The Great One, parts 1-20

#11

"Shoot," I muttered, as the crystal formation in front of me began to shrink. I snarled in frustration and dropped my head into my hands. I could never get it right. The crystal shard hanging from my neck was a stormy gray color.2

"Aw. Too bad, that," said a voice behind me. Without raising my head, I knew who it was.3

"What do you want? Why can't you just leave me alone?" I asked angrily, glaring at him. Clirenz smirked. He and I had practically been enemies since we were small children in the Nursery.4

"Oh come now, Xen. Surely this isn't an interrogation?" Clirenz asked innocently. He was about as innocent as a rat-dog. I stood up abruptly, my mouth set in a hard line. I pointed at the door to the Crystal Chamber, wanting him to leave. Clirenz didn't take the hint.5

"Back off, Clirenz," Sona said, coming from behind him. My anger dissipated to make way for embarrassment. Sona was one of the most talented girls in the school. What was she doing in the Crystal Chamber at the same time as me?6

"Hello there, Sona. I wasn't doing anything wrong. Me and my buddy Xen were just talking, right?" he said. I knew that I wasn't supposed to answer that, but I was about to anyway.7

"Xen doesn't seem to want to talk to you. Why don't you go study for the test in History?" Sona suggested. Even though her words were nice enough, there was a hint of danger in her voice. Nobody messed with Sona. She was stronger than most young men of seventeen winters, and even though she hated physical violence, she could scare anyone into submission with one of her icy glares.8

"You probably don't want to fail. Again." Sona clenched and unclenched her fist as she spoke, the crystal shard on her necklace glowing a dark red. Clirenz exhaled sharply and narrowed his eyes at me, then turned around and left. 9

I breathed a sigh of relief and sat down at the rock I'd been working on. Sona stayed where she was, as if expecting something. I glanced up at her.10

"Thanks," I muttered. She nodded. Then, instead of leaving like I expected, she knelt down beside me. I looked up in surprise. Surely she had some awarding ceremony to go to? She was always winning something like that.11

"You're doing it right. You just need to give it less light," she said helpfully, sitting down and crossing her ankles. I studied my plain rock closely, the crystal-forming fluid running down over its sides. It was too light in color. Sona was right. Well, of course she was right. Duh.12

I obediently lessened the power of the Glowstone. The fluid darkened with the light, then began to solidify and grow into the green crystal I'd been trying so hard to form on my own. I looked up at her excitedly, and she blushed a little. She looked away. Her shard was now a light pink color. I looked at my own. It was clear. 13

/*/*/*/*/*14

"Xen. I heard that Sona was helping you," Edrik said suggestively. I kept a neutral tone to my voice when I spoke.15

"Yeah. Who told you?"16

"Dude, everyone in the Crystal Chamber was watching the action. We thought you and Clirenz were gonna kill each other. Then SONA came to the rescue," Edrik said. I shook my head. Why did he have to make such a big deal out of it? It wasn't like anything really happened. She helped me with a small problem, so what?17

"That was the best crystal I've ever seen you grow. And SONA helped-"18

"Will you cut that out? It is SO annoying," I said, speaking quite truthfully. No girl had ever liked me. I was an average guy who had no real friends, just an annoying 13-winter-old kid named Edrik from the Third Level.19

"Whatever, Xen." Edrik waltzed off, leaving me in a wake of utter confusion. What was his problem?20

"Wait. That was the Seventh Level's time to use the Crystal Chamber. What was he doing down there?" I asked myself. Edrik disappeared around the corner of the hallway. The chimes of the Fifth Hour sounded throughout the school. Learners poured out of the rooms and got into the usual traffic flow, everyone rushing to their next class. 21

I looked back, the stampede of Learners heading toward me. I decided to go after Edrik anyway and ask him what he was doing in the Crystal Chamber during my little incident with Clirenz and Sona.22

"Edrik! Ed-" I stopped short when I rounded the corner. My breath caught in my chest and I stared in horror. Edrik was lying on the ground in a crumpled heap, a small pool of blood forming around his head. I ran over and checked his crystal shard. It was black. I checked to see if he was breathing or had a pulse. There was nothing. Edrik was dead. 23

I looked around me frantically, trying to figure out what could have attacked him so viciously in a matter of seconds. His shirt was slashed to shreds at the shoulder. I then noticed the knife lying by Edrik's body. I picked it up and studied it, but there were no markings to help me identify its owner.24

"Oh my gosh, look!" screamed a Fifth Level girl, pointing at me. Instantly, about fifteen other Learners were by her side, gasping and pointing at what looked like a murder. I had a knife in my hand, blood on my hands, and I was kneeling by a 13-winter-old boy who had just been killed. I vaguely realized that I would be blamed. But I wasn't really thinking about it. The world was growing dark around me, as dark as Edrik's shard.25

/*/*/*/*/*26

When I came to, I was chained to a wall in a dark cell. I tested to see how strong the bonds were. They were obviously made for someone much stronger than I was. 27

"So. Never thought a kid could turn killah," said a voice with a heavy accent. I peered through the bars into the cell across from me. There was a man lying with his back against the stone wall. He was dirty and had obviously been there for quite some time.28

"I didn't kill anyone," I murmured. It was true. I hadn't. I had found Edrik there. 29

"That's awl any-un says. 'I din't do it'. Huh. Ain't what I done. I confesses straight away," the man said with a wheezing laugh. I studied my surroundings carefully, trying to see if there was any way out- once I was unchained, anyway.30

"Don't be in such a hurry, boyah. You ain't going nowhere anatime soon," the man advised.31

"Why are you in here?" I asked. The man suddenly fell silent. His eyes clouded over and he looked away.32

"'Those who are cast down, only the Great One can raise,'" he recited quietly. He sounded totally different, almost like a prophet or a Seer. I frowned in confusion.33

"What?"34

A door opened, the hinges squeaking. I couldn't tell from where. I was still chained to the wall. My fellow prisoner cringed as the heavy footfalls grew closer. I could tell that the approaching person was wearing large boots by the slaps against the stone floor.35

"Xen Sora-Lem?" came a deep voice. I tried to pull myself to my feet, but the chains on my feet prevented me from doing so.36

"I am. Why am I in here?" 37

"You are accused of the most serious crime among the Keepers: the murder of a learner," the voice said again.38

"But I didn't kill anyone! I swear!"39

"Your trial is being set as we speak. I would suggest that you do not incriminate yourself further."40

The man on the other side of the bars raised a shining blue crystal above his head, and the chains binding my arms and legs snapped open. The door to my cell swung open as I rubbed my sore wrists.41

"This way, please," the man said, and I followed him, not knowing what else to do. My fellow prisoner watched us go, and he had fear and sadness in his eyes. I suddenly began to wonder what might happen to me if I was blamed for Edrik's murder.42

#243

“Xen Sora-Lem, you stand before the Council of Ten accused of the murder of Edrik Saldrosen, a Learner of the Third Level. How do you plead?" asked the cold, pure voice of a woman. She stood with the other Council members in a circle around me, her face hidden beneath her hood. I swallowed nervously.44

"I plead innocent, ma'am," I murmured. The Council members all looked at the woman who had spoken before, and I was given the impression that she was their leader. 45

"You were found at the scene of the crime, holding the murder weapon, with his blood on your hands, were you not?"46

I sighed slightly, knowing that I wasn't ever going to win this battle... "Yes, ma'am."47

"What right have you to plead innocent?" she asked, her voice growing louder. I could tell that she was straining to keep control. Why?48

"Edrik was my friend. I wouldn't kill him or anyone!" I exclaimed, hearing my voice heighten in fear. The woman sensed this, and leaned forward. I was scared.49

"We shall have your verdict very soon, Xen Sora-Lem. I will have you know that the penalty for murder is death," she whispered dangerously. My eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat. In the instant she had leaned forward, I had seen her face.50

She wasn't human at all.51

/*/*/*/*/*52

I was thrown back into my cell, but left unchained. I was severely shaken from seeing the Councilwoman's white, clouded eyes...53

"Poar kyid. Shoulda warned ya," the other man said regretfully. I inched my way across the cell and gripped the bars.54

"You never answered my question before," I said. "Who are you and why are you in here?"55

"I ain't all dat sure. I been in here so durned long... Alls I know is, I confesses straight away. Dat done lessened my purnishment," he wheezed. I sighed, releasing a mixture of feelings from my heavy heart. What would Sona think of me? Clirenz was probably ecstatic to find out that I was finally blamed for something. And Edrik...56

Without warning, I started sobbing. I hadn't cried since I was twelve winters old, but I couldn't stop myself. I was scared. I didn't know what to do. I would even have been willing to stop training to become a master Keeper if it meant that I could go free. Why did this have to happen to me? I didn't want to die for something I didn't do!57

"Dat's it. Let it awl out," said my fellow prisoner. He watched me shaking with a thoughtful look on his face.58

"Me name is Gameen," he suddenly said. I sniffed and looked up at him. Gameen was smiling. 59

"Yer cryin' done helped me 'member!" he exclaimed, quite happy to have remembered his name. I took deep, controlled breaths to slow my heartbeat. 60

"Let's start over then. My name is Xen Sora-Lem," I said politely, even though my voice still shook. Gameen was now grinning at me, and he looked much younger in spite of himself.61

"Me name is Gameen Soo-Ben. Thanks fer cryin', Xen."62

/*/*/*/*/*63

I must have fallen asleep at some point after being reintroduced to Gameen, because I remember waking up to the sound of the gigantic door creaking open. The same man who'd brought me to the council chamber earlier came back.64

"Get up. The Grand Councilwoman will see you now. She will present you with your verdict."65

When I sat up slowly because I was still half-asleep, the man yanked me to my feet, even though I protested at such rough treatment. 66

"Move it, boy," the man growled. He gave me a push that almost sent me tumbling forward. I glared at him, but didn't want to say anything that might merit even harsher treatment.67

I walked into the dark, circular room and felt the cold, frightening presence of the Ten. Like the rest of the City, it was underground and lit by Glowstones, but the stones in the council chamber were old and dim, which made it even scarier to be inside.68

"Xen Sora-Lem," the Grand Councilwoman said in her mystical, knowing voice. This time, however, she displayed no readable emotion. I lowered my eyes, not wanting to meet hers. Her white, almost gray skin glowed a faint red from the light of the Glowstones.69

"Your verdict was one of the most difficult we've ever had to determine. You are neither guilty nor innocent. Tral could not detect truth nor lies in your statements earlier," she spoke. I saw one hooded figure raise its head slightly when the Councilwoman said the name "Tral." I guessed that that was their name.70

"Since we cannot let you go free and cannot have you executed, we have come to a decision..."71

I knew immediately that they were going to let me rot in that cell with Gameen. It was better than being killed, but not by much.72

"You shall be banished from the City."73

I stood there, only half-hearing her words. Banished?74

"Grand Councilwoman, pardon my ignorance-"75

"It is pardoned."76

I cleared my throat nervously. "The world at the surface has a toxic atmosphere. Doesn't that make it uninhabitable?" I asked. My voice cracked as I spoke.77

The Grand Councilwoman was silent for so long that I'd begun to wonder if she'd heard me. When she finally answered, my worst fears were recognized.78

"Yes."79

#380

The world we lived on was a broken, sorry excuse for a home. In an ancient war, the atmosphere was made toxic and the surface of the planet was ruined. My people sought refuge underground. Knowing that the surface would kill me as soon as I was exposed to it, I felt dismal as I walked back to my cell. The burly guard poked me in the back with a stick, but I didn't respond.81

"You din't confess, now didja?" Gameen asked. He sounded sad, as though he already knew the answer. I shook my head numbly.82

"How can I confess to something I didn't do?" I asked, half to myself. The door to my cell slammed shut behind me, and I just stood there facing the wall. I fell to my knees and gripped the crystal shard hanging from its cord around my neck. It was a dark, deep blue. I closed my eyes and just knelt there, praying that my sentence would be rethought. 83

"Yer a nice boy. Mebbe they'll jus' letchu off," Gameen said with a false cheerfulness. I bowed my head in shame. Even if I wasn't going to be executed, I was still going to die.84

/*/*/*/*/*85

It was bad enough that I was banished. But to perform it publicly was a humiliation I definitely didn't deserve. The entire population of Keepers, masters and Learners alike, were there to watch me thrown out of the safe haven of the City.86

"Xen Sora-Lem, Learner of the Seventh Level, was accused of the murder of Edrik Saldrosen. Finding no evidence to prove him innocent, the Council of Ten hereby banishes him to the surface of the planet for the remainder of his life," the announcer shouted over the crowd. Boos erupted from the mass of people. I saw Clirenz in the crowd, smirking. Sona was next to him. She had a cold look on her face, and I could see a tear running down her cheek, shining in the light of the Glowstones all around the room.87

The two men gripping my arms untied the rope from around my wrists after putting cloths over their noses and mouths. They handed me a week's supply of food. Some help that was going to be. Fifteen other men, each with a covered face, pushed away the stone that covered the entrance to the tunnel. I was shoved in. The stone rolled back into place, leaving me in complete darkness.88

/*/*/*/*/*89

I stood there for so long, petrified. I couldn't tell if my eyes were open or shut anymore because it was so dark. Eventually I decided that I wasn't going to die just standing there. 90

I stuck my hand out in front of me, feeling the empty air. I took a small step forward and kept going, virtually blind. When my hand hit the cold surface of a wall, I followed it down a path I couldn't see. How could it be so dark? There weren't even Glowstones set in the tunnel. But then again, people usually didn't go this way. After a few minutes, I noticed that my crystal shard was giving off a dim sort of light. It was a pale yellow color now. As a young Learner, I had discovered that each person's shard reflected their personalities or emotions. Every time I was scared, mine turned yellow.91

Without warning, I hit my forehead on something, possibly a low ceiling. I cried out in surprise and pain, falling on my bottom. I rubbed my sore head crossly and felt around for the wall again. This time, I would crawl to avoid that happening again.92

I clutched the pack of food I'd been given with one hand and strapped it around my middle. Then I devoted all of my concentration to crawling in the dark tunnel.93

After what seemed to be hours, I stopped to rest. My hands and knees were raw from so much crawling, and I was hungry. 94

"Well, Xen, it can't possibly get any better. But then, it probably won't get worse either," I muttered to myself. If I was going to prevent insanity, I had to talk to SOMEBODY. Who better than myself? 95

I fumbled with the pack of food around my waist and took something out. I sniffed it, and let out an involuntary sound of disgust. It was rotten, whatever it was. Angry, I chucked it. I winced when I heard it splat against the wall. 96

"Oh, nasty," I groaned. I decided that I would have to keep going.97

I don't know how long I was in that tunnel. I was crawling for what seemed like days, according to my crystal shard. Its dim light would surge every hour, and I eventually stopped keeping track. To my dismay, I'd found that every single piece of food in my bag was unfit to eat. Whoever had packed it obviously hadn't thought I would last long.98

Exhaustion and hunger eventually forced me to stop. I collapsed on the floor, unable to even make myself move. Then came the hallucinations. A flickering orange light was coming towards me, and I heard voices. At that point, I must have lost consciousness.99

#4100

I emerged from my state of unconsciousness several times, but only briefly. Each time, I was still enveloped in darkness. Voices seemed to surround me, but they were indistinct, speaking words I couldn’t understand. I remember some cold liquid flowing into my mouth and dripping down my chin because I couldn’t move, but then I passed out again.101

Wearily, I opened my eyes to a dim, flickering light. There was soft, warm material surrounding my body, and I felt more comfortable than I’d ever felt on my bed in the dormitories of the Seventh Level. I was vaguely aware that the room I was in was quite large. My blurry vision was adjusting slowly and poorly to my new surroundings.102

I sat up, wincing as pain shot through my head. When it subsided, I felt slightly dizzy. My eyes scanned the room warily. Nothing except for the stone walls was even remotely recognizable. Even so, the stone had been cut into slabs and laid in a brick-like pattern. This was completely unlike the tunnels of the City, which had been carved out of solid rock…103

