The Awakening (Book 1 The Destiny Chronicles), Page 3

  His companion was equally dumbstruck. She had seen him die before she blacked out.

  ‘I remember now!’ the man exclaimed.

  ‘Welcome back Mac,’ Nuada said hugging him fiercely. The cruel blow from the cloaked man’s sword had indeed cut through his midriff, and as he fell to the ground his life flashing before him, a miraculous thing had happened. He left his body, floating up from the world as he knew it, finding himself before the Great One again – just like his childhood. The Great One had embraced him in his huge arms and as he hugged Mac he breathed life back into him, whispering, ‘Your enemies are my enemies. Your time is not up and although you have tasted death I will let you rise again and be stronger than ever before. Your task is to find that which was stolen from you by the Dark Lord, and retrieve it. As you do, you will discover your true purpose in this life. It will all make sense Mac when you find yourself again. I have granted Imogene life too, as you will need to take down the Dark Lord together – there is greater strength in your unity than you can imagine.’ He had never felt such peace before – he wanted to cry out, beg to be allowed to stay in this glorious place, but before he could, he had drifted back to his body on the dusty ground. Imogene had been left for dead swinging from the old, gnarly weeping willow tree. What the warriors had failed to notice as they rode away was the man who stepped from behind the tree cutting her down gently, breathing life back into her still form. Imogene at last found her voice. ‘The children, where are our children?’ she asked dreading his answer. ‘Are they dead? Before Nuada could answer Mac punched his fist into the air. ‘That’s it!’ he shouted.

  ‘The children are alive - the Dark Lord has stolen them from us. That’s what the Great One meant when he told me to recover what was stolen – it’s our children Imogene!’ Nuada nodded in agreement then continued, ‘There’s more that you need to recover – your children are only a part of what was stolen from you – the Dark Lord has something else that belongs to you.’ They looked at him – confused and alarmed – everything they owned was burned up in the fire.

  ‘Come with me,’ he said.

  CHAPTER 3 - IDENTITY

  Aislinn sang and Maddy joined in, their sweet voices filling the tower with the presence of the Great One. It was comforting to the children for they could feel his closeness. The presence of love, goodness and purity was so opposite to the usual presence that filled the Dark Lord’s castle and the ground literally shook, the earth at war with itself. The Dark Lord was well aware that the Great One’s presence was being summoned in the castle tower and he was furious. This was his domain - how dare the Great One enter it. He felt powerless which stoked his anger more, as power was the one thing he desired above all else. He ordered his witches and wizards immediately to his chamber to see what could be done to eradicate this awful presence of goodness from his castle.

  ‘What’s the meaning of this presence? I thought you had cast your spells to place an impenetrable barrier around my castle?’

  ‘We did Master,’ a small, rather unusual looking wizard replied. ‘We followed all the spells we know to protect you. Your welfare is of great concern to us, for without you we have nothing. The problem is that the Great One is the creator of all power and what we have is limited in comparison.’

  ‘Wrong answer you insolent creature! The brutal slap across the ear left the little wizard cowering in fear.

  ‘Make every effort to neutralize him in my castle. I won’t tolerate his presence here. Now get out – you’re only as important in my life as I allow you to be,’ he threatened menacingly. ‘I gave you your power and I can take it back,’ he spat. He paced up and down his chamber after they left. The Great One’s presence always left him unnerved and fearful, but this was not something his subjects should see. They had to believe he was as powerful as he professed otherwise he would lose everything. They followed him out of fear and dread and as long as he could make them believe they were on the winning side and that the world would belong to them soon, they would continue to serve him. They must never see the goodness of the Great One or all would be lost!

