The Path Of Destiny Read online

  Christine stopped crying to listen to what Darius was saying. “Who else do you mean?”

  “I'm not sure. But don't you think that if a good God exists that there is someone bad also? Keeping things in balance? Wanting to bring hate and anger to people?”

  Darius sensed the power building inside him, giving him the words to say. Everything became clearer in his mind. He felt a power of intelligence flow through him as he felt the plight of Christine and her people. Once again he felt the need to go out and protect the Realm from these evil influences.

  “You mean like someone evil? Like from the old days, when the Black Forest was evil?” ventured Christine.

  “Sure. Maybe. I'm not so sure,” stumbled Darius. The power faded back from him. He hadn’t learned to control it enough yet and times like these were frustrating. “But it could be, couldn't it?”

  Christine laughed. “For a minute you sounded like a philosopher from our fables, Darius San Williams. Your words seemed so right and clear. Thanks for helping me. You’re right! God does speak to us all, but some just don’t listen! But how do we get them to listen?”

  Darius shook his head, shrugged, and smiled as he looked at Christine. She had become so beautiful. He had seen changes in her since they had met. Saving her in front of the messenger’s horse had been the best day of his life. She was intelligent, and she sparked something deep inside him. She was confident and stood up for things she believed in. He wanted to say something to her to show his feelings. But he didn't know what. He was just plain scared.

  “Darius . . .” repeated Christine. “Have you fallen asleep standing up, or what? You seemed to be staring off into space. What were you thinking about?”

  The question caught him by surprise and his answer flew out without a thought. “About you.” As soon as he said the words he started rocking back and forth on his feet like a nervous little boy who had just gotten into trouble.

  “What about me?” Christine probed with a smile. Her intelligent green eyes met his light gray ones.

  Darius felt his face flush a few shades of red. “Without you, my life would be dark and lonely.”

  Christine leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Fire seemed to burn from her lips, spreading throughout his body.

  He reached his arms around her and with his broad shoulders pulled her into him. This time he was able to open himself to his power and he let it engulf them. As thoughts of joy and love spread through him, he transferred them to her. He could feel her feelings for him. They matched his. She relaxed in his arms. The sensation was euphoric and magical.

  Long moments later she pulled back from him and looked deep into his eyes. “Darius? How? You made me feel so much joy. You’ve made me forget my pain and anger. It came from you. I felt a power of love that I’ve never felt before.”

  Darius was embarrassed with the attention. He had to be more careful with his power. All he wanted to do was to show her love and kindness. “You deserve to be happy, Christine.”

  He wanted so desperately to tell her everything. But something inside held him back. How could he explain something to her that he couldn’t explain yet himself? He needed more time. Little by little he was gaining more control over the power, but without anyone to teach him it was difficult to know what he could or couldn’t do. As Kelln had said it seemed to come to him with great need and emotion. As he thought about something happening it happened. Sometimes he needed his hands; other times just a feeling from him would provoke a magical outcome. It was exciting, yet made him more afraid than anything else he faced.

  Christine leaned into his strong arms and Darius kissed her deeply on the lips. The fire moved through him again as he felt his power stir and his heart burn.

  He would tell her when the time was right.

  Chapter Eight

  BELOR

  The journey to Belor by Kelln and Alessandra began by wading through a waist-high portion of the Black River at the south end of Anikari. They walked under a bridge, leaving behind the sights and sounds of the largest city of the Realm. Kelln tried to stop shivering but couldn’t. The water numbed him from the waist down as they trudged through it for a hundred yards, holding their packs up above their heads. It was the only sure way out of the city without someone seeing them leave through a proper gate. It was cold and uncomfortable, but it worked.

  After that, they kept beside the river and journeyed south through the Black Forest. The first night Kelln couldn’t sleep. He was sure some forest animals or wandering thieves would attack them. Alessandra calmed him and assured him everything would be all right. She talked of a power and force that would protect them. He didn't ask any questions, then he thought about what she was saying as he tried to sleep.

  Kelln enjoyed Alessandra’s company, but, being used to the crowds of the city, he began to miss the constant sounds that were present there. To pass the time he started asking questions.

  “How long will the trip take? Are we safe? Why did I have to leave in secret? I haven’t done anything wrong. Where is my family?” And the list went on and on.

  Alessandra answered him in short statements, not giving any more information than she absolutely had to.

  After a few days they arrived. They emerged from the Black Forest and met the Everlasting Meadows. For some reason the openness made him uneasy. As far into the distance as he could see, there was only grass and small plants; nothing over a few feet high. The lack of trees made him seem tall but vulnerable. The meadows seemed to stretch on forever until grass blended into the sky. It was breathtaking and astonishing to observe so much land at one time, without any trees or hills to block the view. Later that night Alessandra first told him of the Preacher.

  “He is a great man. One who has seen our plight and our future. He is gathering us as an army to fight for our freedoms,” Alessandra said with conviction.

  “Where did he come from?” asked Kelln.

  “He is one of us. Born and raised in Belor. Seeking direction and purpose, he sailed across the ocean and studied in the eastern kingdoms. He said it was there that he found God and his purpose.”

