Fledgling (33 page)

Ana’s mind was fuzzy as her eyes flickered. Like waking from a deep hibernation, she struggled with her comatose body.

Steady rhythmic chanting filled her ears as Chance came into focus beside her. When she saw him, joy filled her heart. It dissolved into horror when she saw Niyol resting his hands on Chance’s chest and realized he wasn’t moving, or breathing.

Her eyes wide with terror, she watched as the chanting slowed and ended in a whisper. Radiating blue light pulsed from Niyol’s hands and burst into Chance’s body. It blasted with such force, the air moved around it, rustling the ground cover and Chance’s hair. The light faded into Chance’s chest and Niyol swayed, tipping to the ground. Chance’s skin glowed like starlight for a moment before fading into a dissipating afterglow.

Ana gasped, sitting upright. “Niyol?!”

A sputtering sound came from Chance. Light droplets forced his hands up in a defensive posture.

His eyes flashed open while sucking in a sharp breath and he rolled his head, meeting her gaze. His eyes brightened and he reached across to touch her cheek. “Ana… Ana, it worked,” murmuring he stroked her face with the tips of his fingers, staring at her in adoration.

Ana’s frantic eyes reached past him to the unmoving form lying in the dirt. Confused, Chance followed her gaze and shouted, “Grandfather!” He turned to Ana and cried, “What happened?!”

Her raspy voice answered, “I don’t know. When I woke up…he was chanting beside you with his hands over your chest…and then blue light went from his hands into you, and he just…fell over.” Ana’s eyes combed down Chance’s body, noticing his lack of clothing under the woven cloth and turned to give him privacy as he jumped up, wrapping the blanket around his waist.

Chance squatted down over Niyol’s body, grasping his shoulders and stared intently at his face.

“Is he breathing?”

“No…,” Chance answered hoarsely.

He knew he couldn’t save his grandfather. His energy was too low. Trying it again would be a death sentence. He knew that now.

Straightening up, he scanned the forest line remembering Markus. Then recalled his grandfather ending that pathetic life and shook his head in relief.

He looked down at his grandfather’s peaceful face, and his body grew rigid as a flash of images passed through his mind.

Like memories, but they weren’t his.

As though watching the scene through the bottom of a glass, the focal point was clear, but faded into an unfocused haze. It was different from his own memories and he watched in amazement.

A forest entered his peripheral vision as a cloudy panorama came into view-a fox cowered before a cougar. The observer turned to see a girl lying on the stony ground.

“No, way!” Chance gasped.

Ana tilted her head in confusion. Frowning at Chance, she was about to speak when he held his hand up signaling her to wait.

The anomalous memories continued and he heard a voice, a familiar voice.
Grandfather
!

You can do it…you have to.
Niyol’s deep tone echoed in his head and he felt his grandfather struggle with his own power inside himself. A tiny static ball at his core ignited into blue fire as Niyol watched Chance backing away from the cougar.
I must save him! NOW!

His own skin prickled as the perspective changed to that of a shorter creature.
It’s been sooo long…I never thought…I could ever again…I thought the light had gone out.
Chance closed his eyes to concentrate on the real life movie playing itself out in his head.

The scene continued in a flurry, Chance watching in amazement. From Niyol’s perspective he saw himself ripping and clawing at the cougar. Go
for the stomach, it’s vulnerable
. Niyol’s voice echoed in his head.

Chance wondered if he was reliving a memory of his grandfathers or if it was a vision. He heard his grandfather’s thoughts as though they were his own and felt the intense need to destroy the cougar, to end the creature’s life, so it could never hurt or kill again. He felt his muzzle wet with blood, ready to finish the fight. The wolverine was voracious, intense.

Chance gazed at his grandfather lying on the pine needles, and continued reflecting on this new unfamiliar memory, hoping it would reveal something he had missed.

He pummeled the bobcat with repetitive blows to the face, and the cat tipped to its side in blindness. He watched the cat shrink into a defenseless prairie dog.

