Road To Shandara (Book One of The Safanarion Order) (5 page)

“The time of mourning is over,” a voice thundered from the void. A crushing blow sent Aaron reeling off his feet. “I will drink from your soul Ferasdiam marked.” He said acidly. “Alenzar’seth’s heir,” he spat.

“Heir to what?” Aaron asked grimly then quickly lashed out with his foot missing him, but was able to get to his feet.

They squared off. This was his dream and no one had power over him in his own dream. “Who are you?” Aaron demanded.

His lifeless black eyes regarded him, “You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“Fine!” Aaron said between clenched teeth and charged.

The being disappeared with a cackling laugh and Aaron cursed himself for a fool.
Remember the hallway at school.
He closed his eyes claiming the void within and stretched out his feelings until he found him. Their energies touched for a moment and the hatred that emanated from this being staggered him. His disregard for anything living almost broke Aaron’s concentration.

“I found you.”

“You know nothing,” it hissed back.

“You are Tarimus, I know this is your name.” The words came out of his mouth before he knew what he was saying.

Tarimus howled in such a rage that Aaron felt his physical hands come to his ears in a feeble attempt to block out that horrible sound. For a moment he teetered between wakefulness and sleep. The sound of anguish from thousands of souls echoing throughout the void overwhelmed him.

Aaron opened his eyes and he stood upon a dark surface barely visible through the mist that gathered up to his knees as far as the eye could see. He heard the sound of shattering glass only it was the world of his dreams tearing itself apart. The shards of the sky fell away to reveal Tarimus floating in the air above him.

“Now for your first lesson in power boy.” Tarimus spat and swooped down with lightening speed and struck through him.

Aaron felt himself begin to break apart while he tried feebly to hold himself together. Then with a flash of light he found himself sprawled on the floor of his room. He sprang to his feet turning in all directions. His breath came to him in labored gasps. He look at himself in the mirror and saw blood trickling down the side of his lips and two fist marks over his heart where Tarimus had struck him. The medallion lay coolly against his chest.

A hard knock came from his bedroom door, “Aaron are you okay?” His mother asked coming in, not waiting for an answer.

He quickly wiped the blood from his face and turned towards her. “Yeah I’m fine.” It was getting to be a habit telling people this.

“I thought I heard something-, “ she stopped suddenly with her eyes fixed on the medallion. Fear and uncertainty flashed through her eyes. “Where did you get that?” The calmness of the question sent shivers down his spine and his mother’s eyes were anything but calm. Colder than ice was more like it.

“Right before grandpa died he placed this in my hands and told me to keep it safe.”

Carlowen gasped for air and her eyes grew distant. “Safanar,” she gasped.

“What did you say?”

“Safanar, our home,” she said.

“Our home?”

“We’ll talk more in the morning. I,” she paused swallowing hard. “I just need some time okay.” She said and shuddered when she looked at the medallion.

“Do you know what it is?” He asked quickly.

“Yes. It’s the crest of our family, but don’t show anyone else. I mean no one Aaron,” she said firmly.

“I’m not sure how much time I have,” he answered.

“I know,” she said.

***

Carlowen started to go back to her bedroom, but turned in mid stride and headed down to the family room. Memories of places long forgotten danced along the edges of her mind breaking through the walls built long ago. She was standing on a balcony of a palace watching the sunset over rolling green hills. To her right was a black flag with the gold dragon holding a rose.

“Hey what’s going on?” Her husband called snatching her from her thoughts.

“Everything is fine Patrick, I thought I heard a noise coming from Aaron’s room.”

“He’s changing more and more everyday,” he observed, joining Carlowen in the family room.

“Yeah he’s growing up,” she answered, but in her mind she was still seeing the medallion. The creamy white pearl in the center surrounded by a dragon clutching a rose protectively, their family heirloom. Protective walls built up allowing her to survive without the memory of youth were slowly crumbling and she scrambled to make sense of it all. She had seen that medallion before when it had been worn by her mother. Hazy images of a life long dead began to invade her mind. A great white castle lay burning with the acrid smoke stinging her eyes and throat. She blinked back watery eyes.
Shandara her home.

