Chapter 2

A Memory of Things to Come

 

The Assassin’s Shadow radiated despair. Jack Staples could feel its touch on his skin. Whereas the sun brought life and warmth, the Assassin’s Shadow brought only misery. From the back of his winged panther, Jack pulled his cloak closed. The sun is gone, and we may never see it again! It was a chilling thought.

He glanced upward, shielding his eyes against the slithering darkness. How do we fight the sky? It hadn’t even been a full day since the darkness had come, but already he could feel its effect on his mind and body. Jack had to fight to stay positive.

“Do not lose heart, children,” Elion called from beside him. Even beneath the slithering darkness, her skin sparkled like diamonds.

Alexia brought her winged fox closer. Jack had recently learned that Alexia Dreager was his sister, though he hadn’t found the right time to tell her yet. He’d grown up with an older brother, Parker. But he knew now that Parker was not his real brother. For a reason he didn’t understand, Parker and Alexia had been switched at birth.

“The Assassin only has the power you give him. Even this darkness will not touch you if you don’t allow it.” Elion spoke loudly to be heard over the wind.

“But what is it? How could the Assassin possibly black out the sky?” Jack asked.

“It is the Assassin’s Shadow. It is his essence. It is fear and hatred, pride and jealousy. And those who bathe in its darkness must fight to stay pure.” Elion’s eyes shifted to white gold. “I don’t know how he created it, but it was spoken of in the prophecy as his greatest weapon. I am afraid the end is near. The world won’t be able to stand beneath this darkness for more than a few days.”

Now her eyes were deep maroon. “Take heart, Jack Staples and Alexia Dreager. The size of the enemy is far less important than the warriors’ strength of heart and will. No matter how great the darkness becomes, you must allow your lights to shine. There can be no room for fear.”

“But I am afraid,” Jack said. “How can I not fear when everyone I know and love could be hurt or killed?”

“You misunderstand. I am also afraid. I fear for you and Alexia.” Elion shifted her gaze to Alexia. “And I fear for the Awakened. Will they be strong enough to stand against the hordes of darkness? But I do not fear the Assassin, for he only has the power that we give him. And I do not fear his followers, for they are not evil; they are simply deceived. While the two of you still live, there is hope for this world.”

A shiver pricked across Jack’s skin. Between one breath and the next, the world had become … pure! The slithering darkness still obscured the sky, yet the feeling of misery was gone. “What just happened?” Jack looked around.

“The air is so clean!” Alexia gasped.

Jack looked in wonder at the valley below. Every tree stood strong and tall, and the world was filled with color. Even without the light of the sun, the flowered fields and rich grass were beautiful.

“Ah! It seems we have arrived at last.” Elion smiled. “It is good to be in an Oasis again! In many ways they feel similar to the world where I was born. Yet I cannot stay with you any longer.”

“What?” Jack and Alexia said at the same time.

“You can’t leave! We just got here,” Jack said. “Isn’t the Shadow Army still following?”

“Yes, but there is something I must attend to.” Elion turned and flew backward as she spoke. “The Last Battle has come, and in every corner of the world, in every city, town, and village, the fighting will be fierce. On every mountaintop and in every valley, the world is raging against itself.” Elion’s eyes shifted between crimson and black.

“But the true battle lies with the two of you. Whether or not you are successful in defeating the Assassin is the only thing that matters. So I go to raise an army to fight beside you.” Elion turned to face forward again. “So long, Jack Staples. Remember that no matter how skilled a Blades Master you become, your sword is merely a tool. Your truest weapon lies in your heart. And so long, Alexia Dreager. Remember that no matter how lonely you may feel, you are never alone. You are surrounded by friends who love you very much.”

Without another word, Elion turned and flew back in the direction they had come. Jack looked at Alexia. She shrugged, and then her fox dropped to dart between the trees far below.

Jack inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with pure oxygen. Whatever evil was happening in the world, inside the Oasis, there was only good. Just being here made him feel better. The place radiated energy. He still needed sleep, but his mind was working quicker, and the aches in his muscles were beginning to fade. His winged panther circled down and landed in a small clearing. Jack stepped down and patted her.

