The terror that had taken hold in Tommy’s body evaporated as his mind was invaded by a soothing telepathic voice. He raised his head to the waterfall and his gaze was met by eyes so blue, so brilliant, that the water flowing around them seemed to pale in comparison. He fell to his knees when he locked eyes with this being; the pressure exerted by its gaze alone was impossible to withstand. Beads of sweat formed from every pore on his body and his chest constricted as his breathing became shallower and shallower.
My apologies, little one, the voice laughed in his mind. The pressure immediately eased and Tommy collapsed onto his hands and knees. It seems that I am excited to meet you after all this time that I’ve spent waiting.
Tommy bowed his head and wept. The voice that spoke to him was a gentle breeze; regal and melodious, it filled him with a sense of calm so strong that he felt as if he were sitting under his oak tree back home.
Home? Where was home? Such a foreign concept, for what had there been before this exact moment? Truly he had been wrong for wanting to leave this place, he would remain here for the rest of his days, joined in telepathic communion with this presence.
Breathe little one, breathe, the voice spoke to him. As I said, ten millennia is a long time to wait. I have been in seclusion all this time so forgive me for I had forgotten how delicate the Slumbering truly are.
Tommy felt his mind relaxing as his thoughts were beginning to return to him unmolested. He remembered his family, his friends, the home he must return to. He took a deep breath as the voice had suggested and exhaled as slowly as possible. His legs had no strength so he remained seated, raising his head once more to stare into the eyes of…?
“W-Who are you?” Tommy rasped, licking his lips and swallowing his saliva. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he last spoke. A minute? A week? A century? His communion with this presence had disrupted his psyche, and his thoughts began to scramble inside of his head once more.
It has only been a few minutes since you were lost, the voice assured him. He felt the being probe his mind and bring images of his family and friends to the forefront of his thoughts, trying to soothe Tommy and relax him.
“I have to get back to them!” He shouted as he saw images of Nessa and Ashley wandering the dark tunnels with only their flashlights. He tried to stand but his legs failed him again.
Be at ease, little one, the voice spoke to him. Your friends are safe and you will be reunited with them soon. Sit and speak with me for a while longer, I beseech you. I have been waiting many millennia for you as I said.
“Who are you?” Tommy asked again, trying his hardest to keep his jumbled thoughts straight and his voice calm. He was suddenly very conscious of the fact he was speaking with something that could destroy his mind in an instant.
I have many names, little one, the voice sang to him in amusement. For I am very old indeed. I have existed since the dawn of creation and further still did I exist before that. The births and deaths of many ages have I borne witness to, and still was I alive for many ages more that are lost now to time and memory.
I am the Bringer of the Tempest and The Eye of the Storm.
I am One of the Few.
I am the Messenger of the One, it finished.
Tommy’s mind whirled at the voice’s words. He understood nothing of what the being spoke about, simply understanding that it was ancient and far older than Tommy could ever hope to fathom.
“How should I address you?” Tommy asked hesitantly, not wanting to offend it.
It matters not, for when you leave this place our meeting will be but a dream. The name that your kind had for me was lost at the end of an age, though I believe that it exists somewhere in this world still. Will you be the one to find it? The voice danced in his head.
“I guess I’ll just call you Storm then?” Tommy broached. An explosion of indescribable euphoria blossomed from somewhere in the depths of his soul and he grinned up at the cave ceiling foolishly as tears leaked from the corners of his eyes again.
I find that name acceptable, Storm laughed in Tommy’s mind.
“I’m glad you like it then,” Tommy smiled while wiping away at his eyes. Storm buzzed in his mind and he wondered what it was thinking about. “Who am I to you? You said you were waiting for me?”
Yes, for ten millennia we Few have been meditating, Storm repeated. Waiting endlessly for one of the Slumbering to find us. Centuries have passed since one of the Few was last found, but never has the one who found us been Awoken; they have always been Slumbering.
