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The Feri Light
Chapter 19
A Valley!
Okay. Technically, I don't know if I should call it a valley. It was more like an oasis in the middle of an enormous crater.
'What is this place?' I said looking around. It had green, flat land with a few tall trees with a brook running right through the middle. That wasn't all. There were people living here. Their settlement was more on the circular crater wall. Cliffside houses. Interesting.
'This is Haven,' Keene said with the most radiant smile I've ever seen on someone. He loves this place. 'This is our sanctuary. When Helledon took over the town most people fled and those who could be trusted ended up here. It wasn't always like this. It was another large chamber like the one with the prison. But a few decades ago there was an explosion and it caved in killing all sixty-eight men working underground, thus creating this haven.'
Keene loudly sighed.
Suddenly, I felt it. Raw feri-light energy. 'Keene. I can feel feri-light.'
He smiled. 'Yes. For some reason the inhibitor crystal can't penetrate the surrounding wall...' He explained but he never finished because we were interrupted by the cheerful voice of a young woman.
'Nash!' She rushed towards us and lunged herself into Keene's arms. To my surprise she planted a sloppy yet passionate kiss on him. When they separated, Keene embarrassingly pressed his fingers to his lips as if he wanted to prolong the feeling.
'Who is this?' She said looking at me. Her arms were still around Keene's neck.
'Shelly, this is His Majesty, the feres King Riley Blacknell. Your Majesty, this young lady is my mate-to-be, Shelly.' It was strange to hear my full name after so long. Mate-to-be?
Shelly released Keene long enough to give me a short bow. 'Your Majesty.'
I nodded and smiled at her. She was pretty with her long dark hair and long slim legs that seemed to reach to the sky. Devoid of make-up, her face was pretty but ordinary.
'I'm taking him to see our guest. Why don't you go and tell my brother of his arrival?'
Shelly reached up for another kiss before she rushed across the field to the other side of the crater.
'She's a lovely girl. So, she's your mate-to-be, huh?'
Keene bashfully blushed. 'Our union will be a political one. And I don't want to talk about it.'
I raised a brow and kept on staring at him. Obviously, I needed more detail. Keene blushed again. 'She's kind. I don't know how I feel about her yet. I can't say no. I don't want to disappoint my brother again.' He didn't elaborate further. I respected that so I didn't push.
We strode towards an old shack. Keene knocked on the door before shoving me inside. He stayed outside.
I saw an old man hunched over someone lying on a piece of fur covered floor. The smell of herbs and incense told me that the old man was a healer. Curious, I moved closer. I had another surprise. The man being treated was Kane.
'Rye,' Kane said when he recognized me. 'Give us a minute, will you,' he said to the healer. The old man grimly nodded and made for the door without a word.
'What're you doing here? What happened to you?' I asked. He was covered in abrasions, dark patches and green stained bandages.
'I followed your trail to the border of Koff. The main road was guarded so I went through the forest. Big mistake. It was guarded by wags. They attacked me. It was really weird. I couldn't shift. Those suckers stopped only when I wasn't moving. The next thing I knew I woke up with the old man here in this hut. Do you know where I am? I think the old man is a mute.'
Despite myself I giggled. I took a piece of damp cloth and wiped the sweat from his brow and forehead. He stared at me. It wasn't an angry glare or a happy one. He seemed confused by the small act of compassion. Agreed, there wasn't much love between us. Nonetheless, he was Wren's brother. My bondmate loves his family.
'You're in a place Keene called Haven.' He scowled when he heard Keene's name.
'Don't do that. Keene is a good guy.' I examined Kane and found that he wasn't in too bad a shape. I knew he had gone through hell and back though. Like werewolf's, wag venom is excruciating for shifters. 'You don't have a fever.'
'It broke this morning but there's still enough venom left in me.'
How so? 'I thought you said the old man was a mute?' It was also obvious that no one apart from the old man had been in here. The shack was isolated from the settlement and that told me these people feared infections. The old healer was using herbs to treat something so easy to fix with a simple spell. I deduced he doesn't have any real healing magic. He is a hag. They all must be the same.
'I can heal your wounds if you want, but I'm afraid I don't exactly know how to extract the poison.'
'Thanks. The scratches are itching like a bitch. And don't worry about the venom. Nothing could be done. My body will have to get rid of it at its own pace.
