“The thoran in the cave said something about friends of Kendra, who is that?” Fred almost seemed to be thinking aloud.
“I think she is my mother. She was the ascendant that helped you earthbend yesterday.” Kiyan explained putting words to his suspicions.
“Wow, she was nice. I'm glad for you.” Fred seemed genuinely happy. I’m glad that you were able to finally find out who your real parents are. Anything else you want to tell us?”
“I'm a telepath and I can bend all the elements, I think that covers it.” Kiyan confessed.
“Not surprised. Not one bit. After all you are the child of an ascended.” Fred laughed.
Kiyan remembered how Corban's hands had glowed when he had life bent and then remembered the night the last time he had lived this day. He opened his mind and connected with Fred, asking permission.
With a little gasp Fred whispered. “I didn't believe you when you said you were telepathic.”
Closing his eyes Kiyan reached out and felt for the energy around him letting it appear in his mind's eye. Soon he could see the light emanating from the plants and animals around him. There was a forest of light in front of them. Focusing on any part of it felt like it got closer until they could feel every detail. “Incredible,” Kiyan felt Fred whisper. Looking up at the sky Kiyan saw the stars in a new light. There seemed to be an infinite number of them, they could see through the nebula and feel the millions upon millions of burning spheres. Kiyan felt something new that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Pulling their minds back in Kiyan stopped when he saw Kendra floating in the air in front of them.
“I will explain later, I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable in any way. Both of you should get some rest now.” Kendra glowed with energy to Kiyan’s second sight. Opening his eyes Kiyan broke the connection.
“So that is what life bending is like?” Fred asked.
“I think so Frederic.” Kiyan laughed. Fred scowled at the use of his full name.
“If your mom wasn't here I would punch you right now.” Fred whispered with a mischievous tone.
Chapter Five: Learning
Merlin woke to the crackle of a fire in the hearth. Morning had come again. Sleep was unnecessary for his kind but he needed to appear human in order to fulfill his mission. Spending a portion of each day in a trance like state was necessary to perpetuate the illusion. He would happily have spent the night in the city playing the Good Samaritan. Simple things made life in the middle ages bearable. Something like leaving food on the doorstep of a widow or the healing of the blacksmith’s daughter. A mishap in the forge had left her face in shambles. Her joy on waking and finding all traces of the horrific scar gone had been reward enough.
Someone had seen him appear and leave a bundle of medicine once and the whole city had been in an uproar. The church maintained a demon was loose in the city and it was the fault of the court wizard unleashing demons. He smiled as he remembered how the church had tried and found some poor woman guilty. That part had enraged him. The way he had implicated the priest in charge of the inquisition for masquerading as the devil in the night had been most gratifying. The woman had been released and given a farm for her trouble after Merlin insisted. What a benighted people, Merlin thought, to think the devil was tempting people to sin by leaving money and food on the doorsteps of the worthy ones. Even if he did try to help now no one would take it. The best he could do was scan the city and heal the innocents struck down with illness. Not a complete waste of time to be sure.
Merlin's mission was not to heal the sick, that was a hobby so to say. The mission was to prevent the kingdom from falling into the hands of other nations. Most of those possible futures led to a shift in power later that made a German the first person on the Americas and the roman colony of new Rome the first of the American colonies. The more cataclysmic changes occurred later after world war three when the cold war started. The United Provinces of Mexico had pushed the button ensuring mutual destruction first. All that was left was a radioactive sphere when the last bomb exploded.
It had all started in king Arthur's court. He well remembered the day he warped into this time. He had accidentally done it in the middle of a Knight’s camp. He had let the noble and brave Knights of the Round Table capture him. He laughed when he remembered how in the next day King Uther had decided to burn the sorcerer whom the knights claimed had turned a whole village into swine. Only with sir Briant's sword at his throat had the evil man turned them back into christian people. How mercifully none of the villagers had remembered their degraded situation. Oh he had to give these knights credit for their imagination. Merlin had laughed in the face of his executioner. Fire bending ascended were most difficult to kill in such a manner. It was similar to the futile exercise of trying to execute a fish by drowning.
