Aegis Rising (54 page)

“The scientist and the old coot,” Jag quipped.

“You’re awful.”

“And you’re trying not to laugh.”

“. . . Whatever.” She watched as Aari let another batch of dandelion seeds blow away. “You guys remember that silver coin I picked up from the sniper’s office while we were clearing the mining site, the one with the weird symbol on it?” she asked. The others nodded. “When I showed it to Saiyu and she looked at it, she had a strange look on her face, almost as if she recognized it or something.”

“Do you still have it?” Tegan probed.

“No. She asked if she could take it to show the other Elders.”

Jag rubbed his chin. “Hm . . . that’s interesting. There’s gotta be some significance to it.”

“That’s what I figured, but it raises more questions.”

“You know what I have questions about? What those beasts were.” Kody shuddered. “They can’t be natural.”

“I doubt they were,” Aari said. “At the site’s medical building, there was this huge guy lying dead in the rubble. He had a device strapped on him and it looked like a remote control with a screen on it. On the back there was an engraving that said ‘Marauder Control Unit’. I think that’s what the creatures were called.”

“You’re saying those animals were actually controlled by a remote?”

“They might have been.”

“But that would make them some kind of machine, wouldn’t it? When the Guardians tore those suckers up there were no metal parts. They were all flesh and bone like any other living creature.”

“Well, it’s just a thought.”

The five winced inwardly at the idea and brushed the prospect aside. Collectively taking a breath and exhaling, they leaned back. They watched the villagers go about their day for a while until they saw Huyani strolling up to them with a basket in her hand and Akol next to her. As they arrived, Huyani greeted them with a wide smile. “Here are the heroes again!” she said teasingly, although the awe that radiated from her was unmistakable.

“The tales of your bravery are spreading like wildfire, my friends,” Akol told them. “You have achieved so much, so quickly. We are all astounded.”

The friends glanced away, faces flushed from the kind words. “Thanks,” Aari mumbled. “But we know there’s much to learn and more training ahead of us.”

“You sure were missed up there, though,” Mariah said, looking at Akol. “It would have been great to have you by our side.”

Akol beamed. “I would have done anything to stand with you against those intruders. However, the Elders had another plan for me—I was instructed to watch over the village in their absence.”

“They definitely picked the right person for the job, then.” Jag smiled, respect evident in his eyes.

Akol dipped his head. “Thank you, Jag.”

“The entire village has an elevated faith in the Elders for recognizing the five of you as the ones promised by the prophecy,” Huyani told the friends.

There was a moment of silence. Tegan seized on it to change the subject. “So what’s happened to Hutar?” she asked. “No one has said anything since . . . that night.”

“The Elders found more than one crystal in his possession and confiscated those,” Akol answered. “As you know, each individual in this community is presented with one crystal, and that is the one they will carry with them all their lives.”

“Then how did he get the rest?” Mariah asked.

“It is assumed that they were stolen from the temple. No one has ever done that before.”

“So they’ve taken away the crystals. What will happen to him, though?” Aari pressed.

“They have decided to send him to an edification program that should aid in centering and restoring his spirit.”

Kody was puzzled. “Wouldn’t it be safer to just lock him up in a reformatory or something?”

Akol shook his head. “Putting Hutar away will not address the root of the problem. One of the foundations of the belief system in our community is the proper centering of each individual’s spirit.”

“So . . . he’ll be allowed to run loose?”

“Not quite. He will spend five moon cycles in a special
neyra
where the Elders will take turns working with him to improve his ways. For half a day every day during that time, he will be active in rigorous community service. He will tend to the crops in the greenhouse, help build new
neyra
, assist wherever he can in the stable, and he will be rebuilding the old community hall.”

The five were both intrigued and content with the answer. “Why would you want to rebuild the old community hall, though?” Tegan asked. “Don’t you already have a new one?”

“It will not be a community hall, as such,” Huyani said, finally breaking into one of her charismatic smiles. “It will become a youth center.”

