Journey to camp

Along the way, he finally, after calming his nerves, asked

“So, what’s your name, Mine’s Keven,” Keven said not knowing how he would answer.

“Greg third rank captain of the recruits.” Grey was now speaking in a more formal speech. This struck Keven as odd.

The sudden change in tone threw Keven off so much that he decided to walk the rest of the way in silence. The silence made the trip feel uncomfortable. Making it to his home he was then embarrassed by his parents who stared blankly at Greg.

“Mom, Dad this is Greg,” Keven said as politely as he could.

Keven’s dad looked over at him and burst into the largest smile Keven had ever seen on his face.

“Why please come in I won’t have such an honored guest stay out.” He said with pleasure and excitement.

Keven’s jaw dropped as Greg stepped into the house and his parents set to setting the table for them. He led Greg to his room where he could take off his overcoat and rest. While he was in the room with Greg he could hear his mother making dinner so he figured he had some time.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what happened?” Keven asked unsure how Greg might answer.

Greg took off his overcoat and laid it on the bed, doing so showed the extent of his wounds and the scars from past battles.

“Normally.” He started “Recruits don’t question their captains this much, but seeing as you are not a recruit until camp, I will humor you. I was attacked and, well, I got careless about protecting the recruits. Lives were lost and I got hurt. This.” He said as he spread his arms showing his scars. “Is the price we pay. I suggest you think of all the questions you have. Once we reach camp that’s it.” He finished calmly.

Then arching his back so that the sides of his wound touched. Suddenly a bright green light appeared at the base of the cut, it zig-zagged up the injury pulling itself closed as it did. Once it reached the top of the wound it was gone, the only thing left was a nasty scar. Greg rolled his shoulders to make sure he was good and turned to Keven.

“Let’s eat.” He said sounding refreshed.

The two of them went out to the dining area and enjoyed a meal of fresh bread and a roast chicken. Not much was said during the meal for the excitement was still too fresh. Once done and the dishes handled. They retired to bed, Greg got to Keven’s room and he took the chair in the living room. Sleep seemed like something that would never come because he thought of all he would say.

But in the late hours of the night sleep came. But it was not a restful sleep as he had hoped it would be. No, shortly into his rest came the same voice again.

“Welcome, I’ve been waiting a very long time for this.” It spoke in an old. Near mocking, voice.

Keven’s spine started to tingle and he felt a sweet bead on the base of his neck. He wondered how this could even happen in his mind. His voice felt thick and heavy like he had forgotten how to speak.

“What are you?” he asked into the darkness.

“I, nay, we are Ader.” It responded smoothly and said nothing more.

Keven felt like he had been struck, what is it, how? He thought but the thoughts no longer felt like his own.

“Ader?” Keven asked hoping the darkness would answer.

To his luck it did.

“Yes, the great void, the snaking flow of energy through the world. and now, you, are a part of it with me.” The voice finished.

As it did a figure, shapeless yet human, began to form in front of him. As it fully came into view Keven noticed that it bore a striking resemblance to him. But there was no detail, and all around it were dark void-like tendrils.

“How…what?” Keven began but was cut off.

“In due time, for now, I simply wish to help.” Ader finished.

As it finished speaking one of the tendrils wrapped itself around Keven. I wordless scream left Keven’s lips as he awakes. He flings himself to the floor as confusion, madness, and every other feeling he has ever felt overwhelms him. His heart was pounding in his head and he couldn’t seem to get enough air in his lungs. He clawed at his skin as he rolled around on the ground trying to get the feeling of a billion ants off him. Then, in but a heartbeat, it stopped. The night regained its calm.

Not only it’s calm, it seemed to come to life. He could somehow hear the ants as they marched on the window seal. Crawling to his feet to see out into the moonlit night he was stunned at its beauty. In the dim light of night, everything had a vibrance of the clearest day. With a color that brimmed on the unrealistic. Without realizing it he slid closer to the window as if the view could get any better and noticed himself. His once dark eyes were now black voids with red flames in the middle. That wasn’t even the strangest thing.

