Splintered Fate Read online

  I cannot locate him.

  Lana felt as if she were in a free fall. Her stomach was in her throat. Ardin’s words resonated in her mind. Normally Ardin should be able to find Earmon in this situation, they had a way to open up to each other and work together, like a pack of wolves. Ardin’s words echoed throughout her, what it meant if he could not reach Earmon. She could hardly breathe.

  Ardin raced around the edge of the fighting men until he picked up on a familiar scent. He flowed the information to Lana. Almost instantly she knew where to go, thankful of how close Valdor was.

  Her father was on the edge of the battle, close to the forested area around the small opening. Lana climbed down off her horse, leaving it at the edge of the woods. She didn’t want to ride it in to the battle and draw unnecessary attention to herself. Instead she began running on foot, against Ardin’s wishes for her to wait for him.

  Lana broke into the clearing and saw her father in the distance. He stood alone fighting three Rami and not doing too well. His right arm had been badly cut, leaving him to fight with his left. Lana pushed herself to get to Valdor, her feet moved underneath her in a surprisingly slow pace. Her heart galloped, pushing adrenalin through her. She felt Ardin running to catch up to her.

  As she darted through the mess of moving bodies, weaving through the battle she felt a presence, as if eyes were watching her. That is when she noticed that she had drawn the attention of a Rami warrior. He was making strides towards her, with crazy eyes that were focused only on her. Lana stopped running and braced herself, waiting for the Rami to get closer, sword in hand.

  She held up her silver blade as his came down. The Rami’s strength behind his swing shook her and her sword slipped through her fingers, flying away from her. The Rami shot a pillar of fiery light at her. She jumped out of the way, barely dodging it. He positioned himself between Lana and her sword, that now lay on the ground behind him.

  The Rami’s breath was quick, muscles glistening with a brown mixture of wet sweat and blood, and his eyes stared at Lana with a wild craze. His lip curved up, like he knew that he had her caught. A sound like a proud grunt came from him.

  Weakly, Lana stood before him, her knees shaking. A blade slowly formed in her hand. The pull of energy that it required from her to create the weapon made her head spin and ears ring. Her entire body seemed to tremble. Loosing her balance, she kneeled on the ground, mustering up just enough strength to lift her newly formed sword in order to block the Rami’s attack. Leaving the clash of their steel ringing in her ears.

  Struggling with all her strength to stand, Lana shoved the Rami away from her. He stepped a heavy foot back before swinging another blow at her, causing her to lose her grip as her sword yet again fell to the ground. Releasing the swords form, it ruptured into the dust it came from, but the release of the energy used to hold the weapon together did little to add to Lana’s strength. The world was spinning out of control and only steadied itself long enough for her to see the blood lust eyes of the Rami now standing directly in front of her. She tried to send a surge of energy into her palm, but a blade was too slow to form. The Rami raised his sword hand.

  Ardin I…Lana began before the Rami in front of her suddenly froze, eyes wide in shock.

  A long steel blade burst through the Rami’s chest before it disappeared back into him. He fell to the ground with shocked cold eyes. Behind the once living man stood Kirill Dukran, holding a blood slick sword.

  Lana looked at him, stunned. Without a word he held his hand out to her. She eyed him, hating herself for needing him as she held out her cold weak hand towards Kirill. He gripped it and pulled her to her feet, helping her regain her balance.

  Once standing Kirill turned to face away from her, eyeing the threats around them. His steady gaze moved over every person around them, analyzing every potential threat within reach.

  “You are weak, Lana. If you cannot fight you need to run. We are on the edge of the battle you can take cover in the woods”. He stood highly alert and focused, excited even. This was Kirill in his element, doing what he loved, fueled by war and death.

  Lana didn’t know whether Kirill was truly calling her weak or if he was simply telling her what state she was in. In this moment she didn’t care to take the time to discover if there was an ulterior meaning behind his words.

  “No, my father.” She managed to object before Kirill began speaking over her.

