Road To Shandara (Book One of The Safanarion Order) (32 page)

C
HAPTER
28

SHANDARA

IN THE FOLLOWING days Aaron watched as the land grew more desolate and dark, as if the sun had forsaken this place. He knew they were closing in on Shandara, but he hadn’t been prepared for the dreary landscape, as if winter’s hold kept the plants dormant, but without the cold. The captain kept the ship along the tree line hoping to avoid notice, but doubling the watch all the same. Aaron could see shadows moving amongst the trees and heard the howling of wolves in the distance. Zeus’s ears perked up at the sound as he studied the landscape intently beneath them. Aaron caught glimpses of ruined towers along a river below, while abandoned villages and farms dotted the land.

“What drove the people from their homes?” Aaron asked.

“There are dark beasts that roam the land now. They weren’t always this far, but they’ve never ventured further than Shandara’s borders.” Verona answered. “Well to be honest not many live near the borders of Shandara anymore.”

“Dark beasts.” Aaron said with a raised brow, “Are you purposefully being aloof?” He prodded.

“Not on purpose my friend. Look for yourself something sickens the land.” Verona said. “Like the life is being sucked away.”

Aaron pursed his lips looking at the gray skies around them. “Or it’s something underneath thats causing all this. Like a volcano.”

“And driving what normally lives underground to the surface? I’ve never heard of a volcano so wide spread as that.” Verona answered.

“You’re probably right about the beasts, but a volcano could darken the skies like this.” Aaron said.

It was Verona’s turn to purse his lips in thought, “The land has been this way for twenty-five years. It’s a bit of a long time for a volcano to produce cloud cover like this.”

“It was just a thought.” Aaron conceded.

“Regardless, perhaps when we meet up with Colind the answers that elude us now will be given.” Verona said.

“I hope so.” Aaron replied.

Sarik walked up and gestured to the far side of the deck where the others were waiting for them. They joined the others and Verona took his place next to Sarah. Sarik stood between the brothers, Erik and Braden. While Vaughn and Garret stood off to the other side.

“I have an idea that I would like to share with you.” Aaron began. “I don’t know what we’re going to encounter when we finally reach Shandara, but I have no doubts that the Elitesmen are following this vessel. I’ve asked the Captain and there have been no sightings reported of any other ships in the air, but it’s just a feeling I have. Sarah assures me that the travel crystals won’t work at the remnants of the city, but they could teleport closer to our destination and beat us there.”

“Good enough for me," Braden said and the others echoed their agreement.

“Through our training sessions I’ve been trying to pass along the knowledge I have to help you stand with me against the Elitesmen. I think they’re helping, but Sarah has helped me with some new abilities that may not be limited to me. However, they will not manifest the same way for everyone. I’ll let Sarah explain.” He said nodding toward Sarah who joined him.

“The Elitesmen use focused medallions to help quicken the process for an initiate to tap into the energy around us. Until recent years this was a practice used sparingly because of the danger it poses to an undisciplined mind. However, the irregularities produced by this practice began to gain weight with the Council of Masters and now it is encouraged.” Sarah said.

“Irregularities?” Verona asked.

“Yes, to open oneself to life’s energy is to tap into your soul and the body is the conduit. Most souls are young while others are quite old. When you open yourself up you will be subject to the influence of the experiences of your soul’s past, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Only a strong sense of self will shield you from those influences, but within the depths there is knowledge to be gained.” Sarah continued.

“Some knowledge is best forgotten. If what you say is true then you could be opening yourself up to great evil.” Vaughn said.

“Only if you were greatly evil in another life.” Sarah replied.

“There is a risk that comes with this Vaughn.” Aaron said. “My experience prior to the Drake’s challenge was gentle urgings that guided my hand in combat. I was able to gain enough insight to unravel the pattern of attacks that the Elitesmen threw at me. Haven’t you ever had a keen insight into a critical situation and you couldn’t pinpoint where the solution came from? Reasoning and experience account for much, but sometimes, when things matter most and the stakes are high enough you need to go beyond the ordinary.”