Tegan raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Nice.”

Jag, who had been only listening all along, joined the conversation. “If he improves, what will happen to him then?”

Akol pointed over the river to a large building below the temple. “He will be teaching the young ones at the school.”

“What?!” The friends stared at him in disbelief.

“I don’t understand,” Aari said. “Why would you do that, putting him in a roomful of kids?”

“And he doesn’t seem like the educating type, if you know what I mean.” Kody shuddered.

“Teaching is an essential part of learning,” replied Huyani. “Learning is just like breathing in, and teaching is like breathing out. It is necessary for our progression. What the students are taught inside the school are virtues, sciences, our relationship with nature, understanding our bodies and minds, and harnessing our innate skills.”

“How does teaching that help Hutar learn?”

“If you wish to lead others, you must learn to lead yourself first, no? Through teaching he will learn patience and gain maturity among other valuable assets. Once he has successfully completed his rehabilitation, then perhaps one day he will regain the sole crystal he had been given and be a responsible member of this community.”

“What if this doesn’t work and he doesn’t change?” asked Mariah softly.

The siblings went quiet for a few moments, then Huyani said, “That is not a thought we wish to entertain. Positive projections are what Hutar requires to regain stability in himself. The alternative is unthinkable.”

Not wanting to explore the subject further, the friends nodded, hoping that the corrective program would help Hutar in becoming the better man he could be. The seven of them slipped into silence again, then Huyani held up the basket she was holding. “We know you are supposed to be meeting with the Elders soon, so we brought your midday meal here. You may eat and then head to the temple.”

The five laughed and slid off the boulders. “Thanks, Huyani,” Jag said, taking the basket from her. Kody snuck up behind him and snatched the basket before frolicking off.

“Hey!” Jag exclaimed.

“You snooze, you lose.” Kody sat down on the grass, opened the basket, and dug in. “I’m gonna miss your cooking when we leave, Huyani. This is delicious.”

The others rolled their eyes and shared their mirth with Huyani and Akol before joining Kody for a satisfying meal.

58

T
he vibrant plumes of colorful flames from the cauldron cast a warm glow in the foyer. Down the hallway that led further into the temple, murmuring voices could be heard mingling with the soothing gurgle from two small fountains. The Elders were assembled on the benches where the friends had sat during their first discussion with Nageau about their training a few weeks before. Five polished, wooden chairs were set up to complete the semi-circle the benches formed. The Elders spoke softly so as not to disturb the other villagers who were in the temple.

It was only a few minutes later when the friends walked in to join them. They dipped their heads to the Elders, who each in turn embraced them, and took seats on the chairs to face their mentors.

Tikina asked, “Are you younglings doing well?”

“We are.” Tegan titled her head at the Elder. “What about you and Elder Tayoka?”

“We are feeling better, thank you. The physical wounds heal much faster.” There was a twinge of sadness in her words.

Tegan ventured softly. “How many people did we lose?”

“Each soul whom we lost was one too many.”

Seeing the solemn looks on the friends’ faces, Tayoka began to speak and Nageau translated. “But they gave their lives not in vain. With their bravery and courage we managed to put a stop to the destructive forces that were wreaking harm to our land.”

Tikina looked back at the five. “In the meantime, you younglings have a far-reaching road to travel and immense responsibilities on your shoulders. You have shown tremendous courage and selflessness, and you have brought the people much hope.” With a radiant countenance, she added to the firm nods of the other Elders, “The promise of the prophecy unfolds through you. You are indeed the shield that protects. You are indeed the saplings of Aegis, growing, advancing, rising.”

The friends had no clue how to react to such a statement of faith. Kody scratched the back of his neck. “Sooo . . . when do we resume our training?”

Nageau let out a hearty laugh. “You five never cease to amaze me. You would like to get right back into training, would you not?”

“We decided we’ve had a long enough break,” Aari told him with a small grin. “And we know we’ve got more to learn.”

