Enaya: Solace of Time (4 page)

Norcross laughed and tossed the gem to Nile. “Nope, doesn’t work.”

Nile rested his forehead against the bars in embarrassment. “It was supposed to work.”

“Well, it didn’t. I have no other option but to leave you two here until you figure it out.” Norcross turned and headed out of the doors with the soldiers behind him.

Nile sat down against the wall, feeling defeated. “How did you work?” he whispered to the gem, finding it hard to believe that this thing could have brought them here. It was just a gem, right? Nile only heard of magic, but nothing this powerful, nothing that would take them somewhere in time.

Leo gently tapped his head on the cell bar, exhausted. Then he clutched the bars tightly.

Nile looked up at him, defeated. “What?”

“I feel like a . . . caged beaver.”

Nile laughed.

“Stop laughin’.”

Nile continued to laugh.

Leo stopped pacing and rested his hands on his hips. “I said, stop laughin’.”

“I can’t,” Nile replied. “That was funny.”

“I’ll show you funny.” Leo marched toward Nile with his hands balled into fists and a smile on his face.

As he got to Nile, he grabbed his jerkin, and then it happened.

Chapter 5

A Twenty-One-Day Good-Bye

The gem flared and Nile and Leo were thrown through a pit of blinding white light. A green hole hovered in front of them, and they were sucked through then spat out. Nile heard his back crunch on impact. A large tree broke his roll. He moved around in pain, trying to catch his breath, releasing several grunts. When he was able to calm himself down, he looked over and saw Leo lying face down on the ground.

“How are you?” Nile asked, pulling himself up to his feet. It hurt to walk.

Leo said nothing. He lifted his face from the ground, covered in dirt. He forced himself on his knees and then rubbed his face. Nile looked around the forest, recognizing that he was where he was supposed to be. He glanced to the sky. It was later in the day then when he left, but he felt like he had been gone an hour.

“What time is it, Leo?”

Leo glanced to the sun. “Six, I’d say.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“Well, I’m sure the princess and the prince are on their way to the honeymoon.” Leo stood and dusted off his britches. “I was hoping to see them off.”

Nile stepped between two trees, looking at the ground. “Yes, I suppose I was too. Where do you think we are?”

Leo looked around the forest, rubbing his head. Nile could tell he was hurting. That impact could have broken bones. He reached over and placed a hand on Leo’s shoulder. He squeezed and Leo winced. They both stared at each other for a second then burst into laughter.

“What is it?” Nile asked.

Leo shrugged Nile’s hand off. “This . . . all of this. We’ve just witnessed something truly
magical
. What was that thing? That gem? What world was that? What time period?”

“Time period?” Nile asked. “Are you suggesting that we went through time?”

“I wouldn’t rule it out.”

“How far?”

“Had to have been centuries,” Leo said. “Centuries and then some more.”

“Those dragons?” Nile tried to comprehend their magic.

“I don’t think it was dragons. I think it was a way of transportation.”

Nile’s jaw nearly dropped. The idea sounded too out of hand. “We fly? In the future, we fly?”

Leo shrugged. “Anything is possible.”

Nile shook his head in amazement and stepped over some fallen branches. He began toward Woodlands. He knew his way through the forest, and finding Woodlands was easy. He had to find the south tower poking out over the trees. Leo followed him and they walked together not saying a word, both of them trying to comprehend what they had seen. As they came out of the forest, Nile noticed an eerie peace that fell upon Woodlands. The castle was beginning to hide in the shadow, away from the sun as it dipped behind the mountains.

“It’s strange, Leo,” Nile said, stopping in his tracks.

Leo slid to a stop. “What is?”

“The kingdom. Dywnwen is now married. It looks like the kingdom is feeling my pain.”

Leo glanced at the kingdom. The people were settling in their houses except for a group of children that were playing near the stream. The castle towered over the land like a judgmental deity. It did feel bizarre now, especially with a new heir to the throne. Nile shrugged it off and walked toward his cabin. Leo followed him inside, where Nile fell into his rocking chair. There was a bench against the wall that Nile’s father had built. Leo pulled it out in front of Nile and sat across from him.

Nile held the gem in the palm of his hand. The blue sparkled in his pupils. It was only the size of a marble, but it held so much magic. Nile pondered where it came from and its origin. He placed the gem in a bowl on the end table beside him.

“How did you use it?”

Nile thought for a second. “I don’t know. I was just feeling angry, confused. I was thinking about—”

“Dywnwen?” Leo asked.

“Dywnwen,” Nile replied.

“Who made it?”

“Wizards,” Nile replied, “or dragon riders. Dragon riders are just as powerful as wizards.”

“It’s man-made or creature-made. It’s smooth, but not nearly perfect. Perhaps it isn’t by wizards or dragon lords, it could be—”

“Seraph,” Leo interrupted.

