Journeys of an Adept
Part I
Thunder was heard in the distance. Residents of the city of Vault directed their views to the northwest, from where the disruption was coming. They saw nothing above the mountains and treetops, but yet they heard, and they knew.
They had heard this once before, three years ago, when the boulder of Mt. Aleph fell and destroyed Vale. But it couldn't be another boulder. This was different.
Luke looked to where it was coming from, yet his view was obstructed. He attempted to correct it by passing Vault's entrance, but could still not see anything. He heard murmurs from people, "It's Mt. Aleph again," they said. The vibrations from the earth shook his boots, while the wind picked up in his hair. There were muffled thunderclaps in the distance, yet no clouds in the sky. This was no boulder.
An immense explosion blew them off their feet. They lay on the ground, still being tossed by the rumbling. Luke was amazed, attempting to flip himself over after being flung headfirst. When he rolled around he finally saw something, debris in the air, shining in the sunlight, and many small beams of light, in red, blue, yellow and purple.
The vibrations stopped, and he was able to stand again, so, of course, he went to see the source of the explosion. He headed northwest, running as fast as he could. After only a few yards west he could see Mt. Aleph., it was erupting. Mt. Aleph was inactive, wasn't it? When he stood to gaze at its eruption, he was oblivious to the stone careening through the air. As he gazed in thought, it came closer and closer.
He felt something slam into his head, and fell over, eyes rolled back into his head. He was hit by a psynergy stone, a rather large purple crystal it was. It rested on his hand, after ricocheting his skull. What he did not know was the stone was bringing out powers in his essence he had no idea existed.
* * *
Luke awoke to a splitting headache. He groaned and managed to push himself up, still unconsciously holding the stone. He noticed the stone in his hand and attempted to toss it away, but as he did, it levitated. There was a mystical force holding it up, but he had no idea what it was. When he broke his eye contact to shake his head, it fell to the ground.
He regarded it as nothing more than a hallucination and decided to return to Vault where he could rest. On the way he notice some more smaller stones scattered around the ground. Paying limited attention to the gleaming stones, he reached Vault, where his mother was waiting. She rushed towards him, where she touched his head to feel the rather large bump protruding from his scalp. She glided over it and he winced.
"What did you do this time, I thought you would know better than to go out during an earthquake!"
Luke put his head down and shook it, "Please just let me rest."
His mother helped him into their house, and twisted the bronze handle to their door. She helped him into his bed, where he groaned and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. His mother, relieved, but still irritated, fetched a damp cloth and placed it on his bruise.
* * *
Luke opened his eyes, focusing to the familiar view of his house. He threw off his covers and stepped on to the rather chilly wooden floor and snatched some clothes from his closet. He slipped on his navy blue boots and black cloth pants, then buckled them with a matching black belt. He slid on his navy shirt and white scarf, then headed out of the house.
It was then it struck him. He saw his mother falling into a well. She screamed as she lost her footing and grabbed the bucket rope, while flying down the tunnel. He was not looking at the well though, and he had not heard his mother's screams. It had been in his mind.
He looked to his left to see his mother gathering water from a well. Bringing up the bucket he had just saw her cling to while she fell. He rushed over to her as fast as he could. She lost her footing. He leaped for her. He grabbed her waist and flung her behind him.
It was then that he realized what that was. He had seen the future. He had seen his mother's fate and stopped it. He had no idea how he was able to do it or what was enabling him to do it.
His mother stood up and shook herself off. Luke popped up and helped his mother to her feet. She was still shaken from her experience, so Luke helped her inside the house and into bed. She was not hurt, just stunned, luckily for both of them. Yet all Luke could think of was his experience of foreseeing. He began to think of the strange purple stone and how he had seen it levitate. He had never seen anything like that happen until he was knocked out by the stone, so they must have had something to do with it.
When his mother was secure in bed, he decided to explore where it clunked him on the head. He passed a few stones, but then grew impatient and reached for one. He clasped his fingers over its smooth shiny surface and lifted it up. He examined it, but before he could concentrate, a rush of energy swept through him. His hair stood on end, his muscle bulged, and the stone radiated. But as fast as it came, the stone dissolved.
Luke was full of unknown energy, unable to calm his muscles. He fell to his knees, shaken. His muscles generated small spasms throughout his body, but they faded as he calmed himself. His face was as pale as snow, and his eyes dared not to blink.
Giving himself time to collect himself, he rose to his feet and looked at the other stones around him. Whenever he walked past him, he felt a small attraction to them, and they radiated a purple glow.
A squirrel bearing a nut was scurrying next to him. It dashed into a stone and fell backwards. It hit the ground hard and shuttered. It twitched and rolled over, then began to mutate. Its muscles bulged, its teeth grew, and its pupils shrunk. Convulsing hands crushed the nut it had once held in its hand. Foam spewed from its mouth and it lunged at Luke.
He stumbled backwards and grabbed a stick to defend himself. He swung it in the air frantically, and finally collided with the mutated beast. It humped towards him, mouth wide open, foam flying in the air. In panic, he instinctually held the stick in between himself and his attacker, where it was cracked beneath the jaws of the monster. Weaponless, he swiped at it using his fist, and a sharp blow to the head did not affect it. It pounced again, and his fist, now an outstretched palm began to tremble. Pure energy formed itself in his palm and took the form of a gale of wind, hurling the creature backwards.
It lay there, unconscious, while Luke made his getaway and dashed back to Vault.