Chapter 5
It was late into the afternoon when Gaphii’el decided it was safe to rest. They cleared the rim of the forest and rested in a field of tall grasses and sage. To the east the mountains rose majestically above the land, in hues of purples and blues, their peaks scraped the bottom of the sky.
Gaphii’el set Kayla on the ground, her breathing was shallow but stable. Asher studied the soft features of her face. She was young like he and in their short time together, he had grown strangely attracted to her. Somehow her smile dulled the ache of losing his family. Her presence replaced the void within his heart with hope. And after watching her mysterious power overtake the masked man, he soon realized that there was a way to defeat Elixir and save his family, if it wasn’t too late already.
Asher watched Gaphii’el walk away. The man produced a mysterious orb from within the folds of his cloak. The mysterious orb was glowing with yellow light. Gaphii’el seemed to stare into the orb intently. Then Asher’s attention was turned to Alby, who scurried on all fours next to him. Asher returned his gaze to the man, the glowing had vanished and Gaphii’el returned the orb into the folds of his cloak.
“Alby wants to know who that man is?” Alby asked. He gently rubbed a long crooked finger over Kayla’s hand and wiped away a tear that trickled down his cheek. “Alby’s heart aches for my Mistress, she is Alby’s only family. Will Mistress be alright?” Alby looked at Asher expectantly, hoping for some form of reassurance, a reassurance that Asher could not give.
“I don’t know. But I think we can trust him.” Asher said. “He saved us after all.” The elf nodded its head and returned his gaze upon the unconscious girl. Asher watched the elf for a moment before continuing their conversation.
“Alby, have you seen Kayla use those powers before?”
Alby shook his head. “No, Alby has never seen such powers before.”
Asher was not surprised. By the look of how Kayla had handled the mysterious power, he expected that was the first time she had used her powers, she probably had no idea that she was capable of such things. Asher left Alby and approached Gaphii’el, he stepped lightly, the dry ground crunched beneath his leather boots, as he approached. In the light of the fading sun, Asher could distinguish strange insignia’s on the back of the man’s traveling cloak. The cloak was a deep grayish blue, and the designs, seem to swirl and spiral about the man’s broad shoulders. Asher recognized the designs to be the same engravings on the man’s staff. Odd, Asher thought to himself. I wonder what they mean?
“I could hear you from a mile away.” Gaphii’el said. The man turned to face Asher, his hood was still drawn about his head. Asher could only see the bottom portion of the man’s face. There was fierce insignia’s tattooed across the man’s jawline and wrapped down the visible portion of his neck. His presence was forbidding and intimidated Asher. “What is it you seek boy?”
“I want to thank you.... for saving us.” Asher said timidly.
Gaphii’el turned his back to Asher and stared off into the distance. Finally, after several minutes of silence, the man sighed. “I was merely a distraction. She is the one we should be thanking.”
Asher glanced over his shoulder at Kayla. Her condition had not improved but it also did not worsen, which was some measure of reassurance. “Will she be okay?”
Gaphii’el shrugged. “She obviously has some latent power within her, she used some measure of her life force to energize her attack. It was brave, but incredibly stupid,” Gaphii’el said and pointed to a large cliff face that jutted from the valley below them. Atop of the cliff face, was a lone building. “I fear if we do not get her to that temple, the Temple Anin’Nar, by nightfall she will lose her life.”
The possibility of Kayla dying had never truly sunk into Asher’s heart until now. The thought of losing another person that he cared for was almost too much to bare. But whatever feelings of hopelessness he felt, Asher buried them, instead he chose to rely on the strength of hope.
“What did that masked man mean when he spoke of pure bloodlines and the Awakening?” Asher asked.
Gaphii’el continued to gaze into the valley, he watched birds fly above the tree tops below them. “It’s clear you do not understand the legends from the old-world.” Gaphii’el folded his arms in front of him and turned back toward Asher. “Long ago this world was inhabited by another race of people, our predecessor race. According to legend, these people were a highly advanced civilization who were able to alter their physiology in such a way that they could control and manipulate various forms of matter and energy. This new power became known as the Awakening.”
Gaphii’el reached within the folds of his cloak and produced a small leather bound booklet, laced together with fraying twine. He thumbed through the booklet and stopped on a page with a sketched design of circles and connecting lines. He handed the booklet to Asher.
“This is the Codex of the Awakening.... It is a map of all the known bloodlines of the Awakened. It was written by our predecessor race and translated by the order that I belong to, the Druid Order. The symbols you see are the runes of each bloodline. If one uses the power of the Awakening, then a rune will glow on the user’s skin. Through the ages, each insignia has been recorded and preserved along with its specific usage and power.”
Asher gazed upon the manuscript, he tried to memorize each symbol. He noticed the curious writing on the manuscript. “What about the writing? What does it say?”
“The darker writing is the language of our predecessor race. The lighter writing, is that of the druids who have interpreted much of the manuscript. There is still much to be learned from the Codex.”
Suddenly, yellow light dispersed from within Gaphii’el’s cloak. Hurriedly he retrieved the glowing orb. Asher watched the expression on Gaphii’el’s face take on a hard edge, as if the orb revealed some measure of unfortunate news.
“What is it?” Asher asked, while trying to glimpse at the glowing orb.
Gaphii’el turned his attention to Asher. Asher could feel the intensity of the man’s eyes. “Something has risen, something from another time and age. Its species was cast into the Forbidding many centuries ago. Elixir has set it free and they are hunting us. If they find us, we will not survive.”
“Then we run,” Asher offered as a solution.
