Beyond Legend: The Unbreakable Kingdom

Chapter Sixty-Seven - Back to Back

Ailith drummed her hands against her boots and glanced at Emlyn. ''Maybe you're wrong?''

''Excuse me?'' Emlyn's brow arched, but her eyes remained closed.

Nassandra gulped. ''Ailith...''

''I can't train my aura like you can,'' Ailith said. ''Most people conjure swords or weapons with whatever magic they've learned. But, you fight with a sword made by blacksmiths. It's already an extension of you so you don't need to focus on the aura of other things as much as I have to. Meditation like this itself isn't wrong, but it's wrong for me.''

Emlyn relaxed her body. ''Then do what you think is best.''

Ailith pursed her lips. Her tongue was itching to say more, but she thought against it so not to disturb Emlyn anymore than she already had. She fidgeted around, trying to find a comfortable position to continue the meditation her way.

''Um...'' Nassandra's quiet voice grabbed Ailith's attention. ''I've found focusing on specific things around me helps the mind. Instead of trying to block your senses, maybe you should embrace them?''

''I can try,'' Ailith smiled and closed her eyes. Her ears perked up at brustling leaves and the water splashing beneath the Silverback's lumbering steps across the lake. The cold wind biting her skin set off a wave of goosebumps over her skin. Sounds, sensations, smells, even the taste of dirt on her lips, guided her. Using them, she could create the scene in the black canvas of her mind, with the aura around her as her brush to paint with. However, something was missing. ''I can't hear the animals.''

''What?'' Nassandra questioned.

Emlyn's eyes bolted open as she casually rose to her feet along with Ailith. The three of them scanned their surroundings. There was nothing in the trees. The birds and insects had stopped singing. The only disturbance that could be seen were the ripples in the lake caused by the Silverbacks. It suddenly dawned on them how empty this place felt.

''Something's not right,'' Ailith commented. ''We need to warn the others.''

They hurried across the walkway, gathering as many people as they could on their way. Some campers were apprehensive, while others were groggy being woken from much-needed sleep. But, they followed Ailith's lead without question as she rushed to the front of the pack and spotted Thwack surveying the route ahead.

Hearing the group approach, Thwack turned to face the warrior with narrow eyes. ''What's got your sword in a knot?''

''Thwack, I don't think it's safe for everyone to be outside of their tents right now,'' Ailith said.

''Why not? I don't hear anything.''

''That's the point!'' Ailith snapped. ''It's never been this quiet. All the animals are gone. There might be a predator stalking the trees that we don't know about.''

Thwack scoffed. ''We're in the middle of a wide-open lake. We can't hear animals cause they're too far. And even if something is out there, the water's too shallow for it to ambush us.''

Before Ailith could argue further, Nassandra stepped forward to confront Thwack. ''Please, you have to listen to us. This silence isn't normal. I fear that-,''

''You fear everything!'' Thwack mocked, jabbing a limb into Nassandra's chest. ''You're a bag of nerves that sputters if her own shadow is out of place.''

Ailith and Emlyn started to move, ready to protect Nassandra. But, the Princess held up her hands to stop them, giving each an assured nod before she locked eyes with the Krilleg once again. ''I understand why you think that way. My mind could be playing tricks on me and I could be wrong. But, I'd rather be wrong and ensure everyone's safety rather than be right and do nothing as something dreadful happens.''