TBC: Chapter Forty-Nine

Gyan woke with a start late into the night weeks later, the cover on his bed sticking to his sweat-soaked chest. He threw back his blankets and sat up.

"You were calling out her name," Aderes stated.

Gyan looked across the room and squinted to see Aderes's silhouetted form sitting cross-legged on his bed. Gyan wiped his forehead and stood up. He walked to the window. "I keep getting flashes of her being pierced by a black sword. I can never stop it in my dream no matter what I do."

"Master Jalena can take care of herself. You should be more concerned with protecting those who are weaker."

"My feelings for Jalena do not override my desire to help others," Gyan stated in a slightly defensive tone.

Aderes did not reply.

Gyan turned and examined Aderes more closely. "Why are you still dressed?" he asked, changing the subject. "Have you even tried to sleep?"

"I have no wish to," Aderes replied simply.

After a short time of silence, Gyan dressed and left the room. He needed movement to steady the overwhelming feelings of helplessness and concern that had welled inside of him as a result of his dream. He paced the length of the hall that led to the common room, lost in thought.

It was more than love that he was feeling for Jalena, and it disturbed him that his desire to protect her was getting more difficult to manage. He sighed and leaned against the wall. While staring out into the moonlit night at the surrounding mountains, he attempted to silence his thoughts by forcing his focus on his breathing.

Gyan, Valora's voice entered his mind half an hour later. What are you doing?

He looked up and saw Valora walking toward him. Just trying to reason with my thoughts.

She smiled. A dangerous task. Um…are you aware that you're standing outside Jalena and Shamira's door?

Gyan pushed himself off the wall and looked in surprise at the door he was leaning against. Er…

Valora smiled. I take it that you weren't. She placed a hand on his shoulder. Come on, I can't sleep either. Let's sneak down to the kitchens and see what food we can steal like old times at the Celestine.

He followed Valora out of the resident's hall and down to the kitchen.

"Even though this place is larger and it's beautiful here, I can't help but miss the Celestine Temple," she said as the two sat at one of the long kitchen tables minutes later and placed the platter of fruit and other treats between them.

Gyan took a sip of his tea. "I think it's because we spent most of our time engaged in intense training together there."

"Plus, it was the longest we were in the safe zone at one time."

"What do you mean?"

"It was the longest time we stayed in the comfort of learning without having to deal with serious assignments for the Order."

"Everything is changing so rapidly," said Gyan. "Although I think of them, sometimes I feel so far from family—my life is so different than theirs. I feel…separated somehow."

"I know what you mean. I think it's because we have been given the power and duty to focus on tasks seemingly larger than those living a normal life," Valora said thoughtfully. "But, if we were restrained from exercising our full power, I don't believe we would be fulfilled. I think we are more driven by a desire for greater expansion naturally because of the gifts we are born with."

"My dán would agree with you," Gyan said, remembering the conversation he had with his father at the beach on Miliani's wedding day. A twinge of nostalgia fluttered through him.

The two sat in silence for several minutes.

"I agree with you too," he finally said. "I wouldn't change it. I just wish for the light to be mostly dominant again across the lands. Aderes would at least crack a joke or readily engage in conversation when we were younger, despite his haunted past. Now, he hardly speaks to me at all."

"As the power within us grows in response to evolving darkness, it seems likely that it would be more difficult for him not to take action to rescue Lesiana," Valora replied. "Now that he is gaining power, the seriousness of his past is harder to dismiss. As he develops his skill further, I think he feels the injustice of it more profoundly than before."

"I understand that, but he should be striving to fight the darkness by becoming stronger in his light," Gyan said with frustration. "He knows this. I can't help but feel he is giving up—giving in to an emotional weakness so he has an excuse to use his skill in a deviant way. I want to find out his thoughts and help, but he keeps shutting me out."

Valora studied Gyan for several moments as she sipped her tea. "You know that Aderes has evolved his charisma don't you, Gyan?"

"What do you mean?"

"He can control another's mind without touching them. All he has to do is make eye contact now."

"How did you learn that he could?"

"Tarak, Danika, and Brogan have all seen him do it while in battle."

Gyan frowned. "I wonder how long he has known that he could."

"Why do you think he didn't say anything?"

