***
“HOLD!!!” Sauros’ voice rang out. It wasn’t loud, but Javin could hear it in his mind as well as with his ears. He jerked around from the scene below to find that Sauros had suddenly stood, took in what was about to happen, and yelled out. It must be the crystal, Javin thought as Sauros turned to look at him with surprise in his eyes.
The people below had stopped and they too were staring up into the balcony in awe. They must have felt the same thing. Javin tried an experiment.
Can you hear me? He thought, and tried to direct it to Sauros. Sauros, in turn, flinched then stared at Javin. Yes? The thought came back. How?
Javin smiled and touched above his breast where the crystal was warming. Sauros nodded. This is getting more interesting all the time.
I’ll say, Javin thought back, then turned to the people below. Sauros’ people had stopped their advance, but the Pontu’ Gi still had their weapons raised. It appeared that the mental interchange after Sauros’ initial call had only transpired between him and Javin. Preegha was still looking at Sauros. Sauros turned to him.
“Call your warriors down.” It was a command.
Javin held his breath, but Preegha merely nodded, not taking offense. Then the other Elders materialized between the warriors and the people. The people gasped and moved back as one, but the Elders ignored them. Preegha called out and the warriors turned back to look at him. They lowered their weapons. The threat was gone. The younglings would listen.
He’d felt the touch Preegha had with the Elders and the young warriors, and started to have an inkling of how such a thing could have been done. It was as if the command to lower their weapons was as much mental and emotional as it was verbal. Javin knew this new ability in himself stemmed from the crystal, but it was more like the crystal merely helped him find the ability within himself. Now he knew how, he was sure he could do it again.
Preegha turned to Javin. His head tilted to the side as if wondering at Javin’s touch in his mind. Had he felt when he’d tried to listen in?
“My warriors are now yours,” he said to Javin.
Javin’s mouth dropped open and he heard a chuckle from Sauros. He also felt Sauros’ touch in his mind and how he’d felt Javin’s shock.
Preegha must have felt it too, for a smile touched his lips.
“You are truly Mulda’ fi. I can feel you even stronger now. I recognize the goodness in you.” Then his voice grew bitter. “Our people have been deceived. Misused for something they never were intended. They are to protect not enslave!” The last he spoke with vehemence that Javin now could feel. This was a whole new spectrum in communication. He knew he’d never be able to lie to these people. How Nemesis had done it, he hadn’t a clue. But lying to anyone was the furthest thing from his mind right now.
Preegha then turned to Sauros. “Forgive my people. We were wrong to follow that Other. No more! How may we make amends?” There was sincerity of feeling behind his words that there was no mistaking he meant it.
Sauros didn’t answer. Instead he turned and knelt back down by his father. It was plain he was gone. Javin didn’t need to have the mental and emotional connection to know of Sauros’ grief. Sohorkon looked over to his brother. “What do we do now?”
Javin felt a flash of anger surge up in Sauros that was barely under control. He was silent a moment then he took his father’s hand and raised it to his heart. Sauros bowed his head briefly. Javin could feel all anger continuing to surge, mixed in with a cacophony of all other emotions. Shock, outrage, hurt, confusion . . . fear. Then when Sauros raised his head, the mix of emotion Javin felt was coalescing to resolve.
“We will finish this business!” Sauros said. “We will rid ourselves of the cause of it all.” He stood and turned to Javin.
“I am with you, Javin. My people are also yours! We must rid our world of this Nemesis who is trying to take your place!”
Javin was shocked again, but the crystal in his breast was burning with a flashing heat. This is right. This is what I have to do!