Asharielle and the Hidden Realm, page 24
“Oh my gosh, I let the disc dissipate, didn’t I?” she said, crawling over to place her hand against Ryder’s forehead. Her visual assessment of him was spot on, his fever had reduced, and though he was still hot, there was enough hue stored in him to stop the dragon energy from spreading, though she could sense it was depleting quickly. She would have to get him reconnected as soon as possible.
“You did,” Nick said. “Asharielle, let this be a lesson to help you grow. While you have learned much over the last few days, you let your guard down tonight. In a real battle, you must stay alert and be prepared to defend and protect those you love. Kyron will not care that you lack experience. He will throw everything he can at you, and you must learn how to maintain a range of constructs while continuing to manifest others. Lives are depending on it.”
The sudden tilt of his head toward Ryder was all too clear. She got the message. He could die if she lost focus. She nodded in understanding and grasped Ryder’s hand, she needed to feel his warmth.
“Now…” Nick called over his shoulder as he stood and headed toward the open field, “You’d better get Ryder hooked up to the hue again. Then meet me for defensive training. Say about ten minutes from now? We have a big day ahead of us.”
Asharielle looked down at the hand that wasn’t enfolded in Ryder’s grip. It was shaking. Ryder grabbed it, entwining his fingers in hers but she jerked both her hands away and glared at him.
“Uh, uh! Don’t you dare try and zap me, Ryder! I’m fine, and the shaking will stop once the adrenaline subsides.” The last thing she needed was him trying to help her. It would steal too much hue from his diminishing supply.
Ryder reached out and took her hands back.
“Actually,” he said, “I just wanted to offer you a little comfort, that’s all.”
His thumbs made circles on the backs of her hands and the look in his eyes made her stomach flip. Comfort was not the emotion that rose in her body at his touch. It was a feeling she wanted to let rise to the surface, but she couldn’t right now—not when he depended on her to keep him safe.
“Thanks. That was some wake-up call,” she said, distracting herself from looking too deeply at what that feeling was.
“Keeps you on your toes, doesn’t he? I have to say that I’m glad it’s you and not me this time. Nick has pulled so many pranks on me over the years that I can’t remember them all, but it’s good you get to experience his humorous side.”
“Yeah, he’s a little ratbag but I do adore him. In fact, I really like both sides of his personality. I’ve been learning so much from him.”
“Asharielle, I’m so sorry,” Ryder said, looking crestfallen. He raised her hands to his mouth and kissed her knuckles in apology. “I should be the one teaching you. I should be the one protecting you yet here you are protecting me. Thank you, by the way, for keeping me conscious.”
“How could I not?” she replied, hoping he would attribute the hitch in her breathing to her rough wake-up call and not a response to the feel of his lips on her skin. “I told you I will not leave you alone again and I meant it—though I’m sorry I let the hue dissolve. I…I couldn’t stand it if…” She shook her head, hoping it would push back the grief that welled inside her at the thought of losing him. “Does it scare you, Ryder?” she whispered, reaching up to brush her thumb across his temple. “I mean, you’ve lived for so long. Being immortal, you’ve never faced this before, but…”
She broke eye contact and silently berated herself for her moment of weakness. She blinked at the mist forming in her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling with it the reminder that she needed to be strong for him.
He tilted her chin back to meet his gaze. “Yes, it scares me,” Ryder said, letting his thumb drift to the corner of her mouth. “I want to be in your life, Asharielle. It’s as simple as that.”
Her heart kicked like a horse’s hoof against her chest. She bit her lip then stopped as his eyes dropped to her mouth. He always got that hungry look when she did that, and right now, she couldn’t afford to be distracted by it.
“Um, I’d better get you hooked back up,” she muttered, “Nick will tan my hide if I’m late for training.”
Letting go of his hand, she moved onto her knees and shifted her eyes to view his hue. The dragon energy was marginally larger than it had been yesterday, but she needed to get the hue flowing through him, so it didn’t get any worse.