Jag looked up. “By the way, do we know what happened with the workers after we left the mountain?”

“I did a quick sweep of the mountain with Akira,” Tikina answered. “I am relieved to say that the workers have all been evacuated and they took their machines with them.”

Jag seemed reassured. “Good.”

“Chayton will be sorely missed,” Nageau said wistfully. “The children have adored him since the moment he wandered into our village as a youngling.”

Tikina sighed. “He was truly one of a kind.”

After a moment of silence, Tegan spoke up again. “We found it thoughtful that you left the radio for the man who headed the mining operation. I’ll admit that if it were me, I may not have done that.”

“If we had left them there helpless, they may have perished,” Nageau told her. “That was not our aim.”

“I have a question,” Mariah said. “There was a coin that I found in the sniper’s office, which I handed to Elder Saiyu . . .”

“Ah, yes.” Nageau nodded at Saiyu and the Elder pulled the coin out from the fold of her tunic. She passed the coin to Nageau and the Elder held it up for the five to see. An intricate symbol was etched onto the surface. The friends leaned closer to get a better look.

“What is it?” Kody asked.

Nageau responded. “It is part of an ancient symbol belonging to our people.”

The five exchanged confused looks. “How is that possible?” Jag asked. “I thought this civilization was concealed from the world.”

Nageau handed the coin over to Mariah so she could take a look at it and pass it around to the others. “I shall get to that in a moment, Jag. Let me begin by enlightening you on what this symbol means. This symbol is a part of a pair that represents duality in all of existence.”

He motioned to Ashack. The black-haired Elder raised his hands to show a glowing crystal ball. Inside the violet sphere were two symbols on opposite sides. They looked like the last letter of the modern-day alphabet with a horizontal line cutting through them; one appeared bright, while the other was dark.

Aari, who now had the coin, held it up next to the sphere and the five could see that the symbol on the coin was the same as one of the symbols inside.

“What exactly is meant by the duality in existence?” Aari asked, his eyes glued to the symbols in the crystal ball.

“We believe that the entire universe exists in harmonious balance. There are many terms that various civilizations have used in history to express this.” With a knowing sparkle in his eyes, Nageau said, “You probably have heard about the philosophy of yin and yang.”

Tegan squinted at the Elder. “How do you know about that?”

Nageau just smiled and continued. “Matter and anti-matter in your recent scientific discoveries is another example, as is the cycle of composition and decomposition that we see around us. The pairing of male and female within this biosphere we call Earth is yet another illustration. Even the religious concept of Heaven and Hell is based on this duality, which in a recent revelation is referred to as the twin pillars of reward and punishment upon which justice rests. Likewise, these two symbols you see in the sphere signify something important.” He paused to meet the friends’ anticipative gazes. “Creation and destruction.”

Ashack placed the sphere on an altar behind one of the benches. Mariah took the coin back from Aari and pointed at it. “So which one does this symbol represent?”

Nageau ran his hand through his wispy white hair and his blue eyes were sullen. In a quiet voice he said, “Destruction.”

There was silence as five young minds tried to grasp the impact of what was just said. Aari shook his head. “What does this all mean?” he asked.

Jag frowned. “And how did this get into the hands of an outsider?”

Before responding to their questions, Tikina said, “It appears that your being here is predestined. The events that have unfolded in such a short time since your arrival have only served to assure us of the validity of the prophecy. Your finding of the coin is, to us, a sign that you need to be made aware of certain truths which we intend to share.”

The five waited expectantly. She continued. “While our existence here as a community has remained—and must remain—a secret as directed in our scriptures, we have, in anticipation of what our prophecy has forewarned us, taken certain unconventional measures. Over the last two generations or so, we have placed a league of what we call Sentries within your civilization.”

The five were perplexed. “I beg your pardon?” Aari said.

“Allow me to shed some light on this. We have people out there living amongst you,” Nageau said, “and in their own ways they are aiding humanity to face the dark clouds that are gathering.”

“What dark clouds?” Mariah asked.