  The Dark Lord had a secret and he feared that if it ever came out he would be ruined. Many years before, he had been the Great One’s closest advisor and confidant. He had been known by his name Sephtis then. How he hated that name, almost as much as the woman who had given it to him. She had not loved him but blamed him for her hardship and cursed the day he was ever born to her. His father had chosen to abandon her, leaving her alone and pregnant and he had borne the brunt of her hatred and bitterness. She had named him Sephtis which means eternal death. Well he had certainly lived up to her prediction, for every time he was called by that name he felt a little more of his soul die within, a little more eaten by jealousy and envy. The Great One had never judged him but always believed that he could achieve more than his mother ever believed. He had continually told Sephtis that his name did not have to define him. He had seen the many wonderful things the Great One had done and how he cared and loved the people of the land. Sephtis had tried his very best to work as hard as he could for the Great One – to make him proud. He desperately wanted to be recognized and elevated to a position of authority and power – to become someone great and prove his mother wrong. What infuriated him the most though, was that no matter how hard he tried or worked he was always treated with equal favour and love as everyone else in the Great One’s kingdom, even those who did nothing and were not worthy of any rewards in his eyes. This jealousy and desperation to be recognized had brewed and boiled in his heart and mind till he began to believe that he should be favoured. Finally he became so envious of the Great One’s power that he had attempted to overthrow him. Sephtis had learned firsthand about betrayal – his deceitful plot was uncovered but even then the Great One remained calm and gracious offering him the opportunity for redemption. His pride and bitterness had not allowed him to accept this offer he had left the Great One’s kingdom to begin life afresh elsewhere – to set up his own kingdom and rule. That was when he discovered Griswold, but he never forgot his humiliation or his desire to make the Great One pay. Yes, Sephtis was dead and he had to make sure that he remained so. He had been reborn as Legion in the hope of leading many men but he quickly became known as the Dark Lord amongst the people of Griswold, and he would rule as such.

  ***

  The children ate hungrily when their dinner arrived as they were famished after their long journey with little nourishment. Aislinn and Struan were surprised at how good the food was. They expected a watery gruel that all prisoners received, but instead they had choice roast meat with vegetables and even some sweet treats. Aislinn was instantly suspicious of this generosity as she knew that the Dark Lord did not have a generous bone in his body. She was correct in thinking he was trying to curry favour with them before he met them. He had decided on the strategy of being charming- his plan was to seduce the children with kindness instead of having them fear him. He knew that Mackenzie and Imogene would have schooled their children well and if they feared him, he would never win their trust. For now, it would be in his best interest to treat them well. Everything within his nature struggled to be kind, as he was filled with hatred, but the end result of using the children’s gifts for the destruction of others and the Great One enabled him to hide his evil side in a disguise of light.

  The children felt drained emotionally and physically and Aislinn helped the younger ones wash their faces and weary bodies with the jug of water that had been provided. They had each received a new set of clothing which they gratefully put on, being glad to remove their dusty, smoky clothing – the last remnants of that awful night. If only their memories could be changed as easily as their clothing. Then she sat them on the bed and they began to speak to the Great One. They shared their fears and grief and asked for his help. Struan however held back his emotion, remaining silent and withdrawn. The weight of responsibility of being the man of the family rested heavily upon him and he wondered if he woul
d ever have the courage and the conviction of his father. He did not want to disappoint Papa and Mama or the Great One, but at the same time he couldn’t help the intense, seething anger he felt. He was angry with his parents for bringing them to this miserable land; furious with them for leaving, even though his mind told him they had no choice in the matter but most of all he was angry with the Great One for deserting them in their time of trouble. If the Great One loved them as much as Papa said he did, then why had he allowed this to happen? Hadn’t they always been taught by Papa that the Great One was good – that he protected the ones he loved? These questions plagued his thoughts and he could find no answer to them. Struan had no idea that the Great One was watching him, lovingly and tenderly. He was unaware that Great One had a plan, and most of all, he had no idea that through this trial he would discover things about himself and the Great One he had never known.

  ***

  In the midnight hour, when all was quiet, Aislinn was woken by a presence in their room. She was not sure if she were dreaming or whether she was awake. Fear overwhelmed her and her body froze - the Dark Lord had come to bewitch them.

  ‘Don’t be afraid,’ whispered the voice sensing her terror. ‘The Great One sent us to deliver a message to you. He wants you to know that we will be around to keep you from harm while you are here.’

  ‘What do you mean by us? Who are you?’

