The Divine Apprentice (The Divine Series) (25 page)

“Where did you say you came from?”  Kade asked with a growing suspicion.

“From a town further to the east,” Dran said cautiously.

Kade, suspicious of this man, decided it would be in his best interest to check and see if the Divine was being used.  Warning the man not to move and indicating the dragon, he closed his eyes while preforming the Reveal Calling.  If this man was tethered to anyone, Kade would see the connection.  There was nothing.

“Uh, sir?” Dran stammered.  “Could you please call off your dragon,” he pleaded.  Rayden had moved close again.

Kade clenched his jaw in exasperation.  Dran had, once again, put his hand on his knife.  It was most likely a habit for him to just rest it there, but nevertheless, it was foolish.  “If you do not want to lose that hand,” Kade said, trying to keep the anger from his voice and failing, “then I suggest you keep it off your knife!”

Dran’s hand moved so fast it was virtually a blur.  Kade gave him a hard stare and it was all that was needed.  Dran reddened slightly at the mistake and smiled sheepishly.  He did everything with his hand but let it get close to his side again.

“He meant nothing by it,” Tracella offered by way of an apology, ignoring the boy on her back who was starting to fidget.  Kade waved away her apology.

“Sorry.  He does not trust as easily as I do,” Kade said as he, once again, pushed the dragon back.  Rayden shuffled backward only a few feet, but then no matter the amount of pressure from Kade, he was not going any further.

“Thank you,” the man said in relief.

“Now, tell me all you know.  What is happening in this town, and what do you know of these men?”

“Late last night about fifty men dressed all in black came to town and started attacking everyone.”  Dran paused, expecting Kade to ask a question.  After a moment, he continued.  “When we asked them what they wanted, all they would say is they were looking for someone coming from the west.  No one knew what they were talking about.  We tried to fight, but it was useless.  They had these two…,” the man said as he waved his arms wide and high, “huge beasts,” he finished and then crossed his arms over his chest to keep his hand away from his weapon.  He spared a quick glance at the dragon.  Kade stayed silent, waiting for the rest of the information. 

“Most of the people that tried to fight were killed.  I got my family together and hid all night until we were able to sneak out of town.  We were heading to a refuge where we would be safe when we ran into you.  There is a cave,” the man said as his wife hit him in the ribs.  “Oh come now, Dear.  If this man was going to hurt us, he would have already done so already,” Dran said as much to Kade as to his wife.  He was hoping that Kade would give him the assurance he was hinting for, but the apprentice was busy processing the information.  “I say we trust him,” Dran said and he meant it.

Kade seemed to be lost in thought as Dran and Tracella waited for him to speak.  The moments dragged on and the man and his wife started to become restless.  Dran edged forward while eyeing the dragon.

“You should join us,” Dran said, making sure not to get too close, fearing that the dragon would attack.  “The evil ones cannot find our hiding place, and your dragon would be excellent protection.”

“I can’t,” Kade said with regret.  “I have much that I must do.  If I do not continue on my journey, you will never be safe.”

The man gave Kade a questioning look.  The Apprentice Chosen shook his head as though to say, “It is too much to tell.”  He glanced at the family and for the first time, noticed that they were dirty and appeared to be hungry.  The more he looked at them, the more he realized that they must have fled town quickly.  They had nothing except the clothes on their backs and a sack with precious little in it.

“You look tired,” Kade said, changing the subject.  “Sit down and relax for a while.  I will explain as much as I dare,” he said, leading the way back to his clearing.

“We should keep going.  We are cold and tired and we haven’t eaten since the men came to town,” Tracella said.

“I will take care of getting food and warming your family.  Rayden will provide excellent protection while you are here.  I am no easy mark myself,” Kade said as he thought about the giant that he and his winged friend had killed.  Rayden seemed to understand and grunted an agreement as his eyes showed a glint of malice.  It was a look that was truly fearsome.