“Hey, now that you’re awake would you like to sit up or would you prefer to lie down and rest?”
“Upright thanks. I want to see how you do in your training.”
Asharielle nodded. She was all business-like on the outside, but inside, she was struggling to push her regret behind a door in her mind. She had deliberately killed the moment between them because Ryder needed her help, not her heart. Besides, Nick was waiting for her. As Kyron drew closer, time was precious, and she still had much to learn.
She got to work, manifesting a high-backed chair that lifted Ryder off the ground. He slumped in the structure, and it made her realise how little strength he had left. On instinct, she made the chair recline. She watched as his legs extended and his back tilted to mould against the seat. Next, she manifested the same infusion system she’d created yesterday. Ryder watched as taps and tubes attached to the catheters in his arms.
“Whoa, that feels incredible,” he said. “Who came up with this idea?”
“Oh, Nick showed me a skimmer, but I created the feeding system,” she said as they headed toward the open meadow. Their conversation woke the two bear-like creatures, who stumbled to their feet and ambled after them.
“Well, I can tell you it’s working well, Asharielle. This feels amazing. Oh, look! There’s Nick.” He pointed out the winged figure silhouetted in the pre-dawn light.
“That will do, Asharielle” Nick called out, halting them both. “Leave Ryder over there and come into the circle.”
Chapter 29
“What circle?” Asharielle called as she headed toward Nick. There was rustling in the long grass as The Guardian and Eviath stood to the left of him, followed by the rest of the animals. She followed the curving line and found herself surrounded. The bear-like creatures moved into place beside Ryder, closing the circle. Nick strode toward her and with a sweep of his hand, the grass around them flattened.
“Asharielle, I need to see the feather around your neck,” he said, levitating it from beneath her shirt. He touched it and muttered under his breath. She looked at him, one eyebrow raised in question.
“Just reactivating your protection spell!” he said as he marched about ten metres away then turned to face her. Gone was any trace of his child-like personality. The ancient soul that stood before her radiated power and wisdom. A fireball manifested in his hand.
“Asharielle, what you are about to learn is important. Our time this morning is limited, and though there is a slim chance that we may get to Drakensberg without being attacked by Kyron, you must understand what it feels like to be in a battle. We are all relying on you, and you can no longer afford to be the girl that stays by the fire while others fight to keep you safe.”
“I understand, Nick, and I am ready to learn,” she said. His words stung, but he was right. Her helplessness could get her friends killed. It was only yesterday that she had grasped how much Nick needed her. She had to step up and do her part.
He continued, “Not twenty minutes ago you let the skimmer sustaining Ryder’s life dissolve when faced with a threat…today you will learn to maintain it under pressure.”
He threw the fireball at her, but her shield manifested quickly. The projectile hit with the force of a sledgehammer, and she was knocked off her feet. She hit the ground hard, and the shield banged her chin.
“Ow, Nick!” she yelped.
“First lesson. No one is going to be gentle with you because you are a girl, Asharielle! Nor will they consider your youth. An enemy will always attack with singular purpose, and they will be willing to capture, maim, or kill you to achieve their goals,” he shot back. “How is Ryder?”
She glanced at Ryder as she got to her feet, pleased to see that the skimmer had held. She turned to reply to Nick, but a fireball smashed into her shoulder. She stumbled sideways and lost her balance again. Twisting, she fell to her knees and her shield dissolved.
“Hey, I wasn’t ready,” she yelled between breaths as she clambered to her feet. The fireball’s impact had winded her. Without Nick’s protective magic, she could have been gravely injured. It was a sobering thought.
“Oh, that’s no good,” Nick said, his voice tauntingly empathetic. “Lesson two. Do you think Kyron will stop his attack while you check that everything is in order? Shall I wait while you braid your hair and tie your shoelaces? Perhaps I should get a coffee while you check that Ryder is okay again?”
