BOOK 1 - CHAPTER 22

CHAPTER 22

Johnny dropped his pickings of sticks and branches onto the pile. He wiped his forehead and sighed, “And this should be enough, right?”

Julia, knelt by the pile of sticks, nodded as she pulled them together, making sure they fit around the circle of stones she’d made for the camp fire. Margaret set up the tents they’d packed ahead of time, one for Margaret and one for Julia and Johnny to share.

He’d asked Albert to start the creation core on a third tent once he learned they’d only packed two and he was expected to share with Julia because, well, Margaret apparently liked to spread her wings— literally. But by Albert’s updates on the creation core’s progress bar…it wasn’t looking like he’d get that tent out before the insects began to buzz and bite.

The creation core is weakening with every new creation, getting slower and sluggish, even making trivial mistakes. Need to fix it before it lets me down completely.

But for tonight, there was nothing he could do about it. He fidgetted as he watched Julia break the kindling to smaller bits and pieces and stuff the tinder between. She clapped her hands clean as she shot up to her feet with a satisfied but exhausted sigh. They’d been on the road for around twelve hours or more and the journey hadn’t even truly started.

Nsukka’s red sun dipped under the horizon and its green moon rose in prominence between the fading clouds. Johnny sighed, “Looks good, couldn’t have made it better myself.”

Julia gave an appreciative smile but said nothing. Instead she nodded at Margaret who approached with a devious smile, the kind she wore whenever she’d come up with a new challenge for him to beat in training.

“No, don’t tell me…”

Margaret shrugged, her smile only growing larger in size. “Oh yes, and this time, it’s completely justified.”

Johnny’s eyes widened, “So you do agree those training methods weren’t justified!”

“Hahah. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Margaret said. “What I do know is that this camp needs a fire, right Julia?”

Julia nodded, her arms folded and a faux impatience drawn over her previously calm features. “Yes, how are we going to make dinner otherwise? Or keep the predators at bay?”

“Exactly. The night draws near, Champion, light the flame.” Margaret said, gesturing at the arrangement.

At this point Johnny was confused. A fire was the least of his problems. He shrugged and walked over to the Voyager, he had both matches and lighters from his lonesome days stuffed in there, “Alright, that’s simple enough.”

“Oh no, not that simple Johnny Victoris.” Julia called out just as his fingers touched the handle. “You’re the Champion now and you’ve been wondering how to channel the power the Radiant One has bestowed upon you, haven’t you?”

Johnny’s eyes went wide, his mouth turned ajar as he Oh’d. Margaret snorted, “First lesson, be the light in the darkness. Start the fire before the sun goes out, Johnny Victoris, and do it quickly.”

Johnny left the door alone and shuffled back towards the camp, there was at least thirty minutes of dusk left before the night enveloped Nsukka and somehow he was supposed to produce a flame?

“How?” He exclaimed, confusion, doubt and a little bit of panic as his race against the sun began. “I mean, if you’d told me earlier this was going to happen maybe—”

“Maybe what?” Julia interjected, her voice hard, brows furrowed. “No one knows when or even where they’ll need the light of the Radiant One, but we are taught it's something that guides us, her beloved followers in her every path. My own abilities first manifested in stress, in a moment of life or death and as far as I know, so did yours.”

Johnny stuttered to say something but Margaret was already speaking. “Unlike Julia, I was born into the Radiant One’s blessings, I didn’t have to find it or be told it was there. I felt it the moment I was born, like all of my race. We are descendants of her Nephelim, chosen to guard the Halls of Judgement but you, Johnny, you are her Champion on this planet, the one mortal capable of freeing Nsukka, of driving away the darkness that threatens it.”

She pointed at the dipping sun. “That sun and the darkness that comes after it is exactly what Nsukka faces. The Devouring Darkness has already consumed nearly all of Nsukka, poisoned it and driven away its people. If you can’t turn the tide now then—”

Johnny groaned. “Okay! Okay, I get it! But, how do I find the power again? Last time I heard her voice speaking to me, telling me what to do and now I’m alone…” He searched their faces for an answer. “How do I become the Champion?”

Julia’s gaze softened considerably. She walked up to him, caressed his cheeks and then squeezed his shoulders. “You already are, Johnny, you just have to believe it.”

Believe it? Ha…believe it, of course it comes down to faith. Johnny gulped. “Okay, believe. Believe.” He stared down at his hands, his feet and then the fire pit waiting to be set aflame

For weeks since the Talvish incident Johnny had been trying to replicate or at least revive a fraction of the power that enveloped him that day. He’d seen limited success in that his unconscious abilities, the things he never really needed to focus on to manifest— his speed, his strength, his reflexes and even some of his five senses improved significantly.

But those were passive benefits of being the Champion, an effortless boon of the grace that had been bestowed upon him as the chosen hero of this world. Now he needed to take action, bring to life the prophetic words about him, the faith that all others seemed to instantly have in him even though he’d barely done anything to deserve it.

No, this is…this is my chance to deserve it, to prove to myself that I’m worth the power. If I can just believe in myself for one second, then…!

He squeezed his eyes shut, his hands, feet and even buttocks clenched as he held his breath and imagined for once— himself, a Champion on the track, the raceway and now, soon a Champion of a goddess.

Quite the big leap there Johnny. He sighed, letting out the breath he held prisoner only to shake his head furiously. No, I can't think those thoughts. I believe I am the Champion, I believe in the Radiant One, in her mission, in the Alliance. In myself.

His clenched fists white-knuckled as he began to push that faith into them, believing that when he opened his palms there would be a flame. A fire powered by the Essence of the Goddess who chose him.

He felt his body, his chest and centre warming up and a giddy, errant thought nearly had him fling his eyes open. He kept them shut and began to nudge that warmth to spread from his centre to extremities. It was easier than he expected. It flooded his arms and legs like tap water through a hose, the warmth nestling in his hands.

Okay, now…

He opened his palms first and then, his eyes. Johnny gasped. There wasn’t a fire blazing in his hands but there was power in them. They were aglow with golden light, Radiant power exuding from his fingertips all the way down to his elbow. Johnny couldn’t help but cackle, the light shone bright in the darkening night, he felt its warmth on his face— or was that more Radiant power flowing around him?

No matter, I can do this! With the excited exuberance of a child learning to play with matches, Johnny pointed his glowing palms at the fire pit only to find it lit, aflame and crackling with Julia setting up a roast.

“Huh? But I…” He searched for the sun, his cosmic timer for the challenge he’d surely won but found nothing but Nsukka’s emerald moon and the spatter of stars around it. He found Margaret next, a soft, assuring smile on her face. He’d say such a kind look didn’t fit her except, in the waning glow of his Radiance and the crackling campfire, it did, and it hurt as much as it comforted that that was the face she offered.

“It’s okay, Johnny, this is a success too. There will be other sun sets to chase and even more sun rises to usher anew.” She said, grasping his glowing hands in hers. “Remember this feeling, that is your power, the Essence of the Radiant one pure and undiluted in you. You’re going to need it sooner than you think.”