Child of Time (8 page)

As it was Kiyan was gaining skills at a rapid pace.
Kendra knew that he would need training soon. She thought about the
academy for a moment before dismissing it. This was something that
the academy was unprepared to deal with. If Kiyan had been
suppressing his abilities then he might not reveal them at the
academy even. No, other arrangements needed to be made.

----------

The event was over for the day and all of the
villagers present congratulated Kiyan, Fred and Jeremy on their
good luck. The rest of the day went by like a normal day in the
village. Jeremy and Kiyan worked in their family's gardens that
were next to each other and discussed the events of the day. Fred
joined them in a few minutes and began trying to break up dirt
clods with his new found bending but only managed to raise some
dust before he gave up. Jeremy thought it rather funny and Kiyan
was feeling high on life.

An afternoon swim finished the day and Kiyan thought
back on how this day had been so much different this time than the
first. Prometheus joined with a thought on how this seemed to be a
better aberration of the time line than before however there might
still be consequences.

That night he slept peacefully without any dreams
marking the passing of the night. Vague awareness of Kendra’s
presence was all Kiyan remembered when he woke in the morning.
Remembering the events of the day he thought of how it could be
changed. Today was the day that Addy was going to bond with Fred.
Last time had been a near disaster so he decided to make another
change. Kiyan initiated the change by loading a pack for the
camping trip that should happen later today. Finishing the bag he
hurried down to the kitchen were Marisa was just getting ready to
make breakfast.

“Up so early! Is something wrong Kiyan?” Marisa joked
but made Kiyan almost falter and blurt out his plan.

“No nothing I just wanted to spend some extra time
swimming this morning.” Kiyan had to invent an excuse in a
hurry.

“Hmm it wouldn't be to go and try bending in secret
now would it?” James inferred as he entered the room. “Off with
you, you rascal and keep Ray with you, wouldn't want you to drown.”
Kiyan took that as an opportunity to escape.

“Remember when you were that young and excited
James?” Marisa gave her husband a hug and rested her chin on his
shoulder.

“Ha, I don’t know what are you talking about, I have
been that young and excited for nearly seventy years now.” James
quipped with a mischievous smirk.

“Honestly if I didn’t know Kiyan wasn’t related to
you...” Kendra sighed and released her husband. “You are just as
bad as he is.”

Kiyan meanwhile had made it nearly to the lake when
Ray showed up. Sliding into the water he created a ripple and let
its own energy carry it across the lake as he felt for Addy.
Finding her in the middle of the lake swimming slowly across he
reached out with his energy and pulled the water around her. He
started slowly moving her to his side of the lake. When she was in
range Kiyan felt Ray connect with her and begin transferring
information about humans. Kiyan hoped that the by warning her about
human weaknesses Addy could avoid the near disaster of last time.
The feral mind that Kiyan felt through Ray seemed to understand
what he meant as Addy shifted into her humanoid form and left the
lake. She melted into the woods and was gone a minute later.

Kiyan felt better as he went to the normal swimming
spot and was soon joined by Jeremy and Fred for the morning. It
wasn't long before both Kiyan and Jeremy were both making drops of
water float in the air around them. Kiyan knew he could do more but
didn't want to betray his hidden abilities. Jeremy soon got bored
with making drops of water defy gravity and the boys walked out of
the water.

The boys began following the path that left the lake.
Kiyan was relieved when he sensed Addy waiting in a stand of trees
that bordered the trail. She walked into sight and the boys stopped
in their tracks. Kiyan turned and looked at Fred noticing that the
bonding had already begun. A look of astonishment soon filled
Fred's face as Addy made her choice known to him. She approached
and paused for a moment before Fred nodded his head in acceptance.
Reaching out and supporting him with her vines before he collapsed
she took care not to let him down to hard.

Carlisle rounded the corner just in time to see Addy
initiate the bonding process. Something was definitely different,
he had dreamed about this the night before but the events were in
the water not here in the forest. Recognizing the creature as a
dryad he moved the boys back to give Fred room. Sending Jeremy for
Fred's parents he turned to Kiyan with a look that Kiyan knew could
only mean one thing.

