"Normal speaking"
: Mindspeak: (either to avatar or other humans)
Chapter Four
Tala and Bryan were hungry and tired not to mention feeling pretty sick, the Chimaera's was not doing to good on its long flight to The Pass had been a long and tiresome one but they had made it.
The two young men dressed as if huntsmen were greeted by prying eyes and sneers, everyone knew the emblem of Voltaire and of the slave traders he rules over in Tuginda and they all hated it.
They headed towards what appeared to be an inn, sorting out when the next Gate opened they headed into the village to find some kind of transport only to be greeted with no answers and no ones help.
"Its appears no one likes us here"
"No shit Sherlock…has is ever occurred to you Tala that maybe Voltaire isn't right in the head; I mean Kai's not exactly special"
Tala raised and eyebrow and kept silent, he knew Kai's little secret since they ere children, and the curse that rode with his linage, he was the only one besides Voltaire and Boris that knew of his secret, he was also the only one who actually knew Kai, but he did not know why Voltaire was so adamant to get him back.
"But that Stone, now that is special"
Tala stared at his companion; the two were seated in the inn alone in a dark corner, waiting for the Gate to open.
"What do you think its worth?"
Bryan shrugged, "Dunno, more then me and you put together…why, you got plans?"
Now it was Tala's turn to shrug, "Nothing much"
Soon word had gotten out that the Gate was open, the Gate was a magical portal that allowed safe passage from the cliffs of the mountains to the valley of Erwin which was twenty miles away from Roark's own mountains travel.
It was something new to the people and rarely used by common folk, it was devised by the mages in the City of The White Gryphon (1) and was certainly useful to merchants.
They stood with a small crowd and saw the white pearly gates begin to open under the magical chant of a mage.
"Here we go"
"See you on the other side?"
"Yeah, see you"
Lights of colours so magnificent, voices of angels ringing, darkness came and devoured the light and the goodness, turning it, twisting it into pure evil.
A Dragons roar was heard and sent gusts of wind across the land but the darkness did not leave and ate more of the healthy land turning it sick.
Water washed across the lands cleansing the seas and rivers, but floods soon were seen and the waters were corrupted.
A Tigers claw moved the lands burying the darkness under the earth but Volcanoes erupted and earthquakes spilt the land.
Fires of great strength and a phoenix flew across the blood red sky, war had broken out and good was losing.
The Flames died out and suffocated that phoenix blew into ashes that scattered across the dead lands.
But something happened next, a light, a mere spark was seen, such power of life was seen, it came in seas of power and washed over the darkness, balancing the Life and Death, the two fused together.
And the darkness and light died out together creating a world of balance.
The dream startled Max, he knew he was able to see into the future but he'd never experience something like that, and yet he wasn't sure if it was from the future or the past.
Getting up from his small bed he saw Tyson sleeping on the other bed opposite him, he and Tyson had shared a room since he could remember and since Tyson was a loud snorer he was the only who would sleep with him in the same room.
Walking out of the room he came into the hallway were two other room were set up, Rei's own room and Kai's, while Hilary would not stay in the same room with any male she stayed with the Healers.
Max tiptoed and peered into Rei's room to see him sleeping in the most uncomfortable position his chest lifting lightly, Max smiled and closed the door, he then looked at Kai's room but saw no one.
Frowning Max went outside to be greeted with a heat of flames, and what stood in front of him was a phoenix.
Golden flames, wings which out spanned a gryphon Max was flabbergasted, he was not aware Kai had an avatar.
The phoenix was sleeping, its beak under his flaming feathers, he lay on the ground in comfort, Max looked and saw Kai standing next to the sleeping fire bird but his back was to Max.
Not wanting to scare the tribal man Max slowly walked towards the two, he stood a meter away from Kai before he spoke.
"Ah…what are you doing Kai?"
Kai slowly turned around to face Max, he had known he was there all along, he was just not aware the boy had enough courage to face him.
"You had a dream Max"
Max nodded, "It was a premonition actually"
Kai raised an eyebrow, he had felt the magic in the air change he did not know it was a premonition that was something he could not see, the future or the past.
"Do you get these premonitions a lot?"
Max nodded and looked down at the sleeping phoenix, "But lately they've been about us…the Guardians"
Kai saw Max look at Dranzer and felt a smirk run across his lips, "Dranzer will not harm you unless he is provoked...he's asleep now so he's as harmless as a fly"
"Horse fly's bite so that's not harmless"
"Not unless aggravated …why are you out here Max?"
"I uh…I was wondering where you were"
"You thought I'd left?"
