Chapter 16
1674 Words
16
That voice wasn’t one I knew. I whipped my head up to see what was the matter and found myself kneeling before a large boulder. Around me were the tall stones of the Miamoran Stonehenge, but time had been reversed. The stones shone as though new and the second row stood tall and proud behind the first row. The sky was dark overhead and a soft mist floated out of the pond and surrounded me in its cool blanket.
Four figures stood on the other side of the stone. They were in pairs and all of them were men, but it was like looking at night and day. Two of them wore robes similar to the statues that stood before the hidden tomb. The other two wore simple leather garb. The fancy pair had blond hair, but the others were brown.
However, not all of them were strangers to me. One of those dressed in the robes was Ezra, the false gardener. He looked comfortable in those strange clothes and there was a softness to his features that I hadn’t seen the last time I saw him.
One of the fine men stepped forward. “You will not have our sacred place!”
“We mean you no harm,” one of the brown men argued as he swept his arm over the area. “We only mean to settle here and farm. That’s all we wish.”
The fine man sneered at him. “You wish also to worship Gad, and in doing so you will defile this place with those hollow chants!”
His companion grabbed his arm. “That is enough, Aiken. They only mean to live, as our people mean to do.”
My heart skipped a beat. Now I knew where I was. The past. The altar had born witness to these events, and now so was I.
But then, what was Ezra doing here?
Aiken shrugged off his friend’s hand and a bitter smile slipped onto his lips. “Live? We do not live, Ezra. We merely exist.”
“That is our curse to bear for our own pride against our god,” Ezra countered as he gestured to the other two men. “But can you not see that these people do not wish to cause us harm? They only wish to live as we have lived.”
Aiken sneered at him. “Were Fen here she would say you are a soft fool.”
Ezra stood straight and frowned at his friend. “Perhaps I am. Perhaps this curse has softened me to those in unfortunate circumstances while it has hardened Fen and your hearts against them.”
One of the other men stepped forward. “Please, my friends. We only wish to barter for some means of living-”
Aiken spun around and reached into his robe. He drew out a book and the pages flew open to the end. “Leave here or you and your descendants will regret your choice!”
His opponents stepped back and bone wings burst from their backs. “If you wish to fight then we will not back down!” one of the men challenged him.
A crooked grin slipped onto Aiken’s lips. “I do not wish to fight. I wish to destroy you.” He raised the book and his voice boomed over the ring of stones. “Pale men before me, know you no rest as your bones reveal your true selves!”
The mist around us spun themselves into ghostly strands that swirled around the pair of men.
“No, Aiken!” Ezra cried out as he lunged at his friend. They tussled, and the book clattered to the ground.
Unfortunately, the deed was done. The mist clung to the men and sank beneath their clothes to enter their flesh. They cried out in pain and clutched their left arms as they dropped to their knees. Their shirt sleeves burned away and revealed their burning flesh. The skin melted away and revealed their bones.
One of the men let out a cry of horror and anger. He pushed off from the ground and lunged at the fighting Miamorans. The dragon swiped his bone hand at Aiken and the sharp fingers sliced deep into the man’s side. Aiken let out a scream and toppled to the ground.
Ezra dropped to the ground beside him and grabbed his shoulder. He pressed his hand over Aiken’s bleeding wound and his fingers were soon drenched in his friend’s life.
The dragon stumbled back with wide eyes. “We cannot stand against them without help!” his companion shouted. They stumbled away, leaving the pair alone in the mist.
“We must flee before they bring their men!” Ezra insisted.
Aiken tried to stand, but he fell back onto the ground with a sharp cry. He clutched at the wound on his side and winced. “Whatever they find of me is theirs to keep for my Anima will have sailed to Elysium.”
Ezra grabbed his friend’s arm and tried to drape it over his shoulders. “I will not let you die alone!”
Aiken pushed him away. “Leave me! You have already forsaken our friendship for these heathens! Forsaking my body is of little matter compared to that!”
“Then let me take the book!” Ezra pleaded as he held out his hand.