Gaphii’el shook his head. “The thing that has been released from the forbidden will track us and kill us.”
“What about your powers? It was the power of the Awakening, was it not? Surely you can protect us.”
Gaphii’el set the orb on the ground and placed his hand on Asher’s shoulder. “I do not possess the power of the Awakened. I am a Druid, a wielder of magic. Magic is used to manipulate time and reality; the Awakening is a weapon made by the user’s life force. You must learn the Awakening.”
Asher shook his head. “No... I don’t have the power of the Awakening...I…” The Druid placed a hand over Asher’s mouth to silence him.
“I am not sure if you have the bloodlines within you but we must try, are you willing?” Asher nodded yes, his mouth was still covered by the Druid’s hand. “There is a small possibility that you can tap into the lower energies of the Awakened. If you are successful, then we might combat Elixir, just enough to escape. However, I must warn you…”
“Warn me of what?” Asher asked with concern.
“If you try to access the lower levels of the Awakening and you do not have the bloodlines of the Awakened, then your body will be ripped apart by the disruption of your life force.” Gaphii’el could see the fear in Asher’s eyes. “We do not have a choice, are you ready?”
Asher thought a moment longer, not responding immediately. His life was on the line and that was enough to make him want to run away from the Druid. But then his mind caught hold of his grandfather, and how he was unable to save him. He remembered his mother and sister. Asher decided that he had to try. If there was the slightest possibility of saving them, even at the risk of his own
life, then he needed to take that risk. Finally, Asher made his mind up. “I will do it.”
Gaphii’el nodded and flipped a page of the Codex. “Long ago, a person could only become Awakened by being brought to the brink of death. If the person possessed the ancient bloodlines, then the Awakening would arise and transform the body, making it cable of great power, and bring the person back from the point of death. Their bodies would then be forever transformed. However, centuries ago, the druid’s discovered within the Codex, that the Awakening could be achieved without being brought to the point of death. By accessing the lower levels, a person could slowly grow into the powers of the Awakening. It is still very risky, but it is our only option.”
The Druid began to wave his hand in various directions, while whispering incantations that Asher could not decipher. This went on for several minutes and then flashes of light began to emerge from the Druid’s movement’s in the air.
“Asher, I need you to close your eyes, and recall the worst pain you have ever felt. Try to harness the hurt you felt. Do you have it?”
Asher reached deep into his mind and remembered his grandfather, mother and sister. He could feel the hurt and anguish rising inside of him. His mind went deeper into his past and he could remember the pain he felt from when he first learned about the death of his father. The rage and anguish began to rise within him.
“Asher push your pain to the surface, do not keep it buried.”
Asher continued to focus his mind. His memories repeated over and over. With each iteration, they became more terrible to relive.
“Focus your mind. Feel the Awakening stir within you.” Gaphii’el shouted. He continued his waving motions with his hands. Gaphii’el watched Asher focus, the boy’s eyes were closed tightly. The boy was sweating profusely. And then he saw dust began to swirl and twist around the boy’s body. Electricity danced about the boy’s shoulders, hands, and feet. “You are doing it Asher. Keep pushing.”
Asher opened his eyes. His fists were clenched tightly and he saw wind circling about him, accompanied by occasional spurts of electricity. It reminded him of Kayla, when she attacked Elixir. He pushed harder and focused his mind and energy. Then brilliant white light began to emerge from his closed fist. He opened his fists and examined his palms. At the center of his palms, a glowing insignia emerged, similar to the designs inside the Codex.
“Asher unleash it, allow the Awakening to come forth.” Gaphii’el urged.
Asher raised a single hand forward, palm facing outward. The fits of electricity became more violent, the wind a terrible rage around him. Then he felt something break inside of him. The terrible animal that was fighting to escape from within Asher’s heart, had finally broken through its cage, it was now set free.
Asher clenched his teeth and pushed hard, focusing on the symbol that had emerged from his palm. Instantly, a beam of brilliant white light erupted from the center of his palm. It filled the air with a blinding aura. It exploded outward setting nearby trees and brush on fire. Then as quickly as it came, the light dispersed and Asher collapsed to the ground breathing heavily.
Gaphii’el approached the boy. He walked slowly through the fire that danced on the ground. The hood of his cloak pulled low, he looked like a shadowy wraith. “Asher, remember that feeling. That is only a portion of the Awakening. Rest for now, but be ready. Within the hour Elixir will arrive.”
Epilogue
The Archon rushed through the stone hallway of Anin’Nar. Her footsteps echoed softly in the large hallways. Her mind raced. Something had happened and she needed to know. Down a flight of stair she ran and passed a series of closed doorways. Then at the end of a long hallway, she rushed through a closed door.
In a whir, she passed her trusted guard, Geoff, who was dozing at a table next to a myriad of opened books and scattered papers. He opened his eyes wearily when the Archon burst through the doorway.
“Archon is something wrong?” He asked.
The Archon raced through the room, overturning tables and opening drawers ignoring the guard’s question. Finally, she found a round orb covered in dust. She wiped the dust off and set the orb on the desk.
“Something has happened.” She said.
In seconds, the orb illuminated yellow and showed an image of a boy in a field. She watched the image of the boy form within the orb, his hand stretched forth and white light erupted from the center of his palm, and then the boy collapsed. The glow of the orb faded away.
“What was that Archon?” Geoff asked.
The Archon looked at him, a smile crossed her lips, it was the first time she had smiled since the murder of the Seer. “Geoff, there has been an Awakening. The ancient bloodlines have not been lost.”
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