Legon Awakening: Book One in the Legon Series (37 page)

* * * * *

Setting up camp that night consisted of rolling out
bed rolls, Legon killing some rabbits with magic, and Sasha and
Sara doing their best to cook them in a way that was appetizing.
All in all, Keither thought sarcastically, this was shaping up to
be a night of luxury and enjoyment. This whole trip had been that.
He lay back on his bed roll, not going inside his tent. It was too
hot out, but at least clouds were starting to fill the sky. They
might just get a break tomorrow.

The others fell asleep quickly. The only ones still
awake were Legon and himself. Legon was scanning the area for
danger, but this land was barren, which would make playing lookout
easy if there were owls or any other wildlife in the area.

Keither rested his hands on his belly, noticing that
despite his perceived hardships, he was the only person not to lose
weight. Thoughts about what his brother had said right before he
died came to mind. He really was worthless when he thought about
it. But still, that’s who he was; why try to change? He was
uncomfortable and sat up, turning his torso and causing his back to
crack and pop soothingly. Legon glanced over at him.

“Why aren’t you asleep, Keither?”

He was sure Legon would take the big brother role to
heart.

“One could ask the same of you,” he said, trying to
sound insightful.

“True, but then who would be keeping a lookout,
you?”

He felt uneasy. That had been a dumb thing to
say.

“Point taken. But aren’t you tired of doing this
every night? I mean, you just changed. You have to be worn
out.”

He thought he heard a small chuckle come from Legon.
He answered in a calm voice.

“I am very tired, yes. But I don’t see what that has
to do with anything.”

“What doesn’t it have to do with? Don’t you want to
quit or stop or anything?”

“Of course I do, Keither, but it’s not that simple,
now is it?” There was a firmness in his voice that told Keither to
step lightly.

“Well, I guess I don’t see your point. If you’re
tired, rest.”

“And if danger comes, should we just wait to find out
when they get here? Or would you tell them to take a load off for
awhile, too?” Legon looked away. There was a point here; Keither
was sure. Some lesson he was to learn.

“When you put it that way I see your point. I didn’t
think about that.”

“You rarely think very far down the road, Keither,”
Legon said.

Ah, the point was here, but for once he was going to
listen to it. In a way, Legon was like his brother, Kovos. He had
tried to drive home something to Keither, too, but he never got
it.

“I know, I’m lazy and I don’t think ahead, yeah I get
it.” Well, he thought he understood it but didn’t get it. He was
starting to see now that there was a difference between the
two.

Legon turned to him. “Do you get it? If so, why not
change your behavior? You’re not dumb, Keither. Surely you see that
if it was you that we followed the whole lot of us would be long
since dead by now.”

That was a stinging remark. Legon had always been
nice to him, and even now he wasn’t talking unkindly. But he was
being very frank.

He felt himself tense for an argument. “So, you’re
right and I’m wrong?” Keither spat.

Legon’s response was genial. “Only if you perceive
being alive as the desired outcome of this little adventure.”

“What kind of dumb thing is that to say? Why would I
want to die?”

Legon brought a finger to his lips, telling him not
to wake the others. “If you do care about living, why don’t you act
like it?”

Keither was at a loss for this. Legon was using logic
against him and winning by the looks of it.

“Why do you do nothing with your life, Keither?”

There was real interest and concern in his tone.
Legon was trying to understand, trying to figure out why someone
would choose the life Keither did.

“Well I, I want to, but it’s not…well…”

“It’s not as easy? Don’t you want things in this
life?”

“Well, yes.” Keither said, of course he did

Legon pressed “Like what?”

He stopped at this. What did he want out of life? He
thought for a moment, taking in his surroundings, stopping just a
moment longer on Sara. A normal person wouldn’t have seen the
pause, but someone trained in the Jezeer would, and so would an
Elf. Both sat before him in one person. “If you want her, you will
need to try a bit harder, don’t you think?” Legon asked.

“What did Kovos think of me?” Keither blurted without
thinking.