After they heaped wood on the fire for three days Merlin decided to end it before they burnt the whole countryside. It took a show of controlling the weather to put the fire out and convince the people that God was on his side and that he was innocent. Even in the face of this show of might Sir Briant had found a "witch" and accused her of summoning the storm to save a fellow devil worshiper. With people like this it was a wonder the world had not destroyed itself sooner. A well placed lightning bolt had solved the problem. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on which side of the coin you look at, the knight's armor had directed most of the current around his body but he was still maimed and ostracized for angering God by trying to burn one of his servants.
Casting his senses out over the city he searched for something amiss. He had already caught two assassin this year who intended to end Arthur's life. Arthur was much more intelligent than his father but he was kept busy with many affairs of state. Even so there were times when Merlin suspected there was more to him than he let on. The king seemed to have insight into matters that almost negated Merlin’s involvement in the course of history.
This morning Merlin caught the imprint of an alien mind as the creature darted through the city heading to the palace. Teleporting into the creature's path, Merlin prepared for the battle. When it rounded the corner, Merlin recognized a drakken. The lizard creature carried two curved blades already covered in blood. Seeing another human in its path the drakken rushed Merlin. He easily evaded the blades and sent a fireball into its back. Spinning on him faster than should be possible the blades cut through Merlin's jacket and should have cut a human in half.
“Nice thing about being an energy life form.” A few thousand amps later and all that remained was a pile of ash. Turning Merlin saw a knight watching with his mouth open. Oh boy this would probably go into the history books as sir so and so killed a dragon in hand to hand combat. Noting the mental imprint of the drakken he returned and set up a scanner set to that neural frequency. An early warning system should there be any more incursion. Someone wanted earth dead. Whoever it was had been sending agents to meddle with events.
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Kiyan woke and listened to the birds sing for a few minutes before he smelled the food cooking. Looking around camp he noticed both the other boys stirring as well. Wondering where the fire was as they were in a tree, Kiyan got up and walked over to where Corban was sitting.
“Thought this would wake you all,” Corban said with a smile, “my mother used to make this when we went camping.”
Kiyan looked at the pan and discovered that Corban was firebending under the pan. The smell of frying potatoes was soon filling the whole camp and the other boys soon were up.
Closing his eyes, Kiyan let his mind wander taking in the area. Expanding toward the sky he again felt something was off. He sensed something different but he couldn't tell what. Jeremy distracted Kiyan by starting an argument with Fred over what was the best school of bending. Corban soon settled it by explaining that no one school was better than another. Each had skills in areas that were stronger but each had weaknesses that could be exploited.
Eager to start the day they had breakfast
and were soon at the lake. Corban wanted to see what the boys could really do so he helped them with some basic forms. Corban mused on the flickers of color he saw in Kiyan’s energy. There was the blue that was to be expected for a water bender but strands of red seemed to flicker through Kiyan’s energy. Perhaps, he thought, Kiyan is more than just a waterbender.
Taking Kiyan to a flat rock in the water they began to try some simple techniques. To Corban's surprise Kiyan was affecting a much greater area than he should for the second day of bending. There was restraint there. Connecting to Kiyan's mind he decided to try something. Letting a ripple escape their calm pool, Corban quietly distracted Kiyan and let him put all his power into the ripple. The resulting wall of water that slid across the lake and crashed on the far shore rebounding back towards them. Corban struggled with his surprise enough that Kiyan realized what was happening. Kiyan jumped off the rock and began to glow with a blue light to Corban's eyes. The wave began to shrink as it flew at them. Before breaking on them Kiyan gave a pulse of light and the wave froze in place. Letting the energy abate, Kiyan opened his eyes and saw the frozen wave hanging over him. Turning he saw everyone looking at him in amazement. Kendra shifted into Kiyan's view and bent the frozen water back into the calm lake like it had been before.