Nile paused for a second and glanced in the bowl. The gem stared at him, wanting to be touched. Nile sat forward, glancing at Leo. “Seraph? Why would you say that?”

“I don’t know! We were just guessing so I thought—”

“I don’t even know if Seraph is real,” Nile interrupted.

“Say what you want,” Leo replied, “but Seraph is as real as
time travel.
”

Nile supposed Leo could be right. If a small gem could allow him to travel between worlds, then what was keeping Seraph from being an evil figure in fairytales? Nile sat back in the rocking chair. It creaked against the hard floor and Leo shivered. The talk about Seraph ensued
fear
into Nile’s home. Nile was never afraid, but the thought of Seraph made Nile and Leo gulp.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door.

Nile and Leo jumped up in alarm. Nile quickly placed the gem in his pocket. The two men stood up, staring at the door.

“Open it,” Nile said.

“No, you open it,” Leo replied. “It’s your house.”

Nile rolled his eyes and edged to the door. He slowly placed his hands on the wood, glanced back to Leo, then took a deep breath. He pulled the door open. A figure in a hood stood before him on the porch. The sun was still setting, giving them very little light. Nile backed away, unsure of the figure.

Two small hands reached up and flipped the hood back. It was Dywnwen. She smiled at them, then pulled Nile and Leo in for a hug.

“I thought you had left already,” Leo said.

“We are about to,” she replied. “The Crystal Kingdom waits.”

“That is a seven-day ride,” Leo said.

“And we will spend seven days there, then come back. The kingdom will be without me for twenty-one days. Can you handle it?”

“Of course,” Leo replied.

Nile stood there, gazing into her beautiful eyes as she talked. Dywnwen looked at him and smiled, then went back to engaging in conversation with Leo. She used her hands to illustrate her wedding and how romantic everything was. Nile didn’t hear any of that; he only saw her mouth move.

“Can I have a moment alone with Nile?” Dywnwen asked.

Nile heard that.

Leo nodded, then stepped outside. He pulled the door shut and they could hear his footsteps off the porch. Nile gulped, fearing what Dywnwen might say.

Dywnwen said, “I wanted to tell you something.”

“That you realized that you are in love with me?” Nile said, then forced a smile.

Dywnwen smirked. “No. I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“Everything.”

Nile shrugged. “Don’t apologize. This is how it was meant to be. Roland Enmore can be everything you want. I can’t. I’m not as brave as he is, and I can’t bring you the head of an Erquial – or whatever that twelve headed thing was he killed.”

Dywnwen burst into laughter and snorted. Nile laughed as well. Their laughter continued for several seconds before Dywnwen waved it off. “The great Roland Enmore.”

“Well, that is the legend,” Nile said.

“You are great too, Nile. Don’t forget that. You are just as brave as anyone. You have heart and compassion. You are a hero, just like your father. You will see that one day, I promise.”

“I needed to hear that,” Nile humbly replied.

“Just don’t forget me. You can come to the castle anytime you want. You just can’t come through my bedroom window anymore.”

Nile laughed.

“I guess this is good-bye.”

“A twenty-one-day good-bye.” Nile smirked.

Dywnwen kissed Nile on the cheek. Her lips were cool to the touch. She stepped back, pulled the hood up over her head, and opened the door. Leo was sitting at the bottom step. He jumped to his feet and dusted off his pants.

“My dear Leo,” Dywnwen said.

“Princess,” Leo replied.

“Watch Nile for me,” Dywnwen said, then turned toward a white wagon, pulled by four white horses. Roland sat on top, holding the reins. He glared at Nile. Nile knew Roland didn’t like him. He stared back and even waved, hoping that Roland would grow some respect toward him. Nile knew that Roland had heard all the stories about him and Dywnwen. It was enough for any man to create barriers.

The two watched as the wagon rolled off into the sunset. Nile felt an ache throb in his chest. It sunk down into his stomach and this feeling of loneliness overtook him. He saw them disappear out into the valley.

“What’d she say?” Leo asked.

Nile forced a smile. “She wants me.”

Chapter 6

Nightmares

The day was young and I was eighteen. My mother and brother were there. The angel statue where Mother always took us was there too. Isaiah was only sixteen. I remember . . . I remember him standing next to the statue.

But what happened? I remember it all so well.

But I don’t want to remember.

Isaiah said it was pretty and it was a very beautiful day. He then kissed my mother on the cheek. I remember her smile. She loved little kisses from Isaiah. She hugged him tightly. But what was I doing?

I asked when Father was coming home.

“When the war is over,” she replied.

But the war might not be over for another twenty years, I thought. I knew that was a possibility. She reached for my hand and pulled me beside her. She told me I had to stay strong. She told me not to give up hope, that Father would be back soon. She then kissed me and I pushed away, rebelling. Why did I rebel?

