Talisman of El

CHAPTER TWELVE



Trading Secrets

‘SHUT UP!’ ALEX EXCLAIMED, her eyes wide with excitement. She and the others were staring at Isis in awe. They had been sitting in the temple for the last twenty minutes. The double oak doors were open, and they had a clear view of the campfire where a group of Arcadians sat in a circle. A soft, sweet melody drifted into the room that sounded like wind going through pipes.

‘How did you do that?’ Charlie asked.

‘Aeons of the water kingdom are truth bearers,’ Isis explained. ‘We can discern truth from lies through spoken words.’

‘Could you try it on me?’ Alex volunteered.

‘Are you certain you want me to?’

‘Is that a trick question?’

‘It is not.’

Alex hesitated a moment, and then she said, ‘Let’s do it.’ Isis shared a secret smile with Avaran before turning back to Alex. ‘What is the name of your father?’

‘Matthew Dench,’ Alex answered with confidence. ‘That was way too easy.’

‘Second question,’ Isis said. ‘Do you have any siblings?’ ‘Oh come on, these questions are too easy. Give me a challenge.’

Isis raised an amused eyebrow then dropped it. ‘If you insist.’ She flashed a look at Charlie then back to Alex so quickly that untrained eyes couldn’t have noticed.

Charlie, however, did. Why did she look at me? he wondered, and his palms started to sweat as a feeling of dread swirled in the pit of his stomach.

‘Human emotion has always fascinated me,’ Isis went on.

‘There is one in particular I have often wondered about …

Love.’

Charlie felt Alex stiffen beside him. A sound escaped her throat that resembled a hiccup, and she shifted in her seat, fiddling with her hair.

‘Emotions are a human trait,’ Avaran explained. ‘While we do experience feelings of sorrow and joy, our essence of love is not an emotion but rather an act of will. Elementals have a better grasp of human consciousness than Aeons do. They have resided on the earth realm since the beginning of its existence and share similar characteristics to mortals such as eating, sleeping and procreating.’

‘So Aeons have never been in love?’ Sadness clouded Alex’s voice.

‘Not in the way mortals perceive love,’ Isis replied. ‘You on the other hand. What do you make of love?’

Alex started fidgeting again. ‘I dunno. I, uh … I’m only fourteen.’ She twirled a strand of hair around her finger. ‘I love my parents and stuff, but that’s only natural, right. I mean, they did conceive me, so it’s the least I can do.’

Reading the desperate plea in Alex’s voice to change the subject, Charlie asked, ‘If you’re here to protect us, why are you hiding?’

‘We are prohibited to disclose our identity to mortals,’ Isis said. ‘We are to have no influence or interference with human evolution. Our duty is to protect you. Avaran and I visit your world every surface day. We get reports from Lightworkers – those not in hiding – regarding demon attacks.’

Alex looked grateful that the attention had shifted from her, but she still seemed awkward. ‘Why are the Lightworkers hiding?’ she asked. ‘Aren’t they immortal?’

Avaran answered, ‘Elementals have a lifespan of a thousand years. Only Aeons are immortal, though we can still die in battle. Our immortality lies in the sense that we regenerate when we die. Our sun is a birthing house for incoming and outgoing spirits. If I were to die, for instance, my spirit would return to our sun to regenerate, allowing me to resume my role as Guardian on Earth.’

‘You just keep reincarnating?’ Charlie asked.

‘We were aware of our obligations before we descended to Earth. Only Rulers, who are interdimensional, may pass on their duty and leave Earth upon death. Guardians and Elders remain, unless we move up in authority and become Rulers, which can only happen if a Ruler chooses not to return.

Demons, however, are cast into Tartarus.’

‘What’s Tartarus?’ Richmond asked.

‘It is the lowest region of Hades, what humans refer to as “Hell”,’ Avaran said. ‘Tartarus is a place of darkness for our fallen brothers and sisters.’

‘You said you visit the surface every day,’ Charlie said. ‘Don’t the gateways only open every five days?’

‘Yes,’ Isis said, ‘but we do not travel via the gateways. We teleport.’

This didn’t surprise Charlie, for he had witnessed Candra teleport twice.

‘You mean you can beam up?’ Alex asked, staring at Isis in amazement.

