Dawn of Man (Thanos Book 1) (25 page)

When the first sun reached the horizon, Ahnon stopped them for the day. Jedek moved out and gathered firewood, and Ahnon showed them how to use the flint on damp wood. Before the last light of day left, Kenna filled the water flask, and Ahnon set up the shield around the camp. Seeing the air shimmer, Kenna walked over and pushed her hand through, smiling. She was part of them.

Chapter 19

It was the third morning of travel when Kenna sat up, feeling someone kick her foot. Looking up, she saw Ahnon looking down at her, grinning. “Time for morning exercises,” he said. She gave him a weak smile and stretched her arms over her head as Ahnon cut up some of the deer he had shot the day before. She saw Jedek standing up, stretching before the exercises, so she joined him.

Minos rolled over and cracked his eyes, seeing the kids up, but he knew what they were going to do, so he went back to sleep. The two went over the exercises Ahnon had taught them for the next hour while Ahnon fixed breakfast.

An hour later, the two dropped down beside the fire, drenched in sweat. Ahnon handed over plates and a water skin. Neither one used the knife or fork. Instead, they grabbed the food and shoved it in their mouths.

“Don’t choke, please,” Ahnon said, chuckling.

Jedek paused in his shoving and looked at his sho-ka. “Ahnon, I didn’t know you still did exercises,” he said and commenced shoving again.

“Yes, sire. Every morning, a hundred of each,” Ahnon said, leaning back, eating.

Kenna stared at him. “A hundred of each of the twenty exercises we do?” she asked, and Ahnon nodded. “That’s what we have to work up to?” she asked.

“Kenna, those are just warming exercises. We haven’t got to the training exercises,” Ahnon said.

She lowered her plate to her lap. She had thought they were doing pretty well until she heard that. “When will I be able to do magic?” she asked.

Ahnon shook his head, smiling. “Kenna, you have only been trying for two days. I’ve seen people take up to a year before figuring out the connection. It’s like making your ears wiggle; you just have to find that certain muscle.”

“It only took Jedek one day,” she said, disheartened. “No one in my family has done magic since my great-great grandfather, and from what I’ve heard, he wasn’t that good.”

“Doesn’t matter. I know you can. I can feel it in you.”

Jedek looked at him with a weird look. “You can feel it in people?” he asked.

“Yes, sire, and you can too,” Ahnon said. Before Jedek could say anything, Ahnon continued. “Jedek, when you are around others and you get that funny little feeling that that person is special, that means they have the ability. When you get the tingling on your skin, you know they have used magic.”

Shock hit Jedek’s face, “Wow, I thought that was just a sour stomach,” he admitted, making Ahnon laugh. Ahnon stood and cleaned his plate off then started packing up. When Ahnon grabbed his bow, Jedek asked, “Ahnon, why don’t you ever let the bow down? All the archers at the castle said you had to.”

Ahnon held up the bow. “This bow is made of yew ash and a dragon rib fused to the riser. The string is troll hair, and I’ve told you how tough that is. The elves designed this bow thousands of years ago, and I’ve seen one that was two thousand years old. It has never been let down, and believe it or not, the elves tell me the bow is harder to pull now than when it was made.”

“How far can you shoot it?” Jedek asked.

“I’ve hit a man before at two hundred and eight paces. As far as straw targets, I’ve hit them at three hundred.”

“Will we get to the village today?” Kenna asked.

“We’re already there,” Ahnon answered.

Kenna jumped up. “What?” she almost shouted.

Ahnon pointed off to the left. “Kenna, it’s barely a mile away. There’s a farmstead half that distance from us.”

“How are we supposed to act when we get there?” Kenna asked.

“Oh, that’s easy,” Ahnon said. “You two aren’t going with me. You will sit right here inside this shield till I get back. You will not leave it for any reason.”

She dropped down. “Yes sir,” she said.

Ahnon smiled at her. “Don’t worry; you will get to see villages later, Kenna. I’m going to try and fix it this trip. People would remember a man coming in with two kids,” Ahnon said, and she nodded in agreement.

Ahnon gathered his stuff and left them as the second sun rose over the horizon. When he was gone, Jedek looked at Kenna. “Kenna, it’s just a village,” he said.