  “If you both die then what of your people?”

  Lana felt a pang of guilt for not taking her people into her decision to run into this mess after her father. In the nearby distance she saw another Rami approaching. Dread at his approach over came her for she felt so completely useless, her legs shaking under her own weight. Doubt filled her mind. She questioned whether or not she could do this. Could she help her father, help her people, help anyone? What had she been thinking?

  A wave of courage and warmth from Ardin hit Lana as he entered her mind. Thank the lands. He said as he shared an image of Kaiden with her.

  Take a knee Lana heard Ardin’s command in her mind.

  Her head whipped to the direction Ardin was. Were they crazy? She thought to herself. Panic rushed through her, for she instantly understood what Ardin and Kaiden were up to. They were desperate and there was simply no time for a better idea. This was her fault.

  Clenching her hands into fists Lana fell down to one knee with an uncomfortable pit in her stomach. She hated feeling so desperate, so weak.

  “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” Kirill yelled at her, his voice urgent. “GET UP! RUN, DO SOMETHING!” He pleaded as the next Rami threat was nearly upon them.

  There was nothing that Lana could do, nowhere to go. She had stupidly put everyone in harms way, her father was injured and his Aorra possibly gone. She had no strength, nor had she thought of what would happen to her people when she ran into this. Lana could only hope that what Ardin was about to do would work and that Kirill could protect her for just a few more moments. Depending on a Dukran, the notion of it was enough to make her stomach turn.

  Kirill sliced through the Rami with ease and turned to Lana, prepared to forcefully make her stand and shove her towards the cover of the woods, but then he saw something. Lana’s eyes flickered to what had stopped the Dukran in his tracks. Following his gaze, she saw it.

  Blue light erupting around Ardin in the distance, it was unlike anything they had ever seen. The light didn’t push Ardin or set him a blaze the way it was normally seen when Rami light touched Aorra’s. This light completely engulfed him, devouring him.

  Chapter

  Six

  Kaiden watched Lana ride off on her white horse. After she vanished behind the foliage of the forest, he turned to the old man and then gazed at the children. The girl looked him square in the eyes while the boy stood still, eyeing him from under the protection of his grandfather’s hand.

  “They have never been close to a Rami before, you must forgive them if they do something silly, like stare.” Donn spoke with a smile.

  He didn’t mind the kids’ stares. It was the way Donn looked at him that he didn’t like, as if he were studying him in some sort of experiment. The old man didn’t even try to do it discreetly. He just stood there, watching him.

  Kaiden turned, looking off in the direction Lana had gone. She seemed to have come into his life with such a sudden force and then run right out of it with such swiftness. A part of him was unsure if the whole thing weren’t just a strange dream, a cruel trick of the mind. But if it were just a dream, then surly he would have woken by then.

  “She is alright, she is on the edge of the battle field searching for her father.”

  “How do you know that?” Kaiden asked, turning his attention to the old man.

  “I have a few of these scattered about.” Donn replied holding out a small white and black lizard in the palm of his hand before slipping it back in to a small satchel that hung off his shoulder. Kaiden wondered how many of those the old man had, findi
ng it odd the Madonian had control over so many creatures and somehow capable of communicating with all of them like an Aorra. He had always thought Madonians had a single Aorra and that it was the only creature they could communicate with.

  “Lana is weak. I didn’t give her enough strength to actually fight.” Kaiden replied, the concern evident in his voice.

  “You care about her?”

  Kaiden looked at Donn wondering what that mattered. His gaze fell to the ground without a response. He should have never gotten involved in this mess.

  “You saved her life, so you must care about her right?” The old man continued.

  “It’s complicated.”

  “No, it isn’t.” Donn simply replied eyeing the Rami in front of him, observing him.

  Kaiden shook his head, this old man was beginning to drive him crazy. What was he getting at? They stood in an awkward silence. Kaiden again looked back to where Lana had disappeared into the forest, replaying their conversation to himself.

