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Tornado and Barren waited in the kitchen as night fell. They spoke in hushed voices despite the fact that the house was locked tight. The Rebel Army was meeting that night and it was only a matter of time before they would enter the underground room.

“As leader of your unit you will have to speak about the progress of your training,” Barren explained, “There are four leaders: Gathee, Amunet, Fatchna, and myself. We will be the only ones at the meeting tonight.”

“Have I met any of the leaders before?”

“They were there the night your unit was accepted into the Rebel Army. Gathee was the old man who interrogated you all.”

The faint click of the lock sounded at the stairs. They waited at the table listening to the sound of footsteps until they ceased.

Barren broke the silence. “Let’s head to the meeting.”

Candlelight bathed the path to the meeting room. When entered the spacious chamber a thin elderly man was lighting the candles.

“Gathee,” Barren greeted him, “first as always.”

“Ah, Barren and Tornado.” He turned to them. Gathee’s spirits were strong despite his aged body. He had wavy white hair that fell to his eyes and a pale lined face. His jacket stretched down to his ankles. Pulling off his hood, he greeted them properly. “It’s good to see you both doing well. How is your training going, Tornado?”

“Very well, or so I believe,” he answered in the most respectful manner he could manage.

“I hear you picked up another member.”

“We’ll save any more discussion of their group for when the other members arrive,” Barren told them cutting in.

Gathee nodded returning to the candles. “You never change, do you Barren? Despite your voice you’re still the same as the boy from back then.”

“And you’re still as sly, old man.”

“Respect your elders, Barren.” A young woman stood at the entrance to the room. Her blonde hair was parted to the side casting her bangs in her face while the rest was fastened up in a spiky ponytail.

“Amunet,” Gathee smiled excitedly walking towards her, “you look as stunning as ever.”

“Barren, you’ve been skipping out on training with me lately.” She ignored the old man as she walked to face Barren. “Don’t tell me you’ve found another training partner.”

“I’ve been busy,” he explained motioning towards Tornado, “I have to watch over the kid.”

“He’s a teen. He can fend for himself,” she assured him. “Won’t you train with me again?”

Tornado watched the scene unsure what to make of it. He stood by the wall questioning why this group had ever been chosen to lead the Rebel Army. Gathee only had the look of a leader, Amunet could hardly pay attention to anything besides Barren, and Barren’s lack of emotion would never be able to rile the troops. He hoped the last leader would be more promising.

“Shut up the whole lot of you!” The man who stood in the doorway brought silence to the room as he walked up to the leaders. “Let’s get this over with so I can go home. I have master duty over the Destu runts in the morning and I’m already in a bad mood as it is.”

“Fatchna,” Amunet scolded, “Don’t yell at us. We’re your equals!”

“I can yell at whoever I want you-”

“Oi.” Barren shoved Fatchna into a headlock as he covered his mouth. “Mind the kid.”

Fatchna looked over at Tornado as he gave up the struggle. Barren released him as all of the leaders turned to Tornado. As they examined him they eyed his black wings most of all. He resisted the urge to pull his wings behind him to shield the view of them.

“Barren tells us you’ve been practicing a talent that only you can do,” Gathee began.

“Only those with black wings can do,” Tornado corrected uneasily. “The members of my unit have been assisting me between their usual training.”

“Have you learned to do?” Amunet questioned.

“It’s an extension of normal darkness powers. The power that the Dark Lord’s line can use manipulates darkness more than possible for other ethereal. Transport, control, and so even more power that I have yet to perfect. Also, once someone with the black wings gets used to someone’s darkness they can find the person by tracing the darkness.”

“Black wings.” Fatchna’s expression grew angry once more. “This is the extent of the Dark Lord’s power.”

“We always knew he was strong.” Barren reminded them flatly.

“Even so, I thought we would have a chance. If the boy is able to learn these talents on his own what has our lord accomplished?” Gathee mused forebodingly.