Speaking in Kiyan's mind she said. “Kiyan you don't have to hide from Corban or your friends. Theo told me about what the villagers were like when they found out so I won't tell them but you can trust those here. The villagers will eventually accept you for who you are.”
This indeed was a surprise even though Corban had felt another bender melt the lake. Kiyan had an enormous amount of raw talent but virtually no refinement.
“OK, Kiyan I see you have been holding out.” Corban decided to meet the issue head on. “Apparently you don't want anyone to know so I won't tell if you won't. I can also tell that you are a mirror telepath. Nothing to be ashamed of but I can understand that some might be intimidated. As a telepath the emotions people would be stronger to you than to even the host. Kendra gave me this assignment but I make it my mission now to help you control your powers. If you can control them you can be a powerful force for good.”
Kiyan decided silence was enough of an agreement.
Jeremy broke the silence. “Kiyan can you show me how to do that?”
“I don't know, Corban did it.” Kiyan tried to shift the blame a little.
“It’s true I did trick you into showing your full strength but I meant no harm. Are you willing to try one other thing?” Corban tried to change the subject.
“Like what?” Kiyan was a little suspicious now.
“Firebending, I think you are a firebender.” Corban explained. Turning he took a bending form that was new to everyone. Shifting his position suddenly a torrent of flame erupted from his arm and flicked out over the lake.
“You’re a firebender too?” Jeremy was incredulous. Kiyan wasn’t sure whether it was over the discovery that Corban was a firebender or the insinuation that Kiyan was.
Remembering the last times he had fire bent, Kiyan closed his eyes and focused on the heat at his core. Opening his eyes he channeled it into his hands then jumped back as his hands burst into flame. His jacket was singed and his fingers still glowed.
Corban wasn't that surprised when Kiyan changed colors to a ruby red then burst into flame. Throwing back his head, Corban laughed more than he had in a couple of years. “I'm sorry Kiyan,” he was finally able to make out, “I must have looked just like that when I first fire bent. I would have warned you but I hadn’t expected more than a few sparks.”
Kiyan didn't see anything funny in it even though Corban seemed certain he would see the humor in it in a couple of years. Remember in the other colors he saw in Kiyan he decided that would be a topic for another day. “Kiyan you don't have to be afraid of burning yourself. You are pretty much fireproof. Now your clothes are another matter. I will get a friend of mine from Samtan to send some fireproof material for your clothes from now on. To make his point he burst into flame from head to foot. A moment later he silenced the flames and didn't have a single mark on his clothes.”
“Wow that's amazing!” Fred exclaimed.
“We should return to the village soon,” Corban suggested, “when I get back to the village I will look for a place where we can train in peace without anyone accidentally getting hurt.”
The small group made their way back to the village. The rest of the day was as Kiyan remembered it the first time.
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After Corban had spoken to his tailor and given him the required measurements and instruction he set about finding a place to live. He wanted something that wouldn't draw a lot of attention but would be big enough to train in. Something with a few personal design touches he had invented. Something surrounded with all the elements. As an empath of some talent he also wanted something where he wouldn't be exposed to the raw emotions of people. Feeling the air around him he reached out with it and mapped the immediate area. Not feeling anything other than some caves deep below the village he got up and began walking toward the edge of the village. Kiyan was a waterbender so something near the lake would be preferable. When he reached the lake he scanned the area again. Not seeing anything suitable he reached out farther. Then he felt it. The waterfall. It was a curtain of water over a half mile of the cliff face. He felt behind it and felt the empty space hidden by the falling water. A natural cave created by the overhang. It was perfect.