‘Oh, like they do in Star Trek,’ Richmond joined in. ‘Beam up?’ Isis said. ‘I’m afraid I am not familiar with that terminology.’

Alex sat forward. ‘You know – “Beam me up, Scotty”. They have this really awesome machine …’ Her voice trailed off, her gaze shifting between Isis and Avaran, who were staring at her with blank expressions. ‘You’ve never seen Star Trek?’ Charlie sat forward and placed a hand on Alex’s shoulder, relaxing her back into her seat. ‘I think they’re a little too busy for Star Trek.’

‘Oh, right.’ Alex nodded in realisation. She addressed Avaran and Isis. ‘Sorry, I forgot about the whole death, chaos, destruction thing you have going on. Ignore me. I’m just babbling.’

‘She does that a lot,’ Richmond said.

Charlie and Alex glanced at him. Although Charlie couldn’t see Alex’s face, he could guess from the way Richmond shrank back into his seat that her expression wasn’t amiable. Charlie looked back at Avaran and Isis. ‘Can all Arcadians teleport?’ he enquired.

‘No,’ Avaran replied. ‘Only Aeons have the ability to teleport. Lightworkers use a teleportation device known as the Ascender, which you will find in the ascension headquarters in Koura. The Ascender is a direct link to the four gateways that bridge Arcadia and the surface world.’

‘There are four gateways?’ Derkein asked.

‘That is correct. They coincide with the four elements, transporting Lighworkers to their rightful watchtowers on the surface.’

‘Koura,’ Derkein pondered. ‘That’s where Eden is, right?’

Avaran nodded. ‘How long would you say it would take us to get there? We have four and a half days …’ His voice trailed off. A flash of worry had crossed Avaran’s face, and he turned to Isis.

The gang had come to realise that it was never a good sign when he and Isis shared silent glances.

‘Is something wrong?’ Derkein asked.

Before Avaran could respond, footsteps resounded on the platform outside. Charlie glanced over his shoulder and saw the red-haired boy. His hair was a clear giveaway of the kingdom he belonged to; his fiery red eyes were a bonus. If Aeons could reproduce, Charlie would have guessed he was Avaran’s grandson.

‘I believe you have met Ash,’ Avaran said, ‘Lightworker of the fire kingdom.’

Ash walked up to Charlie, holding out a bag. ‘Yours, I believe.’ He looked a little smug.

Charlie snatched the bag from him and started rummaging through it to see if anything was missing. To his surprise, the two blue blankets he had left by the campsite near the ruined palace in the woods were inside the bag. He looked up at Ash. ‘You shouldn’t leave your belongings lying around like that,’

Ash said.

‘I didn’t figure Arcadians for thieves.’

‘I was curious. Sorry about the river, by the way.’ Charlie wasn’t sure what Ash meant, until he added, ‘I was aiming for the dasaga, that winged lizard that was about to kill you.’ Charlie’s jaw dropped. ‘The fire phoenix! That was you?’ Ash put his hands up. ‘Guilty.’ To Avaran and Isis, he asked,

‘What’s the verdict? Is he human or not?’

Charlie frowned. ‘I am right here.’

Ash looked at him, puzzled. ‘I can see you.’

‘As far as we can tell, Charlie is human,’ Avaran said. Charlie sighed inwardly. It always seemed an insult whenever they singled him out.

‘Why not find out the easy way,’ Ash suggested. Charlie didn’t like the sound of that. Easy for Arcadians could mean impossible for humans. ‘Just cut him.’

Charlie’s eyes widened.

‘You can’t cut him!’ Alex wailed.

‘Avaran,’ Derkein said, ‘I won’t let you harm him.’ ‘I have no intentions of harming Charlie,’ Avaran assured him. He locked eyes with Charlie, who shuddered. That a blind man could stare so intently at him gave him the creeps.

‘Just a small cut. We will have our healer patch you up. You won’t even see a scar.’

Yeah, but what if I see something else, Charlie thought. The fact that he was abnormal was no secret. No worries, he told himself,

it’s just a cut. Just like the time … Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t remember a time where he had injured himself.

He couldn’t even remember ever being ill. Is that even possible? ‘Charlie?’

Charlie locked eyes with Derkein.

‘You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,’ Derkein said.