The brown rectangle in the wall facing me creaked as it swung open. I watched it, creaking on its hinges. Where on earth was I?104

A young woman entered the room. She had rose-gold hair that was pulled back in an elaborate style, golden brown eyes, fair skin, and perfectly shaped lips.105

She was wearing the strangest clothes I’d ever seen. Bronze-colored metal armor that curved in a small V down her front, leaving her neck and the skin just below that exposed. A sword hung from the belt around her waist, though it was sheathed.106

As I sat there, light headed and staring, she clenched her jaws shut. Her eyes narrowed. I shook my head and forced myself to look away from the intimidating female figure.107

“Sorry. I-I was… I mean, um. I hope I didn’t seem rude,” I stammered. My mouth felt dry. 108

The girl’s stony face didn’t change expression. If anything, she was looking scarier than before.109

“Which part of the City is this?” I asked nervously. The girl looked away from me, and the flickering light caught a scar on the side of her face. It shone silver on her cheekbone. 110

“This is not your home, Naktol,” she murmured. Each word was said slowly and deliberately, and I noticed that they sounded forced. Despite these observations, my fuzzy mind managed to understand that I wasn’t in the City.111

“Where am I, then?”112

The girl looked at me sharply, and I tensed as she spoke.113

“You are in Kaiven Castle, on the surface of the planet your people nearly destroyed three-thousand years ago.”114

/*/*/*/*/*115

“But that’s impossible! The City is the only inhabitable place on the planet! The air is toxic, and underground is the only safe place!” I exclaimed frantically. The girl watched me begin to panic with an unnerving sense of calm, as though she were watching a small child cry when a toy was taken away.116

The words I had been taught since I was a First Level child ran through my head, though they had lost their ring of truth. This strange place I was in could not possibly be part of the City, which we had always been taught as the only remaining piece of civilization on the face of the earth. 117

“Do not become hysteric. Though it would please me to slap you, I’d rather not have to,” the girl commented. At the thought of getting slapped, I forced myself to calm down. 118

“What is your name, Naktol? I do not really care, but I was told to ask you,” she said, sounding annoyed.119

“Xen,” I replied, thinking that they could care less about my family name. There was no point in lying, either. I frowned as I realized something.120

“Why do you call me ‘Naktol?’” I asked curiously. The girl sighed. She must not have been used to answering questions.121

“It is what we call your people.”122

“Okay. Well, can you tell me your name? I’d feel better if I knew it,” I said honestly. The girl looked taken aback at such a request. That look of astonishment was far better than the cold, stony look she’d had earlier.123

“I am called Yari,” she told me, though she hesitated before saying her name. “I was assigned to guard and watch you, in case you try to do something treacherous.”124

“I won’t, Yari. I promise. I don’t even really know what’s going on!” I said. It was true. Yari nodded.125

“Naktol Xen, I will hold you to your word to the point of death, if needed. Remember this, and you might survive.”126

/*/*/*/*/*127

A middle-aged woman came in shortly after Yari left. To be quite honest, that girl scared me. She couldn’t have been much older than I was, at 17 winters, yet she seemed more cold and responsible than even Sona had been. 128

“Ma’am,” I said, “how long have I been here?” The woman gazed at me, though not unkindly. 129

“You were suffering from a serious case of dehydration. Your people must be more sensitive to lack of water than we are,” she explained, fluffing whatever the thing propping me up was.130

“This is so weird… What are all these things? I’ve never seen anything like them,” I asked, gesturing around me. The woman followed what I was saying. 131

“You can call me Nahte, by the way. These are pillows. This is a wooden door. This is a tapestry,” she said, pointing to each thing in turn. I was fascinated. Nahte seemed very motherly, though I’d never known my mother. Every Learner was always taken from their parents as soon as they became 2 winters old, so that family matters never bothered their studies. It had always slightly bothered me, however. 132

“Young Naktol, your name is Xen?” Nahte asked, sitting down on a… wooden stool. I nodded.133

“How did you know, Nahte?”134

“I was the one taking care of you. You were talking in your sleep.”135

#5136

According to my crystal shard, several more days passed before I left that room. I tried to leave once I could get out of the bed, but the heavy wooden door wouldn’t budge. I was getting restless. I didn’t like being trapped.137

Yari came back at some point to find me pacing. I had changed into the clean clothes Nahte had given me, since my Learner’s attire had been worn and filthy. Nahte had dark blond hair, I noticed. All of my people had dark hair from living underground all their lives, and we all had dark eyes. Neither Yari nor Nahte had either of those.138

“I am supposed to give you a tour of Kaiven Castle,” she muttered. She sounded utterly miserable, as though she had something much better to do. I was too excited to care at the moment, though. I jumped at the idea of seeing Yari’s world.139

“Sweet! Let’s go!” I exclaimed. She looked puzzled, and then I realized that she had probably never heard the word ‘sweet’ used like that before.140

“Wonderful, I mean,” I stammered. Yari pulled the door open for me, and I noticed the strain from its weight. It must have been a lot heavier than I’d thought, and that also meant that Yari was a great deal stronger than I was. Maybe I was still recovering.141

Even though Yari was showing me Kaiven Castle, she only told me the name of each room. Yari wasn’t very good at giving out information. I was dying to know more about that place.142

After a while, we bumped into Nahte. “Hello, Xen! Hello, A-“143

“We really need to get going, Nahte. I apologize. There is still a great deal of the castle that the Naktol has not seen,” Yari interrupted. I looked at her suspiciously. What was she hiding? Why didn’t she want to stay with Nahte?144

“Oh, I see. Well, make sure you tell Xen where my room is. Then I can answer some of his questions in fuller detail,” Nahte said. She sounded a little disappointed. I waved as Yari led me down the corridor, and Nahte gave me a small, sad smile. Then she disappeared into another one of the rooms.145

/*/*/*/*/*146

When Yari left me in my room after my tour, I grabbed the door handle just before it closed. It was really heavy. When I couldn’t hear Yari’s footsteps anymore, I braced myself and pulled the door open with difficulty. I snuck out of my room and silently celebrated my success. 147

I decided that I might as well explore, and maybe even visit Nahte. Yari hadn’t taken me outside the castle, so that was one thing I desperately wanted to see. Maybe I could find out some things about Yari along the way, and what my people had done to nearly destroy the planet.148

“Xen, what are you doing outside your room?” asked a voice behind me. I whirled around in the dark hallway to find Nahte standing there with a candle in her hand. She looked surprised and a little amused to see me.149

“Sorry. I didn’t want to be stuck in my room again, so I snuck out,” I explained. Nahte chuckled and shook her head.150

“That is an especially heavy door… Airam thought you were still too weak to pull it open. You know, she often does the same thing, sneaking around in the dark of night,” Nahte said. I was confused. She must have seen that, because her smile faded a little. I now knew what night was, but…151

“Who’s Airam?” I asked, a little apprehensive. Nahte’s eyebrows knitted together in a frown.152

“She was giving you a tour earlier,” she replied, sounding surprised that I didn’t know. Nahte gave me a physical description of Airam. I felt annoyed and slightly angry at finding out that I’d been lied to.153

“She told me that her name was Yari,” I muttered irritably. Nahte gave a hiss of disbelief.154

“She WHAT? Ah, I should have known. ‘Yari’ means cursed. It’s in our native tongue,” Nahte said, shaking her head. Now I was even more confused. Why would Yari -I mean Airam- lie to me? On top of that, why would she call herself cursed?155

“Here, Xen. Let’s go to my quarters, and I’ll explain some of our history in greater detail. No, I won’t tell you about Airam. Her past is her own, and I’ve no business telling it to you. But maybe some information will clear things up a bit.”156

/*/*/*/*/*157

Nahte showed me to her room. It was full of warm colors: reds, yellows, and oranges. It wasn’t really just one room, because her main room led off to several other ones.158

“Take a seat, Xen,” the woman said, gesturing to a pile of cushions on the floor. I obeyed and sat on top of one. It was very comfortable. Nahte went into one of the other rooms, called a kitchen. It was a miniature version of the castle’s kitchens. Kaiven Castle was so huge, with so many floors, that some of the people in the higher levels had their own little kitchens.159

She emerged from her kitchen with two steaming ceramic mugs. Nahte sat down on a cushion across from me and handed me a mug. Whatever was in it smelled good.160

“Start drinking, and then I’ll start talking,” she told me. I took a tentative sip because the liquid was hot, but to my surprise, it was a perfect temperature. It tasted delicious.161

“It’s called hot chocolate. It’s my mother’s recipe,” she said, beaming. “Now, about the history…162

“Thousands of years ago -or winters, in your case- there was a great civilization. It spanned continents and two different types of people inhabited it. They were Warriors and Keepers,” she began. At the mention of the Keepers, I started listening with a renewed interest.163

“Warriors were trained in body as well as mind. They had to be, for their great civilization had many enemies. The Keepers protected one of the greatest secrets ever held. They knew how to use Crystals. These crystals could be used for healing and helpful things, as well as destruction and killing. Keepers often became corrupted with their power.164

“One day, a Keeper named Sordin stumbled upon a creature that should never have been discovered. It could change its shape and control the minds of the weak. Through Sordin, it turned the Keepers against the rest of their people and used the crystals to wreak havoc, nearly destroying all life on the planet. The Keepers and their monster fled underground, leaving the Warriors and other people to die.”165

Nahte paused, seeing the horrified look on my face. An inhuman face suddenly flashed in my mind- the face of the Grand Councilwoman. If the creature Nahte mentioned could change its shape… I suddenly realized what had killed Edrik. A knife couldn’t have made the slashes on his shoulder. 166

“As you can see, we survived, Xen. We’ve been holding on for three thousand years. Without the Keepers, though, the old civilization collapsed. Airam is training to be a Warrior. That’s why she is so wary of you,” Nahte said quietly. I bowed my head in shame. Even though all this tragedy had happened so long ago, I felt ashamed of what my people had done. They were all ignorant of their own history.167

#6168

“Nahte, if my people did such horrible things, why are you being so kind to me?” I asked, feeling guilty and grateful at the same time. Nahte looked a bit offended by this question.169

“Do I strike you as the type of person who would hate you for no good reason? This happened over three thousand years ago; what did YOU do to cause it?” I winced at her reproachful tone. She noticed it, and composed herself quickly. “Nothing. You did nothing to cause or aid in the Betrayal. That’s why I don’t hate you; you deserve the same care as any one of us,” she said softly. I fingered my nearly empty mug.170

“I’ll tell you more history some other time, but you should probably get going. It’s getting late, and I don’t know if someone will be checking your room or not,” Nahte said. She got up from her cushion and took my mug. 171

“Thank you for telling me all of this, Nahte,” I said. She shook her head, smiling slightly.172

“It was nothing, Xen. I’ll see you later.”173

/*/*/*/*/*174

I headed in the direction of my room, then stopped and turned around as soon as Nahte’s door clicked shut. I wasn’t about to end my freedom so quickly, even if she was right. Airam would probably kill me if she found me, though. 175

I climbed down the many flight of stairs, exhausted by the sheer amount of distance I must have covered. I was near the bottom, so I felt relief spread through me as I got off the steps. I could hear the murmuring of voices in the Main Dining Hall, so I decided to investigate. A sudden roar of laughter sounded through the air. 176

“Hold on, I ain’t finished! I done lost me place, now. Oh, right. Noremac snuck up behind Zela and swept ‘er off her feet. It was a sight to be’old- especially when she slapped ‘im!” came the deep voice of a man. Another wave of laughter echoed through the hall.177

“Noremac isn’t the brightest man, now, is he?”178

“No, not at all. Zela refuses to marry until she is seventeen years old, so Noremac needs to wait a bit longer!”179

I peeked around the heavy wooden doors to the Main Dining hall and saw a circle of tables, with heartily laughing men seated all around a single chair in the middle of the room. In that chair was a storyteller. For some reason, he seemed familiar.180

“Well, now. I’m gettin’ a bit tired. I’ll be headin’ to bed,” said the storyteller, standing up. He had wild gray hair and a beard to match, and wrinkles at the corners of his twinkling eyes.181

“See you tomorrow, Sarlem!”182

The storyteller headed right for where I was standing.183

/*/*/*/*/*184

“Shoot,” I whispered, frantically looking for a better hiding place. I turned to look in the other direction and saw the storyteller standing right there, watching me curiously.185

“What’s the mattah, boy?” he asked, sounding slightly amused. I swallowed and straightened up.186

“N-nothing. Nothing,” I stammered. He raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. He shook his head slowly.187

“Young’uns these here days. Sneakin’ around the castle at night. You lookin’ for a girl you lost?” 188

I shook my head and felt heat creep up my face. For some reason, he looked at me a little more closely.189

“Yer a Keeper, ain’t you?” he asked quietly. My eyes widened and I stiffened, but he didn’t seem angry or prejudiced against me. If anything, he seemed curious.190

“You’ve got dat pale skin and shard ‘round yer neck. What’s yer name?” he asked. 191

“Xen… Xen Sora-lem.”192

“Hmph. Nice ter meet ya, Xen,” Sarlem the storyteller said. He raised an eyebrow and walked off, leaving me standing there by the Main Dining Hall in a strange sense of bewilderment.193

When I could no longer see Sarlem, I decided that for the rest of my little expedition, I’d avoid that section of the ground floor at all costs. If my guesses were correct, more of these people would recognize me as a Keeper almost immediately, like Sarlem had.194

I kept close to the wall, nervous that I might get caught. I walked quickly and silently down the hall, my crystal shard giving a dim but comforting light so I could see where I was going. I didn’t know where that was exactly, but I had the uneasy feeling that my curiosity would eventually lead to something unpleasant… so what was I doing?195

#7196

“This is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done,” I muttered, taking a few hesitant steps forward. “If Airam finds me, I’m dead.”197

My crystal shard brightened in the darkness, still giving off light so I could see in the almost pitch-black corridor. 198

“Correction. This IS the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”199

I trudged on half-heartedly, wondering if I should turn back. I couldn’t stop, though, for some bizarre reason. Curiosity was taking over. I briefly remembered one time when I was 15 winters old. I’d gotten curious about what Clirenz did instead of studying for Academics, and I’d found out. Then he’d beaten me up. You’d think that would have squashed my curiosity.200

But no. Xen Sora-lem just didn’t learn.201

My crystal shard gave a sudden burst of blue light. Weird; it never glowed that shade of blue. I paused uncertainly. Every ten feet or so down the dark corridor, there was a candle placed on the ground. Everywhere else in the castle, large candleholders lined the walls. Why were these on the ground?202

Once again, curiosity. 203

I followed the odd trail of little candles down the hallway, realizing that I was indeed going down. It was a downhill slope. You barely would have noticed it, but I had lived in dark tunnels my whole life and had had to learn how to detect that sort of thing.204

My shard flashed again. It began pulsing slowly, giving off that bright, electric shade of blue. I looked to either side, but didn’t see anything. A rumbling sound caught my ear, and I saw a stone block in the wall beginning to move.205

I hid behind a pillar.206

“Great Valdrin, I stayed late,” said a young voice. It was a kid, maybe a few years younger than me. I couldn’t tell if it was a boy or a girl. “I can’t let her find out I’m doing it again.”207

The kid was silent for a few seconds. “No, stop. She’ll kill me. Now I have to collect my candle stubs and not get caught,” they said. Who on earth were they talking to?208

“Will you shut up? If someone hears me talking to you, I’m done for.” I leaned closer, trying to hear a response, if any. I accidentally leaned forward too far, and light from a candle stub hit my face. I saw the one holding it staring at me, petrified. It was a young boy who looked remarkably like Airam.209

/*/*/*/*/*210

“Oh, Valdrin,” he whispered, backing away slightly. I gave a small sigh of frustration and stepped out from the pillar.211

“Who are YOU? And how did you get down here?” the boy asked, sounding scared and angry. I shrugged a little.212

