Element Wielder (The Void Wielder Trilogy Book 1) (7 page)

Chapter 13

The only way across appeared to be a neglected wooden bridge held up by two thin ropes. The bridge rocked dangerously as the wind beat against it. Many of its wood stepping panels were gone, creating large holes in its construction.

Some of the students exchanged nervous glances. Others shuffled back and forth, scanning the horizon for an alternate way across.

“We need an earth wielder to create a stable bridge,” said a male student. “It’s the only way we’re getting across.”

“No,” Falcon said. “The professor said no wielding.”

Elvira rolled her eyes. “Earth wielding is the only way. I’m not walking on that bridge. Look how it’s dangling!”

“No,” said Aya. “This obstacle is meant to test our teamwork and resourcefulness. We have to find a way across without breaking the rules.”

Drusilla glared at Aya with bloodshot eyes. “Listen, Aya, if you want to get yourself—”

Falcon brought up his hand. “Enough arguing. I will test the bridge.”

There was a collection of gasps.

Chonsey looked down the cliff to the river raging below. “Are you sure, mate? That bridge doesn’t look like it could support you.”

Falcon shrugged. “No, I’m not sure, but I will not allow fear to stop me.”

All eyes fell on him as he stepped up to the old bridge. He took in a deep breath and placed his trembling left foot on the first rung.

Nothing.

Hiromy bit her nails. “Be careful!”

Falcon nodded and put his other foot on the bridge. It held, but that didn’t stop his heartbeat from thumping in his ears. He allowed himself a second to catch his breath before moving at a brisk pace. Before crossing, he had judged the bridge to be thirty feet in length, but now that he was on it, it felt much longer. The squeaking planks didn’t help either, serving to slow him to a crawl. But despite its appearance, the bridge held. As soon as he stepped back on land he swallowed, relieving his dry mouth. He signaled for everyone else to join him.

One by one they crossed until a single student remained at the other side of the cliff: Aya.

“What’s taking her so long?” asked Lao. “Don’t tell me she’s afraid of heights.”

Falcon refrained from answering. He saw no use in confirming what was obvious to everyone. He wiped the sweat off his forehead as Aya stepped across the bridge. He didn’t recall being this nervous when he or the other students tested the bridge. But seeing her cross as the air rocked the bridge made his heart thump in his chest. He wanted to run to her. Putting too much weight on the bridge could cause it to collapse, though. Aya clung to both sides of the bridge with fierce determination. She moved at a slow pace, but at least she was making progress. As she made it halfway across the bridge a strong gust of wind shot through the air. The entire bridge shook. Planks of wood fell off and crashed into the river rocks below. Parts of the rope ripped. The bridge dropped about two feet, but held.

Falcon’s world stopped. The bridge was holding, but who knew for how much longer? One more gust of wind could spell disaster.

Aya remained frozen in the middle.

“C’mon, Aya,” cheered Falcon. “You can do it.” With trembling hands she looked up. Her blue eyes met his. “Just a little bit more.”

To Falcon’s surprise, some of the students joined in with encouragement.

“Let’s go,” said Sheridan. “You’re not going to let a bridge that’s older than Grandmaster Zoen stop you, are you?”

“Halfway there. Just a little bit more,” affirmed Victoria Grimmie, a skinny girl who Falcon had seen speaking to Aya from time to time.

Aya’s body shook with each step, but she moved much quicker than before.

Falcon looked over as a sudden crash echoed from the other side of the cliff. Three large figures burst out from the green shrubbery. They appeared to be faceless black blobs from afar. But after narrowing his eyes he realized it was Laars and his teammates Delita, Drusilla and Putin. Their clothes were ragged and scratches marred their faces and arms.
Had they run into a wild animal?
It sure seemed that way. The four of them rushed toward the bridge as soon as their manic eyes fell on it.

“Stop, you idiots,” said Lao. “It’s too much weight. You will destroy it.”

His words fell on deaf ears. Laars and his team stampeded across the bridge.