  ‘I am Ryder, Protector of the Innocent.’ He stepped out from the shadows, his tunic the most pure and translucent Aislinn had ever seen. It wasn’t white or silver, but a shimmering mother of pearl colour. His hair flowed down to his shoulders and he had wings with beautiful, soft feathers on his back. He stood seven foot tall with a sword on his belt. Suddenly she was aware of another person in the room. It was a woman wearing a dress of rainbow colours that cascaded to the floor in shimmering waves. In answer to Aislinn’s questioning gasp she softly spoke, her words like that of sweet honey.

  ‘I’m Serena, Protector of Gifts given to you. The Great One has many gifts – some you already have, and some he has yet to give to you.’ She was the most beautiful woman Aislinn had ever seen, with long fair hair the colour of spun gold, flowing down to her waist. Her hair was caught back in the front with what looked like jewels beaded into a plait.

  A third person stepped from the shadows, his skin so dark, ebony in the moonlight. He was tall and regal, cloaked in a striking purple tunic with a golden sash. He smiled at Aislinn, his white teeth gleaming in his dark face. She liked him immediately.

  ‘Hello Aislinn – I’m Regent, Protector of Royalty.’ He bowed gallantly.

  ‘But…’ she stammered, convinced this must be a sweet dream; ‘we’re not royalty. Why are you here?’ Regent laughed, deep and rumbling from his belly, reminding Aislinn of her father’s laugh which somehow comforted her yet left an indescribable ache in the pit of her stomach at the same time.

  ‘You certainly are royalty,’ he said smiling at her confused expression. ‘Everyone’s royal. Royalty is not just a lineage of birthright but its understanding that we are all special and unique. Most people just don’t know it. I’ve come to make sure that you understand who you really are because the Dark Lord will try to steal that from you. You have to know who you are to overcome him Aislinn – it’s the only way.’ She felt so overwhelmed that she blinked a few times, convinced that when she looked up again they would be gone and she would awaken from this beautiful dream.

  ‘This can’t be happening, I must be dreaming,’ she muttered to herself, shaking her head side to side. They were still there smiling at her and slowly it dawned on her that this was a real encounter – the kind Papa had told her about. Her desire to experience the Great One like her Papa had, was now her reality and her heart leapt in her chest. Serena clasped her hands. Aislinn felt something hard and cold fill the palm of her hand. She looked down to see the most beautiful jewel she had ever seen. It was large, about the size of small pebble, an exquisite gleaming purple.

  ‘This will remind you that beautiful gifts come from the Great One.’ Before Aislinn could reply, Regent’s huge hands engulfed her tiny hands. Instantly they were covered in shimmering, golden dust. She stared in wonder, more and more gold appearing on her sparkling hands. She looked inquiringly at him and he laughed.

  ‘This confirms you are royalty and that goodness is in you. That gold comes from within you Aislinn. It is not something that comes from outside.’ As Ryder stepped forward, a beautiful, soft white feather floated from his wings and rested on her shoulder. ‘My turn now Aislinn - this feather is my gift to you – it may not seem like much after a jewel or gold dust but guard it with all you’re worth. This is a symbol of purity and is also within you - There are those who would do anything to steal it from you. Having this is a great gift – everything done in life with a pure heart is always a good thing and will help you to make the right choices. We’ll always be with you, but you won’t always see us as we are in battle with the Dark Lord and can only show ourselves when it is safe for you.’

  ‘Why can’t you take us with you,’ Aislinn asked, hopefully.

  ‘We wish we could, but this is a battle that must be won by you – only your victory against the Dark Lord will truly set you free. Take courage, be strong – we’ll be back again soon.’ With that the room returned to the way it was. The moonlight shone through the bars of the window and although it was cold, Aislinn felt warmth stirring in her heart. For the first time since the attack she felt safe and protected. It was going to be all right. She looked again at the beautiful gem in her hand and the soft white feather. They may not have a father and mother anymore, but they had family – The Great One had heard their cries. She tucked her treasures inside the pillowcase where they would be safe and curled up next to Mitchell. Despite her uncertainty for the future she slept soundly for the first time, secure in the knowledge they were being protected.

  CHAPTER 4 - BETRAYAL

  ‘How will we rescue the children and this mysterious thing stolen from us? We don’t even know what the other thing is’ Imogene asked Mac. They still felt weak after the attack that had come.