‘It’s okay,’ he said. ‘I want to.’ I need to know.

Isis stood up and walked over to the corner of the room. On the shelf of a wooden display unit that hosted a selection of leather-bound books sat a spiral, mahogany vase. She picked it up and dropped it. The vase shattered as it hit the floor. Charlie glanced at Avaran, who didn’t even blink at the sound of the broken glass. He looked back at Isis, who picked up a piece of the vase, walked back over to the chair, and sat down. Using the sharp edge of the vase, Isis cut a line across her palm.

Alex made a soft hissing noise. Isis, on the other hand, didn’t even wince, for the piece of vase snapped in two in her palm.

‘There’s no cut,’ Alex observed.

‘No,’ Isis said.

‘Because it is not copper or steel,’ Derkein said. ‘Those are the only things that can harm you.’

‘I must meet this friend of yours.’ Avaran beamed. ‘He is well versed in our existence.’

Derkein smiled. ‘I’m sure Thomas would be more than honoured to meet you.’

‘You are quite right,’ Isis said. ‘Any material not of copper or steel does not penetrate our skin.’

‘Speak for yourself,’ Ash interjected. ‘What Isis means is that it doesn’t harm Aeons.’ He moved forward and retrieved a piece of the glass vase Isis was holding. With it, he cut his palm and blood seeped out. ‘Elementals aren’t so lucky.’ He opened his palm wide for all to see. The gang watched in awe as the wound healed, leaving nothing but a smear of blood.

‘We heal faster than humans.’

‘No kidding,’ said Charlie.

‘A steel dagger,’ Isis said, drawing their attention back to her. She removed one of the daggers from its sheath, its metal blade glinting, reflecting Charlie’s worried eyes in its curve. Isis held the dagger to her palm. This time she looked nervous. Taking a deep breath, her lips pressed in a tight line, she sliced the dagger across her palm in one quick swipe. A muffled groan threatened to escape her throat, but she kept her mouth closed. She opened her palm, and they saw a silver liquid seeping through the cut.

Alex grimaced. ‘What is that?’

‘Ichor,’ Isis replied. ‘It is the fluid that flows through our veins instead of blood, thereby granting us immortality.’ Alex reached her hand out, but Isis pulled away. ‘No!’ Alex jumped, retracting her hand at once. ‘Ichor is poisonous to mortals. It will kill you if it gets into your bloodstream.’

‘Why aren’t you healing?’ Charlie asked.

‘Copper and steel are poisonous to us,’ Isis said. ‘It makes it harder for us to heal. That is where Terra comes in.’ She looked over Charlie’s shoulder. ‘Ash, if you would.’ Ash disappeared through the door. A few seconds later, he returned alone. Then a woman materialised out of thin air beside him. She was tall and thin with slicked-back burgundy hair falling into a tumble of loose curls, wearing an icy blue, floor-length gown with a tiered bottom. Charlie wondered if there were Arcadians who weren’t breathtaking. At this rate, he was going to need an oxygen mask to stop him passing out whenever he forgot to breathe.

‘I would like you all to meet Terra, Elder of the air kingdom,’

Avaran said. ‘Beings of the air kingdom are great healers, though only Aeons have the physical ability to heal.’ Terra moved towards them, her hazel eyes – eyes that reminded Charlie of his mother – never leaving his face. She extended a gaunt hand to him, and he shook it. Her ivory skin was cool and smooth like silk. She looked in her mid twenties and had the same oval-shaped face and low cheekbones his mum had; but the hair was wrong, the eyelashes too long, the lips too full. Charlie felt a pang in his chest.

After shaking their hands, Terra said, ‘Welcome, Charlie, Alex, Richmond and Derkein.’

‘How do you know our names?’ Richmond asked. ‘I obtained it from your minds.’

‘You read our minds?’

‘In a sense. I am a healer and a retrocognitive. I see visions of the past, including dreams.’

‘So you’re like a time traveller without a machine,’ Charlie said.

Terra smiled. ‘Yes, I suppose you can say it is like travelling through time.’

‘That’s kinda cool,’ Charlie remarked.

Terra went over to Isis and took hold of her injured hand.

She closed her eyes and seemed to go into a meditative state.