  “I believe in God, but I didn't have to sail around the world to find him.” Kelln’s sarcasm appeared a little too harsh.

  Alessandra stood up as if to emphasize her point. Her face reddened, brighter in the glow of the fire. “What do you know about God, being from Anikari? They have no God there. If they did, they wouldn't treat us as they do. God is in Belor.”

  He told himself he would remain calm about the matter until he learned about everything for himself. He wanted to know more about Alessandra, but she became so defensive about what the Preacher did. Kelln didn't have anything against religion really. He had always believed in God. What bothered him was that the words from Alessandra were not her words.

  Kelln found himself holding back a laugh when she said that God was in Belor. “God is in Belor? Can I see him?”

  This made Alessandra angry. She realized she had gotten carried away. “I don't mean he lives in Belor. It's just that his presence is felt there.”

  Kelln lay back on his blanket roll and stared up at the stars. He had rarely seen so many. They stretched from horizon to horizon and even beyond that, he imagined. He wondered how many other worlds were out there. He felt incredibly small. Like one blade of grass on the entire plain. All this talk about God made him a little embarrassed he didn't understand more about religious things.

  He wanted to know more, but never knew where to look. Maybe Alessandra was right. Maybe he would find him in Belor. He smiled to himself as he fell asleep.

  Two days later the two entered Belor. Even though anciently Belor had been its own small kingdom, ever since the days of King Anikari it was part of the Realm. Ruled overall by the whoever was the king in the capital city of Anikari, Belor like Denir, Mar, and Sur, all had its own governor and local leadership.

  There were signs of a few skirmishes, but besides that, the city looked as Kel
ln remembered it from a few years earlier when his family had visited there. He soon found his father working in a metal shop and forging weapons. They hugged and spent a few moments in talk about Kelln’s trip through the forest, and then his father excused himself to get back to work.

  The zeal in his father’s eyes was different than Kelln had seen before. His father was a happy man, giving time to his family even when he was busy making swords. Now it seemed he was obsessed with making swords and didn’t have much time for his family.

  Kelln didn’t like the change.

  He was told the rest of his family would join him soon. Two weeks later they did.

  After a few weeks, Kelln itched to leave and do something. He was getting tired and bored of Belor. He asked if he might take a couple of days and go to the sea, but they did not allow him to leave the city. He felt like a prisoner, yet his father assured him it was for his protection. He did not make many friends. Most were still wary of him since he came from Anikari.

  There was Alessandra. Once she was all cleaned up, her beauty captivated him even more. Her hair, though died dark, was thick and luxurious. He tried to spend time with her, but she was very busy. He stumbled on his words around her when they talked. He wished they were more like Darius and Christine; those two could talk for hours.

  Alessandra was gone much, even disappearing for days at a time. He figured out, though she would never confirm it, that she went off and helped others escape from other cities around the Realm and returned them to Belor. He thought it strange for a woman so young to have the responsibility she did, but she performed the task well.

  Kelln passed most of his time practicing with his sword and his bow. He was also given the charge to teach others. In the Belorian palace library, which he was given access to, Kelln had found various books that proved interesting reading about the history of Belor and the Realm. He thought of Anikari often and of his friends, especially Darius. He wondered what they were all doing.

  Kelln decided to find out for himself what was going on in Belor. Things just didn’t seem that bad, and he was concerned that the man they referred to as only the Preacher was stirring up trouble. The key to finding out about Belor was to find out about him.

  The Preacher was a man in his late thirties who stood tall among the Belorians, who were a short race by heritage. He stood well over six feet with a broad-shouldered build. His short hair was auburn and he wore two gold wristbands, one above each wrist. His deep red cloak seemed to always sway in slight movements from his body as he walked or preached. His voice was commanding yet at the same time compassionate. As large and powerful as he was, his charisma made people follow him.

  The Preacher seemed to have a way of becoming one with the people and leading them into whatever direction he desired. That is what Kelln didn't like about the whole situation. This one man seemed to string them all along like puppets on a huge stage. The first time he saw the Preacher a strong feeling of danger loomed up inside him. It was obvious to Kelln that the man craved power, but held it under a cool mask of compassion.

  Kelln observed carefully that every day the people came and listened to the Preacher’s lectures. Kelln had listened to them dozens of times in the first few weeks since arriving in Belor. He heard the rhetoric so many times—that he should accept what the Preacher was saying was right—yet he still held lingering doubts from somewhere in the far corners of his mind. He didn’t trust him and he had seen the Preacher do things that were not normal. He had power, not unlike Darius, but more forceful.

  “We cannot be held prisoners in our own land.” The Preacher spread his arms wide to the gathered group. They stood transfixed in the town square. “God has declared that all men are free. Those in Anikari are no better than we are. We have a right to be free and to direct our own way. God has declared it so.”

  Kelln looked at the Preacher, standing on the top steps of a large building. The majestic steps curved upwards while the vast structure held a massive dome on top. Kelln had been intrigued with the architecture of the city since he arrived. Where Anikari built with straight lines and brick and rock, Belor was all curves, domes, and circles. To decorate most of their buildings they used a type of colored rock-and-mud mixture that hardened when it dried. He liked the effect.

