Enaya: Solace of Time (14 page)

Chapter 20

The Fate of Us All

Nile woke up to the panicked voices of his kingdom’s people. He was surrounded by bars, and beyond these bars were men and women and children. To his left, Leo was asleep, and Roland was sitting on a bench with his head planted into his hands. Nile moaned. The soreness came back to him quickly. He crawled over to Roland and pulled himself up on the bench with him.

The crying was too loud. Everyone was huddled together, mourning the loss of their loved ones. Nile was beginning to get a headache, but as he looked beyond the bars to the children hugging their mothers, his heart broke. He groaned in pain and leaned back against the bars.

“Where is everyone?” Nile asked, wincing in pain.

Roland had red cheeks and dry eyes. He had been crying for a long period of time. “The woman and her children are in another cell, but they took Dywnwen.”

Nile’s heart sank. “What do you mean?”

“I’m assuming they killed her.”

Nile lowered his head and clashed his hands together. “How did it happen?”

Roland hesitated and began crying. “They . . . they came and . . . took her.”

Nile leaned his head back on the cold steel bars as tears streamed down his face. Not only did he lose the love of his life to Roland, he lost her to death. His body immediately stiffened and he felt every bit as cold and dead on the inside as he looked on the outside. The whole room turned to blackness and all he could see was Dywnwen staring at him, but it was no more.

“They are beheading those who do not join the Lucian Empire.”

“What do you mean?”

“They call us the Magical.”

“The Magical?”

Roland looked over to Nile. “Every living organism in our universe is called the Magical. Those who do not join the Lucian Empire die.”

“What are we going to do, Roland?”

“I don’t know,” he said.

They jumped as the two large metallic doors slid open. Black knights marched down the aisle, peering into each cell. The black knights made a sweep across the room and then left, the doors sliding shut and locking into each other.

“How did you hear about them calling us the Magical?”

“I overheard two guards speaking about it.”

“Great,” Nile said. He glanced across the cell and saw four children hugging their mother. They were dirty, and one of the kids was bleeding from his hip. He looked as pale as a ghost, and his eyes were heavy. The mother held her son, humming a song. The other children were crying.

Leo woke up. He came to a seated position and looked around the room. He scooted back against the wall and rubbed his head. That Dekosha shot must have been known for massive headaches. When Leo began to remember what was going on, he asked, “Where’s Dywnwen?”

“Gone,” Roland replied with a heavy heart.

Leo had nothing to say.

“They are beheading us and calling us the ‘Magical,’” Roland explained. “They are killing us if we do not join the Lucian Empire.”

An immediate stream of tears flowed from Leo.

Nile walked over to Leo and sat beside him, putting an arm around him. “I never see you cry. We’re in this together, please don’t cry.”

“I don’t want to die,” Leo said.

“You and me both, kid,” Roland said.

“Nobody is ready to die,” Nile said.

“Why are they doing this?” Leo asked.

“Control,” Roland explained. “Out of chaos comes order. It’s hard to say what the Lucian Empire offered this Norcross Kenneth of Silvago. Nothing good has ever come out of a man who acts on power.”

The doors opened again and Nile jumped. There was something ghastly about the way those doors opened. Almost like it was the timekeeper of their death. Silvago knights approached their cell and held their rifles at Nile and Leo. Another soldier began to unlock the cell. Roland took off his glove, revealing Enaya. He quickly handed it to Nile.

“Do not let them get it,” Roland whispered.

Nile grasped Enaya tightly and nodded.

“Ready the rifles,” demanded one soldier.

“Are you Prince Roland?” a soldier asked.

Roland refused to speak. He dared not to even look at them; instead, he stared at Nile. Roland grabbed Nile’s hand that held Enaya and he squeezed tightly. “I’m sorry for everything,” Roland said.

Nile knew Roland meant it, because this was the end. He could see the fear in his eyes. He could tell Roland was afraid of dying just as he was. The soldier grabbed Roland and pulled him to his feet. Then the soldier dragged Roland out of the cell.

“You’re going to be a great knight someday, Nile,” Roland said.

“You are to be part of the royal beheadings taking place unless you choose to join the Lucian Empire,” a soldier said.

“Your Lucian Empire can go to hell,” Roland said, and then he spat at the soldiers.