  ‘I have no idea, but I guess the fact that the Great One has chosen to give us life again when it was snatched away must mean he has a plan for us to follow. We’ll do whatever he shows us to. More than anything I trust my life to him.’ Before, they had felt confident in their abilities the Great One had given them, but now they had no idea how to proceed. The details of the attack were vague and unclear to them. It had happened so fast and the memories were a blur. Somehow the numbness was comforting, but that would not see them through or give them the will to fight this battle. The Great One knew this. He had seen many before them give up all hope and faith when they were hurt and betrayed. Many had failed as a result of shame causing them to retreat into their shells - he did not want this for Mackenzie and Imogene Hamilton. Nuada led them deeper into the cave, lighting the way for them as they ventured deep within the mountain’s belly.

  ‘The Great One wants to show you the events of that night again. He wants you to see the details and who was involved in the attack. I assure you, this is not to hurt you but to help you understand many things. His desire is for you to rise from the ashes of pain; to pursue the future, but to do that you have to let go of the past. Tears pooled in Imogene’s eyes and slowly rolled down her cheeks - her heart ached at the thought. ‘I don’t want to see what those savages did to us.’ The force of her anger surprised Mac, who knew her as a sweet and tender woman – they had stolen her sweetness too. He held her in his arms, understanding her pain as he too was wrestling with similar emotions and agony. He also felt incredible rage deep down at having his life stolen and his family shattered. Still worse, he did not understand why it had happened. Maybe this would give them some answers.

  ‘That is your choice,’ Nuada said, ‘but I warn you that the decision you make now will have repercussions for your whole family.’ Mac stroked his wife gently n
odding at Nuada. They had four children who needed them and there was no place for their emotions to get in the way now. No matter how painful this would be, they needed to do it.

  ‘We’ll do what we must to make this right,’ he whispered. As if by magic the one side of the cave wall lit up, alive as if in motion. There before them they could see a vision of their little farmhouse in the dead of night. Everything looked peaceful, the clouds making pictures across their roof as the moon teased them. Then from the shadows crept the hooded men circling their home and torching the roof. There were eight in all and in the firelight of the burning walls the cloaked man’s face became visible to Mac and Imogene.

  ‘No it can’t be true!’ Mac groaned. It was Cillian - one of their most trusted leaders and friends.

  ‘How can this be,’ Imogene wept distraught, the closeness of the betrayal suffocating her. ‘I can’t believe it was him. Why would he do this to us?’ The question remained unanswered. It was betrayal of the worst kind. One by one each of the men’s faces were revealed in the firelight, each a fresh stab wound to their hearts. They knew them all – men they had loved and worked with – people they saw as friends. The final betrayal played out as Cillian took his sword and slashed Mac across his midriff, leaving him to fall to the ground in a lifeless heap, commanding Imogene to be hung from the nearby tree. They watched the vision as the men rode away with their heartbroken children, with not a care at what they had done to their family. The agony of what they had just seen cut so deep and numerous emotions passed through them as they tried to process the vision, but words failed them. They felt pain, betrayal, rejection and grief; then anger started to bubble in their hearts leaving an unfamiliar taste of bitterness. They had no time to allow it to settle however, as another scenario flashed up on the cave wall. This showed their family a few months before the attack, going about their daily lives, training up followers for the Great One, loving those who needed it. Before they could wonder where this vision was going, the picture changed. Being one of the few families to harvest bountiful crops on their fertile piece of land came with a price. The responsibility they felt for others had worn them out and as a result they sometimes neglected to perceive what families needed at certain times. This had caused a seed of mistrust and criticism to enter the community. Slowly the penny dropped as Mac and Imogene gazed at the whole picture – things had changed when their community had moved from being caring and loving to a community who gathered only for the weekly supplies. People no longer loved them for who they were, but for what supplies they could get from them. When the supplies weren’t enough, criticism followed causing mutual trust and love to be eroded slowly over time, so subtly that no one noticed. It was further fuelled by servants of the Dark Lord’s ranks meddling and promising fame and wealth to those who fuelled this criticism. Mutual honour and respect then quickly evaporated.