridan took her hand. “But we have to keep moving.”
She shook her head. For a moment it seemed to Falcon that she may burst out in one of her rants. But instead she waved goodbye to the tumbleweed and continued forward.
With each moment that passed, Falcon’s nervousness grew. The stars and crescent moon had come out now, and he had yet to spot the oasis. Instead, all they did it seemed was move from one shapeless rock to another.
“I see a palm tree up ahead,” said Faith. She pointed directly ahead, through an arched rock. “See it there?”
“Yes,” Falcon answered, feeling rejuvenated. It wasn’t the water from the oasis that made him glad. They had Aya for that. But the fact that they found the oasis meant that they were now only half a day away from the oil rock grounds. “Let’s set up camp there.”
Once they reached the small oasis, Falcon earth wielded a small shelter around the small pond and double palm trees. It was nothing special, just four simple earth walls that connected into a square. He left the top open so he could have a view of the night stars.
“Hey, Hyatt,” said Sheridan. “How about you get a fire going for us? The night is chilly.”
“Already on it.” Falcon made a small circle of rocks and tossed a few dry twigs into the center. He waved his hand over them and a small flame burst out.
Sheridan lay down his blanket. “Put up a cover, will you, Hyatt?”
“I’ll do that,” offered Faith. “Falcon is still having a hard time with holy, and I think today he would much rather rest a bit.”
“He’s never going to learn if he doesn’t try,” said Aya as she laid down her blanket. “He needs to train if he’s ever going to improve.”
“Holy isn’t like water wielding, Aya.” Faith waved her hand. “Malawi Lesotho.” A rainbow-colored, almost invisible sheet appeared over all the blankets. “There is a lot of feeling involved in it. Pushing when holy is still not wholeheartedly felt is a mistake.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” asked Aya. There was a layer of annoyance in her voice.
“It means exactly what I said. Pushing through with training may be the method of choice for some basic elements, but it’s not what works for holy.” Faith took a seat and stared at Falcon. “What do you think, Falcon?”
Falcon looked from one girl to another. The fire suddenly felt hot. Very hot. Ever since they had met, they had been good friends. The two of them arguing, with himself caught in the middle, was not something he had anticipated.
“I…er…I…” He pulled down his collar so that felt as though it was chocking him.
“I’m going to have to take Hemstath’s side on this one,” said Sheridan.
Thank you, Sheridan. Falcon took a breath.
Sheridan sat next to Hiromy. “I know the books say that they are the same, but the Ghost Knight told me that pushing an advanced element too much can actually be a step back in training.”
Aya narrowed her eyes. It almost looked as if she was going to punch Sheridan on the spot. But she suddenly took a seat and nodded. “I’ll take your word for it, then. You two are the advanced wielders, after all. I just hope you’re not making a big mistake, Faith.”
“Thanks for your concern,” said Faith. “But I think Falcon will be fine.”
Falcon remained silent, hoping that Faith’s trust wasn’t misguided. He wasn’t the only one. The entire camp fell eerily quiet, their heavy breaths the only sound that could be heard. Falcon fondly thought back to all those happy memories he had shared with his friends. Loud memories of jokes, banter, and conversations. He missed those innocent times. If only the Suteckh had never declared war. If only they had remained in their empire, then perhaps they would still be that way. But no matter how much he wished it, that would never be the case.
“I want to dance,” Hiromy suddenly blurted out, breaking the awkward silence. She stood and pulled on Sheridan’s hand. “Dance with me again.”
“She remembers!” cried Sheridan. He held Hiromy close as he slipped his hand around her waist.
“I know how to sing a little,” said Faith, shyly. “I usually don’t sing, but if it will help Hiromy, I’ll make an exception.” She cleared her throat and began to sing. “Little wielder boy resting under the spruce. What are you doing, my little wielder? You took your mother’s love and ran away with it. Oh, my little wielder boy….”
As Faith sang, Falcon stared at Aya, who looked down at the ground quietly. Remembering how much she liked to dance and hoping to make her feel a little better, he got up and walked to her. He held his hand out, without muttering a single word. There was no need to; she knew what he was asking.
She looked up at him with sad eyes, taking his hand and allowing him to pull her up into his arms. He held her close as he swayed to the slow-moving song. The strawberry scent of her hair and the touch of her warm arms gave his skin goosebumps in a thousand places.