When they’d left the cavern, Jack told Mrs. Dumphry of his new memory. She’d listened until he was done and for a long time hadn’t said a word. Finally she’d smiled and said, “You have come up with a very good plan.” Before Jack could respond, she’d flown ahead. Now that they’d arrived at the Oasis, Jack was more nervous than ever.

Within seconds, the Oasis was stirring like a kicked anthill. Everywhere he looked, people ran this way and that, carrying armloads of supplies as animals darted between them. A feeling of desperation settled around Jack as he watched. Can they escape in time, or will every one of them die today?

“Child, I need you to go pick up that tree.”

Jack turned to see Mrs. Dumphry climbing down from her elephant. She stood and placed her fists in the small of her back and cracked it loudly.

“You want me to pick up a tree?” he said slowly.

“Yes. We will need that tree if we are to save these people.”

“I don’t understand. How can I pick up a tree?”

Mrs. Dumphry snorted. “You can’t, of course. It’s a ridiculous request.”

“They why did you just—”

“A true leader does not carry what is not meant for him. Try and you’ll be crushed as sure as a feather beneath a mountain. You are not responsible for what happens to these people. I suggest you start working on what you are responsible for and leave the rest to those who are meant to carry it.” Mrs. Dumphry’s birdlike eyes never blinked as she spoke.

“But I don’t know if it will work,” Jack admitted. “What if I’m not strong enough? I wasn’t trying to come up with a plan; I was just telling you what I remembered. Except I don’t even know if I remember! What if I try and nothing happens?”

“There is no shame in trying and failing. But to never try for fear of failure is the greatest shame on earth.”

“It’s not that I won’t try,” Jack said. “I’ll do my best, I promise. But if … if I fail, every one of us will die.”

“Well, then”—Mrs. Dumphry winked—“I suppose you had better not fail.” She chuckled as if she’d made a grand joke, then turned and stalked toward the gathering crowd.

Jack hadn’t noticed the hundreds of Awakened arriving behind them as they spoke. It looked as if every member of the Oasis had crowded in the clearing. All were laden with bedrolls, blankets, food; and by the looks on their faces, they were afraid.

Jack tried to shove down the anxiety rising inside him. He knew what was about to happen. The Assassin’s minions would descend on this place of beauty and peace, and unless these people were able to sneak away, every one of them would be captured or killed. As for the Oasis, he didn’t know what would happen, but he was sure it would be bad.

Mrs. Dumphry stepped forward. “My name is Mrs. Dumphry, and you should know that ten thousand Shadow Souled are on their way and will arrive soon.”

Whimpering children clutched parents as adults shifted uncomfortably, yet none spoke. All eyes stayed glued on Mrs. Dumphry.

“You are not who you used to be,” she continued. “You are members of the Awakened and far from helpless. Three hundred leagues to the east, you will find a Great Oasis where the Awakened are gathering by the hundreds of thousands. Many of you have felt it in your hearts, a tugging, that feeling of something drawing you away. Just as that feeling brought you here, it will guide you in all things. It is one of the ways the Author communicates with us. If you feel it now, it is because he is calling you to the Great Oasis.”

Many in the crowd nodded as if they had indeed felt something.

“Your journey will be treacherous, but be strong and have courage.” Mrs. Dumphry walked through the gathered crowd. “Look out for each other. The world has become far more dangerous than it once was. Do not give in to despair. In the midst of darkness, you are the light. But be wary! Just as this Oasis stands with you, you will find Quagmires that have joined the Assassin. No matter how far you must travel to go around them, do not under any circumstances enter a Quagmire. To do so would be a quick and brutal death. Now stay strong and keep together!”

“Does this mean you won’t be coming with us?” A small, shaggy-haired man stepped forward. “I’d hoped you might lead us there.”

“No.” Mrs. Dumphry shook her head. “You will be far safer if we don’t travel with you.” She placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “Both of the Children of Prophecy are with us. The Shadow Souled will not stop until they are captured or dead.”

