Next Steps

When I reopened my eyes, I was surprised to find out that I was back in the white void. That quickly changed, however, when I realized that this was my chance to discuss with Veythar what I had learned. Ignoring my wound, I stood up as fast as I could and looked around. Veythar was nowhere to be seen, just like before. “Veythar! Where are you!?” I called out, expecting he would hear me.

“I’m here.” A voice said behind me, startling me slightly. Turning around, I was face-to-face with Veythar once again. “I’m glad to see you made it to Elyria safely,” he continued. “I hope the journey didn’t prove to be too difficult.”

“Oh it was fine at first,” I said, a bit of anger in my voice, “up until the Duskwraiths attacked us and nearly killed me, leaving me unconscious for three days.” Veythar seemed unfazed about this, which irritated me for some reason.

“Well, despite the situation, you managed to survive and make it to Elyria alive. And better yet, you met with the Nobles. Tell me, what did you learn from them?”

“They told me… a lot,” I said, recalling the major details, “They told of the other Guardians, personifications of the elements. And they told me about the wars, two thousand years of it… it was horrible, how could you sit back and let them do that?” Veythar broke eye contact and looked away, his expression solemn.

“When the Elemental War began, I feared what would happen. For a thousand years, I watched as they fought, and fought, over and over again, tearing themselves apart. I was holding onto the false hope that they would realize that if they continued, they would bring Tenoria to ruin and drive themselves to extinction, but that hope was lost. The other Guardians and I, we tried our best to guide others to search for a path of peace, but most were too blinded by their pride to accept that, and the others were treated as traitors and executed immediately. For five hundred years we tried, but failed every time.”

I saw the sorrow in his eyes, and the anger I had disappeared in an instant. “But you all succeeded in the end, didn’t you?” I asked him, hoping to cheer him up in some way, “The Five Heroes, they did what you wanted.” I saw the sorrow in his eyes fade, replaced by one of… relief as he gave a weak smile.

“That’s correct. We realized that although there were those that were eager to bring an end to the war, they weren’t able to bring much of an influential impact. So, we found five soldiers from each of the Realms, each of them asking for guidance and eager to listen to our words, and we guided them to meet on that fateful day. Fueled by their encounter and the realization that peace was possible, each of them returned to their Realms, but they didn’t realize that each of them had the blessings of the Guardians over them. And the rest is… well, history.” He finished saying, flashing a grin because of his joke.

I rolled my eyes, but stayed silent, going over everything that he mentioned in my mind. “And by ‘blessing’ you mean…?”

“I mean a word of power spoken over them,” Veythar answered, “all things great and small, whatever it may be. But I believe that’s enough dwelling on the past. It’s time that we focus on the future your future specifically.”

“You are currently in no condition to travel anywhere, so as of right now, you are to rest and let yourself heal until you are well enough to make a journey. Once you are finally well enough, you will have to travel to the Stormspire, a temple of sorts where Lightning Nyorans go to strengthen their connection and hone their abilities. In your case, you will go there to forge a connection with the element, where you will also meet with the Guardian of Lightning. I’m sure the two of you will get along well. He will personally help strengthen your connection and help to master your control.”

“And how long would the journey there take?” I asked, “It will take you around two months to reach the Stormspire.” He replied. “Right… And is there anything you can tell me on how to ‘forge a connection’ with the elements?” I asked again.

“That is something that you must learn yourself,” he answered, his tone sympathetic, “I know that this may seem unfair, given your circumstances, but trust me when I say that this is for your good.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, before opening them and staring into his multi-colored eyes as he gazed into mine. “Okay,” I replied with a small nod, “whatever you need of me.”

Veythar took a step closer and put a hand on my shoulder, “I understand that this is no easy task for you, for anyone, to handle. But I know that you are fully capable of doing this.” His words gave me a burst of determination, to which I responded with a firm nod of acknowledgment. He flashed a smile and patted my shoulder.

“One last thing,” He added as he took his hand off my shoulder, “I know that it was difficult to keep the knowledge of who I was hidden from your friends, but you are bringing forth change, and I think it’s time that they knew everything.”

It took a moment to realize what he just said, “Wait, so does that mean…?”

“Yes. You don’t have to keep my secret from them anymore. Besides, I think if you kept it any longer, Kaida would have just threatened it out of you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the joke, despite the fact that she would most likely do that to me. Veythar laughed with me for a moment before extending his hand, which I took almost immediately.

