Aegis Rising (55 page)

“Civilizations can only move forward based on universal principles such as truth, justice, honor, and love,” Nageau said. “Is it possible for any society to function effectively based on the opposites, such as deceit, injustice, dishonor, and hate?”

The friends frowned, heads shaking. The Elder continued. “Since the turn of the last century, humanity has been marching forth at a relentless speed toward a questionable destination. In the last few decades, we have seen this momentum accelerate. Mankind has passed a fork in its journey, and has unfortunately taken a path of self-centeredness fed by greed and corruption. Having strayed from the great traditions that have been its guide for ages, it now finds itself in a gathering storm. This has happened many times in history with the rise and fall of civilizations, but this time, by the sheer immensity of what is about to happen due to its global nature, this is far different from anything humanity has ever experienced.

“The clouds that gather feed off these weaknesses, but at the center of this storm is a catalyst far more destructive than anyone can fathom. This entity aims to accelerate humanity’s journey down this road of self-destruction. Although this force of darkness gathers, there is still light left in many good souls that illuminate the world. It is this light that our Sentries across the planet seek to nourish, sustain and protect.”

Tegan pinched her cheeks as she tried to comprehend the Elder’s meaning. “What is this catalyst? And why does it want to speed up our demise?”

“Those are valid questions and you will have many more as you ponder on this further. What we have revealed to you suffices for now. As you complete your training, we will gradually enlighten you with all the knowledge you must have to fulfill your role in the prophecy.”

Jag took the coin from Mariah and held it up. “That still doesn’t explain how this symbol got out.”

The Elders shifted and glanced away momentarily before Nageau said, “That is something we are waiting to affirm. We shall hopefully have knowledge of that soon.”

“What about the Sentries?” Kody asked. “Who are they? Will we get to meet them?”

Tikina, her green eyes spirited, smiled. “It is most likely that you have already run into at least one of them in the course of your young lives. They may have been a school teacher, a firefighter, the owner of a corner store, or even someone you pass by on your daily errands.”

The friends’ minds raced through images of people they’d known all their lives to figure a possible match. Noticing the silence, Tayoka playfully remarked, “Look at all those furrowed brows! Easy, younglings. I am sure you will figure them out in time. In the meantime, we must discuss the completion of your training.”

Ashack spoke up for the first time the entire meeting. “I have observed the tenacity you have shown during your training and the courage and bravery that you demonstrated during the siege at Ayen’et. My heart now soars with the knowledge that you are indeed the ones, yet I am concerned with the weight of your responsibility as you prepare to face your mission to bring back balance. Therefore, in the remaining moon cycle left of your training, we as the Elders will do everything in our power to equip you with all that you will need.”

“One moon cycle? That’s about four weeks!” Mariah said in a bittersweet tone. “Is that all the time we have left here?” She looked at her friends; they’d all grown close to the people and had become attached to Dema-Ki.

“When you leave after your training, you will go back to your homes and live your normal lives,” Nageau said. The Elders gazed affectionately at their apprentices.

“It will not be a goodbye that lasts forever,” Saiyu assured them through Tikina. “We will remain connected.”

“How?”

“You will know in time,” Tikina said. She then turned to Kody with a smile. “Youngling, I have some wonderful news. You will be pleased to know that your father is alive.”

Taken by surprise, Kody blurted, “What . . . how . . . Where is he
?
”

“We do not currently know for certain where he is, but we do know that he made his way to a small town at the edge of the forest.”

“Will I be able to see him?”

“Chances are he would have been taken back to your hometown. That is all we know for now.”

The boy was euphoric. He looked as if he was ready to bounce around the temple, but contented himself with just swinging his legs back and forth with a huge grin on his face.

Nageau looked at his apprentice warmly. He then stood up, beckoning to the five, and walked past the friends. The other Elders followed, as did their apprentices. Nageau led the way to an altar on which stood a gold-plated, five-sided pyramid. Nageau fiddled with the latch and one of the pyramids’ faces opened. Reaching in, the Elder removed a black velvet sachet and pulled his hand back out. Tayoka, knowing what was coming, smiled and gently directed the fives’ hands up with his cane, palms open.

From within the sachet, Nageau placed a crystal in each of their hands. The crystals were all different in color and shape. The five gazed at the objects, transfixed. “When you have completed your training, these will be yours,” Tikina told them. “These are not ordinary crystals, younglings. These ones will help to strengthen your spirit and galvanize your minds.”

The friends stared at the crystals with hungry fixation for a few more moments before Nageau gently took them and placed them back into the sachet to tuck away into the altar. He latched the pyramid up and the Elders guided the friends out of the temple. Bidding the friends goodbye, the other Elders headed to their
neyra
, leaving Nageau to walk with the five along the winding path by the river.

The sun was beginning to set and a conflagration of pink, orange and yellow welcomed them. A couple of young children ran past them, then quickly backtracked to bow to the Elder and glance at the five with admiration before scampering off. Nageau and the friends grinned and continued walking until a girl about ten years old shyly came up to the friends. She bowed, then reached up to tuck a primrose wildflower into Mariah and Tegan’s hair. The two smiled, and using some words they’d learned, quietly thanked the girl in the villagers’ language. The friends had been showered with tokens of appreciation like this since their return from the Ayen’et and were deeply touched by the sincerity of the villagers.

The five found the gentle burble of the water relaxing as they crossed one of the bridges over Esroh Lègna. The knowledge imparted by the Elders during the meeting occupied their thoughts and the soothing sounds of the river calmed their minds.

