Destiny's Kingdom: Legend of the Chosen (31 page)

The Avè studied Quade, his eyes seemingly searching, his thoughts deep and serious. "You're talking in circles, Quade. There's more to this than what you've told me," he said.

"Yes… a lot more."
 

The Avè leaned back, paused for a moment but never looked away. "You've come here for my help then."

"I've come because I was guided here by messengers of the gods." Even as Quade said the words they sounded strange and maniacal, like delusions of a madman's mind. He shook his head as he continued. "That and a strange riddle that somehow made sense to me though it was, at best, ambiguous. I've dreamt of P'cadia incessantly, though I never knew what it was. The messengers told me that here was where I needed to go, where answers might be found. The riddle said, 'in desperate times, seek here, the Avè. And so, here I am.'"

"What else did the messengers tell you of me?" The Avè seemed indifferent by the oddity of what Quade felt like he was saying.

"Nothing but the Avè was the one that I should seek." Quade thought to himself for a moment, and the memory of the vision he'd been given earlier that day flashed through his mind, all the destruction, the hopelessness, the horror of what had been told would be the outcome of his own world if he couldn't figure out a way to stop it. He winced from a pain in his head as a result of the memory.
 

"Quade, you come here for my help and yet you won't you let me help you."

He looked up at the Avè, who had leaned forward now and was staring at him with a disconcerting intensity. His tone was stern and serious, and though Quade opened his mouth to speak, the words fell silent on his lips. Summoning his voice, he tried to explain.

"I was told…"

"I don't know what you were told, Quade. But you leave me no choice but to see for myself what it is that you need."
 

The Avè reached his hand toward Quade's forehead and then he drew it back, moving his finger in a circular motion as though he were stirring a pot in midair, in front of Quade's eyes. He gasped as he felt the flood of his thoughts being brought to the forefront of his mind, but found he could not move away. Images began to appear from his childhood, things he hadn't thought of for years past, and he could see them clearly as though watching them happen, playing out in mid-air in the space between himself and the Avè. It was as though he were an observer of his own memories, and they were happening again as he watched, as the Avè watched, as he pulled them from the depths of Quade's mind.
 

The Avè made a motion with his hand, and again Quade's head wrenched from the intrusion. In a blur, and in the matter of a few seconds, every moment of his life raced before his eyes, until the events of the past few months began to play out on the air between them. Everything he'd done, everything he'd seen, the emissaries, the dreams, the visions, the voices, all were replayed in fast forward, relived as they watched. It took only a few minutes, and when it was over, the Avè let go his lock on Quade's mind, and Quade slumped to the stone table, physically exhausted and emotionally drained. He kept his face buried in his folded arms for several minutes, recovering from the experience, and when he finally did have the strength to turn his head and look out from beneath his long hair which hung across his eyes, he saw that the Avè was sitting silently, lost in thought. The older man held his face in his hand as he leaned against the table, and Quade stared at the rings on his fingers, finding that to be an easy thing to do. After what seemed like a rather long silence, Quade finally willed his lips to speak.

"Can you… help me, Avè?" The effort for these few simple words was enormous and even the weight of his eyelids seemed a burden for him to lift. The Avè looked down to him with a cocked brow, then reached out and casually placed his palm on Quade's temple. He immediately felt his energy return, and straightened upright when the Avè removed his hand.

"Tell me something of the one who told you the riddle of P'cadia."
 

"That's Clea," Quade paused and frowned. "But you were inside my mind, pulled my thoughts out right before me with no effort at all, saw everything there was to see. Why do you need to ask me anything now?"

"Indeed I saw your mind, Quade, but I did not pause to examine it all." The Avè spoke slowly. "'Tis much living one does in twenty-four years. In a minute or two I've not the time to review your life, nor do I have the need. The thoughts most prevalent in your mind are the ones I see without trying. Kitrina's bedroom, Tal-Min Vista. They speak to me, without your knowing. I saw the events you've been experiencing… but not all the details surrounding them."