“Until next time.” He told me as I was enveloped by the familiar warm glow.

I woke to a beam of sunlight shining on my face. Sitting up, I looked out towards the balcony to see the blue sky, signaling it was already morning. My necklace swung back and forth around my neck, and I grabbed the piece and clutched it in my hand.

“I promise,” I spoke softly, “I’ll do my best.”

I heard a knock on the door as I was standing on the balcony, taking in the view again. Despite seeing it multiple times already, I still enjoyed looking out and seeing the city and what was beyond the walls. Grabbing my cane, leaning on the railing, I limped over to the door and opened it. I was face-to-face with the same Nyoran who gave me my clothes and cane on the day I met the Nobles.

“They’re ready for you.” He said to me, to which I nodded. “Thank you, Orin.” Since that day, I took the time to learn his name and get to know him a little better. He gave a small smile and gestured to follow him, which I did, at a much faster pace than I was able to before.

My arrow wound had healed a bit, but it was still very tender and sensitive from it. The doctor who took care of me checked it recently and told me that it will take about three to four more months before it’s fully healed, but that if necessary, I am able to travel.

Despite the past month being relatively uneventful, it still didn’t have its difficulties. Shortly after meeting Veythar and telling the Nobles what he told me, I ended up getting an infection and fever from the wound. I guess the doctor wasn’t able to disinfect it enough to stop it from happening.

He did his best to help me, but I was bedridden for over a week. I hardly remember anything that happened during that time. They say I mostly slept throughout the time, but that I had fits of chills, sweating, and hallucinations when I wasn’t. The doctor said that it was actually a miracle that I managed to hold out for this long; with a wound like mine, I should have been barely able to move.

There was a good chance that Veythar might have had something to do with that, but that was not the information he needed to know.

The rest of the month was spent recovering from the fever and resting to let the wound heal. I was stuck in my room for the entire time, so I couldn’t walk much, which was the point. They did everything that they could to ensure I had a quick recovery.

I didn’t see Zahyr or Kaida during that time, I asked, and they said that they had “business to take care of”, which I took as them doing their job as a Commander and General.

Now that I finally recovered as much as I could, I was heading to the meeting room to discuss with the Nobles what the future held in store. Orin finally reached the entrance to the meeting room, where I thanked him and went inside. Sitting at the table were the Nobles, their crowns glinting in the sunlight and their patterns warmed by the sun.

“It’s great to see you again, Zarek. Come, sit.” Thorren said, gesturing towards the empty seat in front of me. “It’s good to see you too.” I replied as I sat in the chair.

“Re introductions aside, let’s begin.” Sylas interrupted, diverting everyone’s attention to him. “From the moment you told us of what Veythar had planned for your future, we have spent the past month preparing for the path set before you. Everything that you could need we have given you, all that is left we place in your hands.”

I gave him a nod of gratitude, “What will you all do, while I’m away?” I asked, to which Aeola answered. “We’ll return to our Realms. We’ve been away longer than any of us expected to be. There are most likely matters that need to be attended to personally, but don’t worry, Thorren will accompany you most of the way, and Zahyr the rest of it.”

“What about Kaida?” I asked, wanting to talk with her again. “She’s busy with her duties as a General,” Thorren chimed in, “there were some issues that she had to deal with.”

I gave a nod of acknowledgment, “Any chance I could talk with her before we leave?” I asked,

“There’s something I need to tell her. Zahyr too.”

He seemed confused for a second as to why, but he quickly hid it, “I don’t see why not.” he said, to which I gave a nod of thanks as Kyros decided to chime in, unsurprisingly. “You leave for the Stormspire tomorrow. That’ll give you enough time to say goodbye to whoever you need to. But for your sake and the sake of the Realms, I suggest that you prove yourself capable of fulfilling Veythar’s instructions.”

“Still as angry as ever.” I thought to myself as I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “You’re always quiet Nyx,” Thorren interrupted, “is there anything you would like to say?”

“Just one thing.” she answered, “Forget about everything.”

“…What?”

“You heard me. Forget about everything. Forget that you are tasked with saving Tenoria, forget about the mission Veythar gave you, forget that you have to forge a connection and train with a Guardian. Forget about it, because the moment you start worrying about what you have to do, is the moment that you doom yourself to failure. So forget about everything, clear your mind, and focus on the path ahead of you. Then, you’ll be able to succeed.”