“I walked.”213

“You-you’re that Naktol,” he realized. I nodded.214

“I guess. That’s not what WE call ourselves, but whatever. We refer to ourselves as Keepers.” The boy narrowed his eyes.215

“Well, you’re not,” he said stiffly. “Your people stopped being true Keepers a long time ago. Now get out of here before my cousin finds out.”216

“Huh?” I said, utterly bewildered. This kid was thoroughly confusing me. 217

“My cousin. She’ll kill you. She’ll kill me, too,” he said, and his eyes widened. Hurriedly, he scooped up candle stub after stub, blowing out each flame that wasn’t needed.218

“What’s your name?” I asked. I wanted to know. This kid acted like he knew everything about everything, but he seemed more friendly than Airam was. He even looked kinda like her, but with darker, brown hair and gray eyes.219

“I can’t tell you.”220

“Who were you talking to?”221

“Nobody.”222

“What, you’re nuts or something?” I laughed. 223

“NO. Go back to your room, Naktol,” he muttered, looking at the ground as he picked up another candle stub. After being treated that way for a while by Airam, I was pretty sick of it. I decided not to take orders from a kid two feet shorter than me.224

“You can’t make me,” I challenged the boy. He must have been twelve, maybe thirteen winters old at most. I was seventeen, a grown man, almost a Master Keeper before getting blamed for Edrik’s murder, which hadn’t been true in the least. The boy glared at me, then set down what he was carrying. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.225

“Prove that I can’t make you,” he said quietly. I snorted.226

“I’m bigger and probably a better fighter, and I’m sick of being in my cell of a room all the time. That’s saying something, considering that I’ve lived underground my whole life!” I said. The boy didn’t say anything in reply. 227

“I agree,” came a dreadfully unexpected voice. Nahte was standing at the end of the corridor, hands on her hips, watching me with a disappointed look on her face.228

/*/*/*/*/*229

“Nahte,” the boy murmured, looking down guiltily at his feet. I felt kinda guilty myself. Nahte was very nice to me, and she had expected me to go back to my room. Instead, I’d gone off snooping around Kaiven Castle.230

“Nolen, you should go to your quarters. We don’t want your cousin to find out about your little trips down here,” Nahte advised, and the boy nodded. I felt a small bit of satisfaction at having figured out his name, but not as big as I had expected. 231

“As for you, Xen. Perhaps you’ll actually go back to your quarters this time?” It wasn’t a question. It was a veiled threat. I knew something unpleasant would probably be the result the next time I went off in Kaiven on my own this late at night.232

I nodded, and followed Nolen out of the dark corridor, past the Main Dining Hall. I grimaced at the thought of having to climb all of those flights of stairs again, and Nolen noticed.233

“Ask the stairs to take you up,” he suggested. Not helpful.234

“Yeah, thanks,” I snapped, sarcasm practically DRIPPING from my voice. Nolen looked unhappy at being spoken to this way, and went off, leaving me standing at the foot of the stairs.235

“Lovely,” I muttered to nobody in particular. I had to climb all the way back up there, and some punk kid had told me to talk to some stone stairs. How not funny. I pinched the bridge of my nose and screwed my eyes shut, knowing fully well that it was my fault that I was downstairs in the first place. I sighed.236

“Take me upstairs, oh wonderful inanimate objects,” I said, waving my hands as if to make something happen by magic. To my utter shock and embarrassment, something did.237

The stairs began to move.238

#8239

“Oh my gosh this is weird,” I gasped. The stone rippled like no rock I’d ever seen before, and the step I was standing on slid upward faster than I ever could’ve walked. I felt kinda stupid. Nolen was right. 240

I watched the walls whiz past me-or was it the other way around?-and before I realized just how fast I was going, I was at the floor where my room was located. Dizzy, I stepped off the staircase. There was a low rumble behind me, and some scrapes.241

“This place is nuts,” I mumbled, walking unsteadily to my room. When I finally managed to get the heavy door open, I stumbled in and collapsed on my bed. I didn’t fall asleep right away. I had always had trouble getting to sleep. While I was a Learner, it usually took my about an hour to finally drift off.242

WHEN I was a Learner… Those times already felt like they were so long ago. It had only been maybe eight days. I sleepily wondered what Clirenz was doing now that I was banished, and what Sona was doing… and if everybody was happier now that they all thought I was dead.243

/*/*/*/*/*244

The next morning, I woke to an unpleasant surprise. The curtains in my room were flung wide open, sending blinding sunlight bouncing off every surface. I could tell just how bright it was, even though I hadn’t yet opened my eyes.245

“Ugh,” I groaned, rolling over unhappily. I was still exhausted and was in a bad mood because I had a confusing and disturbing nightmare the night before.246

I sat up and glared at the door. I heard footsteps outside, and I knew that that meant trouble. Sure enough, a minute later, Nolen opened the door. He grunted as he strained to push it open, but he did it. Considering how heavy it was and what a midget Nolen was, I must say that I was a little impressed.247

“Get up, Xen,” he ordered. I was already awake. He could’ve told me to get out of bed, instead. 248

“Nah…” I yawned. He was just a kid, and I wasn’t in any mood to be bossed around by the likes of him. I fell back against the cushions and let out a loud and extremely obnoxious snore. Nolen said nothing audible, but there was a silent yet effective response to my refusal to comply.249

Let’s just say that the next thing I knew, I was flat on the floor.250

“Ouch,” I said. It certainly hurt. Nolen had tipped the mattress over enough that he could get me off the bed, but still could put it back in its correct position. 251

“Care to listen this time?” Nolen asked sarcastically. I gazed up at him from the floor.252

“You know you look much taller from this angle?” I asked innocently. He stared at me like I was an idiot.253

“Get. Up.”254

“You know what else? I think I’ll get up now!” I exclaimed, getting to my feet. To my great satisfaction, I saw a muscle in his jaw twitch slightly as he clenched it. It’d have been hilarious if he lost control.255

“The Garim said that you need to bathe and take a look at our working areas. If you’re gonna stay here, you need to be useful,” Nolen said. I eyed him suspiciously.256

“Who’s the Garim?”257

“Our official leader.”258

“And what if I’m NOT going to stay here?” I asked. Nolen shrugged.259

“We throw you out of Kaiven, I suppose.” I didn’t like the sound of that. I especially didn’t like the way he’d said it. “Kaiven has eleven sister castles. The nearest one is about 100 lengths away from here. That’s quite a ways away. They might accept you, if you survive the trip,” he said. Boy, did that make me feel good.260

“Oh. That’s nice,” I said weakly.261

“Come on. I have to show you to the springs.”262

Having no other options that I could see, I followed the kid out of my room. He might’ve been shorter than me, but at a closer look, I saw that he wasn’t all that scrawny. He didn’t have those gigantic muscles like some of the guys I’d seen in the Main Dining Hall, but he looked pretty strong.263

“Nolen, how old are you?” I asked suddenly, breaking the silence as we walked to the staircase. He glanced at me, seeming a little surprised at my question.264

“I just turned 13. Why?” 265

“Nothing. I had a friend about your age.”266

I felt a pang as I remembered the last time I’d seen that friend. Crystal blackened, shirt ripped to shreds, lying lifelessly in a pool of his own blood…267

I slowed my pace and put my hand to my head. I hated migraines. I hated bad memories. I hated the world, too, all of a sudden.268

“You okay?” Nolen asked. It made me feel a little better that he was concerned.269

“Actually, no. But I’ll live.”270

/*/*/*/*/*271

We rode- yes, rode- the stairs down to the ground floor. I still couldn’t get over the fact that the stairs could move by themselves. That was wicked cool- and a little unsettling.272

“Is my hygiene really so terrible?” I asked jokingly. Nolen didn’t answer. That wasn’t a good sign. “Well, it’s not my fault,” I said defensively.273

“I never said it was.”274

“I lived underground, for pity’s sake! The water we used and drank had a lot of dissolved minerals and stuff in it.”275

“Yuck.”276

“Gee, thanks.”277

The whole time we were walking and trading witty comments, I was also studying my surroundings. The castle looked so very different during the day than it did at night. I now saw different colors reflecting off the walls because of stained-glass windows, and the different tapestries and paintings that adorned the castle’s interior. It was more enormous and beautiful than the Crystal Chamber, although I was probably given that impression because I’d never seen anything like Kaiven.278

“Are you hungry?” Nolen asked me. I frowned a little.279

I did feel a little empty. “Yeah, I am.”280

“You can eat at the Main Dining Hall after you’re cleaned up,” Nolen offered, and I nodded gratefully.281

“How can you live in such a huge place? It makes me uncomfortable,” I commented. I was being perfectly honest. Having lived in an enclosed space of solid rock and stone structures my whole life, I wasn’t used to such unlimited amounts of room and space. It wasn’t as extreme as agoraphobia, but it was a similar case. I wasn’t used to open spaces, and so I didn’t like them.282

“I’ve lived here my whole life. Oh, and Xen? If you think THIS is big, just wait until you step outside,” he said excitedly.283

“You mean, OUTSIDE outside?”284

“Yup.”285

“Oh, boy.”286

“Here are the baths. You’re not allowed in any of the ones in the right wing; those are for the women and girls. If you need help, I’ll be right out here till you’re done,” Nolen said, pointing to an archway. 287

“Your water is going to be so strange compared to what I’m used to,” I muttered. I exhaled deeply as I stepped through the arch.288

/*/*/*/*/*289

I emerged from the baths feeling oddly relaxed. My hair, which was growing a little bit long, was still damp. The water was soothing and felt good, not like the water in the City. It didn’t have the sharp tang of the underground water.290

Just as I stepped out a little farther, I was almost bowled over by a young woman.291

“Sorry,” she gasped. She had brown hair that was pulled back into a single braid, and she was wearing a dark green tunic over matching leggings with leather boots.292

“My fault,” I said quickly. She flashed me an apologetic smile and rushed off, a bag hanging off her shoulder.293

“Who was that?” I asked Nolen. His face grew a little red and he looked away.294

“That’s Zela,” he murmured. I almost laughed aloud. Sarlem the storyteller had been talking about her the night before. So someone was in love with her? That was interesting.295

“She’s our soon-to-be Healer. She’ll be taking over for her master soon,” Nolen continued. He seemed a little shy about telling me about Zela. 296

“Are you related to her or something?” I asked. He shook his head. Then I DID laugh out loud. “You like her! I mean, you LIKE her! Oh, that’s funny.”297

#9298

I must say, I embarrassed Nolen pretty well when I realized that he liked Zela. It was mean of me to react that way. Zela was an attractive young lady, no doubt about it. 299

“Sorry,” I said, trying to stop laughing. Nolen glanced at me, then started walking away.300

“Time for your breakfast,” he said, sounding a little mad at me for laughing at him. I followed Nolen to the Main Dining Hall. “Go over to Cook, there, and tell her what you want.”301

“What I want? I don’t even know what you people eat!”302

“Right, I forgot. Well, she’ll tell you,” Nolen said, waltzing off to join some other boys his age at one of the circular tables in the Main Dining Hall.303

“Boy, is he NOT helpful,” I muttered under my breath. I went up to the small window in the wall, where a rotund woman with frizzy yellow hair was yelling behind her for something.304

“Excuse me,” I said. The woman must not have heard me; she was still yelling for someone named Pinji. “EXCUSE me!” I said loudly. She turned around and stared at me like I was nuts.305

“Can I HELP you?” she asked grumpily, leaning over the counter.306

“What can I get to eat here?”307

“Anything you want, Naktol. Pick something.”308

“I don’t know what you people eat! What is everyone else having?”309

“Wheat and oats in cream,” she said matter-of-factly. I had no idea what that was, but whatever.310

“Fine, I’ll have that then, if you please.”311

“Pinji! Fresh wheat and oats! Get a move on!” the woman shouted behind her. She turned back to face me and scrutinized me for the first time. “You’re a scrawny one, aren’t you? You’ll need some fattening up… and maybe a little bit of real work would do you good.”312

“I’d really rather not be ‘fattened up’. It sounds disturbing.”313

She thrust a steaming bowl of odd-smelling gunk into my hands and yelled, “NEXT!” This alerted me to the fact that a small line of other young people (kids and teens) had formed behind me. I hadn’t even noticed.314

I headed for an empty, relatively clean round table and sat down. There was some kind of eating utensil stuck in the steaming stuff, which I lifted. Lumps of wheat and oats in cream plopped into a puddle of light brownish color. It reminded me of the splat of rotten food that had occurred in the tunnel after my exile. I shuddered to think of it. Nasty.315

Anyways, I was hungry enough that I decided to risk a taste. To my complete and utter surprise, it wasn’t so bad. It was certainly better than what I’d grown up eating. It didn’t entirely thrill my taste buds, though. Pity.316

In a matter of minutes, the food was gone, leaving an empty bowl on the table. Nolen was still at a table with a group of boys who I decided must be his friends. He was laughing (no doubt, about me). Now I was unsure what to do with my dirty dishes. I watched the other people in the Main Dining Hall for some clue. There was a chute in the wall. A girl set her dishes inside, so I did the same.317

“Done?” Nolen asked, coming up behind me. I nodded slowly. “Good. Okay, you’ve got a choice here. You could work for Cook, our blacksmith, in the library, or train with the Warriors. You’d probably never become one, but… you never know.”318

“What’s a blacksmith?”319

“He makes our weapons- his name is Rehil. You’d get strong, working for him,” Nolen told me. I was perfectly fine the way I was, in my opinion. Cook had said I was scrawny, but compared to some of the other Keepers, I’d been quite the opposite.320

“Do you use crystals in your library, too?”321

“No… we have books and scrolls. You didn’t have those?”322

“No, we recorded light signatures and sound waves into the crystals, and they replayed them if you tapped on it with the correct instrument. We DID etch markings- our writing, if you will- into wet stone, though.”323

“That’s really interesting.”324

“Okay, my last choice was to train as a Warrior. I think I’ll check that out last. Can you show me the blacksmith’s stuff and the library?” I asked. Nolen nodded and led me out of the Main Dining Hall.325

“So, did you eat the wheat and oats in cream? What’d you think?” he asked curiously. I decided to tell him the truth.326

“I don’t know how you people can stand to eat that stuff all the time.”327

“You’ll get used to it after a while, guaranteed.”328

“Ugh. I’m not sure I want to.”329

“Well, what do YOUR people eat?”330

“Anything we can find, really. We raised small underground rodents for meat and got other necessary minerals from our water. It had a bunch of them, I think I mentioned before.”331

“That sounds gross.”332

“It was,” I said truthfully. Our water was very… interesting. If you actually liked it, it was a forcibly acquired taste. Our rodent supplies weren’t very good either, come to think of it. They always ended up overrunning everything. The Crystal Chambers were the only places safe from the rodent menace. Want to know why? The light from the Glowstone variety of crystal killed them, for some weird reason.333

Nolen led me past the baths again, in the opposite direction of the dark corridor I’d met him in the night before. I wondered what was so secretive about that place. Even now, when the rest of the castle was bright, that particular area was black from the absence of light.334

“We’ll go to the library first. The metalworks and training grounds are outside of the castle itself, on the grounds,” he explained. Made sense to me. I certainly didn’t feel like doing extra walking that wasn’t really necessary…335

We did trudge up some stairs, though. “Why don’t these ones move?” I asked, my legs getting tired from our steep ascent.336

“Only the central staircase moves, Xen. Deal with it. This is nothing compared to what the Warriors have to do every day,” Nolen said, moving way faster up those darned steps than I was. I gave a frustrated sigh and kept going.337

We reached the floor where the library apparently was, and Nolen looked both directions down the hallway. I stood there, arms folded, my right foot tapping the floor impatiently.338

“Right through that arch,” Nolen told me. I followed his gaze and was quite taken by surprise. Kaiven Castle’s library was enormous. It far surpassed the City’s, and I was amazed. Whoever had built this magnificent castle had most definitely done a good job. I wondered if the City even had a single open space that rivaled this library. “How would you like to work here?”339

