to the table. “I can’t be sure, but my theory is that Erik’s spirit entered Lepkin’s body and attacked the dark magic from Nagar’s Secret, thus displacing Master Lepkin’s spirit.”
“Are you saying that Lepkin is dead?” Dimwater asked.
Marlin shook his head. “No. Erik was focused on saving Lepkin, not killing him. Somehow I think he separated Lepkin’s spirit from the evil magic. Lepkin’s spirit then was compelled to comply with Erik’s desire, so I think it realized the only way to align itself with Erik was to escape Lepkin’s physical form and allow Erik to dispel the blight. Then, because Lepkin’s spirit wanted to comply with Erik’s desire for Lepkin to survive, it saw an empty body nearby and occupied it.”
Dimwater sat and rubbed her shoulders. Her face then brightened and she smiled. “Well then, it is simple. Erik can change them back.” Her smile vanished when she saw Marlin’s shoulders slump. “What is it?”
“It isn’t simple at all,” Marlin countered.
“You just said that Erik caused them to switch in the first place.”
“I said that was my theory . I don’t know if I am correct.” Marlin shrugged and went over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Even if I am correct, Erik won’t be able to switch them back.”
“But if he switched them in the first place, then why wouldn’t he be able to reverse it?”
“I once stayed with a family while I journeyed to Valtuu Temple for my initiation. I went out with the father and his son, who was about Erik’s age at the time, to cut down a tree. It had rained the day before and the ground was still slick in spots. When the tree fell the man slipped on one of these slick spots and was pinned. I was too far away to help him. The man’s son lifted the entire tree and threw it off of his father. The tree was easily three feet in diameter at its base. There was no way the boy could have done that. Yet, somehow he tapped into an ability within himself he didn’t even know he had.” Marlin patted Dimwater’s shoulder and backed away as he knelt down to look into her eyes. “After we realized the father wasn’t seriously injured, I asked the boy to lift the tree again. He couldn’t even raise it from the ground an inch. He tried several times, but it wouldn’t budge. It took all three of us to lift the tree just a few inches.”
“So Erik has the potential, but lacks mastery,” Dimwater noted. A tear slid down her left cheek.
“Precisely,” Marlin replied. “A moment of extreme need coupled with Erik’s love for Lepkin summoned the best from within, but he likely won’t be able to come close to that kind of power again for many years.”
*****
The hot sun reached through Leanor Cedreau’s black, heavy dress and warmed her skin. Its heat mocked the cold, barren hole torn in her soul. Her wet, stinging eyes locked onto the stark marble casket only three paces in front of her. Her gaze fixated on the narrow slit between the lid and the stone box, as if staring would awaken the body inside and he would emerge from death’s unforgiving clutches to hold her once again.
Strong fingers pried their way between her clasped hands and squeezed.
“The arrow was meant for me,” a voice said.
Leanor slowly pulled her eyes away from her husband’s casket to see Eldrik, her eldest son. His eyes were red and moist, but no tears stained his cheeks. Crying was not becoming of Cedreau men, she knew, but his unrelenting grip allowed her to feel the grief under his stoic mask.
“I should have been there,” Eldrik said. He turned to face her and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His jaw quivered and his shoulders slacked.
“There is nothing you could have done,” Leanor whispered. She held his hand with her left hand while disentangling her right to gently caress his face. As her fingers pushed back a lock of his blonde hair, Eldrik set his jaw and turned to face the casket. A tear fell down
“Are you saying that Lepkin is dead?” Dimwater asked.
Marlin shook his head. “No. Erik was focused on saving Lepkin, not killing him. Somehow I think he separated Lepkin’s spirit from the evil magic. Lepkin’s spirit then was compelled to comply with Erik’s desire, so I think it realized the only way to align itself with Erik was to escape Lepkin’s physical form and allow Erik to dispel the blight. Then, because Lepkin’s spirit wanted to comply with Erik’s desire for Lepkin to survive, it saw an empty body nearby and occupied it.”
Dimwater sat and rubbed her shoulders. Her face then brightened and she smiled. “Well then, it is simple. Erik can change them back.” Her smile vanished when she saw Marlin’s shoulders slump. “What is it?”
“It isn’t simple at all,” Marlin countered.
“You just said that Erik caused them to switch in the first place.”
“I said that was my theory . I don’t know if I am correct.” Marlin shrugged and went over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Even if I am correct, Erik won’t be able to switch them back.”
“But if he switched them in the first place, then why wouldn’t he be able to reverse it?”
“I once stayed with a family while I journeyed to Valtuu Temple for my initiation. I went out with the father and his son, who was about Erik’s age at the time, to cut down a tree. It had rained the day before and the ground was still slick in spots. When the tree fell the man slipped on one of these slick spots and was pinned. I was too far away to help him. The man’s son lifted the entire tree and threw it off of his father. The tree was easily three feet in diameter at its base. There was no way the boy could have done that. Yet, somehow he tapped into an ability within himself he didn’t even know he had.” Marlin patted Dimwater’s shoulder and backed away as he knelt down to look into her eyes. “After we realized the father wasn’t seriously injured, I asked the boy to lift the tree again. He couldn’t even raise it from the ground an inch. He tried several times, but it wouldn’t budge. It took all three of us to lift the tree just a few inches.”
“So Erik has the potential, but lacks mastery,” Dimwater noted. A tear slid down her left cheek.
“Precisely,” Marlin replied. “A moment of extreme need coupled with Erik’s love for Lepkin summoned the best from within, but he likely won’t be able to come close to that kind of power again for many years.”
*****
The hot sun reached through Leanor Cedreau’s black, heavy dress and warmed her skin. Its heat mocked the cold, barren hole torn in her soul. Her wet, stinging eyes locked onto the stark marble casket only three paces in front of her. Her gaze fixated on the narrow slit between the lid and the stone box, as if staring would awaken the body inside and he would emerge from death’s unforgiving clutches to hold her once again.
Strong fingers pried their way between her clasped hands and squeezed.
“The arrow was meant for me,” a voice said.
Leanor slowly pulled her eyes away from her husband’s casket to see Eldrik, her eldest son. His eyes were red and moist, but no tears stained his cheeks. Crying was not becoming of Cedreau men, she knew, but his unrelenting grip allowed her to feel the grief under his stoic mask.
“I should have been there,” Eldrik said. He turned to face her and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His jaw quivered and his shoulders slacked.
“There is nothing you could have done,” Leanor whispered. She held his hand with her left hand while disentangling her right to gently caress his face. As her fingers pushed back a lock of his blonde hair, Eldrik set his jaw and turned to face the casket. A tear fell down
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