I stared into her ice-blue eyes, stunned by what she told me. Behind those cold eyes, I saw a sympathy, one that recognized that I was given an immense responsibility.

I flashed her a smile, “I’ll do my best, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” She said, flashing a small smirk of her own.

“You’re free to leave.” Sylas said, “there are some things that we need to discuss regarding other issues. Just… rest, okay? You have a long journey ahead of you, and I would like to see that you aren’t fatigued before it even starts.”

“I’ll make sure I do.” I replied as I stood up from my chair and walked to the door, giving one last wave before I headed back to my room from our short interaction. Nyx’s words rang in my ears the whole walk back, even after I got to my room.

I had only just entered my room and took a few steps when I just… stopped, standing completely still in the middle of the room as my mind was overtaken by a torrent of thoughts.

“What if you fail?” a voice in my head said, “Then Tenoria will be ruined, and it’ll be all your fault.”

I tried to ignore it, to remind myself that I was capable, but that did nothing, it only grew louder.

“What if you can’t forge a connection? What if you just make a fool out of yourself? Then it’ll all be for nothing, and you will have done nothing but waste their time.”

My chest tightened as my breaths became quick and shallow. My heart started pounding in my ears as the voice grew louder, almost deafening.

“What if you aren’t strong enough? What if you never were? Then all their faith was put in the wrong Nyoran.”

My whole body was shaking, and my legs gave out and my knees hit the ground hard. I clutched my head with both hands, trying to shut out the voices, but that did nothing. My vision blurred, and my mind raced.

“I’m not good enough.” I began telling myself, “I’m not worthy of saving Tenoria, not a powerless nobody who can’t even remember his own name. I’m going to let everyone down, and they’re all going to die. Because of me.”

My vision worsened, on the verge of passing out, when a small, yet familiar, voice cut through all the noise.

“You will always be good enough. Like I said, I wouldn’t give you this task if I didn’t believe you could do this.”

That small voice silenced all my deafening thoughts, finally allowing me to catch my breath. I kneeled there for a minute longer, panting as my heart rate finally slowed down enough to let me breathe normally. I took a deep breath, letting some very much needed air fill my lungs.

“Thank you Veythar.” I said aloud. “I promise, I won’t let you down.”

Wanting to stand up, I looked around for my cane, and saw it lying a few feet away. In my panic I must’ve flung it away from me. Not wanting to stand up without the help of it, I crawled over and then used it to push myself up. I had just gotten up when there was a knock at the door. Limping over, I opened it, and was met with both Kaida and Zahyr.

“Hey, Thorren told us that you wanted to see us? He said it was… important… are, you okay?” Zahyr asked, a hint of concern entering his voice as he finished his sentence.

“Yeah I’m fine, why?” I replied.

“It’s just… your eyes, you look… tired.”

“Oh, it’s nothing, I just… had a moment. Anyways, come in, I needed to talk with the two of you.” He looked still a bit worried as to what I meant, but he said nothing about it.

Stepping out the way, I let them come inside as I closed the door behind them. “Good to see you’re able to walk on your own now.” Kaida said, “Even if it is with a cane.”

I gave a weak smile as I limped over and sat down on the bed. “I know that this was sudden, but it was something that I had to tell you both, especially you Kaida, considering I won’t see you again until months later.”

“That’s right, King Thorren told me of the journey ahead of you.” She replied, “Regardless, we’re here now, so this is the perfect time for you to explain.”

I paused for a moment, unsure of how to properly explain.

“You remember Veythar, the mysterious Nyoran that came to me in a dream? Well he’s actually the Guardian of Balance, and he chose me to be a representative of the Guardians, one who’s supposed to master all five elements and defeat the darkness. You two, along with every other General and Commander of the Realms, were told to find a Nyoran with white fur because the prophecy, yes there’s a prophecy, said that was a physical attribute of “The Bane of Shadows” which is what they’re calling the one the prophecy speaks of, which just so happens to be me.” I just blurted everything out, it was the only way of quickly explaining what I had to keep from them.

Their eyes widened as they processed my ramble in a way they could understand. “And I’m sorry that I had to keep this from you, but Veythar told me to keep it a secret. But the good news is, he told me that there was no reason for me to hide it any longer.”