"I wouldn't even know where to begin telling you about Clea. I've known her since we were children, she's Trina's best friend. And when I spoke of P'cadia, from the urging of the emissaries, she told me a riddle. A riddle that she said would bring me here to you, and that I should be able to understand it, if I were 'truly who I appeared to be'. Hmm…" Quade thought for a moment, paused to recall. "I never thought about that part until just now. After a little thinking, the riddle did make sense. I've been to this planet before, years ago."

The Avè nodded, as though he knew this. "And where is Clea now?"

"I don't know, Avè. She left me behind even as I tried to pursue her. She told me the riddle and then she disappeared."

"'Tis no surprise. But you must find her, Quade. You must bring her here to P'cadia. She has much knowledge."

"I don't know how I'll do that." Quade shook his head. "It seems that I've got so much I have to do, and my time runs short. I have only three days."

"Perhaps four." A little startled, Quade looked up at the man who sat across from him, and the Avè leaned forward as he began to speak. "Our world is weaved intricately with legend and lore, Quade. Our history is defined by the stories that have been passed down as truths. 'Tis a deep burden you carry, and at the forefront I sense that you fear you cannot save the Keystone."

Quade looked down, feeling strangely relieved that there was finally someone with whom he could share this scenario. "Perhaps the life of one man seems trite considering the future of the entire galaxy is at stake. But he is the most noble man I know, has treated me with more kindness and respect than anyone in the world. And he is Trina's father." He looked down at Trina's amulet which he still held in his hands, squeezed it gently. "It's true that I fear I cannot save him. That no matter what I do, he is destined to die."

Here is where I offer my help, my young friend." The Avè held his hands cupped together and reached out toward Quade. "There is a legend among Avès that when this prophecy does come to pass, one will come seeking answers to a question he does not even know. You ask without asking if I can help you to save the Keystone and the answer Quade, is yes." He opened his hands, revealing what was within.

"This is a lararium, Quade. Do you know what that means?" Quade shook his head as he stared at the item in Avè's open palms. "By definition, a lararium is a shrine and they come in many forms. Some are buildings, some are rooms. This lararium is an ancient sphere. The greatest and most important larariums are given a name, a title. And this particular object is a most important shrine, one that is unique unto itself, and unlike any other thing ever created in the world." The Avè paused for a moment as he held the object, examined it with a particular interest and his voice lowered just a bit as though what he was saying were of great value and mystery. "This lararium is called the Shrine of Animus, and it was created for the one who comes bearing the riddle of P'cadia, which has been given to him by one of the Chosen. It dates back farther than recorded time, before any written history, it is older than any man-made creation and in our galaxy predates man himself." The lararium fit in the palm of the Avè's hand, was
 
round and hollow, and fashioned of thick, cut crystal. "The Avès have been the keepers of this lararium which has been passed down through the ages, whose creation was deemed by the gods themselves. The purpose of the Avè is largely based on its safekeeping. And now, Quade Decairus, I bestow it upon you, because it is yours."
 

Quade stared in wondrous amazement as he reached toward the object. "Shrine of Animus?" he asked. "It doesn't look much like a shrine." With great purpose, the Avè placed the sphere in his hand. Quade's voice caught the minute that he held it. "Oh… but it is." His fingers wrapped lightly around it, and he began to smile then chuckle quietly.

"What is it, Quade?"

"It sings to me." Quade rolled the sphere over in his palm and stared at it, marveling at the exquisitely cut surface, the prism of light that played off its perfectly clear diamond designs. Nothing he'd ever held in his hand had felt quite so right.
 

"It does not sing to me, nor has it ever sung before this day."
 

"No," said Quade, "it sings just to me." He continued to stare at it fondly, held it up between them as the humming coo sounded in his – and only his – ears. "Tell me please, how it works, Avè. How can I use this to save the Keystone? What will it do?"

