The Trials Of Ashbarn ( Book 5) (18 page)

Jade relaxed
her facial muscles, followed by the rest of her body. Her breathing began to slow. Everything began to slow. When she opened her mind’s eye, she found herself in darkness once more, only this time it seemed to be raining. The pattering of large raindrops all around her feet drummed in her ears. Large, blue drops splashed against the translucent floor. It was a soothing, calming sound. But instead of breaking apart or washing away, each large drop just stayed in its place, more like solid hail rather than water.

Jade quickly recognized them for what they were,
and forced herself to stay calm. Each blue drop began to grow tiny legs, then scampered about the invisible floor. The large drops felt heavy, hitting her with a modest amount of force on top of her head and across the shoulders. “I accept you,” she whispered, her confidence growing. “You are a part of me, just as I am a part of you. We are one.”

She began to feel different as the large
, blue crystals continued to hit her. Fewer and fewer were bouncing away now. Instead, they melted into her body right through her skin. Jade could feel the cold seeping into her veins, only this time, it felt good. She felt the raw energy coursing through her. More and more crystals began to sink through her skin. Even the ones scampering along the floor scurried up her legs and melted into her flesh.

Jade
could hear Nima’s voice, a far-off echo through the darkness. “That’s it, dear. Drink your Chi. Absorb it. Make it a part of you completely.” The cold filled Jade’s lungs, her heart; every part of her body tingled with cool energy. She opened her mouth and blew out a large cloud of icy mist. The raining crystals stopped falling. The remaining crystals still scuttling along the ground found their way to her feet and legs, then melted into her.

Jade
gasped as her eyes opened up wide. The cold sensation still tingled through her body, but was quickly dissipating. Before long, her body felt warm once again. “Excellent,” said Nima. “My dear, I know you’re exhausted, but we must finish this now. The link is nearly complete.” Jade certainly was tired. That voyage had taken a lot out of her, but she nodded her agreement anyway. “Give me your hands again, dear. I need you to concentrate once more.”

Nima
guided Jade’s Chi. Energy that was fully absorbed now was now easily accessible. Jade felt the energy flow through her. Her green dy-chita began to glow dimly. “Now release,” Nima instructed. The light of the jewel faded. “Pull it in again.” The faint light returned. “Release.” It faded.

It wasn’t that hard with Nim
a guiding the way, but then she let go of Jade’s hands. “Again,” said Nima. There was a pause, and Jade’s expression became strained. “Easy, dear, let it come to you.” Her face relaxed. The green jewel began to glow once more. “And release.”

The drill went on for an hour or so. Jade was
mentally exhausted, but pushed through the endless exercise anyway. Despite her fatigue, it became easier with each cycle. “That’s enough, dear,” said Nima. Jade felt as if she might collapse right there. “You’ve come a long way today. You can now seize your power on command, and I doubt you will forget how anytime soon. You’ve mastered the first step in becoming a Palin. Go and get some rest. You’ve certainly earned it.”

“No,” said Jade, her voice harsh and raspy. She swooned slightly, grabbing Nima’s shoulder to steady
herself. “I want to keep going.”

Nima eyed her uncertainly. “My dear, you can hardly stand.
Oh no, I think we’re done for to—”

“I said I want to k
eep going,” Jade insisted, her voice a bit steadier now. She pushed off Nima’s shoulder and stood on her own. Astonishingly, her strength seemed to be returning by the second. “You promised me.” Her glare was hard as stone.

Nima continued to watch her
hesitantly. Had her strength really returned that quickly?
Amazing,
she thought. The vast amounts of Chi this girl could wield made her a prodigy. But it seemed her body could recover much faster than a fully trained Palin. Why was that? Nima sighed reluctantly. “Very well, dear. But I’m afraid you’re going to hate me before we’re through.”

Jade smiled, looking fully recovered now. “I doubt that very much.”

Nima insisted
that Jade rest a while before continuing. Of course, she refused at first, insisting she felt fine and was able to continue. But once it was made clear they would go no further until she rested, Jade reluctantly agreed—but only to humor Nima so they could proceed. She flopped down on a makeshift bed of woodchips and leaves. Once there, she had to admit, resting a bit wasn’t the worst idea after all. She stretched her arms and legs, then locked her fingers behind her head. Her body still tingled a little, but that too was beginning to fade.

N
ima threw herself down next to her and began to lightly rub Jade’s knee. “You’re catching on fast, dear. What you’ve managed to accomplish in only a few hours, most take several weeks or longer.”

With
the back of her head sunk deep into the soft leaves, Jade gave a subtle nod. Her eyes were closing, and she was beginning to fall asleep. Then, in a sort of delayed reaction, she rolled her head back and looked at Nima, confused. “But you told me you’ve seen students do this on their first day.”

Nima laughed. “I only told you
what you needed to hear. Of course it wasn’t true, dear. I was simply trying to motivate you. And it seems to have worked,” she said with a wink. Jade sniffed indignantly, then threw her head back into the leaves. She hated being fooled. Nima grinned, then stretched out beside her. The two of them lay in silence for a time, gazing up at the green canopy of leaves, which quivered in the light breeze, making a light buzzing sound. Every now and then a few broke loose, spinning in circles, fluttering down to the ground. “So how did it feel today?”

