The Power Inflicted

Chapter One
Parus

The moon waxed. A breeze shook the canopy. Down on the forest floor, something moved.

Parus threw himself against a tree trunk, shuddering as cold river water covered his bare feet. Although confident he hadn’t been spotted, he still checked left and right for movement before letting his breath out. Moonlight reflected on the mangrove channel, its brilliance distorting the water.

She was out there somewhere. She was probably watching him right now.

Creatures were hunting, scurrying within the steamy clearing. Birds squawked as they glided between branches. Primates crossed between the tiny inlets on fallen logs, their panicked howls alerting their families for alligators hidden in the reeds. The waters swelled up the beaches and river banks, lethargically flooding the soil.

He sensed nothing unusual. The twitching movements of the insects, the ruckus of a passing flock of parakeets, it all pressed in on Parus. As creatures swam and jumped and fought and consumed one another, the Elements raged around them.

Parus felt it all, like a word whispered on the edge of hearing. The Water Element was everywhere; an ever-shifting force that touched his awareness. In that mass of movement and energy, she was out there.

There was no point in waiting; Parus moved from his hiding place, crawling between the twisted eaves of the mangroves. He was becoming more frustrated by the second. The chase had been in motion for well over an hour now. Despite weeks of practice, he could still sense the gulf between their abilities; wider and more dangerous than the treacherous channels that lay between the islands. How could she just disappear?

Was she out there now? Mocking him?

He reached another channel, separating his tiny inlet from the next. With no cover from the canopies, and so close to the channels, this would be where he was most vulnerable. Tantha was a Water Elementalist, like him, and could use rivers to her advantage. He risked the crossing, stooping low across a fallen log in the hope of blending with the shadows. To his relief, he crossed without incident. Parus adjusted his mask to get a better look at his surroundings.

And there she was, leaning easily against a tree, waiting.

He Shielded immediately, tensing his body. But the expected attack never came. They were still for a long moment. Spears of moonlight struck through the canopy, piercing the ground between them. Tantha rolled her neck and stretched her legs. He frowned; she never wasted a chance to show her confidence.

Parus moved first. He darted forward, streaking through the empty clearing. There was a glint of something slim and sharp as he pulled his dagger from its sheath. The distance was closed in seconds. Parus ducked low, his arm stabbing upwards. She moved, even faster than he was used to. His blade met nothing but air. The dagger had been for show; he had never intended to cut his favourite sparring partner, but Parus needed her to know that tonight, he was serious.

Tantha pulled herself up the tree, climbing from one branch to the next. She moved with inhuman elegance. Parus smiled at this new challenge and unleashed his first Magi of the evening.

This was where Parus excelled. He was an Elementalist; his own bodily power could link to the Water Element, creating forces of nature called Magi. His energy mixed with the Element, like a storm inside his mind, and the world reacted to his manipulations.

Below him, water foamed through the soil. The ground gave way as he forced more and more of himself into the Magi. A raging vortex of water burst beneath his feet, carrying him towards his prey. He gritted his teeth, enjoying the feeling of release, as his Magi shot upwards. Sopping dirt showered the glade.

He crouched on his Magi, guiding it upwards with his will, branches shattering into fragments as it passed. He saw Tantha’s head whip downwards, her face hidden by her sneaking-mask. This time, he had her.

Tantha leapt, slipping through the night like an arrow. Her kick landed flat across his face, throwing him away from his Magi. The raging column dissipated as his concentration vanished. Parus howled as he fell, his cheek flaring with hot pain.

He was used to flying through the air in these forests, and using his Elemental Sense as a guide, his feet balanced safely on a jutting branch. His Sense was an intuition, making his body react, even when he couldn’t see what was behind him. Warm blood trickled down his cheek. Parus cursed; Tantha had vanished again. He scanned every inch of the darkness, finding nothing.

Her Magi exploded against his back like a swung branch. He was ready for the next one; he Shielded his stomach just in time, and the Magi struck without harm. He felt the dizzying rush as the strike on his Shield consumed a chunk of his internal energy. Losing some of his energy was far better than being wounded on a battlefield.