Patrick watched the troubled thoughts flow through his wife’s eyes. In some ways he knew this woman like he knew himself, but in other ways she was a complete stranger to him. A part of her that had always remained completely aloof. Like Reymius he thought suddenly. Here but not
truly here
. His death unlocked something in Carlowen, a key to all the memories that were locked away. Something paramount was happening to both his wife and son and he felt powerless against it. The only thing he felt he could do was be there for her as he always had been and pray it would be enough. He sat quietly next to her and gently rubbed her back. The fact that she possessed no memories from her youth never bothered him. Through the eyes of his heart he knew her to be kind and loving, and that was enough. Her untarnished elegance made the rest of the world fade away. Beneath the beauty was strength and wrought iron will and the very same strength mirrored in his son.

“It’s late,” she said. “And you have an early day tomorrow.” Her gaze narrowing playfully. Patrick groaned while getting up.

“Go on ahead I will be there in a minute,” she said.

When she was alone once more, Carlowen knelt straight-backed on the floor. Her breath came in a smooth even rhythm. The cruel fog in her mind that blocked the memories of her youth was thinning. Glimpses of a strangers life flashed before her. A world nothing like the one she called home for so long. One moment she was a little girl running through a courtyard with her father growling playfully for the chase. Next she was in a sparring room much grander than the replica that her father had built. She squared off against a man dressed in black whose face she didn’t recognize. Next there was smoke billowing all around her. And screams…

“Take her Reymius, save yourself,” a voice said.

“Cassandra no!” Reymius pleaded, “There must be another way,” he growled.

“There is no other way. You must go, you cannot face the Drake. Go my love and live. Protect our future.”

Then she was gone and the world went black. Pain that had been locked away gushed forth and her world shattered. A lingering feeling touched her thoughts and she sensed the presence of compassion whose warm arms surrounded her. She knew this presence, but could not remember his name, but his voice echoed in her memories.

“Mom are you ok?” Aaron asked.

Carlowen opened her eyes to see Aaron above her. What ever presence was there had fled. Her son scanning the room had felt it too.
Have I been blind all these years?
She could see the outline of the medallion beneath his shirt and knew that her son would be leaving her soon. She told him everything was going to be alright.

“Who are the Alenzar’seth?” He asked. His eyes never leaving hers.

“That is the name of our family,” she paused choosing her words. “Tonight I began to remember all those years lost to me. For so long I could only remember the time just before you were born, but not now.” Her voice trailed off. “It’s alright. There’s still time.”
Precious little time, but yes. “
We’ll talk more in the morning.”

As she walked by him he started to say something but stopped. “Who am I mother?” He asked.

Carlowen turned to look at her son, “No matter what happens Aaron, you are who you’ve always been, nothing will change that.” And with that she turned and left.

Aaron stood there a moment mulling over those words in his mind. He wished none of this was happening. That everything could go back to the way it was. He retreated back to his room and remained awake until the whispers of dawn made itself known through his window.

***

Colind watched in silence as Reymius’s grandson walked back up the hallway. What a strange world Reymius called home for so long. The safety that once was awarded by this place was gone. It was only a matter of time before their world Safanar caught up with them. Colind could already sense the impression of Tarimus’s rage and utter contempt. The hound had found its prey or so it would seem, but who would prove the better the hound or the prey? He stayed at the house that night dividing his time between Carlowen and her son, watching over them even though neither slept. He was drawn to Aaron and could sense the boy’s potential. Power was drawing towards Aaron, but it was a power that he remained ignorant of. How was he supposed to guide Reymius’s grandson? Colind couldn’t help but think of Aaron as a snowball sailing into the fire as he wondered what Tarimus would do next.