Aya shrieked as the bridge ripped in half. Both sides of the bridge crashed onto opposite sides of the cliff, releasing a storm of dust. The sound of wooden planks slamming into the water and rocks below drowned out all other noise.

Falcon’s insides twisted when he caught sight of Aya. She had managed to hold on to one side of the bridge. Laars’ gang dangled from the opposite side. Falcon watched in horror as the old rope holding the bridge to the cliff unraveled.

Laars stretched out his hand.

“Stop, Laars, don’t wield!” Lao yelled.

“I’ll earth wield you to safety, added Falcon. “Stay put.”

The light in Laars emblem intensified to a bright brown.

The ground under the student’s feet thundered as it shattered into hundreds of pieces. Then they all plunged to the raging river below.

CHAPTER 14

Everything, from the students falling, to the pieces of earth spiraling down, to him plummeting to his demise, moved in slow motion. Falcon tried to think of a way out, but his mind remained a blurred jumble.

Then he felt it, the same feeling that overtook him years ago when he wielded red lightning. An untamed energy surged through his body. He tried to fight it, but to no avail. The power took hold. It was a weird sensation; he was powerless but all-powerful at the same time.

His vision blurred. His body went limp. He stretched his hand toward Aya’s silhouette, desperate to save her.

Then everything stopped. For a split second all the students hung frozen in place, staring at each other in awe. A moment later they shot up in unison, landing hard on the forest floor.

Falcon fell face up. The sky appeared as a streak of gray blotches. Gradually, different colors appeared around him. A white blotch moved forward and put something directly on Falcon’s nose. An overbearing aroma of salt assaulted his nostrils. He sat straight up.

“What was that?” complained Falcon. The blotches of color turned into students.

“Sorry, buddy. I had to use a salted lotus flower,” said Lao. “You looked really out of it for a minute there. Your eyes were blurred and you were mumbling to yourself.” He tossed the plant away.

“You all right, mate?” asked Chonsey.”

He rubbed his legs and arms, hoping to make some of the pain go away. “Ah…I think so. What happened? How did we get here?”

“That’s just it, mate,” said Chonsey. “We were hoping you would tell us.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well buddy,” said Lao. “We were about to crash into the river when—let me see…how do I put this? We began to glide.”

Falcon narrowed his eyes. “Glide?”

“Yes, it was like—”

“It was space wielding,” interrupted Sheridan. “And it was amazing.” Sheridan was a space wielder; the only one Falcon had ever met (Not surprising, considering it was an advanced element). He had spiky golden hair and a tattoo over his right eye. The tattoo was a word written in a language that Falcon did not understand. His white skin made the tattoo hard to miss. “You suspended gravity. I’ve only been able to do that a few times, and even then I could only hold three people at once. You held over twenty. Quite impressive.”

“How do you know it was space wielding, mate?” asked Chonsey. “It could have been something else.”

Sheridan glared at Chonsey, like he had accused him of the worst crime imaginable. “I’m a space wielder. I think I know space wielding when I see it. Besides, it wasn’t hard to miss. Falcon’s gray void emblem adopted the appearance of a space emblem. For a moment his emblem looked like this.” Sheridan held up his hand, showing off his blue emblem with streaks of shooting stars sweeping through it.

“But he’s a void wielder,” said a male student, still shaken up by his near-death experience. “Void wielders can’t wield advanced elements.”

Falcon smirked. “Well, no one told my body that, I guess. I only wish I could control it.”

Laars stomped his feet. “See, what did I tell you? He’s a bloody freak. No void wielder can do what he does!”

Half of the students nodded in approval.

“Shut up, Laars!” Lao shot back. “You almost got everyone killed. He saved all of our lives, including yours, you ungrateful twit.”

“Listen, bloke, I had everything under control. I didn’t need his help. Besides, don’t try to draw attention away from what is obvious to everyone. Your buddy is a cheat.”

“I’m no cheat.” Falcon’s body tensed as his ears grew warm. “I’ve never cheated and I couldn’t care less if you or anyone else believes me. I have nothing to prove to anyone.”