We talked more. I said something to Isaiah that made my mother upset. What did I say? Oh, Isaiah wanted to hear a story that my mother always told—a story about angels. I told him to grow up, that angels don’t exist. My mother got upset, told me to go home. She believed in angels.

I walked away, toward Woodlands. That’s when it happened with these crows. They flew in front of me, then they flew at me, and I . . . I . . .

Nile jumped awake, breathing hard. He glanced to the moonlight for comfort. He looked to the corner of the fireplace and saw a wooden sword. He grabbed it. “Isaiah Whitman” was carved on the handle. Nile cried.

The fire was dying. Nile forced himself out of the chair and went outside. He leaned up against a post on the porch and looked to the stars, then the castle. A falling star caught his attention. It flew over the castle, disappearing beyond the Elkanah Mountains.

“Where does time go?” he asked himself. He reached deep into his pocket and felt the gem slide against his fingertips. He pulled out the gem and held it up to his face. “Do you know?”

The gem caught the reflection of the moon and sparkled. He wondered if there were any more of these gems. He went back inside and sat in his rocking chair. The blue mesmerized Nile into a trance, and he thought about his mother, his brother Isaiah, the day he stepped on a thorn, his father hugging him, Dywnwen, the court jester, his first strawberry, death, the taste of honey and wine, his favorite fable and so forth. All of these thoughts elicited an emotion. The gem began to rotate as it sat in Nile’s hand.

The gem flashed white, sucking the room into a place Nile knew as Time’s Space, the long dwindling tunnel with the giant hole that warped Nile between worlds. The hole was welcoming, and Nile realized that the impact was shortly awaiting him. Where would he be? Where would he go? There was a sound like a million echoes, and he hardly recognized the voices. His memories fell upon him like a great flood, and as he neared the end of the tunnel, he knew he was time traveling.

The hole engulfed him and threw him into a universe he knew so well. It was the Woodlands Kingdom. Nile was able to catch a glimpse of the castle as he spiraled out of the womb of Time. He braced himself before the impact. He rolled to a stop and quickly got to his feet, feeling like he triumphed over some obstacle. The hole faded into a dark hazy mist, and then cleared out.

The sky was gray and harbored many black clouds. The castle—sunken into a depression as the towers laid waste and crumbled on the ground, as if some war was fought. Nile’s eyes widened and he studied the courtyard. His cabin had been demolished and nothing remained but a knoll of wood and broken furniture, most of it burnt. Nile squinted—feeling
fear.

Then, almost too quickly that Nile did not catch it, two dragons rose among the remains of the castle. One was black, and the other was red. They did not look like the pictures of dragons he had seen, with scaly skin and batlike wings, but like the dragons in the futuristic city. They towered over Woodlands, forging great destruction from their arms. Their paws opened out into a cylinder hole and white flashes of light shuttered in small globes, releasing some sort of sword that spit into the earth. The swords pierced stones, wood, and then . . .

“Nile!” someone screamed.

Nile turned and a pillar of fire was thrown upon the earth from the mouth of a dragon. The dragon roared as it hovered in the air, and Nile then knew that the dragon wasn’t a dragon. One of the dragons landed, opening its rib, and released eight soldiers, each holding a cannon. They aimed the cannons at the villagers, screaming.

One of them approached Nile.

He fumbled for the gem.

“Do you join the Lucian Empire?” the soldier screamed.

Nile screamed. The Lucian Empire was from his world. Why would they be fighting with them? He gripped the gem tightly in his hands and thought of home. The gem broke out into a portal of light, surrounding him. It devoured him back into Time’s Space and he found himself soaring through the whiteness. He was thrown out of the space and landed back in his rocking chair.

Nile struggled to breathe, scared of what he saw. He jumped from the chair and crept out onto the porch. The August air was cooler now. He jumped off and the porch and marched to Leo’s cabin.

Nile knocked on Leo’s window. Leo was bundled up in his bed under several stitched blankets. Nile could barely hear him snore. He wanted to crack a smile, but the worry would not let him. He knocked on Leo’s window again.

Leo opened his eyes and sat up. He saw Nile at the window and pushed it open.

“I need you now,” Nile said.

“Why?” Leo asked half asleep.

“It’s the thing we found. I just used it. I saw something—something horrible. Please, Leo.”

Leo shook the sleep off his face and stood up. He fumbled for his pants and shirt, then disappeared out of his room. Moments later, he stumbled out onto the porch and his pants were on backward.

“Leo, your pants,” Nile said.

Leo squinted, then looked down at his pants. “Damn it.” He quickly took them off and straightened them out. When he lifted his leg to put them in, he tripped and fell off the porch. He groaned in pain.

Nile jumped to Leo’s aid. “Come on,” he said, and he guided him to his house. Once they reached Nile’s cabin, Leo sat in the rocking chair and Nile held out the gem.