“I’m the one who has to take him,” Tornado told them calmly, “Umbro has already foreseen this. He’s making me focus all my efforts on darkness. That’s why I’ve gotten this far. This power can only be defeated by a Dark Lord.”

“Tornado, we aren’t going to let you go up against the Dark Lord alone,” Amunet told him.

“You don’t understand,” Tornado tried to keep calm, “this isn’t normal power.”

“You’re just a boy, Tornado.” Gathee dismissed his comment.

“Even so-”

“We will be the ones who fight the Dark Lord,” Fatchna broke in heatedly. “We are leaders for a reason.”

“Listen to the boy.” Barren raised his voice above the others keeping his tone flat. “He knows this power more than you. You can’t fathom the strength.”

They all stared shocked at Barren, silenced by his outburst.

“Barren . . .” Amunet stared wide-eyed, “It’s not like you to get worked up.”

“I wouldn’t have to if you would all just listen to him.” His eyes left an icy chill on the other leaders.

“Give me a chance,” Tornado pleaded, “I will grow stronger if you just give me some time. I’m already improving a lot.”

“And if we don’t have the time you need?” Fatchna asked.

“Then we won’t stand a chance against him.”

“What do you mean by that, boy?” Gathee’s eyes narrowed.

“These techniques . . . to put it simply there is a reason the people who have them have the position as Dark Lord.”

“Care to demonstrate?” Barren offered, “Show us what you’ve learned most recently.”

Tornado nodded. “I’m still practicing this one.”

He took a deep breath and, in less than a blink of an eye, turned to darkness and vanished. All that remained before them were a few falling black feathers. He stood behind the leaders.

“This is why it’s dangerous,” he told them.

They pivoted to face the voice. Shock appeared on all of their faces except Barren’s.

“Do you understand now?” Barren questioned. “If this was a battle we would all be dead.”

Gathee shook his head gravely. “Tornado, please learn everything you can. When this war is over you will be our Lord.”

“I’m not fighting to be Lord,” Tornado explained, “I’m fighting for the other realms.”

This comment took the leaders aback. It wasn’t an answer they expected from the boy.

“He may have different reasons, but the goal is the same.” Barren suggested, “Why don’t we just end this discussion and move on.”

“Yes, let’s discuss the unit,” Amunet offered.

“Training has been going well. We’re helping out a friend from Destu so we’ve been reviewing the basics mostly. At the end of each practice we hold mock fights. We vary them by limiting the techniques allowed in order to strengthen our weak points.”

“Is this friend also against the Dark Lord?” Fatchna questioned.

“He is, but we’ve decided his resolve isn’t strong enough. If we have anything we need to discuss as a unit we come here or meet alone elsewhere.”

“Good,” Gathee told him, “we need more members but we cannot risk being found out. Your unit must be especially careful because of Umbro. We don’t want him to be caught again. It puts too much pressure on us all.”

“I feel the same way. If there is anything that will put my unit in danger I will take full responsibility.”

“That is exactly what we want to hear,” he explained turning to the other leaders. “If no one else has any questions for the boy I believe we can end here for the day.”

Fatchna was the first to leave. They left the same way they had come to avoid too much attention to the house. When they had all left, Barren led the way back to the kitchen. The stair case was lit only by the candlelight shining under the door frame.

“Tornado,” he spoke pausing on the stairs, “you will really fight against your father?”

“There is no other way. Anyone else would surely die.”

“What if you are not strong enough? Wouldn’t you rather have people there to help you out?”

“They would probably just be used against me,” Tornado explained. “I don’t want to see that happen.”

Barren turned to face Tornado but he was only a silhouette. “Train hard. If you die no one will be able to stop me from fighting the Dark Lord. I won’t let anyone keep me from going after him.”

Tornado lay back against his bed letting the days events sink in. He felt the darkness of the room flow about him silently. It was calming to sink into the darkness of the night. The darkness flowed weightlessly without stirring the air. The threads still tied everything to the thick bond of the black wings.



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