Convergence

Convergence Chapter 22

I sat on a hill overlooking a lake. The surface of the water sparkled like millions of jewels in the sunlight. I really wanted to save this place if only so I could enjoy such beauty. I understood Azazel's reasons for wanting to own it as well. Luckily for me, it was mine by inheritance.

I saw a small blue orb—about the size of a basketball—fall from the sky before taking flight over the waters and ground. Something about it caused a bit of worry. It flitted from one area to the next as if looking for something. I watched until it stopped its erratic behavior and sank halfway into the ground. There were blue ripples around it while it was in the ground like the rings of Saturn and it seemed to cruise around the bank of the lake. It made one vertical rotation and changed to look exactly like the moon before heading up the hill to the cabin.

I rushed up and burst inside the cabin. The blue moon orb had appeared to make its way around all of the rooms and came out to greet me. It slid slightly to the left and then slightly right before finding its way to a corner. It slid again, this time it went diagonally across the length of the room in a very quick manner before making one horizontal rotation into a clear, red orb. It started to pulsate and I heard strange noises coming from outside.

"Don't look outside!" Tyler rushed in from the kitchen area in his larger more human form, but it was too late. I was already staring outside. The sun was growing larger by the moment.

"Is the sun falling out of the sky?" I stood there pointing at it until it made a horizontal rotation and changed into a giant eyeball. "What's that?" I screamed.

The fire eyeball locked onto me and I heard it roar before crashing into the posts of the covered wraparound porch outside. The force of the pounding increased with each blow and I could hear the boards crack.

Tyler tossed a blanket over the red orb and sheltered me from the falling debris. He led me out of the side door where Ashe was waiting and we took off into the sky. It only took a moment for the sun to notice and then give chase.

"What is that?" I asked.

"An enforcer, My Queen, sent by The Dark King no doubt. The small one was a tracker. They work together to find and capture whatever it is they were contracted to bring back."

I turned back. "It's gaining on us. What do we do?"

"Hope for the best."

He pulled a four-leafed clover from his pocket and blew over the top. The leaves dispersed like they would from a dandelion puff and four horses with wings descended between us and the fire orb.

"Pegasus?" I wondered if there was a plural form but Tyler corrected me.

"Winged horse is the more correct term, my queen. Pegasus is just the name of one."

The horses only slowed the eyeball but it wasn't enough.

"The horses are getting singed. What do we do now?"

"My magic isn't strong enough for the summon animal's full speed," Tyler said. "I'm sorry."

I let my head fall on his back. The magic I had left wasn't strong enough to summon Squeak at all let alone fly us out of here at a pace fast enough to outrun that eyeball. I wished that there was something I could do, something anyone could do that would help us. A great dragon appeared as mysteriously as the winged horses and as fast as the wind. He took us in his massive claws and darted out of the fire orb's range in mere moments. I heard the screams of the others as the orb grow faint in the distance.

The dragon released us on our own once the enforcer orb was no longer in sight and hadn't been for a long time. I yelled out my thanks and hoped it heard me before disappearing into the sky. Ashe descended almost the instant she was released and we stopped in the middle of a forest before she disappeared.

"Are you okay?" I judged Tyler's reactions. Ashe left so quickly but he didn't seem tired at all.

"I will be fine, My Queen. The summon creature can only pull from the energy of her master. His stores may be depleted but mine are not. She's back with him now." He took my hand and headed deeper into the woods.

"You can't share your powers with her?"

"I could."

"Then why don't you?"

He stopped walking. "Is that an order, My Queen?"

"No, it was just a question."

"Forgive me. I know her master is your friend, but as a servant to The Dark King, I cannot risk letting any of my magic mix with his. I might fall to The Dark King's will. Just having any of his magic at all puts me at risk."

"Oh. So you can compartmentalize your magic?"

"Yes, My Queen." He continued on his journey. "I will teach if you wish, but it may take some time."

"Just seems like something that would've been nice to know a long time ago, that's all. Where are we going anyway?"

"To a safe place."

"To what end?" We stopped moving again. "You were all gung ho about attacking Azazel earlier and now you just want to hide me? I can't just keep letting him get stronger."

"Forgive me. I was only trying to keep you hidden. I didn't realize you were ready now."

"I'm not ready. I'll never be ready for something like that, but the longer I take to go back to him the stronger he gets."

"Just tell me what you need done and we'll do it."

"How can I take back my power?"

He smiled. "Tell it what you need done and it will obey. It's a feeling you get inside. Knowing what your power feels like makes controlling it so much easier. Just tell it what you need done and it will obey."

I groaned and fell to the ground. "Well, how about the other creatures? Surely with the amount of magic in this place, all of us together can find a way to overthrow him."

Tyler shook his head. "All of us together are still no match against The Dark King, especially if he found a way to control Howe's magic. We can't stop him, but we may be able to delay him long enough for you to make contact."

"I have to touch him to be able to control my power?"

"Yes."

I let out a huge sigh. "So when can we start?"

He just stood there smiling at me.

"Let me guess, 'just say the word,' right?"

He gave a nod.

"Well then, let's get this started at like dawn or something. Gather as many who are willing to help stand by my side. We'll come up with a plan."

"Yes, My Queen."