“It’s rather intimidating, isn’t it?” I asked, swallowing. So much knowledge… how ignorant we Keepers must be compared to these great people. “Nolen, what do you call your people? I know you call us Naktol…”340

“We call ourselves the Namu. It means ‘the survivors’ in our natural tongue.”341

“What do you mean by that?”342

“Our natural tongue? It’s the language we are born knowing. We are forced to learn the language we are speaking right now in order to communicate with our enemies- or those who aren’t of Namu descent,” he explained. I was fascinated. They were BORN knowing an entire language? Incredible. No Keeper had probably heard of such a thing.343

“Why do only the Namu have a natural tongue?”344

“I… don’t know, exactly. Maybe in the Terrible War, those who were against us were affected by those crystals, or the lack of meditation and tradition. The Naktol weren’t the only ones against this nation. People who’d broken away before that joined them when they almost destroyed the planet’s surface.”345

I was so curious, and so confused. I wanted to know so much. Perhaps this great library would help in my search for this world’s past, my people’s pasts, and my own as well. “A lot of the library is in our natural language. You’ll have to learn it to be able to read some of its contents,” Nolen said.346

“What about the rest of it?”347

“It’s in a forgotten language. Even our librarian doesn’t know it.”348

“Huh.”349

I’d have to learn that, too.350

# 10351

I stood there, just taking in the enormity of Kaiven’s library. Nolen watched me with some amusement. “When you’re done staring at the dusty shelves, we’ll head down to the metalworks… unless you’ve chosen this as your new career path?”352

“Being hot and sweaty in a dark blacksmith’s shop doesn’t sound very appealing at the moment… what about the training grounds?”353

“The Garim did say you had that choice. Let me know when we can go.”354

I nodded distractedly and wandered over to one of the shelves. The bookcases stretched up to the ceiling. They were so high, ladders led up to different levels just so you could reach some of these books. Platforms were built into the sturdy cases. I plucked a random book from its resting place and opened it, flipping through its dusty pages. There were strange-looking markings covering the thick leaves of paper, which I couldn’t understand. I put the book back.355

“Who’s here? Not Sarlem again?” said a voice that sounded like a creaky board. An old, gray haired man peered over the edge of a platform above me. “Oh, good. Youngsters in the library, for once.”356

“Good morning, Dowben. We’re just looking. We’ll be on our way shortly,” Nolen said politely. I felt the corner of my mouth twitch, barely suppressing a smile. None of the Learners in the City had ever been so polite to their elders- unless it was their instructor in their studies. Clirenz hadn’t even respected THEM, which was why he had failed that test in History multiple times. Although, I wondered if any of that history we’d had crammed into our heads was actually accurate. 357

“No, please. Feel free to stay, or at least take some books with you. Nobody ever comes up here anymore,” the old man said. He shimmied down the ladder and looked me up and down, a confused frown on his face. “I don’t recognize you, son, forgive me.”358

“My name’s Xen. I just got here, really,” I said.359

“He’s a Naktol,” Nolen explained. Dowben’s wrinkled face suddenly had a look of genuine interest.360

“Eh? I haven’t seen a Naktol in over fifty years! Brilliant! How’d you get here, of all places?”361

“Um… I don’t know, exactly…”362

“We’re about as far from any of the City boundaries as we are from the Western Sea. Someone went to great trouble to bring you here.”363

“Oh.”364

“Dowben? We should probably be on our way. The Garim said Xen has to pick a trade if he wants to stay-“365

“The Garim has lost his mind. Half the people who have lived here their whole lives don’t even have a specific trade! Why should Xen have to? Although it’s good for a person, I’ll give you that… This new Garim of ours has some bees in his bonnet, if you ask me. Loranette was a much better leader,” Dowben muttered, sidling off to straighten some other books.366

“O-okay. Xen and I are going out to the training grounds now,” Nolen said uncertainly. The old librarian seemed not to hear him. Nolen signaled to me that we should go, so I nodded and started to follow him out of the library, but Dowben stopped me.367

“Xen.” I turned. “What color does your crystal shard turn when you feel scared?”368

I thought this was a very odd question, but I answered him anyway. “Yellow,” I said. Dowben immediately went off and started searching another shelf of books.369

“That was weird,” I commented as we walked down the stairs again.370

“Dowben’s getting up there. He’s one of the oldest here at Kaiven, and by far the most educated due to his job.”371

“Who brought me here?” I asked suddenly, something Dowben had said bothering me. Nolen didn’t answer. “Nolen, tell me.”372

“A patrol of our Warriors was returning from some territorial negotiations from Ferria Castle when one of them fell into a pit of some kind. Apparently, she wasn’t thinking, because she went off and explored the tunnel attached to it. By the time the others found her, they were really far underground and decided not to keep going, but she insisted that they needed to go a little farther. Then they found you.”373

“Who was it?”374

“Sorry?”375

“The one who fell in the pit.”376

“I’m not allowed to tell you. If she wants to you to know, she’ll do it herself.”377

“Ugh, you’re not nice.”378

“You’d rather it if she killed me?”379

“Actually, I WOULD prefer that…”380

“NOW who’s not nice?”381

/*/*/*/*/*382

I had never seen the sky before. I had never felt grass. I had never felt the wind blow through and around me, rustling the plants and making window shutters rattle.383

Nolen stepped outside the stone castle as though it were of no importance. I couldn’t even take in all of the beauty, the enormity of the clear blue sky. 384

“Wha-“ I gasped, gazing around me. “How often do you come out here?”385

“Every day.”386

“Wow,” I said. I sounded like an idiot, but that was all I could think of. When you live in dirty caves your whole life, almost anything seems amazing.387

“Come on. We’ve got to go and visit Rehil at the forge. Or do you want to stand there by the door all day?” Nolen asked, grinning. I shook my head and started off after him, but I drank in my surroundings nonetheless.388

There was one path that led from the castle’s door, which split farther up. The three branches that forked off it led in completely different directions. Nolen led me down the one to the right. Nolen said that it was the East path. We walked around to an area with no grass, just stone tiles and dirt on the ground, forming a large geometric shape on the ground. 389

“This is where we train,” Nolen explained. I could tell. Several young men were fighting with wooden sticks a short distance away. Upon closer inspection, however, I saw that there were a few girls in there as well, really beating up the guys. I wondered if Sona had ever beaten up a guy down in the City.390

“And over here? These are the metalworking forges. How would you like to come HERE every morning, working from dawn till dusk?”391

“Eh… I don’t think I WOULD like it very much,” I said honestly. I could see that it was dark inside the forge, and waves of heat rolled from the small stone building. Dark, smelly smoke poured from the tiny chimney, making its way into the air around us. 392

“I don’t blame you. You probably want something a little less… unpleasant.”393

“Yeah.”394

“So what’ll it be?”395

I thought for a minute. It was a difficult choice. “I don’t know… it’d be great to work in the library, but that Warrior training stuff looks promising, too. What do you think I’d be better at?”396

“Well… I don’t know.”397

“You aren’t much of a help with anything, are you?”398

“What do you want me to say? I don’t know you very well! How should I know what you would be good at?”399

“Fair enough.” I walked over to the edge of the training ground’s dirty, earth-covered tiles and thought of something. “Can I do both?” I asked, turning to look at Nolen.400

Nolen hesitated a little bit, but he still answered me. “I think so.”401

I was satisfied. I would do both. It might be hard, but I didn’t care. 402

#11403

Eight days later, I was already getting used to a set schedule. The Garim, apparently, had decided that I was allowed to do both jobs. Dowben had welcomed me with great excitement and sincerity, happy to have a young assistant to finally help him sort out Kaiven’s library. I had not yet begun my Warrior training. For that, I needed a master. It seemed that very few were willing to take on a Naktol who was 17 winters- no, years- old. Warrior training started at 12. 404

“Xen, come here for a moment, will you?” Dowben asked, sitting down in an old wooden chair. I sat down across from him. “You told me a while back that when you were scared, your crystal shard turned yellow. Am I correct?”405

“Yes.”406

“Very good. I’m glad my old brain still has some memory left in it. Anyway, back to the subject. I went into our old volumes on the Great Civilization and looked into that. Do you know what your crystal shard is for?”407

I thought back to what we were told since childhood. “It’s for identification, keeping track of time, and checking our health,” I said, repeating what I’d been told again and again. A crooked smile appeared on Dowben’s face.408

“Not quite, Xen. Not quite. It shows your emotions, does it not? Do you know why? How?”409

I shook my head. “I always wondered.”410

“Part of it is in you. The energy signature in each crystal is unique, like each human being. The Keepers, way back in the ancient times, were born with an energy signature identical to a certain crystal. These weren’t ordinary crystals, mind you. Not at all. It’s not mentioned, however, why they are different than the nonliving, decorative kind of rock. Your shard connects you to your Identity Crystal, wherever it is,” Dowben said. I was fascinated. This old man probably knew more about the Keepers than the Keepers did!411

Suddenly, I remembered something. “Dowben, when I was in the City, one of my friends was… well… he was dead.” I had the old man’s full attention. “His crystal shard was completely blackened, and his shoulder was slashed. I’d never seen a shard go dark before.”412

“It went dark? How very strange... Somehow, both your friend and his Identity Crystal were killed simultaneously,” he told me, frowning slightly. I looked away and stared off into space for a moment. I was so confused. Yet, at the same time, I was intrigued to learn more about why someone- or something- would want to kill a Third Level Learner and his Identity Crystal.413

I continued staring off into space until Dowben’s voice interrupted my troubled thoughts. “Why don’t you get to bed, son. You’re going to have a big day tomorrow, getting your mentor.”414

“Tomorrow? Who told you, and why didn’t they tell me?” I asked, a little stung that someone had spoken to the librarian about my Warrior training, but not me.415

“A young lady came by, and you were up top,” Dowben said, referring to the highest shelves of books in the library. “She said to tell you, and I’m afraid I forgot… I can’t remember her name.”416

“Was she a Warrior?”417

“A Vorn. Warrior-in-training.”418

I nodded. I picked up a pile of newly dusted books and hauled them over to their proper shelf, setting them in by number. The spine of each book had their shelf and book number, to allow us to sort them properly.419

“Xen, you really should get some rest. Even on your first day as a Vorn, it’s rough. Trust me, I’ve seen them work,” Dowben warned.420

“If you really think I should, then… fine. I’ll go to my room.” I didn’t like giving up so easily, but it was a good precaution all the same. I clambered down the ladder and wished Dowben a good night before taking the central staircase to my room. I was getting used to the fact that it moved, and Nolen seemed impressed by how quickly I was adapting to my new life.421

I gave a shudder, which took me by surprise. The Grand Councilwoman still came to me in nightmares, accompanied by the other dark hooded members of the Council of Ten. 422

I lay down on my bed, fully clothed, the moonlight streaming into my room and shining off a mirror above the door. I hated nighttime. It seemed that ever since my banishment, darkness was unwelcome to me. Perhaps it was because of the time I’d spent in complete blackness, wandering that tunnel until that group of Warriors found me.423

My eyelids were feeling heavy, but my mind was still full at work. You could practically hear the gears turning. What I was thinking about, though, I wasn’t sure. It was just a mix of strange facts and happenings.424

Finally, I was exhausted enough that I drifted off into sleep. It wasn’t peaceful.425

I was walking in complete blackness. I was nervous, unsure. I knew that I wasn’t alone. Nahte held up a glowing yellow crystal in front of us, leading the way.426

“Xen, are you ready?” The question sent a shiver down my spine. 427

“No… I don’t even know what’s going on,” I began, but Nahte held up a hand to silence me. 428

“You must protect them. It is your job, your life… it is what you are destined for.”429

“Protect who?”430

Nahte paused before continuing. “You’ll see.”431

I sighed in exasperation. Why was everyone so cryptic all the time? I studied my surroundings from what I could see. The light from Nahte’s crystal illuminated the hallway.432

Suddenly it occurred to me that this was the hallway I’d first met Nolen in. There were no candles on the ground this time. “Nahte, where are we going? Where are you taking me?” I asked, feeling apprehensive and a little frightened.433

Nahte didn’t respond. We just kept walking, further and further down the pitch-black corridor. Finally, we stopped at a dead end. I laughed in relief. No scary dungeon or anything like that. Just a plain wall. Surely, we were going to turn around now. Nahte looked at me, amused, before muttering a stream of echoing words and raising the crystal high above her head. My crystal shard began shining with blinding intensity, in that strange electric blue, as before. The wall began to scrape open.434

“XEN! GET UP! YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE!” 435

I jerked from my sleep with a shout of surprise and looked from side to side in panic. 436

“Nolen,” I groaned, “who gave you permission to be my wake-up-call?” I rubbed my eyes. “You ruined it.”437

“Ruined what? Never mind; change your clothes and get down to the training grounds. Your mentor has been chosen!” he ordered, throwing some strange uniform at me. I realized that I’d seen this outfit before. Nolen usually wore it, and when he’d shown me the grounds outside, the battling Vorns had also been wearing identical ones. 438

He stormed out of my room. He seemed to either be in a great hurry, a bad mood, or a dangerous combination of both. Not good for me.439

I emerged from my room feeling rather silly in my new uniform. It was black, with slightly baggy pants that were tight around my ankles. My shirt was like that too. My boots felt clumsy and large.440

“Come on, let’s go!”441

We ran down the central staircase while it was moving, which made us a blur of speed. We made it down to the bottom faster than I’d ever done before. I was slightly dizzy as we stepped off, but Nolen wouldn’t hear of it. He was more of a drill sergeant than a 13-year-old boy that day.442

“You’re in a hurry today, aren’t you?” came a pleasant voice. Nahte was carrying a young child in her arms, smiling at us. I smiled hesitantly back, remembering my strange dream.443

“Xen is going to be late for his mentor if he doesn’t hurry up,” Nolen said with gritted teeth. Nahte’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ of understanding. 444

“Sorry, Nahte!” I said hurriedly. We ran past the Main Dining Hall and slammed into the heavy doors of Kaiven Castle, opening it and running out as fast as we could to the training grounds. 445

“Oh, good, we’re not late,” Nolen panted, leaning over. I was trying to catch my breath as well. I don’t think I’d ever ran so much or so fast before.446

We sat down on a worn stone bench and rested. My calves were screaming at me in fury. 447

When we’d relaxed a bit, I began bombarding Nolen with questions.448

“Are there rules? Who’s my mentor? Who’s yours?” were just a few of the ones I asked. Nolen didn’t have time to respond to every single one, I went so fast. 449

“Your new mentor will go over everything with you. My mentor is busy. Jeez, how many questions do you have?”450

“A lot,” I admitted. Nolen shook his head, laughing slightly.451

“So, you never answered one of my questions.”452

“Which one?” He snickered when I glared at him. But, being so curious, my witty comeback disappeared when I remembered my question.453

“Who’s unlucky enough to be my mentor?” I asked, grinning.454

# 12455

“Tell me. Who’s unfortunate enough to be my new mentor?”456

“You get to study with my cousin’s instructor. She’s one of the best Warriors here at Kaiven. She’s revered at other castles, too, and not just because of her combat skills. She’s a great leader.” I could hear the respect and awe in Nolen’s voice. 457

“Which are you talking about?”458

“The mentor.” He sounded confused, as though he hadn’t quite understood the question.459

“Not too fond of your cousin, eh?” I laughed. “What’s he like?”460

“I AM fond of her! She’s just not a Warrior yet; she’s still a Vorn. She’s completing her training at the end of the year,” Nolen replied indignantly, sounding slightly defensive. This aroused my curiosity somewhat. Okay, so I was REALLY curious.461

“Your cousin is a girl?”462

Nolen hesitated. “Yeah… didn’t I tell you before?”463

“I can’t remember. What’s she like? You never said much about her,” I pointed out. Nolen’s manner grew more cautious.464

“She doesn’t want me to tell you anything,” he said, sounding as though he were scared to say anything about it.465