One of the knights punched Roland in the face and blood flung from his upper lip. Another soldier grabbed him and slammed him into another cell; the children in the cell jumped, but watched in horror. Roland’s eyes met their little innocent eyes and he smiled at them. Two of the soldiers grabbed Roland’s hands, pulled them behind his back, and shoved him toward the door.

“They’re going to kill me!” Roland screamed.

Everyone in their cells rushed to the bars, watching in distress as Woodlands’ new heir to the throne was being forced out of his own kingdom. Roland released another shrill that shivered down Nile’s spine. “They’re going to kill me. Everybody band together. This has to end. They’re going to kill us all.”

The doors opened and the knights pushed him out of the room. They could still hear Roland screaming down the hall. Everyone grew quiet and sat down. His voice became muffled the further he got, but for everybody in the room it was as if he were still in there.

“I think I’m goin’ to throw up.”

“Leo,” Nile said stiffly, “this is the end.”

Leo glanced to Nile. “Let’s hope not, Nile. Please, I hope it isn’t.”

Nile forced himself to look at Leo’s eyes. “If anything happens I want you to know that I love you.”

They stared at each other and then Leo forced a smile. “That’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said.”

Even after what they were going through, Nile managed to smile.

Leo’s smile faded into a sniff. “I love you too.”

The doors opened again. Locklin was walking down the aisle. He was holding a set of keys, twirling them around his finger. Nile rushed to the bars and called for Locklin. Locklin rushed to the cell, smiling, happy to see them alive and standing before his eyes.

“I gotta say, I’m glad to see ya,” Locklin said tearfully.

“What’s going on?” Nile asked.

“I don’t know much, eh. Something ’bout Norcross establishin’ a new democracy, that’s it.”

The anger expanded in Nile’s heart. He grabbed the bars and pulled on them. “I trusted him! I trusted him to do the right thing! I’m supposed to be taking them back to their time today!” Nile kicked he bars. He stubbed his toe and then limped around the cell. “They killed Dywnwen.”

“Who was that?” Locklin asked.

Tears streamed down Nile’s face as he rested his forehead on a bar. “I was in love with her, Locklin.” Nile began to cry. He turned to his back, slid down the bars, and sat on the floor. “I just want to see her again. It hurts so badly, Locklin, to know what it’s like to lose something you want so bad.”

Locklin placed his hands on Nile’s shoulder, patting him.

“Locklin, you have to get us out of here,” Leo said.

“I’d get in big trouble, eh.”

“Locklin! Women and children are dying. We need your help.”

Tears rolled down Locklin’s face. “I know, ya know. I hate it, but it would be the end of my arse if I helped ya out. I want to, but ya got to understand.”

“Locklin, please.”

Locklin grabbed the bars. “Argggghhhh! What to do?” He glanced around the cell room, watching as the Magicals stared at him with painful eyes. He reached for his keys and fumbled through them. He came to a key and unlocked their cell. “Okay,” he mumbled.

Nile scrambled to his feet, and he and Leo rushed out of their cell. Locklin led them down the room and toward the doors, but Nile stopped. He glanced across the room to see the cells.

“There’s only a few cages,” Nile said.

Locklin shrugged. “I know, but ya don’t understand.”

“Just release them,” Nile said. “Release them, please.”

Locklin saw a child crying, reaching for him. The girl had to be four years old, and her big brown eyes were filled with tears. Dirt and sweat forced her hair to point in all directions. “All right,” Locklin said, rushing to each cell and unlocking them. The prisoners rushed out, filling up the aisle. They hugged and kissed each other.

“They can’t follow us, it’s a big risk,” Locklin said.

“What do we do with them?” Nile asked.

“We can’t just leave them here,” Leo said.

Locklin looked down, defeated. He turned to them and yelled, “If ya go all the way down and out the rear door with two large lights, it leads ya to the back exit out of the city. It’s facin’ the forest. This tower is patrolling with Norcross’s soldiers, so I wish ya the best of luck.”

“Thanks,” Nile said.

Locklin nodded and rushed to open the doors. He quickly surveyed the hallways and saw nobody. He signaled for Nile and Leo, and they started down the concrete hall with red tape on the sides pointing to where the Magical were.

The hall went dark.

“What the . . . ?” Nile asked, stopping dead in his tracks.