“Yes, but I suspect Reymius didn’t impart any of this knowledge to you. My guess is that he had reason not to.” Vaughn said.

“I don’t know what he intended to be truly honest with you. I believe he prepared me as he thought best on the chance that Safanar caught up with him in the end. Sometimes I wondered if he ever thought he would go back.” Aaron said. “Opening yourself in this way will allow you to use the currents of energy all around us, but it will reflect on who you are as a person. If you’re a physical type of person, then channeling the energy into feats of strength or speed may be possible. If thoughts and strategy are your forte then greater clarity of thought may be achieved.”

Vaughn nodded conceding the point.

“The danger I was referring to earlier comes from a fractured mind and reckless use of this ability," Sarah continued, “The Elitesmen target certain individuals for advanced training beyond what their martial skills may be. Looking for certain personality traits like a lack of empathy and being prone to violence and the use of cunning brutality to accomplish their goals.”

“That explains my instant dislike for them.” Aaron said dryly.

“They can be quite charismatic.” Sarah continued. “Their followers want nothing more than to serve them.” Sarah looked as if she were going to say more, but she stopped and shook her head. “We’re off topic. Let’s continue, the body is a conduit for the connection to the soul and if it is overloaded you can burn yourself out, which is why we train. The focus medallions heighten the sensitivity of the user, but we don’t have any of those and honestly I wouldn’t recommend we use them even if we did. When Beck trained me, he would have me meditate under various conditions, which allowed me to gradually become more sensitive. Aaron has, whether he knew this or not, started you all on a similar path. By practicing the slow fighting forms is a type of meditation for focusing the mind.”

“Hold on a minute.” Garret spoke up for the first time. “Let’s go back to the irregularities you mentioned before with the Elitesmen’s use of these medallions. I think it’s important to know what we may be facing.”

“Please understand that my knowledge is second hand. I didn’t actually train with the Elitesmen. I was trained by Beck who left the order and was someone who kept himself apart.” Sarah replied.

“Fair enough. Anything you can share though would be useful I think,” said Garret.

“Beck spoke of the Council of Masters trying to create a group of specialized Elitesmen who could affect the elements. Like creating fire where there was none. Our perception of fire for example is not as acute as someone who constantly obsesses about it.” Sarah said.

“Like a pyromaniac?” Aaron asked and when they all looked back at him puzzled. “Someone who wants to see the world burn.”

“That would be accurate.” Sarah replied slowly.

“Did they succeed?” Garret asked.

“To a certain extent. They learned that the elements had their limitations. The mind body connection is easier to manipulate than the world around them.”

“Thats why you had Aaron try that jump before the attack.” Sarik said.

“Yes. I had very little doubt that he could achieve it as he was already using these abilities when facing the Elitesmen, albeit in a more subtle way.” Sarah answered and Aaron smirked at the thought of them both jumping through the trees in unison.

“When my grandfather died he left me these swords.” Aaron said drawing the Falcons from their sheath. “The holes in the blade carry a melody when wielded. The bladesong helped heighten my connection to life’s energy all around me. I think I can do something similar with all of you if you’re willing to try.”

Some like Verona and Sarik gave their assent quickly and were followed by Erik and Braden. Vaughn and Garret however exchanged a few glances and while Vaughn still looked skeptical, Garret nodded as well.

“Come Vaughn, let us see if an old dog can indeed learn new tricks shall we.” Verona prodded with a grin.

Vaughn let out a small laugh. “Perhaps," he replied.

“Great.” Aaron said. “Alright then, have a seat and close your eyes. Focus on your breathing. Close your mind to all distractions. When you hear the bladesong try to open yourself up.”

When the others sat upon the deck Aaron was somewhat surprised to see Sarah join them. She regarded him with a slight smile and closed her eyes with the rest. Aaron took a deep breath focusing himself and began wielding the Falcons. He felt as if it had been an eternity since he first rode out to that clearing back home, a torrent of sadness and loss mourning his grandfather. The first time he wielded these swords, summoning the bladesong sending waves of melodic sound through the air had helped him become whole. He and the blades were one, but the connection was deeper than mere metal upon skin. The blades came to life in his hands and a warmth spread through his core as his perceptions sharpened, seeing the currents of energy surrounding the ship and in the air around them. The more he gathered the energy around him the deeper it plunged into his own being. He turned his attention to the others who resonated a shadowed light of their own waiting for him to help open the door. He pushed out with the energy to each of them, surrounding them with calmness, knocking on the open doors of their souls. Sarah’s presence filled him up and pulled him in almost to the point where he forgot all else. He had to resist that which he yearned with all his heart to go to.
Another time...