“Then I want to meet her. If you won’t describe her for me, then let me see her for myself.” I wanted to know why Nolen wouldn’t say anything about this mysterious cousin of his. 466

“Xen, um… well, you already HAVE met her,” he said slowly. Suddenly I was confused. 467

“Say what?”468

“Your mentor’s coming.” The words came out his mouth so fast that I barely understood them. By the time I translated his speech, he’d already moved to a safe distance from me. 469

I ripped my attention from the little deserter and saw that a tall woman was walking towards me. She had light brown hair and piercing green eyes, a hawk-like nose, and a lean, muscular frame. 470

“You are Xen?” she asked. I nodded. “Hmm. I am your mentor; you may call me Asten. I have no patience for formal introductions, so I will simply tell you this: I will not give you any special treatment because you are not Namu. If anything, I may work you harder than normal, due to the fact that you are beginning your training so very late. I have taken the responsibility of your training because nobody else would.”471

I didn’t seem to be very well liked around here.472

“Asten! Asten-“ came a shout that broke off suddenly. I recognized that voice.473

“Oh, no,” I groaned, very unhappy indeed. The familiar rose-gold hair shone brightly in the sun.474

Airam’s eyes widened in shock when she saw me, and then she turned to Asten. “No. I will NOT train with this Naktol… thing!” she exclaimed, and I glared at her. She returned the look gladly.475

“I am so RELIEVED you two already know each other,” Asten said, raising an eyebrow and Airam and me. “It saves me the trouble of introducing you. As I said before, I hate formalities. However, you WILL train together and you WILL learn to cooperate. Am I clear, Airam?” 476

Airam bobbed her head obediently, so I followed suit. Asten looked about as pleased as I thought possible for her expressionless face. 477

“Airam, please take Xen through the rules of conduct and other such things. I need to pick something up,” Asten instructed. Airam nodded, allowing our mentor to go off to do whatever it was she needed to. As soon as she was out of earshot, Airam went through the works. I was surprised that she was actually listening to Asten.478

Once all of the rules were said and done, and the daily procedures had been made clear, Airam cleared another thing up. Well, she tried, at least. She really just made things worse between us. She’d hated me from the moment I’d first opened my mouth. I was starting to hate her right back.479

“I want you to know something, Naktol. I don’t trust you,” she snarled. I scoffed. How ironic. SHE didn’t trust ME.480

“I’ve got some news for you: I don’t trust you, either. You lied to me about what your NAME was, so how exactly am I supposed to trust anything else you say to me?” I asked. You’ve got to admit, I had a fair point. What’s so awful about someone knowing your name, anyway?481

Airam looked a bit unprepared for my being so observant. Did I look stupid or something? “That’s… true, I suppose. But I wasn’t sure if you were telling me your true name or a false one,” she said, trying to defend herself.482

“Why would I lie?” It was a simple enough question. At that point, though, I wasn’t really thinking before I blurted stuff out.483

“You’re…”484

“A Naktol. I get it. You hate them. You hate me. Fine. Just don’t judge me for something I didn’t do,” I said hotly. “The war’s over, Airam. It has been for three thousand years. So just move on already, will you?”485

I stormed off. Like I said before, I wasn’t thinking things through properly because I was angry. If I had been using my head, I might’ve considered the fact that Asten might need me for something else. 486

Maybe Airam wasn’t the one who deserved to be called Yari. I was the one who was cursed.487

/*/*/*/*/*488

I had no idea where I was going. I just wanted to walk and walk until I died of exhaustion. I hoped that would happen, so that Airam would be happy and I wouldn’t have to deal with her racism anymore. 489

I was fuming. The sun beating down on my head wasn’t helping either. I was sweaty, hot, and bothered, all three at once. I could remember the last time I’d been that way very clearly.490

That was the day I got food poisoning from something I’d eaten (which wasn’t surprising, considering what we had to eat). I’d been stuck in my Third Level room for a long time, alone and sick, and I’d thought I was going crazy.491

I laughed at the thought, almost five years later. I thought I was crazy back then, but now I must’ve totally lost it. 492

I thought unhappily. I bit the tip of my finger to try to wake myself up from this nightmare. I wouldn’t even mind living with Clirenz again if I could just escape to a world I actually knew and understood. All that ended up happening was that my finger started throbbing from the pressure of my teeth.493

“Xen! Come back!” I heard in the distance. I paused momentarily to see who it was. If it was Airam, I was sure to start running. It turned out to be Nolen. I was going to kill him. He couldn’t have just TOLD me that Airam was his cousin? Of course, maybe I was being too hard on him. I’d be scared to be related to her, too, probably…494

I rolled my eyes, but headed back. I decided to give these bizarre people another chance. Not that I really had a choice, anyway. The Garim apparently made all the rules around here.495

“What?” I asked snappishly, giving Airam the dirtiest look I could muster. She wasn’t paying attention, so my effort was wasted. Nolen winced a little at my tone.496

“Asten’s going to test you.”497

“On what?” I started to panic. I knew close to nothing of the Namu/Naktol history.498

“Your combat skills,” Airam suddenly said, still staring off at some object that I couldn’t pinpoint. There was a slight sneer in the way she said it, but perhaps I was still looking for a way to blow up at her again.499

“You mean, like fighting? As in with weapons or hand-to-hand?”500

“That is up to her.”501

“Great, I’m doomed.”502

“Yes, you are,” Airam agreed, before she could stop herself. 503

“Airam, just sh-“504

“Okay,” Nolen said, cutting into my sentence sharply. He gave us both dirty looks. “You’re both acting like 3-year-olds. You’re almost ADULTS, for Maerda’s sake! What’s the matter with you?”505

Airam and I both stared at Nolen in surprise. We weren’t expecting him to yell at us. He sighed in frustration and headed off to his mentor, a young man who laughed quite loudly.506

Asten then chose that time to appear. She beckoned to me to come closer. “Xen,” she said, “I don’t know how strong you are, nor how well you fight. I am telling you to knock me down. Don’t worry about hurting me; I’ve been in many a battle and have the scars to show for it. Just do your best.”507

I was totally unprepared for the battle cry that issued from her lips, and the fist that swung toward my head. I ducked and stood back up again, faking a punch and swinging my foot. It hooked itself around her leg and pulled, and at the same time, I pushed her forward. Asten lost her balance and fell, only to spring up again, breathing heavily.508

Airam looked from our mentor to me, then back again. “Well done, Xen.” Asten bowed to me. Hesitantly, I bowed back. Namu customs were still just really weird to me.509

“Airam, how long did it take him?”510

Grudgingly, Airam replied, “Eleven seconds.”511

Asten smiled. I had never seen her mouth so much as twitch at the corners, and here she was, doing a full-blown grin. “I think I have little to teach you for hand-to-hand combat, if my assessment is correct. Now you just need to finesse your form. You’ll also be learning to fight with a sword.”512

She was proud of me? A Naktol starting his training YEARS too late? I stood a little straighter. Airam noticed and rolled her eyes.513

“You can rest now, Xen. Your day is over. Tomorrow, we’ll start your real training.”514

Asten left again. She seemed to have a habit of appearing and disappearing. Relieved, I sat down on the grass, sweat streaming down my face. I wiped it away and just relaxed. Airam watched me for a moment, then, to my surprise, sat down next to me.515

Why did this seem familiar?516

“You did… well,” she began, and her words sounded forced. 517

“For a Naktol?” My voice was full of sarcasm. Airam gave me a fierce look before continuing.518

“For anyone. Few have ever knocked Asten down, and none as easily as you did. Perhaps it was just luck,” she said, and I snorted. “Or perhaps you’re a great Warrior without even trying.”519

My ears couldn’t believe what they were hearing. I glanced at Airam, who was now lying on her stomach, with her feet in the air. Once again, I had déjà vu. This was so familiar!520

“Airam…” The name felt old on my tongue. It had been said a long time ago.521

“What?” Whoops. I hadn’t realized I’d said it out loud.522

“Nothing. I’m just thinking,” I replied. Airam rolled onto her back and jumped up.523

“Then I’ll leave you to your thoughts.” She walked away, and I stared after her, wondering why today had been so full of surprises.524

#13525

Dreams. Such strange dreams…526

A young girl with blonde hair laughed and jumped on me… I pushed her off playfully and tickled her. She rolled away, onto her stomach, still giggling. Her feet were in the air as she picked a dandelion and played with it.527

“Kalem, do you like flowers?”528

“Only flowers with your name.” She giggled and threw the dandelion at me. I leaned back on my elbows.529

We heard a shout in the distance. “Is that my Papa?”530

“I don’t know,” I replied, straining to see the dark shape of a man. Suddenly, I heard a bang, felt a pain in my arm and screamed, seeing blood suddenly spurt from a wound. My friend screamed too, in horror, and scrambled up to help me. A net was suddenly cast around us, and we hugged each other, tears streaming from our eyes.531

“AAH!” I screamed, sitting up suddenly in bed. I was breathing even more heavily than I had been before, when Nolen and I had run to the training grounds the day before.532

Disturbed, I rolled up my sleeve and traced the area where I’d been hurt in my vivid dream. There was a deep, shiny scar. I’d known the scar was there before, but hadn’t known where I’d gotten it… and I’d had it for as long as I could remember.533

Was the dream real? The girl couldn’t have been more than 9 years old. And neither could I… 534

I got out of bed and stared at my reflection in the mirror. Even after only a few days of being out in the sun, my hair was noticeably lighter in color; it was no longer the jet-black mop that every Keeper had. My eyes were also different. No longer shining with the light of Glowstones, they had a grayish-blue tint to them. The Naktol people all had dark eyes.535

“Why am I different?” I asked myself. I desperately needed to know. Perhaps Nahte would know. I had to ask her.536

I was such an idiot; it was the middle of the night, so Nahte was probably asleep. I knew I wouldn’t be able to handle another frighteningly real dream, so I’d have to exhaust myself somehow. Perhaps running down to the training grounds and back would work.537

Deciding upon how fast I should go was the hardest part. Eventually I decided that there was no hurry, so I would just take an easy pace. I might even relax outside for a little bit before coming back to bed. Resolving not to come back until I was sure I’d be exhausted, I put on my Naktol clothes and left my room.538

The castle was silent. The creaking of my door was almost deafening in the quiet, still air. I winced when it shut. It was loud.539

Careful not to make too much noise, I went to the stairs and whispered, “Take me down.” Almost as though they knew I wanted to be quiet, the stairs glided downward without so much as a scrape of stone. I stepped off and immediately headed outside.540

After training all day, every day for the past three days, you’d think I would be more tired. Airam was always sore after our sessions with Asten. Why was Warrior training so easy for me? I reflected this, puzzled, as I slowly pushed Kaiven’s door open. It was heavy, being so large. I was amazed that it didn’t creak.541

The grounds of Kaiven Castle were just as beautiful at night as they were during the day. I gazed around me in wonder, admiring the way the stars twinkled against the dark velvet sky. A light breeze shifted the grass, producing a soft rustling sound.542

“Can’t sleep?” I whirled around, startled by the sudden sound of a man’s voice. It was Sarlem, the storyteller.543

“N-no.”544

“Yer that Naktol, ain’t you? You look different now.”545

I exhaled quietly. “I am different.” It was true. Nobody, not even Airam, could deny that. 546

“Aye. Well, boy, if you want a little peace and/or tranquility…“ He winked, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “…just head to the back end of the castle. Loveliest place on Terna. Take the West path.”547

“Thanks.”548

“Don’t mention it.” He turned to go, but then faced me again. “Ever.”549

Sarlem walked away, and I was alone again. He always turned up at the oddest times. Dowben had a low opinion of the old storyteller, as he often changed tales to fit his own personality or whim. Dowben liked things to be as accurate as possible.550

I decided to follow old Sarlem’s advice, and followed the dirt path on the left of the fork around the stone sides of the castle. Secretly, I wondered what I would find.551

/*/*/*/*/*552

Sarlem was absolutely right; this place had to be the most beautiful place on the planet. 553

It was a garden. But it wasn’t just any garden; it was a labyrinth of person’s-height hedges with night-bloomers raising their glowing petals to the starry sky. Flowerbed after flowerbed lined the bushes, and tall trees of many kinds were planted in what seemed to be random spots. Yet, none of these plants and blooms caught my attention as much as the pond in its middle.554

It was large, perhaps half the size of the training grounds. A formation of rock rose in its center, a monument to its own stony beauty. Steppingstones led to the formation. It was breathtaking.555

I walked among the plant life, amazed at the many different kinds. Crystals, too, grew in many variations, but they weren’t alive in the same way as these flowers and trees. I bent down to touch an unusual flower and pulled back quickly, feeling my finger pricked. Thorns.556

The pond glistened in the moonlight, small ripples causing tiny reflections to bounce off and strike the pile of fallen stone monoliths in its very center. I went forward, the delicate floral smells reaching my nostrils with no difficulty, to sit by the calming water.557

As I neared the pond, I saw movement; a rock the size of a breakfast bowl fell and splashed. When I realized what had caused this, I climbed the nearest tree and sat in the branches. Once again, even though this was a bad time, I noticed how easily I’d scaled the oak. Priorities, Xen!558

A girl crept out from a small cave made by the larger stones, kneeling at the edge of the stone formation. The rock that had fallen had created larger ripples, and she touched one experimentally. Her hair was long and wavy, cascading down her back and catching the light of the crescent moon. Her simple, light dress was like nothing I’d ever seen before, ending just above the knees and tying around the back of her neck. She was very graceful and seemed perfect, with a sadness permanently etched into her movement. 559

Shadows hid her face from me even as she stood up straight again and began hopping across the stepping stones easily. I wanted to know who else was wandering around at night. 560

Without warning, I felt the urge to talk to this girl. Not pausing to think properly, I jumped down from the oak tree, startling her. Her fright turned to anger, and I knew how stupid I was right then.561

It was Airam.562

#14563

“Naktol!” she hissed, getting into her fighting stance. I sighed wearily.564

“Didn’t we go through this already a few days ago? Why can’t you just accept me already?”565

“What are you doing out here?”566

“What are YOU doing out here?” I retorted, folding my arms across my chest. Caught unprepared, she stood straight again, and stammered to find her answer. I’d never heard her nervous before.567

“I… I was… Er…”568

“Never mind. Airam, I really don’t care what you were doing. I could care less. Right now, I just want your respect.” I turned and began to walk away, but then paused by the flower bush that had pricked me. I carefully found the stem and picked a perfect bloom, going back and giving it to Airam. “A peace offering,” I explained. She took it from me and then stared at me, the scar on her cheek shining silver.569

“It’s my favorite flower,” she said quietly, amazed. I froze. A memory suddenly popped into my head.570

(“Kalem, do you like flowers?”571

“Only flowers with your name.”)572

“It’s an Airamitt Rose,” I whispered. How did I know this? Airam stroked a petal fondly and nodded, looking up at me with a new emotion in her eyes. Was it the respect I wanted? I wasn’t sure what it was, but I knew that it was a good thing, somehow.573

“It is.”574

“You were named after it?”575

“My mother loved flowers. Spent most of her time tending them. She wanted a perfect little girl,” Airam said, her voice filling with sudden bitterness. “My father wanted a Warrior. He refused to call me Airamitt.”576

I had never known my parents. I knew them even less now, if that was at all possible. I wasn’t even sure what race they were, anymore.577

“At least you know who your parents are,” I told her. She shook her head.578

“Were,” she corrected. Sighing sadly, she walked past me, toward the edge of the garden and the path back to Kaiven Castle. The moon shone on her back as I watched her leave, and I saw something I would never forget.579

A long silver scar stretched across her shoulders.580

/*/*/*/*/* 581

“Up late, Xen?” I blinked my eyes open quickly and saw Dowben’s concerned, wrinkled face peering at me. I flipped through the pages of the book I was supposed to be studying and acted like I hadn’t dozed off- which I had.582