The gang watched as a yellow light appeared in her palms then disappeared. Isis let out a breath of relief, and they saw that the wound had healed.

‘The time it takes one to heal depends on the severity of the wound,’ said Isis.

‘Can it work on my ankle?’ Richmond asked.

Terra went over and knelt down before him. Taking hold of his foot, she slipped his trainer off and grasped his ankle.

She did exactly what she did to Isis. When she finished, she put his trainer back on and stood up. ‘Give it a try,’ she said. Richmond jumped up, bounced up and down on his feet, and then sat down again. ‘It doesn’t hurt,’ he said, beaming. ‘Charlie,’ Isis said. He turned his attention to her and saw her holding a piece of the broken vase, but it didn’t frighten him. What did frighten him was what would happen when she cut him.

Extending his left hand, Isis made a small slit in his palm so quick he didn’t have time for doubts. He winced as a burning pain shot through his palm, but when he saw that the wound wasn’t healing, he couldn’t have been more relieved. Terra approached him. He placed his injured hand in hers, and she performed her miracle work. A cool sensation coursed through his veins, and his body tingled. It was a nice feeling.

When Terra removed her hand, he looked at his palm and saw that the wound had closed up, and as Avaran had said, not even a scar remained, just a smear of blood. Even the numbness in his body had disappeared. He had a new boost of energy.

Ash patted Charlie on the shoulder and said, ‘Looks like I won’t have to kill you.’ With a smug smile, he whirled round and left the room.

Charlie and Alex regarded each other, bearing identical expressions that said, ‘He was joking. Right?’

‘Can you heal Derkein?’ Richmond asked.

‘No, I’m afraid I cannot,’ Terra said.

Derkein smiled at the trio, but Charlie saw the sadness in his eyes.

‘We’ll just have to wait till we get to Eden,’ Charlie said reassuringly. He then noticed the strained look on Avaran’s face, the same look he’d had when Derkein mentioned Eden earlier, before Ash had interrupted them.

As if Avaran was reading Charlie’s mind, he said, ‘There is something you ought to know about Eden.’

It had just gone 11:30 p.m., and Tohu was getting livelier by the minute. The gang, Avaran and Isis were sitting on the platform deck watching the villagers dancing around the campfire.

‘So, you’ve never seen the garden?’ Derkein enquired. ‘It is a sacred place,’ Avaran replied. ‘It is only accessible to Rulers of the Legion. Many have searched endlessly and have yet to locate its whereabouts. Even if by some miracle we happened to pass upon it, we would have to gain passage from Uriel, the archangel who guards the entrance.’ ‘So the chances of us finding it –’

‘You would have better luck sprouting wings.’

Charlie and Derkein exchanged looks. ‘Stranger things have happened,’ Derkein said.

Charlie knew exactly what stranger thing he was referring to: the dream he had of Derkein before they had met. If that could happen, surely anything could.

‘You would risk your life for something you may never find?’ Avaran asked.

‘I won’t have a life if I don’t find it,’ Derkein answered. ‘If I go back to the surface like this, that’s it. I won’t live long enough to find my father.’

‘It is too dangerous to venture the lands of Koura,’ Isis said. ‘It is under the constant guard of Archons.’ She turned to Avaran, her eyes pleading. ‘We cannot let them go.’ ‘You can’t stop us,’ Charlie argued. He looked at Derkein.

‘We’re still going, aren’t we?’ Please say yes, please say yes. Derkein was silent for a moment, and Charlie wondered if he would heed Isis’ warning, but then Derkein looked at Avaran and said, ‘I believe in destiny. I may not be able to explain the events that have taken place over the last few weeks, but what I do know is that the talisman brought me to these kids.’ He paused for a second, as if deliberating over his thoughts. ‘I don’t know what the future holds, but I think we were led here for a reason.’

Charlie relaxed his shoulders. He couldn’t have said it better himself.

‘You said the demons won’t stop until they have the talisman,’ Derkein continued. ‘If it’s that important to them, perhaps I could negotiate –’

‘No.’ Avaran’s voice sounded strained. ‘You hand it to them and your life is as good as over. So is the rest of the world.

The talisman is more powerful than you know. Had whoever attacked you been aware that it was in your possession, they would have thought twice.’ Avaran descended the platform with such grace they didn’t hear the thud of his feet on his landing. He turned to Derkein with a serious expression.

