Ch.26 The New Energy

I awoke around midday and looked out my window to see my father tending to the animals out in their pens. "He's up early. I wonder where Toc and Des are?" There was a sneeze out in the hallway that made me jump slightly. "Spoke too soon."

I walked over and opened my door to find Hel sitting out there waiting for me. "Oh. I thought you were Toc or Des. Good morning, Hel."

"I sat out here all night on guard." He replied getting to his feet. "Breakfast for you has come and gone. Lunch is ready though."

I nodded heading down the stairs with him behind me. My mom turned around and smiled. "Afternoon, sleepy head. I fixed you chicken and a sandwich. Enjoy it. Dad is out gathering more chickens. Apparently we killed the last rooster without knowing it so we need to buy a new one."

I sat at the table and began to eat my sandwich. "Where are my brothers?"

"They are out in the far fields doing the wheat this afternoon," Hel said taking a seat across from me. "May I have a glass of water?"

"Sure, Hel," smiled Aumi and took a glass down from a shelf above. "Ice?"

"No thanks." He smiled at her leaning back in his chair. "So I here you'll be doing an obstacle course today, Sell."

"Huh?" I stared at him chewing my food. "What?"

"It's called the El-Anash Course. I hear it's pretty hard."

I drank the milk that mom had fixed me. "What's it got? Why am I taking it?"

"Training." Hel stared at the grain in the table. "Your brothers are also taking it."

"Hah. They'll fail," I chuckled biting the sandwich again. "They've never done that crap before."

"You'll be surprised. They've been practicing their balance." Hel said looking out the window at posts that had been stacked on top of one another. It was a simple training course for balance. He looked back to me as my mom fixed him water. "Well? Care to practice too?"

I looked at the fence posts and went back to my sandwich. "Not right now but later."

He chuckled taking the glass of water that my mom set down. "Thank you."

She gave him an affectionate pat on the head and went back to her duties. Hel gave a sour look to the ceiling that made me giggle. He hates being patted on the head it seems. The side kitchen door opened and dad walked in to sit down across from me.

"You ready for the test? Did anyone tell you?"

I nodded. "I know about it. Where's the place at?"

"In the desert far to the Northwest. The guy that runs it is a good friend of mine and is a Skeletal Lord himself." Rien spoke leaning back in the chair looking slightly tired from the adventure of yesterday, the adventure that I, father and Lones had gone on to a town and faced off with the Dark Lord. The same town that I found Hym and vowed to help him out.

"When do we leave for the place? You look tired, dad." I leaned on the table over my food staring at him. "Maybe it's best to rest for one more day?"

Hel nodded in agreement. "Yes, I think you should sleep."

Rien finally nodded at us and left the table for his bedroom. I looked to Hel who raised a brow in my direction. "This gives me time to train."

"It indeed does." Hel got to his feet quietly and strode out the side kitchen door to leave me with my food.

I looked at the food that my mom fixed for me for a moment. My mind went back over the things that had happened. 'Will she be alright? Why in the world would he take Serdra? Did they make an agreement?' The memory of Serdra being surprised by the sight of the Dark Lord made me scratch out that last thought. 'They never had an agreement, he just up and kidnapped her. What the hell is he thinking now?'

I finished my food before gulping down the milk and leaving out the side kitchen door. My brother's weren't here on the farm. They had gone to mom's flower shop to do work for her. Apparently she had hired a contractor to see about additions to the flower shop. More space to take in customers.

I stared at the fence posts and stepped up onto the dirt block that was two spaces from the first fence post. I stared at the slight gap and snorted. This was hardly anything compared to what I had been against. I leapt to the first fence and wobbled on it trying to get my balance. This was the problem with parkour, you had to have balance and technique.

"Not good enough. Start again."

I fell off the post and looked over to see Hel leaning on a dirt mound. I stepped back onto the block and leapt onto the fencepost once more and stuck it with a crouch.

"Now you're getting it. Find your balance."

I slowly straightened with a calm exterior and mind. I leapt for the next fence post that was a little bit higher and crouched onto it. That makes two. I dare not look away from the post. The fall from here would hurt slightly.

"Calm, Sell. Take it one at a time." Hel watched me like a hawk from below. He climbed to the top of the dirt mound to become level with the last fence post. I leapt for the last fence post and caught it. I wobbled and started to slightly worry. I was about to fall!

"Crouch!"

I crouched to the fencepost like my life depended on it. I slowly looked over to Hel who nodded to me. "You did it. Practice more. You'll figure out why people hate and love this sort of thing so much."

With that he leapt off the dirt mound and landed on the second fence post with ease. Not a single bit scared or wobble. He nodded his head to the dirt mound. "Jump."