C
HAPTER
7

DECEPTION

THE NEXT DAY was filled with tending to the horses, which gave him plenty of time to be alone and think. He had hoped to get some answers from his mother, but she wasn’t around. The world around him seemed clearer than before, as if he possessed a heightened sense of awareness for his surroundings. Even the horses, which he got along with fine before, responded better to him.

At the end of the day he took Ginger, the honey brown mare out for a ride in a small meadow. It was off the beaten path, and he preferred its seclusion. He brought the swords called Falcons to practice with them, melding the bladesong into the forms that were taught to him by his grandfather. Aaron suspected that his grandfather trained him with the Falcons in mind. These swords felt as if they were made for him. In light of the current events he began to wonder if his grandfather Reymius had always been preparing Aaron for what he was about to face. He just didn’t know what he should do now. He needed to talk to someone about all this, someone who would understand but who? His mother had avoided him in the morning. Struggling with her returning memories and Aaron preferred to give her some space, but he needed answers. Who knew when Tarimus would strike again.

He headed back allowing Ginger to have her stride and it wasn’t until he came within view of the stables that he realized he wasn’t alone. Another horse approaching from one of the other trails came up next to his.
Bronwyn!
She didn’t look surprised to see him, he noted. His pulse quickened but the bitterness and pain that usually came to call remained blissfully silent. He guessed he shouldn’t be surprised to see her since her family boarded their horse Abby at the stables.

“Hello,” he said.

Bronwyn simply looked back at him, her eyes revealing nothing and everything at the same time. He acted like such a fool and now he was the one who felt uncomfortable.
It’s your own fault for losing your temper.
He looked back at her forcing all his angst back. She was waiting for him to say something and she had every right too.

“I’m sorry I lost my temper,” he said finally.

She regarded him for a moment with the echoes of a smile. “It’s okay, I know how much he meant to you,” she said easing Abby next to Ginger as they continued on.

The short distance it took to get to the stables was made in silence, which Aaron appreciated, because for the life of him he couldn’t think of anything to say.
I don’t know how I feel
. It would be easy to be with her again. Part of him wanted to, but something inside him was decidedly opposed to the idea. The warring emotions began to stir in the pit of his stomach. Why did she do it? What happens if she gets scared again? The questions tumbled through his mind swirling into darker thoughts. Then a soft calm voice of reason whispered, maybe she just made a mistake because she didn’t know how she felt about you. He mulled the thought over for a moment trying to decide whether the thought had the ring of truth to it.
How can I trust her again?
He frowned, that was the real issue. Trust.
 

He watched her brush down Abby, her long slender arms moved in smooth graceful strokes. The light streamed in through the windows catching her honey brown hair in a golden hue. When she noticed him watching her he looked away quickly feeling foolish, but he could have sworn he saw her smile. How can his heart yearn to reach out to her and recoil at the same time?
Maybe I just need to get away from this place for a while.
He was stowing his saddle gathering his resolve to walk over to her when she came up behind him.

“I’m not sure when a good time will be, but at some point we need to talk.” She said casually.

“Okay,” he sighed. “It’s been tough you know. There’s been a lot going on.” He stopped, trying to decide whether he should tell her all the things that have been happening.

“It’s alright if you don’t want to talk about it now,” she said. “But I’m here in case you do.”

Aaron considered for a moment, “With his death I am learning that my family has a history that I never would have believed possible.”
Yeah go ahead tell her that he was from another world she won’t think you’re crazy… Was he?
Sometimes he wasn’t so sure anymore? “It’s hard to explain.”

“I’m sure you’ll find the words when you’re ready. Now just doesn’t seem to be the right time. Just remember no matter what your family history is, it doesn’t define you.” She said but her eyes had drifted away from him and he wondered if she were speaking for herself as well as for him.

“Can I come by and see you later on this week?” She asked.

“I’ve been running things here so this is where I’ll be most of the...” he started to say, then grimaced, “I mean, yes I would like it if you came by.”

She smiled clearly relieved and for a moment a glimmer of hope grew in her eyes. She said goodbye and left.