“What do you mean?” said
Jade sleepily.

“Oh, I think you know what I mea
n.”

Jade grinned
knowingly. “I felt...alive. Everything just seemed clearer to me. My senses were heightened somehow.”

“
I’ll bet you’ve never felt anything like that before, have you?” said Nima. Still grinning, Jade rolled her head back and forth in the leaves. “Trust me, you never get used to it, either. The sensation of your own Chi combined with the power of nature as it flows through your body... Well, let’s just say little else compares.” Another few minutes went by before Nima sat up again. “Alright then. Are you ready to continue?”

In a heartbeat, Jade was on her feet
, brushing off the clinging bits of leaves and sticks. “I was beginning to think you were going to make me spend the night here,” Jade teased with a return wink.

“Before we’re through here, I’m afraid you will be begging for t
hat deal. Now then, I’m going to show you an exercise our students practice daily. We’re basically going to practice a form of telekinesis. This is a wonderful drill for our students because it accomplishes multiple objectives at once. Now then, do you see that tree right there?” She pointed to a smallish sapling. It looked young and flimsy and had very few branches or leaves.

“Sure I do.”

“Good, now watch.” Nima’s dy-chita began to glow lightly. She held out both hands and leaned forward, as if she were pushing against a wall. Her eyes began to glow green. The sparse leaves on the young tree began to quiver, even though there was no breeze to speak of. She leaned in further. It was an unnaturally deep angle, as if she were being held up by the winds of a hurricane. By all rights she should have tipped over. Slowly, the young tree began to lean away from her. The wood began to pop and crackle in protest while it bowed in the opposite direction. She lowered her hands, stopping the pressure before any permanent damage was done. The green light glimmering in her eyes faded out.

Nima took Jade by the shoulders and guided her over
near the tree. “Now it’s your turn. Stand here like so.”

“But
I don’t even know what to do first.”

“It will be the same as before, dear. I will guide you
r Chi the first few times, and then you will do it on your own. This method of training seems to be working quite well for you. Now, the first part you must do on your own. Go ahead and make the link.”

Jade closed her eyes
and began to concentrate.
Let it come to me. Let it come to me. The easiest way is the correct way
. The link formed quickly. Her green gem began to glow.

“Good. It seem
s you have mastered that part. Now allow me to...” The Palin placed her hands on the back of Jade’s shoulders. “Now you need to feel my energy merge with yours. Just try to maintain the link and I will do the rest.” Jade felt her Chi begin to warp and stretch. It felt as if it were changing shape. Elongating somehow. Then, once again, the tree began to lean away. Nima slowly removed her hands from Jade. “Stay focused. This energy is all coming from you now.”

“I’ve got it,” she
said. The tree stayed bent, but began to sway around. Maintaining the balance between her Chi and the constant flow of nature’s essence proved difficult. It was hard to determine how much energy to use, or not to use. She immediately had trouble holding the tree steady.

“Now release,” said Nima.

Without completely understanding how to do that gradually, Jade simply cut herself off. Halting her flow of Chi so suddenly was like blowing out a candle; the flame was instantly gone. The tree snapped back with a whooshing sound. The few remaining leaves went fluttering in all directions, leaving the thin branches completely bare.

Nima giggled. “
We will have to work on that. Now, dear, here is the real test. Do it again. From start to finish without my help.”

Jade rubbed
her hands together, determined, yet she found she was already beginning to tire.
No matter, I have to do this
.
I
will
do this
. She swiftly established the link. By now she had become quite proficient at this. Her dy-chita began to shine; dimly at first, but then the glow intensified. She held out her hands like before, but it felt as if she were only touching air.

“Keep trying
, dear,” came Nima’s voice. “You’re getting closer.”

Jade
stood there holding a full link to her Chi, but something was not quite right. Something she couldn’t put her finger on.
The shape is wrong,
she thought.
It doesn’t feel like it did before
. She could picture the living block of energy. Although it filled every inch of her, it was not shaped like her. It was more like a square: solid and blocky. In her mind, she began to push and roll it, like preparing a piece of dough for baking. The glowing energy began to stretch, growing longer and thinner as she pulled and twisted. She could feel the cool energy radiating into her fingertips now.
That’s it. I’ve got it
.

She felt the unseen force move
away from her hands, connecting directly with the tree. The young tree rocked back and forth; invisible hands thrust against it in chaotic waves.

“Steady it
, dear,” Nima whispered in her ear. “Control the energy, don’t let it control you.”

Sud
denly, energy surged through Jade’s hands in a torrent of force. Jade had only meant to try and steady the flow, but had instead released a massive rush of Chi.

T
he young tree toppled over like it had been torn from the ground by a tornado. Long, thick roots clumped with moist black soil ripped from the ground with a noise like someone was tearing a curtain in half. Jade clasped a hand over her mouth, astonished and embarrassed.

Nima clapped her hands together, laughing. “Now
that
was impressive.”

