Jaiden learns about the origin of the Transcendent while Rachel makes plans of her own.

Jaiden came into the classroom and looked around. Many of the boys and girls that worked at the surrounding farms were already there, but there was no sign of Rachel. He took his usual seat and waited for the class to begin. More importantly, he waited for Rachel to arrive.. Jaiden knew that these classes they had in the study was something that he should feel honored to have. Most people in the peasant class were unable to read or write and knew next to nothing of the world outside of their small community.

This was not the case in Davenshire. Thanks to Aunt Tess, Master Valin's wife, everyone that was interested in learning had a chance to study with her. Three nights a week she would hold lessons in the big study in the farmhouse for three hours. Aunt Tess had been born in the capital city, Shiran, the daughter of a butcher. However, a terrible fire in her home left her as the only surviving member of her family. The priests at one of the local temples took her in and gave her a good education. When it became clear that she had no interest in joining the priesthood, they set her up as a tutor in the home of one of the noble families.

She had been very happy there, and found she had a passion for teaching. Yet it was not to last. A few bad business decisions soon found the nobleman buried in debt and he had to give up his family home. Tess decided that she had lost enough and seen too much suffering in the city and so left to find another place to call her home. She was passing through Davenshire when she met Master Valin. She quickly saw that he was a good man trying to improve the lives of those around him and so decided to stay in Davenshire. The two worked very closely together and it wasn't long before they fell in love and were married. Since that time she has been doing whatever she could to help the people in any way that she could. Everyone in Davenshire knew her and usually came to her with their problems. She was the wisest person that Jaiden had ever known. She was also the kindest woman and insisted on everyone calling her Aunt Tess, even old Jedd who looked old enough to be her father.

Jaiden thought that Aunt Tess was one of the most beautiful woman he had ever known. She looked to be no older than her mid thirties, and although he didn't know her real age, she had looked the same for as long as he could remember. Most newcomers to the area thought that she was too young for someone like Master Valin, yet if you looked carefully you could see a wisdom and a deep sorrow in her eyes that belied her apparent age. Not for the first time Jaiden wondered what kind of secrets Aunt Tess was keeping. He just knew there was more to this woman than there appeared on the surface. I guess we all have our deep secrets we keep hidden from everyone else.

He was roused from his thoughts when Rachel entered the room. She looked directly at him and then quickly looked away again before taking a seat on the opposite side of the room. Jaiden sighed deeply. It had been three days since the lilac garden. He knew that she was going to need some time to accept things between him, but he missed her terribly. They had always been together for as long as he could remember. She was the closest thing to family that he had ever known.

Once again he felt tortured by indecision. He wanted nothing more to go to Rachel and explain everything to her. Yet he knew that would be a mistake. Certainly she was a strong, perhaps she could even handle his secret identity, but he really did not want to put her in that position. Things between them were strained enough right now. He had barely even seen her the last three days and it was clear to him that she was avoiding any contact with him. She even missed training with Jedd in the afternoons, something she had never done since the first time she had been allowed to join in. He hoped that she was not giving up things that she so clearly enjoyed just so that she wouldn't have to see him. Maybe he should try and talk to her.

Jaiden was pulled out of his thoughts again as Aunt Tess called for attention. “Alright class, can anyone tell me what we were talking about last time?” She looked around the room. “Yes Celina.”

“We were talking about Praxtor and the transcendence Aunt Tess.”

“Good, and what can you tell me about Praxtor?”

“Well...” Celina looked thoughtfully at the table. “Praxtor is one of the protector gods. His chosen people are us, the people of the north kingdom. He uses his power to protect us from our enemies and bless his people with prosperity. He is a warrior god and his chief enemy is Setesh god of dark magic.”

“Well done! You remembered it beautifully Love.” Aunt Tess smiled at the young girl who grinned widely at the praise. “Now, about the transcendence. As Celina reminded us, Praxtor is the patron god of our kingdom, and it was in one of his temples that I was raised. That means that this is the subject I know the most about so bare with me if I get carried away.”

“As we all know about 4000 years ago Praxtor appeared in Human form in the Capital Shiran. It seemed that war had broken out among the gods, and Praxtor had to give it his full attention. As a warrior god, he was to lead the protector gods and turn back the others seeking to increase their power and dominance. As a result, he would not be able to focus his attention on us his people. Praxtor decided that the best solution was to empower King Nathanial the ruler of the time with a portion of his power. He granted him much power including immortality so that he could protect the kingdom and bless it in Praxtor's absence. Thus King Nathanial became the first transcendent.”

“Praxtor had been thorough in his planning to make certain that the king would not abuse his power. He set some rules and limitations that were to be followed. The first rule was that the King would only hold the power of Praxtor for 1000 years before passing it on to his son. Although it could be passed down earlier, it was important that it is not held for more than 1000 years. Human bodies and minds were not meant to contain the power of gods, and holding it longer than 1000 years would eventually drive the ruler crazy.”

