Date: Sun, 26 Dec 2010 06:23:56 -0800 (PST) From: Cailen Vature <cailenauthor@yahoo.com> Subject: Raven chapter 28 AS REQUIRED If you are underage, or this is illegal where you are, then please do the right thing... (Whatever that may be...) This story is copyrighted, ©2010. To me the author and it is therefore illegal to copy or use any part of this story without my written permission. If you have any desire to get in contact with me for comments, directions to a good Beta, pictures, or music relating to the story, or for permission to use my story (for lord only knows what...) You may contact me at my email address: cailenauthor@yahoo.com I also love reviews, both the good and the bad. So please feel free to send your thoughts along, I will be more than happy to answer any questions about the story or writing or anything else that you might have. So I hope to hear from you. Chapter 28: You've left me speechless I don't know how I managed to get through the rest of the day. My mind was in total shock and I was nearing a mental breakdown. I just watched Jay literally walk on water and confirm he had magical powers completely changing all I knew and understood about life, the universe and everything. Worse off I also had watched him seemingly disappear into the shadow of the door. I was on auto pilot as I went home and made it back to the sanctuary of my room and I sat down and tried to write down some of my thoughts. I went to my desk and pulled out a pen and grabbed a scrap piece of paper . Jackson is a I couldn't write anything else it was if my hand suddenly stopped working and I became alarmed as I felt a very cold shot of ice travel down my arm. "Jackson is an" I tried speaking and suddenly my voice seized as I felt a frozen chill encase my throat as if I swallowed an Ice cube. I fell silent... "Magic" I said out loud and I was pleased "Jackson can do" and I fell silent again and that same feeling came over me and it was extremely unpleasant. "I'm magically bound" I said to myself and I was shocked and my brain was trying to piece together what Jay was trying to tell me but couldn't. He said I was different, but not the same as he was. I decided to try and use my magic and explore it. I went to my centered place that Ian had showed me and I shut my eyes. I focused on that inner part of me and I opened my eyes and could feel the magic running through me. I looked at my door and I thought about shutting it and suddenly it closed on its own accord. I looked at the mess on my floor and suddenly the clothes started moving across the floor and into the hamper and the pile of clothes I hadn't put away started folding themselves and floating up to their spaces on the closet. The bed sheets started moving and folding and within a minute my room was sparkling clean. I felt my magic flowing out into the room and looked at the bed and I pushed my magic out and lifted it off the floor. I watched in a detached fascination as it floated around the room. I set it gently back down and turned back to my desk. I needed someone with answers and I really didn't want to speak to Jackson again and although he mentioned Colin I really didn't want to ask him either. I kept thinking back to how I ended up in this situation and I realized that I was different than whatever Jackson was. So even though I was afraid at what he could be I was even more afraid at the other question that was beginning to form in the back of my mind `What am I?' I needed help I sat down at my desk and I was about ready to cry when I saw a small folded up piece of paper on my desk start moving across it. It was sliding towards my hand so I reached out and opened it. It was Clayton Gallant's phone number. The number he had given me when we were at the hospital. I reached for my phone and dialed. On the second ring I heard someone pick up "Hello?" the voice asked "Clayton?" I asked "Yes? Who's this?" I heard "Clayton this is Dustin Farrell we met at the hospital and you gave me your card" I said "Dustin, what's up is everything alright?" he asked "Clayton this might sound crazy but I think I'm about to go out of my mind here..." I said "Dustin first thing... calm down" he said and I focused on calming and it helped a little "okay, now tell me what's going on" "Clayton I saw..." my voice trailed off into silence as my voice disappeared as the cold chill settled in my throat, so I tried a different approach "what can you tell me about magic?" I asked The line was silent for a moment and suddenly I heard him answer in a much angrier tone. "What do you know?" he asked followed by "What did Colin do?" "Clayton... I've seen things I can't explain and I need to know what's happening and what's happening to me" I said "Alright and so why contact me?" he said "why do you think I know anything about magic stuff?" he asked "I was told Colin and Jackson are the same, if you are his brother you must be too, or maybe know something about it." I said "Speaking to humans is forbidden, Jackson told you this?" He asked and