I looked over to it and leapt for it. I landed hard. My foot had slipped from the edge and made me collapse on top of the dirt. "Oh my Notch! I really did it! I made it!"

"This is just practice but I hear from your brothers that the real thing is much harder." Hel gave the thought a grin as he stepped off the fence post to the first and finally stepped to the block that led to the first post. "I got to go. I'll leave you to it. I'll be back later."

I pushed myself up to watch him walk down the gravel drive and open the gate. "Be safe!"

He turned back to give me a smile and a wave before dashing off towards the town. I figured he was going to my mom's flower shop to help my brothers. I got down from the dirt pile and practiced a bit more. I failed several times and soon began to see that if I let it affect me I would no doubt fail at them all. It took patience and a clear head at all times.

I crouched on the last fence post just three or four blocks off the ground. I felt like I was ready for the training course. The real thing. I looked out in the distance at the wall guards that walked up and down the stone wall that surrounded us. A new figure took up the sentry while it's former watcher nodded and turned in for the day.

The figure seemed familiar. I crouched there looking far off into the distance, my sight better than the Minecraftian's. He kept his back to me at all time, as if he knew I was watching. As if he felt my eyes on him. He was a regular Minecraftian, wasn't he?

Later that night as I sat in the living room talking to my mom about things like the town, the flower shop, the market and so on the door opened. Outside were Lones and Skelar. I stood up allowing them in.

"How are ya'll?"

"I take it your dad is asleep?" Lones asked taking a seat on the couch. I nodded to him letting Skelar take a seat in a chair. My mother beamed at us all. "I'm so proud of you all. Heading out to help farmer's with their crops. I feel like a special wife and mother to you all."

I blinked and looked to Lones who gave me a small smile. 'Just go with it.'

"Yeah. We help out a lot of folks about town too, mom." I side glanced Lone who nodded in agreement.

"Call it hospitality."

"We enjoy the work." Skelar added. "Sell is the biggest help of all though. She got a small village to grow huge in just a few months."

My mom stood heading for the kitchen. She kissed my cheek as she passed. "That's the kind of girl I raised. Help those that are needy."

I sighed glad that the lying game was over at last. I took a seat next to Lones.

"Leave dad to rest tonight. I'll call the shots. Why are you visiting for?"

"We've called a meeting. Hel and Rayr have picked up on something in the air. Rayr alerted me this evening after speaking with Hel. They felt it about the same time." Lones whispered to me as he side glanced my mom working in the kitchen. "Something's up."

I nodded in agreement. "Has anyone else felt it?"

Lones and Skelar nodded together. "It came from the mountains. There's a pass not far from here to get there."

"Head to the base. I'll be there shortly." I whispered quickly as my mom began to return to the room. I got to my feet and walked towards the stairs. "I'll be right back."

"Don't disturb your father, Sell. He needs rest from all his work today. He's not as young as he used to be after all." Mom said handing glasses of milk to Skelar and Lones.

"Right." I turned from the stairs. "I think I'll go fetch Des and Toc then."

My mother nodded to that idea. "Thank you, Sell. I'm sure they're out getting drunk."

I left the house as quick as I could in full sprint. The path was illuminated by street lamps. I passed the way that would take you to the market. I headed out to the far path that went on the edges of the town. I could feel eyes watching me from somewhere.

As I came near to the beginning of the town I could see Toc and Des walking together towards me.

"Toc! Des! Get home quickly! Mother is worried about you two!"

A shadow appeared behind them without a sound. It approached us without a sound. "I've been on the watch. They were just returning home from their favorite place to hang out."

The two turned to see Hel standing there like a dutiful dog. I nodded and sprinted off towards the taller buildings in the town. "Get home and don't make any more stops! Mom will be pissed! Hel, come on!"

Hel nodded to them before sprinting off after me. They stared after us wondering what was going on. "Sell!"

I paused for a heartbeat to face them. "Meeting!" I turned and raced off with Hel at my side disappearing among the buildings of the town.

Toc and Des shrugged to one another and walked back home in silence. "What do you think she talks about at meetings? Who all goes there besides her, dad, and Hel?"

Des shrugged. "She'll probably tell us one day. I guess we can't know about it right now because it might be a bit too dangerous out?"

Toc gave that a thought as they walked on going back into silence. "I wonder if she has enemies?"

"Everyone has one enemy or another, Toc." Des said slapping his brother on the back. "Don't you know anything?"

Toc winced at the slap. "Now that you mention it, Hel has been closer to her since they returned. He's also gone in the daytime and only comes back at night. Where as Sell stays with us the whole day and night."

