The Destiny of Amalah (44 page)

When the end of the second year came and it was time for the two of them to return to Amalah, Rail took them to one side.

‘Do not discuss what I have taught you here in Amalah,’ he ordered them.

‘Why not?’ Rufus asked.

‘Because if it were discovered, you would not be allowed to return and I have so much more to teach you.’

‘But Rail…’ Rakan began.

‘But nothing Rakan, trust me I have your interests at heart. When you return I am sure that you still will have to be under supervision when you use magic’s. If anyone there were to find out about the magic’s you have invoked you would not be allowed to return and all the work you have done and everything you have achieved will have gone to waste if you cannot return to complete it.’

‘Very well,’ Rakan said reluctantly. ‘But it pains me to have to hide and curb my powers.’

‘One day you will not have to,’ Adriel promised. ‘One day you will be truly free and you will fulfil a great destiny, but for now you are vulnerable, so please -refrain from the magic’s I have taught you.’

‘As you wish,’ Rakan agreed.

‘I will,’ Rufus said.

‘Good, now good journey to the both of you,’ Rail said before he turned and left them alone to pack and return to Amalah.

When they arrived back in Amalah City so much had changed but many things remained the same: Amara was still governing Amalah and the nations, Kalon and Ellora were still together and Waldon and Kenaz were now officers of the guard and stationed at the palace – and to their surprise – their fathers’ had relaxed the rules on their use of magic but not completely.

Since his return, Rakan had noticed that his brother was restless and when they were alone one night, he asked him what was making him that way.

‘I have been thinking about my life and which direction it is going,’ Kalon began. ‘And of late, I have come to realise it is going nowhere.’

‘What makes you say that?’

‘The fact that all of you have moved on and are doing something with your lives. Waldon and Kenaz are part of the guard and you and Rufus are on your way to becoming sorcerers.’

‘Ellora is still here.’

‘She is the princess.’

‘So?’

‘She does not have to go anywhere. Her life and her destiny are already set and it is right here in Amalah City.’

‘Don’t you want to share your life and destiny with her?’

‘Yes, more than anything. I love her more than I could ever have imagined, right to the core of my being and with all of my heart.’

‘But you seem to be unsure Kalon.’

‘Of Ellora and my love for her – no. But I need to do something for myself, to carve out something for myself.
I need to be more!
’

‘I understand,’ Rakan said, nodding his head. ‘Do you know what you want to be?’

‘I have an idea but I must speak with Ellora first.’

‘I hope you find your way brother, I really do.’

‘Thank you.’

‘I have missed you Kalon.’

‘And I have missed you Rakan, so much.’

‘I love you brother and I always will,’ Rakan said looking at his brother with affection.

‘And I you.’

The two brothers spent time under the night sky talking and reminiscing about old times and sharing memories, good and bad and remembering times with their friends.

‘It’s been so long since we spent time together. Just the two of us, as brothers,’ Kalon said.

‘Too long,’ Rakan agreed.

‘Will you return to Amalah when you have finished in Lansten?’

‘Yes definitely.’

‘Good, it’s not the same without you.’

‘I know how you feel.’

‘Well I will bid you good evening,’ Kalon said, as he stood up to leave his brother. ‘I have to find Ellora and speak with her.’

‘Good evening Kalon and send my love to Ellora.’

‘I will.’

Kalon left Rakan alone in the garden and took his horse and rode to the palace. He entered the gates passing the guards who waved him in and went to Ellora’s room to see if she was there. He knocked twice on the door and she came to the door and answered it.

‘Kalon,’ she said pleasantly surprised.

‘Ellora,’ he said as he took her waist in his hands and pulled her towards him and kissed her, she kissed him back and then invited him into her room.

‘What brings you here so late?’ she asked.

‘I needed to talk with you.’

‘It sounds serious.’

‘I have been thinking a lot lately, about where my life is going and I have to say it does not look like it is going anywhere.’

‘Kalon….’ Ellora began, trying to reassure him

‘It is true. The only thing I am sure of is you and my love for you but still, I need to achieve something, to do something with my life.’

‘I see,’ she said looking into his eyes. ‘I also understand.’

‘You do?’

‘Yes I do,’ she said laughing softly. ‘Everyone in this world needs to feel needed and wanted and worthy in life. We all need to have a purpose in the world we live in; to carve out a future and a destiny for ourselves – as people, it’s who we are.’

‘Ellora…’ he began.

‘I’m an empath and a woman,’ she said.

‘A good one too.’

‘What do you want to do?’ she asked.

‘I have given it some thought and I have decided I want to follow Waldon and Kenaz and join the guard.’

Ellora’s face dropped and she felt sad at the thought of Kalon not being with her for such a long time.

‘Ellora, I know we will be apart, but not for long and I will not be far away,’ he said softly as he held onto her.

‘I know, I know, but still, the thought of you leaving me for so long tears at my heart strings,’ she said beginning to feel overcome.

‘I know my sweet princess, it tears me apart too, but I know that this is something I must do.’

‘I know,’ she said, emotionally as she sat down at her dressing table and looked in the mirror. Kalon followed her and sat down with her, he picked her up easily and sat her on his lap and she put her arms around his neck. ‘You’re everything to me and I love you,’ she said passionately. ‘I know what you must do my love and I would never try to stop you, but still it saddens me.’

‘As it does me,’ he said, before he held her tightly and kissed her again and again.

‘When will you join them?’ she asked.

‘With the next intake.’

