The Curse Conduit

As Elizabeth had taken hold of Derek’s hand Declan and Danny had felt it, so had the other ladies. Beth-Elena had taken hold of Uri’s had and the sensation had been the same for Uriah and Urian. They could all feel the electricity as it raced through them before escaping into the night sky. They had all been stunned by the fact that they had not traveled in time. Even Uriah, his own thoughts as they had held hands had griped him with a little panic. What if they did travel? What then? But he had been right all along. They were exactly where they were supposed to be. Why the night had exploded into day was a question he was still trying to answer. Why did they have this energy between them? And what use was it to them?

Now that everyone had stopped singing the night was far too quiet. The King bade his guests a good night and went in search of his most senior men. The group headed back to a tent that they had been given. From the outside it looked like the evening’s quietness had consumed the group but with their newly acquired powers a conversation was going on all the same.

Danny was still rubbing his hand and his head. “Not sure if I want to go through that again. Gives me a cracker of a headache.” He looked at Derek who was squinting. “You okay Derek?”

“How come this stuff hurts my head and my eyes so much?”

Elizabeth put her hands in his as she stood in front of him looking into his eyes. She gasped a little at what she saw. “Derek can you see me? How much do your eyes hurt?”

Derek did look at her and smiled. “This time I can see you Lizzie but I must admit just after the sky exploded I thought I was in trouble again. Everything got dark and blurry but just as quickly it all came back. My eyes are sore and my head hurts but I’m okay.” He could see the concern on her face “Why do you ask?”

“Because the whites of your eyes are completely blood shot. I mean they are completely red.”

At her words Bethie went to look at Danny’s eyes. “Same here Lizzie Danny’s eyes are the same.”

Everyone looked to Declan making him feel a little uncomfortable. “My friends apart from a small headache I am well.”

Both Uri and Beth-Elena looked at him. Beth-Elena gave him a kiss on the cheek making Elizabeth and Bethie touch their own lips and Uri shook his head. “I am sorry to tell you this Declan but your eyes are no longer white.”

Declan was about to answer when they all saw Uriah point to Elizabeth and Derek. “Look. Look at your hands.”

Every eye was on them. Derek and Elizabeth were still holding hands but as they did they could see a small shimmer of light between their palms, like they had caught a fire fly. Immediately they broke contacted and the light vanished. Danny whistled. “Did you guys feel that?”

Derek and Elizabeth shook their heads but were rubbing their hands.

Without warning Bethie took hold of Danny’s hand, he shouted as he did feel a bit of a bite “Hey!” pulling his hand back and then slowly reaching back out for Bethie’s hand again. As their palms got closer the electricity jumped between them and a smile crept across Danny’s face. “This is ……”

He didn’t finish before Declan jumped in. He and Beth-Elena had done the same thing. “Look my friends, we can do the same.”

Elizabeth looked to Uri. “Take her hand Uri; take Bea’s hand I want to see if this works for you as well.”

Slowly Uri walked over to Declan and Beth-Elena and took one of her hands. Immediately the same thing happened.

Elizabeth smiled and nodded to Urian who in turn took Bethie’s hand, again the same. Elizabeth already knew if she took Uriah’s hand they would see the charge between them but she stepped over to him and did it anyway. Again Danny whistled. “Blimey.”

Once more in his calm, controlled manner Uriah asked them all to switch. He wanted to see if the configuration of people made any difference. By the time everyone had finished shaking hands it was evident that it did not matter who held whose hand the sparks would fly. The women were giggling and the men smiled at the lightness that it was able to bring to such a dark moment.

For those watching from the outside it was a sight to behold. They could not hear the conversation going on, could not hear the women’s laughter, all they could see was the crackles of light as they touched and the shadows that played on the wall of the tent.

Many knights very glad that these people, these strange travellers were on their side.

The little group spent the night trying to figure out why they could do what they could do and why Danny, Derek and Declan’s eyes were so red and why they could speak to each other without words. An exhausting exercise that ended with each woman falling asleep in the arms of her man and Uri, Urian and Uriah watching over the sleeping couples until dawn showed herself.

As the day broke, the camp site came alive with pre battle activity; it also found Uri, Urian and Uriah seated around the fire once more. They had been discussing their unique situation, their new talents. They had also been playing with their new talents. Harnessing them, controlling them. As they sat around the fire each man would clench his hand into a fist and when he opened his hand a small brilliant ball of energy would be resting on his palm. With a gentle flick of the wrist the small balls of energy were thrown into the fire causing small explosions as they did. Some of the knights had seen this little game and had become nervous, one of them informing the King.