"I don't know. I feel as if he is hiding more, though." He stood. "Come on, it's almost light out. I want to try to get a little more rest, and then I'm gonna find Aderes."

Gyan fell onto his bed after he returned from the kitchens, suddenly exhausted. As he suspected, Aderes was not in their room. He pushed his thoughts away and closed his eyes.

He woke to the sound of running water a couple of hours later Aderes was taking a shower. Gyan turned over and faced the wall until Aderes finished dressing.

Gyan sat up and turned to confront Aderes but stopped when Syam's voice entered their mind. Everyone present at headquarters is to gather at the Thesarei immediately for an emergency Council.

Gyan ignored Syam's request. "We need to talk, Aderes," he said calmly as he got dressed.

"Later. You heard Elder Master Syam. We have to go to Council."

"No, we need to talk now. Council can wait."

Aderes sighed impatiently. "What is it?"

Valora's voice entered Gyan's mind. You want me and Brogan to wait for you to go down to Council, Gyan?

No, he answered. I'm not going. Just tell me what it's about after. He closed his mind to any other outside interruptions.

He moved his attention back to Aderes. "Why didn't you tell me your powers had evolved?"

Aderes sighed. "It's not a big deal. Most of you know now as it is. Can we go?" he stepped toward the door.

"It's like you wanted to hide it from us for some reason. I feel like I don't even know who you are anymore. You isolate yourself from me and the others. What else are you hiding?"

Aderes paused as he reached the door to their room. "I'm not obligated to tell you anything, especially if it isn't going to make any difference."

Gyan gave him a pained look. "I can't believe you would even say that to me after all our years of friendship. Besides that, we rely on each other as a team. Part of that involves knowing who it is we are putting our trust in. It strengthens our bond to know all about each other, but you insist on keeping most of who you are to yourself—and now you're hiding your power. How are we to trust in what you're doing?"

Aderes faced Gyan full-on. "I have proven my loyalty to this team many times, Gyan. There is no reason to doubt me. Besides, I am the one who isn't sure who to trust."

"What do you mean?"

"I do not trust in the Order—in what they claim is right."

"Why? Just because they have not rescued Lesiana right away like you want, due to how it would trigger Mordán, doesn't mean they are against you. They told us she is not in danger."

"This is why I don't tell you anything," Aderes said in a harsh tone. "Mordán isn't stable, regardless, because that is who he is. You believe that all that matters is whether my sister is in immediate physical danger," he clinched his fist, "and not how she feels deep inside?"

He walked across the room slowly until he was standing directly in front of Gyan. His face turned to stone and his voice lowered as he tilted his head. "What Gyan?" he gave a low laugh, "You don't think that putting someone under a spell even if it makes them happy on the surface is wrong?"

"Isn't that essentially what you used your Charisma to do to your nán?" Gyan replied quietly. He cringed as soon as he finished his statement, feeling the sting of his words as Aderes reddened.

"This is different! Aderes exclaimed. "Do you really not think that my sister feels this nagging ache inside for her real family when she is all alone without even knowing why beneath it all?" His eyes flashed. "No spell will ever rid someone of that. This is why I do not trust my sister's well-being to the Order. They will wait until it suits their agenda to rescue her and not because of the state of her own heart."

Gyan's gaze faltered. Words failed him as he considered the truth of Aderes's words.

Aderes stepped back. "You want to know what other secrets I'm keeping then I will tell you, friend. I am working on a plan to get her back. That's it."

"Aderes," Gyan said with a slight edge of panic. "Listen, you do not have to do this alone. You tried to deal with your emotions for Tarak alone and look where it led. And now, this plan to rescue Lesiana you're keeping to yourself. Why do you insist on making it harder than it needs to be?"

"It was never about Tarak. He only reminded me of the pain of losing my family and how important it is for Lesiana to be with me—her only family left."

"The Order will support you if you just trust that the elder masters know what they're doing," Gyan stated in frustration.

Aderes scoffed. "I no longer trust that they will retrieve her. You don't understand. You have family to support you. But, I'm supposed to put everyone else before the only family I have? We sacrifice everything for the Order and in return, they have made me abandon the one thing I wish to fight for the most."

"They haven't abandoned her, Aderes. I know we will get her back. Please, listen to me. It's not easy for any of us who are in the Order but working as a warrior for all citizens is part of our duty—part of who we are."

