Element Wielder (The Void Wielder Trilogy Book 1) (3 page)

Chapter 4

“The traitor is dead!” said the messenger. “Our royal fire wielders tracked the coward and cornered him in the Krastic cave.” He stopped to catch his breath. “Albert Hyatt refused to surrender. Our fire wielders were left with little choice but to scorch the cave with black fire. Only his charred bones remained.”

“Death to the traitor!” came the cries from the crowd.

“Good riddance!”

“Yes!”

“There he is, the brother of that filth!” yelled a long, stretched-out man who looked more like a toothpick with two eyes. More people from the crowd spotted him. Falcon backed off, afraid of the angry expressions on their faces.

“He knew where his brother was hiding but refused to divulge his whereabouts,” said a voice from the crowd. Falcon turned and saw the voice belonged to the same guard who’d visited him earlier. More voices joined in.

“He’s a traitor, like his brother.”

“He was in on it. He must be punished.”

“I always knew those two were up to no good.”

Tears poured down Falcon’s face.

A large piece of bread thrown by the toothpick man hit Falcon square in the chest. A short, stubby woman plucked a large tomato from her basket and flung it at Falcon. The tomato found its intended target, bursting into pieces on his forehead. Seconds later an apple, thrown by the ape-kid, slammed into his right cheekbone. More and more people joined in, throwing whatever they could get their hands on. Fruits, rocks, dirt, sandals, vegetables, it all became fair game.

Falcon ran as fast as he could. He didn’t know where he was headed. He just knew needed to get away from those hateful people.

He sprinted through the city and into the green prairies of Ladria. Up and down he went through the uneven terrain. Thunder cracked above him, and lightning flashed in the distant horizon. He got a quick glance of the thick-branched trees of Wingdor Forest.

“We’re going to get you!” yelled Laars. Falcon’s energy was all but depleted. Yet, he closed his eyes and put all his efforts on this last stretch. His chest ached. The smell of wet grass, the same smell that brought back memories of his training sessions with his brother, infused him with energy.  

When he opened his eyes again, he was about a foot away from a dead tree branch sprawled across the ground. He jumped over it and entered the dreaded Wingdor Forest. Every child had heard stories from merchants and traveling warriors of the horrendous things they’d seen in the forest once the sun went down. He doubted his pursuers would continue their chase now.

Falcon slowed and dared a glance back. To his terror he saw that Laars and his gang were still giving chase.

Once again Falcon quickened his pace. Deeper and deeper he went into the cryptic forest. The rotten smell of animal carcasses permeated the air. Owls hooted at a distance. The piercing red eyes of wild beasts stared at him through the darkness. They were everywhere. Their unrelenting gaze followed him regardless of how far he ran.

His body gave in to exhaustion as he stumbled into a thick tree. Tears wet his cheeks and blended with the cold raindrops. Footsteps closed in, sending a shiver down his spine. A second later, his pursuers burst through a pile of dead tree branches. A smirk covered Laars’ oversized head. The gang, though, did not seem to share in his decisiveness.

Delita twitched and rubbed his bald head. His half-closed eyes darted back and forth between Laars and his surroundings.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be here,” said one of the gang members. His voice trembled.

“Yes, we should leave,” added Delita.

“Really? Again? I’m the leader here, and I say no one is going anywhere until we take care of business.”

A loud howl pierced the air. A creature’s heavy footsteps marched toward them. The howl turned into a low growl that steadily grew louder.

“Or perhaps we should let the forest take care of the traitorous bloke,” blubbered Lao under his breath, as he slunk away. The remaining boys didn’t hesitate to follow his lead. There was a sharp crack, like the sound of branches breaking. Falcon looked toward the noise. Left, right, above. With his dulled senses he couldn’t tell from where the sound originated. Trees swirled around him, and the grass twirled under his feet. Unable to handle the sensation, his body crashed.

He didn’t try to get up. Why bother? He didn’t have enough energy to escape even if he wanted to. Instead he took one last look at the revolving stars.

A shadow moved in front of him. He tried to make out the creature. To his surprise the animal resembled a man more than any beast he had ever seen. He noticed a scar that ran through the left eye before he lost consciousness.