'How long are we talking about?' I poured some water in a bowl, getting ready to heal him.
'Wain got bitten by a wag once. It took him three weeks to heal. And that was only one bite. Now you do the math.'
'Holly hell!' He'll be spending months with the venom in his system. 'What will it do to you?'
'It will slow down my natural healing process as you can see. I will lose some of my strength and there will be minor pains and discomfort when I'm jacked up on adrenaline.'
'Jeez, you're pretty knowledgeable.'
'I had to be with a father like mine.' I didn't comment.
I removed all the bandages and started healing his wounds. 'Where were you? You took off and Wren didn't say where you went.' Relief washed over him as he began to heal.
'Someone back home sent me a whisper telling me my father took off. It had been days and he hadn't return. He'd been spotted in Teer and I thought I could catch up with him. But the trail went cold when I reached the town.'
'So, Elron didn't listen to my warning after all. Why am I not surprised,' I muttered under my breath.
'What?' Shit! I forgot Kane had super shifter hearing. He propped up on an elbow. 'Rye if you know something about my father, tell me.' He didn't raise his voice but I could feel the threat behind every word.
I huffed. I pushed him back down. 'Don't be angry with me. Your father made me vow not to tell you guys.' Kane frowned and waited patiently. I recounted what transpired between Elron and me the night of the family gathering. Kane was quiet throughout.
'Pride and stubbornness, that is so like him,' he said when I was done telling him.
I paused the healing. 'You're not mad at me?'
'There's no point. I know my father better than anyone. I feel sorry for the witch though. He's going to torture that bitch.' I remained silent. I'm against violence but I can put up with it to a certain point because sometimes it is a necessary evil. Cruelty I can't tolerate. I won't. Nevertheless, I forced myself not to react to Kane's statement. I just felt sorry for the cruel way the Graylard brothers were brought up. Thank God Wren wasn't like his father. 'I suppose Wren doesn't know anything of this?'
'No, he doesn't,' I replied.
He studied me carefully. 'Ah. My father is the Alpha King. He once took down twelve leopard shifters without batting an eye. He can take care of himself.'
It took four bowls of water and three quarters of an hour to complete Kane's healing. By then we were both exhausted. He stayed awake long enough to thank me before he was drawn to dreamland. His new found kindness was so out of character that I was literally waiting for the other shoe to drop. It never happened. While he slept, I cleaned him up and pulled the fur over him.
'How is he?' Keene asked when I finally emerged from the shack.
'He'll be fine.'
'Good.' Then he turned to a guy I didn't see there before. The guy was a real hottie. He was taller than Keene with an athletic build. His skin and face were flawless and those lips. Man! They rival those of Angelina Jolie. I almost came right there just looking at them. I wished Wren were here. I'm sure he wouldn't object to a threesome with this cute hottie.
'Hello,' he timidly said. He was uncomfortable with me staring. 'I'm Logan.'
'So, I presume you already know who I am?'
'Yes, Your Majesty. Nash told me.'
It was hard for me to look at him without being distracted by those damned succulent lips.
'We're to meet Devlin on the crater ridge for your training. When you're done I'll escort you back to the professor' Keene said.
'Didn't you want me to meet your brother?'
'My father went on a trip to the coast. He'll be back later tonight,' Sexy- lips replied.
Climbing to the top of the crater ridge wasn't an easy task. Sure, there were steps but I might have counted over two hundred and we weren't even halfway there. 'How many more steps are there?' I yelled almost out of breath. Keene who was in the lead had some distance on me. Obviously, he didn't hear what I said.
Behind me, Logan laughed, 'about a few hundred more.'
'Jeez! I'm not going to make it.' I paused and held my waist with both hands. Panting like a weary old dog I gazed over the ledge. It was a bit misty so I barely saw the beauty of Haven below.
'Do you want me to carry you, Your Majesty?' Logan chuckled.
'I can carry my own weight thank you,' I replied without taking offence despite the hint of irony in his words. 'Are you one of Keene's brothers?' I asked him instead.
'No. I'm his nephew. Why do you ask?'
Nephew. Yeah. I knew that. They do share some features, although, it was hard to pin point what exactly.