Lifting into the air Corban flew out across the lake. Using a blast of air he parted the falls and passed through. Behind the falls was an empty area half the size of the village. Immediately plans for a home, a training hall, hanging walkways and a virtual paradise sprang into his head. He was a life mage but it would take him months to grow what he was planning. He didn't have that much time. Tonight all he would have time to grow was a simple dwelling.
He prepared to start the task by reaching out and connecting with the plant life around him. He began feeding energy into the vegetation. They responded and began changing, growing into the shapes he willed upon them. Soon a platform was hanging from the wall. It would be a long night, landing on the platform he began to meditate and prepared for the task.
Feeling something from the corner of his mind he opened his eyes and nearly leaped backwards. There was a shadow that was moving. Focusing on it he began to see its form. It was a man, not one that Corban could recognize but still a man. Waiting to see what his move would be Corban was quiet.
“Greetings, my name is Prometheus but you can call me Theo.”
The name rang a bell but Corban couldn't remember where he had heard it. Prometheus was an ascended that much he knew. Relaxing at this realization he stood.
“Forgive me but you left your mind unguarded and I caught a glimpse of what you are planning.” Theo moved through the air and landed on the platform with Corban. “I have nothing better to do and was wondering if I might help you. Together we can have it grown tonight.” Corban must have left his mind unguarded again because Theo added. “Who I am is unimportant, I offer my services on the condition that you don't speak of this to anyone, for Kiyan's sake.”
Raising his guards, Corban thought it strange that Theo would ask in the name of Kiyan but he agreed.
Corban sent the plans to Theo and they were soon engrossed with the task at hand. Corban was amazed at the skill with which Theo plied his craft. Soon the framework for the place was hanging in the air, the walls were growing into place and the living woodwork that ornamented the place had progressed beyond Corban's skill. He set to work growing veins into the buildings that carried water through the walls. He felt Theo tap into the network and grow complex systems throughout the place for various purposes besides his original intent of fire suppression. After all he was a firebender planning on living in a wooden house. The improvements onto Corban's original plans were various and some were minor like a plant growth that warmed water for different purposes or
the plants that glowed brightly and lit the cave in the night. Others were more elaborate like the hanging walk that clung to the face of the cliff. It didn’t stand out in any way from the cliff face but was a thing of beauty up close. Another was the stairs between levels, stairs only in that they shared the same function, different in that they were more tubes were flowing water and some advanced physics negated gravity enough that one could levitate between levels effortlessly.
Observing Theo, Corban was perplexed by what little he could sense from him. Focusing closely he realized he had seen exactly the same thing when he had observed Kiyan. The myriad of faint colors but this time a deep green was forefront. Corban recalled a legend about a powerful ascended. He had been one of the first ascended if not the first. He had been lost at the conclusion to the shadow war many years ago. Until now no one had known what had become of this being. Now this once lost ascended was helping Corban build a training ground for a boy in a small village on Thane.
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Kiyan felt the absence of Theo after he went to bed. Soon he felt something unlike anything he had felt in his life. He felt life flowing through him channeled through Theo but some of it was through Kiyan. He felt the life in his house and in the whole town. Bathed in its power he slipped into sleep.
In the next few days training began in earnest. The ceremonies that marked the coming of age over the youths fell into a routine. Most days were spent learning how to bend the elements. Draxos and Deep Current soon joined Corban as instructors. Together the boys learned the basics of bending and progressed to more advanced techniques. Kiyan was also being given training on how to use his telepathic powers by Carlisle. Despite the fact that Kiyan was learning all the schools he managed to maintain the same pace of learning of his fellows.
Kiyan reveled in the manipulation of the world around him. Not all the training was in the pure use of bending. Much of the training they received was in the form of an understanding of the universe that they lived in. If one understood how things worked then it was with little difficulty that one could make these same things work for them. The true limitations of a bender was his understanding of these things. It was one thing to be able to make water move but it was another to know how water reacted to changes in its environment. Knowledge of that allowed the bender to alter the properties of water to compensate.