Chapter 5

The smell of musk filled his nostrils. Falcon opened his eyes. Dozens of blurred silhouettes surrounded him. A blink later the green blur became a thin curtain that hung on the wall, and a bright blob above him revealed itself to be nothing more than a paper lantern. It dangled back and forth, threatening to fall on him at any moment.

Where am I?

He ran his hands over the object under him. They touched something soft, like feathers.
A bed?

Hushed whispers from men in the adjacent room interrupted his thoughts. One of the voices sounded hoarse and rough—it reminded Falcon of a wild lion’s growl. The other was relaxed and soothing, like his brother’s voice. He strained to hear what they said, but couldn’t make out their muffled words. A husky man came into the room with a bowl in hand. Water and herbs spilled from the bowl, the man did not seem to care.

“Who are you? Where am I…?” Even the simple act of speaking proved daunting. His head pounded from the inside. The pain forced his eyes shut once more and his mind wandered back to a deep sleep….

~ ~ ~

Falcon’s eyes opened. The same gloom-infested room welcomed him back. Some of his sight on his right eye had returned, but his left eye’s vision remained a blur. That’s when he saw him, his brother staring back at him. His right hand rested on his cheek. It was the way he always looked when he was worried.

He could hardly believe it. It was really him. Albert was alive!

A blink later his brother disappeared. He frantically looked around, but saw nothing.

“How do you feel?” asked the muscular man, walking into the room. The man had a large scar that ran through his left eyelid from the top of his head to the bottom. The eye was whiter than winter snow. He wore a simple brown
gi
, and a black cloth belt was wrapped around his waist. His arms, legs, and neck were large and muscular, lined with thick veins.

Falcon craned his neck around the room. “W-w-where’s the other person who was here?”

The man lifted an eyebrow. “Other person? There is no one here but you and me.”

“I was certain there was someone here.” The man looked at him with a face of pity that made Falcon realize how crazy he must have sounded. “Sorry. I guess I’m imagining things.” 

“This will help,” said the man. “Here, drink up.” He handed him a small wooden cup.

Falcon smelled the drink and his nose wrinkled. “What in the world is that? It smells like some unholy combination of rotten fish and putrid gasses.”

“Hardly.” Falcon realized the man’s voice was the same deep growl he’d heard earlier.  

He took the mug in his hand and dared a peek inside. An unnatural, thick green substance bubbled to the top. Ever so carefully, he brought the cup to his mouth and took a sip. He gagged and his eyes watered as he forced the remedy down his throat. It took every ounce of his strength to not spit it out. It tasted even worse than it smelled.

“I’m sorry you had to drink that. Krastic tea isn’t the best tasting, but there is no better healing remedy anywhere in Va’siel. It is also quite potent. It will put you straight to sleep before you can even….”

~ ~ ~

“So you are finally up,” said the man. “You have been in bed for the last three days, but it appears you are doing much better now.”

Falcon did feel better. His weakness had all but disappeared. His eyesight, too, had returned to normal. He now got a better look at the man who had rescued him. He was large, about seven feet tall. A long white braid of hair ran down to his lower back. A single prayer bead adorned the bottom of his braid.

“Thanks for everything,” said Falcon. He sat up slowly. He still wasn’t sure how much he’d recovered. “I would have died without you.”

“Don’t mention it. I am always willing to help someone in need.”

“You wouldn’t have bothered if you knew who I was. Helping me is going to make you beyond unpopular with the people around here.”

The man chuckled. “Young man, I know exactly who you are. You are the brother of Albert Hyatt.”

Falcon lip’s parted. “Why did you save me, then? Don’t you know what happened?”

The man ran his hand through his mustache. “What people say about Albert is not true. And even if it were, it wouldn’t matter. Each person is responsible for their own destiny. You should not carry your brother’s burden, nor anyone else’s.

Falcon decided he liked this man. Though he couldn’t help but wonder why he was so sure of Albert’s innocence.

“How do you know my brother is not guilty? It’s not like you knew him.”

“Sure I did. I have trained countless warriors throughout my life, but never did I train one who compared to your brother.”

