Child of Time (5 page)

“What, me! How? A life mage and an earth bender? I
can't bend, I was tested and I couldn't move any of the elements.”
Fred sputtered.

Addy spoke again. “
There was no earth bender at
the testing so you hadn't been properly tested.”

“But a life mage? That's impossible.” Fred announced
adamantly. “They are too rare.”

A small laugh sounded from Addy, this time she slowly
forming words aloud. “We dryads can only bond with the strongest
life mages.”

“Life mage?” Jeremy finally understood the
conversation. “Wow Fred you sure lucked out.”

“It can't be.” Fred remained unconvinced.

Kiyan remembered the conviction the other day that
had seemed so strange about Fred being a life mage. It must have
been Carlisle's idea that had been picked up from the ceremony. But
then there had been that dream, the one where Fred had walked
through the mountain that broke into a field and the grass had
grown and flowers had bloomed in his footsteps.

Returning to reality he realized that Fred and Jeremy
were looking at him, seeming to expect a confirmation either way.
How did I get into this position where I'm the one supposed to
know, better yet, how do I know,
Kiyan wondered.

“I'm pretty sure it’s true.” This Kiyan knew deep
within his heart.

“How can you be sure?” Fred seemed disturbed by the
finality in Kiyan's tone.

“Carlisle told me.” Kiyan was not willing to divulge
more.

“Carlisle?” That seemed to settle Fred's mind as a
wave of resignation emanated from him.

Jeremy watched as Fred walked out of the water and
assumed a bending form with Addy flitting around him apparently
giving pointers as Fred adjusted his posture.

“Does Addy know how to bend?” Jeremy finally asked
Kiyan after a minute of watching.

“I don't think she can bend but I didn't know kayloo
could talk out loud either. She said that she know how to bend like
Ray knows how I swim even though he is different than us.” Kiyan
explained.

“That's not fair.” Jeremy looked somewhat annoyed.
“There isn't any one here that knows water bending to help us.
Unless Ray has some secret knowledge.” At the Jeremy's accusation
Ray yawned dramatically and stretched out to take a nap.

Laughing Kiyan confirmed that Ray didn't know how to
water bend. However there was someone who did nearby, he could feel
her. Kendra was nearby but Kiyan was hesitant to ask her for fear
of overstepping. A feeling of laughter and a warning.
A warning
about what?
Kiyan wondered.

The water around the boy’s feet began to move, piling
itself up into a pillar. Jeremy nearly jumped out of his skin and
understanding of the warning filled Kiyan. The pillar shaped into a
humanoid shape and began to glow brightly. Addy grew thorns faster
than Kiyan knew possible and Ray half prepared by the warning only
gave a sudden start. In another moment the glowing subsided and
Kiyan recognized the features of Kendra. Jeremy had fallen
backwards and was crawling backwards as fast as he could until he
noticed Kiyan hadn't moved.

Out of the corner of his eye Kiyan saw several spikes
flying at Kendra. Sudden panic filled Kiyan.
What if Kendra got
hurt because he hasn't warned the rest?
A strange feeling
filled Kiyan in an instant, almost like it wasn't his body any
more, like he was only watching. The spikes seemed to slow down as
Kiyan moved faster. With a flick of his hand earth and water obeyed
his will. A wall of mud sprang into place faster than Kiyan could
see even at the slower pace of the world. Freezing with a clench of
his fist it deflected the arrows harmlessly.

Landing back on the ground shocked Kiyan back from
being an observer. He hasn't realized he was levitated until he
landed. Catching him before he stumbled Kiyan could sense Kendra's
concern. Seeing Jeremy and Fred staring at him with their mouths
open Kiyan began to feel a little self-conscious.

“Forgive me for giving you all such a scare. I did
not realize you couldn't detect me or I would have warned you
Addy.” Kendra broke the silence.

Jeremy was the first to recover, “How did you do that
Kiyan? You can water form? Can't you see the future and know that
would happen?” Questions flew fast and thick.