“The power went down, eh. Means the sound barrier was disrupted.”

Another door opened at the end of the hall, and white lights reflected off the wall and around the corner. Locklin pushed Nile and Leo into another room and they stood there quietly, as footsteps danced past the door. After a few seconds, Locklin opened it and led them down the long hallway and out of a door.

“Are we boarding the Ancrya?”

The lights came back on.

“That was quick,” Locklin said.

“Are we boarding the Ancrya?” Nile asked again.

Locklin looked over his right shoulder. “Yessirre.”

“I’m Leo, by the way. We didn’t get a chance to meet earlier.”

“No time to chat, kid,” Locklin said, peering around another corner nervously.

Locklin hurried up a set of stairs and out onto the roof where there were nearly six ships. One of which was the beautiful Ancrya. Locklin ran over and forced his way to the cockpit. Nile and Leo followed him. Locklin flipped a few switches and the lights flickered on. After a few more switches the engines began to roar and Nile could hear the sound barrier echo with each thump. Nile quickly rushed to a window. He glanced down into the streets below. Convoys were rolling through the crowds as civilians screamed out. Nile could not make out if the civilians were glad or upset. He heard a mixture of both.

Nile pressed his forehead against the glass, gazing around the beautifully lit city. Leo joined him, his eyes widening with amazement. There was a calming peace that fell over Nile, and he hoped, as he stared at the seat of lights, that he would never have to come back to Silvago.

Chapter 21

The Growth of Evil

Norcross was standing with a foot planted on the brick wall behind him. He was looking at the ground with his hands in his pockets. Everything seemed to be happening so quickly. The buildings surrounded him, holding him prisoner to the beauty of his governed city, Silvago. Oak trees filled the alley, breaking through the brick streets, and happy-go-lucky people were drinking from foam cups of coffee and chatting the night away.

Yes! Silvago was filled with young lovers, painters, singers and songwriters, librarians, bread makers, locksmiths, blacksmiths, doctors, bartenders, comedians, clubs, places of study, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, small buildings, tall buildings, dogs and cats, and all in all, they were the same. Silvago was no different from the Kingdom of Woodlands, just a different time or dimension. Norcross learned that the people of Woodlands bleed red.

Norcross studied the people around him and wondered if they had any idea what was going on. They had to. They had to notice the forest that crept through the city of this new land. They had to notice the strange creatures that marched through the streets to the Silvago dome with shackles holding their hands in place. But, even if they did notice, did they care?

Norcross did. He cared a lot, but he was still trying to understand why he was doing what he was doing. Was it for love? Money? No, it was for power. He knew he was being manipulated, but he could not control it. The feeling of magic that embraced him when Srinath and Ramiel visited him made him feel alive. It was as if something locked away inside of him opened and poured out onto the world. Magic was more than an emotion; it was as if it had given him another life.

Then, he thought about the picture of his wife and daughter on his desk. He lowered his head, crossed his arms, and looked deeply into space. That was until a group of young teenagers marched through the alley. They were screaming rudely, and as Norcross watched them exit the alley into a city street, he saw a convoy of the Magical go by. Norcross looked back down to the brick street.

“Get ‘em!” screamed a man in a leather jacket. A group of people threw their foam cups at the convoy as it rolled by. They began screaming and hollering and celebrating. One of them turned to see Norcross and tipped his cup toward him. Norcross acknowledged him. Another convoy rolled by, distracting this young civilian, and they threw paper balls and more cups at the convoy.

Norcross looked down the alley past a green trash bin, and between the buildings he saw Silvago civilians jumping and screaming as a chain of Magical staggered down the streets. Their chains clanked together like a harboring song of death.

He pushed his foot off the wall and walked down the alley until he came to a puddle. He looked at it, watching his reflection. He grew disgusted with himself. He kicked the puddle and continued to walk down the street.

“What have I done?” Norcross asked himself, still unsure of his motives.

He looked up at the night sky, marveling at how the stars sparkled. It was such a beautiful sky, a sky revealed through magic. An airship flew overhead, revealing the bright purple neon lights from underneath it, and Norcross watched as the airship went over a building.

“I’m not a monster,” he told himself.

The cheering crowd became more audible as he walked down another alley, leading to a large building with blue neon lights. Norcross started toward the building and then was suddenly cut off by dozens of cheering civilians.