Gasps erupted from the gathered crowd. Every eye fixed on the four children—Wild, Alexia, Arthur, and Jack. The crowd was clearly trying to ascertain which two were the Children of Prophecy. Each face showed a mixture of fear and wonder.

The prophecy says we will destroy them. It says we will destroy the whole world. Jack shared an uneasy look with Alexia. They’re right to be afraid. Yet the prophecy also said they would defeat the Assassin and save the world. It didn’t make a lick of sense, and even the Council of Seven didn’t pretend to understand it.

“We will stay here and draw the enemy’s attention while you flee,” Mrs. Dumphry continued. “If our plan works”—she met Jack’s eyes—“the dark servants will not be able to follow where we go. Now there’s no time to dally. Off with you.”

Mrs. Dumphry began talking quietly to Andreal. For a long moment, the gathered crowd stood unmoving as if unsure they’d been dismissed. Finally the small fellow shook his head and began shouting instructions.

Jack studied Mrs. Dumphry. She had been his teacher back in Ballylesson and was the oldest woman he’d ever met. No, he remembered, she’s the oldest woman who ever lived. Mrs. Dumphry’s wiry gray hair was pulled back in a large bun, and her petite frame appeared far more brittle than it truly was.

As the crowd dispersed, Jack tried to suppress his anxiety. Everything that was about to happen hinged on the shadow of a memory. He had no other way to explain it, but what he was going to try had not happened, though he still remembered it. At least he had the feeling of remembering it. His stomach churned as he walked toward a nearby tree. When he sat, he startled as the grass thickened beneath him.

Mrs. Dumphry had told them about the Oases that were forming all throughout the world. Yet until he arrived, he hadn’t fully believed her. Just as the humans and Clear Eyes were gathering, so too was the rest of the world. The Oases were gathering places for followers of the Author. The trees and grass, the bugs and reptiles, the air itself would fight alongside the Awakened in the Last Battle. Inside the Oasis, every stone and blade of grass, every tree, rock, and grain of dirt stood defiant against the Assassin.

Jack eyed the grass warily before leaning his head against the tree. He breathed in pure oxygen, and the wind danced along his skin, blowing the aches from his body. It was so peaceful, it was almost possible to forget the slithering darkness in the sky above. Jack closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. I need to think!

When he opened his eyes again, Jack wanted to scream. He’d fallen asleep without meaning to, and in the short time he’d slept, the Oasis had changed. Not yet! The thought tore through him. I’m not ready! The grass beneath him had begun to brown, and a sickly sweet smell filled the air. Jack scrambled to his feet. None of the hundreds of people he’d seen were there, and only a few of the Clear Eyes remained.

Mrs. Dumphry, Wild, and Andreal stood a short distance away, talking quietly. Jack sprinted over. “Why didn’t anyone wake me?” he gasped.

“You were not needed,” Mrs. Dumphry said. “Did you sleep well?”

Jack gaped.

“I hope so, because your time has come, and we will soon put this plan of yours to the test.”

Again Jack wanted to scream. “I don’t even know if I can take more than one! I’m not ready. It isn’t even a memory; it’s more like a dream I can barely remember!” The wind picked up, smelling of rot and decay.

“If I threw an egg in the air and expected it to fly, who would be at fault when it crashed to the ground: me or the egg?” Mrs. Dumphry said happily.

Jack blinked. His teacher rarely said anything that wasn’t confusing. “You,” he said irritably. “It would be your fault if the egg broke.”

“You are correct! All things happen in their time. You are an egg no longer. You have become a bird, and it is time to fly.”

Jack’s eyebrows climbed as he tried to make sense of it. “But I—”

Mrs. Dumphry held up her hand. “It is time.” She turned to Wild. “Wake the others and have them form a circle in the center of the clearing. Young Jack will tell us what to do from there.”

Wild nodded, then ran off to fetch the others.