She shook her head, realising he was right. Kyron would not give her any leeway. He was a cunning and dangerous enemy whose knowledge outweighed hers by several millennia. Being engaged in battle with him was a daunting prospect and she could see why Nick needed to expose her to the kind of tactics that might come her way.
Determined to improve, she thought about what the fighters did in the movies when faced with an adversary. She changed her body stance, placing one foot in front of the other, and bent her knees. She moved the shield to guard her face and chest and only then let her eyes dart to Ryder. He was okay. Nick sent a fireball her way and she braced for impact. It hit the shield and deflected off. Pleased with her success, she let her shoulders relax. It was a mistake.
A second, then a third fireball hit her shield in quick succession. Her whole body rattled as she braced against the impact, but the force was too strong. She stumbled backward and her arms began to flail. This time she did not fall, and she had kept her shield up. Now she just needed to get her breathing under control.
“Lesson three. No enemy will fire at you once and then stop,” Nick said as he began to circle around her position. “No enemy will stand in one place to fight you. They are sneaky and underhanded, and you must be prepared to move around them to maintain your defence. Don’t let them get too close—you’re not trained in physical combat.”
Nodding, Asharielle kept her shield facing him as he stalked her. She did what he said, turning her body to keep him in her sight.
“Speaking of that,” Asharielle said, “shouldn’t you be training me to fight with fists and feet like a ninja or something?”
Nick stopped, shaking his head vehemently. “No! Never think for one minute that the constructs of modern fighting will ever surpass your ability to utilise the hue. It is your most valuable tool. Right now, your job is to shield. You must protect both yourself and The Guardian. If Kyron or any other enemy get too close, remember that a shield can push someone away. Like this. Watch!”
He pointed, and a moving wall appeared in front of one of the bear-like creatures. Asharielle watched as the animal was forced backward, even though it tried to hold its position. His point made, he dissolved the wall and manifested two shields.
“Obviously, the bejarel is a distance way, so I could push him back at my chosen pace, but sometimes in close combat, a more direct force is needed.”
This time, both creatures charged him from across the field. Nick called out instructions on the go, explaining what he was thinking as he prepared to repel their attack.
“When you brace for impact, Asharielle, don’t use your muscles at all. Your body’s strength is irrelevant when compared to your mind’s ability to manifest a defence. Remember, hue is powerful, and you have unlimited access to it. It means you can strengthen the shield to defend and protect against any impact.
She watched as Nick’s whole body relaxed. He stood face on to the charging creature, feet together and arms crossed. There was no tension in his frame at all. Both shields hung in the air. The second bejarel was faster than the male. It crashed into the shield at speed and bounced off. As the male attacked, Nick swung the second shield like a cricket bat. The sound of the impact made her wince, and her heart went out to the creature who was catapulted back to his original spot.
“See? No need for you to ninja kick anything!”
“Gosh, are they okay?” The second bejarel had gotten to its feet and was stumbling back toward the male, who was still lying in a heap on the ground.
A fireball hit her in the chest. She had let her shield fall.
“Your empathy is a distraction in battle. You cannot stop defending yourself because you are worried for those who are injured. Even now you are watching them, hoping the male will get up, but it means you are not paying attention.”
He was right. She hated to see any creature hurt, but this would become reality if they had to face off against Kyron. She had to stay focused. Nick had told her that she did not need to fight with her body at all. The memory of Nick and Ryder fighting at Crystal Creek rose in her thoughts. They had been using their bodies to defend and attack the Kryak, hadn’t they?
“What about when you two fought in the forest that day?”
“Think back, Asharielle,” Nick said, pausing to give her time to recall the battle scene. “At no stage were we punching or kicking like humans caught in a tavern brawl. Our weapons, fighting style and strategy were all dictated by the amount of hue we had available and the conditions we faced when engaging with Kyron to keep you safe. Stop thinking like a human. All those movies you’ve watched have skewed your perspective. Your power is only limited by your mind’s perception of what you think you can do with it. For example,” Nick said, producing another fireball, “your shield can protect others. I’m going to throw this at Ryder, okay? Can you keep him safe?”
