Child of Time (3 page)

“Don't worry about Kiyan. He may spend the night out
but I suspect he will make his way back to your home before
midnight. He is with Ray so he is safe.” Kendra announced.

Marisa spoken up next. “Are you going to take
him?”

“Forgive me if I did not give you enough information
all those years ago. I chose you and this village because you would
love him as parents should no matter what he is. This village will
have accepted him as unique before the night is over. I will never
take him he will leave when he chooses but he will always be tied
here by you. You are his family as much as I am.”

----------

So much to take in. Trying to sort things by order
wasn’t possible. The gentle thrum breeze in the distance, the view
of a valley uninhabited. The golden tapestry strewn with diamonds
of the nebula above. The peaceful presence of Ray. The realization
that Kendra was real. The fact that Carlisle was an empath. The
fact that he was a bender. Of all the elements! Jeremy was a
waterbender like he wanted to be. Fred was a life mage, how Kiyan
knew this he could not explain. He just knew it. For a moment he
was not alone with his thoughts, the feeling of love and compassion
was there. Then a message about reassuring mom and dad. A touch of
sadness with the feeling of guilt for not being there before then
it was silent again.

“Mom and dad! They must be worried sick. I should go
home.” The memory of the trip home was vague with a jumble of
thoughts and exhaustion. Ray carried Kiyan through the dark woods
that only that morning they had fled through. The last memories
were of slipping into a deep dreamless sleep and the sensation that
Kendra was near with the knowledge that no dreams would trouble the
night.

Chapter two: Acceptance

Waking in the morning was a chore as usual and a fear
of what might happen at today's ceremony were forefront in Kiyan's
mind.
Am I some kind of freak?
He asked himself. He knew
that some people had multiple gifts and for other it wasn't for
several more years that they started to show. If it was bad enough
already. He could bend all the elements. The academy was sure to
want him to come to Samtan. Then there were those that were sure to
be afraid of his powers. Kiyan felt like crawling back into bed but
then he remembered Kendra was near, he could feel it. While
reaching out to find her Kiyan felt a spot of calm that was
distinctive. Before he could close his mind again he felt Carlisle
asking if he slept well over the night and if he had been swimming
yet. Unsure how to reply he hurried and dressed before running down
stairs.

“Hurry up and take your bath and I will have
breakfast ready when you get back.” Marisa said.

Strange almost feels like a normal day aside from a
neighbor wishing him good morning telepathically. “Be back in a
few.” Kiyan whispered as he hugged her.

Outside Carlisle was waiting with Ray. “I take it
from your silence that you haven't figured out how to send a
message yet?” Carlisle queried.

“No, I haven't tried anything like that. Usually I
can just feel what others are feeling.” Kiyan answered.

“Well, I can help you with that. Also I can teach you
how to close your mind and block out emotions like those at the
ceremony yesterday.” Carlisle offered.

“I would like that.” responded Kiyan.

“I can teach you a little on the way to the lake.”
Kiyan agreed so they set out. “You are a mirror type telepath so
you are able to reflect the emotions back at others. I was
surprised that you were so sensitive to those around you. Usually
mirrors have to work to feel other’s emotions but other telepath
usually can't pass a mirror's barriers. I want you to practice
reflecting my emotions back at me instead of absorbing them.”
Carlisle then projected a few minor emotions at Kiyan who practiced
blocking them by redirecting them. By the time they made it to the
lake Kiyan couldn't even tell what the emotions were that were
being sent at him. Only vague nudges at the edges of his mind.
“Later I will show you how to send a coherent message.”

Kiyan shouted Jeremy upon arriving at the water’s
edge. “Come on let's go swimming.” Soon the familiar feeling of
being thrown in the water made them all forget about everything
else. After the scrubbing was over the boys took turns jumping from
Ray’s back.
A few more minutes and then I'm going to have to go
home again
thought Kiyan. Ray recognized this and began
swimming back to shore with Jeremy and Fred still paddling
around.

