The RisingThe Rising Book One The Darkness Series

Chapter 17

They allowed the Ancient One into the building to talk. It appeared that the old man knew much more about this new world than they did. A whole lot more.

As they sat down at the dining room table, the table they were using as their meeting table, the group made sure to avoid Raine's office. Stalling the conversation, Raine made tea and offered to share the breads and fruits their guests had brought.

"You're stalling!" Liem accused his sister, poking into her thoughts.

"I'm trying to figure out where he came from, how did he get here? We have checked out the area all around us and no one has seen anything suspicious, especially a crazy old man with a kid following him around!" Raine rants as the coffee splatters on the counter.

"He's the Ancient One, he can probably come and go anywhere he wants. He can probably snap his fingers and just appear! We don't know what he's capable of, that's the point, Raine. He's got power we can't even imagine. We need him! Mira needs him!

"We are still thinking like everything is the same. The Darkness changed this world in more ways than we can imagine. Raine, this isn't the world we grew up in, you know that. We need help." Liem reasons, reaching for some sense of peace, "we aren't doing a very good job on our own. Let's just see what he has to say."

He heard the conversation between the siblings and he let them battle it, feeling sure that common sense would win in the end. Liem is smart, he doesn't just use common sense, and he has plenty of that, the older sorcerer concluded, but he has compassion, empathy and the will to learn. That will help him lead.

The sister on the other hand, is quick, but requires patience. She lacks patience and that will cost her in the end. It's unfortunate that so many must learn such hard lessons at such high a price. She will learn but it will take time. Time, not all of them have.

He takes his time tapping into others nearby. The child, Jonah, Liem's boy, his fate and his father's intertwine. The girl Naomi, he can't see her fate. She is in the dark. He can't see her like so many others in this world. They float in and out of the dark as Pyremius plays his game with them. The wolf, Torak, who protects and defends the Chosen One now, will stay with this group. He will fight. His spirit is strong to his death. That is his destiny. The boy Jonah will be hit the hardest when the wolf's death comes. That truth is clear.

The Ancient One allows those curious to know who he is and what he is to come in and listen. He has nothing to hide. He is from the light not the darkness. His work is done in the light, not the shadows. If they are going to beat back the dark, they must learn the truth.

"She has become, correct?" Dewin asked first, not getting an answer, he elaborated on the question. "She changed into the firebird. In your office, I believe, burning everything around her, yes? She had no control?"

She looked at her brother accusingly first, "How did he know that? How did you know that?" Raine asked, worried about a breach in security.

"You just told me," Dewin smiled, tapping his temple.

"You can do that too? Yes, she became, I guess. She destroyed everything. Every book we had on magic and spells and healing. Everything we were trying to learn is gone," Raine complained as if this man could fix all her problems.

"A book won't teach you what you need to know about Pyremius and the Darkness. Your books don't write about him. There's nothing in any book to prepare you for that. You must learn by training, not reading." The old man isn't wrong.

Liem agreed with Dewin. He had searched every single book they had found and more. There was nothing on Pyremius or the strange darkness that took over everything. There's very little on the Emberwing either. Had he known that she was a firebird, he might have looked for more on that but he didn't know what an Emberwing was.

But there was more to this than fighting. These people needed to understand who and what they are now. The witches need spells and potions, healers need to know what herbs are healing and what are deadly, what helps for which ailments, there's so much to learn for them. Shifter, how do they turn, when can they change? Fairies and elves and so many other creatures they haven't even touched the surface of yet.

No, books are not the only thing needed but they help.

"Not to say you're wrong but we don't have anyone here to train us. We have witches but they don't know how to use the craft. Same thing with the shifters and healers. No one knows herbology here, or potions and spells we had that in books. We have to learn, no question about it. But we need a place to start."

"And you believe that you have that in your books?" Dewin asks curiously.

"I believe it's a starting point. We can follow a recipe for a spell, or a potion for healing. We can find out what plants to use for healing purposes and what to use against our enemies.

"I agree, we won't find everything in a book, but it's a starting place. All of us need to learn to fight and none of us are fighters," Liem tries to explain.

"You are a teacher, are you not?" Dewin points at Liem.

"I was, middle school science teacher. This is different," he started to object.

"I beg to differ. Science and magicks are very much the same things. More closely connected than you think, Liem. You don't give yourself enough credit, think about what you know about science and what you know about magicks. They both require elements, ingredients for a spell, to be done in a specific order, timing, etc, words, it's all very elementary. Think about that, you know that I'm right. Now come here, come here, I'll show you," Dewin motioned for Liem to come to him.

Liem looked at his sister, hearing her warning him not to trust him in his head. But still, Liem got up and walked down along the long stretch of table to where Dewin sat with his fairy friend sat quietly at his side. Dewin stood up when Liem reached him, then Liem stepped back.

"I won't harm you, young man. I'm simply transferring my knowledge to you. It's quicker than explaining to you." Dewin touched his fingertips to Liem's temples. "And then you will have the ability to teach others. Simple as that," he made it sound so easy.