“I’ll try.”
The projectile shot toward Ryder and Asharielle created a hued wall in front of him, like the one Nick had used earlier with the bear-like creature. The missile hit but the force was deflected backward.
“Good,” he called out, “but where is your own shield?”
She brought it up just as a fireball exploded against it.
“Never be tempted to create your own weapons, Asharielle,” he said, while fireballs continued to blast against her shield. “You could easily do it, but it should only be a last resort. Throwing a fireball at your enemies could be enough of a distraction that your shield might fall. By the way…which energy source are you using? Yours…or Sanctuary’s?”
Her crestfallen face gave him the answer he was looking for.
“You must always use what is in the environment around you before you touch your own hue. Do you understand? Let your shield dissolve and we’ll try again, but this time, draw from this dimension and be prepared for anything.”
Suddenly, he was running toward her. Fireballs flew from both hands. She created a large, curved wall to deflect them. They exploded, yet she felt none of it. Before the flames had even died, Nick was there, banging his fists against the wall.
“This might stop a human, Asharielle, but it won’t stop me.”
The wall disappeared as he absorbed the energy and ran straight at her. Adrenaline filled her as she backed away and replaced the shield she had lost. More fireballs assaulted her, but he was getting closer. She knew she could not let him absorb her shield again, but it did give her an idea. She realised that she could use his own tactics against him. She held out her hand toward the flaming missiles and absorbed them. They winked out of existence in mid-air. Nick faltered, and she gave him a cheeky grin.
“You did say I needed to think outside the box,” she said.
“Nice work, Asharielle,” he replied as he manifested an automatic rifle and began to pepper her shield with bullets, “but remember, real ammunition can’t be absorbed. You must be able to distinguish magic from reality. If you make a mistake and try to absorb a real bullet, the game is over. This is why I am determined that you learn to shield. The hue will defend you from all weapons, real or manifested.” The weapon disappeared from his hands. “It’s probably best we stop for now; the sun will be rising soon, and we need to get moving.”
Nodding, Asharielle let her shield fall just as something rammed into her from behind and knocked her off her feet. As her knees hit the grass she turned and saw that the aumrae had ploughed into her. He lowered his head and charged again.
She rolled out the way, narrowly avoiding him.
“Asharielle, shield up!” Ryder yelled. She obeyed, manifesting a shield just in time to deflect the series of fireballs that dropped on her from above. She scrambled to her feet and looked for the aumrae, but it had gone back to his place in the circle.
“Last lesson for this morning,” Nick said. “Some enemies are treacherous and cunning. They will engage you in a battle of the mind, distracting you with conversation while something or someone else attacks you from behind. Think back to when Kyron first entered the forest at Crystal Creek… His incessant talking gave him the time he needed for his Kryak to surround us. You must always listen and stay alert, for the chatter of your enemy may be your undoing.”
“Okay, Nick, I’ll try.”
And she would, she realised. If Nick was right, then she too had fought Kyron in the forest. His words were cunning, and he would have won if the unicorn had not stopped her from entering his lair. She could not be that naïve again.
She knew that Kyron would try to use her brother against her. At some stage, she needed to talk to Eviath about it, but she wasn’t sure how much time they had left. Still, she mused. Kyron had no idea that she had learned how to use hue. She hoped that such knowledge would throw him off his guard.
She looked out at her circle of companions then back to her winged friend, ready for more. “Right Nick, what’s next?”
Chapter 30
Asharielle stood in the middle of the field, feeling sad yet resigned to the task ahead of her. The sun was rising behind her, and its gentle rays lit the faces of the ancient creatures that had gathered before her. They knew that their last moments in this hidden realm had arrived, but they showed no fear or distress over what she was about to do. If anything, she felt they looked calm and at peace. They seemed content with the knowledge that they would be returned to the collective source of hue that lived inside her.
