When War Calls(76)

With eyes opening and closing slowly, the hollow of the mountain faded away, and he climbed the final step where he rested against the railing, slipping out of consciousness and into a tormented dream.





Chapter Fifteen





They find no chance of change in a memory.





January 20, 997 R.E.





The destruction of Callibra played out far below—a faded memory of bloodshed and horror, now in the deepest reaches of his mind. Jaden stood watching from the mountainside, staring helplessly as he had done on that gruesome day, watching in utter defeat as the Alliance military force took control of his home. They had managed to arrive without any real warning, avoiding even his grandfather’s keen senses as they neared the Gates, and took his home from him.

Jaden raced forward. He knew that it would be in vain, but he could not bear to see it all again. He had to get home, had to get to his family before it was too late. He would save them this time. No matter what stood in his way, he would not let them die again.

The sky seemed on fire as he ran—gold and orange stretching to the horizons, as if a reflection of the chaos in the village below. It lit his way, but he could barely see through the tears forming in his eyes. He kicked a rock that protruded from the mountainside in his haste and began tumbling uncontrollably, the world becoming a blur as he rolled. He was caught and held by the bushes below, allowing him to stand up, unharmed.

It was dark now, the fiery glow had vanished, but that was not all that had changed. The gunfire and explosions had stopped. The screams of his people had silenced, and the roar of the fighter jets was no more. All had become quiet.

The village was safe.

Slowly, he moved through the buildings in confusion. Somehow the battle had come to an end, and those who had taken shelter inside their homes were gradually starting to come out. He could see only a few of their faces, the moon and rings shining dimly in a cloudless sky, but he knew they were greeting him; bowing to him as he passed, wearing smiles but saying nothing. It almost seemed as if nothing had happened, and the rivalry of the social clans had finally been forgotten.

Jaden walked on, nodding back to some as he passed. He then saw Bo and his friends waving to him from one of the houses. They were sitting lazily on the walls, conversing among themselves. He waved back, and it felt as if he were with them again; a thousand stories being told in the briefest of instants as they shared their thoughts with one another, teasing in the name of fun, content simply to be where they were.

He stepped toward them, but then stopped. There was something else here that he had to find. He waved once more to Bo and the others, signalling that he would join them later, and then he continued on his way. His home was only another twenty yards from where he stood. He could see his family waiting for him. His father was standing behind his mother, holding her in his arms, while his sister was sitting beside them, seemingly not too interested in anything going on around them, and his little brother was waiting anxiously for him to come pick him up.

He stopped several yards from them, looking into each of their eyes. Like the others, they were all now smiling, as if the attack had never happened. Callibra as they knew it was a peaceful village, free of the wars, and nothing would ever change that. Everything was right in this moment, in this paradise they had lived in for as long as they had known.

But it wasn’t right. It couldn’t have been. They were dead, all of them. Callibra had been destroyed. None of this was real. Jaden felt the rage beginning to burn inside him again. He wanted to make it right for them, so that they could be this way forever, for all eternity. He couldn’t bring them back to life, but he could take the lives of those who caused their deaths, bringing justice to the senseless crime. He wanted to do it for them, in their names, to give them the peace they deserved.

He looked into each of their eyes, wanting to apologise for all that had happened. He tried to tell them he was sorry, that he had run as fast as he could but still hadn’t been able to get to them in time. They looked back at him, unsure, confusion set firmly on their faces, as if they did not know what he was saying.

They couldn’t hear him.

All was quiet in the village.

Jaden lowered his head. There was nothing he could do to make them see how he felt or how much he wanted them to be with him again.

He looked back up. ‘They will die for taking you from me,’ he said.

They would not hear or understand him, but he needed to tell them, to feel that the ghosts of yesterday might somehow know that they would not be forgotten, and the crime of their deaths would not go unpunished.

As he turned to walk away, he felt a tug at his arm, gentle at first, then stronger as it began to shake him. He turned back to his right, but saw nothing there, as if it were an invisible force trying to get him to stay with his family.