Aiken clutched the book against his chest and shook his head. “No, Ezra. You will not have its secrets to undo what has been done. Only tell my sister what has transpired and tell her that I protected our legacy.”
Ezra stood and drew away. “I wish things had turned out differently, old friend.”
Aiken chuckled. “So do I. Now leave me.”
Ezra cast a long, last look at his friend before he turned and fled. Aiken waited until Ezra had disappeared before he clenched his teeth and dragged himself across the ground toward me. He stopped at the other side and pressed his hand against the stone. I heard something click and Aiken pushed the book out of sight. The click came again and a smile crossed his face.
“The deed is done. May you-” A coughing fit overtook him and blood was splattered over the rock. He leaned his shoulder against the stone and chuckled. “May you finish my work, my dear Fen.” His head fell against the stone and his eyes closed. A faint light appeared around him like a halo, but soon even that faded.
I slid my hand across the rock and walked around to the other side to stand before Aiken. The man looked to be asleep, but the blood had stopped flowing and the life had left his flesh. I knelt before this shattered man and noticed his bloodied hand was pressed against the stone.
I followed his arm and my eyes widened. There, clear as day above his hand, were three figures standing side-by-side, their hands locked together. “Three murals. . .” I whispered.
I reached out to touch the figures, but my hand leaving the stone jolted me back to the church. It was like having all the air sucked out of me and pushed back inside. I dropped onto both knees and clutched my chest where I could feel my heart beating to a quick rhythm.
“Jane!” Caius cried out as he flew to my side. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
I couldn’t reply. Instead, I raised my eyes to the cloth-covered altar and furrowed my brow. I grabbed the sheet and flung it over itself to reveal the table beneath. It was the stone from my vision, aged with cracks but unmistakable.
And there, right before our eyes, stood the three stick figures.
Caius gaped at the find before he whipped his head to me. “One of your visions?”
My gaze remained on the figures as I nodded. “Yeah.”
“What’s going on?” Marcus spoke up from his spot behind us. “Is Jane all right?”
A smile curled onto Caius’ lips as he studied me. “More than all right. She may have just found my cure.”
The good father’s eyes widened. “The book of which you spoke? Then the altar-”
“Once stood where the Hopping Stones are,” I confirmed. I bit my lip as I pressed my hand against the stone over the figures. “But I didn’t see how he opened-” The familiar soft click bespoke my success.
A small hidden door below the figures, one that completely blended in with the rocks, popped open. I reached in and my hand touched upon a soft object. I drew it out and beheld a book of great age. Its leather cover was curled and stained by time and its poor hiding spot, but the binding still held together the yellowed pages. The same three-pointed star surrounded by a circle proved its relationship with the tomb. I opened to some of the first pages and recognized the Miamoran script.
“You found it!” Marcus hollered as he leapt up and down. “You found the Miamoran book of spells!”
I looked over my shoulder at Caius. There was reluctant hope in his eyes, and I grasped his hand and gave him a smile. “Maybe. Just maybe.”
He grinned. “Just maybe, but let’s get this over to your grandfather to see if it’s true.”
“Race you there!” Marcus shouted as he made for the door.
“Not you!” Caius yelled back as we rose to our feet.
Marcus skidded to a stop and looked over his shoulder. His lips protruded in a pout. “Why not?”
“Because we’re only going to go get them,” Caius told him. “We’ll come back and have Sage read the book in the firelight of Father Ferrero’s fireplace.”
Marcus’ shoulders slumped. “But I want to go with you. And what about the baron?”
Caius raised his gloves arm. “Don’t you want to see this end?”
Marcus puffed out his chest. “Of course I do! That’s why I want to go with you and find them!”
We walked up to Marcus and Caius clapped his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You can stay here and help the father prepare a great celebration feast, and we’ll be back before you know it.”
The good father walked up behind Marcus and grasped his shoulders as he smiled at us. “We will be sure to have more food than you can imagine.” Marcus pressed his lips out in a pout and turned his face away.
Caius sighed, but looked to the father. “We’ll be back within an hour.”
Father Ferrero smiled and nodded. “We’ll be waiting for you.”
- Writer
