Chapter 5
After being a failure all my life, being good at something is new to me. It turns out that I am a natural Earth Toner. Aelia on the other hand is frustrated that she can’t get it right. Every time she tries, and fails, something lights on fire out of frustration, the Earth Toners rush to the rescue, Elsa laughs, and something else lights on fire. Both Aelia and Elsa are getting lectured about ‘Controlling your feelings’ right now, like schoolchildren, while I have moved on to stage four: Earthquake. This is the part that could kill, and most people don’t get this much power, even if they were born an Earth Toner. Water Weavers like me don’t usually get past stage 2, though. My instructor believes that since I’ve gotten past stage 3, I am a stronger Water-Weaver-Earth-Toner than most, so he is confident. Not me.
So far, I have been able to make sculptures out of grass and dirt, make a bed of flowers pop out of the ground, and more harmless things like that. Making a whole earthquake is way beyond what I’ve done.
I am shaking with nervousness when I go to a confined space full of flowers, where I am expected to make the earthquake, and I tug at the familiar spot in my mind. A warm tingle spreads across my fingers, and I feel everything stronger than ever. Worms fertilizing, seeds spreading their roots, even the people standing outside. I search deeper, trying to feel the plates, but I’ve gone in too far. I feel like I’m drowning, an unfamiliar sensation, and images of other people across the world fill my mind. I thought I was strong before, but now I am like a supernova, burning brightly and filling the world with light, but I know it will be fleeting. Then, I feel it. A fire, an inferno, no; the sun is inside of me. Destroying me from the inside, tearing apart my organs. It’s light projects from my eyes, mouth, ears, pouring out of me. I let out a scream but hear nothing.
Time stops, as agony fills me. Memories flash by. Not mine, I don’t think. I see a big blue lizard with wings. Drakön, my brain corrects me. What’s a Drakön? Who’s Saphire? More memories. Who is that woman standing over there, next to… me? What’s a ‘Mom’? Who am I? Alêx, my brain responds. What’s an ‘Alêx’? I am in a haze, floating in endless white. My eyes droop, and the moment they close I awaken somewhere else.
I am in a hut. I see myself. I am being banished by men with white hair and long beards. There is a woman crying for me. Hm. Then, I am in a room, and water is rising. I see myself panicking. Weird. Many more images flash by. I don’t remember any of them. Suddenly, I am lurched back in time. I am back in the hut. I don’t see myself anymore. The woman is still crying, but not for me. She is pregnant. She is crying for a man who is holding a trident. Dad? Everything comes flooding back to me. Why is he holding my trident? Where did he get it? Wait… That’s the man from my visions. That’s why I recognized him! Dad? Now, they’re talking.
“I am sorry, Sophia. I have to go; it is my duty to Terias,” my dad is saying.
“Can’t it be someone else’s duty? I have a baby on the way! He cannot be born without a father!” That’s my mother.
“The baby will always have a father. It’s a matter whether he is alive or not.”
“Victor! How can you speak that way!?”
“Sophia… it is time.”
“Victor! Don’t go! PLEASE!”
I am pulled into the next scene, this time, my dad is talking to King Orotund. The King is laughing, but my father is crying. I strain to hear, but as I do, I am sucked into another scene. My father is fighting. I’ve seen this in my trident! A man creeps up behind him, wearing… the royal seal? and—I close my eyes, not willing to see what happens next. So, he didn’t die in a carriage accident. When I open my eyes, I see his funeral. All the villagers are mourning, and The King is there too! A minister is speaking, “We are all gathered here to celebrate the life, and mourn the death of Victor Paladin. Victor was a husband, a father, and a hero, whose legend will live in our hearts forever. He braved raging seas, merciless deserts, and jungles full of poisonous beasts, for the well being of all of us, for his son, FOR TERIAS, FOR PLEDERIA!”
Everyone cheers, and the King glares. King Orotund was smiling while the speech was going on, only frowning at hero, but now, his face is purple with anger.
“SILENCE!” He screams, and everyone quiets. “You are FORBIDDEN to ever SPEAK his name. You are FORBIDDEN to ever TELL his story. AND YOU ARE FORBIDDEN to ever IMPLY he was ever anything more than a late father and husband who died in a CARRIAGE ACCIDENT! DO! YOU! UNDER-STAND! ME!” He is panting as he finishes, and there are mutters of reluctant assent. My mother is holding back tears of anger, sadness, and hate, and I am holding back tears of my own.
Then, I am back in the empty whiteness, contemplating everything that just happened. “My father was a-a-a hero? B-but he-carriage-mom…what? I-I, and… and the King hates— I don’t… what?” I speak my thoughts, trying to make sense of it all, but I can’t.
The familiar feeling of failure washes over me as I stare into the distance. I remember the feeling of success, though it feels far away. Tears fill my eyes, for my father, and for me. I don’t want to get up, so I sit there for a while. When I finally do get up, I am back in Rargieo.
My last tears drop, dampening the Earth, as I think of my father. I unconsciously reach for the tingle, and it spreads. I am shaking now. No, I am not… the ground is! I started an Earthquake! As my excitement grows, so does the Earthquake, and people outside start to panic. It shakes harder and harder, and I drop to the ground. The walls protecting my area start to fall. I think of my dad again. Maybe I’ll see you soon. Then, I think of all the people relying on me, and I draw my trident. Now what? I have no idea what to do. I lean on it for balance, then I trip, and the trident sticks into the ground, handle up. With one last tremor, and a blast of light, the Earthquake subsides. There is a moment when everything stops. Everything is still. Then, cheers erupt in all directions, and I realize, they are cheering for me. I have a curious smile on my face. What just happened? Aelia asks me. I think my clumsiness just saved the day.
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