The Awakening (The Stones of Revenge) (14 page)

Landon watched as the noise continued to grow louder and the black changed into a different color. Eventually he could see hues of red and orange intermixing with the black as the large room began to become brighter and brighter.

Unsure of what was happening all he could do was cover his ears and try to melt into the rock face. Minutes passed as the room began to glow and a warmth passed over Landon’s body. Suddenly, from over the edge of the cliff visible tongues of fire leapt into the air. They continued upward reaching into the ceiling high above as the heat in the room intensified. A being of immense heat and flame was rising to meet Landon and give him his death.

All Landon could do was crouch there, bent over in pain hoping the end would be swift. He watched the being rise higher and higher, and Landon wondered if its body ever had an end. He could feel the room grow hotter and hotter yet he never seemed to sweat. He turned back toward Gavin and saw that in his sleep, Gavin began to sweat profusely. Confusion and dread poured over Landon.

The noise grew louder and louder until all at once the screech ended. Silence engulfed the room. But it was only brief for almost immediately it was followed by a horrendous voice. Landon wasn’t positive but it appeared to come from the flame creature floating in the chasm before him.

“You have breathed your last,” It hissed at him. “Death’s cold embrace shall wash over you.” Landon thought about the bandit he had killed and remembered how the man had shivered before his final breath. He imagined how cold death must feel and began to shiver himself. He wanted to stand before the creature but he was too afraid to. He sat back into the wall curled in a ball and closed his eyes. He imagined he was not in this dark place but rather back on his farm tending to his animals.

As the heat and light intensified, the being cast an explosion of fire at Landon. Landon could feel the flames all around him, burning his skin, melting his flesh. He could feel the intense pressure from the fire burning all of the oxygen from his lungs. He wanted to cry out in pain and anguish but he couldn’t. He pulled his legs tighter into himself, and prepared for the torment to end and the death that awaited him.

He could hear the creature continue to taunt him, but tried his best to ignore it. Eventually he lost the battle and the creature’s voice grew louder in his ears until all he could think about and see were images of death. He cried out in his mind,
stop!
  But the demon creature continued to embattle him. He cried out again in his mind,
stop it, please!
But still the torment continued until finally he yelled in a loud voice, “Stop!” Immediately, the voice was silenced. Landon opened his eyes and saw that he was free from the conflagration. The flames spouting from the creature weren’t as big as they had been only a minute before. He also noticed that his skin and clothes were fine. There was no trace of the fire that had been consuming him. The creature looked confused.

Landon looked at the fire and said again, but calmly this time,” Stop.” The tongues of fire folded back into the demon. Landon stood with more confidence. “Go back to where you came!” he commanded, and obediently the evil entity lowered itself down into the darkness. Feeling ever so confident and beginning to understand that he held some authority over whatever this creature was he followed with, “Return never again to this place.” The creature let out a sad squeal then disappeared rapidly into the void. Landon stood in the darkness unsure of what had transpired. He tried to understand, but nothing made sense.

Then, he heard a noise coming from Gavin’s direction. He turned to see then remembered it was too dark. He called out, “Gavin, are you alright.” No response. He called out again, “Gavin.” This time he was answered. But instead of Gavin’s voice, he was greeted by a wild eyed man holding a torch running up the steps to his location. It was Mavin. Landon recoiled not sure what the man was going to do. Mavin stopped in front of him and looked Landon square in the eye. He stood there for a long minute before saying, “Food, Life, Water, Death.”

Landon was bewildered. This man had just uttered the words on his ring. Landon stood before him confused and angered. He remembered the strange incident in the chamber when Mavin seemed to be examining him. He wondered how he had seen the inscription. Then it occurred to him. Everything he had experienced until this day flashed through his mind. The fire at the farm, the fire at Adela’s on the edge of the forest, and now his command over this fire creature from the deep. It all fell into place. All three of these events had one thing in common.

“Fire,” Landon returned. That’s the answer to the riddle is it not?”

“We must away,” Mavin said. “We have many things to discuss.” Agreeing, Landon walked over to Gavin and hoisted him onto his shoulders. Mavin took the lead as they dashed back to the shelter.

Chapter Fourteen

Unmasked Conspiracies

Back in the chamber Landon laid Gavin on his bed and shut the door so he and Mavin could speak privately. Mavin moved over to his chair in the center of the room and motioned for Landon to sit opposite him. For a few moments they sat in awkward silence waiting for the other to speak first. As Mavin sat silently, he watched Landon intently. His eyes were unflinching. Landon felt his cold stare burn into him. Feeling guilty, he broke the silence.

“We should not have entered the tunnels as you forbade. I apologize.” Mavin sat stone-faced continuing his hard gaze. Landon sat in his chair uneasily. He decided to try again. “What was that creature anyway?” Landon asked slowly. Still he received no response except from those piercing gray eyes. Feeling defeated, and as though he were about to be sent to his room, he looked down at the ring on his hand; his father’s ring engraved with a riddle. The answer to the riddle was fire.  But now there was a plethora of new questions.
Why fire? Does that have significance? Is it a clue to some other truth?
These questions and others made Landon wish desperately that Godfrey with all of his knowledge was here guiding him. He needed someone familiar right now. Instead he was stuck with a crazy coot and an unconscious egomaniac. He spun the ring around on his finger while entertaining these thoughts.

