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~` Illusions `~

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CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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~` Chapter Sixteen `~

The sun had long since reached its zenith, as the shadows had already began to converge on the horizon, waiting for a chance to strike as they had the night before; while clouds swirled throughout the air, touching the mountain’s very top, breaking their center and forming a ring around its pointed edge. It held a dark, menacing appearance; its colors flashed with streaks of lightning, and the sound of thunder crackled from deep beneath their blackened edge, and all who looked upon it knew what lay within.

An endless plain stood far out from the base of the large cliffs, covered in waves of bouncing grass. They swayed gently in the passing breeze, as if dancing to the tune of nature herself, and reflecting her melody with their elegant fragrance that carried itself in the whispers of the wind. Colors of flowers stretched along the entire expanse, adding a dazzling assortment of vibrant iridescence to the whole of it; it was magnificent, but it all ended at a sole point: a blemish on the luscious ground given to all by the heavens.

There, near the end of the beautiful plateau, was a crowded area formed by giant trees, which seemed to guard the base of the mountain and all that lived upon it. Their darkened figures, as if with cruel intent, shrouded themselves in a dense fog and cast a shadow onto the land that led to their home; it was the forest none spoke of, for even though it was not as thick as others, no one dared to cross it.

Maxwell slipped the sharpened point of his blade softly between his fingers, trying to identify the quality of the metal he possessed, and how it would fair in battle. Ever since meeting the others, though, he had found himself normally alone; he did not even have Anthoni by his side. A prominent feeling of loneliness, as such, had come over him, forcing him to concentrate with difficulty on even the simplest of tasks.

20-Jan-2009 18:40:06

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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His eyes soon came unto the foreboding mass that struck upwards to the heavens: the clouds that engulfed its tip, the fiery eyes of lightning that bled from within every few seconds, and the cries of thunder that escaped its lips, formed by the echoing caves all around. The darkness made it difficult to determine what exactly was on top of the enormous structure, but, no matter what it was, they knew snow would be covering it; a dense, white blanket brightly shined through the blackness.

The young soldier found his arm rising up and wiping a layer of sweat from his brow, and then moving back to his sword; it comforted him to know that he could defend himself, if needed, even if Anthoni paid little attention to his efforts with the daunting task of finding an uncontrollable force, and then subsequently controlling it, weighing heavily on all of their minds. His leader would be faced with a decision most dire, and he did not wish to make it any more difficult than it was.

“Anthoni!”

Turning, Maxwell saw Korinth tugging on Anthoni’s arm, pleading with him to stop and listen; almost instantly, he ceased his movement and gave her his attention; the bottle remained tucked away in his pack, the pebble still inside. However, he had not yet mentioned its significance, or where it had come from; it bothered Maxwell slightly, but then he conceded that Anthoni knew best and would not lead them astray.

Breaking free of his thoughts, Anthoni crossed his arms and looked down at Korinth, smirking slightly, and asked, “Yes, Korinth? What do you need?” His sword was tucked neatly away at his side, but it still remained easily accessible from any direction; it would be needed later, he had decided. Retaining his stern expression, he watched Korinth turn her hips awkwardly and reach behind her, pulling the warning letter away from its resting place, out into the open.

20-Jan-2009 18:40:34

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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“It’s about this,” she said quietly, making sure Brexton, who walked a bit ahead of them all, could not hear them; she made sure to check before speaking. “You see, this is more than just a simple warning. Why would someone bother to write a warning in a riddle? It doesn’t make sense, logically; we should pay more attention to it.” Finished, she awaited Anthoni’s reply.

“And,” he began, “why do you not want Brexton to know of this?*

*What do you mean?”

Anthoni chuckled softly. “I know you have a problem with him, as per the argument last night, but why should he not be aware of this development, of this knowledge? Surely he, as a member of our troop, has a right to know?” The middle-aged man stopped and looked up into the sky, watching as a cloud passed by the sun overhead. “Or does he pose a threat?”

“Well, you see…” she mumbled, tightening her grip on the paper slightly. “I don’t trust him; he’s too… I don’t know, but I don’t think trust is something we should allow him to have, especially after his outburst last night.” A quickened glance in their subject** direction soon followed, but her eyes fell upon Anthoni’s once more after being content with what they saw. “He knows something.”

“Aye,” Anthoni concurred. “He acts strangely whenever new ideas are presented, yet retracts his own feelings when his emotions are questioned. But are not all men like him? I do believe the king has wronged him and I both wholeheartedly, but why are my reactions not the same? Why is he defensive all the while, yet I stand strong and firm in my beliefs, not trying to turn another to my side?”

Korinth shrugged and gave a confused look at Anthoni.

20-Jan-2009 18:40:55

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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“You see, Korinth. These are the questions you must ask yourself when attempting to learn.” Anthoni directed his attention towards Brexton, who had since begun to converse happily with Landon, and pointed at him. “He is our ally, for now; but can we be sure he will remain as such? You wonder this, as do I, though we should take what we have now and use it to our advantage, not toss it aside foolishly.”

Nodding quickly and with much understanding, the young woman moved past Anthoni’s arm and up maneuvered herself around Maxwell, who had not looked away from them all the while. “Err… Anthoni,” he finally called, lost in the depths of his own ideas. “Can we talk?”