Derek and the King arrived at the fire together just in time to see Uriah throw another ball into it. Derek was speechless looking down at his own hands. The King, although a little shocked at what he saw had come to accept that these visitors brought with them strange gifts. The three men stood as the King spoke. “Uri, you are a sorcerer after all.”

Uri did not speak just bowed a little.

Derek looked to Uriah “How Uriah? I can’t seem to do the same thing.”

Like Uri, Uriah remained silent only shrugged his shoulders. How could he answer Derek? He had no idea. He did notice however that Derek’s eyes were even darker than they had been the night before.

The others had also noticed but it was the King who spoke. “My friend. Your eyes, do they hurt?”

Derek shook his head. “A little itchy your Majesty.”

Uriah stepped closer to Derek. “They are very, very dark Derek. You have no white left at all. It’s like your eyes are all one colour. Are you sure you can see alright?”

As Derek answered the others stepped from the tent, all stood a little shocked as for the first time they saw Danny and Declan’s eyes.

They had become so much darker.

Danny began to say something then remembered that he had not actually spoken so said it again out loud. “Sure hope my eyes don’t look like yours Derek.”

He heard their replies in his head before he heard the King’s words. “My friend. You also bear the same darkness in your eyes. Does this mean you also have some new power like my dear friend Uri?”

They all looked to Uri not understanding at first then Uriah tilted his head and all three of them showed the rest what they could do.

Danny whistled, Declan put his hand on the hilt of his sword, the women gasped and they all looked at their own hands. Only Uri, Urian and Uriah could make the little balls of light. But while the three men had been sitting around the fire they had come up with a plan, a theory they wanted to test. It was left up to Uriah to explain to the rest including the King.

“Somehow I feel that we have been given these different things so that we can help. I think we can all conjure up this power but I think if we are all together it might work better, like it did last night only if we concentrate we might be able to control it. I want us to all hold hands again and try and control the outcome.”

At his words everyone got a little restless. Without thinking Uriah began to speak to his friends through their minds. Quickly explaining what he wanted them to do and he hoped gaining their trust.

As they all started to make a circle he asked Danny and Derek and Declan to take up a position in the circle that would form a triangle. He did not know why but he was sure that they held the key to whatever it was they were to do.

The King and his knights stood and watched as the little group silently practiced. They held hands and like the night before the thunder and lightning shot up into the sky but this time as Danny, Declan and Derek followed the shaft of light with their eyes it changed. It stopped, became solid. Derek moved his eyes off the shaft off light to look at Uriah, as he did a piece of lightening followed his stare barely missing Uriah and striking the ground. All the women shouted and broke the circle as they pulled away their hands the shaft of light disappeared.

Everyone was concerned for Uriah, Elizabeth making sure he was alright.

Uriah smiled at her. “I am okay.” He turned his attention to Derek as he opened his hand to reveal the small ball of power resting in his palm. “Derek I want you to look at this and then try and move it, try and get it into the fire if you can.”

Derek had not taken his eyes of Uriah’s face afraid of what might happen if he did. In their own silent speech Uriah re assured him that it would be alright.

Elizabeth took hold of Derek’s hand and slowly he pulled his eyes away from Uriah’s face and onto the ball of light shimmering in his hand.

“Just use your eyes to move it into the fire Derek.” Uriah’s voice was calm and commanding.

The King could see that he had what it would take to be a great knight.

As Derek moved his eyes everyone gasped as the ball of power moved. Slowly, gracefully to hover over the fire for a few seconds before exploding sending a small wave of wind and thunder outwards.

Again all eyes were on Uriah yet it was the King who spoke. “How did you know such a thing would happen?”

Uriah bowed a little. “I had no idea what might happen only that something should.”

Derek was rubbing his temples. “You mean no dreams about this? I thought that is why you asked because you had seen something.”

Uriah shook his head. “Only a feeling.”

Declan patted Uriah on the back. “I think that maybe you are a wizard Master Uriah. What do we do now?”

Declan Danny and Derek practiced their new gift, refining it with the help of Uriah, Urian and Uri. It was indeed a sight to behold. They mastered the control of the power, the lightening and could move it where and when they wanted. Gently, so it was hardly visible or in a raging surge that would destroy anything in its path.

The King’s plan would change once more before they entered the battle field.