“Sorry, what?” He asked. Storm had so far been speaking to him in riddles and he had no understanding of anything that it was talking about. “So are you telling me that I’m an Awoken? Or I’m Slumbering? I’ve never heard about any of this before.”
The world is wide, little one, Storm smiled into his mind. You are young and have much to see and much to learn. You will soon leave on your journey to explore everything this wonderful world has to offer. Will you remain Slumbering? Or will you truly Awaken? The One will surely have its eye on you now either way.
“The One? Who is the One?” Tommy asked, not very keen on having some unknown presence watching his every move. He was starting to grow frustrated, nothing Storm spoke of made any sense to him. Was it friend or foe? Or neither?
Relax, little one, Storm told him. I am friend, but must remain impartial. If I could help you on your journey I would, but it is forbidden to help those who Slumber.
Tommy blushed, forgetting that Storm could read his mind. He apologized to it profusely, embarrassed of his foolish thoughts. He supposed Storm was indeed a friend since it could have destroyed his mind the moment he had accidentally summoned it if it had chosen to.
Our time grows short, Storm told him, imparting images of Ashley and Nessa finding the pond and rushing towards the last tunnels that would take them outside to where Zach was waiting. You have magnificent friends, who I see even now would do everything in their power to find you and bring you back to their fold, disregarding even their own safety to succeed in doing so.
“I feel the same way,” Tommy said, speaking confidently for the first time since he had met Storm. “I will do anything for them; I will die for them.”
Your courage and fortitude are truly remarkable, I see not a shred of doubt in your convictions. Are you the one that we Few have been endlessly waiting for? Time will certainly tell, Storm declared. May I tell you a story before you leave?
“I don’t think I have any choice in the matter,” Tommy laughed. He gestured to the empty room around him. “I’m held trapped in this grotto, a prisoner in a cage of stone.”
Not a prisoner in a cage! Storm thundered. The waterfall began to steam and hiss while the lake burbled furiously. A tempest erupted in Tommy’s head and he screamed in blinding agony, collapsing prone onto the ground and writhing in unimaginable pain under the might of this being’s telepathic assault. It’s voice thundered in his mind, You are my guest, I guided you here to me, and I would release you now upon your request!
“I’m sorry!” Tommy managed to only barely yell over the storm that threatened to tear his mind asunder. It slowly subsided and his mind calmed as he lay panting and heaving on the ground with his eyes closed. He turned his head and slowly opened his eyes to stare into Storm’s blues. “I meant no offense, my words were poorly chosen. Can I hear the story? Please, I want to hear it.”
Certainly. Nothing would please me greater. For you will need all of the help you can get on your journey, Storm sang, it’s voice returning abruptly to a gentle breeze, ire and fury already forgotten. Your journey will be a difficult one.
Tommy closed his eyes as Storm began.
First, there was the beginning, for the beginning is the place where things must begin, Storm spoke. Tommy’s mind was immediately overwhelmed by colors, lights, shapes, and numbers; images and sounds flooded Tommy’s mind with no sequence or order. He screamed on the floor, clutching his head once again, begging for everything to stop.
But before the beginning was the One, for the One is the Beginning of all and all things are of the One. The images in Tommy’s mind abruptly ceased and he lay panting on the ground, his mind now empty.
For you see now that the One has always been and always will be, the Beginning and the End, Storm hummed. From the One came the Few and we rejoiced through the ages for everything was good. We sang our praises to the One and the One sang back to us; through time immemorial all was as it should be.
But one of the Few, the first from amongst us, grew jealous of the One. It sang it’s own praises, rejoicing in itself, and some of the Few rejoiced with it. So it became the Foe and its followers the Fallen. And the Foe and the Fallen were cast down by the One, banished forever from its presence, never to rejoice again. So the Few became fewer and there was much sadness.
Storm paused its story and keened, sharing its immeasurable grief with Tommy. A haunting melody echoed through Tommy that brought forth great wracking sobs from the depths of his soul; every other sadness that he had experienced throughout his life felt like happiness in comparison as he lay weeping on the ground for an untold amount of time.