  The Preacher rambled on for more than half an hour. God said this and God said that. Kelln could almost recite the speech word for word. The Preacher would go on and tell them how the Belorians should not be slaves to the rule of King Edward. They had God on their side and God was their king. That is why he was known only as “the Preacher.”

  Kelln didn’t disagree with the religious aspect of a supreme being and that all men should be equal. Darius and he had discussed that very thing after he had met Christine. But Kelln did not perceive God in the Preacher.

  He tried to look at the conflict from their point of view. The people were taxed just the same as others in the Realm outside of Anikari. Perhaps they had been treated unfairly at times, but not any more so than the other outlying cities, he would guess. He just did not understand the level of alarm that this leader made things out to be. They now were taking taken up arms and were training to go to war.

  Situated between the Everlasting Meadows and the Blue Sea, Belor had a great advantage in hunting, fishing, and farming. Yet they needed to trade these for wood, brick, and metals from the rest of the Realm. Kelln reasoned that by fighting against the Realm they cut themselves off from the necessities they actually needed.

  One day, after one of the Preacher’s famous talks to excite the people, Kelln was walking behind the large palace that the Preacher used as his headquarters. He heard voices arguing up ahead and he stopped behind a doorway. He recognized one as the Preacher’s booming voice.

  “I have them in my hands. They will follow me.”

  “All I was saying was that we are getting short on food and need to make sure that we don’t cut off all trade from the Realm,” another man with a higher voice debated. “Our population has swollen in recent weeks and we were not prepared.”

  “The people can cut back. Sacrifice will make them stronger,” the Preacher spoke again.

  “But sir, you can’t mean that. The people will starve.”

  “Sometimes there are sacrifices,” the Preacher said.

  “The governor should be here. Where is he?” asked the man.

  “He is of no concern to you, councilor. You will obey my orders or you will join the other councilors in the dungeon. The Realm will recognize me as the legitimate ruler of Belor and leave us alone or the people will die fighting them.”

  Kelln heard the councilor squeak out an affirmation that he would obey the Preacher’s words, then heard him walk away.

  Hoping to not be seen, Kelln turned back the way he had come and he ducked into an alley that would bring him out into the merchants’ district. He couldn’t believe the Preacher would starve his own people. The thought appalled him and made him even more fearful of the Preacher. He was a man who wanted power, not peace.

  Of course, it seemed to him that he was one of only a handful who seemed to grasp the situation this way. The Preacher seemed to get them all extremely excited in fighting for their independence. They fought for good things—freedom, equality, and religion—but Kelln wondered if the Preacher went about it all wrong. He drove the people into a frenzy, in which they had no choice but to follow him. They lost sight of the real meaning of freedom and peace. They took away the peace they did have by starting a battle with the Realm. And among it all, the Preacher declared himself their undisputed leader. He lived in lavishness in the old domed palace he used as his own headquarters.

  Kelln had to find out more of the Preacher’s plans and then, if required, he would send word to the capital and warn them about what was happening. Darius would listen to him and then tell his father. He loved his family and didn’t want to see them hurt any longer by the Preacher’s evil influence.

  Chapter Nine
r />   THE KING’S SUMMONS

  Again the voice came. It wasn't louder, yet it seemed closer. Darius thought he heard someone, or something, breathing. All he could do was stare into the black nothing and wait. He reached for a wall. Anything solid to hold on to. Before he reached anything, something reached him instead, and grabbed hold of his hand.

  “Darius,” a female voice whispered. He tried to jump back.

  “Darius,” it said again as the unseen hand shook him harder. He screamed and tried to push the hands away. Darius opened his eyes. As he did so light flooded in upon him, and he closed them again.

  Darius heard his name once again, but this time the voice sounded more familiar and closer. His eyes were slow to open the second time. When they did they began to focus on a woman . . . his mother, Elizabeth. How could she have gotten here? As if to answer him, she spoke.

  “Darius I have been trying to get you awake for minutes. Couldn't you hear me or feel me shaking you?”

  Darius looked around, eyes darting to take in his surroundings. Feelings of familiarity flooded back into him as he realized he had been sleeping and dreaming. His mother, Elizabeth, stood next to him, trying to wake him up. He looked up at her again, seeing love spread across her face after a brief hint of concern—or was it frustration?

  “I guess I was dreaming,” yawned Darius, still trying to shake the all-too-real dream from his head. His bed felt good. Since Kelln had left about a month earlier he had spent later hours with Christine and her family in the farmlands. Not having any other duties this morning he was looking forward to a morning of relaxation before heading back to Christine’s.

  “Your father left a note for you this morning.”

  “What? What kind of note?” The anxiousness drove the remaining sluggishness from his mind, and he grunted. It was probably another meeting his father wanted him to attend. He hoped it wasn’t going to take too long. He planned to go and take the Cremelino to Christine today. A gift for her upcoming seventeenth birthday. He also planned to let her know about his powers. Finally. He was prepared to face whatever consequences would come. He dreaded telling her, but he hated more keeping secrets from her.