Awakening (Telindell Book 1) (16 page)

Kane’s ears twitched at the sound of clashing metal.  He lay on the ground with his muzzle in the grass.  For six and a half years Kane had watched Lian grow from an innocent twelve-year-old-boy into a skilled and powerful warrior.  Kane looked upon Lian and Elinar sparring, each possessing grace and prowess with a blade.  Lian had grown tall and lean with well-defined muscles.  Their swords clashed.  Lian no longer wore training attire.  He wore a tight-fitting black sleeveless shirt with a slit at the neck.  His pants were snug-fitting as well, with thick black boots traveling half way to his knees.  Lian dashed at Elinar.  Elinar brought his blade up to meet Lian’s.  He spun around Lian, swinging the sharp blade toward his back.  Lian brought his sword over his back and met Elinar’s blade.

Elinar took a step back and lowered his blade.  “Excellent, Lian.  I think I’ll make a warrior out of you yet.”

Lian turned to face Elinar and smirked.  “Yet?  I think you just lowered your blade so I wouldn’t best you… Again.”

“Now, now,” said Elinar, chuckling.  “Don’t be so overconfident.  It ruins your character.”

Lian raised his sword and leapt towards Elinar.  “I have plenty of character.  Unlike you uptight, elegant Elves.”

Elinar braced himself and met Lian’s blade with his once again.  “Uptight and elegant we may be, but at least we aren’t brash and reckless like you humans.”

Lian pushed Elinar back.  “So that’s how it’s going to be?”

Elinar gained his footing.  “Indeed it is.”  Elinar quickly dropped down and swept his leg towards Lian’s legs.  Lian jumped into the air and flipped over Elinar.  Elinar swung his sword toward Lian just as he landed.  Lian pulled his sword to his side and clashed with Elinar’s.

Elinar smiled and pulled his sword back.  “You’ve come a long way, my friend.”

Lian looked at Elinar and smiled.  “It’s your fault.”

Elinar sheathed his sword.  “My fault?”

Lian nodded his head while he sheathed his sword.  “Yes, your fault.”

Elinar smirked and raised an eyebrow.  “Tell me, what exactly is my fault?”

“It’s your fault that I can kick your ass,” said Lian, laughing lightly.

Elinar gave him a clever smile.  “It’s true.  I admit that you are stronger, faster, and better with a blade, but--”

“But what?” said Lian.

“I’m better looking,” said Elinar smugly.  “No Elven woman here will even look at you twice, and you’re practically a living legend.  You must be ugly.”

Lian shook his head.  “Teelia looks at me quite often, don’t you think?”

Elinar laughed.  “That’s because she is trying to figure out what you are.”

Lian sighed and chuckled.  “You know,” said Lian.  “I’m going to win one of these discussions someday.”

“Not anytime soon, I fear,” said Elinar.  Then, the two began to laugh.  Elinar looked upon Lian with pride.  “You did well this morning.  There is nothing more I can teach you.”

“You’ve been a good teacher,” said Lian, smiling.  “And a better friend.”

“As have you, my friend,” said Elinar.  “Now, come with me.  We must talk.”

Lian nodded and looked to Kane, who was watching in the distance.  He whistled at the black wolf.  Kane’s ears twitched and he jumped to his feet.  The three walked toward the back of the outpost, the rear gate remaining locked tight.

Elinar looked at Lian.  “You’ve progressed to a level none of us can comprehend.  You have indeed become more powerful than your ancestor.”

Lian shook his head.  “You think so?”

Elinar nodded.  “Indeed.  Sometimes I can’t even see your movements.”

Lian remained silent for a moment.  “What do you mean?”

Elinar smiled.  “What I mean is that if I hadn’t trained you myself, I wouldn’t know where you were going at times, or where you would strike next.  When you leapt over me, I didn’t see you jump.  You simply vanished.”

Lian shook his head.  “I can’t be that fast, can I?”

Elinar nodded.  “You are.”  He chuckled.  “I don’t think you realize it, but you hold back each time we spar.”

Lian took a deep breath.  “What does that mean?  I thought you said my ancestor changed, transformed, to obtain that kind of power.”

Elinar looked to Kane.  Kane nodded his head.  “It means I was right.  I think your wolf knew all along.  The power is yours.  I want you to try and transform, without the sword.”