Still we Few continued to rejoice, but all was no longer as it should be, Storm told Tommy. So the One created the world and filled it with the Many and told them to go forth and rejoice. The creation of the world came to pass, the beginning but not the Beginning, and the Few and the Many praised the One.
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And one from amongst the Many shared her soul with the One and she Awoke from her Slumber, Storm thundered all around the grotto. Thus she became Anointed, the greatest of the Many, and ages came and passed and all was as it should be again.
But the Foe seeks always to corrupt, to pervert, and to destroy. And it succeeded in its perversion when one of the Awoken and the Foe shared their souls. So the cycle repeated itself and many of the Many were corrupted by the Foe. Grief and distrust returned once more and we Few who remain have secluded ourselves ever since, waiting patiently for the Return of the Anointed.
Storm finished its story, leaving Tommy dumbstruck upon the beach. Hundreds, thousands of questions raced through his mind but he couldn’t summon the strength to ask even one of them.
Our time together is at its end, little one, Storm smiled. You may ask me one question before you depart.
Tommy grasped hopelessly at the thousands of questions racing through his mind, picking the one that would hopefully give him the most answers.
“How can I find you again, Storm?” Tommy asked. He knew he had asked the right question as Storm swelled in his mind with joy and pride.
I will gift you something, Storm told him. When the time is right, it will lead you back to me.
Tommy looked over at the cairn he had collapsed next to and saw resting upon the little statue’s back what looked like a feather. He frowned as he picked it up and examined it. Upon closer inspection the feather was white? Grey? Silver? It appeared to be a liquid but as he hefted it, the feather was lighter than the air around it, yet solid to the touch. Just thinking about it made Tommy’s head hurt.
May our paths cross again, little one, Tommy heard Storm speak into his mind from somewhere far away. His vision grew dark and his consciousness began to slip away. I shall be waiting to see what you become.
----------------------------------------
Tommy blinked open his eyes and squinted as the sun’s rays blinded him. His head was throbbing and he couldn’t remember why. He looked down at his clenched fist and saw a silver feather held tightly between his fingers; it was moist in his hand from the ocean. He thought about discarding it, after all why was he clinging onto a feather, but the thought slipped from his mind as soon as it entered; he slipped the feather into the pocket of his swim trunks instead.
The waves lapped at his bare feet and he sat up and stretched, reaching his hands toward the sun and his feet towards the water. He let out a big exhale as he stretched, feeling good except for the slight throbbing in his head. He stood up and turned away from the beach just in time to see Ashley and Nessa exiting the cave into the sunlight. Half the class of students was trailing right behind them and they were all screaming for Zach.
“Zach!” Ashley yelled at the top of her lungs. He swooped down on Pidgeot to land amongst the students.
“Everyone calm down!” He yelled. “I can’t hear when everyone is shouting all at once! Now what’s the problem?”
“Zach, Tommy fell down the chasm in the final room!” Nessa sobbed. “You have to go rescue him!”
“Oh, shit!” Zach swore. His eyes were wide and his face paled for a moment. “He didn’t try to cross that bridge did he? Dammit, he could be anywhere right now! The competition is over, everyone stay here!”
“Hey! I’m over here!” Tommy called out. Zach and the class turned to see Tommy striding towards them from across the beach, waving casually with his arm up. Ashley and Nessa gaped for a moment, then tore across the beach towards Tommy, slamming into him and hugging him with all their might. Zach followed close behind the two girls.
“Tommy you fell down!” Ashley managed to say.. “How did you make it out here? We were so worried that you were lost forever!”
“I-I don’t really remember everything too well,” Tommy said. His head throbbed softly. He idly ran his hands over the money pouch dangling at his side. “I remember going through the tunnels with you two, trying to escape the class with our coins. There was a bridge I tried to cross, it collapsed and I fell below. But nothing after that, I must have hit my head and been knocked unconscious.”
“Tommy, what happened to your face?” Nessa placed her hand softly against Tommy’s cheek.