With a smile Kendra replied. “All of those are good
questions, however some of them will be answered in time. I am
Kendra and you can call me such. Yes I can water form, I exist as
energy, and I can be pretty much what I want to be. As far as the
future is concerned that is only if I try but even then there are
some things I can't see.” Kendra glanced at Kiyan before she
continued. “The real reason I am here is because I wanted to help
you with your bending a little.” Kendra turned to Kiyan and
telepathically admonished him to not being afraid to ask her for
help.

Addy had completely returned to her normal form and
peaked out from behind Fred who looked like he wanted to do the
same thing behind her. Jeremy was quiet as he absorbed the
information. Kiyan was a little afraid of the entity that had taken
over his body and used it with so much power. A reassuring feeling
from Kendra told him there was nothing to fear, that it was only a
part of him that he hasn't accessed before. Oddly this did not make
Kiyan feel any better.

“I would have offered to help you with your bending
sooner but the instructors at the academy may never have forgiven
me. To teach such gifted individuals is an honor they would be
happy to undertake” Kendra explained briefly. “I'm sure they
wouldn't mind if I helped you with some of the basics.”

Kiyan watched as Kendra gave Addy a few memories to
help her instruct Fred then he began to examine the wall Kiyan had
built.

Jeremy had worked his way up to Kiyan at this point
and asked. “How did you do that?”

“I don't know, I was just worried about Kendra
getting hurt and it happened.” Kiyan tried to explain.

Jeremy jumped a little when Kendra exclaimed.
“Jeremy! You must have cut your hand when you fell.”

“It’s nothing mam, it will be healed in a few days
any way.” Jeremy responded.

Shaking her head Kendra said. “Boys and their
injuries.” She caught up Jeremy's hand before he could hide it. A
warm glow emanated from her hands and eyes and when she released
Jeremy's hand there was no sign of the cut.

“Couldn't let that distract you now could I. Let's
begin. Before you can learn to disturb water you need to learn to
calm it.” With a wave of her hand Kendra made the surface of the
lake as smooth as a piece of glass. A flick of her wrist and the
surface erupted into a thousand pillars. A second later the lake
flowed into the air as if gravity had ceased to function. Suddenly
the water was back in the lake bed as calm as before. “I don't
expect either of you to do anything on that scale but you should be
able to calm water on a much smaller level with ease. Feel the
water and the disturbances. Try to counter each disturbance with
equal but opposite forces.” Soon under Kendra’s guidance both boys
were busy calming puddles of water.

Jeremy soon tired of trying to stop ripples and his
mind began to wander. Being a bender was the most awesome thing in
the world. He was sure he would be able to water form someday. That
would be even awesomer. Refocusing his eyes on the task at hand he
was startled by a splash of cold water. Somehow the water from his
puddle had all gotten on him.

The sopping wet brown hair and the confused look on
Jeremy's face was more than Kiyan could take. Bursting into peals
of laughter the stress of the last couple days dissolved in a
flood.

Finally able to contain himself Kiyan offered a bit
of advice. “Hey Jeremy next time you levitate water try to not do
it over your head.” Control was lost for a few more moments of
laughter.

The jibe was lost on Jeremy as he watched the water
around Kiyan's feet turn to ice then melt and start to steam as
Kiyan went through the throes of laughter. It was Jeremy's turn to
laugh when Kiyan jumped when the water around him got too hot for
comfort.

“I see you have both learned a valuable lesson today.
Bending is not done by force but it happens naturally with a little
persuasion if you let it. Jeremy, you stopped trying to force your
will on the water and it responded to your mood and thoughts. Kiyan
you were able to counter ripples fairly well but it was when you
stopped paying attention that you connection with the water
reflected your state of mind.” Kendra explained.

“So if I were to feel like I was flying the water
would try to fly too?” Jeremy queried.

“Something like that.” Kendra smiled. “Why don't you
try it and see what happens?”

