The Silver Sheen Chronicle - Emblems of Power

by C.L. Patterson

  In moments, Kosai was floating in the purple light, and then falling. In another moment, he was naked in the raging sea.

  “No time to waste. Swim down,” Mearto said. He wondered where the voice came from, hearing all around him, above the sound of the ocean, and in him as well, like a loud whisper. “Swim down!” she ordered again. Kosai took a breath and dove, kicking as hard as he could. “Relax your body.” Kosai did so, letting out a little bit of air, letting his body melt and become as water. “Do not think about the swim up. You will be fine once you reach the bottom.” Kosai continued to swim down, his body aching from the cold water, his chest tightening. Each kick expended so much more strength than he was expecting, but he continued kicking down, further and further. His lungs were burning to breathe, his ears felt like they were going to collapse and his eyes felt like they were about to pop out of his head.

  “Plug your nose and force air through it,” he heard. Kosai did so and his ears squeaked, releasing little bubbles of air. Kosai continued to swim, kicking, but shook his head and began to swim upwards again. The kicks and strokes were useless. He couldn’t move. “Keep going,” Mearto said. “You can now breathe the water.” Kosai stayed suspended in the water and slowly opened his mouth. Water filled his lungs and he jerked around, coughing, struggling to expel the water. After a few coughs, he felt the water flow out his mouth. He took another breath of water, filling his lungs with the cold icy liquid, and then expelled the liquid, as if it were normal breathing. It didn’t make sense and it hurt to breath.

  “Keep going,” Mearto said again. A few more minutes later, Kosai reached the bottom. At his feet was a long, bulky object wrapped in a tan canvass. The object was so large and so long that the only way to grab hold of it was to wrap his arms around its middle. His fingers barely touched as he wrapped his arms around the object and he struggled as he brought it upright and held it tight against his chest. Once the large object was in his arms, he pushed off the sea floor and kicked towards the surface. The object slipped in his grip and he tightened his hold, finally able to interlock his fingers. As he swam up, a strange sensation came over him. The water pulled harder against his face, as if it was rushing by him and he were standing still. Two more kicks, and the sea water rushed even faster by him, as if there was a bath plug in the ocean and someone, or something, had pulled it. Three more kicks and he broke the surface.

  He coughed as he inhaled. Blood that pooled in his lungs rolled out of his mouth like a pink waterfall. The object started to sink and Kosai gripped it again. Lightening streaked across the sky. In the distance, he could see the silhouette of an island against the electric light. Trees rocked back and forth in the wind. Kosai swam on his back, holding the object on his chest, the tail end dipping into the water between his legs. He fought to stay above the surface, catching a breath of air when he wasn’t submerged. Hours seemed to pass by and the island seemed to be just as far away as when he broke the surface. Kosai continued to kick and use an arm to stay upright and push himself up to get a breath of air.

  Exhausted, cold, and stiff, he sank in the water. Kosai tried to swim back up, but his legs felt like they were tied to steel rods. No matter how much Kosai willed, his legs would not move. He began to sink, but just a small amount before his legs hit the bottom. He squatted down and jumped as hard as he could and broke the surface. He took a quick breath and fell to the bottom again, but could feel the water surface at his brow. He took a step towards the island and jumped again, taking another breath. The water was now at his shoulder. Holding the object in his arms, he walked towards the island, his legs feeling as though they were trudging through syrup.

  As he came out of the water and onto the beach, he dropped the object in the sand, fell to his knees and then fell forward. The waves rushed up to his cheek and drew back sand into his mouth. Kosai laid naked, cold, and covered in sand, with the object next to him. His heartbeats sounded weak, and then forced, and then felt as if someone was striking his chest with a sledge hammer. The breaths were even, and he could hear the ocean and wind roaring behind him. As he closed his eyes, an image of the stable boy came into his mind, begging him to go to Market Street, and then seeing the boy’s father, fighting for food, fighting for survival.

  The next image was of other people, begging in the street, emaciated children around in the pavilion, drinking from the fountain. He thought of his own life, eating hard tack and drinking the fountain water. Even in the Barracks, food rations were just enough to feed a growing soldier. He thought of the nomads, threatening violence for survival if they were not fed. He then thought of the Seer, and the Dark One, each staring at him.

  “You won’t win,” he told himself hoarsely. “Neither of you will!” The pain in his chest subsided and his breathing relaxed. Though his chest still hurt, he grabbed the object still wrapped in canvas, pulled himself to his feet, and walked further up the beach. He set the object down next to a tree, and then lay down.

  Slowly, the island faded and everything became a purple light. The next moment, he opened his eyes and saw Mearto above him. He was laying down on the floor with her cloak draped over him.

  “Congratulations, you are now a Conduit,” she said. Kosai nodded and fell asleep.

  CHAPTER 15