As he fell, he sent a barrage of needle-pointed Magi in every direction. His hands swept through the night air, spitting liquid power. He heard them striking through the trunks all across the clearing. Parus wasn’t worried for her safety, he knew Tantha would be Shielding; they had agreed to have a light Shield burning before the spar had started. With any luck, the barrage would draw her from hiding.

This time he landed clumsily, his foot twisting in the mud. He grunted in pain as Tantha darted from the canopy above, landing before him in the darkness.

‘Ignoring the fact we almost killed one another, that was fun,’ he thought.

Exultation burst in his chest as he managed to catch her swinging leg. He gripped it as hard as he could. He drew forth from the channels, the soil, the moisture in the air, and struck Tantha with a torrent of water. It emerged from his body, like a wave rushing along the flats, and took her balance from beneath her. Tantha stumbled forward and Parus saw his chance. He let the Magi go, Shielded across his body, and dove forward.

His fist struck her side as she climbed to her feet, a second blow knocking Tantha back to the ground. His heart racing, he prepared a forceful Magi, but Tantha was already reacting. Her hand flashed; the Magi struck him harder than any of the previous blows. His Shield shattered, causing his body to dip into sudden exhaustion. He cried out, horrified at the strength of her Magi and amazed at how quickly she had made it. Tantha span; and Parus’s feet were taken out from under him.

His head slammed back against the sodden ground. Parus groaned. The whole episode had lasted less than a minute. He was now at Tantha’s mercy; Shielding prevented physical damage to the body, but the amount of internal energy it could steal was enormous, especially if the Shield was shattered by an external force. It was like somebody had ripped five hours of sleep and two full meals from his past. The turmoil of their chase danced inside him. Trembling with effort, Parus raised his arms.

‘You win,’ he whispered.

Tantha, eclipsed by her black sneaking gear, rose over him. Droplets fell from the trees above, saturated from attacks they had thrown at one another. Tantha grabbed the side of her mask, unclipping the rings that held it in place. It fell from her face, landing in the dirt.
‘Get up, you big baby.’

Parus grunted with effort. Tantha seemed untouched, aside from heavy breathing and a film of perspiration on her forehead. To think he had been afraid for her safety…

‘So, were you trying to kill me, or is that your new way of saying hello?’

‘I was trying to teach you a lesson,’ she replied. ‘Take your mask off. Lithia Beach around here somewhere, and I need a cool-down.’

‘It’s over there.’ Parus pointed through the darkness. He knew the islands of Quartz perfectly. He spent more time in the depths of the mangroves than he did back at the Village. Quartz Village was his home, but his spirit was more at ease in the high mangroves, sleeping under the moonlight.

‘What lesson was that, then?’ he said.

Tantha marched off. ‘Figure it out.’

Parus trailed behind her, too numb from the spar to care about his saturated clothes. He could only guess what had irritated her this time. She had little patience for his shortcomings. Helena, her mother, always joked that it was Tantha that kept him in line. He never denied it.

‘What have I done?’ he called.

‘Are you going to take off that mask? I’ve always said you look silly with that thing on. You get a tuft of hair sticking out at the back.’

He began fiddling with the straps at the back of his head. With a click, the straps fell away and he lifted the mask from his face. Underneath his crumpled blond hair, Parus looked the same as he always had; youthful, yet cynical. His face was full of fire, his skin so clear it was startling, and his bright hair was spiked slightly from the sweat.

‘Did you cut yourself?’ she said, switching tact.

‘No, you cut me. I understand you were afraid of losing, so it’s fine. I’m used to your abuse by now.’

To his surprise, he saw concern in her face. She ran her finger underneath the cut.

‘That was from where I kicked you,’ she whispered, ‘you should have Shielded in time.’

Shielding would have cost energy, therefore slowing him down. He hadn’t wanted to give up a potential advantage over her.

‘Parus, you promised to Shield more tonight. You could have been killed.’

‘Can we save the reprimands for when we get to the beach?’

Lithia Beach was the crown of Quartz, the most eastern point of the islands, as well as the most eastern point of the Elenzia Archipelago. Its silver sands were left untouched by the ravaging tides that consumed the forest floor every day; instead it faced outwards onto a calm sea. To them, it was a place of serenity, and so they chose it for their cool-down walks.

