Last Messenger - Chapter 16

Chapter 16 - Aael

Aael sat in the darkness and his mind reeled. He could count on one hand the times his father had said he loved him. He hugged his knees. The words didn’t make him happy, they terrified him. It confirmed what he’d suspected. His father thought they might die.

Faint voices filtered through the dirt wall, three of them. Haphell had arrived. Aael placed his ear against the wall and listened for sounds of violence, but it sounded like muted conversation. He wanted to enhance his hearing, to use a fraction of his power and ensure his parents were okay, but his dad had told him to do nothing.

The dark room looked the same with his eyes open or closed, but he shut them anyway. A few days ago, his life had been normal, boring even. Since then he’d been impaled, beaten, met a Shade, seen his mother fly, been sucked into the earth, met a girl…

Aael pictured Mia, her mouth turned in a half smile, a bow slung between her breasts, and the smell of flowers heavy in the air. It made him happy knowing she’d be there when he returned.

Frowning, Aael shook his head. She wouldn’t talk to him. He had insulted and upset her. His rested his forehead against his knees. Why am I so stupid? Maybe if he explained she’d forgive him. Yes, he would definitely talk to her when he got back.

Aael placed his back against the dirt wall. It was hard, like it had been baked in a kiln. He could still hear voices, none clear enough to understand. Laughter? Was that his mom laughing?

The routine of Aael’s life had been upended. His dad shared stories, memories, and even joked with him. Aael’s chest warmed and tightened, like it had been filled with hot desert sand. His dad treated him like an adult and it felt great.

Aael’s mom had changed even more. Until today, she’d never discussed philosophy or religion with him. Her complete breakdown when he found locket, repeated when she told his dad, only reinforced the odd behavior. She never surpressed her feelings but she had always been in control of them.

Something had upset her, and Aael hoped he wasn’t the cause.

How long had it been? It felt like forever. Aael concentrated on the token he’d made after the memory his dad had shared. He’d created a Kael Ring identical to the one his mom had made in the desert earlier that day, the two ends still moist from where she’d joined them. Even in the darkness he could feel it on his left wrist. His right wrist still ached from being broken and healed that morning. Rotating both wrists in a circle, he resisted the urge to stand up and move. He hated sitting still.

Aael’s parents loved him, he knew that, but they didn’t understand him. His mom got upset whenever he talked about competeing in the Blood Dance. They’d never asked why it was so important for him to fight or about his plans. He would compete in his outcast robes, hidden, and fight for everyone who had been beaten, forgotten, or ignored. They would adore him, cheer him, and he would be a hero.

Smiling, Aael visualized his entrance into the arena. He would dismiss every weapon offered to him. The crowd would grow ecstatic as he stood in the center of the arena weaponless. He would be a legend, the only fighter to battle without a weapon. Finally he would find acceptance.

Aael’s smile vanished. Now he knew the Blood Dance required a weapon and a tattoo that verified its mastery. The tattoo posed another problem. He had taken a sliver of Si’Aln from the workshop, the only thing able to puncture his skin, and tried to create a tattoo. His body healed itself as fast as he punctured it and the ink oozed out like black sweat. It wouldn’t stop him though. He could paint or stain a tattoo on his body if needed.

The voices grew louder. Aael still couldn’t make out any words, but it sounded like an argument. He wondered how his parents knew the visitor and if he would ever meet him.

Aael’s mom had said Haphell was a Cheriphim, but Aael knew that was impossible. The Cheriphim were just characters from the ancient Separation War, not actual people. And the end of the Seperation War, with the Gods gone, had been a time of confusion.

Something crawled on Aael’s arm, invisible in the darkness, but he felt hundreds of legs across his skin. He screamed and slapped it off. The voices in the other room stopped, and Aael realized his mistake the same moment the wall behind him dissolved.

“Is this what you hid?” A deep voice asked.

Aael opened his eyes and squinted at the brightness of the room. His dad’s face was a neutral mask, but Aael saw frustration in the tightness of his father’s shoulders. He glanced at his mom who stood motionless. She was a coiled spring, alert, taut, and ready to fight.