“Why are you hiding from everyone Kiyan?” Carlisle
asked impatiently. “I know you are a telepath, a skilled one at
that, I saw this happening in a dream but it happened in the lake.
How did you change it?”

“Please don't tell anyone, I don't want them to look
at me like that. I saw it and I couldn’t stand it, they were afraid
of me and they looked at me like I was someone else.” Kiyan blurted
as he felt his plans crashing down around him.

“Don't worry I won't tell anyone but what do you mean
you saw it.” Carlisle saw the conflict on Kiyan’s face. It reminded
him of when he had first discovered his abilities.

“I was in the future three days then I woke up
yesterday.” Kiyan wasn't willing to admit more. More about any of
the other things that had happened like being a descendant of an
ascended. The dreams that had been bothering him. Or about what the
future had been like.

Three days, in detail,
Carlisle thought,
I
rarely have visions with that level of clarity.
Kiyan was
indeed special but he could understand what he feared. The burden
that Kiyan would have been forced to carry was something Carlisle
wouldn't force on any one. “
Your secret it safe with me.
”
Carlisle sent the message to Kiyan who seemed to calm down. Hearing
people approach he turned in time to see Fred's mother arrive in
the clearing.

“A kayloo? I have never seen one like this before.”
Fred's mother said as she grasped Fred's hand. “I'm here now Freddy
there isn't anything to be afraid of.”

“It is a dryad, they are usually pretty reclusive
until they decide to bond.” Carlisle relayed the information Kiyan
offered him telepathically.

Fred began to wake up again and Addy released him
from her vines. Kiyan could sense the Addy he remembered. Addy must
have notice all the people around her because she suddenly began
emanating waves of nervousness. Fred sensed this also and whispered
something in his mother's ear. Smiling she looked at her husband
and said something in his ear. Kiyan smiled to himself as he turned
to go toward home.

“Kiyan! Wait up.” Fred seemed insistent. “Addy is
nervous being around so many people so mom and dad are going to let
me go on a camping trip to finish bonding and I was wondering if
you and Jeremy could come. It would be a lot of fun wouldn't it
be?”

“Let me go ask mom and dad” Kiyan replied.

“OK I'll go ask Jeremy then.” Fred was off in a
run.

“Before he could open his mouth when he returned
home, Marisa started speaking. “Of course you can go, I'm happy for
you and Fred. Fred's dad was already here and he asked if we would
let you go with Fred.”

“Awesome, let me get my camping stuff.” Kiyan
responded enthusiastically.

“Oh I almost forgot, there is a bender in town, he
came by while you were swimming and asked if he could train the
three of you boys instead of you having to go to the academy. I
think his name was Corban or something like that.”

As Kiyan grabbed his pack he thought about what
Marisa had said. Corban, strange that he should show up when he
hadn't last time. Well come to think of it not having to go to the
academy wasn't a bad thing but the deviation bothered Kiyan. This
was an aberration that had never occurred to him as a result of his
actions. If this could change what else would?

-----------

As Corban ate breakfast he reviewed the last few
hours of his life. Only a few hours ago he'd been preparing to
teach a class at the academy. As a protégé bender he had been
offered the teaching position some time ago. Teaching had allowed
him to learn of the other two schools of bending from the other
instructors. It was possible for him to manipulate both earth and
water on a basic level. Nothing more than causing a pebble to
levitate or a few ripples. He didn't like anyone knowing because it
was commonly thought that only ascended could do that. He had been
feeling bored with the academy after the first few years. Teaching
the same thing day after day, few were the pupils that could even
approach his level of bending. There had been no challenge in life
and for a near immortal with a sense of adventure and no challenge,
life was not satisfying.

Last night he had been approached by Kendra, the
leader of the ascended and offered the position of tutoring a boy.
He was to be discreet about the boy and train his two friends as
well.
A change might be interesting
, he thought, besides an
ascended wouldn't make him train someone without some sort of
talent.