"I don't want it to be part of me anymore," Aderes said in a low voice.

Gyan's eyes widened. "You can't mean that."

"I do…For me, Lesiana comes first from now on. If we can't defeat Mordán, I know she will die. She will either be by my side, or I will go to her. I don't care what the Order's demands are."

"Let's talk to the masters," Gyan stated in a rush. "We still have to wait for the right moment. We need a plan and resources—"

"We have all seen what happens when the Order waits to take action!" Aderes's voice rose higher as his buried anger surfaced. "We've already waited long enough to get rid of Mordán. And why—what's the purpose?" His eyes hardened. "For Mordán to gain enough power and then attempt a plan to take over the entire planet? They've seen what Mordán has done. Do you think it is enough for the Order to finally go after him now that he has teamed up with a star witch so powerful that we may not be able to defeat her? Wake up, Gyan!"

Aderes threw up his hands. "They've had opportunities to take him out. The Order is wrong for not removing Mordán from power when he drove families out of the rural areas of Androsa long ago and gave the land to the Vaznaun! They were wrong for not stopping him from ruining my childhood! And then, Master Jabari should have ended Mordán at the Ceremony of Pyhron when he had the chance!" He paused and took a deep breath.

"You make some reasonable points, Aderes, but you know why they didn't get rid of Mordán after he took Kraundor's throne. He had the support of most of the kingdom at the time."

"So, we sacrifice the few for many?" Aderes sneered. "That's easy to say if you're not one of the few."

"The Order helped families escape then, Aderes!" Gyan responded as his irritation heightened. "They did what they thought they could, and that put many of them in danger! There are other factors to consider when making large decisions that involve many people. When there is more than one life to think about, you have to strategize and analyze your moves carefully. You can't just wipe out everyone that displeases you because you have the power to."

Aderes's responding laugh tinged with a note of hysteria. "No, we just babysit them from afar, and wait until they attempt to wipe us out. We just watch while Mordán makes plans to overthrow everything good about this planet to satisfy his own greed." He turned his back on Gyan. "Well, I'm going to take back the one thing that I already know he is not good enough to ever possess."

Gyan stepped forward. "Aderes."

Aderes did not turn around. "And I am warning you, Master Protector," he said with a deadly tone, "I will do what I feel is right and anything that gets in the way of that is against me."

Gyan's eyes narrowed as he gazed at Aderes's back. "I'm not against you, Aderes. I could never be. But, I will protect you—even if it's from yourself."

Aderes threw his head back as he laughed again. He turned to face Gyan again head-on. "You can try, but no amount of protection will be enough to keep me trapped up any longer, waiting to hear that my sister has rotted in a place she never—in her right mind—wanted to be!" he yelled. "And now, it won't be long before the rebel villagers from Uthar deliver direct attacks of retaliation on Mordán's palace—directly where Lesiana lives now! So, I am going to go get my sister, before she dies remembering a life she never wanted."

Aderes's eyes lit up as his voice became increasingly louder. "And if you lay a hand on me," he spat, "I will give you the worst thoughts your mind never knew even existed… Some of them will be from my own life, and then memories of your perfect little life will cease to be!"

"No one is going anywhere just yet, Aderes."

Gyan and Aderes looked to find Brogan standing at their bedroom door. The rest of their team members stood behind him wearing worrisome expressions.

"What is it?" Gyan asked as the light in Aderes's eyes faded.

"Mordán has attacked Velian head-on with the Nardan armies. Lord Mohan is dead. The Spear warriors have made their way into Velian to assist just in time, so the army has retreated for now."

Gyan took a step forward. "What of the villagers in the forest?"

"Master Shamira stated that the villagers are safe and have gone into hiding. The report states Mordán only went after Velian, but that's not all. He is sending the Vaznaun troops into Aikon. If he succeeds, Yevani will be in immediate danger."

Aderes's eyes met Gyan's.

"Nán," Gyan whispered. He rushed out of the room past the others.

"How do you know this?" Aderes asked Brogan.

"Reports from the Spear warriors and our spies," he said. "And Jarek has seen the attack on Aikon."

Aderes looked past Brogan to Jarek, who nodded.

"All of us are needed, Aderes." Brogan cast him a hard look. "Let's go."

Aderes gave Brogan a small nod and followed the team from the room.