“Couldn’t sleep,” I explained, not looking up. Dowben sighed.583

“There’s another young Vorn who’s always wandering about the castle at night. She’s done that for years, ever since she could walk.”584

“Ah.” I pretended to be engrossed in the book of the Namu natural tongue, but I had an idea of who that other Vorn could be.585

“When she was a few years older, the Wohden slavers stole some of our youngsters,” he continued, now caught up in memories. “Every Namu castle had had children stolen and taken away. We had two go missing. Kaiven was enraged. We sent all the Warriors we could spare to bring them home… but only one child came back.”586

I felt my spine stiffen. “Dowben, is there any record of this?”587

The old man jerked out of his reminiscence, frowning in thought. “Aye, I do believe so,” he replied, climbing up the ladder to a platform. His hand was poised above the book spines, ready to grab the correct one once it was sighted. “Here it is.”588

Once he got down, he handed me the book and sat down across from me. “It’s in the natural tongue,” I observed, flipping through.589

“It’s not very old. At the most, it’s been probably 20 years since I started recording in it. It’s got information on the start of the slavers and the Wohden attacks on the Namu. The most detail is on the kidnapping of the children,” Dowben informed me, sounding slightly angry whenever he mentioned the Wohden.590

“Thanks, Dowben. I’m going to have to work harder to learn the natural tongue if I’m going to be able to read this,” I said, laughing slightly. Dowben’s face softened back into its normal expression, and he put his hand on my shoulder.591

“You’re already doing quite well, Xen. You’re taking to it as though you already knew it.”592

I was starting to wonder if I DID already learn it.593

/*/*/*/*/*594

During Warrior training, Asten ordered Airam and me to do a speed battle- that meant that we had virtually no time to think about our actions. It was all instinct. “Ready, fight!” 595

We lunged at each other and our forearms clashed in a block. I aimed for every vulnerable spot I could see, but she was quick and fended off my attacks. Somehow I ended up getting behind her and kicking her on the backside, sending her flying forward. Panting, she rolled over and glared at me.596

“Was that really necessary?” she asked indignantly. I wiped the perspiration from my forehead and offered her the other hand. Airam accepted it and pulled herself up.597

“I couldn’t help it. It’s not my fault you weren’t defending your back end,” I said. Grinning mischievously, I added, “At least I didn’t slap it.”598

“You fiend!” she exclaimed, punching me in the shoulder. “You deserve a lot more than that!”599

“Fine,” I replied, rubbing my sore shoulder. “That I admit. But it’s true! Asten would kill me if I did that.” Thank goodness she left during our battle.600

“And so would I,” she retorted. She picked up her long-sleeved heavyshirt and was about to go, but she stopped. “You never let me win.”601

“Do you want me to?”602

“No. I was just... never mind. And thank you for a good sparring match, Xen.” Airam walked away. Smiling triumphantly, I too scooped up my heavyshirt and followed her.603

She had said ‘thank you’ AND used my name!604

#15605

I was starting to scare myself a LOT. Every night, I dreamed the same dreams over and over, and I woke up in cold sweat each time. It was disturbing. On top of that, I no longer had the need to study the Namu’s natural tongue; I could already read and speak it fluently. 606

And it had only been a week since I’d begun.607

I didn’t dare to tell anyone, not even Dowben. He would surely be suspicious of me, and I might not have the access to the library, which I desperately needed. My progress was unnatural, no pun intended.608

To say the least, I was concerned.609

/*/*/*/*/*610

“Xen, if you please.” I stood at attention until Asten gave me the signal that I could relax. She nodded approvingly. “Your manners have improved greatly, I see. Shall I credit your fellow Vorn?”611

“I owe much of it to Airam.” No sarcasm. Lately, I’d been saving it for private conversations with Nolen, who was the only one who appeared to enjoy my wit.612

“Perhaps. However, she has benefited just as much from your arrival—especially in her unarmed combat.”613

“She’s still got a lot on me in weapons training, though,” I said. “I haven’t beaten her once in a sword duel.”614

“But you will.” Her voice was so fervent and certain that it startled me. “In fact, Xen, I believe that you may even become a Warrior sooner than Airam. You have excelled amazingly quickly with little hindrance to your progress—though your lack of vocabulary in our natural tongue is a minor setback…”615

It was way more minor than she probably realized.616

“In perhaps only two months, you may be ready,” she continued, her fierce eyes glowing.617

I took a breath before speaking. “Asten, I’m not ready. Warrior training takes years! I’ve only been here for three weeks!” As much as the idea of becoming a Warrior thrilled me, I was scared that I was far from the qualifications. The fact that I was a Naktol would probably be held against me as well.618

Asten eyed me for a moment. “Wisely spoken, young Vorn,” she said slowly. “I would’ve expected you to leap at this suggestion, as others would. There is, however, a valid possibility that you may be named a Warrior soon. The Garim himself has taken an interest in your skill.”619

“O-oh,” I said weakly. That was certainly news to me. I had never even met the Garim, yet ever since I’d arrived at Kaiven, he’d been calling the shots. He was apparently the boss-man of the castle.620

She inclined her head slightly as she said, “That’s all, Xen. You may go.”621

I bowed respectfully before launching out of the training grounds back toward the gardens. I could’ve sworn I heard her chuckle behind me as I ran.622

Just like always, Airam was sitting at the edge of the pond, staring off into space. She twirled a blade of grass between her fingers. Then, ever so slowly, she rested her chin on her knees and dropped the grass.623

“Worn out from training again?” I asked sympathetically. She seemed to get more and more tired every day, as though she never slept at night. I knew that feeling perfectly well. With all the weird dreams I was having, it was amazing that I didn’t fall over from exhaustion while swinging our heavy weapons or lifting Dowben’s humongous library books.624

Airam sighed. “Not really,” she mumbled, “but I haven’t been sleeping well.”625

“Oh?” My questioning tone made her finally look at me. Her eyes were glassy. Was she crying?626

“Nightmares,” she whispered. Grunting slightly, she pushed herself upright. “I don’t know if Naktols dream or not, but… I normally don’t.”627

“I never used to dream in the City. But ever since I came here… I don’t know if it’s something about Kaiven, or the people here, or what. But my dreams are almost always the same.” I’d never really thought about it before. And ever since Airam and I had decided that we weren’t mortal enemies, neither of us had mentioned our different peoples. I had the feeling that something was really bothering her.628

Airam turned and slowly walked to a large oak tree. She traced its rough, barky trunk and ran her hands over a spot where a new branch was sprouting.629

“You know… the Wohden have started attacking some of our sister castles,” she began, attempting to sound conversational. The only thing that ruined this630

effort was the slight tremor in her voice. “We thought that they were finished warring against us when our Warriors defeated their slavers.”631

“Dowben told me about that.”632

“Really? How much did he tell you?” She sounded rather detached.633

“Just that the slavers kidnapped two kids from here some years ago.”634

“Ah.”635

She didn’t sound well. Her voice was abnormally high pitched, and it sounded like she was forcing herself to keep talking. I joined her at the tree and touched her shoulder gently.636

“Are you okay?” I asked softly, concerned. Airam was usually kicking my butt during training (she had obviously let me win all day) and trading friendly insults with me at the end of the day. I’d never seen her act like this before.637

“Fine,” she replied unconvincingly. She brushed my hand off and headed toward the castle without saying another word.638

My eyebrows knitted together in worry. I had only known Airam for a few weeks, and our first impressions of each other had been really awful, but I knew her just well enough to be sure that something was very wrong.639

As I ate supper in the Main Dining Hall alone, I pondered over everything that was happening.640

One, it was possible that I would become a Warrior before Airam. Two, neither of us was sleeping well because of disturbing dreams and/or nightmares. Three, something was clearly wrong with her.641

Coincidence? I certainly hoped so.642

/*/*/*/*/*643

I spent several hours in the library, poring over books. Dowben was visiting Ulonn Castle for several weeks, and so the place was completely deserted except for me.644

I flipped through, page after page, growing more and more frustrated as time passed. I wasn’t entirely sure what it was that I was looking for, what information I so desperately needed to find. All I knew was that I couldn’t locate it anywhere.645

Finally I slammed the volume shut and rubbed my temples to ease my steadily mounting headache. I stood and replaced the books on their dusty shelves, standing there in silence for a moment. I had the feeling that whatever I was searching for was right under my nose.646

“Hey, boy,” came a deep voice. I closed my eyes briefly.647

“Hello, Sarlem. What brings you to the library?” I asked, looking at him. He scratched his chin thoughtfully.648

“Forgot old Dowben is on holiday,” he snickered. I scowled. 649

I nodded curtly and strode past him out of the library. I was in a fairly foul mood thanks to my fruitless book-search. Sarlem cleared his throat as I passed, and I slowed just in case he wanted to speak to me. 650

“Did you hear about the Wohden attack on Castle Evai?” he asked. He almost sounded as though he were about to tell me the whole story.651

“Airam told me.”652

“Did she, now?” said Sarlem, who raised an eyebrow. “She’d be certain to keep an ear out for Wohden activity, that one. ‘Specially with that past of hers…”653

“Past?” I repeated blankly. Sarlem’s mouth twitched into a slow smile. He was enjoying the fact that I had no clue as to what he was talking about.654

“Aye, boy. Poor girl. She was in a right state when the messenger from Evai arrived at daybreak. Hasn’t been herself all day,” he said airily. I struggled to look as unconcerned as possible. He was avoiding telling me straight out.655

“I noticed,” I said carefully, “so… d’you mind telling me what it is you’re talking about?”656

The smile vanished from Sarlem’s wrinkled face. “Are you daft, Xen? I ain’t telling you none of that girl’s business. If she don’t tell you, it ain’t none o’ yours!”657

“I was just—“658

“Never you mind!” he snapped, trudging away. I snarled in complete frustration and kicked the stone railing, but all that got me was a throbbing toe. I was sure that the pain would’ve been much worse had I not been wearing my training boots.659

Muttering angrily to myself, I rode the stairs up to my floor and stepped off. I threw open my door and tossed myself onto my bed, fully clothed. Staring at the ceiling and trying to calm down, I saw a flicker of silver flash across the gray stone.660

That flash reminded me of the scar across Airam’s shoulders. Now slightly disturbed, I rubbed my arm where a scar of my own was set in my skin. Again, I had the feeling that something terribly important was out in the open, hiding right under my nose.661

It was only perhaps an hour later that I finally drifted off to sleep, with the image of Airam touching the lake with an Airamitt Rose in her hand embedded in my mind.662

#16663

“'Those who are cast down, only the Great One can raise. The Keeper of faith and pureness of heart shall vanquish his enemies and restore peace to the people of Terna.”664

Suddenly I found myself in that tunnel again, with Nahte leading the way. Again she asked, “Xen, are you ready?” 665

“I don’t know,” I replied. She gazed at me steadily.666

“You must protect them. It is your job, your life… it is what you are destined for.” I shivered slightly; I’d had this dream every night for the past week.667

“Protect who?” I questioned, pressing her for answers. “Please tell me this time.”668

Nahte didn’t even blink. Her face seemed carved from stone. “You’ll see.”669

The light from Nahte’s crystal illuminated the hallway once more.670

We kept walking, further and further down the pitch-black corridor. Finally, we stopped at the end of the tunnel again. I listened intently as the stream of echoing words filled my ears, yet somehow managing to slip just beyond my memory. As Nahte raised hers, my crystal shard began shining with that same blinding intensity, in that strange electric blue, and I stared at the stone before me. The wall began to scrape open, and I prepared to wake from my dream.671

“Welcome, Xen.” At the sound of the unfamiliar voice, I opened my eyes again. This was different. Usually I was awake by now, listening to Nolen yell at me for sleeping in too late. 672

A circle of horrifyingly well-remembered hooded figures surrounded me. Nahte was nowhere to be seen. I turned around and around in panic. The Council of Ten was in my dream.673

“Please, remain calm. Don’t be afraid,” came a male voice.674

“Don’t be afraid? How is that even possible?” I demanded, staring into the black depths beneath each hood in turn. “You banished me from my home, expecting me to die. You blamed me for killing my best friend. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t be afraid!”675

“SHE is not here.” A woman this time. Her voice was soft and sounded strange, as though the sound of it was traveling through water. It was calming and disturbing. “The creature who lurks in shadows and haunts your spirit is not present. Only we are. And we are not those who banished you.”676

“Then who are you?” My voice sounded steadier. One figure pulled back their hood, revealing his face.677

My jaw dropped open in shock and surprise. “Gameen?” I asked in disbelief. The old prisoner bowed his head solemnly and watched me cautiously. He turned his head to his neighbor and nodded, and the whole circle began lifting their hoods from their faces.678

I turned as they did so, recognizing almost every face. “Dowben. Nahte. Asten. Sarlem. Zela. S-Sona?” I paused before her, searching her gaze. She displayed no emotion. “Sona… I’m so sorry, I never asked you—“679

“Not here, Xen,” she whispered, her eyes suddenly pleading. Her voice was melodious and beautiful to my ears. I had forgotten how beautiful she was. “Not now. Not ever.”680

As I stood there confused, a new person, robed in brilliant yellow, joined the ranks. The cloth hood dropped, and I found myself staring at someone I didn’t recognize at all. She surveyed me as though assessing a sword--was it sharp, strong, and powerful enough? Or was it too flawed to use in battle?681

“Welcome home, Xen,” she murmured, stroking my cheek. She was the one who sounded as though she were made of water. Her touch lacked the warmth of a human hand; it was cool and smooth. “But I’m afraid your welcome must be cut short.”682

“Why? What’s going on?”683

“Trouble is brewing,” she replied. Her eyes bored into me, the same bright yellow as her clothes, as my crystal… when I was scared. “SHE knew what you were. She erased your former self and grafted you into Her false civilization, her world. She wants to destroy the Namu and all they stand for, destroying what is left of Her enemies. You know Her.”684

The answer suddenly appeared in my mind, unbidden: the Grand Councilwoman. But there was something in this woman’s words that confused me. “She ERASED me?” 685

“Soon you will understand. Already, you have begun to fit some of the pieces together. But you must know that you have come to Kaiven Castle for a reason. You are a Keeper, a Naktol. Yet, at the same time, you realize that you are a Namu as well. And that is not all; you are a mystery,” the woman said softly. She bowed her head, and the others followed her example.686

“Yer that Naktol… ain’t you?” Sarlem asked, repeating the same question he had asked me when we first met.687

“Yes….” I saw him shake his head slowly. “No,” I realized, “I suppose I’m not. I’m different.”688

/*/*/*/*/*689

My eyes snapped open. The shadows of darkness still blanketed Kaiven. It was still night?690

I was feeling slightly disturbed as I got out of my bed and put on my old Naktol clothes. There was a strange curiosity, a fire lit inside me; I had to quench it somehow. My dream had given me a way to do it.691

I remembered the way I’d met Nolen in that corridor, and the way he’d been acting so mysterious. He’d had candle stubs with him to light the way. I also recalled how he’d acted very mysteriously, and the way Nahte had reprimanded him for going ‘downstairs.’ But he’d already been on the bottom floor, hadn’t he?692

As quietly as I always did, I left my room and asked the stairs to take me down. They obeyed noiselessly and I was soon at the bottom, stepping off. The Main Dining Hall was lit dimly, and I only heard soft murmurs coming from its interior. I tiptoed past and hurried into the pitch-black corridor from my dream.693

My crystal shard began to glow brighter as it sensed the darkness. It emitted a soft white light that reflected dully off the stone walls on my either side. So far, I saw nothing.694

Then my shard began to change its color. Gradually, that electric blue enveloped its entire surface, bathing me in its bright light. Still I pressed on. I knew that I just HAD to find the end.695

The end of the corridor soon appeared before me, reflecting the light from my shard with dull shadows. 696

I stood there for a moment, wondering what I should do, before I reached up to touch it out of pure curiosity. My hand touched cold stone for a split second before passing through.697

I stood there with my hand halfway in the wall, frozen in shock. Kaiven never ceased to shock me in some way. There were some pretty powerful things at work here.698