“Why are you cheering?” Norcross muttered.

A convoy filled with the Magical rolled by with three soldiers walking on each side of the vehicle. Several crows flew and landed on the street across from Norcross, chewing at something dead.

“I bet you’re happy,” Norcross said, assuming the crows were Srinath and Ramiel. As he approached the crows, they jumped back and flew away, one hitting the top of a streetlight and bursting the glass from the bulb.

***

Nile had never cried as much as he did on the day his mother and brother died. His hands kept playing through his hair and he squeezed on his scalp, trying to force the bad thoughts out. His jawbone hurt. He leaned forward, his boney elbows pressed against his knees, and he drowned his face in his hands.

Leo stood in the corner; tears built around his eyes and watched as his best friend—his brother—cry. Leo wanted to take the pain away. They both had such great loss in their lives, but Nile never really learned to live with it.

“S-she’s . . . she’s dead!” Nile cried.

“I know,” Leo said, silence following his words.

“She’s dead . . . and . . . and . . . it’s all . . . my fault. Even worse, she told . . . me she hate me.”

“Don’t say that. She didn’t hate you. She was just confused and hurt. People say things. Give her the benefit of the doubt; she had just watched her father die.”

Nile was still sobbing, but perhaps Leo was right. Nile could think of a time or two he had said things he never meant out of anger. “If I wouldn’t have used that gem in the first place . . .”

“You didn’t know,” Leo said. “I didn’t know either.”

Nile reached in his pocket and pulled the gem out. “It is because of you that this has happened. I’ve lost everything now.” Nile threw Enaya across the room. The gem bounced off the wall and came back to Nile, stopping in midair.

Leo surprisingly watched.

“What?” Nile asked, looking at it.

Enaya spun around clockwise. There was a loud whistling sound, and then white light broke through. Then another, and eventually half a dozen beams of white lights cracked through the small gem and it flashed. When the white light faded away like the fog on a cool morning, they were standing in the middle of Woodlands. Nile glanced around for a second, confused as to what night this was.

“Nile,” Leo said, a little scared.

Bright green lights rose over the forest. The lights were spinning around in a circular motion and the airship came to a stop over the kingdom. There was an opening in the bottom of the ship, and what looked like a pipe descended outward. It rotated, and then fired a cannon. It hit a home and exploded into flames of magic.

Leo jumped, but Nile was still watching. His chest was rising through each gritted puff of air. The anger was eating him alive and he stood there, waiting for what was next to come.

“Why are we here?” Leo asked.

Nile gritted his teeth. “It’s what I was thinking when Enaya worked.”

“Stop thinkin’ and get us back.”

Nile’s jaw dropped. Drool flew from his mouth with each breath. He balled his fist as tightly as he could. His face illuminated in the orange that exploded into the castle.

“Nile!” Leo shouted.

Nile did not move.

“Nile!” Leo shouted again, and shoved his shoulder.

Nile flinched and glanced to Leo, his eyebrows relaxing and his breathing slowed down. He froze as he saw the scared expression on Leo’s face. He had seen that all night and truth be told, he did not want to see it again. He closed Enaya in his hand and . . .

Whoosh!

They were back in the Ancrya. Nile opened his eyes and fell to his rear in a seat. He lowered his head in shame. Leo stood in front of Nile motionless, still confused as to what had just happened. He reached for Enaya and Nile gave it to him.

Locklin walked into the room. “I got the thing on autopilot. I’m thinkin’ of just landin’ the thing unless ya got a plan.”

“You can land,” Nile said.

“Yessiree,” Locklin said, walking back into the cockpit.

Leo’s eyes followed him until he was gone. “I want this to be over, Nile. We got to get rid of that thing.”

“I know,” Nile said.

The Ancrya came to a stop and began to lower. Leo and Nile looked out the window; they were passing under the clouds and into the dark forest below. Branches and leaves rubbed against the airship, scraping against the window. The Ancrya landed on the ground with a thump and the interior rattled.

Locklin walked to the back of the Ancrya. “Welp, I’m guessin’ we need a watchdog for the night. I’ll do it fer ya boys’.”

“No,” Nile said. “I appreciate what you’ve done for us. I’ll watch it tonight.”

Locklin rubbed his chest. “Ya sure?”