‘When will that be?’

‘Two months from now.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes,’ he said.

Ellora rested her head on his shoulder and held onto Kalon, and Kalon held on to her and stroked her hair.

‘I will miss you so.’

‘I am not gone yet,’ he said.

‘But soon you will be.’

‘Then let us make the most of this time together.’

Ellora smiled and kissed him on the forehead, she turned around to face the mirror and picked up her hairbrush and then Kalon took hold of her hand and held onto it for a while before he took the brush from her.

‘Let me,’ he whispered.

She leant back against him and he brushed her long mane of curly black hair and ran his fingers though it. They stayed like that for a while in what was a truly sensual time for them both and when he was done, he placed the brush back on top of the dresser and put both arms around her waist while she placed her hands on top of his and leant into him and they sat in silence for a while.

‘Don’t leave me tonight.’

‘Ellora?’ he said questioningly.

‘Kalon, stay and hold me.’

‘I will.’

Ellora stood up and holding onto Kalon’s hand she made her way to her bed and he followed, she climbed in and Kalon got in besides her and pulled her close to him and she rested her head on his chest and they held onto each other.

‘I love you Ellora, with all my heart – I love you.’

‘And I love you too Kalon.’

‘Let us spend whatever time we have left together alone,’ he said to her.

‘This is Amalah; we will not get much chance to be alone together in Amalah,’ she replied

‘Then let us not stay in Amalah.’

‘Where will we stay?’

‘Let us return to Mantor and Aradene,’

‘Yes,’ she said excitedly, as she reached up to kiss him on the lips.

‘Goodnight princess, sleep now,’ he said softly as he pulled her closer to him.

‘Goodnight Kalon,’ Ellora said as she closed her eyes and fell asleep on his chest.

The two of them slept together in each others arms and when they awoke they kissed warmly. Kalon went to the guard’s quarters to wash and shave and then joined Ellora for breakfast on the balcony. The young couple were joined by Amara and they told her of Kalon’s wish to join the guard and their wish to travel to Mantor and Aradene together.

‘You have my blessing,’ Amara said smiling at them.

‘Honestly?’ Ellora said surprised.

‘Honestly, the two of you have worked so hard in Amalah over the last couple of years and you have shown how responsible you are. I know that you love each other and I have not forgotten that not so long ago you travelled through all of the nations. I’m sure you can travel to Aradene and Mantor – besides – it’s far from Qomolangma, and so I don’t need to worry,’ she said laughing slightly and the other two laughed with her.

‘Oh Amara, thank you,’ Ellora said.

‘Don’t thank me yet. Kalon, you must speak with Garrick and get his blessing also.’

‘I will,’ promised Kalon.

Garrick gave his younger son his blessing to go and one week later, Kalon and Ellora were saying their farewells to their family and friends and heading for Aradene. This time things were different for the young couple, this time they stayed with village leaders rather than hack their way through the land and only when they reached Aradene, did they sleep under the night sky.

By day they lazed on the beach, swam and slept in hammocks that they had made and by night; they held each other and talked and Ellora watched as Kalon sketched their surroundings and her. They stayed in Aradene for seven days and on the day before they were due to leave for Southern Mantor, they went exploring the lands again. They walked through the sands and the forests and along beaten paths under the glaringly hot sun and after a few hours they found a hidden lagoon with a beautiful waterfall at the north of it.

‘It’s so beautiful!’ Ellora exclaimed.

‘It really is,’ Kalon said, taking in his surroundings, which were stunningly beautiful.

The lagoon was a beautiful clear blue and the young couple walked around its edges until they came to the beginning of the waterfall. They looked up and watched as it streamed flawlessly downwards to their direction and fill the lake.

They marvelled at the constant stream and how the lake seemed to remain at the same level to them; the water looked so inviting and the two of them looked at each other and smiled before they stripped down to their underwear and dived into the lake.

It was gorgeously warm and they both sighed with pleasure at being in the warm blue waters of the hidden lake. They swam around and dived to the bottom to see what the bed of the lake had to offer and watched as the fishes swam by them – aware – but not caring that they were there.

They splashed around and messed about and floated on the water enjoying the idyllic moments that they never wanted to end. They swam to the shallow part of the lake until their feet were touching the bottom and once there Kalon put both hands round Ellora’s waist and gazed at her. “How stunning she was,” he thought to himself. He took in her beautiful face and her beautiful thick black hair that was now sticking to her, making her even sultrier than she already was.

He drew her closer to him and his heart raced as their bodies touched and he kissed her tenderly at first and then with an intense passion that seemed to be passing through his entire body. Ellora held onto Kalon’s firm and muscular arms as she kissed him back, as her sensuality and sexuality were ignited and intensified with each moment.

They stayed there for a while in the paradise with the beautiful lake and the waterfall falling down beside them; kissing and exploring each others bodies. She ran her hands down his perfectly lean and defined arms, back and chest and he was stroking her back and moving his hands down each side of her curvy waist. They enjoyed one last lingering kiss and when it ended, they stood in the water gazing at each other; both of them dripping wet their jet-black hair dripping and sticking to them.

Ellora gazed at Kalon and took in his sparkling blue eyes “How intense and gorgeous they are,” she thought to herself. She wanted to look at him and into his eyes forever; she didn’t want the world back, she wanted this moment with Kalon to last forever.

‘I wish we could stay this way forever,’ he said, echoing her thoughts.

‘So do I,’ she said wistfully.