When I finally came to my senses, I withdrew my hand to make sure that it was fully intact. Satisfied that my fingers hadn’t vanished (or been possibly eaten), I took a breath, closed my eyes, and stepped through.699

It didn’t feel like anything. It was like taking a single step in open air with no objects in your path and nothing to stop you. For some reason, this wasn’t what I’d been expecting. In some old Namu fairytale book, I’d read of an instance like this, but the protagonist felt a cold, icy passage when going through the wall.700

Except for the light of my shard, it was very dark. It began pulsing slowly, powerfully, on my chest. Cautiously, I took another step forward. The pulses from my shard grew faster. I could hear its low rhythm. 701

The place I was in began to get lighter. Slowly but surely, thousands of crystals began to glow on the walls. Beams of light reflected into the larger ones from an enormous one directly in the middle of the room, which was pulsing in the same way, in the same color, as my shard.702

The large crystal before me made a cracking sound, as though it were splitting in half. It didn’t.703

Instead, it was changing shape. Within a matter of moments, it had taken the form of a woman with jagged hair, a glowing blue body, and a light that pulsed where her heart—if she were human—would be.704

The crystal woman smiled, in what was apparently supposed to be a soothing way. “Hello, Xen,” she spoke, in a voice that sounded as though it were made of water. I recognized that voice; it belonged to the woman in the yellow robes from my dream.705

I swallowed nervously as her transparent eyes bored into me. “Welcome back,” she murmured.706

“What… who… are you?” I managed to ask, almost too petrified to speak. I had never spoken to a crystal before. As a Keeper, we had always been taught that crystals were simply tools for our use, the structure of our civilization. It was only when Dowben explained about Identity Crystals that I realized that they could be more than that.707

“Perhaps it is more important that you ask yourself that question,” the crystal woman suggested, “but I shall answer. I am the Sosiem Crystal, the mother of all those that hold Naktol Identities.”708

This took a while to sink in. “You mean… Identity Crystals?”709

The Sosiem nodded slowly, and a faint crackling sound echoed dimly off the crystal-encrusted walls.710

“Indeed. I am their origin; their beginning; their source of life. But I am more than that, as you are more than YOU appear,” she said softly. Her glowing chest pulsed brighter, and my shard made an answering throb. 711

As though that proved her point, the Sosiem held out her palm, face up, gesturing toward my crystal shard.712

“Why does it do that?” I wondered, reaching up and twisting my shard between my fingers. “It glows the same way you do, and in the same color…”713

“That shard is a direct part of me. It came from here.” She withdrew her hand and placed it on her glowing chest, where I could see the faint outline of a bubble, a cavity, inside; that was where the light was coming from.714

Suddenly, the Sosiem looked past me. I turned to see what she was looking at, but before I saw anything, I heard a whoosh of air. Another human being joined us.715

“XEN? What—when—wh--,” Nolen spluttered, looking back and forth at the Sosiem and me. His eyes bulged in his head. “How did you get in here?” he demanded, angry.716

“I called to him, my Keeper,” the Sosiem told him softly. He closed his gaping mouth and stared at me. “It is time.”717

“Oh,” Nolen said. He bowed his head slightly.718

I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t more surprised to see him. Perhaps it was just the fact that my night couldn’t possibly get any weirder.719

I frowned, baffled by these strange events. “I’m so confused.”720

“Then, as I said, it is time. You must learn the truth about why the Naktol betrayed the Namu so long ago, why your friend Edrik was killed, and the truth about your banishment from the City.”721

#17722

Nolen shifted uncomfortably from side to side. He was clasping his hands tightly, and his knuckles were white from the force. I looked at him for a moment before turning back towards the Sosiem.723

“It began so long ago.” Her rippling voice, like water, echoed throughout the chamber and bounced off the crystal-encrusted walls. She closed her translucent eyes. “The world was at peace. The great Civilization, our world, was prosperous. It spanned the globe, and people of many different races and backgrounds lived together, working as one for the good of their planet—Warriors, Keepers, and Citizens of all sorts. 724

“Citizens were people who were not as dedicated, talented, or assertive as the others, who were specifically trained. They had many different decisions to make, careers to choose, paths to take, and formed the main population of the Civilization.725

“Warriors’ skills in fighting and diplomacy were honed so that they could keep peace with our fellow nations, and, if needed, protect their home from our enemies. They were spiritually sound and had a strong bond with each other, willing to make ultimate sacrifices for the sake of others.”726

The Sosiem paused and turned her shining head away from me. The electric pulsing blue light that emanated from her dimmed slightly. I sensed something that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end; a kind of sadness and grief impossible for a human to feel. It had had three thousand years to worsen.727

“Keepers….” Her voice was a whisper, soft as the ripples in a pond. “Keepers were the people who were born with a natural connection to me, and were taught to use crystals to heal and to aid Warriors in battles. They were always attuned to each other’s emotions and were the historians, the educated of the Civilization. I was like an enormous tree; each Identity Crystal, as you call them, was like a branch. I was so strong then. But, as with a tree, the failing of a single limb caused pain to the entire plant. Sometimes, even Keepers went astray, drunk with their power and the trust others bestowed upon them.728

“Sordin, one of our best Keepers, was helping to build a new living space for the growing numbers of Learners when he discovered an underground passage—a burrow, of sorts. It went deep under the earth and divided in many directions, and Sordin was an uncommonly curious person; he explored them. He stumbled upon a chamber.”729

Nolen and I tensed as the room suddenly grew darker. The light beams that crisscrossed the room changed into a deep blood-red, and the Sosiem opened her eyes and looked straight into mine. I felt a slight spasm of fear roll down my spine. 730

Her eyes were chillingly white.731

When she next spoke, her voice was an angry hiss. “Inside that chamber slept an abomination, a mistake of Creation. There is no name to describe this evil thing. It should not have been found. Sordin unwittingly touched it and woke it, and it killed him immediately by drinking his memories. It assumed his shape and because of him, knew all about the Civilization-- its strengths… and weaknesses.732

“I felt the deathly absence of one of our number somewhere in the world that day. It was a mighty blow, but for some reason, I did not know who had been lost. That had never happened before. The creature had a way of hiding things from me, and I had never encountered such an ability before. And so, it gained followers in its guise of Sordin. Some were forced to obey because of its powers over the human mind, and others, greedy for the power it promised, joined willingly.733

“They wreaked devastation on the Civilization. Over half the population was slaughtered, and our Warriors were nearly extinct. The world was in danger of collapsing in on itself; Terna is alive, as we are, and she cannot live with so much blood soaked into her skin, clogging her pores and choking her.734

“The creature sensed the planet’s danger and retreated to its home deep beneath the ground, dragging thousands of Keepers with it. The survivors of the destruction and death on the surface were forced to help each other to live through it, until Terna had healed enough that she could once again sustain the cycle of life. And they called the traitors the Naktol. ‘The Dead’, as I believe you now understand,” she murmured. I didn’t move. Indeed, as my understanding of the Namu’s natural tongue had grown, I had learned the true meaning of the name.735

“And Namu means ‘the Survivors,’” I muttered. I could feel Nolen’s wide gray eyes staring at me. He was astonished at my advanced vocabulary.736

The Sosiem nodded sadly. “The City is founded upon the creature’s original tunnels and catacombs. 737

“As centuries passed, the creature fed upon the memories of its slaves. This eventually forced it into a remotely human form, though it was still clearly not a human. In an attempt to recreate a society, it proclaimed itself leader and chose ten people to help maintain order and educate the Naktol in new ways to handle crystals. You have met the current members.738

“On the surface, we too were rebuilding what was left of our culture. The structure was different, however; the presence of Keepers was obviously absent. People who did not want the old ways back at all left forever, forming a new people called the Wohden. They were afraid that the Warriors would come back to kill the survivors of the first massacre. Nowadays, they are intent on crushing the Namu, but for what specific reasons, I do not know.”739

The Sosiem stopped there, and the light returned to its original peaceful state. She closed her eyes once again and allowed her glow to brighten again, and with a crack of stone, settled into a meditative position.740

“And that is the history of the War,” she finished. 741

/*/*/*/*/*742

I was frozen, trying to process the huge amount of information I had just received. Nolen was paler than I had ever seen him; he could’ve passed for a Naktol, had his hair been black. He had apparently not been told the whole history of our peoples before with such vivid detail. But then, which of us had ever heard from a primary source?743

It seemed like hours before the Sosiem gazed up at me again. “Do you wish to hear more?” Her voice was as kind as I had ever heard it, and she sounded as though she were really asking if this was all too much for me. I shook myself slightly.744

“I… think… this is enough… for now,” I said slowly, jerkily forcing the words out. She bowed her glowing blue head.745

“Then I shall wait until you are once again ready.”746

I’m not sure how I ended up in the library, but that was where I woke the next morning. I was confused and disoriented for a while, but it came rushing back to me at full speed, slamming me with the force of a hundred boulders.747

When I was recovered from it enough to leave my seat in the library, I immediately went to search for Nolen. I badly needed to talk to him; he was younger than me and was probably in more shock than I was. He was nowhere to be found.748

I was frantic. Had something happened? No-- I would’ve been able to tell, I was sure. Perhaps he needed somewhere quiet and solitary to digest everything we had heard the night before.749

But somehow, I just couldn’t convince myself of that. Instead, I went to the Healer’s room to seek out help.750

“Zela,” I said anxiously. She looked concerned when she heard my tone. “Have you seen Nolen anywhere? Anywhere at all, at any time?”751

“No,” she said, sounding worried. I barely heard her. She went toward me and placed a slender hand on my shoulder. “Are you alright, Xen? You look very pale.”752

“I don’t think I’ve ever been alright.” I sighed heavily and patted her hand. “I’ve got to find Nolen. It’s important.”753

Zela nodded slowly and gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’ll help you,” she offered. I murmured my thanks and left the room with her following close behind.754

#18755

“Xen, where have you been all morning? Asten is furious! Training’s already--“ 756

“Airam, I don’t have time right now! Tell Asten… I’m really sorry. But I just can’t train right now.” I pinched the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger, loathing the splitting headache that echoed through my brain. Nolen was still nowhere to be found… and I had an increasingly strong feeling that something bad had happened.757

“Are you ill?” she asked, sounding doubtful. I took a deep breath and gave her a weary glance.758

“I think so,” I said. It wasn’t completely untrue. I hadn’t been a happy, healthy person in a long time, and it was possible that the adjustment to the Namu world and the stress that came with it was finally catching up to me.759

Airam frowned slightly, deciding what to do. Finally, she gave a small sigh. “I’ll tell our mentor that you are not fit to train today.”760

“Thank you,” I said gratefully, putting every ounce of sincerity I had into those two small words. She looked startled at the intensity of my gaze, but nodded, allowing a small smile to grace her face.761

The gigantic wooden door of Kaiven Castle suddenly screeched open. Nahte, emerging from the Main Dining Hall, gave a small scream of fright. At the sound of her distress, Airam and I both turned simultaneously.762

“Please….” The man in the doorway was unrecognizable beneath the coating of blood and dirt smeared over his armor. He staggered inside the castle; I saw that his leg was badly injured, possibly broken. “Help me,” he gasped. His eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed on the floor.763

Nahte was instantly at his side, closely followed by many other women coming from the Dining Hall. They surrounded the man with cries of shock and alarm.764

“Xen,” Airam ordered, “get Zela. We need her down here immediately.”765

I did not move immediately. I had not seen so much blood since Edrik’s murder, and for a few moments I was too paralyzed to move. At the sight of Airam’s fierce golden-brown gaze, however, I snapped out of it. I was not eager for her to punch or slap me—and both things had happened before.766

“It shall be done.”767

I ran down the hall as fast as I could. I had no idea where Zela was at the moment; in our search for Nolen, she could be anywhere. Out of other options, I raced to the Healers’ room in the hope that Patiel—Zela’s master—would be there. Patiel was an elder, but the wounded man needed whatever help he could get.768

“Zela?” I called, shoving open the door. Patiel appraised me with a critical expression.769

“She is unavailable for courting, young man,” she snapped. “Find yourself a different girlfriend, why don’t you.”770

Temporarily taken by surprise, I shook my head. “No, no—we need a Healer. Badly. Patiel, you must come with me; a man just came into the castle, and he’s terribly injured.”771

At once, Patiel stood up. I could almost HEAR her old bones creaking. 772

“Take me to him, Vorn,” she commanded. 773

I led her hurriedly down the corridor to where the injured man had fallen. The women of Kaiven had formed a ring of horrified spectators around him, and Nahte was murmuring soothing words into his ear. Airam saw Patiel and me approaching and touched Nahte’s shoulder, alerting her to our arrival. Nahte immediately looked up, and I saw the trepidation in her eyes.774

“Oh, Patiel—thank goodness.” Nahte moved over to allow some room for Patiel to run a quick examination over the man’s wounds. 775

Patiel’s brows drew together in worry. “Young Vorn,” she said, casting a quick glance at Airam and me. “Help me carry this Warrior to the Healers’ room. I’ll be able to do more for him there.776

I nodded in acceptance, taking an offered wide bedsheet from one of the women standing around the fallen Warrior. “Airam, help me get him on here.”777

Airam did not respond in words, but she quickly knelt beside the man and assisted me in lifting him onto the bedsheet and carrying it, like a stretcher, to Patiel’s healing room. We placed him on the straw mattress carefully.778

He moaned in agony, clenching his fists.779

“Elryn,” Patiel said softly, “what happened to you?”780

Airam moved away from Elryn and stood close beside me. I could feel the anxiety emanating from her; it was almost as powerful as a crystal’s pulse.781

Elryn gasped for air as a spasm of pain wracked his body. “Wohden,” he wheezed.782

Airam stiffened beside me, and I heard her sharp intake of breath. I remembered what Sarlem had said, about her past—it had somehow involved these Wohden. She was quaking slightly; I gave her a sidelong glance and took her hand. She started at the touch, looking down at our hands, but did not remove hers from mine. She seemed grateful for the comfort, and I felt her shaking ease off a little.783

“Wohden?” asked Nahte faintly. 784

Elryn gritted his teeth. “They attacked our training session just outside the grounds… killed two mentors. I was the only one conscious. I had to come back, to warn you….”785

“Wait,” Airam mumbled. “A training session… but that means—“786

“They took our younger Vorn. Fiolle, Degan, Dyrra, and Nolen.”787

I felt Airam’s hand go slack in shock. “No, no, no,” she whispered, shaking her head desperately.788

“Airam,” I said, squeezing her hand. It did nothing to help. Patiel and Nahte watched as Airam began to sway, and as I acted quickly before she lost her balance. As I held her up, I realized just how much smaller she was compared to me; during training, she had always been a near-even match to my skill and ferocity. 789

“Nolen,” Airam choked out.790

“He’ll be okay,” I murmured in her ear, tightening my arms around her.791

“Which mentors were killed, and how many people were injured?” questioned Patiel. She began shaking a small glass bottle full of dark liquid.792

“Jilod and Garcy are dead.” Nahte buried her face in her hands. “I’m not sure exactly how many of us were training in the rock quarry just outside the grounds, but many were knocked out.”793

Patiel opened the bottle in her hands and poured a tiny amount onto her fingertip. “This is for the pain,” she explained. She rubbed it onto Elryn’s lower lip, and he licked it off.794

“Thank you,” he breathed, closing his eyes.795

“Airam,” I said. She let out a shuddering breath. “We have to tell the Garim about this. If there’s any chance of getting Nolen back from the Wohden, we have to inform your leader of what’s going on.”796

For a moment, I wasn’t sure she’d heard me. But then she nodded, and I felt her muscles tense. I quickly let her go, and she stood up on her own.797

“Yes,” said Airam. “The Garim must know.”798

/*/*/*/*/*799

I had never met the Garim before. He was the leader here at Kaiven, and he’d been the one to issue the order that I take up a trade to help my adjustment to the Namu world. 800