Falcon’s mouth hung open. “What? That can’t be. Albert trained at the academy.”

“It is true that he trained at the royal academy, but who do you think trained him to be good enough to be accepted in the first place?”

Falcon remained speechless.
How had I not known this?

The man continued, “To be fair, Albert was already gifted when he came to me. He was a prodigy, but even a blind man could see he had received good training from an early age.”

“My father—” Falcon caught his breath, the sudden turn of events was too much to take in at once. “My father trained him since he was two years old.” He went back to the question roiling in his head. “But, I don’t get it. He never mentioned you. Not once.”

“Albert was an honorable warrior, one who was bound by the code of chivalry. I asked him not to mention to anyone that he was receiving training with me. If word got out, it could have ruined his hopes of being accepted into the royal academy. He was simply keeping a promise to an old man.”

“Why would training with you ruin his chances at the academy?” Falcon asked, frustrated by his inability to arrive at a clear answer.

“Because like you, young Mister Hyatt, I am not much liked by the people of Ladria. Why do you think I live deep in the forest away from their prying eyes?”

Falcon shot him a puzzled look. “Who are you?”

The man got up and extended his hand. “I’m sorry. Where are my manners? I have yet to introduce myself. I am K’ran Ryker, former Grand General of the United Armies of Ladria.

CHAPTER 6

Falcon stared at the ceiling. The paper lantern’s light was beginning to fade. The strong smell of burnt wax made it obvious the candle was about to die out, just in time for sunlight to filter through the thin curtains.

The door opened and K’ran barged in. In his hand he carried a mug of that awful remedy Falcon had been forced to drink for the past four days.

“Oh, please, no more,” he whined. “I feel much better now. I promise.”

“You’re well enough to plow fields?”

Falcon jumped. “Yes.” Perhaps K’ran wasn’t serious, but Falcon was. Anything was better than lying in bed. With nothing to do, his body begged for activity.

K’ran handed him the mug of Krastic tea. “Good, then. Finish this and we’ll be on our way.”

The prospect of going outdoors energized Falcon. He took a deep breath and drank the atrocity in one gulp. There was a disquieting after-taste in his mouth, but he ignored it. “I’m ready.”

K’ran walked outside the cabin without saying a word. Falcon followed.

“Bring two shovels and two hoes,” said K’ran, pointing to the end of the garden.

Falcon did as instructed. The hoes had a pointed sharp end. He had never seen any hoe like that. He inspected them with curiosity until K’ran interrupted his thoughts.

“Let’s go. We’ve got quite a distance ahead of us.” Falcon put the tools over his shoulder and raced out of the gate. At first they headed down the road, but then K’ran deviated from it and went right into the forest. Once he saw K’ran wasn’t going to volunteer the information, he asked the question that was burning in his mouth.

“Have you heard anything about Albert?”

K’ran stopped. He answered without turning to face him. “I don’t go much to the city anymore, but I do have connections. I’m afraid the official report is correct. Albert is dead.”

Falcon also stopped moving. “Do you think he’s dead?”

This time K’ran turned to him. Sadness filled his eyes. “I’m afraid I do. No one could have survived an attack like the launched against Albert. Black fire is a lethal ability.”

Falcon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “My brother can survive such an attack, and he has. You’ll see. He’ll come back.”

“Believe what you will, but know that living in denial is no way to live. Sooner or later the truth comes back to haunt you.” K’ran looked up at the sky, lost in thought. Falcon was sure he was no longer talking about Albert.

K’ran snapped back to the present. He shook his head as if doing so would disperse the memories. “Let’s keep moving.”

The rest of the trek was a silent one. They passed countless trees, bushes, and animals. Nothing dangerous. Just squirrels, Lits, and a few monkeys who hung from tree branches by their tails.

“We’re here!” exclaimed K’ran as they arrived at a large opening in the middle of the forest. A dozen small plowed fields were scattered about the clearing. Some of the fields had plants growing in rows. Others were empty.

“You cleared all this by yourself?” he said, impressed. 

K’ran stretched his giant arms. “Yes. This is where I grow all my food. I would have planted closer to home, but the soil is at its richest here.”

“Why don’t you plant in all the fields at once?”

