Birth of a Guardian

Chapter 2

Howling wind called Linuka to consciousness. Cold, wet snow pressed her face against the ground. She coughed then moaned as she forced herself to her knees, the snow sliding off her back with a crunch barely audible above the wind and the ringing in her ears. She tried to stand but her knees could not yet bear the weight. Falling to the ground, panic gripped her mind as she stared down, barely able to discern her hands amidst the raging storm. Her dress had been shredded. Her entire right sleeve—the precious sleeve that held her computer crystal—had vanished.

A sound rose above the wind—her panting. Ridiculous, she told herself. Think; don't feel. One by one, she blocked out her surroundings to focus on basic truths. Today was just an adventure. One bad adventure, yes, but one that would soon be over.

The pain slowly subsided, and reason took charge. What was her condition? Without her computer crystal, she couldn't scan for internal injuries, much less call for help, but at least she couldn't see any wounds. The snow was not stained with blood. Then again, the storm might have buried it long ago.

White, swirling snow encompassed every direction. Maril could be to the right or left.

"Hello!" she screamed into the storm.

Nothing.

Think, Linuka. No one could possibly hear her over the roaring wind.

A strong gust slammed into her side, knocking her over. She needed protection. Concentrating on the abundant kinetic energy surrounding her, she refocused it into a small barrier. A surge of power generated warmth and light, melting the slush from her pale skin.

Why had no one found her? Did they think she was dead? No, her father headed the defense program. If no one else searched for her, he would never lose hope. She just needed to make it to Maril. If she couldn't find the city with her eyes, she should be able to sense them with her mind. Bringing herself to perfect stillness, blackness fell around, blocking all external sensations.

Hello! she cried into the mental abyss.

Silence.

She focused on her family. They had been within telepathic range before the explosion, but she couldn't feel their presence anymore. She widened her search, only to realize she couldn't feel anyone's presence. What if no one answered because everyone was dead?

No. Don't panic. She might be injured. Her senses could have been compromised. Everyone was probably fine. If she couldn't see nor sense Maril, she would have to physically search for it.

Maril had been within half a mile. She might have to double-back, so what could serve as an obvious landmark? An idea came instantly. Expanding her protective shield, the energy melted the snow within a twenty-foot radius. Even if the drift filled it, the indention would be obvious. Good. Now, velocity. To find the quantity of joules needed, calculate the kinetic energy: one-half mass multiplied by velocity squared was approximately... 6.1 kilojoules. Easy.

With a mental command, the energy shield condensed and became the necessary source of propulsion, shooting her into the raging storm. Countless bands of snow clashed against her momentum, but Maril never appeared. Turning around, the wind seemed to press from all sides at once. Eerily unnatural.

Think, Linuka, don't feel. The landmark should have been in view by now, and, indeed, there it sat just ahead. The snow raged like an angry sea, knocking wave after wave into the melted depression. Amazing how much it covered in only a couple of minutes. No wonder no one had found her yet.

Hovering over the spot, she once more melted the snow before proceeding in a new direction. Within a few seconds, she stopped mid-air.

The ground had been scorched. Linuka's heart pounded in her chest, the panic swelling into a silent, internal scream. Maril's majestic buildings and centuries-old layers of ice and snow had been swept away, replaced by a massive fissure revealing Cinla's black stone.