Legacy Of The Golden Wielder: A Novella Prequel to the Void Wielder Trilogy Read online

  LEGACY OF THE GOLDEN WIELDER

  Cesar Gonzalez

  Legacy of the Golden Wielder

  Copyright 2014 by Cesar Gonzalez

  Cover Art- Dennis Frohlich

  Editor- Laura Hutfilz

  All RIGHTS RESERVED. Except for brief quotes for reviews, this book may not be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of the copyright holder. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this work is illegal.

  Feel free to check out the Element Wielder website. There you’ll be able to find character pictures, lore about the elements, and more.

  http://cesarbak99.wix.com/element-wielder

  Author Notes

  Legacy Of The Golden Wielder is a short fast-paced novella. The novella is meant to be a quick companion to the Void Wielder Trilogy. Nonetheless, it can be read and easily understood as a stand-alone story.

  I hope you enjoy your time in Va’siel.

  PREFACE

  On planet Va’siel, there are a few beings that are born with the ability to wield certain elements. These gifted individuals are known as Element Wielders.

  There are six basic elements and six advanced elements. Holding control of the advanced elements requires much more energy than a basic element. As such, wielders of advanced elements have become a rarity in Va’siel.

  Basic Elements

  Water: Water wielders control the element of water. Some advanced water wielders have been known to solidify water into ice.

  Fire: Wielders who harness the very power of flames. The second stage of fire is blue fire. The third stage, which very few wielders have reached, is black fire.

  Like Water wielders, fire wielders are highly sought out for long missions. Their ability to create campfires in almost any environment has proven invaluable.

  Void: Void wielders can wield all six basic elements; however, this power comes with limitations. Void wielders can only wield weak attacks.

  No void wielder can wield blue or black fire, as those are advanced levels of fire. The only exception is Falcon Hyatt. For reasons unknown to him, he can wield basic elements and advanced elements.

  Mind: Mind wielders can mold the minds of others. The extent of the control they have over people depends on the power of the mind wielder and the victim.

  Some have been known to drive their enemies mad with false images of pain and suffering.

  Mind wielders can also use their abilities to re-awaken thoughts that have been long forgotten. Most mind wielders are highly intellectual individuals.

  Wind: Wind wielders can harness the power of wind, using that power in both defensive and offensive attacks.

  Even though wind is a basic element, not many wind wielders can be found in Va’siel. The reason for this is unknown.

  Earth: These warriors were once numerous in Va’siel. Their attacks were sturdy and strong. Their defensive abilities were some of the strongest a wielder could ever hope to create.

  But their abilities go beyond the battlefield. Some Earth wielders could mold and enrich soil with nutrients to create rich farmlands. The crops grown from capable earth wielders were some of the most delicious found in Va’siel.

  However, for reasons unknown, no more earth wielders have been born in Va’siel.

  Advanced Elements

  Space: Power of the cosmos is a mere plaything to space wielders. Not only can they summon the force of space to use against their enemies, but they can call forth universal anomalies like meteors, comets, and black holes.

  Since there are so many mysteries in the great unknown that is the universe, the true extent to which gifted wielders can push their powers remains an enigma.

  Poison: Poison wielders tend to be sick beings, both physically and mentally.

  They possess the ability to create many attacks using venom and a variety of toxins.

  In past times, Poison wielders have proven useful during sieges, where they poison entire cities water or food supplies.

  Darkness: Only the most cold-hearted and wicked beings can properly wield the powers of darkness. Wherever they go, pain and misery follows.

  Dark wielders can control many of the forbidden wielding abilities that were banned long ago for their inhumane and unnatural power.

  Chaos: Along with holy, chaos is the rarest of all the elements. In fact, in the past 10,000 years, Shal-Volcseck is the only known chaos wielder.

  What exactly can a chaos wielder do? No one who has seen their power has been left alive to tell the tale.

  Lightning: These wielders can summon the power of lightning. Most who practice this kind of wielding tend to be driven by offense. During battle, they rarely use their power for defense.

  There are stories of exceptional wielders who have wielded red and green lightning, though, most believe this to be just tales of legend.

  Holy: Only the most pure and humble of beings can hope to control this power. As such, holy wielders are extremely rare. With each passing year, Va’siel has become more sinister and wicked, full of murder, deceit, and lies. It is for this reason that many believe that the power of holy will never return to such a cruel world. However, there are stories that indeed a holy wielder has been born in the small farming village of Asturia.

  Part I

  “The Scorch”

  CHAPTER 1

  It was past midnight when Aadi quietly made his way to the back of Chirag’s Pub. His quiet strides moved him forward at a determined pace. He flicked his wavy brown hair back as it came down and covered his blue eyes. With every movement, his raggedy white shirt and pants crumpled into a heap of wrinkles. Even from this distance, he could smell the buttery aroma of the pasta. He cursed his growling stomach as he took another step forward. He wanted to, no, he needed to get his hands on that food.

  “Who goes there?” asked a sudden booming voice. Aadi looked up as a large, husky man stood in the open door. He recognized him immediately. It was Chirag, the owner of the restaurant.