Des chuckled at his brother's thinking. "He's her body guard. Dad said so. He got him a job as wall guard."

"What's a body guard need with a job when he already has one?"

Des groaned at his brother. "Geez, you don't listen to a thing dad says anymore, do you?"

"I might've been day dreaming about Camilla or Tracey." He gave his brother an embarrassed look and was smacked in the back of the head. "Ow!"

"Pay attention! Sell and Hel are doing things for dad since he isn't able to any more. Sell is even busier since…" Des broke off as his attention was taken by their father's friend standing there.

Lones strode towards them without a word. "You boy's know an awful lot about us."

"Sell tells us," Toc chimed in. "We weren't sure what was going on with dad but she found out. From then on she's been giving us information on things here and there. Nothing too great we don't think."

Lones stopped between them for a moment before walking on. "You two are her family so it's her job to handle family matters. If the evil capture's you for information, you're both good as dead."

The brothers watched him go. Chills went over their bodies from head to feet. They turned and sprinted back home without a word. Their sister had told them to get home, the words that their fathers friend had spoken had chilled them to the bone. Was the evil outside really that bad?

The door of the meeting room opened to allow Sell and Hel in. Shortly after Lones came knocking on the door and stepped inside once he was allowed in. Sell turned to the members that were just getting there or had already arrived. Hel flicked a quick glance about the room taking in the number of heads.

"We're all here now."

Sell took the podium as everyone sat in their places. All eyes trained on her. The lights were shut off except the ones on the edge of the room.

"The meeting has been called on short notice. I apologize for this in advance. It seems that there is something odd in the air today. I was informed by Lones that Hel and Rayr had sensed something coming from the mountains. They sensed it around middle of the afternoon or a little bit after."

A Lord stood then at this. "I sensed it too. From the village at the mountain base."

Another stood behind him. "It was felt on the other side as well."

"What is it?"

"What's going on?"

"Why didn't we sense this too?"

Sell raised her arms up to get their attention. All went quiet once more.

"It seems the ones that were closest to it could sense this. Hel, explain what was felt. Since Rayr cannot be taken into account right now."

Hel stood and walked to the podium. The Lords looked to the werewolf gentleman with alertness. Sell stood to the side not wanting to retake her seat.

"This sense was a strong tingling sensation that ran the course of my spine. Pins and needles pricked my body all over. This wasn't a normal burst of fear or some other sensation. This was energy that had seeped from the mountains. I've never felt something like this before and don't know how to explain what really went on inside me, this sense that came from the mountains is to not be let go lightly."

The Lords went into murmuring chaos amongst one another.

"Shall we call upon the others?"

"Is it that great?"

Sell gazed at them and sighed. "Ok, ok! Gentleman, please? We don't have time for petty worries right now!"

The Lord's turned their attention back on their Lady.

"The Lord at the base of the mountain. Gather your group and head up the pass. Check it out but do nothing. Report to me of your findings! From there another meeting will be held and I'll decide what to do. I'm sorry my father isn't here tonight. He's at home resting up."

Lones stood. "My Lady, the Lord's wish to know more about the idea of this plan that you have set upon the Lord."

"It's simple. We must not charge this unknown source without first checking it out. Once we have data on this source we will handle it swiftly." I gazed at the Lord's who were all quiet now. I nodded my head to Lones who took his seat once more. "Now, this meeting is over. The next meeting my father will be present to speak. Have a good night and be safe."

As the Lord's filed out of the door and headed for home I sank into a chair putting my head in my hands. I heaved a sigh of exhaustion and frustration. I hated to send a Lord out to check things out. I feared that he wouldn't be returning. What if it was the Dark Lord?

"Sell, it'll be alright. Lord Doyle will be fine. It's just a mission to see what's going on." Lones stood over me looking sympathetic for my sake. Hel placed an arm over my shoulders and brought my face against his chest.

"You need to rest like your father. I'll carry you home."

"Thank you, Hel. Thank you, Lones." I muttered feeling utterly exhausted by it all. I turned to Lones after being picked up by Hel. "Where's Skelar?"

"Sleeping." Lones murmured with a smile. "He doesn't need to drink milk at night. He gets drowsy afterwards and falls asleep soon after. He's on your couch."

Hel turned and headed out the iron door to return me to the safety of home. Tomorrow was the training on the parkour map but I began to wonder about it all. Was it really worth going? If so, how was I to use it against the Dark Lord? When and where was I to use it?

Hey guys!Hope you all are enjoying the story so far. Sorry if it's slacked 's going to be slack until the last I've got this crazy idea of how to wrap this book up and get the next one started!Stay tuned!You'll enjoy this crazy twist no doubt!