“Food, life, water, Death,” Mavin said calmly. “It is inscribed in your ring is it not?”

“How could you possibly know that?” Landon said with curiosity and indignation.

“I am a keeper of knowledge of many things. And I know exactly what lies upon your finger. You see, tonight was a test. I knew full well that if you were who I thought you were, you would never have stayed away from the tunnels. The Son of Jediael could never let that opportunity slip away; he could never ignore the curiosity.”

“Excuse me, sir! I find it quite unreasonable for you to sit there in mystery expanding on truths about me when I know not who you are.”

“I have lived alone for these many years thus I have gotten used to mystery and have forgotten my manners. Earlier I mentioned my name was Mavin. Forgive me, but that was a lie. In truth, it is Aldous.”

“Aldous? Aldous the Wise from Ellington?!”

“Aye, that is me.”

“Then, in truth, you are the man I have been seeking!” Landon said excitedly.

“Indeed, I used to be an important figure in Ellington atop the mountain. However, my . . . er . . .  hobbies, have run into conflict with the present authorities, and I am now forced to live underground.”

“By ‘hobbies’ you mean your study of science?”

“Your skills of observation rival your father’s. Correct, I am a scientist, and the Sovereign does not take lightly to that. In fact, can you recall the last time you ever met a scientist?”

“You would be the first,” Landon said after stopping to think.

“As is expected. Many years ago we were forced to cease our inquiries or face the gallows. Many of us chose the former, but I refused. At first, the authorities were afraid to arrest me because of my high standing in the city and the many lives I had saved, but eventually Elton came to power. He wanted a way to establish his legacy as well as look great before the other Lords, so he ordered my arrest. However, I had many people in the city who were loyal to me and alerted me of the danger. I packed what I could and left town. There was a shack at the base of the mountain that a peasant family lived in ages ago. I rebuilt it and lived in it, changing my name so none could find me. I practiced my science in secret but knew that one day I would be found. So, I built these tunnels and caverns.”

“Wait, you built all of this by yourself?”

“Science, my dear boy, it can do wonders.”

“And, yet, it is forbidden.”

“That is a story for another time. Suffice it to say, it is an unknown, and people fear the unknown.”

“How did Gavin know you lived here?” Landon asked.

“I aided him long ago. One day, a young man appeared at the shack requesting assistance. He had been pierced through the arm with a sword and he was slowly bleeding to death. I was above ground gathering supplies when I found him staggering about. As I reached him, he fainted in my arms, and I pulled him underground with me. I healed his injuries, and after a few weeks, he went on about his way. I left a secret mark for him in the door of the shack and told him that if he ever needed my aid again, to retrieve it.”

“You must know that Gavin now works for Lord Malchus. If he knew who you really were, your life would be in grave danger.”

“I am aware of that fact,” Aldous said coolly. Landon paused to remember why Gavin was sent with him in the first place.

“Malchus said he wanted me to discover the ring’s power, but I have always suspected an ulterior motive. Malchus knew I was searching for answers and forced me to ride with Gavin to find you. He must have wanted Gavin to bring you back with us to be hanged. We cannot linger. We must away!”

“And where would we go? All of my life is here. I have spent enough of my life running and hiding just to do it all over again. Gavin is lying in the next room unconscious, and as far as he knows my name is Mavin. Besides, down here is the best place to refine your skill. There will be others, and we must be ready for them.”

“Others?” Landon asked confused.

“Aye, other enemies who we, or you, must stand against. You must be prepared.”

Settling down Landon agreed to keep the secret between them, but he still had more questions. “You still have not answered my first question, then. What was that creature in the cavern?”

“The easiest answer is that it is a demon from ages past whose name is unpronounceable. Long did it inhabit the mountain bringing destruction and death upon the village of Ellington. After the successful completion of the cap, the demon unleashed its full fury upon the villagers, but the ingenious creation stifled the blow resulting in only destruction of the mountain itself.”

“Wait, do you mean to say that the stories of the volcano having a personality are true, and that it was a demon?” Landon inquired.

“Aye, as incredible as it sounds, that is the truth.”

“But it obeyed
me.
”

“That is because your ring has the ability to control it.  The fiend must listen to you as it would its master.”

“What do you know of my ring? Is it some sort of demonic weapon?”

“I have searched and studied for these stones for many years. While others have sought to find them, I have sought to become an expert on them. The stone gives the wielder the power to control an element of nature. In your case, considering the way you handled the creature, yours would be fire. This is why I suspect your father had the riddle engraved on your ring. He wanted you to discover this secret because only then could you learn to wield the ring’s power. It must come from within you. You cannot be told about it, nor can you force someone else to wield the power. It is only something learned, controlled, and perfected from within. As to your second question, I do not know.”

“But why did it happen now? Why haven’t I been able to control fire before?”

“I suspect you have, you just didn’t realize it. Can you think of a time since acquiring your ring that you have been around fire lately?” Aldous asked.