Jack tried to swallow his doubt. He glanced toward Mrs. Dumphry, but she and Andreal were already walking toward the clearing. The Oasis was fading quickly, changing into something dark and menacing. It’s going to be destroyed. Jack’s thoughts were frantic as the trees pitted with rot and decay and the air thinned. It was hard to breathe.

He ran to the center of the clearing as little whirlwinds formed and spun wildly, tearing at the withering grass. Even as his friends joined him, trees began snapping like twigs, crashing to the ground.

“The Oasis is turning much faster than I expected. I would suggest you do not dally, child.” Mrs. Dumphry winked at Jack.

Distant howls, screeches, and roars sounded from every direction. The army of the Shadow Souled had come. Every living thing that refused to follow the Assassin was being utterly destroyed, or worse. Mrs. Dumphry had told him that parts of the Oasis might switch allegiances. In order to stay alive, trees, grass, animals, even the air itself might choose to become agents of evil.

“You can do this,” Alexia said.

Arthur was slightly paler than everyone else. “I’ve been meaning to ask …” Arthur said, “what happens if only some of us go back? You know? I don’t want to get left here. And if we all do go back, how long before we come back again? You know, back to now, but not here. And is it possible that some of us might get stuck back then and not make it back to now? If so, could you go back again and get the ones who’d been left in the past and bring them back, but to a different place, you know?”

“Arthur!” Alexia shouted. “You’re not helping.”

“Right,” Arthur said, quickly patting Jack on the shoulder. “Sorry. I’m sure you’ll do just fine.”

Jack tried to ignore his friends. Keep your mind on what you’re doing! He breathed deep. “All right!” He yelled to be heard over the wind and snapping trees. “Everyone grab hands and hold on tight. No matter what happens, don’t let go of the hand next to you until we arrive.”

“What happens if we let go?” Arthur asked.

“I don’t know, but I think it’ll be bad,” Jack said.

There were six in the circle—Mrs. Dumphry, Andreal, Wild, Alexia, Arthur, and Jack. He tried not to think about the Oasis as the smell of death thickened and a heavy rain began to fall.

“Jack Staples”—Mrs. Dumphry’s voice cut through the chaos—“you are stronger than you can possibly comprehend.”

Jack nodded, trying to ignore the crumbling landscape. Where is it? He listened with all his heart, desperate to hear his note, but there was nothing. Where are the bells? Where is the ring of Time?

The wind whipped the rain, rocketing it in every direction, leaving Jack half blind. Arthur screamed as the ground began to soften. Jack would have screamed too if he hadn’t been so scared. All six Awakened sank downward in the newly forming quicksand.

Come on! The trees that remained standing had become menacing things of thick thorns and spindly vines, and they were moving into the clearing! A spout of fire erupted from a sinkhole just behind Arthur.

“I do no mean to be complaining,” Andreal boomed, “but if we do be leaving, it might be best if we be going now!” The giant’s fiery orange hair and black beard were slick with muddied rain.

“The animals are turning!” Arthur screamed.

Jack had already noticed a few. Throughout the forest, animals were stopping. Many of the beasts dropped and began thrashing about; a moment later they rose again with pink eyes and frothy snouts. Yet many of the Clear Eyes grew bolder as they began circling the Awakened protectively.

Jack met Mrs. Dumphry’s eyes, but she merely watched him, a small smile parting her lips. He was beginning to think it would be impossible to hear anything. They were now thigh-deep in the muck and still sinking.

“What are you waiting for?” Arthur shouted.

Jack coughed as metallic vapor appeared in the center of the circle. Whatever the vapor was, it was thickening. “Come on!” he screamed. “Please? I need to hear it!” Suddenly, exploding from somewhere deep in his chest, Jack heard his note. Never before had it been so loud or so powerful.

Jack let the sound fill every part of him. The melody wove around him, each beat matching the rhythm of his heart. It was a fantastical song that reverberated throughout the clearing, wrapping each member of the Awakened. Along with the cadence came a feeling of absolute peace. Even as the mist congealed in front of him, Jack fully embraced his note. And in a flash of light, Jack and his friends exploded from the clearing, flying backward through the air.