He managed to pull himself away and focused on the others. The lifebeat of the others were present, but diminished in vibrancy and he had to figure out a way to reach them. He swung the Falcons in slow rhythmic motions sending eddies of melodic tones into the air. Delicate tendrils of energy reached across the space between them and he bound the group together. Aaron brought his attention to Sarik and Verona hoping that youth would allow their minds to be more open than the others. Sarik’s youthful energy burst forth almost instantly, pulsating with vibrant intensity and Aaron heard Sarik’s sharp intake of breath as his awareness for the world around them heightened like never before.

Aaron shifted his attention to Verona, a man of many levels, fiercely loyal to his friends and the ideals of great men. His natural lively manner made one want to engage with him in any gambit conceived at the time. He reached out to Verona beckoning with the excitement of a great game and Aaron saw Verona’s lifebeat surge forth as his friend broke through. He moved his attention to the brothers Erik and Braden and gave more of a warriors edge to the bladesong. He reached out to Erik and Braden as he had done Verona, but without any response. He pushed out with his blades sending a thrum of air which bounced off their chests. He called out to them to rise up and heed the warrior’s code. Defend the helpless. Stand the watch. Honor your brothers of the shield. Sacrifice for the greater good. For the briefest of moments Aaron saw their lifebeats pulse brighter but immediately diminish. They were not ready.

Aaron moved on to Garret and Vaughn. Both men of some rank as their word carried weight in Prince Cyrus’s court and were charged to watch over Verona. While Vaughn was clearly loyal to Prince Cyrus, it was Garret that Aaron believed was loyal to Colind. Through the bladesong he reached out to the older men with an open hand, but there was not a flicker of change in their lifebeat at all. He stopped wielding the Falcons bringing them to his sides. A lone shaft of sunlight momentarily blazed upon the deck where Aaron stood before being shut out by the perpetual cloud cover. He kept hold of the bladesong in his mind and looked at his companions. Verona and Sarik scanned their surroundings with eyes wide open. Erik and Braden gave him an acknowledging nod, while Garret and Vaughn’s attention where on the others. Sarah caught his eye and nodded approvingly. Reaching two out of the six was more than he had hopped for, but Aaron was a bit disappointed that he couldn’t reach all of them.

“You mustn’t blame yourself.” Sarah said quietly coming to his side. “You can’t make blind men see.”

“This is amazing!” Sarik exclaimed.

“Is this what you see whenever you wield those swords?” Verona asked.

Aaron swallowed. “Sometimes. I don’t need them anymore to focus myself," he answered.

“Why is it fading?” Sarik said in disappointment.

“It’s not gone. Trust me. You will learn to maintain the connection longer now that you know what it feels like. Try to focus.” Aaron said and turned to scan the sky. “There, focus on the hawk. Take a deep breath. Can you see it?” Sarik’s brow furrowed in concentration. “Can you feel it’s beating heart?”

After a few moments. “I can see it.” Verona said in an exhale of breath.

“I can too.” Sarik said.

“But it’s not as clear as before,” said Verona.

Aaron was about to reply when Erik and Braden stood before him. “We have failed you my lord," Braden said.

“No you haven’t.” Aaron replied quickly, feeling as if he had failed them. “This is only the first time. We will try again I promise you.”

“For a moment I thought I felt something but...” Erik’s voice trailed off.

“It will be different for everyone I think.” Aaron answered.

Alarm bells shrieked throughout the ship snapping their attention and the sailors rushed to their posts.

“My lord,” a shipman approached gasping for breath. “The Captain requests that you join him in the wheel house.”

“Of course," Aaron answered and they all fell in behind him.