His skin was now pale white and his hair was too, but still, it got weirder. For on each side of his head now grew a horn. Each one grew about an inch off his head and then at a sharp right angle grew an inch forward. he let out an audible gasp as he felt them. It was strange, he thought. Before he could move any further a hand covered his mouth. He was about to panic when Greg’s face came into the reflection.

“Don’t scream, we can leave now and your family will never know.” He said in an even tone to keep Keven from panicking.

Greg slowly removed his hand and Keven turned to face him. Then whispered

“I have to pack.” He said hushed

No sooner than he finished speaking a bag was placed in his hand.

“I left a not let’s go,” Greg instructed.

He slid it on his shoulder and they headed out. A dream come true is just a short walk away. Fear, excitement, and worry all filed with Keven as they slipped past the door. As he watched his childhood home slip away, he knew his whole life was going to change. They walked down the same dirt road he had his entire life but unlike before he saw the world around him. One of the things he noticed was that the sky was full of stars and galaxies. Noticing the wonder in Keven’s eyes Greg asked.

“So, thought of those questions?” Greg said with a voice that vibrated with authority.

Keven peeled his eyes from the sky to Greg.

“Yeah, considering I was never educated about the world, what are sword wielders? Besides worriers.” Keven asks with the curiosity of a child.

The way he asked made Greg smile, for he knew the seventeen short years he had been alive, he had never seen the world at large. Then he looked thoughtful for a moment.

“Well, we are a near-immortal group of worriers. But we also love and marry, have kids, and the like. There are, however, responsibilities that come with the role. For example, if you end up being a scholar you will be assigned to one of the king’s courts or our own. Then you have others, like myself, who travel the land protecting it. We are usually the strongest as well as the face of our group. I suppose we have healers and researchers, but those are the big two.” Greg finished leaving Keven astonished.

“That means there are different types of sword wielders.” Keven resend.

With a small nod, Greg continued.

“Of course, as well as different types of fighters.” Greg started but he saw the excitement in Keven’s eyes he continued happily. “See, sword wielders draw our power from what’s known as the energy spectrum. It exists, mostly dormant, in all things. In living things, it’s bright and powerful, but it stays locked behind an ancient barrier…” Greg has to stop as Keven interrupts.

“If we have it shouldn’t we be able to use it? Who would limit it?” Keven asked upset.

To his surprise, Greg just shrugged.

“So say it was the first sword wielder when he realized the danger of an unchecked soul. All I do know is that the Ceremony of Blades is where we remove it. Our leader cuts it away allowing full use of one’s soul.” Greg finished

“That’s cool but isn’t it still dangerous,” Keven asked still awe-struck.

Again, Greg shrugs.

“Yes and no, some freak out and end up killing themselves. A fate we try our best to avoid with the testing. Others only gain their true power, those we keep. Then some gain extraordinary power.” Greg stops long enough to nudge Keven. “Don’t get your hopes up it’s only happened once.”

Keven stared up at Greg eyes gleaming with hope and promise.

“With the different types of sword wielders, what determines your powers?”

“Birth, unfortunately, but that doesn’t mean one is better than the other. To draw your power and truly use it comes from your willpower. For example, I am merely physically more powerful than others. But I learned more and I care more, so, I’m more formidable than others with my type of powers or greater ones.” Greg stopped for a moment.

In his moment of pause, he extended a finger to the sky. on the tip of that finger, a ball of green light appeared.

“You will force the naturally occurring energy in your body to move and activate. Each person has a larger store of one of the five types than the other, which is affected by birth. But it’s that store that affects the world. the types are green which affects the physical form, yellow which affects the mind, and blue which affects an element. The last two are more a theory than anything else but their white controls the others and black destroys all the others. Anything else.” He said putting his arm down.

“No,” Keven said suddenly feeling small for his lack of knowledge.

The rest of the trip proceeded smoothly into town and beyond. They journey east to a small encampment about three miles from town. The wreckage from the previous week is still out. Yet, four tents remain around an extinguished campfire. There were still a few hours before daylight so Greg led Keven to his tent to rest.