Falcon and Laars faced each other.

“Guys, stop arguing,” said Aya. “Time is running out.”

With a satisfied sneer, Laars backed off. “I’ve got a race to win. I’ll deal with you blokes later.” Half of the students followed Laars as he strutted away, chest held high.

Falcon tried to hide his displeasure, to conceal the fact that Laars had gotten to him. He wasn’t sure what angered him more, Lao, or the ungrateful students who turned on him even after he saved their lives.

Lao patted his back. “Ignore them, buddy. The only way to show them how wrong they are is by beating them.”

Falcon pushed his anger aside. “Yeah, let’s go. At this pace we’re never going to reach the finish line.”

If they didn’t hurry it would be too late for any of them to finish the course. Falcon had never heard of an entire graduation group failing the jungle exam. Though he suspected they were close to finding out if such a thing was possible.

~ ~ ~

The walk to the campsite was a quiet one. The occasional grunt of a frustrated student cutting through a vine was the only sound that broke the silence.

“Sheesh, what are these vines made of?” said Sheridan, struggling to push the last of the vines out of his way. “Stone?”

“Smell that?” asked Lao. He sounded hopeful.

Sheridan rubbed his hands together. “Smells awfully good. This can only mean that we’re near the finish line.”

Falcon smelled the greasy, delicious roasting meat as well. His mouth watered at the thought of the giant Pichion bird cooking on the campfire. He hadn’t eaten a decent meal all day, which made his thoughts even more vivid. He needed to get some real food in his stomach before he went mad with hunger.

“So what way do we go now?” said Hiromy. She stared directly at Falcon, as if expecting him to come up with a solution. “It’s obvious we are near the campsite. Remember what professor Martyn said? We can’t all win, and since you saved our lives, it’s only fair you and your team cross the finish line first.”

An instant roar of protest rose from the students, but a disapproving glare from Hiromy quickly silenced all complaints. The power she had over people was frightening. Falcon was certain that many of the students would have no problem taking last place if she asked it of them.

“Actually,” said Falcon. “I had a different idea in mind.” He had been contemplating a plan for some time now. But considering his waning popularity with the students, he’d refrained from divulging it. But now, thanks to Hiromy, he held everyone’s attention.

He wasn’t sure if this would work. It might just make everything worse, but he had to do something.

“Listen up, everyone,” said Falcon, hopping atop a large rock so that everyone had a clear view of him. “I have a plan. Now I admit it is something of a gamble, but if it works it will ensure that all of us make it past the jungle section of the exam.”

“What exactly is this plan of yours, mate?” said Chonsey.

“It’s simple, really. Just follow my instructions to the letter.” The students huddled around Falcon as he explained the details. Part of him hoped he wasn’t making a big mistake.

“Everyone understand?” asked Falcon, once he had laid out his plan.

“Yes,” came a chorus of voices.

Satisfied with the response, Falcon and his group followed the smell of the food. Every step served to intensify the delicious aroma, which meant they were headed the right way. In minutes they reached a large open space in the middle of the jungle. It was not a natural clearing. Dozens of decayed tree stubs dotted the area. Yellowed, dry vines that had been chopped in half lay piled in a small mountain. Falcon looked past all that and focused on the finish line that was directly in front of him. It was nothing special, just a line drawn in the sand. Funny how such a simple line could mean so much. On the other side of the finish line, around a warm campfire, sat Laars, Delita, Putin. They celebrated their victory by each devouring a pichion drumstick.

Lao punched a tree. “Look at those idiots. That should have been us.” He leaned forward and whispered in Falcon’s ear, “Did we really have to let all these losers follow us? We would have done great, just the four of us.”

“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine,” said Falcon, trying to convince himself.

“Well, I hope so. I’ll go along with your plan this time, Falcon. But don’t expect me to do it again. The weak perish and the exceptional survive. You, Aya, and I are exceptional. We shouldn’t have to lower our standards for these so-called wielders.”

“The world is not that simple.”

“It can be. It’s all in the way you perceive things.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind, but for now let’s finish this little exam, shall we?”