Landon thought about his life since getting the ring from Godfrey. There were numerous times he had been around fire. “Just prior to my leaving, my farm was nearly destroyed by fire from a lightning strike.”

“And were you experiencing any strong emotions at this time?”

“I don’t believe so. I was sleeping when it started; the fire woke me.”

“Do you remember what you were dreaming about?” Aldous pushed. Landon thought hard for a moment.

“It was a recurring dream that has been plaguing me recently. There is a hooded man who stalks me.”

“Was there anything abnormal about this dream?”

“Well, this time was slightly different. He attacked me during a lightning storm, but he was struck by lightning and disappeared. Then, I awoke to the sound of my barn on fire.”

“Hmmm,” Aldous replied as though piecing together a puzzle. Have there been any other instances where fire and-or lightning have occurred?”

“Aye, the night before Gavin and I entered the Arden there was another lightning storm which struck the edge of the forest.”

“And were you experiencing any strong emotions this time?”

“I was furious at Gavin for a discussion we had had. I went outside to compose myself, when I noticed lightning in the distance.” Landon paused. He suddenly remembered how quickly the storm had moved across the land. It reached the edge of the forest within a matter of minutes. He assumed the advent of the strong wind had aided it. He related this to Aldous.

“And what was happening when the forest caught fire?”

“I was thinking about my father.”

“What about your father, specifically?” Aldous probed.

Landon closed his eyes to remember exactly what he was thinking when the forest went ablaze. “I was mad at Gavin . . . I didn’t want him on this journey with me . . . I was feeling as though my privacy was being ripped away from me,” Landon muttered. “Then, the lightning struck the trees.”

“Were you wearing your ring during both instances?” Aldous asked.

“Aye, I have not removed my ring since it was returned to me with the inscription.”

“From Godfrey no doubt,” Aldous interrupted.

“Wait, how did you –”

“I know many things. I am surprised he sent you to see Daxis before me. But that is neither here nor there. Please continue.” Landon felt a little uneasy relating his story to Aldous. It was as though the man already knew what he was going to tell him.

“So, I wore the ring to bed the night my farm was burned. And the fire near the Arden was nearly a week later.”

“Since you did not hold anything back, I know you are a man of truth. I will aid in your training. But you must always keep in mind that this training will not be easy. I will ask you to do things that may be painful at times, but you must master your ring if you are to save us from the coming danger.”

“What coming danger?”

“There will be time for talk later. Presently, we must begin your training.”

“Wait! One last question: How did my father know that this ring would allow me to control fire?”

“That is one answer I do not know,” he said with great sadness. He then walked over to a small candle sitting on the opposite side of the room, picked up a flint, and lit it. “You must sustain this candle. In about one minute, it will burn itself out. Your task is to keep it burning for as long as you can. Remember, your power comes from within. Emotions are your strongest ally, so use them. Anger and fear are the strongest emotions. Either may serve you in this task, but only you can decipher how to use them.

And with that, Aldous blew out all the other candles and left Landon sitting alone with the faint light from the miniscule candle before him. Landon sat and stared at the tiny flame.
How am I supposed to use fear or anger to keep this flame going?
He thought. About a minute later, as Aldous predicted, the flame began to flicker. From the other room Landon could hear Aldous already asleep, snoring loudly. He thought back to the first three times he had controlled the fire without realizing it. First, it was the dream where he was afraid of the hooded man. Then, it was at the forest when he was furious. The last time had been in the cavern when he felt terrified.

Both the first and last times he had felt fear. Fear seemed to work most often. Therefore, he thought perhaps he should try to scare himself.
But how do you scare yourself?
He paused for a minute, then shouted. It was so loud that it echoed many times in the small cave and made himself jump. From the bedroom, Aldous’ snoring halted briefly. A minute later the rhythmic breathing began again. The candle flickered, then went out. “So much for that idea,” he murmured. He felt stupid for trying it.

Sitting in the darkness, he was resolved to make another effort. He knew that Aldous had left the flint somewhere on the table, but in the darkness it was impossible to see anything. He reached out to feel around. His hand first caught the edge of the table. Then he moved his hand slowly outward and felt the rough edges of the candle. It was surprisingly cool. Next, he moved his hands to the left side of the candle and stumbled upon two jagged pieces of rock. He grasped them and held them in front of his face. Firmly, he struck them together creating a spark. Then, he held them out over the candle and struck them again. The candle caught fire.

Realizing that his last attempt was an utter failure, Landon decided to scare himself in another way. He looked at the open hallway toward the tunnels and pretended someone was watching him from there. He imagined eyes staring at him, following his every move, and an evil figure ready to attack him at any moment. All the while Landon stared at the flame. Then, suddenly, without warning, the room went dark.

He felt around the table upon which the candle sat to find the flint once more. His hand landed on it, and he relit the flame. Setting the flint back down, he realized that while imagining someone watching him was eerie, it did not produce fear. This emotion did not seem to be working. Disappointed, he thought to try anger. He knew he only had a minute, but he quickly thought of all the things which angered him.