“What did you see?”

“Okay,” Nile took a deep breath. “I was asleep and I had the dream—the one of the day my mother and brother died. In the middle of the dream, I wake up, came in here, and sat down. I’m thinking about everything. I’m thinking about life, and love, and family, and the taste of honey. I think about everything that makes me cry and happy all at once. Then the
gem
sends me into a darker world of Woodlands. I mean, there are dragons—”

“Dragons?” Leo asked.

“The dragons in that kingdom we went to.”

Leo’s eyes widened and he sat up straight. “Really?”

“The castle was nearly destroyed and their knights were killing us. One of them told me to join the Lucian Empire.”

“The Lucian Empire?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Nile shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Leo began to rock back and forth. “Are you sure it isn’t a dream?”

“No! I was there as real as you are here. I held the gem and thought about it, and there I was.”

“The future?” Leo asked. “You thought about the future?”

“Yes,” Nile said, “I know that’s funny, but it was that simple.”

Leo reached for the gem; Nile placed it in his hands and waited for Leo to do whatever it was he was going to do. Leo stood and closed his eyes, thinking about the future. Nothing happened. He opened his eyes and looked at the gem resting peacefully inside his palm. Leo closed his eyes tightly and began to mumble. Nothing happened.

Leo grew impatient. He widened his stance and continue to hold the gem in place. His eyes were still closed, but nothing happened.

“I give up,” Leo said, handing the gem back to Nile. “How do you use it?”

“I just think about different places. It’s like this thing reads my every emotion. I thought of being away, down the road when we went to that city.”

Leo challenged him. “Think of a happy place.”

“No,” Nile said, raising his eyebrows.

“Let’s just see what happens?”

Nile took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He thought of a place long ago, before his mother and brother died. He thought of the Woodlands Kingdom that was founded upon peace and mercy. He thought of his childhood friends, Dywnwen and Leo, and how they sat up late at night in the castle telling each other stories.

The gem rotated in Nile’s hand, gathered what light was shining in the room, and then stretched it forward, consuming the house like a fire. Nile opened his eyes to see that he was traveling through Time’s Space. Leo was waving his arms and legs, trying to grab something. Nile knew he would be thrown into whatever was awaiting him at the end of the tunnel.

The hole widened, accepted them, and then rejected them onto a grassy knoll. They both stood to their feet, stumbling as they did. Leo rubbed his head, confused and in pain. Nile was beginning to get used to the time travel, but this time he felt nauseated. He rubbed his stomach and bent over.

“Are you okay?” Leo asked.

“I don’t know,” Nile said.

Leo helped him straighten up. Nile took in a deep breath and felt better; he looked around the kingdom to see the blue sky and the welcoming earth blossom in the warmth of spring.

Leo laughed. “This is it? Woodlands before
that
day?”

“I guess so,” Nile said, looking around.

The vines were starting to grow up the castle towers, eating the railing on the balcony that harbored Dywnwen’s room. Her windows were open and welcoming. The villagers were out tending their gardens and their markets. They paid no attention to Nile and Leo. Nile looked over at his home; his mother was rocking back and forth on the porch.
His mother.
He hadn’t seen his mother in a long time. At first glance, he didn’t even take notice, as it had been second nature, but after a moment of seeing her welcoming smile and brown hair, he knew that he hadn’t seen her in a long time.

His heart pounded in his chest and sweat beaded on his forehead. He felt as if he were seeing a ghost. Nile took a step toward her, wobbling as he did. His lips wanted to whisper, “Mother,” but he couldn’t speak from the swelling in his throat.

All he ever wanted was a moment where he could be with her again, where he could see her and kiss her. He wanted to hold her like she used to hold him and tell him was going to be okay.

He took another step.

Leo quickly grabbed Nile’s shoulder. “What are you going to do?”

“I . . . I have to see her, Leo,” Nile said, not taking his eyes off her. He continued forward, throwing his shoulder from Leo’s grasp.

“You have all the time in the world to visit and revisit memories. Let’s see something else.”

“Like what?”

Leo paused for a moment. “The Magic War—you know, with the wizards.”

Nile turned from his mother and looked at Leo. When he turned back to her, the world around him began to change, and everything swirled like the mixing of paint. Every memory and image became one, and the tunnel sucked them inward.

“Not so bad,” Leo said, “but we are in your house.”

Nile glanced around to see that he was. He used the rocking chair to help himself up to his feet. “I don’t know—”

Nile turned toward the window at the sound of horses. Dywnwen’s white chariot flew through the courtyard. Roland was screaming at the horses. He looked worried. Nile quickly ran out onto the porch. There were several dozen knights wearing dark green armor with gold lining. They rode their steeds up to the castle and across the drawbridge.

“What’s going on?” Leo asked.

“Those are Walsh Knights,” Nile said. “Quick, follow me.”