“I can sense it.”
Everyone exchanged worried looks.
The air grew thick with quiet tension. Falcon knew what they were thinking. They been underground for a long time, and they’d been without much food or water. They believed he was going mad down here. That perhaps all the stress and confined spaces had gotten to him and were driving him to say and see things that weren’t really there.
Finally, Aya spoke.
“Falcon. How could you possibly sense this place?”
“I didn’t. I told you I saw the golden light, and I followed it.”
“You just said that you sensed their energies.” Faith motioned over to the beings inside the crystals.
“Not at first.” He could hear the frustration increase in his voice. The doubtful look in their eyes also became more apparent with each passing second. Even Hiromy, of all people, was looking at him with fear on her face. “I saw the golden light and followed it. Once I got here I sensed their vague energies.” He looked around at all of them. They all remained quiet. “You guys have to believe me. I’m not crazy!”
“Calm down, Falcon.” Faith put her hand on his shoulder. “We’re just trying to help you. A lot of wielders went mad when they came close to the power of the Onagas. You know that. We’re just trying to make sure you’re well.”
He took a step back. “I’m fine!”
Indeed he recalled the stories that many men had gone berserk under the ancient power of the Onaga’s. The vague tales that had been recorded told of people who had murdered their own families, turned cannibalistic, or much worse. In many ways, these powers reminded him of those of a mind wielder, and he certainly didn’t feel he was under the control of any mind wielder.
His friends closed in.
“Let us help you, Hyatt.”
Falcon’s insides turned icy as he took in the bizarre turn of events.
Are they going to attack me? Maybe they’re the ones who are going mad!
Then, all of a sudden, the ground shook. It only lasted a second, and as quickly as it had begun, it stopped. Pebbles and dust that smelled of wet dirt fell from the ceiling. Falcon and Faith sneezed as dust made it into their nostrils.
“My apologies for this confusion,” a firm voice echoed through the room.
Falcon forgot all about his itchy nose and scanned the surroundings, searching for the source of the voice. A bright glare burst from within the center of the room. The outline of a large, husky figure could be seen in the middle of the light.
Ghost Knight? No. His armor is much slimmer
.
The light dimmed, revealing a golden-colored knight. A large, red cape fell from his shoulders.
Falcon looked at his friends, wondering whether they too were seeing this or he was once again imagining things. The shock in their faces made it clear that they were witnessing the same thing he was.
The newcomer’s armor clanked against itself as he faced Falcon and then raised his hand in greeting. “Salutations, savior of Va’siel. I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.”
Falcon’s jaw dropped. “Who? Whaaaa?”
“It appears that I’m still causing nothing but confusion.” The knight crossed his arms, and his armor dissolved away in a swirl of golden dust. A brown-skinned man with kind eyes stared back at him. “I’m Aadi, or as history has come to know me, the Golden Wielder.”
Chapter 18
Falcon’s head was reeling in doubt.
The Golden Wielder?
How could that be possible? He had lived over a century ago. Even if the man before him was indeed the Golden Wielder, he would have to be an old man by now, but the man before him looked to be in his early thirties. He wore a simple light brown shirt and pants. His hair was also a dark brown, and there was an earthy scent emitting from him. It reminded Falcon of the aroma of dirt after it had rained.
“You’re the Golden Wielder?” asked Sheridan. There was apprehension in his voice. “That’s impossible. Isn’t it er… sir?”
“I am a memory of the Golden Wielder,” said the man. “A recollection he left here many decades ago to be found by the savior of Va’siel.”
Sheridan looked more confused than before. He extended his hand and ran it through the Golden Wielder. The image of the man became distorted like a wave of smoke. Seconds later it recollected, and the man returned to normal. “So you’re not really here. I get that much. I still don’t understand why you left a memory of yourself. You did say you left this memory for the savior of Va’siel, and you’re the savior.”
“Please,” said the man, his soft eyes softening into a smile. “Call me Aadi. I always hated all those
sir
,
Golden Wielder,
and
savior
labels people put on me.”
“But you are a savior,” said Falcon. All doubt was now gone. He felt a familiar connection with the man before him, and somehow he knew that he was indeed the wielder of legend. “Everyone knows the story of how you defeated the alien creature that was taking the energy from the planet. Va’siel wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”
“That’s only one occasion,” added Aya. Apparently she too had made up her mind that this man was Aadi. Or perhaps she was playing along. Falcon wasn’t sure. “There were many other times you helped people in need.” She pointed at the crystals before her. “Like the time you defeated the seven Onaga clansmen.”
Aadi shrugged off the compliments. “No. I failed. Shal-Volcseck was the menace I never managed to locate. Even with my energy reading abilities, he eluded me for many years.”
“Volcseck!” The mere thought of him made Falcon’s heart fill with anger.
“I see that the power of chaos is within you, Falcon Hyatt,” said Aadi. “You are indeed the savior of Va’siel.”