Kiyan was lost in thought when he felt Carlisle
calling him. Carlisle directed him to look back at the water near
where the boys were still swimming. “What is that floating near
Fred?” Carlisle inquired.

“It looks like a floating log.” Answered Kiyan.
But wait it’s not right, something is off about it.
Kiyan
could not put his finger on it he had felt it before. It struck him
the same time Ray spoke.

"
Kayloo
". That was it but this one he had not
been seen before around the village. Unbound kayloo often would
hang around a village until an eligible youth was found. No this
one was a wild kayloo.

“Watch out there is...” Kiyan was cut off before he
could finish by a yell from Fred.

“It’s alive!”

In an instant Ray set Kiyan on the ground and was
back in the water swimming faster than Kiyan had ever seen him
move. Ray reached Fred about the same time that he stopped
struggling and started sinking. Lifting him out of the water those
on shore could see vines wrapping around Fred from the plant. It
had started to move and was wrapping more vines around Ray. There
was a glimmer as Ray shifted to his sea mammal form. In this form
he held Fred up while pulling him and the kayloo back to shore.
Another glimmer and Ray was back in his normal form lifting and
pulling both of them out of the water. Carlisle was trying to pull
the vines off of Fred when Kiyan realized what was happening.

“Stop!” Kiyan yelled.

“It is going to suffocate him if we let it keep
growing around him.” Carlisle countered.

“It doesn't want to hurt him. It only wants to bond
with him. I remembered the same thing happened when I met and
bonded with Ray.”

“You are sure of this?”

“Yes.” responded Kiyan. “You can see that it has
already stopped constricting him, in a few minutes Fred will wake
up again.”

Over the next few minutes a number of villagers had
gathered around them. Joshua soon arrived and exclaimed "A dryad!
The rarest kayloo of all. This is incredible.”

Fred's parents had arrived by this time and were
rather startled at the sight of a plant wrapping itself around
their son. They only started to calm down when Joshua explained
that there was nothing to worry about now. Ray had saved Fred from
drowning by his quick action. What he needed was time to finish
bonding. The best thing for Fred was probably to spend a few days
getting used to the kayloo.

A growling stomach reminded Kiyan about the forgotten
breakfast. He was about to turn and go home when Marisa tapped him
on the shoulder.

“Fred woke up and he asked for you. I know how you
were after you bonded with Ray. Your kayloo was a little better
known than this one but still you were a little off for a few days.
Fred's parents had another child that bonded with a kayloo more
than eighty years ago. They agree that Fred needs time to finish
the bond and to talk with someone who has also bonded to get the
questions out of his system. Anyhow Fred has asked if you and
Jeremy can go camping with him for the next couple days. I'm sure
both of you have some things to discuss. You will need come back by
the house to pack a few things before you go.”

Yay a couple days off in the woods just the five
of them
Kiyan thought. That new dryad might be interesting. Ray
spent ten years studying humans from the outskirts of the village.
But this kayloo was totally new. It had a lot to learn but if it
had a strong telepathic connection it may have learned enough
already. Any how this would be interesting. The fact that Fred's
parents were willing to send their son into the woods with a
strange kayloo meant a couple things. First they really trusted
their son and secondly that someone had convinced them that this
kayloo was trustable.

“Hey Kiyan you ready yet?” Jeremy reminded Kiyan of
the task at hand.

Just a moment was the reply. It was long before Kiyan
had collected what he considered essential for a camping trip. They
were among his favorite excursions so the equipment was always near
at hand.

So how did you convince your parents to let you go
off in the woods with the dryad that nearly killed you? Kiyan asked
Fred when they had rejoined.

“Ha, Addy didn't almost kill me, it was the water
that nearly killed me.” Countered Fred. “I'm not a waterbender like
you two.”

“I haven't been able make more than a ripple since
yesterday so that wouldn't have changed anything.” Jeremy looked
rather disappointed with the failing.

“Since my sister was bonded and they saw how Sandy
protected her, they weren't that worried because she can’t help but
protect me now. Also Addy did not know that she was hurting me, she
knows now. Besides Joshua said that now that we are bonded Addy
would sacrifice herself before letting me get hurt.” Fred
explained.