“I’ve never seen one,” she said, taking him by surprise. “The only other city I’ve got to see is Velham,” she said then jerked up. “Oh, I did get to see Jaclom as we flew over, but that doesn’t count.”

Jedek patted her hand. “Don’t worry; you will,” he assured her. “Kenna, don’t you think it’s weird that Ahnon answers questions we have in our mind?”

“No,” she said, looking at him. Jedek gawked at her. “Jedek, we wear his amulet,” she said as if that made sense. Seeing him not make the connection, she continued, “It lets him know when we are scared or in danger. If you concentrate hard on your amulet, you can do the same.”

“Wow, I just thought he was really smart and could read my mind,” Jedek admitted.

Kenna fell over, laughing. “He is really smart,” she said. When she finished laughing, she sat back up and held his hand. “That’s what I’m worried about, Jedek,” Kenna said. “Ever since Ahnon put this amulet on me, I can feel your anger.”

“Kenna, they killed everyone,” he moaned, fighting the tears.

“I know, Jedek, but you have to control it. I can feel the anger, and at times, I have to tell you, it’s hard to think. We will get them; I promise you. That’s one reason I wanted to stay close to Ahnon. I don’t want him running off and starting a slaughter,” she mumbled.

“How do you know this?” Jedek asked.

“You know Michi was teaching Karme?” she asked, and Jedek nodded. “Michi told her what the Grand Mage of Nazar told him about the amulet, and she told me. Michi doesn’t have one, so he asked. Haven’t you ever wondered why a sho-ka’s amulet is under the skin?”

“It’s part of the infusion.”

Kenna shook her head. “No, it’s so our thoughts and fears are put before theirs,” she said. Jedek broke out in a cold sweat. “Don’t, Jedek; he can feel it,” she said with an alarmed voice, and he started taking deep breaths, calming himself down.

“What do you mean running off?” Jedek asked.

“The day we left the coast and I saw that ship, just mentioning it might be Multar. The anger you let flow out, I thought Ahnon was fixing to blow it up,” she said. “Please, Jedek, keep control of it. He is going to teach us and will come with us to set the scales straight again.”

Jedek nodded at her, giving a weak smile. “Kenna, they gave up so much for us,” he mumbled.

“I know, Jedek,” she said, thinking about Karme still fighting as she drew her last breath.

“More than that, Kenna,” Jedek said, making her jerk her head toward him. “What you told me… They will give their life, but they already have before they even put the amulet on us. They never got to have fun just to have fun. Now, I find out my fears and thoughts come before his own. That’s not right.”

“That’s the way it’s always been,” Kenna said.

“Kenna, did Karme ever say she wanted to be a sho-ka?” Jedek asked.

Kenna thought for a minute. “Well, kind of. She wanted to make her father proud of her. After she fought in the garden, her father had a statue of her put up in the house,” Kenna said.

Jedek nodded. “Get your components, and start on your light spell,” Jedek said, still thinking. Kenna let out a sigh, pulling out the folded packet. “Remember to view the light away from you when you say the words,” Jedek reminded her, bringing his mind to the here and now.

For two hours, he watched Kenna recite the spell, and nothing happened. Jedek could feel the anger building in her and kept telling her to be calm. “That is determination,” he heard behind them. Turning around, he saw Ahnon standing inside the shield.

“How on Thanos did you do that? I never heard you, and Minos never moved,” Jedek said.

Ahnon shook his head. “If I can’t sneak up on two young adults and a stupid dog, we’re in serious trouble.”

“Okay, you got me there.” Jedek nodded then saw a mule outside the shield loaded down with supplies. “Only a mule?” he asked.

“Hey, beggars can’t be choosers. It’s all that was in the village,” Ahnon said. “We at least have more supplies now. I was getting tired of wild potatoes.” Bending down, Ahnon turned the shield off as Kenna let out a shriek, making him drop to his knee and pull out a throwing knife. Spinning around, he looked for the attacker and saw Kenna staring at the small packet.

Blowing out a lungful of air, Ahnon collapsed on his back. “Kenna, if I didn’t love you, right now, I would bend you over my knee and wear your bottom out,” he said, gasping for air.

