I looked at Charles with surprise when I realized he was almost seventy years old.
“But you look like you’re no older than twenty,” I exclaimed, staring at the large man next me. “How have you not aged in fifty years?”
He chuckled at my confusion. “Now that Magdelin has healed your body, you will no longer age either,” he explained.
I was overwhelmed, and I knew it. No more than a month ago, I was fighting against the French with my countrymen. Now I was supposed to accept that there were evil fanatics summoning demons to bring about the end of the world. And the man riding next to me was part of the group of what? Soldiers of good, masters of light? Whatever they called themselves, they believed they were the ones to end the threat of these demons. And what about my newfound abilities? How was I supposed to accept that I could somehow control the air around me to conceal my presence or even catch myself on fire? Raphael never did explain that one. They just sent me out here to find a key that they could not describe, in a castle they had not been able to locate. I shook my head in frustration. I heard Charles chuckle again and looked over at him. He was leaning casually against the horn of his saddle, swaying with the movement of his horse.
“We’ve all been there, Darian,” he said with a smile. “You’re not alone in your confusion. If they had tried to explain it to you, would you have believed them?” I shook my head. I would have called them crazy. “We’re all here because we bring something special to the group. I assume you’ve found your ability, or they would not have allowed you to pursue this key.”
“I found my ability, but I have no idea how to use it,” I replied. “They could have given me an opportunity to train. Isn’t there someone who could at least show me how to not kill myself with it?”
Charles laughed again. “Only if you are a warrior. Do you know why we’re so proficient with our weapons?” I had no idea, but I knew he would tell me. “We’re able to see our opponent’s movements seconds beforehand, almost as if time slows for us. It’s why Adalina makes us spar against one another. There are only a handful of people in Santuario who can challenge us.”
“That makes me feel inadequate,” I said, trying not to be offended. “I just assumed that I needed more training, but I would never be able to defeat you, would I?”
“No, not likely. You’re very good and learn quickly, but I’m guessing that your gift is something else entirely.”
He was right, but I still didn’t completely understand my gift. The sun was setting behind us, so we found a good place to camp for the evening. We were almost to the mountain range, and I could see the snow-covered peaks in the distance. We sheltered in a group of pines, keeping the horses out of the wind. After they were brushed down and fed, we made our own dinner.
“How is it that we can survive on so little food?” I asked as we ate. “Or does that also have something to do with being in Santuario and Magdelin’s magic touch?”
“You answered your own question,” Charles replied. “So, tell me, what is it about you that attracted Raphael?”
“At first, I think it was my ability to blend with my surroundings.” As I spoke, I pulled the night air around my body. I knew when I disappeared by Charles’s reaction. “After that, it was this.” I dropped my concealment and focused on the rune in my back, drawing a very small amount of power from it. I fixated on the small fire we had built, and it roared, rising into the air over our heads. Charles jumped back, trying to avoid the flames. I closed my eyes and pressed the power back, smothering the fire. Charles looked at me, wide-eyed, with his mouth hanging open.
“I need to practice controlling it,” I said sheepishly. “I can feel the power trying to surge out of me. It takes a great deal of effort to keep it in check.”
“That’s amazing! Frightening, but amazing!” Charles finally said. “Let me know how I can help you. That could change our entire strategy. Imagine if we could just destroy the demons we encounter rather than trying to sneak around them?”
“I got the feeling from Aneera that our presence should be unknown,” I said reluctantly. “I don’t think the enemy is supposed to know when we find the key. While I would like to destroy all of them, I believe that course of action would change everything.”
“Maybe you’re right,” he conceded. “Aneera has never led us astray, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t perfect that skill. No more starting fires the hard way.” We laughed and talked well into the night. I didn’t need much sleep anymore either. We rested because the horses needed it.
As soon as it was daylight, we were moving again, following an overgrown path into the mountain. The snow was getting very deep, so we decided we should leave the horses at the next town. They wouldn’t be able to travel easily into the mountain range anyway. So, we sold the horses in a small village at the base of the mountain and used some of the money to buy more supplies. We decided new boots and coats would be more beneficial than food. The innkeeper tried to convince us to stay, claiming that February was no time to be wandering around in the mountains. He was probably right, but we didn’t have the luxury of time.
We walked half the day before encountering our first sign of the demons: their awful stench. The wind was blowing down the mountain from the ridge above us, and it brought their smell of death with it. We continued until nightfall and found another group of thick pines to get out of the weather. We decided it would be a bad idea to light a fire, as it would only draw attention to our location. We huddled together, talking quietly for most of the night. At dawn, my neck started to tingle. I saw Charles looking around and assumed he felt it too.
He leaned over and whispered to me, “I wish I had Adalina’s gift to see beyond the immediate area. She can always tell where they are.”
