Ch. 5 – Pain
Jordan looked at the mountains. He was ready. He was ready to get out of the castle for a little while. He used his powers to create a backpack, and put in a few of the books from the bookshelf in his room, along with his assignment from Alex.
He walked through the foyer, and then stared at the huge oak doors that guarded the front of the castle. He got close to the doors, close enough to see the grain of the wood.
"Open, the Artist commands you."
The doors creaked, and then slowly moved. He snuck between them, closed them the same way, and then walked out towards the mountains. He started to the east of the castle, but was stopped but a huge stone wall. He didn't feel like fighting, so he walked the other way. He started up the trail to the mountain, and then broke into a jog.
Patch watched as Jordan walked up the trail, and broke into a run. Then he wondered. "Why did Jordan just stop like that? There was nothing there. Oh well, I guess he changed his mind." He walked into his room, and started in on his assignment from Alex.
Jordan ran until he was out of breath. Then was a river near by, he could hear it, but he couldn't run anymore, so he sat down, and concentrated. He imagined a huge boulder appearing, and moving towards the water. Then he opened his eyes. He was at the water's edge. He looked at the ground. He could feel the sun shining down on him. It was too hot, so he grabbed some dirt, and threw it in the water. From the water a tree suddenly grew, and the sun was blocked out. It felt cool and relaxing.
He got out the books, but after a while he gave up trying to read. He laid back and thought about how he had accepted his gift. He realized right away he was the Artist, the master of the ground, and all that came from it. The only problem was, he didn't want to be. He has always loved his gift, his ability to control things, people, and anything else, but he never wanted to loose his family.
He laid his head down. He formed a pillow out of leaves, and thought some more. Then, Jordan cried himself to sleep.
Nearby though, Dantalion's next scheme was already being planned, and it wasn't good for Jordan, not at all….
Amber walked out of her room. She knocked on the door across from her room, and Darby answered.
"Hi," said Amber, "my name is Amber, and umm I really don't know what to say." She laughed at her lack of a better vocabulary. "Do you want to come over to my room, and like, umm, hang out for a little while?"
Darby didn't say anything, but nodded. They walked to Amber's room. In that short time, Amber learned a lot about Darby. She was 16, and her parents had been in the army. He father had served in Afghanistan, and had just come home. Her mom hasn't been so fortunate. Her mom has lost her leg, and she has taken a bullet to her head, but had lived. It had been a miracle, but unfortunately, it had been a curse as well. Her mother has gone from an intelligent woman, to the intelligence of a two year old. She had suffered serious damages to her brain, and couldn't walk. Darby was heartbroken.
Amber could relate. She has lost her best friend, a 21 year old named Ian, to the war. She missed him, but she knew that it was nowhere near as devastating as what Darby has been through.
She also learned that Darby was an empath, like Alex. She could feel people's emotions. It had been hard when she was little, because she couldn't control her powers, but she learned to keep it under control around the time she turned 14.
They talked for another hour, when suddenly Darby started screaming. She started to convulse, and she fell off the bed. Amber held her, and finally it was over. When she came to, she looked at Amber, and started crying.
"Amber, quick, you need to find that boy that you said was the Artist, he's in dan…"
That was all she said before the vision made Darby pass out.
Jordan woke up suddenly. He looked around. He thought he had heard someone talking to him, but no one was around. Then he looked above him in the tree. A bird was staring at him, and it was a beautiful bird.
The bird flew down to Jordan, and landed on his arm. It was weird, the bird completely trusted him. What happened next was even weirder.
"Hello, Jordan."
Jordan jumped up ranting and raving about being scared out of his pants.
"Did you just…talk?" he asked the bird.
"Did I stutter?" asked the bird with sarcasm, "Yes, I talked."
"Wow," was all Jordan could say.
"Do you know what I am, Jordan?"
"Not off the top of my head," said Jordan, as he sat down near the water.
"I'm known as the Bird of Memory. I have a gift, you know."
"I'm sure you do," said Jordan sarcastically.
"I'm serious here, Jordan, and I'm giving this gift to you."
"Oh, and what might this gift be, O Mighty Bird of Memories," said Jordan, his voice still layered with sarcasm.
"My gift is to take away your pain, Jordan. I know all about your family, and how you miss them, and how you would do anything, and give up anything, just to have them back."
Jordan looked away. He didn't like talking about his family.
"All you have to do is take this feather." The feather floated to the ground, and when it touched the ground, a huge flower grew from the ground.
"Jordan, that feather will grant life to any portrait or picture of a human being or beings as long as they are in the same picture. Perhaps the picture of you and your family, that you take everywhere with you, it's in your backpack now, is it not?"