They said nothing, probably still stunned by what I said. “Well,” Kaida said after a moment of awkward silence, “this is certainly the last thing I expected to hear come from you.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Zahyr replied, a look of astonishment on his face, “that’s just… unbelievable.”

“This is why I wanted to tell you two before I left on my journey.” I said, “And this is probably why Veythar wanted me to tell you too. So there was no longer any doubt, any sense of distrust between us. And so we could stand together as I “bring forth change” as he put it.”

There was a short silence, broken as Kaida spoke up, “I want to apologize for my actions.” She said, looking away, seeming somewhat… embarrassed. “As important as it would have been for me to find this out sooner, it wasn’t in my place for me to be so distrusting. Forgive me.”

“You don’t have to worry about it Kaida.” I said, “I forgive you, and besides, I’m sure any other Nyoran would have been suspicious of me the same way you were, I sure know Kyros is.” Kaida locked eyes with me again, and through that normal hard demeanor, I saw a small smile creeping up the side of her face.

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” She said, giving a nod of gratitude.

“Don’t mention it.” I replied, nodding back.

“Well, if that’s all, I think it’s time for me to leave.” She said, her smile fading as her usual demeanor set in. “May the Guardians bless the path set before you. Goodbye, Zarek.” She gave a small bow of respect before walking out of the room. “Goodbye. Kaida,” I called out as she left, “until next time.”

She gave one final wave before walking through the door and closing it behind her.

I turned to Zahyr, leaning on the wall, “What about you?”

“I still have time.” He replied, “For us to talk, just the two of us. For starters, about the whole prophecy, what’s your opinion on it?”

I hesitated for a moment, “What do I think of it?” I asked myself, “To be honest, I’m terrified of what the prophecy means.” I said to him, “The fate of Tenoria rests in my hands, and I alone hold the power to save it or condemn it. I mean, of course I want to save it, I don’t want innocent people to die, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m the one who has to do this single handedly.” I covered my face with both hands, slightly frustrated as I let my emotions slip. “It’s just almost too much to bear.” I said, my voice muffled from behind my hands.

“I mean… who says you have to do this single handedly?” He replied. I moved my hands from my face, a look of irritation and confusion on my face, “What do you mean?” I asked.

“I mean what I said. Sure you may have to master the elements and eventually fight the corruption and win. But that doesn’t mean you have to deal with everything alone. You have me, Kaida, and the Nobles, all here by your side with whatever you need. We’re going to stand by you, no matter what, and when the time comes for you to fight the corruption, we’ll be right there with you.”

“But-”

“No buts.” He interrupted, standing before me, “I’m not going anywhere, none of us are going anywhere. We’re with you, no matter what happens, and no matter how long it takes. Besides, if Veythar, the creator of everything we know, chose you, chose you, then he most certainly trusts you with this task.”

I sighed, tilting my head sideways at him, “Yeah, you’re right, I don’t have nothing to worry about. Like Nyx said, worrying about it will only get in the way, to focus on what’s ahead.”

“That’s the spirit.” Zahyr said, giving a light tap on my shoulder. “Well, I think it’s about I left, I have to prepare for tomorrow anyways. Rest up, alright? Can’t have you being exhausted before we even leave.” He finished saying as he walked to the door.

“Huh, funny, Sylas said the exact same thing.” I said, remembering it from earlier.

“Well, that’s cause you should.” He retaliated over his shoulder. He gave a short flick of the wrist to say goodbye before leaving the room. I watched him leave, recalling what both he and Nyx said. “They’re right,” I said aloud to myself, “worrying isn’t going to change anything about my situation. Worrying was what made me have a panic attack. Just focus on surviving till the end of the day and you’ll be fine.”

I stood up from the bed and limped over to the balcony. It was already surprisingly close to sunset, so the sky was a nice blue turning orange. I stayed there, taking in the view for one last time before I left. I don’t know how long I stayed there, I just know I watched it for a while, went inside, washed myself, and laid down on the bed. I stared at nothing but the ceiling for thirty minutes, fidgeting with my necklace in my hands as I just stared.

Eventually, I just closed my eyes, letting sleep come over me, “I trust you Veythar,” I thought to myself, “now let’s hope that I can be someone you can rely on.”