I had tried to do the same thing many times after Adalina explained it to me, but so far, I’d been unsuccessful. I couldn’t seem to extend my mind from my body, but maybe that was my problem. I realized I needed to use the abilities that I already had, not try to assume new ones. I closed my eyes and focused on my surroundings, feeling the air respond to my thoughts. I needed to see beyond the trees and rocks, so I pushed the air around the trees. As it passed the trees, it left an outline in my mind. It left another outline around the rocky cliffs east of us. There was a fox stalking its prey, and another large pine with an owl perched in its limbs. Then there were six demons walking up a small mountain path. I pushed past them to see another group ahead of them. This group had a human with them, probably one of the Csökkent. I pushed a little farther, but saw no one else, so I pulled back to my body and opened my eyes. Charles was staring at me.
“You could have told me you could do that.” His irritation plain on his rugged face.
“I didn’t know until just now,” I explained. “Adalina explained it to me, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t do it…until now.”
“So, what did you see?” Charles asked.
“Two groups of demons on a small path to the east. One of the groups had a Csökkent with them,” I replied.
“At least we know we’re headed in the right direction.” Charles stood and stretched his legs. “Do you think we can follow them without being seen?”
“I know I can,” I said with a smile. “What about you?”
“I can be silent, but I’m not disappearing the way you do.” He chuckled. “I will stay at a safe distance, following your path up the mountain.”
With our plan in place, I drifted out into the snow. It would be impossible to cover my tracks, so I walked in the demons’ tracks, pulling the air around me so that I blended with the snow. I gained on the group quickly and followed closely behind them without being detected. We traveled up the mountain for almost three hours, when the group I followed merged with the one in front of them. The Csökkent spoke to one of them, and four of the demons broke from the group. They approached a large boulder that they leaned against as one. Their massive bodies pushed against the stone until it moved far en
ough to leave an opening for them to walk through. When the last demon disappeared, I wondered how they would move the boulder back. Somehow the huge rock slid back in place. There must have been some sort of mechanism on the other side to pull it back. I closed my eyes and pushed the air around me, trying to see if there were guards or lookouts around the entrance. I didn’t see anyone. They probably assumed that no one would be able to find the entrance, which was likely true until now.
Charles joined me half an hour later with a look of confusion on his face. “Where did they go?”
I pointed towards the large boulder. “That boulder can be moved aside to expose the entrance.”
“That’s a very big rock,” he said, stating the obvious. “How many of them did it take to move it?”
“Four,” I said reluctantly. “We can try to move it, but I’m betting it will be more than we can do by ourselves.”
“Do you think they have someone watching the other side of the entrance?” he asked. I shook my head; I had already checked. Both groups of demons had moved farther into the mountain.
“Let’s give it a try then.” He moved towards the boulder and I followed him. We leaned against the boulder, pushing with all our strength, but two men would not move it. “Do you think you can use your ability to help move it?”
I hadn’t thought about it. I could manipulate the air around myself, but would I also be able to use it to help us push the boulder?
“I’m willing to try it,” I replied. “Ready when you are.”
We leaned against the rock again. I wrapped the air around the boulder and could feel the pressure that Charles and I forced against the rock. I pulled a very small amount of power from the rune in my back and added it to the air. The rock started to move, and we pushed harder. I didn’t want to add any more power for fear of melting the rock or burning us. I could already feel it getting warm. We pushed it just far enough to squeeze through the crack. There was a pulley on the inside that moved the rock back into place. It was much easier than pushing from the outside. After the boulder was back in place, we started down the tunnel. We could hear the group of demons in front of us, but it was hard to tell how far ahead they were. The sounds of their hooves echoed throughout the tunnel. Charles was hesitant to move forward.
“What is it?” I whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear.
“I cannot hide the way you do. If they see me, I’ll be forced to leave you here alone,” he said quietly. “Our mission may be compromised if I’m revealed.”
I thought about what he said. Was there a way for me to hide him with me? It would require more effort, but it couldn’t be any more difficult than moving that boulder. But I also couldn’t risk using the rune for power; I might burn us both alive.
“I have an idea,” I began. “I think I can pull the illusion around you as well so that you will not be seen. But you will have to stay very close to me. If we get in a situation where I cannot cover us both, then you will need to go back to Santuario and report to Adalina. Hopefully, that will not be necessary.”
He nodded his understanding and I pulled my illusion around both of us. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought, but it would wear me down if we didn’t hurry.
“Let’s go.”
We hurried down the tunnel, following the demons. The end of the tunnel opened into a small valley lined with thick pines. A narrow, frozen stream meandered along one edge. At the far end of the valley was a very old castle. Parts of it seemed to be well kept, but its age showed in the crumbling walls and one totally collapsed tower. The group we followed walked through the open gate and into the castle’s courtyard. Charles and I skirted around the edge of the trees, trying not to leave footprints in the snow. It was becoming difficult to go unnoticed. If we tried to approach the gate, our tracks would immediately be seen in the fresh snow.
“Any ideas?” I asked.
“Do you think you can maintain this cover and travel into the courtyard at the same time?” Charles asked.
“I’m not sure, and I really don’t want to find out the hard way that I cannot,” I replied. “We should wait until dark.”
