The Book of Elements Page 7

  "I am Javeed, and I am here." A short, well-tanned man materialized a few feet to Vin's left, now sharing the calm, green, and previously solitary hilltop Vin had chosen only moments earlier as a private retreat. The man walked across the hilltop as if he were emerging from the dense forest that surrounded the rolling glade on all sides. The large hill stood fifteen feet high in the center of the clearing, surrounded by the soaring, redwood trees of the forest. Vin found the site peaceful. It was much easier for him to concentrate in this surrounding instead of the stark, white room he occupied on his arrival.

  The man wore a simple, brown, loose-hanging tunic which stopped just below his scrawny knees, where worn straps of faded brown leather began their twining descent to reach the thick soles of his sandals. He wore a pleasing expression on his young, smiling face, surrounded by an unruly tangle of dark, coffee colored curls that reached around ears almost too large for the thin visage and ended at the top of his shoulders. He appeared to be in his early twenties, if that old.

  The man might have been pulled from the heyday of early Egyptian or Middle Eastern history. He carried himself with the confidence of someone who has experienced much and was not troubled with the peculiar oddities of this location. Concurrently, he also gave the impression of innocence and youth. The man obviously was not shy.

  "How did you find me?" Vin asked as he stood to greet the newcomer.

  "Thank you for permitting me to join you. I am pleased that you are willing to share a brief conversation. I believe you already know the manner in which I located you. Have you not just been practicing it yourself?"

  "How do you know what I was…," Vin began to respond, but Javeed casually waved off his inquiry.

  "Nevertheless, news of your arrival here spread fast, but I did not dare to impose on you sooner. I only come to you now because it is obvious that you venture into an area where I have some small knowledge."

  The composed response gave no indication of deception. The young man seated himself on the soft grass a foot lower on the incline than Vin, who had retaken his seat on the crest of the peaceful hill.

  "I should no longer be surprised by the manner in which news travels here, but I am still taken aback each time I’m reminded of it. What is it, exactly, that is so obvious about me?" Vin’s curiosity was peaked.

  "Your current frustration is clear, and I would like to offer you some advice that may help appease it."

  "Really, how is it evident? In what manner? Am I broadcasting some vibe without realizing it?" Vin laughed somewhat haltingly at his attempt at humor, a mechanism he often employed to help dispel his own insecurity in an awkward situation.

  "Yes, but only to those who might be looking for it."

  Vin did not quite know how to respond to the unexpected verification. He had not really believed that he was willingly broadcasting his thoughts and emotions. In fact, he assumed that his attempt to block himself off from the others had been successful, thereby preventing them from discovering or discouraging his unauthorized actions. Of course, Vin did not actually know if what he was doing was permissible or not. He had not bothered to ask permission for fear of being denied.

  "Do not let it overly concern you. That skill takes time and a better understanding to fully develop. Even then, there are those who may not be excluded."

  "Well then, Javeed, since we have not been formally introduced, my name is Eyvindr Harding. My friends call me Vin. I am pleased to make your acquaintance." He smiled and extended his hand to Javeed, after which Vin leaned back and propped himself up by resting his elbows against the cool grass.

  "You don’t exactly strike me as the angelic type, and you called me friend rather than brother as the angels tend to prefer. Did you cross under circumstances similar to my own? Is that how you gained the insight you wish to share with me?"

  "I am not an angel, and crossed yes, but not quite as magnificently nor with the same escort that you did. Rather, it is that which we both left behind that offers us a kindred story. I, too, retain my identity because I could not sever the bond that my soul maintained after being separated from my wife and son."

  "Son? You barely look old enough, if you pardon my crude observation, to have left your parents’ home. Yet you are married and have a child of your own. How old are you?"

  The inquiry seemed innocent enough, though the pained expression that passed briefly across Javeed’s features made Vin wonder if he had been too blunt with his comments. Whatever nerve Vin hit, Javeed quickly subdued the reaction and replied.

  "At the time of my crossing, I was three days passed my nineteenth year. That was a mature age in my homeland at the time. I had been married for only two years, having not met my wife until fate set me on the path to her doorstep during my seventeenth year. Most of my boyhood friends had long since wed and were well established in their families. Fifteen was the common age for men of my people to choose a bride." Javeed described a little bit of the culture he once knew as he related his story.

  "Ah, she was a beautiful woman, my Sahrina. She was the most intoxicating female I ever met. I knew right away that it was my destiny to be with her. I can still recall every stunning detail of her physical form, from the thick, wavy black hair that reached to just above the curve of her slim hips, into the seductive depths of her verdant eyes, and down to the tiny golden circlets that decorated the smallest toe on each of her delicate feet. Her silky skin was like velvet beneath my fingers." His vivid imagery even caused Vin to flush, the slight heat tinting his high cheekbones with a pale shade of red.

  "She blessed our home with a healthy son. He was not yet through his first year when I was called upon to trade my life for theirs."

  Vin stood up and walked a few paces away from Javeed, offering his newest friend a modicum of privacy in which to savor the remembrance of his family. He generated a cool breeze across the hillock, trying to help calm his own longing for Caeli. Vin’s desire was already nudging close to the surface of his own thoughts, even before Javeed further stirred that fire with his colorful words.