"It will cleanse the body of all things ethereal, natural and unnatural. The extent of its true power has never been discerned. And it is a powerful object, Quade. Your wish to save the Keystone is merely a fraction of what it can do. It was made for you and you alone, only you can harness the magic it contains." Quade continued to examine the lararium and then the Avè handed him something new. "This you will need as a conduit to aid in what you must do." The new object held out to him was also made of crystal, though it was smooth and the surface was dull. It consisted of two parallel rods that were joined at the top by a platinum bracket and at the bottom by a circular cap. As the Avè held it out, the sphere floated toward it, positioned itself directly below the platinum cap and hovered there, its calming trill still sounding in Quade's ears. It was more narrow than the sphere was wide, and was perhaps twice as long.
 

The Avè pointed to its two mounted brackets, and Quade noticed that they were affixed with identical saucer shaped altars at the top . "For this deed you will need two personal objects that belong to the Keystone, one that is pure of the taint…"

"…and one from after the taint." Quade finished the sentence, and looked to the Avè, smiled when the older man nodded his head with some surprise.

"You will bring the Keystone into the view of this object, holding it in front of you until he is directly center in the sights." Quade reached to grasp the conduit and held the device out in front of him, lining up random spots in the sights of the object. "Then you will see it do its work." The sphere followed every move of the crystal conduit, maintaining its position beneath the platinum cap.

"However…there are risks, Quade, and of these you must beware. It is essential that the Keystone not see that you are doing this. Possessed as he is, he must not be allowed to know what you are attempting to do. After you have used the lararium to cleanse him, you must bring it back to me, back to P'cadia, where I will finish this deed. Here in P'cadia is only where it can be completed. Bring it back to me, Quade, and there is hope that the Keystone can be saved."

Two pouches appeared in the Avè's hand, one purple silk and one of black suede, and the Avè touched each one with his palm, and as he did it shimmered with iridescent light. "These bags are now protected, Quade. The one which will harbor the tainted object shall be this." He held up the suede pouch. "And the bag which will contain the object that is clean shall be this." The shiny silk of the purple pouch seemed appropriate for this task. "Now then," the Avè continued, placing the bags both in Quade's hands. "The protection spell that I've imbued in these pouches will allow you to carry the tainted object close to you without harm, and keep harm away from that which is pure. They must both be acquired to make this deed work, Quade. And you must be absolutely sure of their condition." Quade nodded, stowed the little pouches inside his jacket pocket.

"I can do this," Quade said, clutching the Shrine, reaching into another pocket and depositing it there. "Finally! Something I can do! And by doing this, will it help to save our world? Will the SanFear be destroyed? What else do you know of this legend?"

"Ah, I see now all the questions begin. Of the legend, I know all that you know now, Quade. And I know that the Shrine of Animus can capture the SanFear. Soon, I will know all there is to know but there is only so much I can tell you at this moment. I've questions of my own, and a higher power to whom I must pose them. You will wait here, while I get answers to what I will be able to reveal."

"Oh, I can't wait any longer, Avè." Quade stood as the Avè did, gathering Trina's amulet and putting around his neck. "I've not much time… the Keystone is in seclusion…what if he doesn't appear until tomorrow night at Twilight Bloom? How can I do this deed without him knowing what I'm up to? Once its done then, I'll come back to you, but there's still two more of this entity that I have to find! I wasted so much time, Avè! Wasted time thinking that I was insane!"

Suddenly, the emissaries appeared. Right before his eyes, both of them, and Mimic's voice was chiding and shrill as Quade looked at them in shock.

"At last he finally admits the time he has squandered! So stubborn he was, as—"

The Avè scowled and with a brush of his hand commanded, "Be gone from P'cadia!" and the emissaries blew away and disappeared. Quade laughed.

"How did you do that?" He leaned in toward the Avè. "And furthermore, can you teach me? You can't imagine how many times I've wished for the power to do what you just did."

"P'cadia is my place." The Avè smiled, tapped the side of his head. "With a key, one may enter but no one, no thing, will stay without my consent."

"You can see now, my dilemma. Why I thought I was going mad."

"Hearing voices in your head, having mythical creatures appear before your very eyes…'tis no wonder that you thought you were insane."