Nile nodded tiredly. “Yeah, I’m sure. Get some rest.”

“Well, I can’t beat an offer I can’t refuse. The cabins are right through that door there.” Locklin pointed as he started toward them.

Leo waited for Locklin to leave the room. He placed his hands on Nile’s shoulders. “Do you need me to watch with you?”

“No, I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Go get some sleep.”

They stared at each other for a second, then Leo pulled Nile in for a hug. Nile brought his arms around Leo. “We’re brothers, right?” Leo asked.

“Of course,” Nile said.

Leo pulled away. “Then you know that I’m in this with you, life or death.”

Nile smiled. “Get some sleep.”

***

Norcross was nearly asleep at his desk until a soldier burst into his office. Norcross flung forward, knocking papers off his desk and he sat up straight. The soldier saluted, as Norcross tried to straighten up the mess.

“Sir,” said the soldier.

“At ease,” Norcross replied.

The soldier dropped his salute. “Sir, Nile Whitman and Leo Connell have escaped.”

Norcross’s upper lip trembled as he glared at his soldier. He slammed his fist on the desk. “I cannot afford to lose that Nile Whitman boy. He is very important to me.”

“That isn’t all, sir.”

Norcross waved his hand across his desk, pushing everything off. He jumped to his feet. “What do you mean?”

“The Ancrya is missing.”

Norcross glared at the soldier. He nodded his head slowly, then quickly and in anger, he flipped his desk over. His family pictures, his collection of ink pens, his rubber-band ball, everything from papers, to folders, to his stapler flew across the room. The soldier watched Norcross as he lost his mind.

“Locklin Richardson is in charge of the Ancrya,” Norcross said, pushing his hair back.

“He’s missing too,” the soldier said.

“Gather your squadron and board the Phrixus and go find the Ancrya. There, you will find Locklin and Nile and Leo.”

“Yes sir,” the soldier saluted and then left the room.

Norcross stumbled across the room to his bookshelf. He leaned against it, folding his arms across his chest. In anger, he swiped all the books off the shelves, one shelf at a time. Then he pulled the whole shelf down.

He stopped.

He looked across his room, covered with books and papers and little figurines from his favorite places of Silvago. He caught his breath and it happened. He realized what he was doing and how angry he was. The Norcross he knew would never have done this, but the Norcross influenced by magic—yes, he would do this. That Norcross was dangerous and he knew it too.

“What am I becoming?” Norcross asked.

Bing! Bing!

Norcross abruptly turned to his window to see a crow pecking at the glass. It cawed. Norcross watched it for a few seconds. It glared at him, still cawing.

“What do you want?”

A cloud of black formed behind the crow and was moving fast toward the window. As the cloud got closer, Norcross realized it was more crows. They cawed and fluttered in through the glass, shattering it into hundreds of pieces. The crows fused together, forming Srinath and Ramiel.

Srinath thrust out his right hand and a blue whirl of magic shot from his fingers and into Norcross’s chest. Norcross fell to his knees, clutching his chest, gasping for air. The pain built inside of him, and it felt like his heart was going to explode, and then it quit. The pain left and Norcross started to feel good. He felt better than good. He felt
alive
.

“Get to your feet,” Ramiel said, sniffing at Norcross.

Norcross stood. He glanced at his hands and laughed. The power was consuming his heart. It ate at him like a lion tearing at meat and he loved it. He admired it. Truth be told, Norcross worshipped it.

“There is more,” Ramiel said.

“We need your soldiers and the Lucian Empire to unite. We need to reach Kalanstar,” Srinath said.

“Kalanstar,” Norcross repeated.

“A city in the east,” said Srinath.

“The elves,” Ramiel said.

Srinath said. “Have your army ready tonight.”

Norcross agreed and Srinath sunk into the floor and dispersed into crows. They flew out of the window and disappeared among the trees. Ramiel sniffed his way toward Norcross, giving him a wicked grin as he did.

“Why are you still here?” Norcross asked.

“To see to it that you fulfill your duties.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Shebris will be upset.”

“Shebris?”

“The Snake Queen. She is the heart and soul of the Lucian Empire—one of Seraph’s most trusted generals.”

“I’m not afraid of you or your witched queen of a creature,” Norcross said. “This whole plan is evil.”