Liem didn't believe anything was that simple. He never saw anything that simple in his life. But as Dewin instructed him to close his eyes and take a deep breath, he felt the warmth from Dewin's fingertips touching his skin just seem to sink into his body.

The heat flowed through Liem, from his temple to his face, down his neck and chest and abdomen his body hummed with electricity. As if the power pumped through him, his mind became wired to the old man. In that moment, everything the old man knew about magicks, Liem knew.

Everything the Ancient One knew about spells and potions, Liem knew. Every plant, every herb, every flower, every root, every fruit and every tree, Liem knew how to milk, dry, grind, mix, chop and combine to create a spell, potion, poison, and every other way of use.

When Liem opened his eyes, he was pale, breathing heavily and dripping with sweat. He was energized and exhausted. He was also excited with all the knowledge he now possessed. Everything he could pass on to others in the group, it would make training so much easier. His mind was a damn library now.

"Liem, are you okay?" Raine asks, touching his arm and getting a little zap herself.

"Liem? You okay?" Cass asks, passing him a glass of water.

"Thanks, wired a little, really tired but, I'm okay," Liem took a long drink.

Liem lost his balance and sat down hard in the chair behind him. The amount of information in his head was overwhelming.

"What did you do to him?" Raine turned on Dewin, ready to defend her brother at all costs.

"You have a great defender in your sister, Liem. You have nothing to fear from me, little sister. But you will have a fight coming your way soon, I'm afraid." Dewin looked up past Raine towards the doorway. "Emberwing, it's good to see you again. Are you ready then?"

All heads turned at once as Mira walked into the room. Going straight to the Ancient One, she knelt before him, her head lowered. Liem frowned, watching the way she greeted the old man.

"Rise child, I'm no king. Your friends have been telling me that you have become. I'm sorry I missed it. I heard it was quite spectacular." Dewin looked past everyone and saw Jonah peeking around the door into the room. "Come here, Jonah! You too, Naomi! And bring the fearless Torak too!"

It was a pleasure to watch his son, full of pride and excitement to be called in front of the Ancient One. Liem smiled as the children came forward with the wolf and stood before the old man.

"You are a seer, young lady. You will see many things in your life. Pay attention to what you see. Know your gift, listen to your heart, follow your spirit. You must learn well from those who have seen before you. The Darkness is watching you. Do not be fooled by what it shows you, it lies. Know your truth, young lady, see what's real in the light and know the lies in the shadows." His words scared Naomi and Liem, but it was a warning. The Darkness knew they were coming. They had to prepare for the lies.

Raine put her hands on the young girl's shoulder for support. "She won't be alone."

"She will be when Pyremius comes for her," Dewin warned Raine. Turning from the girl, Dewin faced Jonah. "A dreamer like your father, and a realist like your mother. A good mix, Jonah. You have the soul of the light, and the power of a fighter. Carry them both high. You will need both to win this war. May I?" Dewin holds out his hand for Jonah to take.

The boy looks at his father for a sign of whether he should take it or not. With a nod of his father's head, Jonah agrees and takes his hand. The power the man feels is more than he expected. The child has more, quietly more than he knows.

He has not yet become.

"Jonah, you and I will meet again. When we do, we shall go to the fairy valley together. You will train under my eye and I will see that you become a great wizard." The sorcerer looks over the boy's shoulder to his father and sees the worry on his face.

"Your worry is justified. Your son's magicks are strong. Stronger than I realized. I don't believe Pyremius has felt him yet. That is to our benefit. I can conjure a spell to block his magicks from being discovered for a time, but it won't be indefinite. He will need training," Dewin explained quickly into Liem's mind.

"Do it, block his magicks, do whatever you can to protect him," Liem didn't hesitate, he didn't think of what it might mean. He was simply protecting his son.

"It will be done," Dewin agreed. Within seconds. He binded Jonah's power. Keeping him powerless and human until the time of training to begin.

Torak sensed the magical change and growled instinctively, stepping in front of his friend protectively. Dewin lifted his hands, sensing the danger, and knew the wolf would protect the boy at all costs.

"I am not hurting him, my friend. Nor will I hurt you. Pyremius will sense his power if I don't bind him. What I did was for his safety until he is ready to become. He has a few years yet before that. Between us, we can protect him and give him the best chance possible, yes?" Dewin spoke to only the wolf. Torak sat in front of Jonah staring at Dewin and listened. When he heard the old man out and decided to agree, he lifted his paw, and rested it on his knee. "I'll do my best as well."

Dewin looked up at Liem and nodded, "it is done."

"Where will you take her?" Cass asked. Curious about the sorcerer and where they are going.

"To the fairy valley. We will train there until it is time. We will be watching you, if you should get into trouble we will know," Dewin stood, taking Mira's hand. "Leave here before the full moon. Pyremius will come then. I wish you well."

"Bye," Mira looked at Liem, not knowing what else to say.

She didn't belong with them. She didn't really belong anywhere now. Maybe traveling with Dewin would be harder than anything else she has ever done, but she didn't have a choice.

Pyremius was coming and so was the Darkness.