“You’re probably right,” he said reluctantly. “I was hoping to be done with this today and back home in a warmer climate.”
“I’m not excited about sitting here the rest of the day either. Let’s scout around the border of these trees to see if we can tell how many demons they have and if there’s another entrance,” I suggested.
He agreed, and we worked our way around the small valley. There was not another entrance that we could see, just the tunnel we had come through. There were no patrols or guards at the gate. Again, they must have assumed that the hidden location kept them safe. We could take advantage of that complacency. It only took an hour to walk all the way around the valley, so the rest of our time was spent hiding among the trees. Dusk could not come fast enough.
As the sun set, torches were being lit within the castle. There were a few scattered around the courtyard, but they were spaced far enough apart to create large pools of shadows. I thought we should be able to get up to the castle fairly easily. We traveled into the courtyard, deliberately placing ourselves in one of the pools of shadow right next to the main door. It was closed, so we snuck around the side of the castle, looking for the servant entrance. It was easy enough to find.
I closed my eyes and looked beyond the door with my mind. There was a short hallway that led into the kitchen, which was full of people making the evening meal. We would not get in that way. As I backed out down the hallway, I noticed another door just before the kitchen. I pushed through it and realized it was the back hall and stairwell that the servants used to take care of the lord of the castle unseen. That could work, as long as we didn’t encounter anyone.
I retreated back to my body and told Charles the plan. He nodded in agreement and pushed the door open. It creaked softly, but not enough to draw attention. I pulled the illusion over both of us, and we moved quickly to the servants’ hall. Once there, I dropped the illusion, trying to save my strength. I still wasn’t sure what we were looking for. Aneera didn’t know what the key looked like or where it was in the castle. I felt like a mouse running around a maze, looking for piece of cheese that wasn’t there.
We followed the servant’s hall as it snaked around behind the dining hall, throne room, and living quarters. As we approached the end of hallway, I felt the rune on my back start to pulse. I knew I had not activated it, but something had. I noticed Charles looking at me strangely. I looked down at my hands, and saw flames flickering around my fingers. I closed my eyes and tried to pull the power back into the rune. As soon as I did, I felt an overwhelming source of power rushing towards me. I started to panic as I realized that my clothes were smoldering. I focused harder, trying to sever the external power source from the one on my back. I clenched my teeth, trying not to cry out with the pain that was sizzling through my body. With one final pull, I was able to sever the connection. I realized I was on my knees, my clothes in tatters and still smoking from the heat that radiated from my body. Charles looked at me, astonished.
I chuckled softly. “Well, that was interesting.”
“You could call it that. Are you okay?” Charles asked with concern.
“I think so,” I replied. “I believe we’ve found the key. Something was drawing, or maybe feeding, my power. I’m fairly certain it’s in this room. I’m also sure that someone will be coming to investigate that surge of power. It cannot have gone unnoticed.” I took a deep breath. “Go back to Adalina and ask her to have Magdelin waiting for me. I need to see this key before I leave.”
“I can’t leave you here alone, especially if someone is coming to investigate,” Charles said, his concern evident on his face.
“I’ll be able to hide myself in this room, then travel back to Santuario. But I’m not sure I can hide both of us, especially the way I am reacting to this key,” I replied. “I’ll be right behind you. I only intend to
stay long enough to see what it is.”
“Alright, I’ll give you five minutes. Then I’m coming back for you.”
I laughed quietly. “Fine, just make sure Magdelin is ready for me when I get there.”
I waited for him to leave, then I cracked open the door. It didn’t make a sound, but I could feel the pull of power getting stronger as I walked into the room. It was dark, with the exception of faint light from the setting sun coming through the window. I was in a large, nicely decorated bedroom. A huge four-post bed covered most of one wall, and an equally large wardrobe was on the opposite side. On the third wall, facing the door was an ornate writing desk, with a small leather-bound book on its surface. Its power pulsed with the rune on my back. It took a great deal of effort for me to keep the two sources separated, to keep my rune from drawing the power from the book. I hoped that wasn’t what Raphael intended for it to do, or I wouldn’t survive for very long. I was startled by the door knob turning behind me, and I decided I wouldn’t wait to see who it was. I left immediately and returned to Santuario.
Chapter 7
When I arrived at the gates, I immediately started removing my coat, shirt, and shoes. The guards looked at me with concern, but opened the gates to let me in. I headed straight for Magdelin’s home, but she, Raphael, and Charles met me in the courtyard. Raphael looked amused, while Magdelin and Charles looked worried. I knew I was burning up.
“Please tell me there is something you can do to stop this,” I said, pleading for relief from the heat that consumed me.
“I think we should take him to the fountain,” Raphael suggested. “It will cool him down quickly and give us time to talk.”
Magdelin nodded and led me to the fountain. The fountain was really a small pool with a statue of a man in the center. The water did not move in the pool as it would in a true fountain. I couldn’t tell who the man was supposed to be.
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