  The man certainly knew how to reach out and grab hold of his listener’s emotions. Vin wondered silently, another question amongst the many he continued to ponder, what Javeed might have done for a living. Anybody with that sort of narrative skill should have been a writer or storyteller, but Vin got the distinct impression that Javeed’s words were only appreciated by those closest to him. He guessed that Javeed’s occupation involved a routine task that called for few words of the sort he had just supplied.

  After a few minutes, Vin allowed the wind to drift away and returned to his seat in the grass. This was the part of the story he was anxious to hear. What happened to Javeed? How did it relate to his attempt to contact Caeli?

  "To begin, my friend, you should know that I have a talent with the winds, similar to your own. I do not think my strength is nearly as great as yours, but I became aware of my gift, briefly, while I still lived. On the day I died, Sahrina planned to prepare a special supper for me and asked that I make a short detour to purchase fruit and spices as I passed near the market on my way home from our fields. I was happy to do so, and took the money with me as I left the house that morning."

  "I followed the dirt road that ran along the edge of our land. The soil was well-packed, and the road easy to walk upon thanks to its constant traffic. It was one of the main roads used by villagers, like myself, and merchants from other cities to travel safely into my hometown. Unfortunately, that safety was not guaranteed.

  After a mile on my journey, I turned off the road onto a small trail through my partially plowed field. I was headed to the area of my field where I had been working the fresh, springtime soil in preparation for planting the season's crops. I kept a small animal pin with plenty of feed and water near this area, not far from the road. This allowed me to easily move my animals around the field without forcing them to travel the entire distance from my home."

  "As I approached the shelter that morning,
my two sturdy plow horses were nickering and prancing as if a snake were taunting them. I went directly to try to calm them and locate the source of their worry. Thus, I was not aware of the two men who hid inside the shelter and tried to sneak up behind me while I was distracted with the horses. The plain brown tunics they wore were age worn and dirty, each cinched at the waist with a thick leather belt. Their hair was unkempt, and each looked as if he might have spent more than one night sleeping in a ditch. Thankfully, the scuffling of their bare feet on the ground and the unpleasant odor the wind carried ahead of them alerted me to their presence before they were near enough to reach me." Vin hung on every word, waiting for what he presumed would be the inevitable ending.

  "I turned and immediately knew they were looking for trouble. I tried to talk my way out of it by offering them water, food, and the few coins I had with me. I kept myself a respectful distance away from them as I spoke. But, they would not be persuaded against the violence they plotted. The smaller of the two, with greasy black hair sweeping toward the back of his skull, moved to my left, closer to the horses. The larger man, with similarly oily black hair and a matching thick mustache and beard, shifted his position slightly to my right. They were attempting to trap me between them. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the young ruffian on my left withdraw from his belt a six inch, dull, gray blade caked with some unknown grime. At the same moment, his ox-like partner threw himself clumsily, but with great force, toward my right side in a lumbering attempt to knock me from my feet. I dodged below his arms and placed a stern kick to his flabby backside. His momentum carried him onward to slam against his fellow thief. The jolt caused the smaller man to jerk his knife hand backward, inadvertently gouging the unprotected flank of the nearest horse."

  "I am generally not a violent man, and will do no more than is necessary to defend myself and my family. Nonetheless, I am very fond of animals, particularly my faithful horses. These once proud beasts, pinned and domesticated, were no longer sufficiently capable of defending themselves against the weapons of men. They were a wedding gift from my father. They were my friends and shared in the comforts of my routine life."

  "I responded with anger from deep inside to the pain and injury caused by the ungainly act of these thugs. The wind came unexpectedly to my aid, for I held no weapon or other means of defense. The air enacted my will upon the men, sending them flailing out of the pin to fall with great force upon the hardened ground. Each time they tried to stand, the wind would catch them again and hurl them further away. I continued to stalk toward them, my fists hanging taut at my sides and eyes unblinking as if in a trance. The wind began to pick up stones, no larger than my closed hand, and send them to pelt the assailants as they struggled to gain their footing. Sand hurtled by the relentless gusts swirled around them, scouring their exposed arms and legs as if they had been rubbed back-n-forth over a bed of sharp rocks. After a few more unsuccessful attempts to reclaim their advantage, the two turned and fled across the open field."

  Vin let out the breath he just realized he was holding. It was not the outcome he anticipated, and Vin was eager to hear more. He continued to listen intently.

  "I did not follow them as they ran. I was able to stop and allow my anger to subside, realizing belatedly the connection between my ire and the strong wind now dwindling around me. At first, I did not want to believe it, could not believe it. I thought I must be injured or out of my mind, but I was not. I sat down, strangely exhausted, and tried for hours to figure out alternate explanations for what happened. It was a fruitless passing of time."

  "After that, I returned to tend to my horses. By this time, they were settled and grazing contentedly on their favorite meal, oats with a little bit of alfalfa sprouts in the mix. The gash in Bola's flank, the stallion who was the only victim of the failed assault, was deep, but did not reach the bone. It was easily cleaned and tended. It would not leave much of a noticeable scar, nor would it cause any lasting disability. I was greatly relieved."