“I’m so
sorry,” said Jade, still covering her mouth. Mortified, she didn’t even want to look at Nima.

“It’
s quite alright. No need to apologize. You were able to make the link on your own, then perform the proper actions, completely unaided by me. And I only guided you through it once! You should be very proud. But I must say,” she looked at the poor tree, mangled and uprooted, “I think we’re going to need to work a bit more on your control.”

Once J
ade found the courage to look her in the eye, the two friends shared a laugh.

* * *

“You’ve lost the trail, haven’t you?” Jacob grumbled, swatting at one of the swarming insects that was trying to dine on him. “I’ll bet you don’t even know where we are.”

“Well
, I
know
you have no idea where we are,” said Amoshi, chopping furiously at the endless brush. Sweat trickled down from his temples, dripping off his chin. His back felt clammy and moist beneath his clinging shirt. The thick foliage all around acted as an insulator, keeping them both wrapped in heat and humidity. The air felt thick and smothering; it was nearly too dense to breathe. “As far as the trail goes...” Amoshi’s voice trailed off into an inaudible series of grunts.

Jacob backed away, pointing an accusing finger at the back of Amoshi’s head. “I knew it! The might
y tracker has lost the trail.” He threw up his hands in exasperation. “Remind me again why Nima insisted you come with me.”

“So you wouldn’t
get yourself killed, you idiot! I made a promise to her, and I plan to see it through for her sake—not yours. The truth is, I don’t even care what happens to you
or
your hairy beast of a woman!” Jacob’s expression went blank; his eyes turned cold and unreadable. Amoshi wilted, immediately shamed by his own words. “I-I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry, Jacob.” He turned away, unable to meet Jacob’s eyes. “It’s this heat. The heat is getting to me. That, and the frustration of not being able to find—”

Jacob’s blank expression didn’t change even as he spoke.
“I think our time together has come to an end.” Even his voice was icy and emotionless. “I think it’s best you head back home now.”

Amoshi held out his hands,
the machete hanging loosely between his fingers. “Look, I’m sorry for what I said.” Just looking at Jacob was painful. “I didn’t mean any of that.”

“Of course
you did. You meant every word.” Amoshi tensed as Jacob approached him slowly and deliberately. Jacob reached out and seized the machete, then began to chop at the thick vines blocking his way.

Amoshi
watched while the amateur swiped away in long, looping passes—a sure way to exhaust himself quickly. “All you’re going to do is tire yourself out.” Jacob kept on slashing, ignoring the advice. “Are you listening to me? I said I was sorry.” The swooshing sounds of the blade cutting through vine were his only answer. “You can’t do this without me,” Amoshi insisted, patience fading away like a setting sun. “Damn you, listen to me!”

Ja
cob whirled about, machete clutched in his hand. He stopped the blade inches before taking Amoshi’s head off. With cool steel pressed against Amoshi’s neck, a trickle of blood began to flow from the small cut. “Yes,” Jacob rasped, his voice dry but still emotionless. “I heard you, but that doesn’t change the fact.”

“What fact is that?” asked
Amoshi, voice steady and sure, even with sharp steel pressed against him.

“That I no longer have any use for you
.” Jacob sighed, and lowered the machete. “I need you to be completely committed to finding her, and you’ve proven you’re not. You’ve already told me you don’t care what happens to either of us.” Jacob raised his eyebrows. “Apparently I’m just an idiot, and she’s a beast of a woman?”

“You know I didn’t me
a—”

Jacob raised the blade just a hair. “Oh, but you did
, my friend. What if she hadn’t gone through this change—this curse that was forced upon her? What if she were just another girl; would those spiteful words have ever left your mouth?” Amoshi held his gaze a moment longer, then dropped his eyes to the ground. Jacob just shook his head. “Go home,” he repeated.

T
here came an explosion of movement. In a flash, Amoshi’s bow was in his hand, arrow notched. He fired at Jacob. It had all happened so fast, Jacob didn’t even have time to blink. The black and yellow projectile blurred past his ear. He heard a blood-curdling shriek from behind. “Get down!” Amoshi shouted, unleashing two more projectiles with lightning speed.

Jacob
hit the dirt, then crawled towards Amoshi. The warrior was now standing still, an arrow notched and ready. Jacob rolled to his back and looked, staff in hand. Three large, furry bodies lay in the grass, each with a red-feathered shaft stuck between their eyes. One was still quivering, but clearly posed no threat. He would be dead within a minute or two. But Amoshi didn’t feel like waiting that long. Another arrow zipped into the beast’s face. The quivering stopped.

“By the god
s,” Jacob whispered.

“They came
up right behind you,” said Amoshi, a little winded from the shock. “I almost didn’t see them in time. Had I waited a heartbeat longer, they would have shredded you.”

“You saved my life,” Jacob said
, getting back to his feet. He strode over to one of the beasts to get a good look. The humanoid cats were enormous, just like Amoshi suspected. Their large bodies were covered in black fur, except one who was light brown. Their heads were like that of a jackal, with long snouts filled with sharp teeth. Their ears were extremely large, far too big to be standing up straight the way they were. It looked odd.