I didn’t know what to expect.801

Airam and I, being the ones who knew Nolen best, traveled up the moving staircase to the highest level of the castle-- the Tower. Never had I gone this way. 802

I watched as the ground got farther and farther away and began feeling sick, so I averted my gaze to Airam’s face. She stared fixedly at the wall.803

“Are you okay?” I inquired, keeping my voice as neutral as possible. Her eyebrows knitted together at the question. Airam tightened her jaw and shook her head ever so slightly.804

“No, I’m not,” she said through clenched teeth.805

I closed my eyes briefly. “I’m sorry. That was an idiotic question.”806

Her golden-brown eyes flickered in my direction. I watched as the sunlight from the windows flitted across her face, making the silver scar on her cheek shine brighter. Her usually proud stance, I noticed, was conspicuous in its absence; she seemed withdrawn into herself now, and vulnerable.807

“This is not right. There have been Wohden sightings and incidents with our sister castles, but not ours…. I suspect that there was a specific intention for attacking Kaiven.” Her voice was so quiet that it was barely audible. 808

“I think you could be right,” I murmured, placing a hand on her shoulder. A shudder passed through her. “Airam, there’s something else wrong, isn’t there? Something besides the Wohden attack today?”809

“Nothing’s wrong,” she growled, shoving my hand away from her. “Mind your own business, Naktol.”810

My face darkened. I grabbed her arm fiercely and made her face me; she tried to pull away, but I had grown much stronger in my weeks of Warrior training and she couldn’t break free of my grip.811

“Don’t say that,” I snarled. “Don’t speak to me as if I am an enemy, an ANIMAL. Don’t imply that I purposely try to make your life miserable by asking you these questions. And don’t you dare think that for one second, I don’t care about you-- because I do, and if there’s something wrong, then I WILL find out and I WILL destroy the problem. Do you hear me, Airamitt?”812

Airam’s face was startled. Slowly, as my anger and frustration subsided, I allowed my grip to loosen slightly. She didn’t move to escape it-- she didn’t move at all, except for her trembling.813

I sighed sharply. “I’m sorry,” I said softly. 814

She swallowed, closing her eyes and bowing her head slightly. “No… you shouldn’t be, Xen. I’ve been so… unfair to you. And… I just….”815

I let my right hand slip from her upper arm to her hand and held it for the second time that day. “It’s okay. Just don’t do this to me, okay?”816

Airam nodded, and I saw a glistening tear roll down her cheek, over her scar. I reached up with my left hand and carefully wiped it away. 817

“Sarlem enjoys frustrating me,” I said, a slight edge of anger in my voice. Airam tilted her head in confusion. “He told me that when the messenger from Castle Evai arrived, you were pretty shaken….”818

She stiffened. “Did he, now?” she growled, pulling her hand away from me. “Of course, that old windbag.”819

“What did Sarlem mean?” A note of urgency wormed its way into my voice.820

Airam stubbornly shook her head. I sighed in frustration, but did not press her again. I was glad, however, that her surly attitude had returned—to an extent. She folded her arms across her chest and stared ahead at the wall. Her stance was strong and steady again, I noted. Perhaps the best way for me to make her temporarily forget her distress was to tick her off….821

Suddenly, the stairs jerked to a stop, and she glanced at me; I met her gaze. Her eyes had an unrecognizable emotion written in them, and I wished I knew what she was thinking.822

“We’re here at the Tower,” she said with difficulty, not breaking our eye contact. I nodded.823

“So we are.”824

She stepped off the moving staircase and moved quickly toward the door of the Garim’s quarters. I was right behind her as we went through the wooden door to the Tower—and the Garim.825

#19826

A loud screech filled my ears. Airam and I ducked as something flew over our heads, narrowly missing us. 827

“Out, Eryo!” commanded a powerful voice. We turned to face our right; a large man stood there, darkening the doorway.828

“Garim Farshiko,” Airam said urgently. I saw her clasp her right fist with her left hand before her face in a quick salute. I followed her example and did the same, not wanting to be accidentally disrespectful. “I have grave and imperative news.”829

The Garim stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing heavy armor and thick battle boots, but his face was what made my eyes widen; large scars crisscrossed his right eye, which was closed, and his nose looked as though it had been broken several different times during his lifetime and had not ever healed properly.830

Despite his disfigured face, I could see the concern as he regarded us—two teenaged Vorn—and nodded.831

“Very well, young Vorn. What must you inform me?”832

“The Wohden have attacked us, sir.” Airam’s face was carefully blank. “Four of our youngest Vorn were taken captive, we believe, and two mentors were killed in the raid. The rest of the training party were badly wounded.”833

Garim Farshiko was silent for a moment. A squawk came from the other room, and the Garim cast a glance in the direction from which it came. “Are you certain that it was the Wohden that attacked us? Perhaps it was a raiding party from another nation.”834

“No,” Airam persisted, “it was the Wohden. Elryn—the only conscious survivor—confirmed this. The other two nations you speak of are too far and too weak to attack us. They are new and inexperienced; this whole incident reeks of the Wohden.”835

“I do not believe that the Wohden would attack us.” The Garim turned away from us and walked to the large window that overlooked the whole western part of Kaiven’s grounds. “The last sighting of Wohden raiders was near Castle Averrid, and that is nearly 700 lengths from here.”836

I was growing tired of whatever he was playing at. “Look,” I said angrily, ignoring the look of alarm Airam gave me. “The Wohden DID attack us, and a good number of your Vorn and mentors were wounded or killed. Why don’t you believe what she’s telling you? Are you really that stupid?”837

I was breathing quickly, feeling the anger and frustration running like a poison through my body. Garim Farshiko was frozen at the window, and Airam was staring at me with a horrified look, as though I had just dismembered a rabbit-horse in front of her eyes.838

“You”—the Garim fingered the longsword at his side—“are the Naktol I’ve heard so much about.”839

“Yes,” I replied flatly.840

“Well, Naktol, you have some nerve.” He turned on the spot to fix me with a severe glower. “Are you challenging your Garim?”841

“No,” I said coolly, “not challenging; I am simply questioning your competence as a leader.”842

Airam gave a small gasp and looked away from me, closing her eyes. Garim Farshiko’s expression did not change, but he looked away as well. I felt rather triumphant; my gaze had not wavered in the slightest, and he broke the eye contact before I did. This made me begin to distrust him slightly.843

The Garim cast a sidelong glance in Airam’s direction before returning his gaze to me. “You’re brave, Naktol, I’ll give you that. I’ll let your insubordination slide this once; I’ve heard good reports about your training from Asten.”844

“I don’t care about that,” I said, annoyed. “What are you going to do about the kidnapped Vorn and the Wohden that attacked the castle?”845

“Xen, please,” whispered Airam. She sounded slightly anxious. My attitude was worrying her, since neither of us really knew the Garim that well.846

My nostrils flared as I exhaled sharply. I barely nodded my head, but she saw. She inclined her head in thanks as I struggled to control myself; I was not satisfied with the Garim’s indifference to the attack, but for Airam’s sake I would watch my tongue—more than I had for the past few minutes, at least.847

Garim Farshiko regarded my exchange with Airam, a look of interest on his face. I clasped my hands behind my back and squared my stance, clenching my teeth tightly. 848

“I like you, Naktol,” he said. I was a little bewildered by this drastically different take on my behavior. Airam, too, looked rather taken aback.849

“Erm… my name is Xen, sir,” I said. I was careful to keep my tone neutral.850

“Fine, then. Xen, you have the qualities of a good commander; straight to the point, and caring about the people you live and work with. That could be to your advantage someday.” The Garim whistled.851

A creature the size of an eagle-hawk, one that I had never seen nor heard of before, glided into the room and landed on the Garim’s forearm. It had magnificent greenish-blue plumage and a bright red beak; its tail fanned out in the shape of a diamond and its feet had large, wicked-looking talons. I reflected that there was a specific reason that Garim Farshiko was wearing such thickly plated armor.852

“Eryo, fetch Lisper and Jast.” The creature screeched in response to its order and launched itself from the Garim’s arm. With a speed impossible for a human, it flew out the window and plummeted down out of sight.853

“Eryo,” began the Garim, “is one of the last of his kind. He is a young Tavis, a bird that is nearly extinct. Highly intelligent beast… and his wingspan, once he reaches adulthood, will be nearly 16 measures long.”854

Airam and I said nothing. This bird was interesting and all, but there were far more pressing matters that required the Garim’s attention. He appeared to be blissfully unaware of that at the moment.855

Shortly, two men came into the room; by their armor, I was able to deduct that they were both full-fledged Warriors. “Sir,” said the larger of the two.856

“Lisper,” greeted the Garim. “Jast.”857

“You summoned us?” 858

“Yes.” Garim Farshiko’s eyes scanned over me briefly before he continued. “We have been attacked.”859

/*/*/*/*/*860

“I don’t like him,” I grumbled as I left the room. Airam rolled her eyes.861

“Clearly. Had you been that disrespectful to me, I’d have ripped out your tongue.”862

“Remind me never to do that.”863

We stepped onto the moving staircase. The Garim was briefing Lisper and Jast on his plans for the rescue of the captured Vorn; I guess he had listened to me after all.864

“I hope that he chooses us for the mission,” said Airam. I felt my crystal shard suddenly grow painfully hot. Flinching from the burning sensation, I pulled it out from beneath my heavyshirt.865

“What in the name of—“ 866

“Dear Terna, what is that infernal thing doing?” gasped Airam. I shook my head, as alarmed as she. It was glowing in an almost blindingly chilling white, like the eyes of the Sosiem. With a jolt, I had an idea.867

“As soon as we get to ground floor, I need you to follow me,” I told her. She looked bewildered, but nodded.868

“I do not know what is going on, but I suppose I don’t have a choice here,” she said dryly.869

“Not really,” I admitted. “This is something that’s sort of beyond our control.”870

“It would certainly appear so.”871

I sighed unhappily. “I wish Dowben was back.”872

“Why?” Airam sounded confused.873

“He loves this sort of mystical junk.”874

#20875

“Come on,” I said. Airam scowled at me in response; she didn’t like to be hurried by other people. But this was important, more than the fear that she might beat me up later.876

“Where are we going…?” Her voice trailed off when we reached the start of the tunnel down to the Sosiem’s chamber. I watched as Airam’s face blanched and she hesitated.877

“What’s the matter?” I demanded, impatient. 878

She shook her head, her face still ashen. “We can’t go down there,” she whispered. “It’s forbidden. Not allowed.”879

“I’ve been down here twice, Airam,” I snorted. I grabbed her wrist and yanked her forward into the tunnel, ignoring her small cry of protest as we lurched into the darkness.880

“Xen, where are you taking me?” She sounded panicked.881

“We’re going to talk to someone who’s got tabs on Nolen; hopefully she’ll be able to tell us if he’s okay.”882

Airam stopped abruptly, bringing me to a halt. “What were you doing down here?” she asked suspiciously.883

I sighed in irritation. “Look, ever since I showed up here at Kaiven, I’ve been having these weird dreams, all right? I came down here because this place was in those dreams.”884

“Dreams?”885

“You sound as though you don’t believe me.”886

“Well—“887

“Airam, do you want to see if Nolen’s alright or not?” I glared accusingly at her, and she sighed. Finally, Airam nodded. 888

We continued down the dark tunnel. I noticed that it was as dark during the day as it was at night; none of the daylight reached the black depths of the corridor. Airam stayed close to me, but was careful not to touch me. I think she was rather worried about showing that she was scared, which amused me. 889

My crystal shard was still shining in that strange, misty white. I glanced down at it as it suddenly began pulsing, as it had before.890

“What’s it doing?” whispered Airam. My shard was our only source of light, and its pulses were sending erratic shadows on the walls around us.891

“It does this every time I come down here.” I looked at her with an unreadable expression on my face. “I think it has something to do with the Sosiem.”892

Airam scoffed. “The Sosiem is a myth, Xen. A legend. It is a bedtime story for little children.”893

I tried to ignore the contempt in her voice. “You’ll see,” I said quietly. Airam frowned and fixed her eyes straight ahead just as the end of the corridor came into view.894

“A dead end?” 895

“No.”896

“Xen, what on Terna are you doing?”897

“Come on.” I grabbed her hand; she tried to pull away. “Airam, just follow me. Trust me on this, okay?”898

She grunted unhappily. “As if I have another option,” she muttered. But she allowed me to lead her toward the wall. It still appeared solid, I thought. 899

Slowly, I reached out to touch it. My fingers brushed the wall for a split second before falling right through. Airam gasped in shock. I smiled to myself and stepped forward, letting the rest of me pass through. 900

“Xen—“ she cried, but I yanked her in before she could say any more.901

/*/*/*/*/*902

We stood on the other side of the wall for a moment, since I had decided to let this whole experience sink in for Airam. She was holding my hand so tightly that I feared it might fall off. 903

“You have returned.” 904

Airam stiffened beside me at the sound of the Sosiem’s voice. It rippled like water, echoing eerily through the cavernous room… as the voice of no human could. 905

“You have brought someone with you.” The room was still dark. When I had first come into the Sosiem’s chamber, it had slowly brightened with the light of the crystals that covered the walls. The Sosiem herself had even glowed, but now the only illumination came from my crystal shard. It had a tinge of yellow at the end, where the cord was strung through.906

I swallowed. “Yes,” I called out into the darkness. “She’s my friend, and Nolen’s cousin. He is missing, and we need to know if you can tell us if he’s okay.”907

A loud cracking noise split the air. I recognized it as the sound the Sosiem made when she moved. A faint white glow ahead of us, about as tall as a person, began to slowly intensify.908

“I know who she is,” murmured the Sosiem. “And I know that Nolen was taken.”909

Airam shuddered as the glow before us became suddenly dazzling, and the Sosiem fixed us with her piercing white gaze. 910

“It’s okay,” I whispered in her ear. I had never seen Airam so frightened before; it was unnerving. “She won’t hurt us.”911

The Sosiem gave Airam what appeared to be a sympathetic look. “I would never harm the kin of my Keeper, nor the one with whom you are bonded.” She pointed at my crystal shard. “Xen, keep your shard of me safe. It will be our only form of communication once you leave the castle.”912

“Leave…? What do you mean?”913

“Nolen has been captured by the Wohden, for a terrible purpose. I sense that he is alive, and mostly unharmed, but it will not be so for long if he is not found. You must go and search for him with Airam, whether your leader permits you or not. There is a part that each of you must play here.”914

“How… how do you know my name?” asked Airam, frightened. 915

The Sosiem raised her crystalline hand, and the crystals on the walls around us began reflecting light into the cavity in her chest, from which my shard was carved.916

“Nolen has always been afraid that you would discover him down here. He has done well to hide his secret journeys from you, his serving as my caretaker. He speaks of you often,” the Sosiem told Airam. “He has been your Keeper as much as mine, though you may not realize it.”917

I reached up and touched my crystal shard uncertainly. “You said that we can communicate with this?” I questioned. 918

The Sosiem nodded solemnly. “Through your dreams.” She paused and made a strange noise, a sigh. “As you have probably gathered, I have been speaking to you as you sleep. Since the Naktol rarely dream, this phenomena aroused your curiosity and brought you to me when the time was right.”919

“What if we are separated?” Airam’s voice was quiet, but she seemed to have regained some of her normal bravado. “I will have no way to communicate with either of you.”920

I looked at my fellow Vorn with sudden fear. She was right—anything was possible. What if we lost sight of each other during the search?921

“You will have a way.” The Sosiem fixed Airam with a piercing stare. “You will discover it when you need it the most… but I hope that you will not need it at all.”922

Airam shrank under the Sosiem’s gaze, but she straightened back up a little more when I gave her hand a gentle squeeze.923

The Sosiem gave us each a final look before closing her eyes and her light began to fade back into blackness. “This journey will be a trial for both of you. Do not lose yourselves, but rather, try to find them. Return my Keeper to me.”924