Lao extended an inviting hand. “Let’s.”

Falcon studied his classmates. They all lined up in a straight line as he had instructed them to do. Then, an inch before crossing the line, they all took a seat.

~ ~ ~

The voices of the professors could be heard in their large tent as they discussed the race. Most of the students gathered and told stories around the campfire. Falcon and Aya lay next to each other looking up at the night stars, which was a hobby of theirs. One they had enjoyed ever since they were children.

Aya patted his back. “Good job today, Falcon. Whatever happens, I’m proud of how you handled the situation.”

Falcon skin reddened. “Ah…thanks.”

“Falcon? Where is Falcon?” said professor Rykas.

“Here I am, Professor,” he said, getting up and wiping the dust off his pants. 

The sword master approached him. “Grandmaster Zoen requests your presence. I suggest you don’t keep him waiting.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“Good luck,” said Aya with a smile.

Falcon ambled over to the dark brown tent at the end the camp. The rectangular tent could easily hold over twenty people and wasn’t hard to miss, especially among the students’ much smaller coned, white tents.

“Grandmaster, may I come in?” asked Falcon.

No answer.

He moved the leather tarp to the side and entered.

“The boy broke the rulez,” Falcon heard a voice argue. “He zhould not be allowed to continue.”

“He demonstrated superior leadership qualities and remained composed in an unusual situation,” countered Zoen. The grandmaster stopped talking as soon as he caught sight of Falcon. “May I ask that we continue this conversation at a later time, Drogan?”

“Of courze, grandmazter. I will take my leave. Good night, zir.” Professor Kraimaster glared at Falcon as he stomped out. To the untrained eye it might have looked like an innocent glance, but Falcon knew better. There was hatred in those eyes.

“Come in, my dear boy. Take a seat,” invited Zoen, motioning to a wooden chair before him. Falcon did as the grandmaster asked. The cushion on the chair was soft, too soft. He felt as if he was sinking into the chair, which didn’t necessarily seem like a bad thing at the moment. He was probably about to be thrown out of Rohad for the stunt he’d pulled.

“Do you know why you’re here?”

“I have an idea.”

The eyes of the grandmaster gleamed with the reflection of candlelight. “You’re here to discuss today’s events. We never had such a large group of students simply give up inches from victory. You put us in quite a bind, Mr. Hyatt.”

“I’m sorry, sir.”

“That’s quite all right. No need to apologize. You united the students in a way I’ve never seen before. In the end everything turned out for the best. Truth be told, with the exception of a few professors, most of us were impressed by the way you handled yourself.” The professor puffed away at his long carved pipe as he spoke, filling the tent with a blend of sweet and woodsy smells. “It’s true that you broke the rules by wielding, but you did not do it for personal gain. Even more impressive, you led not only your team but also most of the other students to victory. For the first time in history every student who attempted the jungle exam has passed. Good job, Mr. Hyatt.”

Falcon allowed himself to breathe. “Thank you, sir. You have no idea what this means to me.”

“Don’t thank me. I did nothing. You accomplished this yourself.”

A surge of excitement rushed through Falcon. He was one step closer to becoming a Rohad mercenary.

~ ~ ~

The good news spread quickly through the camp. They all passed!

Aya was happy for Falcon; he deserved a break, even if it was temporary.

She lay in the meadow, looking up at the stars and taking in the aroma of wet grass. Falcon, Lao, Chonsey and a few other students accompanied her. A dwindling fire, their only source of warmth, was more than enough to keep everyone happy. But Aya knew that it was a fleeting happiness. She could already see it slipping away in Falcon. The excitement that had filled him just moments ago was now almost non-existent. He stared blankly into the sky. He always had that hollow look in his eyes when he thought of his brother or that cold-blooded killer, Shal-Volcseck.

Aya wanted to comfort him but decided against it. Better to leave him to his thoughts. Besides, she needed to concentrate on what would happen the next day. They might have passed the jungle test, but that was only one part of the graduation exam. The upcoming duels promised to be far more difficult.