Lian chuckled at Elinar’s request.  “How?  How exactly am I supposed to do something that I don’t know how to do?”

Elinar looked at Lian.  “You’ve done it before, at least partially.”  Elinar looked to Kane.  “Hasn’t he?”

Lian looked to Kane.  Kane nodded his head again.  Lian shook his head.  “But I had the sword, now I don’t.”

Elinar smirked.  “Then, you were a child, fearful and afraid.  I agree that the sword may have acted as a key, but you did it on your own.”

“How am I supposed to try?” said Lian.

Elinar sighed.  “If only the gods were still here.  Maybe they could instruct you.  Olbien vanished before your ancestor’s appearance.  Then, he vanished shortly after.  All that remained was the sword.  Elintae then constructed the Telindell Mountains and commanded us to place the sword within them.”

Lian shook his head.  “What happened to her?”

Elinar tilted his head and took a breath.  “We don’t know.  After we placed the sword, she commanded us to leave the valley and monitor some magical seal.  If it ever weakened to the point that it was in danger of failing, we were to retrieve the sword from Dawn’s Grasp.  Then she vanished as well.  Fearing her wrath, we never retrieved it, but followed her wishes.”

Lian chuckled.  “Some god, abandons the world after its near destruction.”

“I agree,” said Elinar.  “If it were left up to me, I would have retrieved the sword far sooner.  I also realize that if I were to have done that, we would not have found you, nor your mother.”

Lian thought for a moment.  “Think it’s coincidence?”

“I cannot say,” said Elinar, sighing.  “Maybe there is far too much that none of us understands.”

“Maybe,” said Lian.  “Why do you keep the sword from me then?  If it is just a sword and the power is mine?”

“My father’s commands,” said Elinar.  “He and the council feared that if the power of the sword… which I believe is your power… were ever to be released, the Dalronians would find us.”

“How?” said Lian.

“The world is constructed with magic,” said Elinar.  “It is within us all.  Every creature, every stone.  When a mage or sorceress uses magic, a ripple is sent throughout the magical energy of the world.  Most can’t be detected, even by the most skilled mage or sorceress.  Some, such as a spell that consumes a great deal of magic, sends a powerful enough ripple that many would be able to sense it.”

Lian shook his head.  “I’m no mage.”

“No, you aren’t,” said Elinar.  “But your power, especially if you were to transform, is magic, and it would send a powerful shock wave through the world’s magical energy.  One cannot possess such strength as yours without magic.  You are living, breathing, and walking magic in human form.  You are tied to this world’s energy in a greater way than any mage or sorceress.”

“And you want me to try and transform?” said Lian.  “To alert our enemy of our whereabouts?”

Elinar laughed.  “They will find us anyway.  And I fear it will be soon.  They must be looking for you and the sword.  They would be foolish not to.”  Elinar looked to Lian and smirked.  “When they come, I would much rather have a god-touched warrior at his full strength.”

Lian smirked as well.  “I see your point.”  Lian held his hands out and looked at them.  “How am I supposed to try?”

Elinar thought for a minute.  “You’ve done this before.  Think back to when it happened.  What did you feel?”

Lian looked to Elinar.  “I was scared out of my mind.  Everything I had ever known was destroyed.  I watched people die for what seemed like an eternity, then Kane was about to be killed…”  Lian trailed off into silence for a moment.  “I became angry.”

Elinar smirked.  “Then get angry.  Remember what it felt like, whatever happened when you got angry.  Relive that moment.”

Lian looked to Elinar and nodded.  “Alright.  Just stand back.  I don’t know what will happen if this works.”

Elinar nodded and stepped back.  Lian closed his eyes and began to think back to the horrors he’d lived through.  Marrow, Eva, the charred corpses of the villagers, the sacrifice of Kane’s pack, the Ogres of Shana’s pass, and finally, Kane ready to sacrifice himself.  He saw visions of the Sage killing Kane over and over again.  Kane and Elinar watched Lian intently.  Lian’s hair began to flutter.  Elinar’s eyes widened.  Lian’s muscles tightened.  Dirt began to float up around him.  He gritted his teeth and let out a grunt.  Then, he opened his eyes and grunted loudly.  Elinar looked at Lian in amazement.  Lian’s blue eyes were once again dotted with red specs.