He saw the outline of Legon’s head tilt to the side.
“Do you really want to know?”

Did he? Was this something that he could handle right
after his brother’s death? Within hours really, was he ready for
the good or the bad?

“Yes.”

“What if it is unpleasant? Once said, there is no
taking it back.”

Obviously there was no taking things back. Was Legon
talking about the effect that it might have on him? Well, this news
would have an effect on Keither. That was for sure.

“Yes, tell me, please.” As he spoke, he tried to send
the message with his mind as well, showing the emotions that showed
his desire.

“Very well. He loved you very deeply, and wanted only
the best for you. He thought that you were more intelligent than
him and that you had more natural talent as well.”

Keither was at a loss for words “He did? Wow. I
always thought that he loved me as a brother but didn’t like me all
that much.”

Legon leaned forward. “You are more intelligent than
him and more talented, I agree. But I didn’t say that he liked you.
He loved you, and there is a difference. You don’t have to like
someone that you love.”

“Oh. Well, thank you for telling me.”

“I’m not done, Keither. He thought you were lazy and
stubborn beyond reason. He didn’t like you because you are throwing
your life away, a life that he would have liked to have. You make
no attempt to hone your skills, barring trying to prove people
wrong. You also refuse to grow as a person.”

There was a lump in Keither’s throat at this. He
wasn’t ready for this news. Keither knew it was hurting Legon to
say this. The man had taken his pain for a short time; there was no
way causing more would feel good.

“Is there more?” Keither asked

Legon started again. “Yes. He was convinced that you
hated him. That was what he thought at the end, but he was willing
to do what it took to give you a shot. Keither, I’m sorry, I know
this was not what you wanted to hear, but remember he and I both
think that you are capable of great things if you try.”

Legon gestured with his head at where Sara slept.
“And she does as well.”

Legon was telling the truth, and that’s what stung
the most. Keither’s brother was a hero, but he was…
“A lump of
lard,”
he thought.

Legon spoke, not needing to read his mind. “But it is
a choice, know that. You choose what you are. Make sure it’s a
choice that you will not regret on your death bed.”

“Ok, I will,” was the only response he had.

“Now,” Legon said flatly.

“What? Why now? Can’t I think about what I want to
be?”

“I’m not talking about a trade or where to live.
Decide who you are to be now so when presented with obstacles in
life you have already chosen what to do. Not choosing is a choice.
You have thought long enough. I will support you in whatever choice
you make.”

Keither knew that was a true statement. Legon would
take the mantle of older brother, but unlike Kovos, he would not
make decisions for him. Keither looked down, thinking. He wasn’t
unhappy with his life; he was content. He looked over at Sara. To
him she was the embodiment of a different future whether she chose
him or not. That path would have lots of pain in it, and sorrow;
his current path would not.

“My current path is easier and will mean less
suffering in this life…”

“But it will also mean less happiness as well. Life
is a balance. Your capacity to do good is only as strong as your
ability to do evil, remember that.”

He had a point. Keither was content with life but
that was it. He wasn’t all that happy or sad. This little adventure
of theirs made him feel more alive than he ever had. Still, he
didn’t want the suffering. He looked at the sleeping form of Sara
almost as if it would tell him what to do, and in a way it did.
This was going to be wonderfully horrible, he thought. It was his
choice of what he did with this life. He may have the potential to
do bad things, but he didn’t have to choose them. He could still
choose the good. A shiver ran down his spine as the thought of what
his true potential might be and, more important, the road that it
would take him down.

“I will be a real person. I will be what I was meant
to be.” It sounded odd for him to say, it sounded pompous and
arrogant, but at least he was trying.

* * * * *

Legon was looking intently at the boy, wondering if
he would choose to be a man or remain a boy. It tore at him to hurt
Keither, but he was to take Kovos’ place, a job he took very
seriously. It was cruel of him to tell Keither the truth of Kovos’
and his thoughts; you were supposed to say that someone loved and
cared for you and that they were proud, yet this was a lie. But if
Keither chose to be something then this night would be a reminder
for him in dark times, a defining moment. Conversely, if he chose
not to move then this would haunt him for life and there might be
no chance at convincing him again.