On a good, clear day, Parus could see the tip of the Holy Mount Maladict from this beach. The mountain stood at the centre of the world, but could be seen all across Sisalia. This phenomenon was just one of Maladicts great miracles. Knowing that all the Elemental Tribes could see the mountain from their capitals was a reminder of what they were all fighting for. Purity.

‘I did alright, I thought,’ he said as they reached the lapping waters.

‘You were reckless.’

‘Was I now?’

‘Your Magi were uncontrolled and sporadic, and it cost you. You removed huge chunks of your energy stores in weak attempts to draw me out of hiding. But, I suppose it could have been worse.’

Tantha wasn’t usually so cutting. True, she always chastised him and patronised him, but tonight there was something else on her mind. Parus remembered her Magi colliding with his back, sending him spiralling towards the dirt. That was the work of a very angry woman, he knew that much.

‘What have I done wrong?’ he repeated.

‘I told you, figure it out,’ she said, splashing water on her flushed cheeks.

‘Is this because I haven’t been showing up at the Academy again?’

Tantha rounded on him. He was wise enough to take a step back.

'You have been avoiding Lord Marrine’s lessons for months now, and you keep spouting about how apparently “we don't learn anything of importance, he just recites the Histories and the Teachings.”’ For the quote she put on a distorted masculine voice. He had to stop himself from laughing. ‘We learned how much effort we need to use to break Shields today, and, as you can see, it’s immensely useful. If you won’t let him teach you the lesson, I will teach it instead.’

‘I could have died.’

‘Thank Maladict that you didn’t.’

‘You could have killed me - just to make a point.’

‘Parus, stop whining.’

He put his head in his hands. Much as he adored her, he was seriously considering throwing her in the ocean.

‘Tantha, just tell me next time. You don’t have to do whatever…that was.’

‘Fine,’ she sighed.

‘And don’t tell Garret about this?’

Garret, who had looked out for the both of them since they were little, kept a tally of how many times Tantha had beaten Parus in a spar. He claimed it was just for record, but Parus always noticed his grin every time he scratched another line under Tantha’s name.
The mood softened as she gave him a smile. Parus felt his legs and arms begin to stiffen where he had not cooled his body down. Fatigue dragged his muscles, but he was used to such discomforts; they were worth it for the extra practice, but the spar was over and the point had been made.

‘I would love a clean shower,’ Tantha said, ‘and a thick log to beat some sense into you.’

‘The ocean’s right there,’ he replied in a sing-song voice.

‘Don’t be childish Parus, it doesn’t suit you.’

They continued strolling on the edge of the tide. Parus’s thoughts remained inside the undergrowth, analysing every second of their spar. Maybe Tantha was right, and his own physical training wasn’t enough. He would test his endurance and his agility in the clustered jungle at the centre of the islands where the foliage was thickest, where a wrong stance could throw him into the rivers. Once the tide had retreated from the mangroves he would stroll along the lips of the beaches, relaxing his body and clearing his thoughts. Later on, he would practice his Magi, often by lifting as much of the tide as he could into the air.

It was these walks which he enjoyed the most though. He observed everything; the tiny shells under his toes, the rippling ocean, the sheer magnificence of the star-light. Parus looked at Tantha. She was still flushed from the battle, her sharp features highlighted by the natural blush that spread across her cheeks.

He had known her as far back as he could remember. She had never been anything but a friend; a friend, who chided him, put him down and showed her own excellence at every opportunity, but a friend nonetheless. Despite how haughty she could be about being Lord Marrine’s favourite, it was balanced by her charm and enthusiasm for almost everything.

They walked along the beach so close to the lull and pull of the tide that often the waves would drag over their feet. A rare, cool wind moved the treeline. Some days on Quartz could be so hot that skin could burn in minutes. Parus preferred the night; they were always the perfect temperature, and unless disturbed by a tropical storm, clear and bright.

‘How was your day?’ Tantha asked.

‘The same as always,’ replied Parus, stepping over a hermit crab scuttling towards the ocean. ‘I woke up, I avoided any potential responsibilities, came out here, practiced Magi until it became too hot. Then I took a rest in a tree hollow. Ate some fruit. Very juicy. Same old routine.’