The prairie dog turned to escape, but Chance heard his grandfather’s thoughts echoing through his mind,
Go ahead and run-I’m faster than you
. The small animal scurried a couple feet before Chance felt his body dive into it, smashing it into the ground.

His powerful jaws picked the limp animal up, and shook it fiercely. He dropped it to the dirt and leapt into the air diving down on the small creature. It trembled and disappeared. His instincts triggered and his attention shifted.
Where’s Chance?
His view moved upward, searching the landscape. He saw himself through his grandfather’s eyes, leaning over Ana.

Ana was watching him, he knew, as he stared at his grandfather’s lifeless body, experiencing Niyol’s memories. She seemed disturbed, not knowing what was happening.

He entered the point in the timeline that was missing for him. He saw his body give a subtle jolt as his hands hovered over Ana’s lifeless form, and heard his grandfather’s voice call out, “NO! Chance,
wait
!” His grandfather had returned to his human shape and was running toward Chance, “Wait!”

Chance’s eyes glazed over; he was living his grandfather’s anxiety.
He’s going to kill himself
.
He doesn’t have enough power to heal her and live. He won’t be able to pull away in time!

The thoughts speeding through his mind narrated what he was watching. He saw a slow smile creep across his own face and his body slump over Ana’s.

“No! What have you done Chance?!” The words flew out of his mouth and Ana appeared deeply rattled.

“Chance? What’s going
on
? You’re freaking me out!” Ana whispered watching Chance stare at his grandfather’s serene body, like he was seeing something that wasn’t there.

Chance was reeling but continued watching the scene in his head. His grandfather could hear Ana’s heartbeat from a distance, and knew there was no sign of life within Chance. Niyol moved to the pile of dropped clothing when he had phased into a wolverine and pulled them on, ending with his shoes. He withdrew a blanket from a backpack near the clothes. It chilled him, seeing his own lifeless body and was relieved when his grandfather covered him with a blanket and looked away from his hollow eyes.

The vision continued as Niyol lowered himself beside Chance and stretched out his hands.
Chance. It is a responsibility to use your gifts for good. I know you will do the right thing. It will soon make sense, I hope. I chose to turn away from my power and grow old, to live a simple life with your grandmother. I loved her, like you love Ana…and it pained me not to grow old with her. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to stay with you longer. There was so much more…to teach and tell you. I will always be with you…joined in spirit and power. There is one you can trust for guidance, family. You will find him. He was always meant to be your true teacher.

Niyol’s rhythmic chanting began filling his senses as he stared wide-eyed at his grandfather’s peaceful face. Soon the deep voice faded and he watched a blue light generate from his grandfather’s fingertips and shoot into his own body as Niyol’s thoughts faded into a soft whisper until there was silence.

The memory slipped from his mind and he was left with his own stricken thoughts.

Sadness and anger wrenched him. Why didn’t his grandfather ever tell him any of this? Too many questions were left unanswered; he felt alone in a foreign world. His grandfather was the only link to the secret universe he was part of, and now he was without a guide. Alone.

Or was he?

Wet drops continued to fall from the sky, like tears, saying goodbye to Niyol’s peaceful spirit.

A bright burst of lightning shot down into the carpeted forest below, with a simultaneous deafening rumble.

Chance and Ana arched their faces to the sky watching a flock of birds lift from the strike point. They scattered and swooped back down within the trees seeking shelter from the rain.

“Chance, what did I miss? What happened?!” Ana said, desperate for information.

Chance stood with an odd expression, caught in his thoughts. Ana reached out, touching his shoulder. In blinding speed, Chance wrapped her in his arms, picking her off the ground, grasping at her like a life line.

His hands felt her body against him, alive and real. While he caressed her hair, his raspy breath breezed past her ear.

“He saved me. He gave his life for mine…”

“What do you mean? What happened to you? Did that boy…
hurt
you?” she whispered, her eyes widening.