With Faith’s soft voice in the background, he danced the night away in silence, hoping Aya wouldn’t notice how nervous he was.
~~~
The following morning, they got up before the first ray of light made it into their earth camp.
“Why are we moving so early?” complained Sheridan. “My legs need a rest from last night.”
“No whining,” said Aya.
“We’re running late on our mission as it is.”
Frowning, he got up and rolled his sleeping bag.
The rest of the morning they moved over the windy sands. The occasional weathered tree was the only thing that interrupted the usual scenery of tall cacti, large rocks, and dry tumbleweeds.
“I think I see it there,” said Faith.
Falcon narrowed his eyes, trying to make out what Faith was pointing at. It didn’t look like much, just a blob of black off in the distance.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Yes, I am.” She frowned. “But I also sense something dark there.”
Sheridan smirked happily. “That’s good, isn’t it, Hemstath? You sense something dark, and the black coals are dark. Makes sense.”
“That’s not what she means, Sheridan,” said Aya, rubbing her temples. “I think she means something more like a being, or a creature.”
Faith bobbed her head.
Falcon refrained from speaking. They were all tired, not to mention sleep deprived. The hot air blowing around wasn’t making things any easier. He was certain that all these things were playing with Faith’s head. It made no sense whatsoever that someone would make a home around the oil rocks. Miners were known to make seasonal camps around the oil grounds, but that was only during the frost, when mining was safer because of wild animals staying in caves to hibernate. But right now they were in the middle of the scorch season. No one should be this deep in the desert. No one in their right mind, that is.
As they moved closer to the dark blob of matter, Falcon began to rethink his stance. The shapeless blob now became countless dark rocks that glittered brightly under the suns. From afar, it looked as if a sea of stars had fallen from the sky and condensed in that very spot. A large, dark wall of rock that went up over one hundred feet was directly beside the pile. No doubt, the wall had supplied all the oil rocks beside it.
“What in Va’siel is that?” asked Sheridan, referring to a large brown mound above the rocks. It moved up and down, almost as if it were breathing.
Tentatively, the young wielders took quiet steps forward. The closer they got, the louder the snoring became.
That was when Falcon realized the truth. That’s no rock. It’s a sandworm!
Chapter 11
Falcon analyzed the creature with utmost awe. He’d heard many stories of sandworms, though he’d never dreamt he would get to see one in real life. The Golden Wielder himself had been known to have tamed them in his time, though Falcon doubted he would be able to replicate such a feat. The creature before him was gigantic, easily over forty feet in length. It had a circular set of fangs around its mouth. Its skin looked hardened, as if it was made out of rock.
“What now?” whispered Faith.
Falcon shrugged, unsure of what to do to get past such a gargantuan creature.
“This is all wrong,” said Sheridan. “I didn’t pay much attention in animal class, but even I know that sandworms are native to Missea. What is one doing way out here on the outskirts of Ladria?”
“My guess is that it was left to protect the oil rocks,” Aya said quietly. “I’ve heard stories of sandworms being trained from birth by large corporations. It was probably left here so that no one else could take the rocks during the scorch season.”
“The reason doesn’t matter,” said Falcon. “We need to find a way to get the rocks without waking it up. Anyone have a plan?”
“I do.” Aya took out a small leather bag from the pouch she’d been carrying. “I can be very light on my feet. I will tiptoe over there, get what we need, and come back.”
Seeing that no one had any better plans, they all watched as Aya slowly made her way to the black rocks. Falcon cringed as Aya walked beside the sleeping worm. Every breath from its massive body made his heartbeat skip a beat. What if it woke?
Luckily, Aya seemed to know what she was doing. She crouched down, ever so carefully picked up a few rocks, and placed them in the bag. She moved at a steady pace, and in a matter of seconds the bag was filled to the top. She turned, gave them a thumbs up, and began walking back to them.
“It’s a wormy!” Hiromy suddenly shrieked. “I want to go touch it.” Before Falcon could figure out what was happening, Hiromy took off in a full sprint.
“Come back!” Sheridan half yelled and half whispered. But if the princess heard him, she didn’t show it. She ran over the oil rocks at top speed with her hands held before her.
The worm sprang to life. It moved its head from side to side. It spotted Hiromy and roared at the top of its lungs. Even from afar, Falcon took in the rotten stench that emitted from the creature.
Hiromy seemed to have decided that petting the giant, man-eating worm probably wasn’t the best idea. She moved back, muttering gibberish under her breath.