“He also knew that the king would likely become accustomed to this power and not want to give it up. He expected that the sons of the king would fight among themselves to gain their fathers position so he prepared for this as well. He changed the King and also the Queen, who was the high priestess of Praxtor, so that they would only ever have one son at a time. Once the son was of age to take the throne, if his father had held his power for 1000 years or more, the power would leave him and enter his son. The transfer could not be stopped. The Queen was also granted immortality and would live as long as the king. Only she could bear his children. The King was given a powerful desire for her so that there would always be an heir to the throne.”

“At first this system worked well. The sons too were immortal and could not be killed. The power transferred like it was supposed to, and the aspect of Praxtor inside them made the kings good protector rulers. Their power was tied to the Capital city. The farther they moved away from it, the less they could do. If they were too far, all they would have was their immortality. This stopped them from becoming aggressive warrior kings that would conquer the neighboring kingdoms.”

“Then King Rhyum came to power. As he neared the end of his 1000 years he became desperate to hold onto his power. So desperately did he want to hold it that he did the unthinkable. He formed an alliance with the Dark mages of Setesh. Together they found a way to stop the transfer of Praxtor's power to King Rhyum's son. Rhyum has ruled in the kingdom now for nearly 1500 years. He has become completely mad. The dark mages of Setesh have taken power and prosperity was lost in the northern kingdom. We know that sons have been born to King Rhyum, yet the power is never transferred. Although the sons are immortal and he should only have one, we know Rhyum has had many. We can only suspect that the dark mages have found some way to kill the sons in spite of Praxtor's protection. Perhaps the dark magic granted to them by his chief enemy gives them power against Praxtor. We don't know.”

“All that we do know is that they will do anything to stop the transfer of power to the heir of the throne. If that were to happen the new king would be of sound mind and in complete control of his power. He would attempt to banish the followers of Setesh and restore order to the kingdom. Something that those mages do not want to happen.”

“Sons of Rhyum have been snuck out of the capital by the priesthood, supposedly on the orders of the queen who is kept as a prisoner by King Rhyum. King Rhyum's army has hunted the priests mercilessly and butchered completely the inhabits of any community, town, or city where they have been found. Harboring a son of the king and protecting him and his keeper even unknowingly is a crime punished by death. Nearly 50 years ago one of the priests brought a child to the city of Puinaroth. When the king's armies found them there, they destroyed the city and slaughtered everyone in it.”

“It is said that the queen wept for weeks at the death of her people. She promised never again would she let her people be murdered like that. She vowed to give every child to the king willingly. Since then no child has come out from the palace. The dark mages are no longer searching for children of the king. The Queen has kept her promise sending every child to the mages of Setesh. Such is the sacrifice she has made for her people.”

“Dark times have fallen on the kingdom. It seems that there is no hope. The priests of Praxtor now pray only that he will return and set things right. It is the last hope of our kingdom.” Tess finished her lecture with a grim face. The room was eerily silent.

“Aunt Tess?” Alen a 10 year old boy from a neighboring farm called out tentatively. “Why hasn't Praxtor returned to fix everything? 4000 years is a long time. Shouldn't the war between the gods be over?”

“A good question love. 4000 years is a very long time to us, but it is a short time to a god. They are immortal and live outside of time. They cannot be killed unless they are forgotten, their worship ceases.”

“If they can't be killed, how do they fight wars among themselves?” asked Layl one of the other boys from Master Valin's farm.

“The gods have followers in their realm as well as ours. Their power is weakened no matter where their followers are killed. If they lose to many followers in their realm, they cannot as easily work in ours and are thus easily forgotten increasing the power of their enemies.”

“Then why hasn't the dark mages of Setesh wiped out the priesthood of Praxtor? Certainly their god would want them to. Wouldn't he?” Asked Rachel.

“Yes, of course he would Hun. But King Rhyum stops them. As mad as he has become, he still is aware enough to know that the priesthood and believe in Praxtor is the key to his power. He would destroy the mages in an instant if it meant protecting his power. The dark mages cannot out right try and kill the followers of Praxtor. Instead they have built temples to Setesh in our Kingdom, in hopes of increasing his power by converting people to his worship. The king believes these temples are only for the followers of Setesh who inhabit the kingdom now, so he allows the temples to remain.”

“It's time to finish our lesson children. Remember what you have learned today.”

Jaiden looked thoughtfully over at Rachel. She had been listening very attentively to Aunt Tess and seemed almost like her old self again. She even participated in the discussion of the lesson. It was really good to see her acting like her old self again. Maybe it was time for him to talk to her. He started to get up but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked behind him to see Aunt Tess standing there.

“Jaiden Love, I know that this is hard for you but trust me on this. She isn't ready yet. Give her a little more time and she will come to you when she is ready.”

“Are you sure Aunt Tess? I just want things to be the way that they were again.”