Jordan took it out, and then reached out to take the feather. Right as he was going to, a flock of birds started squawking like crazy, and started flying into the air. Then they landed, and formed a circle around Jordan.
"Jordan, get rid of them, quick, then want to steal the feather. Quick, order them away!"
That was the last think Jordan should have done…
Amber rushed around the castle crying out for Jordan. She called Patch and Jamie to the foyer, and then rushed out as Patch told them he has seen Jordan go towards the mountains. They ran to the doors, but they couldn't open them. Then Dani spoke up.
"Master, have the Supreme help you, her succubus has already been awaked, I can sense it."
Patch didn't argue.
"Jamie, come here, quick." Dani gave him the spell, and Jamie listened, and then chanted with him.
To save our friend,
We must get out,
Doors in our way,
Clear the Route!
As they finished the spells, streams of fire and water shot at the door. The doors seemed to melt away, and smoldered on the ground. They rushed out, not even looking back.
Jordan ordered the birds to go away, and then picked up the feather. He took it, and then looked at the bird.
"What do I have to do?"
The feather will only bring one person back at a time, so pick one, and trace their outline with the end of the feather."
Jordan did just that. He traced his father's outline, and when he completed the line, there was a burst of light, and then is father was there.
He jumped up. He wrapped his arms around his dad, and his dad gave him a huge hug.
"I missed you so much, Dad:"
"You too, Jordan."
Jordan looked at the bird. He knew something was wrong, something wasn't right. He had read it in one of his books that you weren't supposed to bring the dead back, but that didn't matter to him. This was his family, he wasn't going to loose them again.
"Thank you so much."
"No, thank you," said the bird, and it flew at right at him, and started scratching his face. Jordan looked at his dad, but he did nothing.
"Dad, help me!"
"He can't, I control him, and there is nothing more that you can…"
Before the horrid bird could finish, a lightning bolt struck him, and Amber rushed up to help Jordan.
The bird looked astonished. Then the look of astonishment turned to a look of hatred. Its wing wrapped around its body, until it looked like a cocoon of feathers. The feathers started folding in on themselves, and compressing into scales. The different colored feathers became one color. The black scales twisted, and then the cocoon started rising and lengthening. When it was all over, a huge snake stared at Amber and Jordan. Its red eyes look at them, and Amber stared right back. Jordan lay on the ground, his face bleeding from the bird's earlier assault. The snake hissed and then he looked at the feather. The feather instantly became a knife, and went flying at Amber.
Jordan saw the knife coming. Amber was trying to help him, and didn't even know it was coming at her. He pushed Amber out of the way. The knife struck him just below the rib cage. He moaned, and hit the ground.
Amber heard the thud. When Jordan started leaning on top of her, she lowered him down, and saw the knife. She screamed. Then she looked at the snake. She could cry later, right now, this "thing" had to be destroyed. She looked to the sky. The wind started twisting and turning. Lightning shot out everywhere. Dantalion didn't have a chance.
Patch and Jamie heard the thunder, and they felt the lightning. It was close. They rushed up to where it came from. Then Patch hit the ground. Something hurt, really hurt. Dantalion was in pain.
When the reached the summit, it was over. Something was sizzling far off, or at least it used to be something. It was just a bunch of ash now. The real problem was on the other side of the summit.
Jordan was shaking, and in the middle of his chest, was a dagger, a very familiar dagger. A Gold knife embedded jewels.
Patch rushed over. He forced Amber off.
"Jamie, take her back to the castle, now!"
Jamie, crying herself, wrapped her arms around Amber, and they turned to water, seeping into the ground.
Patch took Jordan's head in his hands, and shook gently
"Jordan, don't die on me, stay with me."
"Patch…tell…tell Amber I'll miss her. Take…take care of Jamie for me, and…"
That was all Patch would allow himself to hear. He pulled out the dagger, laid it on the ground, and then put his hands on Jordan's chest. He summoned all the strength inside of him, but all that happened was Jordan's breathing getting harsher.
"Dani, help me." No reply. "Dani! Help me!" Still nothing.
He summoned his strength, and then fire shot through his hands. If engulfed Jordan. All that was left was a huge emerald and the dagger. Before Patch could stop it, Jordan was gone.
"NO! No, this…this is wrong. Dani, where ARE you?" Patch grabbed the dagger, and tried to teleport to the castle. This time it worked.
Jordan was gone. For good, no one knew, but he was gone for now. Dantalion seemed to be winning every time, but that was going to change very soon. The final battle was fast approaching, and only one member of the Quartet was going to survive. The question was, who?