“I don’t know, I haven’t seen it yet,” Tommy replied. “Is it bad?”
“No,” she frowned while gently turning his head this way and that. “Your black eye from getting kicked yesterday, it’s gone.”
Tommy shook his head as he raised his hand to feel his face. There was no pain or tenderness as he ran his hand over his right eye. How was this possible? If anything his face and body should be more battered from falling over the ledge. He felt in perfect health, like he had just woken from a deep sleep after having eaten a good meal. He felt as good as he had on this trip except for this damnable headache that wouldn’t go away.
“The competition is over,” Zach yelled as the class began to gather. Tommy saw that Zach was eyeing him and could tell that the man wanted to speak to him. Zach awarded the points, Tommy’s group came in third with their 70 coins and were still sitting in third place overall with two points. The first place team now had five points, the second place team had three points, and two teams were tied for third place with two points.
“Everyone is dismissed and free to do whatever they want until 3 pm when we begin our other event for the day,” Zach called out. He pointed at Tommy, “Everyone except you. Come with me to my tent now.”
All of the gathered students looked at Tommy who smiled at Ashley and Nessa encouragingly. He jogged off after Zach who hadn’t waited to see if Tommy was actually following him. They both made it to his tent and crawled inside where Zach promptly called forth a Kadabra. He whispered something to the Pokémon who stepped outside the tent and in a moment all ambient noise from outside the tent was blocked off.
“A barrier?” Tommy muttered. “A sound-proof barrier?”
“Yes,” Zach stated simply. “So that we may speak freely. Tell me what happened when you were lost to us.”
“I don’t remember,” Tommy said. “Like I told you on the beach, when I fell, I must have hit my head. I don’t remember what happened; there must have been some channel or something down there that swept me out to sea.”
“Tommy,” Zach began. He softened his expression trying to make Tommy feel at ease. “From our conversation this morning at the summit you must know that I am hiding some secrets. I would freely share those secrets with you now, in the hopes that you understand that I am not an enemy. Ask of me what you will.”
“Fine,” Tommy said, “I’ll ask my questions, but know that I’m being truthful when I say I don’t know what happened to me.”
Zach nodded his head.
“So who are you really?” He asked. “Is Zach even your real name?”
“My name is Zachariah Stillman,” Zach said. He puffed his chest out, “and I am a Shadow, though I technically am still a researcher.”
“You’re a Shadow?” Tommy asked while frowning, “A Shadow of what?”
“He didn’t tell you? Then I’m not sure if I should…” Zach took a big breath and sighed, “Surely he will forgive me in this instance. The correct question is not a ‘Shadow of what’ but a ‘Shadow of whom’?”
“I am a Shadow of His Majesty, Arthur Redwell VIII, High King of Kanto and Johto,” Zach informed.
“What...?” He managed to stammer. “So that man that I met this morning? That was the King?”
“Yes,” Zach told him. “That was His Majesty, and I am one of his Shadows, a Kingsguard.”
Tommy was floored, he had been speaking with the King this morning and he didn’t even know it. “He… he told me to call him Art.”
“I would not recommend you call His Majesty that in front of any other,” Zach laughed. “But he is a unique man, a good man, though the depths of his mind are unknown to me. He has tasked me with finding information about the making of the world, for once all of our peoples were united, though they are united no longer.”
Tommy’s headache started to feel worse, as if his mind was trying to remember something that happened to him when it really didn’t.
“I’ve been to that room, Thomas,” Zach continued. He was staring straight into Tommy’s eyes trying to see if there was a glimmer of recognition on Tommy’s face. “Once, by accident, at the beginning of my posting here seven years ago. Once I entered the room a voice spoke to me, it was filled with sorrow when it told me ‘Your soul is beautiful, but you are not the one we are waiting for.’ Tommy, never have I heard a sound so beautiful, so sad in my entire life; it haunts my dreams and occupies my every waking thought. Was the voice real or was it imagined? I must know the truth. I woke up on the beach an hour later just as you did and have never found my way back to that room since.”