'Keene told me he had fourteen brothers. I thought you were one.' Logan gave a short, curt laugh. I turned his way and stared in fascination as those luscious lips stretched into a fuck-me smile. Jeez! I almost creamed my pants right there. How I yearned to feel them around my cock. Ah!
'Technically, Nash has only one brother left, Goran, my father. The other four died defending the town during the invasion. They were much older even my father is forty years Nash's senior. When we took refuge in Haven, my father was raising his own children, his brother's children and his little brother. Yeah, we are brothers.'
'Are you a messenger like Keene too?'
'No. I'm a hunter. I scour the forest for game to feed the village. I was the one who found your shifter friend in the forest.'
'You saved Kane's life,' I said incredulously.
'Yeah. I threw my null stone in the fray and the wags retreated.'
'Hey!' Keene yelled a few steps above us. 'Move your feet. We don't have all day, you guys.'
'Tell me again who put Keene in charge?'
Logan began laughing, first with a snicker, which turned into a full blown hearty laugh. I loved the sound of it. It was infectious. I had to laugh too.
When we reached the summit, Devlin was already present. Exhausted, I leaned against a bolder and tried to calm my quickened breath. Devlin strode up to me and stood there in silence. 'Walk with me,' he suddenly said. I glanced toward the steps where Keene and Logan were chatting. I wondered how far Devlin can go before their connection becomes strained. Sighing noisily, I halfheartedly fell into steps with him.
'Today you're learning how to access your core energy.' He abruptly stopped while holding my arm. 'But first tell me, what do you know about lumium?'
I didn't have to think hard on this one. 'I know I can feel them if they are in my immediate vicinity. I can summon and manipulate them to do what I want.'
'Like what exactly?'
'I used them to teleport objects, myself and others. If I'm low on energy I can drain them to add to my own.'
'Good, good,' he said pensively. It took another minute for him to continue. 'What would you say if I told you that you can do all of that without the lumium?' That would be fantastic! Devlin smiled at my enthusiasm. 'Well, the key is your core. Other Targs use theirs too, but they don't realize they're doing it. They call it willpower. Rye, knowing this truth will help you understand how to get in touch with your innate energy source. Like I told you once, if you're able to do this, the application could be limitless.'
Now I was getting jacked. 'Teach me.'
'Let's not get ahead of ourselves. You said you feel the lumium. Tell me how?'
I shrugged. 'I don't know I just do.'
'Think harder. There must be something else you're overlooking.'
I had been using lumium since I arrived in Targeten. I've gotten so use to them that I don't think much about them anymore. Mostly they're just there. However, my first encounter with lumium was in the Faraday's backyard back in the human realm. I felt something weird but I couldn't understand it. Only later when I got to Xell's dungeon that I noticed they vibrate and produce a slight humming sound.
"That's it, Rye," Devlin telepathically said. 'Lumium and feri light energy normally have resonance. It can be heard only by the elfin races, including Feri. Now, stand still and try to listen.'
I listened. Unfortunately, I didn't hear anything but the blowing wind. Devlin was right in my head. "That's because there's no feri light energy up here.' Huh! That was why he brought me up here. 'Now, do it again but this time listen to what's going on inside you."
I tried. But it wasn't working. I could only feel my heart beat.
'Feel your core. I taught you how to touch another creature's core. Do the same thing but this time, touch your own.'
I couldn't see my own core but I visualized it to be a ball of energy. I palmed it with an invisible hand. Instantly, l felt a warm sensation throughout my body.
'That's it. Don't let go. It's vibrating. Now hear it sing.'
'I hear it. It sounds like a cat purring.' I said excitedly.
'Don't let go yet. Now, I want you to open your right hand and visualize an energy ball in it.' I did as I was told and to my surprise a flicker of light appeared above my palm. 'Keep it up. Keep it up. That's it. Add a little more juice.' I did and the flicker grew larger into a tennis size ball of contained electrical energy.
'There you go. You've just produced your first energy ball.'
Not quite. This was my second energy ball, actually. I just remembered. I threw one and killed Xell's daughter Christine, the evil bitch that kidnapped and held my best friend Alex captive.
'So you've done it before.'
'Yeah but I didn't know what I was doing. And I didn't have time to analyze it either. I was too busy fighting off Xell.'
'I see.' he nodded with understanding. 'Well, congratulation. You've done it.'
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End of chapter 19