The general responded with a sharp tilt of the head, and motioned for Maxwell to continue walking; he did as he was commanded. A good thirty minutes passed with constant traveling, and few words were spoke aside from those of Brexton and Landon, who were gorging themselves on stories of heroes of lore, and casting countless curses on those who betrayed their land; their opinions differed on the king’s status, but they shared an innumerable amount of similarities when it came to legends.

Although they vigorously conversed between each other, Anthoni and Maxwell found themselves moving in a deathly silence, embracing the long trip ahead as Maxwell carefully formed his ideals in his mind. ‘Who am I, truly?’ he asked himself. ‘Will I succeed like those before me? Am I strong enough to continue? Why is Anthoni helping me? What does he have to gain?’ All of his thoughts rushed through his mind, as he sought answers for them all, but no reasons came directly; he was lost. Confused, he asked aloud: “Anthoni, why am I like this?”

20-Jan-2009 18:41:12

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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“Maxwell,” Anthoni said in a rough tone. “Your life has just started to grow, and yet you already have so many questions of why it is growing. You ask yourself, torment yourself, with an unbearable number of ideas and false ideals to help you make the best of your life, but why? Why do you wonder about your own existence? You are here, and you shall not leave until you die. Can you ask for more than that?”

Maxwell stopped suddenly and Anthoni turned. “I need to know, Anthoni.”

“You need to?” he inquired. “Or do you want to?”

“Is there a difference?”

Anthoni smiled with a scholarly look and replied, “Yes, my friend: there is. A need is something that sustains your life, or helps you to continue on with it. Will these questions do nothing than improve your own perception of yourself? Or will they help you to survive? Wanting, though, is a matter of just improving what you already having, going past the basest of ideas and trying to push everything you know to a higher standard. I believe, though, you merely want to know.”

“Of course I want to know. Why else would I ask?”

“You still have much to learn, then,” his master replied; his eyebrows raised slightly. “Knowledge will come with time, as all things do. You just need to wait… and it will come to you. God shall not let you go without some sort of defense, or ability to counteract others’ defenses, so do not worry yourself with questions of philosophy quite so soon.” He paused. “We must first deal with what is at hand.”

“Very well,” Maxwell replied, somewhat defeated.

20-Jan-2009 18:41:31

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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Realizing the loss of hope in his apprentice’s eyes, Anthoni withdrew the bottle from his bag and held it tightly in his hand; the pebble shuffled at the touch. The funnel near the top was clenched firmly in Anthoni’s left fist as he wrenched the cork free from the opening and allowed the soft scent of riverbeds carry off into the wind.

Anthoni motioned for Maxwell to watch, and he did; a bowl appeared in Anthoni’s hand as he disposed of the cork and made his way back to his sack for the item. He dumped the water into the bowl; it filled perfectly, but the pebble did not fall from its enclosed chamber. No, it did not fall until Anthoni placed his own hand beneath its tomb, and catch it before it touched the ground.

“If you seek knowledge, as I have, you must first understand yourself.”

His comrade nodded, and Anthoni moved the pebble slowly in his hand by rotating it; it did not fall. A wet ring, formed by the remnants of the liquid on the small rock, appeared in the general’s hand as it moved cautiously around, careful to not drift to close to the edge. *I… don’t get it,” Maxwell concluded, looking up at Anthoni; however, Anthoni’s attention did not divert from the rounded stone.

“Just… watch,” he commanded, continuing to move the stone gently. “Look at how it follows the ridges of my hand, not straying from the task at hand and not trying to do anything outlandish, so it does not fall into the darkness below.” His expression suddenly stiffened as he began to turn his hand. “But, as I turn my hand, it begins to stray and move closer and closer to the water.”

“I…” Maxwell muttered.

20-Jan-2009 18:41:50

CaptChekaka

CaptChekaka

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“Quiet…” Anthoni ordered, eying his younger companion. “When it drifts away, it will fall into the water, and then the true miracle occurs.” As he spoke, though, the pebble did indeed drop, and it made a slight splash as it collided with the life-giving waters; ripples then began to form. They were small, at first, but then they began to grow larger and larger, only to have the water reassemble itself with a clear complexion moments later. “This is like our life, you see.”

Maxwell looked on in awe at the lesson being taught.

“Of course there will be disturbances, times when we stray from what has been laid out for us, but we always manage to reclaim the same balance as before.” He looked to the bowl again. “The waters, as if God commands them to, will always clear.”

Before Maxwell could respond, though, they were overtaken by a dark shadow that loomed from high above. The clouds had since spread from the top of the mountain, solely, and were now a vast expanse that crossed the entire sky; it was destructive, a powerful force no being could resist. Against the opposition, though, daylight had fought valiantly. It continued to flourish in the blue waves above, but it was just too much. Behind the darkened clouds of hell’s bounty, no one could survive, no one could fight back.

Brexton, Anthoni, Jacob, Korinth, Landon, and Maxwell all stopped to look upon the amazing sight; they were frightened, but, as if by nature’s grace, they were feeling accomplished that they had made it so far. In front of them stood the trees of Isol’af, the trees that seemed to devour any adventurers that dared cross into its threshold, and the same trees that guarded the mountain they sought to climb.

-- End of Chapter Sixteen --

20-Jan-2009 18:42:05

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