“Get away from her!” Sheridan dashed toward the worm. As he ran, he twirled both arms in a tornado-like fashion. From them, small meteors shot at the worm. The rocks bounced off the creature’s thick skin with next to no effect.
That’s never going to work, thought Falcon. He needs more power. Determined, he jumped into the fray, calling on his immense pool of energy. He threw himself in the air, feet first. He converged his energy in his stomach and then redirected it down to his legs. The air in front of his soles warmed as uneven lines of fire shot out. One missed the worm’s face by mere inches, but the second attack hit it directly above its jawed mouth.
With staggering speed, the creature ignored the attack and jerked its body.
Falcon’s eyes widened, as he noticed the large mass of hard flesh headed his way. Quickly, he jumped into the air, using wind to boost his jump to twenty feet in the air. He landed safely out of the worm’s reach.
The creature growled angrily and slid toward Falcon.
Wind boost. Once again, Falcon called on the power of wind to take to the air. The creature, however, was smarter than Falcon had anticipated. It recoiled the top part of its body, almost as if it were forcing its head into itself. Then, with surprising agility, it jumped into the air with its mouth wide open.
Falcon’s chest clenched as he noticed he was about to become lunch. Even if he wind wielded to the right or left, there was no way he was going to dodge in time.
Falcon was inches from becoming a meal when what appeared to be a translucent rainbow wall crashed into his face. A second later, the worm pummeled into the same wall. It screeched in agony as it crumpled to the floor, landing with a thunderous thump. The tall rocky wall beside them cracked, sending thousands of smaller rocks rolling down to join the oil rocks that had already fallen.
“Thanks for the shield, Faith,” said Falcon, heaving with relief. “I thought it was over for me.”
Faith nodded as she brought the shield down.
The worm shook its head, trying to regain its senses.
“We have to hit it together!” yelled Falcon. “Its body is too strong.”
“No,” countered Aya. She stood beside the other four wielders. “There’s no use wasting our energy on this animal. Even if we beat it, there is no strategic advantage in it. We came for the rocks.” She held the bag up. “And we got them.”
“What do you suggest, Nakatomi?” Sheridan spoke in a hasty speech, as his eyes remained locked on the worm that was seconds away from continuing its attack.
“You and Falcon need to space wield us out of here. Send us to—”
“Watch out!” Faith’s cry barely came in time. The four wielders scattered to the ground, dodging the worm’s wild attack by inches. It quickly turned its head, drool dripping from its fangs as it brought its body down on the wielders.
“Aqua Trianja!” Without warning, a water trident half the size of the creature flew through the air and rammed into the back of the worm’s head. It didn’t pierce the hard skin, but it was enough to knock it out. The ground shook as the creature dropped face first into the rocks. It remained there, motionless.
“Great job, Aya,” said Falcon, shocke
d. He’d seen Aya create water attacks before but never to such a scale.
Aya got to her feet. Her clothes were caked in black from the oil. “That wasn’t me.”
“Then who? Hiromy?” He looked around himself, and sure enough, she was standing behind them, huffing loudly.
“The monster almost squished Sheridan,” she said between breaths. “Couldn’t let it.”
“Let’s hurry and get out of here before it wakes up,” Aya suggested.
Nobody argued with her as they all grouped up together.
Sheridan looked worried. “I don’t think Hyatt and I are good enough to get us as far as Makeda. I’ve only been there once. It’s going to be hard for me to picture the village.”
“I’ve been there a few times,” said Falcon. “Let me think of most of the images, you just provide the space energy.”
Sheridan nodded and closed his eyes. Falcon did the same. Unlike other elements, space energy was more highly condensed in the eyes. He felt the power emit from there, until it travelled down to his chest and to the tip of his fingers.
The energy of the cosmos slowly surrounded them. Sheridan’s energy was much more refined than his, but his had more raw power.
A large black hole opened and, without much of a whimper, the five wielders were pulled into it.
~~~
Their fall out of the black hole was less than graceful, to say the least. Falcon and Sheridan were the first to come out. They landed hard on their backs. Ignoring the pain, Falcon looked over at Sheridan, who was grunting under his breath.
Before he could ask where the girls were, three bodies rained from above, one of them landing on him.
“You were supposed to bring us out vertically,” said Aya as she stood. Her clothes were now not only stained with oil but grass as well. Her silky hair, usually perfect, looked like a matted mess.
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