The man looked around the area, attempting to find the food that Kade was offering.  Seeing none, he turned to his wife and told her with a look, “Something was out of place.”  She shrugged and turned back to Kade, waiting.

“May I pet your dragon?  Please, please, please,” Torvod pleaded, dissipating any tension that might have still remained.  Kade laughed, completely understanding the child’s excitement.

“Of course, but make it short as he can be a grumpy one,” Kade said as he sent the thought to Rayden to be patient.  The dragon grunted and thudded down on the ground to put up with the pawing.  “He is also welcome to touch the dragon,” he added, pointing to the younger boy, peaking over his mother’s head.

“Adalm is afraid of his own shadow,” Dran chided.

“Oh you hush,” Tracella said.  “He is still young.  Give him time.”

“If I may ask you to gather some wood,” Kade said to Dran, interrupting the dialog.  “I will prepare some food.”

Dran looked at his wife, but she waved for him to continue.  He let out a quick breath and gave in to the request.  Turning to leave, he glanced over his shoulder and said as much to his wife as to Kade “I won’t be far,” then moved off to look for wood.

Tracella removed the boy from her back and the pack from her shoulder.  The boy clung to her with a death grip as he eyed the dragon.  She ignored him the best she could and pulled out a thin blanket from the sack to spread on the ground. 

“Torvod, Adalm, sit and behave,” Tracella said to the two children.  She offered a spot for Kade, but he politely declined with a wave of his hand and a smile.  He grinned to himself, looking forward to the reactions he would get when he conjured food from thin air.  He even chuckled at his private joke.

“It looks like you and your family could use some hot, fresh food,” Kade said with a grin.  The woman did not take her eyes off him but sat quietly, clearly perplexed. “If you and your family are hungry, please, allow me to feed you.  It is the least I can do.”  Kade said reassuringly.  After a moment, she glanced around the area and looked questioningly at him.

“You don’t appear to have enough food for yourself much less any to share with us,” Tracella said.

“Here is my food,” Kade said with a grin.  He was eager to awe them with his great power.  The dragon tensed slightly, sensing that Kade was starting to draw on the Divine.  It sat up quickly, hoping for a tasty morsel, knowing that Kade was preparing to call on food. 

Kade forced his mind to clear and calmed his heart.  Vanity had no part in the actual calling.  Zayle had preached that vanity only led to the wrong uses of the Divine Power.

Momentarily fearing failing in front of this small audience, he redoubled his focus and performed the calling perfectly.  The meat was almost hot enough to burn his hands.  The smell was amazing.

Kade opened his eyes and saw a look of terror in Tracella’s eyes mixed with concern and confusion.  She was on her feet instantly, glancing behind herself without thinking, as if preparing to flee for her life.  Kade quickly held out the food for her so she could see it was, indeed, just food.

“This is for you,” Kade said, surprised and a bit disappointed that this was the reaction he was to get.  After a moment, he shrugged as he continued to talk, still holding the meat out.

“I must confess.  I am the one the men are looking for.  I will explain when your husband returns,” Kade said as he extended the food a little further, urging her to take it.  She did not move so he took a step closer.  If not for the children, Kade was sure she would have run like the wind.  “Go on.  It’s safe, and I can tell by the rumbling of your stomach that you have not eaten in some time.  Take it,” he urged again.  She reached out with great hesitation, ready to jump back as though the meat itself were going to attack.  When nothing happened, as she gripped the meat, she exhaled loudly and appeared on the verge of collapsing.

“You are safe.  You are in no danger from me,” Kade said, doing his best to reassure her.

“Please forgive me,” Tracella said, her hand shaking slightly.

“The mistake was mine.  I should have prepared you,” Kade said.

She relaxed considerably as her eyes returned to the food.  After just a moment more of hesitation, she took it eagerly, handed some to her children with a firm order to share and took a large bite.  Kade smiled.

Dran returned and froze, seeing his wife eating what appeared to be freshly cooked meat.  The wood fell from his hands as he looked around to find from whence the food had come and the fire it must have been cooked on.  He was hungry but caution had a firm hold on him.

