Season of Sacrifice (Blood of Azure Book 1) by Jonathan Michael (ereader that reads to you txt) 📗

Balance is a reckoning you must strive for above all else. It is a force necessary for all life to exist. Without it, we perish, crumble under our own sins or arrogance. A balance between good and evil, between right and wrong. Whether it be faith and fact, positrons and electrons, or life and death, there must be a balance. It is not an intuition or a theory I have equated, but a necessity. A lesson of nature. It is always preached that good must triumph over evil, but, as it is with all things, a balance must exist. It is a real force just like the gravity that holds you to the ground you stand on. I don’t expect you to understand my rambling, but I do expect you to seek the truth. I expect you to explore the athenaeum regularly. Learn the secrets it holds. As a Hybreed, I trust you can fulfill your potential as the sage of balance.

~Harris Martelli

What does that mean? Harris expects me to take on his role as the Hybreed? Not the Taoiseach, perhaps, but the weight of humanity. And what a weight that is. I sink into the wooden chair. What if I don’t want to? What if I refuse? What if they refuse me? What happens then?

Folding the loose sheet back to its original form, I study the page it marked. At the top it reads, Season of Solitude. As best I can, I interpret one of the passages.

I once lived in a world with unrestricted knowledge for all to consume, expand, and exploit. Appealing? All men sought after the stars—if his passions allowed it. But then, how does one control passion if their boundaries of knowledge are infinite? Our self-indulging nature doesn’t allow it. That is how we became who we are. The blood of Azure.

I, Susy, came at a time when our world was in decay. Not the temporary decay of the autumn fall as nature prepares for the winter slumber, but a time when all the land was out of balance and losing its fertility. A time of absolute tragedy. A time beyond recovery. A time we have come to know as the Season of Solitude, when all was lost and we were all alone.

Not alone was my burden, however. The balance of Azure, of all life, requires more than one. I, Susy, were but one of four—a sage of balance to bind them all. In my company, I kept a sage to guard life in all its forms; I kept a sage to lift the faith and hope, and I kept a sage to harness the destruction.

Growth was only a thing of history during this solitude, and no longer could we continue our perseverance. It was not isolated to our species, but, rather, all of Azure. It was a world decaying before our eyes. We witnessed death beyond measure, but that did not dissuade our hearts or our courage. No. We forged on…

May the spring rains nourish your frame, the summer sun enliven your mind, the autumn foliage serenade your heart, and the winter frost attune your soul.

58 Jaymes

A sudden jolt sparks from within. A surge of energy without pain—physical pain, anyhow. I open my eyes to a world unknown. It’s familiar in a sense, but I cannot depict why. There are great oaks all around, full of leaves and wildlife. There is a fresh scent in the air, not a particular scent, just fresh, clean air. I stand alone in a forest, dazed and perplexed. As I look upon my whereabouts, I come to realize this is not just any forest, but the forest in which I was born and raised—the Great Oak Forest. I’m home.

I see it now. The familiarity of it. Off in the distance is a tree swing my brother and I entertained ourselves with for hours at a time. The large tree it hangs from has its own share of memories, some happy and some painful. Further off in the distance is my home. An ancient great oak manipulated into a grand mansion. One of a kind through all the ages. There is no mistaking it. A gentle grin slinks across my face. Part of me desires to see my mother, father, and brother spring forth from the front door and come running to grasp me in their arms and tell me everything is safe and well. But I know that is false hope. But…maybe Stone, at least.

Then, a little boy appears on the swing as if he were enjoying its pleasures all this time. He’s young. Younger than me. Seasoned maybe eleven or twelve with disheveled, sandy-blond hair, a bit of mud dabbled on his face—likely unknown to himself based on his overall appearance—and some threadbare garments. Even from this distance, I recognize him right away. It’s Elder!

Unexpected dark emotions flash through me. I always had an odd feeling about the boy but never anything malicious or angry. He’s eccentric in many ways and exceedingly curious, but never dark. I pass it off as envy. Every time Elder would visit our home, I was no longer Stone’s playmate, or Elder’s. It was no longer me and Stone spending hours on that swing. Instead, I sat inside at the window, staring out at the two of them having their own fun together, neglecting me. Stone didn’t allow me to tag along much, if at all, when Elder was around. Our parents occasionally forced my presence on Stone, telling him one day he’ll regret not having spent more time with me. And…well…now that day is here.

“Elder!” I shout, engrossed in the disbelief of seeing him.

Without cause or explanation, the oak Elder swings from sets ablaze. Though, not in the familiar way a wildfire would light up a dehydrated oak. This tree smolders from the inside out. It burns the way molten