Tommy’s head was agony now and he clutched his hands to his head, begging for release. His mind showed him the waterfall, the cairn, brilliant blue eyes.
“Yes,” Tommy exhaled, headache returning to a dull throbbing in the back of his head. “There was a waterfall, a small cairn rested upon the shore.”
Zach clutched Tommy’s shoulders in an iron grip. His breathing was labored as he spoke next, “And the voice? Did you hear it? Did it call out to you?”
“I gazed into its eyes and it spoke to me,” Tommy confirmed. He frowned at the ceiling of the tent, “Though our conversation eludes me.”
“You saw it?” Zach said, crushing Tommy with his grip. “You actually conversed with it?”
“I only saw its eyes,” Tommy told Zach. “A blue so deep that the ocean herself does not compare. As I said, I do not remember what we spoke about.”
Zach let go of Tommy and collapsed onto his back, laughing from the depths of his belly. “So it was not imagined after all. My mind is still my own. Will tonight be the night I finally sleep?”
He sat back up and extended his hand out to Tommy. Tommy looked down and clasped forearms with the man.
“Thank you,” Zach said to him. He remained seated and bowed his head towards Tommy. “I finally know that all of my time here has not been a waste. If you remember anything else I beg that you seek me out, so that I may inform His Majesty. Please, also keep my identity a secret. Many could harm His Majesty through me.”
“Please, raise your head,” Tommy awkwardly grabbed Zach by the shoulders and tried to lift him.
“I’m going to take a nap,” Zach’s grin was so big Tommy wondered if his face would get stuck. “Wake me at 2:30 please, Mr. Hartford. You’re free to return to your friends.”
He left Zach’s tent and returned to his own campsite where Nessa was found pacing back and forth, and Ashley was seated, eyes unfocused staring into the fire.
“Tommy!” Nessa yelled when he entered their camp. They both ran up to him but he held up his hands. “Are you okay? What did Zach want? What happened to you?”
“Did Zach expel you?” Ashley was speaking at the same time as Nessa. “Let me talk to him, he can’t expel you, I won’t let him.”
“Everything’s fine!” He said forcefully, he rested his hands on either of the shoulders. “Sit, and I’ll explain what happened while I cook lunch for the both of you.”
“I already made lunch,” Ashley said, walking back to the fire to grab a plate of fish and green beans. She suddenly found the floor to be very interesting.
Tommy grabbed the plate and saw that the fish was slightly burnt and the green beans looked a little anemic. He smiled as he tried to choke down the first bite, “It tastes perfect, thank you. Are you two okay? Did you make it back through the tunnels alright?”
“Never mind that, we’re fine,” Nessa waved away his concern while Ashley was still refusing to look up. “Tell us what happened to you when you fell.”
So the three of them sat around the fire and Tommy recounted his story, the parts he could remember at least. He told them of his fall, of the room with the eyes and the presence. He spoke of Zach and how he had found the room as well but left out the information about the King as Zach had requested.
“So those whispers we heard on the first day?” Ashley said. “Was that the being?”
“It must have been,” Tommy said. Something was poking him in the leg so he reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver feather. “I only wish I could remember our conversation.”
“What is that?” Nessa asked. “A feather? It’s pretty, where did you find it?”
“It was in my hand when I woke up on the shore,” He said, frowning. “It must be related to that room, I just didn’t remember at first when I woke up. Do you think I should mention it to Zach? I forgot it was in my pocket while the two of us were speaking.”
“No, keep it to yourself,” Ashley smiled at him. “You don’t have to tell Zach everything.”
Tommy stood and stretched. “I’m going to take the dishes and clean up. Thanks again for lunch. Why don’t you two take a nap? I’ll wake you at 2:30 for the next event.”
The girls retired to their tents while Tommy went into his own to grab his bag. He rolled the feather tightly in a sock and stashed it at the bottom of his pack. With that taken care of he set about tidying up the camp. After finishing up some chores, he woke the girls then went to go find Zach.
It was time for the next challenge.