Charlie could have sworn he saw a glint of fear in his eyes, if only for a split second. ‘Archons had tried to disable the talisman for centuries before it vanished, but their attempts ended with their own death and destruction.’

Charlie noticed the villagers had stopped what they were doing and were looking towards the platform, as if waiting for something to happen.

‘The talisman is missing a crucial item, the main source of its power –’ Avaran began, but Charlie interrupted him. ‘The black diamond,’ he said.

Avaran regarded Charlie, his gaze serious and intense, as if by some miracle, if he concentrated hard enough, he would be able to see him. He glanced away briefly then back at Charlie, this time with a look of disbelief, which caused the slightest wrinkle on his otherwise smooth face. When he looked back at Derkein, his expression was unreadable. ‘Yes,’ he resumed, ‘the black diamond was the main source of its power. However, since the talisman did save you, it is clearly still active. I will now attempt to retrieve it from you.’ The platform was about three feet off the ground, two feet shorter than Avaran, so he looked puny as he stood before Derkein. If he were planning to take the talisman from Derkein, he would have had to stand on his toes, and then some. Or not ....

Charlie had to blink a few times before deciding his eyes weren’t deceiving him. Avaran was growing. His body grew larger and taller. Derkein and the trio gawped up at him.

Although they knew Aeons could change their appearances at will, that knowledge had not prepared them for what they were witnessing. They could have done with a little heads up.

Any other humans would probably have had heart attacks at the sight of a nine-foot angel towering over them.

Charlie’s gaze fell on Derkein, whose forehead seemed a tad shiny. He was probably wishing he wasn’t wearing the talisman, especially when Avaran reached towards him. Avaran’s hand came within inches of the talisman when a white spark shot out of the object and struck him in the chest.

He yelped as the spark sent him flying off his feet, landing hard on the ground a few yards away.

Isis vanished and reappeared beside Avaran. The trio and Derkein made haste after her.

Avaran was sprawled on his back, clutching his chest in agony. Charlie grimaced at the sight of ichor seeping through his robe. Terra appeared and worked her magic on the Guardian, and just like that, he was back on his feet again. ‘What on earth was that?’ Derkein asked. He looked down at the talisman with terrified eyes, as if he wanted to remove it but was too afraid to touch it.

‘That was the power of the talisman,’ Avaran answered.

‘Only humans and the keeper of the talisman can touch it without it harming them.’ He had shrunk back to his normal size. Charlie wondered if it had been because of the shock he had received. He also wondered what would have happened to Avaran had the black diamond been attached. The image of sparkling dust, like the one he had seen when he’d first touched the talisman, flashed across his mind, and he shuddered, because deep down he knew it wasn’t dust. It was ashes. Avaran turned towards the temple, his expression pensive.

Charlie wondered what he was up to, until he saw six chairs floating out of the temple, one after the other, hovering a few feet off the ground. Avaran was using his psychokinetic powers.

The awesome thing: he could move things with just a thought. The terrifying thing: his mind control worked on people as well as objects. Charlie reminded himself not to get on the wrong side of him.

The chairs landed in a circle, and they sat down. ‘Why would anyone risk their life for this thing?’ Derkein asked, referring to the talisman. ‘Why is it so important?’ Avaran followed the voice and found Derkein. ‘It was some fourteen thousand years ago – surface time – when King Gaddis, Ruler of the air kingdom, rebelled against the Legion, taking most of his kingdom with him.’ Avaran glanced at Isis sitting beside him, who shared the same sullen expression as him. He turned back to the others, and his expression became unreadable. Even with the knowledge of knowing that he was an angel, it was still hard to believe that Avaran, who didn’t look a day over sixty, was so … ancient.

‘Gaddis deemed mortals as dispensable,’ Avaran went on.

‘He believed we were the gods of Earth and that humans should treat us as such. So began the war between the sons and daughters of El. When the mortal world gained knowledge of our presence, they started creating stories, resulting in the birth of mythology. Of course, you cannot rely on folklore for the complete truth.’

‘So stories about Greek gods like Zeus and Poseidon originated from angels?’ Derkein asked.