“Hun, thing will never be exactly the same as they were. Your relationship with her has changed and she needs to decide what she wants to do about it. But I know that she is not going to abandon you. She still loves you deeply and I am sure that she always will.”

“Aunt Tess... that is exactly what I am afraid of. I can never give her what she wants, it's not who I am. I can't be the person she wants me to be.”

Aunt Tess looked puzzled, “What on earth are you talking about Love?”

“Well... it's... I mean... oh never mind! I can't explain it. Please just talk to her for me will you Aunt Tess?”

Aunt Tess stared at Jaiden and he began to feel a bit uncomfortable. He had almost said too much and now Aunt Tess was suspicious. Why had he said all that to her? She couldn't possibly know or guess his secret could she?

Finally Aunt Tess nodded, “OK Hun, I'll talk to her tonight. I can't promise that it will help but I will try.”

Jaiden smiled in relief, “Thanks Aunt Tess. I really appreciate it. Good night!” He nearly ran out the door to get away from her. Someday he was really going to have to learn to think before he speaks.

Tess watched as Jaiden nearly ran from the room. The boy had become such a mystery to her. It was clear that he was hiding some kind of secret. She had been so surprised to find out that he had rejected Rachel. She was so sure that they really loved each other.

Had her instincts really been so wrong? They had never failed her before. She was more than a little concerned that she had read him wrong. Perhaps she was losing touch with her gift. She would have to take some time to see what she could do about that. It had been some time since she last practiced the rituals. The next full moon was almost a week away though, so it would have to wait. In the meantime, she would have to see what could be done about Rachel and Jaiden.

They may not be meant to be together romantically. She was willing to admit that she may have been wrong about that, but she was sure that their destinies were still tightly tied together. She would have to keep her promise and talk to the girl tonight. Help her see that he still needs her and that she still needs him. Even though it may not be in the way that she wanted.

Rachel had always been in love with the boy. It was clear she had always wanted to be with him. She worked hard at the things that he enjoyed, trying to prove that she could do them too. She wanted him to notice her and take interest in her. She wanted to show that she was interested in him and the things that interested him. Her drive to be successful in everything she tried came from Jaiden. It would be sad to see that potential wasted because of a failed relationship.

Tess sighed, in all her years of service, this was proving to be the most difficult task she had ever been given. Normally winning the trust of her charges was easy for her. Usually they would feel so at ease with her they would tell her everything she wanted to know without even realizing what they were doing. There was definitely something odd about Jaiden. That he was able to resist her was quite amazing. Still it could just be the need for the ritual. Perhaps she had just let too much time pass since the last one. Well Jaiden could keep his secrets for now. We all have our secrets that we keep to ourselves. In time she would know everything. There was no rush for her to know now.

She glanced over to where Rachel still stood talking to Alyssa, a friend she rarely saw from a few farms over. Tonight she would find out what was going on with Rachel. Tess had a feeling that the girl was the key to the boy. She took one last look before leaving the study and heading towards the kitchen. There was still work to be done and appearances had to be kept up.

Jaiden sat on his bed and looked out the window. He really hoped that Aunt Tess would be able to help things with Rachel. Something felt a bit odd to him though. Why had he felt such a need to tell Aunt Tess his secret. He had never felt such a strong compulsion to share it before. Was Aunt Tess more than just the simple farmer's wife that she seemed? Jaiden was starting to think that she was. No normal human had ever affected him so deeply before. Could there be magic involved somehow?

He was interrupted in his thoughts by a knock at his door. It was soft as if the person on the other side wasn't sure they wanted him to answer. Jaiden pulled open the door and was surprised to find Rachel standing there. He stared at her in shock and she looked back shyly at him.

Finally she seemed to gather her courage, “Hi Jai, I'm sorry how I reacted to you the other day. I realize that I have been coming about this all wrong. I tried so hard to share interests with you and to be good at all the things that you are good at. I realize that I treated you as a friend and as a big brother. I never was what you really needed. I never was a proper lady. All that is going to change now. Jai, I can be whatever you need me to be. I just wanted you to know that!” She lifted herself up with her toes and kissed him lightly on the cheek before turning and running down the hall, her face turning a bright shade of crimson.

Jaiden stared after her as she ran still in shock. Finally he came back to his senses, closed his door and collapsed on his bed. Oh was this going to be fun... Where could she possibly have gotten this idea from? Wherever it came from Jaiden was not looking forward to the results of Rachel's efforts. It had always been clear to him and everyone else that Rachel would never make what would be considered a proper lady. It was going to be even more painful for her when she found out that this still wasn't the problem and that he was going to have to reject her again. Maybe he was going to have to tell her the truth, that he was not the person that she thought he was. That he was truly someone else, something else.

Maybe he should let Aunt Tess talk to her first. Maybe Aunt Tess could help. Life was definitely about to get a whole lot more interesting around here for awhile.