As they neared the friends’
neyra
, Nageau came to a stop. The five turned to look at him. They knew the Elder well enough to know that there was something on his mind. They gathered around him and he looked each one of them in the eyes. “There is something I wish to say to you,” he began. “It is something that we have spoken about before, but its importance cannot be stressed enough. You have all learned and grown so much with your training in such a short span of time. Though your powers will continue to strengthen, you must always remember that these abilities are channeled through you to bring light to the world. The battle between the bearers of light and the forces of darkness is intensifying, and your roles will always be to hold up and diffuse this light. I promise you, though, you will not be alone. And remember, it is essential that you always,
always
do the right thing as prompted by your spirit—though doing the right thing may not always be the easiest.”

The five stood in silence, allowing the words of wisdom from the beloved Elder to sink in. Mariah stepped forward and gave Nageau a hug. Tegan joined her. Nageau saw the boys standing off and waved them in with a warm laugh.

At the end of the group hug, Nageau smiled affectionately at the five, then turned and began walking away. The friends watched him stroll toward the setting sun at the end of the valley. High above the Elder, they saw a golden eagle swoop across the sun and disappear past the mountain ridge.

EPILOGUE

I
t was a cool August evening in Central Park. Families were out and about. Couples were strolling and teenagers rode on their bikes, calling out to one another. Right across from the Delacorte amphitheater, famous for its Shakespeare in the Park performances, a lone figure clad in a long black coat with a golden hood sat on a bench and watched a flock of ducks in the sky coming in to land on a pond. Several children trotted toward the edge of the water to feed the birds that paddled toward them eagerly.

The figure watched them for a little while before glancing at a gold Rolex watch. It was nearly eight-thirty, which meant that Adrian Black would have just gotten off work on the west coast and be heading home. Drawing out a cell phone, the figure punched in a number and counted the rings.

From the basement parking lot at the head office of Phoenix Corp., Black’s brand new Lexus merged with the rush hour traffic. Just before turning onto a freeway, his Bluetooth ringer beeped and he glanced at the caller ID on his dashboard screen. His heart skipped a beat. In his haste to find an opportunity to pull over, he nearly slammed into a passing minivan. The driver of the vehicle honked and glared at him. Cursing, Black found a break in the traffic and pulled over to the side before hitting the answer button on his steering wheel. “Hello?”

“Adrian.” The boss’s voice filled the car through its eight-speaker sound system. “How are you doing?”

Black flinched. “I’m good, thank you. You’re back in the States?”

“I arrived in New York this morning, and I got your email.”

“Oh. I, uh, sent it about five days ago.”

“Yes . . . I didn’t feel like responding to that report, considering how unreliable you’ve become.”

That verbal slap on the face shot fear through Black. He stammered, “I . . . I want to assure you that we’ve cleaned up the mess and left no trace. Vlad and his men have been evacuated. They managed to salvage eight kilos of the ore.”

There was a silence, then the voice probed with an edge in its tone. “What was the amount that was needed, Adrian? What did I ask for?”

“T-twelve kilos.”

“Mmhm. Now what good is eight kilos to me? You know what it takes to fire up the plans we have made with Quest Defense. They have all their ducks in a row and you can’t even deliver a handful of
dust
to me?”

Black rested his forehead against the steering wheel. “I’m sorry. I trusted that Vlad was up to the task. Had I known of his incompetence, I would have taken other measures.”

“Listen, you imbecile,” the boss hissed. “Vlad may be the head of Quest Mining, but you’re the head of the corporation. He reports to
you
.”

Black remained quiet; there was no response he could give to allay the situation. The boss pressed on. “You should have foreseen that and put alternate plans in place.” The voice paused. “Just like I’ve done.”

Black lurched back. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve put in place an alternate team to drill for the same ore in Siberia.”

“But I was told that site up in the Northwest Territories was the only place that contained the fenixium.”

“You were told what you needed to know. I expected you to stay focused on the operation in Canada and do whatever was required to meet your objectives, but you have failed me. I’ve learned to never put all my eggs in one basket and I’ve been proven right. The Russian site will produce more than enough ore to complete the required amount within four weeks.”

“I’m relieved to hear that.” Black reached for his water bottle to moisten his dry mouth. “So the plan continues as scheduled, then?”

“Would I have it any other way.” It was more of a statement than a question. “Do you understand what is at stake here, Adrian? Do you not see why I have raised this corporation and its subsidiaries? Have you lost sight of our objectives? You and Vlad are the only ones with considerable knowledge of my intent. If you need to be schooled again, then perhaps I should reconsider your value in the future of this corporation.”

“Let me prove my worth to you again,” Black pleaded. “I assure you that I will not fail you anymore.”

Back in Central Park, the figure gazed up at the sky as the wind picked up and caught sight of dark clouds gathering on the horizon. Standing up, the founder of Phoenix Corp. pulled on the gold-colored hood. “You better keep your word then, Adrian. There is a fierce storm brewing that no power on Earth can stop. And when it passes, I will be there to sow the seeds for a new harvest.”

List of Characters

The Five:

Mariah Ashton

Aari Barnes

Tegan Ryder

Jag Sanchez

Kody Tyler

The Elders:

Ashack [Ay-SHAK]

Nageau [Nah-GO]

Saiyu [SAY-yoo]

Tayoka [Tah-YO-ka]

Tikina [Tee-KEE-nah]

The Villagers:

Aesròn [Ay-zuh-RON]

Akol [AY-cole]

Aydar [AY-darr]

Breyas [Bray-YAZ]