The young wielders looked at each other in confusion.
“In my time a great calamity befell Va’siel, as you well know. The energies of the planet were being stolen. I found the creature that was responsible and put an end to him.”
“Yes, we know.” Falcon was well aware of the story that Aadi was relaying; he’d heard it more than enough times to know all the details.
“What you don’t know was that the energy the creature had taken couldn’t be returned to Va’siel at once because the sudden surge of energy would have destroyed the planet. The power needed to be put in a native of the land. This way, throughout their life they would release the power to the planet gradually, rather than all at once. Zoen and I placed it on a crystal where it lay dormant until someone who could control the power would be born. At that point the power would transfer to such person. It was highly unlikely that a being that could control all the elements would ever be born. Many, like my good friend, Zoen, thought it to be impossible. I, however, never had any doubt.” The Golden Wielder stared into Falcon’s eyes. “And here you are.”
Aya, who always looked to be on top of everything, seemed lost for once. “So all the power from the crystal went to Falcon when he was born. Is that why he can wield all the elements?”
The Golden Wielder nodded. “Yes, that’s correct. Good thing too. The crystal had only about three decades to go before it was unable to control the combination of energies. At the time it would have released all the power of the elements at once, and Va’siel would have ceased to exist.”
If Falcon’s world was spinning before, now it was somersaulting right before his eyes. He grabbed one of the crystals to keep his legs steady. His hands slipped on the polished texture, and he almost stumbled to the ground. At the last minute, Sheridan gripped him by the arm and pulled him up.
“It can be a lot to take in,” said Aadi.
No kidding!
Falcon took a breath and tried to think of things he liked. But not even the thoughts of his favorite foods and scents could change his uneasiness. “H…how can you just come out and tell me all this like it’s no big deal? Va’siel was on the brink of extinction.”
“Simple. I never doubted that someone who could control all the powers would be born.”
Falcon nodded his head unbelievingly. Aadi obviously was hugely optimistic. The total opposite of himself.
Aadi’s smirk turned into a frown. “However, even with you born, Va’siel faces certain doom.”
This time Sheridan spoke before Falcon could. “Volcseck!”
“Yes.” Aadi nodded his head. “I searched for him, but he did a superb job of concealing his powers. Many times I came close to getting him, but every time, something or someone got in the way.” He looked down at the crystal coffins.
“Zoen told me something similar,” said Falcon. He tried to keep his voice steady as his heart thumped against his ribs. He didn’t want to reveal to everyone what he felt. He was confused, angry, but most of all he was excited. Here he was, speaking with the legendary Golden Wielder. Perhaps he would provide a key or tactic as to how to defeat Volcseck once and for all.
“Once I realized I wasn’t going to find him,” Aadi pressed on, “I settled with leaving a memory here for you to find. Luckily for me, Zoen was gifted enough to help me with that little task.”
“How?” asked Falcon. “We found this place by accident. Had we not been searching for a shortcut, I would have never found you.”
“No. You were destined to come here. You might not have known it, but ever since you were born, you were destined to walk this hall. Everything happens for a reason, and this is no exception.”
“Say, I believe you,” said Falcon, opting to forego the idea that he did not believe in destiny. He liked to think that he made his own choices, and that they weren’t part of some large, elaborate scheme of the cosmos. “You’re nothing but a memory, a long lost echo of a man who lived long ago. How could you possibly help me now?”
“You’d be surprised at the power that a simple memory can possess.” For the first time, Aadi looked away from Falcon and turned to Faith. “You are the holy wielder that Volcseck searches for.”
“Yes, sir,” said Faith. “I am Faith Hemstath. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“No.” The Golden Wielder gave Faith a slight bow. “The honor is all mine. In many ways, you’re the key to Falcon’s success. It is your kind heart that must guide him when the darkness threatens to envelop him.”
“I’ll try my best,” said Faith, bowing slightly to Aadi as well. “May I ask a question, sir?”
“Certainly.”
“The stories mention that you could wield without an emblem? That is supposed to be impossible. How did you do it?”
Falcon looked at Faith curiously. Indeed there was no emblem on either of his hands. But he did not see the point to asking such a question at a time like this. What did it matter if the Golden Wielder could wield with or without an emblem?
Aadi eyed Faith from top to bottom, as if he had no trouble knowing why Faith would pose such a question. “Most wielders control the power of their element with the physical element they carry with them. I, however, carry mine within.” He brought his hands to his chest. “It lives inside of me. To tell you the truth, I don’t know much beyond that. I only know it was the energy given to me from my father when I was but an infant. I heard legends of other wielders who have managed to wield the same way, but I could not tell you how it’s done.”
Faith smiled warmly, seemingly content with the answer that only seeded more questions in Falcon’s head. “Thank you for the information, sir.”
The room suddenly shook, more viciously than the first time. A section of the wall broke into a web of cracks. Crystals moved from side to side but amazingly remained in place.