There was much to do in preparation, he had already
visited the parents of Kiyan, next he needed to find some place to
stay and a place to bend that was out of the way. His train of
thought was interrupted when he saw one of the boys hurry past
where he was sitting.

Catching up to Jeremy, Corban introduced himself and
matched the boy's pace. “Looks like you are planning on going
camping by the looks of that pack.” Corban observed.

“Ya, Fred just bonded and Addy is nervous about being
around so many people so we are going over the ridge to the glow
woods.” Jeremy explained without paying much attention to the
stranger that had struck up the conversation.

Corban was about to ask if he might be able to join
them when he saw Fred walk around the corner with Addy. Corban
stopped short,
a dryad
, he mumbled to himself, Kendra hadn't
told him about that. He had only seen one other dryad before in his
life. They were said to only bond with the most powerful benders.
Perhaps this would be even more interesting than he had originally
thought.

He watched as Addy shifted into a large creature and
bore Fred off at a rapid pace into the forest. Seeing Kiyan talking
to Jeremy about something with Kiyan's kayloo beside them he
decided to go and ask if he could join them on their adventure. It
might be a good chance to get to know his future students. To his
surprise Ray suddenly shifted into a winged creature, lifted the
boys onto his back and leapt into the air. This was indeed going to
be interesting. Corban wouldn't miss out on this adventure.

Bending the air around him Corban lifted off the
ground. Hearing a startled cry nearby, he turned and waved to a
woman who had dropped her load. A small village like Loomis
probably didn’t see many airbenders capable of flight.

----------

Kiyan reveled in the wind in his hair as Ray sailed
over the land. Letting his mind wander he sensed a stranger
approaching quickly. Looking over his shoulder he saw the stranger
flying through air and gaining on them. Ray must have sensed
Kiyan's misgivings because he gave a burst of speed. No matter how
fast Ray flew the stranger kept gaining. A flicker of fear and
Prometheus appeared in Kiyan's mind’s eye.

“
Don't worry, I think he is this Corban that we
heard about. I'm pretty sure Kendra had something to do with him
being here.”
Prometheus offered an explanation. Kiyan had to be
sure. He reached out with his mind and sent the question to
Kendra.

“
Kiyan, if he had been a threat I would have
turned him to ashes before you saw him. You can trust him.”
Kiyan was about to close the connection when he felt Kendra
hesitate.
“Kiyan, Is there someone else there with you?”

Prometheus' voice echoed through Kiyan’s Contact with
Kendra. “
Kiyan is only on guard because of some minor
alterations to the timeline
.”

Kiyan felt the air around him shimmer as waves of
confusion emanated from Kendra's energy. The feeling of reality
being supplanted by the mind flooded Kiyan. Finding himself in the
library in his mind he wondered what was happening. Prometheus
appeared only a moment before Kendra flashed into view. Kendra was
in a form that Kiyan had never seen her in. She was a humanoid form
that glowed with pure light. Her features were clearly defined and
her eyes sparked with lightning. She was even more beautiful in
this form than Kiyan even knew possible.

“Theo, you were dead! How long have you been in this
universe without telling me?” Kendra thundered ominously. Kiyan
wasn't afraid of her but incredibly he sensed a twinge of fear from
Prometheus. And what was this about an ascended being dead?

“Kendra dear, I had to wait for Kiyan to awaken
before I could escape the dark universe. I only managed to find him
yesterday. It takes time to transfer one’s self through the
dimensions. I'm sorry you thought I was dead. I promised you I
would return. I told you that I would come back to you someday.”
Prometheus seemed to be trying to calm Kendra.

Kiyan was puzzled over a few things, an ascended
being dead? A dark universe? He had saved Prometheus? If Prometheus
or Theo as Kendra was calling him was his father and he and Kendra
were in love as it appeared then Kendra must be....... Kiyan was
rocked to his core. He was the child of two ascendants, the most
powerful ones in the known worlds. Things began to make sense now.
His powers, why Kendra cared for him like she did, how he had been
able to do the impossible and reverse time. Sucking in his breath
he forced himself back into reality. Upon leaving the library of
ages, he could no longer sense Kendra or Theo.