Turning, Aael faced the final person, who stood against the opposite wall. Haphell was short, wide, and dense. His skin was tan, his hair brown, and his hazel eyes studied Aael. He didn’t seem happy either.

Aael looked at his dad again. “Something crawled on me.”

“Crawled. On. You.” Caden said, each word thrown like a stone.

Aael looked away as his cheeks warmed. “It had a lot of legs,” he whispered. He hated bugs and the ones with all the legs were the worst. The sensation of them crawling on his skin made him shudder.

Laughter erupted from Haphell. Aael looked up annoyed, but Haphell seemed genuinely amused. “I hate them too,” Haphell said as he walked toward Aael.

The tension in the room increased with every step that Haphell took. Aael didn’t move, scared he might cause an explosion. Haphell stopped in the center of the room, his brow furrowed.

“Ki’Van!” Haphell said, his eyes wide. He turned to Caden, “The boy is—”

“An idiot,” Caden cut Haphell off.

Haphell’s eyes narrowed and he gave Caden a stony look. After a few heartbeats, Haphell relaxed and he faced Aael. He bowed and threw his left arm out behind him. “I am Sha’Haphellintine Sebator de Fontine. My friends call me Raph. It saves time. And you my young lord?”

Aael recognized the suffixes. Haphell was some sort of northern royalty, and Aael had never met anyone important before. He opened his mouth, but his dad answered for him.

“His name is Aael, a simple boy we brought south with us. A decent servant,” Caden said.

Aael tried to keep the anger off his face. Simple! Servant!

Haphell stared at Aael. “A marvelous day. Do you know why?”

Aael shook his head.

“I, a mere Blue, have caught the General in a lie. No one will believe it back home,” Haphell said.

“Why go back then?” Saniel asked.

Haphell faced Saniel. “Which brings us full circle. How have you resisted for so long? The call is strong, even this far south.”

“We told you, our first obligation is almost complete. It is enough to dampen the call,” Caden said.

Haphell turned back to Caden. “For twenty years? Why do you continue to lie?”

Silence, the uncomfortable kind where no one planned on talking. Aael didn’t mind the silence, but his curiosity demanded answers. “Why are you here?”

Haphell looked around the room like a desert leopard studying a cage. “Concern.” He cocked his head and his eyes narrowed.

Aael tensed as Haphell took three quick steps toward him.

“Saniel, stop!” Caden yelled.

“I sense it,” Haphell whispered.

Aael heard his mother growl. Caden stepped between Aael and Haphell and Aael was forced to step backward.

“We know,” Caden said.

“Then return. The set is complete,” Haphell said.

“For what purpose? The balance is against us,” Caden said.

Aael stepped to the side so he could see Haphell’s face. Haphell looked happy, no, elated.

Haphell waved his arms. “Dakkar has a plan to shift the balance in our favor. And now the collection is complete. Thalt be praised.”

Caden held up his hands. “You can not tell Thalt. Not yet. There are complications.”

“If he asks, how could I lie?” Haphell asked.

Saniel stepped toward them.

“Saniel,” Caden said, his voice soft.

Saniel paused, her eyes flat. Aael shivered and wanted to run from the suppressed violence that oozed from his mother. Saniel’s eyes shifted to Caden. The air felt thick, and Aael rubbed his chest which suddenly ached.

Caden continued in the same calm tone. “Do you want to kill a friend? He would lie if he could. Let me think.”

Saniel straightened, hands clenched, lips pressed together, and nodded. Caden’s eyes went vacant and Aael recognized Spinning Wheel.

Spinning Wheel gave you more time to think. Aael hated thinking, and the last thing he wanted was a way to do more of it. He agreed with his mom, trust your instincts, not your mind. But his dad made him practice anyway. He could speed his thoughts enough to stretch a breath into five, useful in a fight, but not much good for Bandt. His dad claimed he could double Aael’s five second time, but there was no way to prove it, they didn’t have the Wheel.

The stories said the Wheel had been placed in the Red Spire by Thalt himself, and spun so fast it was a grey blur. The Reds used it to test Mind Mages. Passages, written by the hand of God, started with a single letter at the center and spiraled outward as the wheel widened. Young Mages learned to speed their thoughts until the Wheel slowed, the information trapped in the spiral text unlocked.