took a moment to pause "I see... well I guess I should ask how you got caught up in this?" he asked gently "If someone is not magical can they be magically bound?" I asked The line was silent for another few moments as I figured Clayton was figuring out exactly what he could say to me "Humans can be affected by magic, but are not affected by the same natural laws so the answer is no" he said cryptically "So why I can't I speak about things I know?" I said The phone was silent for a few minutes but I could hear him still there and suddenly in an ominous voice he said "Don't leave the house" and with that the phone went dead. I sat in my room alone for a few minutes and not being able to decided what to do I opted to lay down on my bed. I was there for only a few minutes when I felt my magic surge and I know Clayton was coming. Predicted it as I heard the door downstairs open and then suddenly my door opened and Clayton was standing in my room. "Dustin" he breathed heavily grabbing the doorframe gasping for breath. "Clayton how did you get here so fast?" I asked Clayton tried mouthing a few words and I watched his face wince a few times as he struggled through his own magical bonds. "I see you haven't learned much, it is much easier speaking when you have learned more. But the answer to your question is that I move fast" he said "It is one of your powers?" I asked "Yes" he said "Do I have powers?" I asked "Tell me what you can do" he said "There's a power within me, it feels like a cold chill. I think it is some sort of magic. It obeys my thoughts." I said and I glanced at the desk next to us and with a small nod I looked at the desk and lifted it up into the air with my magic and then set it back down gently. Clayton looked extremely pale and his hands were trembling. "What is it?" I asked "You are what we call `A Hand of Ada.'" He said wiping his forehead and taking a deep breath. "I am surprised we didn't notice it before. I can feel it now; your room is saturated in magic. You have to be paying close attention to notice it." "What is a hand of Ada?" I asked "A Magician, a Priest, a Sage, a Warrior, a Hand of God." He said "I don't understand!" I yelled and Clayton looked hurt "Listen I'm sorry alright, I'm extremely frustrated and worst of all, I'm scared" "I bet you are, I don't even know what is going on myself. I haven't heard a word about this. You said that Jackson said that he and Colin were the same, what else has been going on?" he asked I launched into my story so far about how I first noticed a chill when Ian and I were doing sparring and how it seemed to grow over time, and all the way to the point where I saw Colin and Jackson together and to the fight. "Sorry" I said after I finished the story "I just kept babbling there" Clayton smiled a little and at least some of the color to his face was restored. "I can tell you right now that some extremely strange things are going on with you, if you were one of us we could speak candidly, but since you're human I shouldn't even be able to have this conversation with you at all." he said "this would be the sort of thing we would ask our holy father" he sighed "Where is your father?" I asked "On the old temple, it's in Boston" Clayton said "Maybe I could meet him" I said "That would probably be a good idea, I'll have to ask him." he said looking me over "you are really special aren't you, no wonder Jackson was so attracted to you, your magic it is really something I can't believe I didn't notice it before" "What about it?" I asked "First off" Clayton said taking a breath "Humans are not magical in any way shape or form, they just aren't it's one of those things, yet here you are." He said "What makes me special?" "Our magic is earthier and of life, it gets under your skin and is subtle, yours is like the air after a thunderstorm, it's fresh and electrical." "What am I?" I asked "I don't know, I couldn't tell you." Clayton said "Fine, what are you?" I asked "I'm a" and he fell silent and he threw up his hands and I groaned and leaned back down on the bed. "I guess not eh?" I said "Sorry" Clayton said kneeling down I sat up and he gave me a hug "Thanks" I said pulling away "Honestly you need rest, you look exhausted and you need to sleep on this and really give this a few days to sink in, and I don't think this isn't going to change much, you're the same as you always were and so am I and everyone else the difference is now you know and you need time to figure out exactly what that means." He said and I nodded he was right. "Well I just need to understand why this is happening" I said "I hear when one of our children is a Hand of Ada, and there are not many. They need special teachers to help them understand and control their powers. I can imagine the crossover can be quite frightening if you do not understand what is going on." He said "I thought I was on drugs" I admitted "You needed help and although we could not openly tell you what was happening because we were forbidden from doing so, Jackson and..." He