“Jeremy began to remember what it was like to ride on
Ray and opening his eyes he saw a few drops of water detaching
themselves from his pool and drifting into the air. Enthralled with
his flying water he watched with rapt attention. Kiyan watched too
until he notice the water on Jeremy's clothes was starting to
detach and float away. A moment later Jeremy was completely dried
off. Having a sudden idea Kiyan began to focus on a nearby floating
droplet. Tapping the heat at his core he began to channel some heat
into the droplet. Remembering what had happened when he drew on all
of it he only channeled a little. With a pop that startled everyone
the droplet exploded in a small cloud of steam. The sudden pop made
Jeremy lose focus and the levitated water fell back to earth.

Sitting on a large boulder Fred was having different
problems. Addy was telling him that earth bending was all about the
earth having a weaker will that his but not trying to force his
energy into the earth. Visualize what you want it to do.
Visualization was not as easy as it normally was. There was too
much that had just happened. Learning he was an earth bender plus
learning he was a life mage wasn't helping. Letting his mind drift
he could feel Addy gently guiding and his thoughts finally settling
on the sensation of the cool rock beneath his hands. Feeling a
small crack beneath one of his hands he let his mind toy with the
features of the crack, every fracture and branch. Following the
crack deeper he felt where it stopped. Looking a little deeper he
felt where the stone was weaker. Feeling and prying a little more
on it he realized that what he was feeling was not what his hands
could touch just as he felt the stone give away under his hand.
Opening his eyes he was stunned to see that the formerly smooth
stone was now fractured and cracked. Pock marks covered the
surface. The crack that he had been focusing on extended through
the rock where it had split in two.

Kendra smiled as she watched them forget about
bending and start having a water fight as their attention span was
expended. Good she thought to herself, what little bending had been
done would cause their energy reserves to grow exponentially like a
new muscle being exercised for the first time. They had
accomplished a lot for their first attempts. The surge of power
Kiyan had exhibited was something she hasn't counted on so soon. He
had changed for an instant into something that hadn't been seen in
a human since the first ascended. If the Drakken found out about
him, Kendra didn't want to think what would happen, as it was the
preparations were at a critical stage.

Kiyan was blissfully unaware of the worries in
Kendra’s mind as he swam and dived. Using his new skills of water
manipulation he was able to swim faster and deeper than ever before
much to Ray's discomfort. The water seemed to slide out of his way
and push him were he wanted. Ray compensated by shifting into his
water form and circled Kiyan keeping a constant link open. Kiyan
found that hiding under water in their new game of hide and seek
was made more difficult by this until he convinced Ray to circle
nearby but not around him. This new tactic was successful for a few
minutes until Jeremy and Fred caught on. While hiding under an
underwater ledge Kiyan felt the stone he was holding onto shift
until he sensed Fred in the very rock itself. Catching on to Fred's
tactic too late, he didn't have a chance to move before Fred
pounced on him. Wrestling underwater they found themselves on dry
land with half the lake floating over their heads. Looking up to
the shore they saw Kendra with an exasperated look on her face.

Kiyan remembering that they were expected home this
evening, reminded everyone and play was soon ended with a few more
good natured shoves and dodges. The boys opted to fly instead of
walk and the kayloo were soon airborne.

Kendra stood by the lake for a few more minutes
thinking back to when Kiyan exhibited the surge of power. It had to
be, she told herself. There wasn't any other explanation. His
powers were awakening. She had sensed a different person for that
split moment. Perhaps Kiyan was an avatar like his father had been.
The high council needed to know of this.

-----------

Joshua materialized at the Academy teleporter and was
a little surprised to see the reception that he was greeted with.
There were three of the academies sponsors and four ascended, a
water elf and a thoran. There was more here than was to be expected
even had they heard of Kiyan's bending skills.

Please wait a couple more minutes for Carlisle, one
of the ascended announced to a confused Joshua. Within a minute
Carlisle materialized and greeted them with the same expression
Joshua must have worn a minute earlier.

With a flash, Kendra appeared beside them. “Come we
have much to discuss.”

----------

Kiyan let his mind wander relishing the peace of the
forest as they flew towards the village. He felt Kendra's presence
for a couple of minutes then she felt distant.

The rest of the day was filled with telling James and
Marisa about the visit to the earth man and his lesson of bending
from an ascended.