He pulled her away from him so he could gaze at her. His face remained tense, but softened as he continued, “He arrived in time to save me from being killed by Markus, but then, your heart stopped,” he choked out. Ana sucked in air alarmed. “I couldn’t let you die…there’s no point without you.”

Ana’s eyes welled up, and she scolded him, “Chance, you didn’t…”

“I had to, Ana. You have to live.”

“But Chance, I’m confused. If you died then how are you here? I thought Niyol didn’t have powers?”

“I guess there’s a lot he never told me, but I think I’ll be learning more-soon.”

“What do you mean?” she shook her head in disbelief.

“Ana, you probably have a lot of questions, but I need to take Grandfather home. He needs to be taken care of. My mom…”

“Wait, what about that guy? Where is he?” Her eyes widened in fright.

“Oh, Markus. Grandfather took care of him-he’s gone. He’ll never hurt you again. Let’s get going,” he sighed. “It’s getting late.” Chance glanced at the ominous cloud cover and felt the pelting rain laying his hair against his head. Droplets curled down his exposed chest and back, cooling his warm skin.

He walked over to the discarded backpack, noticing how it still appeared full. He pulled out a pair of his pants and a shirt and shook his head,
Grandfather, always thinking ahead
. Pain scalded his throat, and he pinched off the instinct to scream or cry, whichever would culminate first. He tugged on his clothes and unwound the blanket from his waist, laying it on the ground. Without effort, he lifted his elder and placed him on the woven fabric and enveloped him. In a smooth movement, he picked up his grandfather and laid him over his shoulder.

Sad and numb, he turned to Ana and asked with a frown, “Will you be able to climb down? I spotted your van down the mountain a ways on the road. You think you can make it? Or, I can come back for you…”

So absorbed with Chance and his grandfather, she had forgotten about her own health. She stretched out her arms and arms, checking for injuries and then listened to her heartbeat. She felt fine. A little tired, cold and aching but healthy.

“I’m okay-let’s go. If I need to stop, I will. Don’t worry about me, Chance. Just take care of
him
.” She glanced at the form over Chance’s shoulder sadly and began walking forward.

He led the way from the small clearing, through a wall of pines and descended the hillside slow and deliberate, weaving through the lanky trees. Ana was close on his trail. Aware of her short distance from him, he began moving more rapidly down the slippery pine needle laden slopes.

Ana remained close behind.

Steady footing was hard to find until they reached spongier ground. The rain eased and a soft mist filled their lungs, with a low fog searching the hillside.

He quickened his pace as they grew closer to Ana’s van.

Through the dense growth, a gray winding road emerged. And a bright yellow beacon shone through the dingy dark calling to them. Even with its dull paint job, it still broke through the grey shroud.

Glad to see her banana colored van again, Ana said a silent prayer of gratitude. For everything. Chance jogged up to the driver’s side door and wrenched it open. With a sigh of relief, he said, “The keys are still in it. Okay, can you open the hatch?”

She opened the back of the van, where she had so recently rolled around unconscious.

He gently tipped Niyol’s body off his shoulder and into his arms and set his grandfather on the back bench, and with a sideways glance shut the hatch.

Ana moved forward embracing Chance, after she saw the devastation in his eyes. He clung to her. Their sodden bodies stood in silence before pulling away.

“I’m so sorry, Chance. If I hadn’t been there-it’s my fault,” she sputtered, staring at her feet.

Like a slap in the face, Chance grabbing her shoulders. “What are you talking about?! Ana!
None
of this was your fault. If anything, it’s mine. I should have kept you safe. It was
me
Markus was after. It was
me
Grandfather was saving.” His jaw clenched and his face grew dark.

It was Ana’s turn, shaking her head vigorously. “Chance, it wasn’t your fault. You were just trying to save me. I’m not very happy about you choosing my life over yours, but your grandfather knew what he was doing. It was his choice. It was the way he wanted it.”