“I’m afraid there isn’t much time left,” said Aadi.
“Time for what?” asked Hiromy. She gazed around the room worriedly. “Is something coming?”
“The power of a memory comes at a price, and I’m afraid that it is one you’ll have to deal with.”
“
Deal with
?” Falcon didn’t like the sound of that.
Aadi grinned. “Don’t you worry. I’m certain that with the friends you have, you’ll have no problem disposing of it when the time comes.” He extended his hand toward Falcon. “Volcseck might have thought he had eluded me, but I have other ways to get to him.” A golden swirl of dust emitted from his hands and surrounded Falcon. It remained in constant motion around him for a moment.
“It’s so beautiful,” said Hiromy. She reached for the dust, but Sheridan pulled her back before she could touch it.
Once again, she pouted, but remained calm.
The swirl of golden mist flowed into Falcon, passing through his clothes and settling within him. He felt a strong, vibrant feeling infuse his very core. The energy of a thousand earth wielders raged within his chest. Strangely, it did not bother him in the slightest. An earthy taste of mana settled in his mouth.
When the last of the dust had disappeared into Falcon, Aadi brought his hands down. “To you, Falcon Hyatt, I give the power to sense energies. This will allow you track people and beings for miles, and in time, perhaps even continents away. My own personal earth shield now coats your body as well. It will provide some protection from any attacks, regardless of the element. However, Earth attacks are a different story. You are now impervious to all earth attacks, no matter the magnitude of the power.”
“Thank you,” said Falcon, unable to control his emotion. He was practically trembling with excitement. He had expected something great from the Golden Wielder, and he had not been disappointed. Now he was one step closer to matching Volcseck’s power. Even more, with his energy reading abilities, he would be able to track down his brother. He would finally be able to prove to everyone that Albert was still alive!
“Now,” said Aadi. “The power to read energies isn’t absolute. It can be used against you if you’re not careful. You will have to hone it as I did. If you do not, I’m afraid that you may not survive the incoming battle.”
“I
will
stop Volcseck!” Falcon assured Aadi. “That’s a promise.”
Aadi looked over at the crystals, his gaze settling on the cracks that were now becoming more apparent. “My hold on these prisons is weakening. Trust me when I say, Volcseck isn’t the only menace that can befall Va’siel.” Falcon noticed that Aadi was now looking at the crystal at the very end. It was the darkest of them all, making it impossible to see who or what was inside. “There are some beings that are even more ruthless than Volcseck.”
More ruthless than Volcseck? What was the Golden Wielder talking about?
“I wish I could explain further,” said Aadi. “However, it appears that our time together is about to come to an end.”
The image of Aadi had become ghostly white. While before it had appeared solid, it was now translucent. Clearly, most of the memory’s power had gone to Falcon.
“For the sake of Va’siel, I wish you the best of luck. I must return now to my beloved. Best fortunes to you.”
“Return to your beloved?” said Aya. She had been so quiet during the entire exchange that Falcon had almost forgotten she was there. “Surely she died long ago along with you.”
“
Dead?
I may not be as dead as some would believe me to be.” Aadi smiled at Aya. “You have a strong spirit, much like Ishani. She no doubt would have loved to have met you.”
Before anyone could say anything more, Aadi waved goodbye, and his image dissolved, leaving behind him a dozen unanswered questions.
As soon as Aadi disappeared, the ground trembled once more. This time, unlike the other time, however, there was a loud growl that accompanied the shake. It appeared to be coming from the grand, pillared hall where they had been traversing before Falcon started chasing the golden glow.
“The Golden Wielder—” began Sheridan, before Hiromy interrupted him.
“Aadi!” she said.
“What?” asked Sheridan.
“He said he wanted to be called Aadi,
not
Golden Wielder.”
“Anyhow,” said Aya. “
Aadi
…” She made it a point to look at her fellow water wielder when she said this. “…mentioned that there was a price to be paid for leaving a memory. Perhaps this is it.”
The wielders rushed out of the room and into the large hall. There was nothing that looked out of the ordinary, though Falcon could sense a strange sensation closing in. It was unlike anything he’d ever felt. There was a futuristic, alien aura hanging around it.
“Over there!” said Faith, pointing at a pitch-dark space between two pillars.
“I don’t see anyth—” He stopped speaking once he saw the two yellow eyes appear. They were large and glowed brightly, illuminating the path before them. Metal scratched against stone as a long body snaked out of the shadows. But this was no snake. No, this creature was definitely not a native of Va’siel. It was large and had a squid-like body, with eight long tentacles spreading from in front of it. Its entire body appeared to be made out of metal, with some type of strange cables running through holes in its tentacles. It had two circular cogs under its eyes, much like the ones Falcon had seen used in butter churns. With every move it took, it released a mass of steam from a pipe that came out from the top of its head.