Elinar took a deep breath.  “Lian… how do you feel?”

Lian gritted his teeth.  “Grrrr…” Lian grunted and gasped for air.  “It… Grrr… It… It hurts!”

Elinar’s eyes widened.  “What?  How can it hurt?”

Lian let out a scream.  Elinar and Kane flew back and rolled upon the ground.  Lian’s scream had unleashed enough energy to knock them from their feet.

Lian gasped and grunted again.  “The… The power… It… It feels like… like… it’s ripping me…grrrr… grrr… to pieces!”  Lian let out another scream.

Elinar and Kane quickly stood.  Kane looked to Elinar and growled.  Elinar turned to Lian and shouted, “Let go!  Let go of the power before it kills you!”

Lian struggled to unclench his fists.  He closed his eyes while gritting his teeth.  “How… grrr… How?  I can’t….”

“Calm yourself!” said Elinar.  Elinar shook his head and shouted, “Remember our training.  Focus.  Control your temperament!”

Lian grunted once more and took a deep breath.  He focused on everything around him, thinking of the tranquil forest, his mother, and any other thought that could calm him.  Lian opened his eyes as his muscles loosened.  His eyes had returned to their normal shade of blue.  He collapsed onto the ground with grunt and clinched his abdomen.

Elinar and Kane rushed over to him.  Elinar knelt down and reached his hand out to softly touch Lian.  Lian let out a scream of pain.  Elinar quickly pulled his hand back.  “What’s wrong?  Are you alright?”

Lian trembled.  “My muscles feel like they’ve been torn to shreds.  Your touch… it was excruciating.”

Elinar’s mouth dropped open.  “I’m sorry… I think I understand.”

Lian looked to Elinar as he struggled to sit up.  “Understand what?  That I almost got torn to shreds by my own power?”

Elinar shook his head.  “The power is yours, but you’re human.  Your body can’t withstand an unrestricted tap to the entirety of this world’s power.”

Lian took shallow breaths, still trembling.  “Sounds right.  I felt like I was being torn apart.”

“The sword,” said Elinar.  “It must control and focus your power.”

Lian felt the pain within his body begin to subside.  “Next time, give me the sword.”

Elinar nodded.  “That’s a very good idea.”

Teelia and Lyssa ran up to Elinar and Lian.  Teelia was now swollen with Elinar’s child.  She looked at Elinar.  “What’s wrong?  We heard Lian scream.”

Lyssa knelt down to Lian.  “Are you alright?”

Lian looked to his mother.  “I’m fine… or I will be in a few moments.”

Elinar looked sternly at Teelia.  “Were you just running?”

Teelia shook her head.  “I think that running was justified.  It sounded like Lian was dying.  We heard it on the other end of the outpost.”

Elinar sighed.  “I’m sorry.  Everything is alright.”  He stood and held out his hand out to Lian.  “Think you can stand?”  Lian nodded and took Elinar’s hand.  Elinar pulled him up.  “You are resilient, I’ll give you that much.”

Lian nodded.  “I do heal pretty quickly.”

Lyssa stood and looked at the two.  “Tell me what happened to my son.  Now.”

Lian shook his head.  “Just an accident.  No need to worry.”

Elinar nodded.  “Everything is alright, I assure you.  Now, go.  Take Lian and Kane, and relax.  I insist.”

Lyssa nodded.  “I’m sure he and Kane will both be glad to take a break.”

Elinar chuckled.  “Indeed.  We all deserve a break.”  Elinar looked to Lian.  “We’ll resume tomorrow.  Rest up.”

Lian nodded.  “I could use a nap.”

Elinar laughed while Lyssa took Lian and Kane away.

Teelia watched them walk away into the distance.  She turned to Elinar and shoved him.  “Tell me what happened, now!”

Elinar sighed.  “I knew you wouldn’t let this go.”

Teelia glared toward him.  “Of course not.”

“He nearly transformed,” said Elinar.

“What?” said Teelia, her eyes widening.  “Was it like your father said?”

Elinar nodded.  “Nearly.  It wasn’t the spectacle my father described, but the power was there.  It almost killed him.  I fear it would have killed us all.”