SCARRED; The Dark Tower

Chapter Seven: Lerth's Challenge

If any of you have made it this far in reading, I am extremely appreciative of you! Thank you so much, you awesome reader, you! Hope you are finding this interesting and that you will continue reading! Please comment if you have a suggestion or have found a mistake or misspelling. Every suggestion is considered and taken to heart and every mistake is fixed (or at least I try) -- and every comment is greatly appreciated!!!

Thanks again! xXxXx

-Sarah

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"Jerrick, are you all right?" said a woman's voice.

Mom? he thought. But even before he opened his eyes, he remembered that his mother was gone. When his eyes slitted open, it was Lekira that was sitting over him, watching him with concern.

Remembering what had happened, Jerrick sat up with a struggle against his fatigue.

"What happened?" Lekira asked, staring at Jerrick with wide eyes. Aradus stood behind her, fixing Jerrick with a grim expression.

"I-I don't know," stammered Jerrick. "She just-."

Lekira's startled gasp interrupted Jerrick. She was staring at his right forearm. Jerrick looked down and was also shocked. For his arm was not the same as it had been before, but now had a strange marking on it that glowed a pale blue.

"He has been marked!" Lekira said breathlessly, glancing up at Aradus with wide eyes. Aradus also looked surprised. Jerrick could only stare down at the strange marking. It was near his wrist and looked like a backwards "S."

"That answers our question," Aragus muttered.

Realization struck Jerrrick as suddenly as lightning; he could not explain to himself how, but he somehow understood what Aragus meant by this statement.

"He's...?" Lekira trailed off, her eyes misting in deep thought.

Jerrick recalled the Prophetess' words, the sort of prophecy she had spoken.

"It is he," Aragus finished solemnly.

Jerrick thought about everything Lekira had told him about valteri and how strange it was that he had not been discovered earlier. His mind was drawn to why Chaldierra had called on him especially. Then he recalled the prophecy she had spoken to him. He knew now who he was.

"Jerrick is the chosen one."

The room was completely silent for a moment.

"What exactly does that mean?" Jerrick asked uncertainly. "I mean, what's the 'new evil' that 'rises from the dust?'"

 Aragus glanced at Lekira silently.

"Well, it must be Severika," Lekira said passively, "mustn't it?"

Aragus remained silent for a moment.

"To be honest with the two of you," he said at last, "I believe there is something worse in store."

Lekira and Jerrick tried to ask him more questions, but he refused to anything more.

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SInce the incident in the tower, Lekira looked at and treated Jerrick differently from how she had before. Jerrick was shown around the village learned that there were many people who lived in Derelda. They trained and practiced throughout the day, which was why the village had seemed abandonned when he had first walked through. The next day, Jerrick could walk as well as ever, thanks to Lekira's healing medicines. He was told by Aragus that he could spend the day doing as he pleased; but tomorrow, he would immediately begin his training.