Kenna looked over at him and blushed. “I’m sorry, Ahnon. I just got mad,” she said.

Ahnon sat up, taking off his hat, mask, and glasses. “Kenna, come here,” he said, crossing his legs. Slowly, Kenna got up, thinking a spanking was coming. “Kenna, you know better than that,” Ahnon snapped at her. “Sit.” He patted his lap. Kenna sat down, her back to his chest.

“Clear your mind,” Ahnon said, and she forced her mind to clear. “Now, picture the ball of light two feet over your hand.” Kenna closed her eyes and did what he told her. “You’re doubting yourself, Kenna. I know you can do it, so you have no reason to doubt unless you know more than me,” Ahnon said as he closed his eyes and reached around to touch her amulet.

Jedek watched, spellbound, and when Ahnon touched the amulet, he felt his get hot. Reaching up, he grabbed it and could see inside of Kenna’s mind as the last doubt left her mind. Then he heard Ahnon in his mind.

“Kenna, say the words, and know it will happen.”

Opening her eyes, Kenna spoke. “Mollis tepidus lux lucis.” The packet disappeared in her hand, and a small ball of light formed over it. Kenna dropped her hand to her lap. “I did it,” she moaned feeling drained.

Jedek could feel the joy she felt, like he was inside her mind, till Ahnon took his hand off her amulet, and the door slammed shut. He could still feel she was happy but not from inside her mind as he let go of his amulet, smiling at her accomplishment. Ahnon grabbed her and picked her up so she could stand. Letting her go, she wobbled for a second then found her footing as the lightheadedness left.

“See, you just had too much doubt,” Ahnon said, getting up.

Jedek looked at him. “Could you have done the same thing for me?” he asked.

“Yes, but it is a bit intrusive.”

Jumping to his feet, Jedek yelled, “My mother washed my mouth out with soap for all the words I said before getting the spell right!”

“Sire, I told you several times you shouldn’t have yelled out those words,” Ahnon pointed out. “That’s why I didn’t want you around those other kids. The language you picked up was ghastly.”

Jedek smiled. “I guess that was a lesson learned then,” he said. “I should’ve listened to you.”

“I guess so, sire,” Ahnon said and looked down at Kenna, who was just staring at her ball of light. “Sire, I’m sorry I did that,” he said.

“Hmm,” she said, smiling at her light and dropping her head on his chest.

“Entered your mind,” Ahnon continued.

“Oh, it’s okay, Ahnon,” she said in a dreamy voice, never looking away from the light.

Shaking his head, Ahnon said, “No, it’s not
okay,
sire, but you scared a hundred years out of me with that scream.”

“I’m sorry, Ahnon,” Kenna said, still smiling at the ball of light. “Did you see my light spell?”

Ahnon picked her up. “Yes, I did, sire. I have to admit it was better than any of mine,” he said and hugged her. “I’m proud of you.”

She wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you, Ahnon,” she cried with joy.

Ahnon put her down, and Jedek walked over. “Kenna, it’s better than my first light spell by far.” Kenna gave him a hug and kissed his cheek then looked at her ball of light.

“Now, make it go away and make another one,” Ahnon said.

“Go away!” Kenna gasped. Seeing the look on his face, Kenna pouted and waved her hand. “Consistio,” she said, and the ball disappeared. She reached in her pocket and pulled out another pouch. “Mollis tepidus lux lucis,” she said with determination, and another ball of light popped up above her hand. Kenna smiled and dropped to her bottom.

The world wavered in her vision, “Wow, what a rush,” she said.

“Jedek, get her some water,” Ahnon said, walking back to the mule. As Jedek was helping Kenna drink, Ahnon returned with a bundle of clothes under each arm. Dropping the bundles, he said, “Put these on,” and started packing what was still out.

When the mule was loaded, he looked at the kids, who were swallowed by the clothes. Raising both hands and pointing his palms at them, two puffs of smoke shot out and surrounded them. When the smoke was gone, they were dressed like small versions of Ahnon. The only difference was their outfits were deep black. “It’s kind of hard breathing through this mask,” Jedek said with a muffled voice.