The stories disagreed on what was written there: prophecy, secrets of the universe, your own fate. Only one man knew, the General, a Mind Mage so powerful he could stretch a moment into a day. The stories agreed the General stopped time, read the Wheel, and was killed in the Separation War before he could reveal the Wheel’s message.

Life returned to his father’s eyes. His dad had been in Spinning Wheel for almost a minute, the longest Aael had ever seen him gone.

“We have to go back,” Caden said.

“What!” Saniel said in disbelief.

Caden nodded. “We need to buy time, understand Dakkar’s plan, and provide appropriate answers.”

“Appropriate answers?” Haphell asked. “How can you lie to a God?

“We won’t lie,” Caden said. “But cautiousness is warranted. Let’s give the pattern time to unfold.”

Aael watched Haphell. The man didn’t look comfortable with Caden’s plan, but after a few moments, he nodded.

“What about Aael?” Saniel asked.

“He stays,” Caden said.

“We’ve searched for generations, why risk leaving him here?” Haphell asked.

“Where will he go?” Caden asked. “The real risks begin when the set is complete. He stays.”

Aael faced his dad. “What are you talking about? Would someone tell—” and suddenly he could no longer talk. He formed the words in his head, but his mouth wouldn’t open. Searching his mind, he tried to find what his dad had done, but it was useless. Anger exploded inside him and he took a step forward. His body froze, as if buried in sand. The confinement scared him, which only made him angrier.

“He does not know?” Haphell asked.

“No,” Caden said, and placed a hand on Aael’s shoulder.

Aael tried to shrug it off, but his body ignored him. The fury inside him felt like the midday sun. What right did his dad have to paralyze him like this?

“Let us go,” Haphell said.

Aael’s anger evaporated. Go? They couldn’t go. His parents had always been there. What would he do if they left? And why couldn’t he come?

“It would be suspicious if we just disappeared,” Saniel said. “How much time can you give us?”

Haphell closed his eyes for a few seconds. “Two weeks, maybe. There are anomalies to the south that need investigation and should ease the call.”

Aael saw resignation on his dad face, and defeat on his mother’s. He wished he could look away.

“It will be enough,” Caden said.

Aael, still unable to move, watched his parents hug Haphell.

“Thank you Raph, I know this is hard,” Caden said.

Haphell smiled. “Our easy lives died long ago. So few of us left who remember. His light shine through you.”

“And through you,” his parents replied together.

Haphell turned to Aael and bowed. “I am glad to have met you Ki’Van. Perhaps we can talk when I return.”

Aael still couldn’t respond, his dad’s hold on him unbreakable. Haphell’s body stretched, his head narrowed to a spike. A small hole appeared in the ceiling and Haphell shot through it. In a heartbeat they were alone again.

Control returned and Aael faced his dad. “Don’t ever do that to me again.”

“The less Raph knows the safer we are,” Caden replied.

Saniel strode toward Aael. “We had convinced him to leave! You were told to do nothing!”

Aael took a step backward, confused. Why was his mom so upset with him?

Caden grabbed Saniel. “It is done. Possibly even necessary. We need to know what Dakkar has planned, and how he was freed.”

“Are you guys really leaving?” Aael asked.

“Yes, and it’s your fault!” Saniel said, her cheeks wet.

Aael swallowed, too shocked to respond. His fault? After a few heartbeats he tried again. “Why?”

Caden looked at him. “There are people looking for you. If they know where you are they will come. We need to suppress any information about you.”

“How long will you be gone?” Aael asked.

“I don’t know,” Caden said.

“I can’t come?” Aael asked.

Caden shook his head. “No.”

“What will happen to me?” Aael asked.

“There is a temple in the mountains,” Caden said. “We need to convince the Abbot to give you directions. They might hold last chance for a cure.”

Saniel hugged Aael and the smell of strawberries almost overpowered him. His shirt was damp from her tears. Had he really been the cause of them leaving? Was this all his fault? His vision blurred. What was he going to do?

“Where are you going?” Aael asked.

“North,” Caden said.

“What if you can’t hide me?” Aael asked.

Saniel cupped Aael’s face in her hands. Her words, delivered with such confidence he knew it was true.

“Then we’ll kill them all.”