fell silent again but quickly continued "well I know a few other people that might be able to help you, I'd be willing to take you to them if you wanted?" "Why would you do that?" I asked "Because you need help, and we could use your help." he said and actually looked relieved that he could say that without being gagged. "What kind of help?" I asked "I'm not even going to risk it and just tell you I can't say it." He smiled at me "Worth a shot" I said shrugging "It was, but I can see Jackson and... I mean has been working on this for a long time, but if you've reached this point then you are almost done, you'll know everything soon enough." "Is your natural form human shape?" I asked "No, Humanoid" he answered I was about to ask my next question when Clayton answered it for me. "No, we're from this planet" Clayton smiled "We'll be in touch soon" he said to me "I suggest writing down what you've learned" "I can't" I said "Not specifics" he said "just the connections" I nodded and he waved goodbye and I heard him go out the sliding door again with the same amazing speed for someone his size. I laid down to rest and shut my eyes and fell asleep into oblivion I was dreaming I could sense it. I opened my eyes and found myself back in the field that I was in with Jackson when we made love and when I was dreaming last. I wandered through the long strands of grain and felt the blades of straw run though my fingertips. The air was so clear and clean and the mountains were so beautiful in the distance it was like heaven. "Back again I see" I turned and I saw Jackson standing looking at me. He was wearing the same silly costume he wore for Halloween and his hair seemed to glow around him. He was truly a beautiful sight. His green eyes shimmered like emeralds. "What is this place?" I asked "It is the origin of all things" he answered "it is also my home, where I come from" "What is it called?" I asked Jay seemed in pain but he managed to breath out one word "Aldena" he said "That is what the humans called it, it is now often referred to as Eden" "Eden as in... Adam and Eve?" I asked Jay nodded and then spoke "There was a great war and my people used magic and sealed off this world away from humans and we've lived separately ever since." "When?" I asked "A long time ago" he said "How old are you?" I asked "I am eighteen years old" he said "same as you" "Then how do you know all this?" I asked "This is where I was born" he said and suddenly the view rotated and the mountains turned behind me and I suddenly discovered that the grassy field I was on was the edge of a tall hill and in the distance I saw a stunning sight a beautiful kingdom, a castle and a city in the distance filled my vision. The castle stood on a high cliff at the edge of a lake. At the edge of the cliff stood a gigantic tree and the castle was built around it and through it. Down at lake level a city grew out into the water around the base in a circular fashion and the whole image was quite stunning. I saw sailing ships in the lake between us and the castle and the whole scene was amazing. "And this city, what is it called" "The Noble Kingdom of Aldena" he replied "it means the center of all things" "Jackson" I turned back and looked at him "what am I becoming?" I asked "Magic is governed by laws created by our goddess Ada, she gave us our powers and our world, and she is also responsible for you. Her intensions I cannot guess, but I know we were destined to meet. She sent me to you." "What happens to me now?" I asked "That is entirely up to you" he said and I felt a cold chill sweep over me. The sky became dark and wind whipped through the grass sending straw into the air. "Jay what's happening?" I asked "You need to wake up" he said I watched when suddenly out of the sky I saw many dark looming shapes and suddenly I saw fire burst from the black clouds above me like lightening and I felt fire around me and heat on my face I bolted upright in a sweat and my face still burning. I leaned over the bed and hurled into my trash. I ached all over and I felt numb. I leaned back and tried to shut my eyes but I still felt nauseous. "Sweetheart you're going to be late" I heard my mom walk in and she instantly rushed over to me "Dustin sweetheart can you hear me?" she asked "I don't feel so great" I said leaning over the bed and vomiting again She put her hand on my head "You're burning up, I'll be back soon" she said I closed my eyes thinking about all that had happened and what I had learned and from what I knew the answer was not much. These visions I were seeing were of real places, though I didn't know where I could find them. Colin really did break his neck; Jay was there to revive him. Jay can talk to me in my sleep... How? I tried putting more pieces of everything I had learned together. Mom came back in and gave me some Nyquil and told me she had to go to work but would try and come home early for me and she had already called the school. I smiled and closed my eyes and fell back to uninterrupted sleep.