Kiyan looked over Addy for the first time since the
lake. She had shifted from a log into the most human looking kayloo
he had ever seen. She was as tall as Fred and was covered with pale
smooth bark from head to toe. Her hair was similar green vines
covered in golden leaves. With eyes like emeralds and a face as
fine as any, she was a sight and seemed to be shy as well.

“So where are we going?” Kiyan wondered out loud.

“Dad says the next valley over might be fun. There
are some caves and some lakes and a forest of glow woods.” Fred
responded.

“Well let's go then I bet Ray can beat you to the
glow woods.” Challenged Kiyan.

Out of the corner of his eye Kiyan saw Addy glimmer
and shift into a large horse like creature. Vines reached out and
grabbed Fred and they were off in a flash. Jeremy watch in silence
as Ray stood without moving.

“So is it a one team race?” Jeremy finally asked
after Fred and Addy had disappeared into the trees that skirted
Loomis.

“Oh come on I wouldn't have left you here all alone
to hoof it all the way to the next valley. It was Ray's idea in the
first place to have a race.”

“What do you mean?” Jeremy was obviously
confused.

“Remember Ray has a flying form, and the rules do not
preclude flying.” Kiyan was in a mischievous mood, that much Jeremy
could see. But the thought of flying made Jeremy's stomach feel
funny.

“You are sure it is safe?” Jeremy already looked
uneasy.

“Ya I've done it before, how do you think we get to
Oak Ridge so fast for the seeds this year when the teleporter was
down?” Kiyan was getting impatient, Addy was really moving fast
when he had seen her last.

In a flash Ray had shifted and placed Jeremy and
Kiyan on his back without further argument. Ray launched himself in
the air, the ground disappeared quickly and the forest tops flew
past momentarily. In no time they had climbed high enough and ridge
passed beneath them. They soared over a forest with lakes dotting
the scenery. Up ahead the valley opened up and silver ribbon of a
river sprawled over that landscape. Flying just above the treetops
they could see a virgin forest with massive trees and webs of vines
sprawling between them. Dotting the trees were some air flowers
that added a speckled rainbow hue to things. The glow woods ahead
told them that they would be there soon.

The yell and crashing from the woods below them told
them they had caught up with Fred and Addy. Their victory was short
live when they found that Addy had a flying form of her own. With a
shriek she unleashed herself from the trees and unfurled her lacy
wings. Even so her wings weren't not built for speed like Ray's so
she confined herself to leaping from treetop to treetop. But her
speed was still something to be reckoned with. With moments to
spare Ray perched on the upper branches of a giant tree with white
bark but with leaves that glowed all colors of the rainbow.

“That wasn't fair.” Fred yelled when he glided in to
a stop. Addy glimmered back into her humanoid form and began
spinning vines through the trees until a platform was securely
hanging high in the trees. Suddenly realizing everyone was looking
at her Addy dropped below the platform and disappeared.

Jeremy was rather worried about Addy until Fred told
him that she was over three hundred years old and had been living
in this valley until she sensed him and had gone looking for him.
Within a few moments she reappeared with some fresh fruit and the
boys fell to laughing and joking about how none of the younger kids
would believe them if they told them that they were nesting in the
glow woods.

It was still only around noon by this time so Kiyan
proposed that they still had time to look for the caves that Fred's
dad had spoken of. This idea was unanimously approved. Kiyan
noticed that Addy acquired a queer expression on her face when this
was mentioned. She glanced at Fred and he announced that Addy knew
were the caves were.

The trip to the caves was a much less boisterous
affair. Addy took them through some hidden paths under the canopy
of the forest giants. When they reached a small canyon cut out by a
creek she spun a bridge across it and the small party proceeded.
Eventually they reached a cliff on the edge of the valley and under
the cliff there was a natural cavern.

Light was not an issue as Jeremy's parents had packed
a few glow sticks with his supplies. Addy seemed rather entranced
with the glow sticks and was delighted when Jeremy offered her
one.