  Aadi froze in place, hoping Chirag had not seen him. The owner wasn’t necessarily fond of having people go through his trash.

  Chirag stepped down and walked into the alleyway. Aadi swallowed the lump in his throat, wishing the dark would conceal him.

  No such luck.

  “There you are!” yelled Chirag, his bloodshot eyes staring right at Aadi. His lips formed a large grin as if finding Aadi was the highlight of his day.

  Determined, Aadi launched himself at the large man.

  Chirag, who was used to seeing Aadi run away from him and not toward him, stood frozen, as if his brain was having a hard time comprehending what was going on.

  “I’ll just slip through here,” said Aadi as he dashed around the stunned man. He reached his arm out and took the box of pasta. His heart did a small jump as he held it firmly in his hand. Perhaps he was going to take it after all.

  “Get back here.” Apparently Chirag’s brain had caught up with his body. He reached out for him, barely missing his ragged tunic.

  Aadi ran down the alleyway and out into the city square. Imposing buildings surrounded him from all sides. The city council building stood before him, illuminated by the blue moonlight. To either side were the majestic mansions that belonged to the richest men in the city. Large dark gates surrounded their pristine gardens, making sure that riff-raff like Aadi could not trespass.

  He shuddered involuntarily as he focused on the stone pathway that led down to the poorer part of town. Taking a breath, he moved as fast as his feet could carry him.
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  Suddenly the moonlight was replaced by the pale darkness of a cave. The mansions around him transformed to those water-stained walls he saw so often in his nightmares. Why now? Not now. But despite his complaints, he saw her. She reached out, begging for him to save her. He, however, was too small and weak to be of any help. His heart raced in his chest as the image dissolved.

  Chirag’s loud screams shocked him back to reality. He glanced over his shoulder to find an imposing figure mere feet away from reaching him. He turned and quickly took off down the path once again. The more he ran, the farther away the screams became. One downside of being such a large man was that Chirag couldn’t keep up with a young man’s pace.

  Once Aadi was certain his pursuer had given up the chase, he stopped to take a breath. He now stood in the poor district of the city. The beaten-down huts and sleeping beggars at every corner made that obvious. Aadi often wondered how people could sleep outside when there was such a nice sewer directly underneath them.

  He opened the small hatch and dropped down, landing in the slimy cement with a loud thump. It’s not so bad once you get used to the smell of rats and the constant drips of leaking water, he mused to himself. Excitedly, he made his way down the sewer, keeping a wary eye on the arched ceiling overhead. The stone was strong and sturdy. Nonetheless, blocks had been known to fall from time to time. That’s what happened when no one tended to the construction. Aadi couldn’t blame the leaders, he knew that in these troubled times most of the money was being diverted toward agricultural endeavors. Part of him was actually glad it was. It meant he had fewer workers down here. Workers usually brought down a few knights to protect them from bandits, which would have only served to get him caught, or at the very least keep him constantly moving.

  “You’re back!” Zoen cried as Aadi walked into the large open room. A flickering candle, about to die, provided some dim light. Aadi waved away the scent of burning wax. “Where have you been?” Zoen asked. “I thought that one of the restaurant owners had gotten a hold of you again.”

  “I’m much too fast,” Aadi responded, smiling to his friend.

  “That didn’t stop Chirag from catching you last time and turning you in to the royal wielders. You were locked up for ten days!”

  Aadi waved his friend’s worries aside. He liked Zoen, but he swore his friend was scared of his own shadow.

  “Please…listen,” Zoen insisted, a begging expression on his pale face. “Stop this. You’re going to get yourself locked up again one of these days, or worse.” Zoen reached over to the bucketful of mana. “Look.” He took out a handful of the brown powder. “We have plenty of mana to last us a week. Why throw away your life at barely eighteen years of age?”

  Aadi took a seat atop his towel. “Don’t you worry about it, buddy. I’m not about to let you starve to death.” Even as he spoke the words, Aadi couldn’t believe Zoen’s misfortune. For reasons unknown, planet Va’siel had almost withered away completely. Land that was once fertile was now barren and dry. Few plants grew and the ones that did were quickly snatched by the rich. Even cattle-like beruda, which had once provided more than enough meat, were now on the brink of extinction. It was hard to stay alive when little grass grew in the wild lands. Of course, an earth wielder would have been able to easily mold the dirt and make it fertile again. But no earth wielder had been born in Va’siel in over a century. The only food that was plentiful nowadays was mana, a powder that protruded out of random holes throughout the planet. It could fill a person easy enough, but it tasted like nothing. It often reminded Aadi of eating water. Unfortunately, Zoen was allergic to it, which forced Aadi to constantly be on the lookout for food for his friend.

  “I do worry,” continued Zoen. He stood and walked toward him slowly. The hump protruding from his back made it impossible to move at a normal pace. Aadi often wondered if it was this deformity that had caused Zoen’s mother to abandon him. He never dared voice his curiosity, though, out of fear of hurting his friend’s feelings. “You’re not a wielder like the royal guards. You can’t control water, fire, mind, poison, space…”

  “Are you really going to name all twelve elements now?” asked Aadi. He tossed the bag of pasta at his friend. “I think you’d be better concentrating on this.”