“Doing so would quickly drain the soil of its nutrients. We must give it time to replenish itself.” K’ran took one of the hoes, trudged over to one of the empty fields and ran the tool over the ground in an upward motion. “See? This is how we soften the soil.”

“Easy enough.” With a smile on his lips, Falcon moved into the field and mimicked K’ran movements.

~ ~ ~

Falcon wiped the sweat from his brow. He’d been working for half a day when K’ran finally told him to stop.

“Why so soon?” complained Falcon. “There’s still more to be done.”

“We can continue tomorrow. We have other things we must attend to.”

He collected the tools and walked beside K’ran as they hiked back to the cabin. “K’ran. You used to be grand general, right?”

“Yes.”

“What happened? You still look strong enough to be fighting. Why aren’t you still in command?”

“Being a leader takes more than being able to fight. You have to be able to protect those you love. If you can’t do that then you are unfit to lead.”

“I don’t understand.”

K’ran went rigid. “It’s of no importance.”

Falcon did not press the issue. It was clear K’ran did not want to talk about whatever had transpired.

“Since we’re asking questions, perhaps I should ask you one,” said K’ran, starting to move again.

“Sure.”

“What element do you wield?”

Falcon held up his hand. The dirt-encrusted gray emblem was attached to his glove like always. “I’m a void wielder, of course. I thought you would have known that by the color of my emblem.”

“Void wielders can only wield weak variants of basic elements,” said K’ran. He stared into Falcon’s eyes.
What is he implying?
“But when I found you, your emblem was black with red lightning ripples running through it. Lightning is an advanced element. So how is it a child void wielder could wield crimson lightning?”

“I didn’t,” he said. He liked K’ran. But he’d just met him. How much could he really trust him? “Maybe my emblem was malfunctioning.”

“I’m no halfwit, Falcon. It’s a well-known fact that when a void user wields a certain element, their emblem will change to the color of the element being used. Red for fire. Blue for water. Purple for mind. Should I go on?”

Falcon sighed. It was obvious he wasn’t going to fool him. “I was attacked. I don’t know how, but somehow I wielded red lightning.”

K’ran stroked his chin. “Interesting, interesting.”

“What’s so interesting?” asked Falcon, unable to hide the hint of nervousness in his voice.

“I’ve never heard or seen such a thing. If you hone your abilities you could become a strong warrior.”

Falcon’s nervousness disappeared. There was nothing more he wanted than to become stronger so he could exact revenge on his parents’ killer.

“I can train you. But what I teach, you must use for the betterment of mankind. Not for bullying, revenge, or to hurt the innocent.”

“I will, I will,” answered Falcon, pumping his fists. The way he saw it Shal-Volcseck murdered thousands of innocent people. Getting rid of him would surely count as helping mankind.

“Relax,” said K’ran.” He snapped two thick branches from a nearby tree. “I sense much energy in you.”

“You’re right. My brother said he had never seen anyone with more wielding energy than me.”

“But it’s unfocused. Unrefined.”

Falcon frowned. “Yes. My brother said that, too.”

“It’s not only great energy I sense inside you. There is also turmoil. It causes you to lose your temper rather quickly. Teaching you could prove dangerous. It might be a mistake.”

Falcon was astounded
. How did this man I have just met know so much about me?
“No, it wouldn’t,” he said, fearful K’ran would not teach him. “You trained my brother, now train me. You say I’m unrefined. You say I have turmoil. Then teach me to control it.” He looked straight into K’ran’s eyes. All his hopes and dreams hinged on this moment. “Please.”

K’ran stroked his chin. He gazed back at him. “I will teach you.”

Falcon leapt into the air. “Thank you! Thank you. I won’t let you down.”

“Don’t thank me just yet,” said K’ran, tripping Falcon with one of the sticks, so that he dropped to the forest ground. “Your training will be arduous and difficult. I will push you in ways you’ve never imagined. As I did with Albert.”

Falcon smiled. “I’m ready. When do we begin?”

K’ran threw one of the sticks at him and took a readied stance. “Immediately.”

Falcon took the stick in his hand and stood. With a large grin on his face, he jumped in for an attack.