Aon

Chapter Nine

The object wasn’t like the one from my dream. And yet, it was frightfully close. The design was crystal clear, but this Pendant wasn’t red or pulsing with blood. It was pure gold, even the chain. It was soft and brittle with age –the details were the same as my dream, even down to the golden thread that hung from the bottom and held it together. The two figures weren’t of humans, but just a simple ‘S’ standing back to back, with a thin chain hanging onto the overhang of the object. In the center, where the bottom of both ‘S’ shapes connected into a circle, three lines fell into the shape of a triangle upside down, but it wasn’t really a triangle, only a part that held the Pendant together. In the center of this triangle, it appeared to be an oval, but truly as I have discovered from my dream, the oval actually led up to the open part of the ‘S’ and formed a heart shape. Wrapping around the triangle and the oval, holding it together, was a thin gold thread that hung limply after tied at the bottom of the Pendant.

I held it carefully and stared at it in both horror and admiration.

“It is twenty-four karat gold, Ms. Foster. Pure gold. Your great grandfather gave it to his wife as a wedding gift.”

“Why?” I murmured as I hesitantly stroked the cool metal with my thumb.

“Gold is a conductor, Ms. Foster. Now, it’s not as good as copper and silver, but it is durable and less likely to corrosion. Your great grandfather gave it to his wife to help her, it made it easier for her to master her abilities and give her the advantage to tame them much quicker than a regular old Aon. It made her a fierce and noble leader, she had kept the Legions tamed with her husband by her side, and this had helped her along the way. –But do not be fooled, this Pendant holds much more power and value than I know. I know little about it, but I do know it has great power locked beneath its golden surface.”

He came around the desk and pointed to the Pendant.

“This Pendant is as much yours, as it was hers.”

“How?”

“Who do you think you were named after, Ms. Eleanor Adela Foster? The first lady of the home was Eleanor Adela Chappell. In certain aspects, this here Pendant is as much for you as it was for her.”

It was beautiful and the fear of it soon dissolved as I realized it shouldn’t be feared, but cherished. It was from my true mother, a gift she wished me to have when I should come back. I stroked it carefully; it was only a little bit smaller then my palm, maybe even smaller. Thomas chuckled at my awe and gestured towards the object.

“Go ahead, put it on.” He nodded at me. “I want to see it on you.”

I carefully lifted the end of the chain until the Pendant dangled in front of my eyes. There was no clasp, it was the type of necklace to be slipped over the head. I stood from the seat and carefully lifted it to slide it over my head. At first it was a tight fit, but once it got passed my nose and ears, it fell to my throat easily. I pulled my hair out from beneath and shivered once the cool metal touched the bare skin at my throat.

“Beautiful.” He smiled proudly as he pulled my hair over my shoulder and patted it. “Your parents would be proud of you.”

He sighed and stared at the Pendant around my throat before shaking his head.

“Now, since all is done as it should be. How about a nice lunch?”

“That sounds like heaven.” I said honestly.

He grinned and patted beneath my chin. “I have a fresh pair of clothes for you on the sofa beside the fireplace. Feel free to change while I’m checking the roast in the oven.”

“Thanks.”

“It’s my pleasure.” He bowed his crooked form before he turned.

He wobbled and crutched his way out of the study, then shut the door after him with the doors grinding from their rusted hinge. I found the clothes he mentioned on the sofa and quickly stripped and dressed. The shirt was made of pure cotton, a bit baggy on me at the waist, but it fit perfectly. It was white, with three-quarter-length sleeves, and its length –once pulled down fully- almost reached my knees. The jacket and jeans were black, made of stretchy material that was soft and comfortable. It was quite comfy, warm, yet thin.

I pushed open the big heavy doors and trailed the hall to the lobby. My footsteps echoed through the empty halls and I found myself scanning the building almost approvingly. Although it was old and withering, it still held a mystical element to it to make it appear larger and greater than before. I now walked through the room comfortably, as if I had never left and I had lived a thousand years beneath this roof. I had a pride for the house suddenly and looked at it from a different point of view.

When I located Thomas, he was in a large dining hall, which was long enough to host at least a hundred men and women. The Manor had to have more than thirty bedrooms or more, and more than a dozen hiding places yet to discover. But it was roomy, it could hold many individuals before the walls would stop echoing from the capacity.