Was this his place? He purpose was to restore, right?
But what was he to restore Keither to? A voice in his mind said he
was also to destroy, but was destruction all bad? He would have to
destroy the Iumenta to restore order, wouldn’t he? This was just
another function of the Everser Vald. This was the risk that was
taken; it would be up to Keither to decide the outcome. Either way,
Legon would live with it and do his best for the boy or man,
depending on what he decided.

Keither was now looking at Sara, and he could almost
see the wheels turning in his head. He was standing on a path now,
but which one was it? When Keither turned his attention back to
Legon there was a look that could have been hate or determination,
Legon wasn’t sure. With Keither they often came together. After his
pronouncement, though, he knew it was the latter, and he smiled
inwardly.

“Good, Keither, now sleep. Tomorrow we will reach the
Precipice, if there is trouble you will be the lead rider so the
rest of us may fight with magic.”

“What’s the Precipice? Sorry, I wasn’t listening to
Arkin earlier.”

“It is the outpost for the Elves and Humans in this
part of the land. It is said to be the only one for the humans. The
rest of their lands are blocked by the Cornis mountain range to the
northwest and then Elven lands to the east.”

“Is there no way by the sea? We’re close to that now,
aren’t we?”

“Yes, I think we are, and the city that feeds and
takes care of the Precipice is called Manton and it is a coastal
city, but the Iumenta won’t do anything via the sea.”

“Why do you think that is?”

Legon thought this might be a good time to let
Keither do what he was good at. Making a new life didn’t mean that
he wasn’t to think any more.

“Well, why would you avoid attacking by sea if you
were the Queen?”

He saw Keither thinking it over. “Well, the Queen has
more resources, but…”

He would get it, Legon told himself, just give it
time.

“But the humans have Elves for allies.”

“And why would that help?” Legon asked, knowing the
answer.

“The Elven navy is unrivaled. It would be expensive
and extremely difficult to do. You could harass them a bit, but a
full-on attack would mean going head to head with an undefeated
navy.”

This was true. Legon didn’t know much about his
people’s military, but he did know the tales about their Navy. It
was unsurpassed and to attack it was suicide. The Iumenta came from
landlocked areas, whereas the Elves had an obsession with the sea,
according to stories. Keither was right; it would be a bad idea to
try and take Manton by sea, and by land you had to hit the
Precipice. He wasn’t sure what advantage taking the city would hold
anyway. It was at the edge of their territory and therefore not a
hub for trade. He guessed that must be why it had never been
attacked. There is a certain security in being an unimportant city,
he thought; this was the case for Salmont as well.

“Very good, Keither.”

“Thanks, I really apprec-”

Legon held up his hand, stopping Keither.

“It’s time for you to lead, get up!”

He started rousing the others. The intruders were
coming fast; they would be there within the hour. Everyone was
moving slowly, not wanting to get up.

“We have company! We need to move now!”

With this they woke up and frantically began to
gather their things. Within ten minutes they were on their way.
Sasha had the network up and running and Legon was giving the
horses just a little help. As the sun rose they saw a plume of dirt
rising in the distance behind them. Their pursuers were gaining
fast—too fast in fact. Then it hit him.

“Venefica! They’re helping the horses! Arkin, we need
help.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Arkin responded.

Arkin needed to separate from the network to make his
connection. One of the rules for connecting to the Precipice was to
not have anyone else who wasn’t known and trusted with them. Legon
looked back at the incoming force; there was no using the animals
now. They were gaining fast, but he was hesitant to do too much
with their horses. They could drop if more chemicals entered their
blood stream, and he couldn’t work for them for long. As they
closed in he saw around thirty or so men on horses. It was time to
raise their defenses. Arkin activated the wards. As he did he saw
flickers of purple and green around them. On the enemy’s horses he
saw orange, yellow, and blue flickers. There were at least three
Venefica with them.