‘That concept surprises you, I see,’ Avaran said. ‘No idea is ever original. Stories about werewolves, mermaids and fairies all started from somewhere. Thousands of years before we descended, a group of angels called Watchers lived on Earth.

Stories of godly beings first originated from them, though it was not at the time written down. The Watchers were to live among humans but not interfere with their evolution. Sadly, they played a part in corrupting mankind and were destroyed because of it.’

‘I know this story,’ Alex said. ‘Pastor Graham at my church said Watchers mated with humans and had giant children called Nephilims. They taught humans sorcery and witchcraft, which made God angry, and he wiped them out with a flood, except for Noah and his family.’

Isis smiled. ‘It is pleasing to see a young child who knows her history.’

Alex smiled proudly.

‘I know about Noah’s ark, too,’ Richmond complained. ‘Of course, I can tell you are also very wise,’ Isis complimented. She winked at Richmond, and he blushed. ‘So, in a sense, Gaddis is like Lucifer,’ Derkein said. ‘Indeed,’ said Avaran, ‘but not only did he break his covenant, he also attacked the other kingdoms, killing Queen Niemi, Ruler of the fire kingdom, and Queen Sophia, Ruler of the water kingdom. The destruction of the Rulers split the kingdoms. Some joined Gaddis, some went into hiding, and others joined King Sol, Ruler of the earth kingdom. Sol was the only one Gaddis could not defeat, for he was the Chief Ruler of Arcadia.

‘After endless battles between Archons and what remained of the Legion, the four archangels who govern Earth –

Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel – coined the talisman, sealing it with their powers. They appointed Sol ‘Keeper’ of the talisman. Anything the keeper put to word became reality, and in the hands of Gaddis, he would have mankind subjected to misery, labour and servitude.’

‘Are you telling me this thing is a wishing well?’ Derkein asked, referring to the talisman.

‘Wishing well …’ Avaran shook his head. ‘Another myth misconstrued. But, yes, the talisman acts like a wishing well.’ ‘Why didn’t you say that before?’

‘You did not enquire about it. Furthermore, without the black diamond affixed in the talisman its powers are limited.’ Charlie heard Candra’s voice inside his head: ‘The talisman

you saw. You need it ....’ Going near the talisman was the last thing he wanted to do, especially now he knew a horde of demons were after it. And why would he need it?

‘Even if it was whole,’ Avaran continued, ‘it would not comply with your orders.’

‘Because I’m not the keeper,’ Derkein guessed.

‘Precisely.’

‘So what happened to Sol?’

‘He attempted to strip Gaddis of his powers, but the talisman destroyed them both, along with the former Guardian of the earth kingdom, who, had she not joined Gaddis, would have been anointed Chief Ruler. Without a Chief Ruler to appoint other Rulers, there is no order. Arcadia has become a world of darkness and chaos.’

‘If Gaddis was destroyed how comes he’s back?’ Charlie asked. ‘I thought demons went to Tartarus when they died.’ ‘When he had vanished we assumed he had been destroyed,’

Avaran said. ‘We were wrong. The talisman had stripped him of his powers and bound him inside the earth.’ His eyes wandered to where Derkein was sitting. ‘By removing the talisman, your father released him.’

‘Whoa, whoa.’ Derkein put his hands up. ‘Let’s not point fingers here. Besides, if Gaddis has no powers, then how dangerous can he be?’

‘Your father is missing and you are dying,’ Avaran pointed out. ‘Gaddis has an army of demons, is a master of manipulation and even better at torture. He craves power and will stop at nothing to get the talisman.’

‘But he’s not the keeper of the talisman, so he can’t touch it, right?’ Charlie asked.

Avaran opened his mouth, as if he were about to say something, but he paused and looked away, his focus on Isis, who also seemed hesitant to respond.

‘He can touch it.’ Derkein took the thought right out of Charlie’s head. ‘That’s why he’s after it.’

Avaran glanced in Derkein’s direction. ‘The connection between the keeper and the talisman can only be broken upon death or if the keeper wilfully hands it over to another Ruler. With the sole protector of the talisman destroyed, only another Ruler can claim ownership of it. Gaddis is the only remaining Ruler on Earth. If he gets hold of the talisman and restores it, he will become its keeper.’

Derkein sighed and said, ‘So, in hindsight, my father started the apocalypse.’