‘What a life you lead, Parus.’

‘The best, some could say.’

They stood in silence for a while, their stares crossing the ocean and ascending to Mount Maladicts tip. Parus longed to one day see the peak up close. The church couldn't have found a more magnificent place to house their senior clergy. He resented the fact that all but the highest Bishops were banned from ascending it’s slopes. He imagined the trip up would take many weeks.

‘What about your day?’

‘My day?’ Tantha responded, ‘My day was spent listening to Lord Marrine, like yours should have been. I'm not going to lecture you again, Parus, but you do miss some wondrous stuff.’

‘Really?’

‘We learned about the biology of the trees around the isles-‘

‘Sounds riveting.’

‘-and how being able to discern between the different species’ energy can help us draw our Element from them faster, thus increasing the vitality of our Magi. See? It’s useful stuff.’

Parus gave a non-committal grunt.

‘You know it as well. You just have a problem with authority.’

‘I do not,’ started Parus, sarcasm dripping from his lips.

‘You do. You hate going to the Academy, you hate going to the Temple...’

‘Now that’s unfair,’ he said with a scowl ‘It’s not the Temple I hate - it’s the priests inside it.’

‘If the Bishop lived on the island, then you wouldn't get away with saying half the stuff you say.’

‘Maybe,’ said Parus, facing the ocean again.

‘I’m trying to look out for you.’

He pointed to the gash on his cheek.

‘Good job.’

‘People on the island accept you unconditionally,’ she said, ‘It’s disrespectful not to give anything back.’

‘I’m a soldier, aren’t I?’ he replied hotly. ‘Isn’t that the point of all this? Laying down my life when the time comes?’

‘Not yet you aren’t. And if you don’t start taking your life here seriously, you could find yourself unprepared for the day where you do need to keep yourself alive.’

‘I can figure it out myself, Tantha. What happened to not wanting to lecture anyway?’

‘You don’t have to be alone all the time Parus, this island cares about you, maybe you should care about it.’

He faltered, hurt. He opened his mouth to speak again, but then stopped. Something had changed. He sensed a crushing force all around him, nothing like anything he had sensed before. Tantha must have felt it too, as she too opened her mouth to continue, but no noise came out.

The forest fell quiet for the first time.

With a wave of noiselessness, the force was sucked away from the island in an instant, sweeping over the ocean and into the distance. Parus breathed outwards as the pressure on his body released.

‘What’s happening?’ he cried.

The world burst into magnificence. The dark places in the forest were lit up. The sea radiated as if blessed. Parus shielded his eyes from the intensity, but then found he had no need. The light felt thick and alive; pulsating like a heartbeat.

He waved his arms around him. Sisalia was dissolving in light, until there was nothing left, but the sands, and her.

He met Tantha’s eyes, and a realisation passed between them. They stood on the glowing sands, all their bravado sucked away in an instant. He could see it in her eyes. Fear, and a cold certainty.

Just like the silence before it, the light was sucked away, spitting from the islands and across the ocean. Quartz returned to normal. The forest chattered in the night, as it always had done.

‘The mountain,’ said Tantha as she pointed into the distance. Parus clasped her arm as they stood on the cusp of the sea and stared in wonder.

A new star hovered on the horizon.

The top of Mount Maladict was alight. It wasn’t the light of a fire, or the light of day, but the light of something else, something holy. It shone with an unbridled vivacity, but somehow did not disturb the darkness. It was a surreal sensation just looking at it.

‘It looks like a star has fallen on the mountain,’ said Tantha.

Parus just stared. The light was so alien and so beautiful; he could see it reflecting colours of all shades into the night. It astounded and perplexed him; it was the most wondrous sight he had ever seen. And he knew what it was. They both did.

‘The Maladict Aura,’ he said. Tantha looked up at him.

‘What should we do?’ she whispered.

Parus didn’t know. The water lapped around his ankles as he stood with his friend, facing the light, facing the mountain and facing the hardest years of his life.

Maladict had spoken. The Crusades had come again.

© Copyright Sam Kearns 2011. This work may not be reproduced anywhere else without the Authors permission.