Max nodded.
"I was going to leave…but yet I am still here"
"Kai…why do you have Dranzer?"
"The same reason you have Draciel"
"How do you know about Draciel?"
"I have studied the Guardians for a long time"
"Oh…I can't summon him like the others can"
"You can"
"How…I've tried"
Kai raised an eyebrow and sighed, he might as well show him.
"I'll show you"
Kai took hold of Max's soft hand, it rubbed against his own rough skin and placed them in his hands holding them, Max and Kai stood opposite each other; Kai felt his eye glaze as he spilled some of his magic into Max.
Max felt as if he was being opened to the world, his senses sharpened and his mind was full of thoughts, so many thoughts.
Heat was felt in their hands and Max braced himself for more power from Kai, Kai let go of Max's hands and blinked, he was seeing too much detail, Max stared at his flaming hands, he opened them up to find white streaming power, lifting his hands up Max felt the power leave him and run into the skies.
Looking up he saw dark clouds form and rain was soon falling, Max smiled as he looked up at the raining sky.
Dranzer lifted his head and stared at the happy boy and then at Kai, he did not like rain, he was not used to the water, Dranzer got up and shook his feathers, staring up he nuzzled his Master and crooned.
Max was so busy to notice as a white mist was seen in front of him and a huge turtle/tortoise was seen.
Max rushed towards it and hugged it, tears mixing with rain.
Kai and Dranzer shared a look and Kai secretly smiled, happy to see the cheerful boy beyond happy, Dranzer vanished in thin air and Kai went inside leaving the boy with his new found friend.
Rei and Tyson stood at the windows and watched as Max and Kai shared there energy and summoned Draciel, Tyson had always felt sorry for his friend because he and Rei could already summon them.
Rei and Tyson headed outside to greet Draciel summoning their own avatars, but at that moment Kai fell away into the darkness and lay to rest his tired body.
It wasn't until midday that Stanley heard about what occurred during the night; he smiled at the story of Max's and how Kai helped, Hilary loved to hear what Dranzer looked like and wanted to meet him every time Max spoke about the phoenix.
"I forgot to thank Kai" Max suddenly remembered as he told the story to his mother Judy and hurried off to find him.
Max found Kai in the sand by the Great Lake; he seemed to be crouched down drawing in the sand with his finger.
"Hey Kai what are you doing?"
"When is the next full moon Max?"
"Uh…few days, I think three…why?"
Kai stood up and stared at the sky, that explained why he was seeing double, it was almost full moon and he was Changing.
"Kai…you ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine, now what did you want?"
"Oh, I just wanted to say thanks for helping me last night"
"It was nothing"
Max smiled and bounced and left Kai as he rushed away to tell the story again to some stranger back in the village.
Kai sighed.
"Why are you so worried about full moon, its not important is it?"
Kai turned swiftly to see Hilary standing watching him.
"Just curious"
Hilary moved forward and dipped her feet into the water, "You know Kai, life would be a lot easier if you just told people what the problem was"
"Problem?"
Hilary smiled up at him and stared straight into his eyes, "You know…you can tell me anything".
:It would be wise to take her offer Master, she can be of some help:
:I will not rise to her bait:
:It does not matter if she is baiting you Master, she knows you need help:
:And tell her my secret:
:She will not betray you Kai:
:How do you know:
:I just do:
Kai shook his head and his head fell, Dranzer was right, he was going to be needing her help if he was going to be staying here.
"Do you know…do you know where I can find some kind of bunker with only one way in?"
Hilary was surprised by the question but nodded, "There's one under the Healers home…its small and there's only one way to get in"
"Good, on the full moon this month I want you to take me there…you must tell no one and I may tell you my secret"
"So you are demon?"
"I never said that"
"Oh…and you'll tell me your…secret if I do this?"
"And bring some food and water"
Kai began to walk away when he heard Hilary say, "But Kai, if you not demon what are you?"
Kai turned and looked at her, his eye darkening, and then he saw it, the spark in her hands, white as thunder, her magic.
He ignored the question and walked away, this was his test to her.
1 – City of the White Gryphon is a city in some books of Mercedes Lackey I advise you read her books.
End Chapter!
Thanx: jellybean-kitty, softball91, Lioness Of the fire, Moonlight Serenity aka Jess, darkphoenix23, Dark Unicorn Master, Nubia, Angelic Kitsune, FlamingWolfGirl.
Oh and the whole half demon thing I only added that in because I'd been watching Inuyasha before I wrote this.
Anyway, I've updated my profile page and done a list of some of my fav fantasy authors and so take a look see.