  Zoen caught the bag. As he held it up, Aadi could literally see the twinkle in Zoen’s eyes. “Where did you get so much pasta?”

  “Don’t you worry about that, buddy! You just worry about finishing it all.”

  Zoen waved his hands. “I couldn’t possibly do that. What about you?”

  “Me?” Aadi picked up a pile of mana. The earth-scented powder slipped through his fingers. “I got plenty of food here.”

  “But…”

  “No buts, buddy. You eat your food. Besides, I don’t even like pasta.” Aadi held his breath, hoping his friend would believe his lie. Besides, he didn’t mind eating the flavorless mana. Fortunately, Zoen was too eager with the prospect of munching on his food to even notice as Aadi lay back down, facing a wall.

  He ignored the delicious aroma as he closed his eyes. Quietly, he hoped that she wouldn’t haunt his dreams tonight.

  CHAPTER 2

  The next morning, Aadi and Zoen found themselves walking down the street, headed toward the library. Usually Zoen would have complained about going to the rich part of the city, but he knew that even he could not pass up an opportunity to visit the grand library.

  Aadi walked slowly as he took another bite of the mana Zoen had heated into a bun. There weren’t many people out so early, which gave him a chance to admire the large mansions that flanked him from both sides.

  “We should really walk a bit faster and quit all this gazing,” Zoen suggested. His eyes darted nervously to a group of people who moved toward them. “Anyone could be a spy for the royal guards.”

  “You worry too much,” said Aadi. Usually he would have been more on his toes, but he knew that today was delivery day. That meant most guards were busy guarding the horse-drawn wagons that were scheduled to bring in provisions from Asturia. The brick streets were mostly empty, save a servant women who carried baskets of clothes down to the river.

  “I have to worry,” said Zoen. He continued looking at every woman they passed with suspicion, as if at any moment the old ladies might jump in for an attack. “We can’t all be like you, taking life as it comes without a care in the world.”

  Aadi waved his hands dismissively. “You’ll go bald with all that stress, Zoen. Look around you. Even in this rich district the bricks, homes, and windows are not as polished and pristine as they once where. Every other place in Va’siel is going to the gutter. Some even say that humanity is on the brink of extinction.” He yawned. “And what should I do about it? Fret over something I can’t control? No, I don’t think I’ll be doing that. I’ll just take life as it comes and make what I can of it.”

  “Well, that’s certainly nice for—”

  Zoen staggered back as a boy about his age bumped into him, sending him sprawling to the ground.

  “Hey!” Zoen shouted. He looked up as he wiped the dirt from his mouth. “Watch where you’re going.”

  But the shaggy-haired boy was not listening; he pushed past Aadi. A second later, the boy suddenly stopped. He stood in place, his right arm and leg frozen in a forward lurch. It seemed like someone had stopped time, but Aadi knew that was impossible. He, himself, was still moving regularly.

  That’s when the air in front of him spiraled into a whirlwind of circles and a man, wearing brown leather armor, walked out of the anomaly.

  A wielder! Aadi mused. Wielders were easily recognizable by the polished, marbled emblem attached to the glove they wore on the back of their hand. The color of the emblem varied by the type of element the wielder had control over. This particular wielder wore a dark oval-shaped emblem. At the center of it were yellowish-white streaks of light dashing across. Those are shooting stars! Wow! It’s an actual space wielder. Aadi had seen a few wielders in h
is short life, but all of them had been wielders of basic elements like water, fire, mind, and void. He never thought he would get to meet a wielder who controlled an advanced element.

  With his mouth wide open, Aadi watched as the space wielder released the gravity around the boy who fell to the floor, face first.

  “You have something that doesn’t belong to you,” said the space wielder. For the first time, Aadi forced his eyes off of the man’s emblem and toward the man himself. He had a long dark mustache and a beard. His eyes were a deep brown. Like Aadi, his skin was a light tan. “I want it back.” He reached for the pocket in his ragged pants and pulled out a loaf of dry bread. “I…I really need food for my little n-niece, mister.”

  The space wielder slapped the boy across the face, leaving a large handprint on his cheek. “Does it look like I care?”

  Aadi watched in disgust as the boy handed back the loaf, only to have the man slap the bread from his hand. The wielder grabbed the boy’s arms together behind his back.

  This man is a bully! Aadi supposed that in desperate times, even once-honorable warriors had resorted to this kind of attitude for scraps. From the ground where he lay, Zoen motioned him to move. This was their chance to leave unnoticed. In fact, they couldn’t have asked for a better distraction. But no matter how hard Aadi tried to walk away, he simply could not bring his legs to move. Leaving a person in need bothered him.

  Zoen’s lips moved silently, forming the words, “Don’t do it,” but Aadi didn’t care. He reached out for the man, not really knowing what he was going to do. Before he could reach him however, a large rock slammed into the wielder’s head.