  "Around midday, I still had not begun my routine chores in the fields, but continued to talk to my steeds and consider the event of that morning. I accepted the fact that I unknowingly summoned the wind on my own behalf. This acceptance allowed me to begin testing my new talent. I wanted to know what I could do with it, when I could use it, and how it would respond to my needs. By the end of the workday, when the afternoon sun began its slow decent toward the far horizon, I had a much better understanding of the ability and its functions, and my horses enjoyed the day's respite."

  Vin was engrossed in the action and imagery conjured up by Javeed’s recitation of the details, and it took a moment for him to realize that it was suddenly quiet. The air around them was calm once more, and the narration ceased.

  "From your description, it sounds as if your skills are quite substantial, and you were lucky enough to know about them before you crossed the barrier. That must have been helpful."

  Javeed sighed and shook his head glumly.

  "I admit that, at the time, I felt an immediate gratification, but it was solely for defense. If those men had not attacked me and had not injured my horse, I would have shared anything I possessed with them. I would have let them leave in peace, no matter the plots they may have considered. It was only when they acted that my resistance became necessary."

  Vin could understand, if not completely agree with, Javeed’s reluctance to harm another person. Vin always thought that anyone who was brazen enough to attempt to harm him or his family had already chosen to accept the violent consequences he would be apt to employ in order to prevent it.

  "I’m sorry if that seemed callous. I only meant that discovering your talent while you could still enjoy its use must have given you some pleasure, some benefit."

  "A fleeting giggle or two, perhaps, when I showed my wife and son later that evening, but it was short lived, as was I. When I returned home, completely forgetting my promise to visit the market, I shared my discovery with my wife. I twirled a bowl in the air for the amusement of my son, whose laughter almost made me forget the brutality of the encounter earlier that morning. Sahrina forgave me my forgetfulness in light of everything that happened and still managed to cook an exceptional dinner. We finished eating and were settling in for the evening when several men burst through the front door of our home. The fiends apparently followed me home and decided to try their luck again. This time they brought several other brutes along to ensure their success." Javeed’s story was turning out to be much more complicated than Vin originally suspected.

  "I sent Sahrina into the bedroom, where our son already lay sleeping on our bed. I planned to use my newly acquired skill to toss all of them right back out into the night, and then throw them all down the well so they could not escape until I could retrieve help from the guards in the city. I might have succeeded, if not for the two men who crept in through the window of our room. I repulsed all but one of the intruders in the front room. I had that last one pinned against the wall when I heard sounds of a struggle in the bedroom. I turned in time to see Sahrina fall onto the bed after being punched most brutally in her belly. The lustful man swiftly lowered himself on top of her and began to commit an unthinkable act. The second man held our son with a knife to his throat, placing him so that Sahrina would be sure to see. They assured her that he would die if she fought them."

  "I was overwhelmed with anger and lost control of my emotions as well as my hold on the winds. The man straddling my wife suddenly gasped and fell over dead before he could accomplish his nefarious deed. I knew at once that I had killed him. I squeezed the life out of him without mercy, and he deserved no less."

  "The man holding my son began to draw the knife across the child's throat. Having seen the fate of his comrade, he no longer desired to threaten Sahrina. She screamed once and lunged up from the bed, tackling the man and reaching for our son. They all became entangled on the floor. I could not react quickly enough to defend them without unleashing a force that would ensnar
e her and our child as well. As I was distracted by their peril, my restraint on the man in the front room slipped, and he struck me on the back of the head with a large piece of wood from the stack beside our hearth. I was dazed, but still managed to cease the flow of air into his lungs."

  "Oh no…," Vin whispered as Javeed continued his story.

  "Sahrina managed to pull herself and our son away from the remaining attacker and ran toward me. As if in slow motion, I saw the man’s hand grasp the knife, raise it above his head, and hurl it at her vulnerable back. Without hesitation, I pushed her to the side, hoping I was quick enough to save her. The pain in my chest and horrified look on her face told me that I succeeded. I had time enough to send the knife wielder flying out through the bedroom window with such force that he took part of the wall with him. Though my eyes were growing dim, I could see him hurled into the distance. I felt the wind snap the bones in his neck, and I was relieved. My wife and son were saved from a terrible fate that night, but I paid the ultimate price, willingly, to accomplish it."

  The tears in Vin’s eyes did not suffice to express the sympathy he felt for this man. He felt the emotional whirlwind, as well as the physical wind, that Javeed had conjured as he relived the experience during the telling. Vin was all too familiar with the scenario of having the woman you love attacked and her life threatened. Caeli went through a comparable ordeal when she and Vin first met. Even now, the memories of Joey stirred Vin's anger. Thankfully, Vin had been there to help her, and the outcome had been much better than Javeed's end.

  "Afterward, I found myself on this side and, much the same as you, others guided me. Raphael has a singular way about him which helped to heal the wound on my soul. I believe he has extended that same assistance to you." Javeed continued to explain his own crossing and adjustment period, not dissimilar to Vin's. When he reached the part where he tried to speak with his wife, Vin listened closely to the details.