Awakening Book 1: Rebirth [Editing]

Part 9: Lyssa

The air was cool and crisp, a welcome change from the stuffiness of the keep. Lyssa took a deep breath as she climbed down the craggy cliff behind Watcher's Keep. She liked the feel of the cool rock against her bare hands. They had been cramped up from practicing with her staff everyday. She was glad the keep was busy from the gathering of the High Council. It allowed her to slip out without notice. Not that she would have been noticed by the guards at the door, but by her fellow initiates and trainers. She was invisible to anyone not looking for her, a spell she learned long before joining the Sentinels.

She had come from a forest clan, living apart from the rest of society. She had liked it there, out in the forest and free. She found the stone walls of the keep confining and cold. But she was content, for the Sentinels had saved her from abduction  by the shadow lords, ever eager to snatch up young ones with power and put then in their towers. She didn't know what they did to them there but she couldn't imagine it being good.

She felt solid ground beneath her feet and let go of the cliff. She was standing on the far edge of the training grounds, a place no one ever used. She would aways go there to be alone. She liked the quiet and the view it offered her. From there she could see over the western wall, out into the mountain ranges. She could sit there for hours, just letting her mind wander. But not today.

Today someone else was near her spot. He was a young man with golden hair, training with a golden sword and shield. She had never seen him before. She was surprised that anyone would be out as early as she was, the training grounds were still abandoned. Except for her and this boy.  

She sat down under the cliff and pulled her knees to her chest, leaning against the rocky wall. She watched him, knowing she was still invisible. He swung the sword, cutting through invisible enemies, blocking invisible blows with his shield. She found his technique graceful yet ruthless. She could imagine him cutting through hordes of enemies and coming out untouched. 

The golden hilt of his gleaming blade shone in the light of the rising sun. The pommel had a large opal fixed in a golden band. She swore she could see sparks of power lightly falling from it. His shield was round and golden as well, unmarked on the front, aside from an arrow pointing to the sky.

He continued on like that for a while, and Lyssa watched mesmerized. Out of all the initiates she had seen train he had to be the most skilled. Is he an initiate? She thought. He has to be, he looks barely 19. He can't be a knight, can he? 

She watched, wondering who this new boy was. She was too distracted to notice the fireball spiralling towards her before it was too late. She let out a shriek and her invisibility spell faded, her concentration gone. She raised her hands to cover her face just as the fire was about to reach her but she felt no flames. 

She slowly pulled her hands from her eyes, trembling from the shock. She saw the boy on his knees, his sword and shield strewn on the ground. His left hand was holding his right wrist. Smoke was rising from the palm of his right hand. His face was scrunched in pain.

Lyssa stood and ran to the boy. He looked up at her and then back to his smoking palm. The skin was cracked and blistered. It looked like a terrible burn to Lyssa. He stopped the fireball? She wondered. He stopped it with his own hand? She would have time for questions later, she decided. He saved her, now she had to help him.

"Here, let me see," She said, soothingly. The boy allowed her to remove his left hand from his right wrist. She cradled his right hand in hers, examining the wound. She slowly passed her right hand over his, channeling her power the whole time. She had always had a knack for healing. Her skill was not something that could be taught, an elder once said.

The boy's hand began to heal, just as she knew it would. The redness of the burn faded as the cracks sealed and blisters melted away. Soon, his hand looked just as it had before.

"Thanks," He croaked, not free of the pain. That was the problem with healing. It may seal the wound or regenerate tissue but it could not ease the pain. That could only happen in time.

"It's nothing, really," She began. "I should be thanking you, for stopping that fireball. How did you do that by the way?" She offered him a smile.

He feebly smiled back as he sat on the ground. She sat down across from him.

"I just thought about stopping it, and closed the same hand it had erupted from," He said, clearer, as the pain subsided.

"Really? Not a spell? Just with your mind? There aren't many mages with that kind of skill. At least here anyways. I suppose the Shadow Lords snatch up the more powerful ones when they can," She paused realizing she hadn't told him her name. "I'm Lyssa," she said simply.

"I'm William, but you can call me Will," the boy said, flashing a smile. 

"William . . . you mean . . . you're you," She said, at a loss for words.

"Yes, I'm me. Who else would I be? No, I know what you mean. Yeah, I'm the rightful heir to the throne or whatever. I don't really understand everything yet but we are going to be waging some kind of war and I have some kind of power that will help us win or something like that,"

"Uhh yeah! It seems there is much to be explained,"

"I guess so, are you able to make things clearer?"

"I might be--" Lyssa was cut off as a large group of initiates entered the training grounds. Horns began blaring, announcing it was the beginning of the day. She had to get to her first training session in the keep. If she was late she would be stuck being the practice dummy. She hated that.

"I've got to run, but I will explain it later. Find me in the south initiates chamber tonight, ok?" She said as she began heading for the great doors. She saw Will nod, still confused.