“Where did that come from?” Dran asked as his wife offered him a bite.  Slowly, he took the hot meat and held it up to his nose.  It smelled perfect, of course.  Kade could see that it was not going to be long before he threw caution to the wind and devoured it. “It’s hot.  How did you cook the food with no fire?” Dran asked with a fair share of suspicion, but still eyeing the steaming, juicy meat.

“Step back from the wood, and I will show you,” Kade said as he prepared the Fire Calling.  He let the Divine Power envelop the wood, causing the logs to burst into flame.

Dran stopped chewing and the food fell from his lips.  Tracella and Adalm also stopped chewing and stared in awe.  Torvod, was of course, impressed.  Adalm was clinging to his mother in mortal fear.  Tracella slowly turned, looked up at her husband and said, “He says he is the one the evil men were seeking.”

Dran stood, frozen, looking at Kade, his face going white.  The Apprentice Chosen feared that Dran had stopped breathing and was going to pass out if he did not inhale soon.  Kade waited for the moment to pass and started to feel impatient.  This was not the glorious moment he was expecting.  He found it confusing that after displaying his amazing powers, he was not enjoying this as much as he thought he might.

“You can do that, too,” Dran barely whispered.  Every sense in Kade came alive as he replayed the last words spoken.

“What do you mean…too?” Kade asked more forcefully than he intended.  He was afraid he already knew the answer to his question.

“There was this man that could do things like that,” Dran stammered.

“He says he is one of the Chosen that the men were looking for,” Tracella said again while indicating Kade, her voice full of fear. 

Dran just stared at Kade as he worked through this.  He was dealing with an internal struggle as indecision gripped him.  After several seconds, he squared his shoulders, and in a confident voice, said, “If those men are looking for you, then obviously you are not with them.  If you are against them, then I stand with you.”

Tracella’s head whipped around so fast Kade would have thought she had whiplash.  Her mouth went tight as her eyes started to smolder in anger.  Dran feigned not to notice.  Kade mentally cringed, knowing she was going to really let him have it when they were alone.

“I mean what I say,” Dran said, holding his head high.

Kade was touched by the man’s conviction.  He looked from face to face as he considered Dran’s pledge.  He thought about it only for a moment and then quickly came to the realization that he had to decline the offer.  He shook his head slightly and stepped up to him.  He placed both hands on his shoulders and looked him in the eye.  Dran tensed.

“Thank you,” Kade said with deep compassion in his voice.  “But you have a family to take care of, and I would never ask you to risk your life when they need you.”

He nodded once but Kade was not convinced.  There was a fire that had been kindled in the man’s heart and it was growing into a blaze.  Kade feared that he was going to cost this family their father and husband.  He recognized that blaze.  He had the same fire in his heart for weeks until the giant lay dead.

Tracella grabbed her husband’s arm and squeezed.  He hesitated for a moment and then looked into his wife’s eyes.  She glared hard at him but he glared just as hard back.  She gasped in exasperation and dug her nails in but he still held his ground.  If they meant this to be between them, they were failing miserably.  Kade did his best not to notice.

Settling down on the blanket, Kade spent the next hour telling the family all that had happened to him.  Torvod sat in complete rapture as he soaked up every word that Kade spoke.  Adalm sat close to his mother, never leaving her side.  When Kade mentioned the grimalkin, he noticed Dran stiffen.

“What town did you say you were from?” Kade asked, seeing the man’s reaction to the creature.

“We have come from Arden,” Dran answered.  Kade’s eyes came open wide and he leapt to his feet, startling the couple.

“I am sorry but I must leave now!  My mother and father live in that town and I need to get to them as soon as possible!”  Kade said and sent a strong mental command to Rayden to prepare to leave immediately, causing him to jump.  Kade grabbed his books and turned to run for the dragon when Dran grabbed him by the arm, holding him firmly.  Kade spun around so fast the man let go and jumped back with his hands up.