  “She said that she was a council member? What of her parents? Shouldn’t they be in the council?” Kaiden asked, thinking of the last things that she had said to him, that she needed to protect her people. Garin had also mentioned her being a council member when he had stumbled upon them.

  “If you care about her I suggest you take my horse and go to her. I think she may be in need of your help. Just bring him back when it is all done.” Donn spoke, not answering Kaiden’s questions. There was a sudden urgency in Donn’s voice. A chill ran through Kaiden.

  For a moment he looked at Donn as if the old man had lost his mind. Offering up a horse to a Rami he did not know, in order to save a Madonian girl and not just any Madonian but a council member. The old man was a complete fool, placing so much trust into a Rami he did not know.

  For reasons Kaiden was not sure of he began moving towards the dapple gray horse offered up by Donn, swung his leg over and began riding in the direction Lana had gone. He did not know what he was going to do or what he was even getting himself into. He didn’t even know if he really wanted to do this. Part of him wished that she would have not been in Abder and that he would not have acted so hastily against his brother. Yet, however he felt about betraying his brother, the thought of allowing something horrible to happen to Lana when he was able to help her made him feel a deep guilt that was new to him.

  It was not long until Kaiden emerged from the woods. The sound of battle welcomed him from the break in the trees. He saw men fighting and falling all over with flashes of fire and light exploding randomly throughout.

  Once he was sheltered behind some brush Kaiden hopped off of Donn's horse and looked past the forest onto the scene before him. He saw the muscular Rami warriors fighting armored Madonians and their Aorras.

  Garin would have been knocked out too long to have orchestrated this. The fight was closer to the Rami camp then Abder anyway, which Garin would not have wanted. Kaiden thought it safe to assume the Madonians had started this.

  Fueled with worry he scanned the mess of people before him. This did not seem to be a well planned out battle for either side. Both were taking hard hits and it was difficult for to tell who had the upper hand.

  Kaiden’s eyes rested on a monster of a Rami long enough to see him slay two Madonians before turning his sights on a Madonian woman, Lana. Even from the distance he could instantly tell that she was too weak to be out there on her own, making her an easy target. Those who recognize who she is will be drawn to her like flies to a soft spoiled fruit.

  Before he even mentally gave himself the order to run Kaiden’s feet acted, moving beneath him. He weaved between trees, alongside the edge of the woods and battle, moving towards Lana while cursing Ardin for not being by her side.

  Running towards her he saw Lana block the Rami’s first attack. Then in the blink of an eye she had lost her sword and was kneeling on the ground as the Rami raised his blade, stopping Kaiden in his tracks. He was out of time there was no way for him to get to her in time. His breath was caught in his throat. Beads of sweat rolled across his forehead. With distraught eyes he could only watch as the threatening Rami in front of her suddenly froze and fell to the ground. A Madonian stood behind the Rami with a sword dripping with blood.

  Kaiden exhaled in sweet relief, his eyes darting to the side. Something caught his attention. A massive white wolf took down a Rami and was making its way towards him.

  "You have got to be kidding me.” Kaiden said under his breath. The wolf was Ardin, Lana's Aorra, basically sworn to protect her with his life and here he was heading away from Lana and approaching Kaiden. There was only one reason that the wolf would risk this, for power.

  Kaiden glanced back at Lana who now wobbled beside the Madonian warrior who had just saved her. She looked so unbearably weak. In order for her to get enough strength to fight Rami soldiers she would need a large amount of energy. An amount that even as foolish children they did not dare to ever attempt.

  To share power with Ardin required a form of perfect chemistry. Kaiden had to give enough not to hurt Ardin and Ardin had to openly accept it without hesitation. There had to be a level of trust to do it. It was not easy and there were many times Ardin had gotten hurt in their childhood practices. For them to attempt such a thing, after all that time apart, when they were almost strangers would be insane.

  This would not be practice like when they were young and to give Lana enough strength now, could very well kill her Aorra. In a small moment of amusing irony Kaiden found it somehow fitting for Lana and her Aorra to both had death wishes that day. It was shocking that the two had survived so long.

  Ardin finally was free of Rami warriors and able to get closer to Kaiden. Stopping at a short distance he looked directly at him with fierce gray blue eyes.

  "This may kill you." Was all Kaiden said, already knowing why the wolf came to him. The white beast turned his head towards Lana and back, showing his teeth. In Kaiden's mind he was indicating that he was willing to do whatever necessary.

  Bringing his palms close together, Kaiden let the heat of the energy coursing through his body pool in his palms. Hot rivers of strength ran through him and he curved the rivers, sending them into his palms, collecting it. He pulled his hands farther apart and the space filled with his strength. Sweat beaded on his forehead while he struggled to gather the raw energy in a contained form, to control it.

  If what he was doing didn’t work then Ardin could die and if the Madonian beside Lana were to keep her from harm then Kaiden had no doubt that she would kill him for it.

  Of course the day they were to meet again would be the day this would be happening. A day Lana was caught by his brother, only to throw herself into more danger, in need of his help. It would be that day that she waltzed into his life, uprooting it.

  The odds were stacked against him, but this was their only chance. Taking one last look over at Lana, who dropped to her knee just as another Rami approached, he cut off the flow of his energy into the sphere. Kaiden hoped that this would work. He said a silent prayer to himself as he severed ties with the sphere of light and threw it into the wolf.

  A white light incased the Ardin and Kaiden could not breath, fearing what he may have done.

  * * *

  Take a knee, Ardin sent a final thought to Lana, hoping she could be protected for a moment longer. He hated himself for allowing them to be separated. For him being unable to protect her, but that was about to end.

  As the beam of light rushed at him, Ardin braced himself. Kaiden’s light may help them or kill him. Fighting the urge to protect himself, he opened up into a complete receptive state. It felt unnatural to do so to an entity other than Lana, but this was their only chance, Lana’s only chance. His eyes shut and he concentrated on keeping himself open, receptive. The sounds of battle around him died down into the background while he prepared himself.

  Light erupted around him. It was like a kick in his stomach. A snarling howl uncontrollably escaped his lungs, fo
llowed by a nauseating pressure all around him, pressing on all sides. It was suffocating, as if crushing him, burying him alive. There was no escaping it, even if he wanted to. The blaze engulfed Ardin, surrounding him, downing him in raw liquid energy.

  From the distance Lana felt her Aorra’s energy suddenly spike as the light began fueling him. Ardin turned, looking to Lana through the waves of people between them as he shared the strength with her.

  A small glow of blue encased her like a warm blanket. She dug her fingers into the dirt under her hands as sweet relief flooded through her. Her world no longer spun. The ground beneath her steadied. With every passing moment and every draw of breath, she felt stronger. Lana felt Ardin, his strength growing as he drank in the energy that surrounded him and now her.

  The new strength had a sweet taste to it that she had not noticed before. Lana’s eyes smoothly lifted their green gaze from the earth to the chaos around with a new clarity. Everything on the outside was running but within she felt a calming peace. The power flowing through her was unlike anything she had experienced before. It was magnificently intoxicating.

  The stillness around her broke, sending Lana back to her mission to find Valdor. Shooting to her feet, she pulled the new energy within her into both palms. Two modest silver saber swords formed with a slow ease, one in each palm. She turned to Kirill who stood very still, looking at the Rami by the woods and then Ardin. His gaze made its way back to Lana, the swords in her hands and then up to her eyes.

  “Do not touch him.” Was all Lana managed to get out before she was blocking the next Rami’s attack on them. And that was all she really needed to say, Kirill knew who she was talking about. Lana caught the approaching Rami's sword in her sabers while Kirill provided the final blow. The Rami fell to the ground.

  “I’ll help you get to your father.” Kirill said as Lana turned towards Valdor's direction. They both began running to her father.