“Smells good.” I smiled as he turned.

“Thank you, Ms. Foster. And I should say, those clothes your mother had made fit you quite well.”

“She made them?”

“Oh, yes.” He rounded the front of the table as I neared. “Sit, Ms. Foster. I will be back shortly. You may begin eating if you wish.”

He wobbled away as I sunk into the seat at head of the table. My stomach rumbled at the sight and my mouth practically watered. The roast was cooked to perfection, the potatoes nice and creamy, and the vegetables were boiled and buttered. Beside the plate was a wineglass filled to the brim with red wine. I stared at the crimson liquid a moment before shaking my head. I have never put the drink to my lips, so I will not start now. I dived into my plate, eating as quickly as I could as I thought and rethought of what he has told me. I tried not to remember this morning, but I felt I had no choice but to remember the brutal scene. It turned my stomach instantly and I stopped halfway through my meal and pushed the plate away.

So much has happened since this morning. It seems impossible, but it was only hours ago everything happened, and I found this place. I could live here forever; forever safe, but that wasn’t why I was born. I was born to lead, to help the Aons in their time of need. I need to grow a pair and get my head on track. Although this seems unrealistic -with what I have had to endure the last couple days and hours- I believe anything is possible now.

I pondered until my head ached and the wine seemed mighty tempting, but I shook my head and sighed. For some reason, I kept looking at the mass of the dining hall, at the length of the table, how many chairs lined it, and tried to decide how many rooms were actually throughout this Manor. By the time Thomas returned, I was leaned back into my seat staring down the length of the dining hall in deep thought. My eyes casted to him almost absent as I stood and tried to estimate how many people alone could stand in this room.

“How many rooms are here?”

“Sixty-two.”

“How many chairs at this table?”

“Sixty-eight.”

I scanned the chairs, counting them out before sighing in annoyance. Why was I even trying?

“I see that look in your eyes. Your father had that same look.” He said suddenly. “He is in you, Ms. Foster. What are you thinking? Tell me! It was how he solved his greatest challenges.”

I paced the dining hall slowly before stopping and looking to him. My footsteps echoed, and I felt a ghostly chill run down my spine. The walls were once white it appeared, but time had weathered it down. Now it was chipped, and water damaged it to the point there was a faint scent of mold and mildew wafting throughout the room.

“There’s enough room for at least a hundred to two-hundred people if they bunk together.” I mumbled.

“Yes… I suppose.”

“And that many people could be a hassle, but…” I trailed off as I tried to decipher my own thoughts.

“But?”

It hit me suddenly; I stopped and looked to him with a wide grin that made him stop and peer at me in a peculiar way.

“I’m an i***t!” I cried. “It’s simple, we need to fill these halls, bedrooms, and doors. It could take days, weeks, maybe years, but I need to look in every crevice and cranny for Aons. From the Time Square in New York City, to the small run-down towns where the shady characters reside. The runes of cities and the bustle of undergrounds. It’s simple. We gather as many Aons as we can and form an alliance, our own defense forces against the Legions. This house could hold many people. Sure, it will be a lot to handle. But what do we got to lose?”

“Our youth?” He mumbled as he eyed the walls and ceilings as if they agreed with him. The floorboards seemed to groan in agreement as he shuffled along the walls. “I have to say, it sounds maddening having that many people in one house, but you have that look in your eyes. The same look your father gave me when he thought something was brilliant, and it usually was. So, I will do as you wish, Ms. Foster. It is your home after all…”

“Then it’s settled?”

“Yes, I’ll see to getting the house prepared.”

I paced the floor for a moment before stopping.

“I only know of one more living Aon. I don’t know what has come of Alexander and April Young, but I do know of one more person.”

“Who?”

“Kaden.”

His lip curled at the name and he shook his head in disapproval.

“I don’t know him, but his name says it all.”

I paid no mind to his words and paced until he grew tired and sat to watch me.

“How can I get to Pennsylvania quickly?” I inquired.

“Bus, plane, car –but I guess you could always see if you can find one of Kaden’s friend here.” He shrugged.

I stopped short and looked to him in shock. “That’s good…” But I had to frown. “However, I don’t know where his friends are.”

He rested both of his hands on the cane and titled his head.

“You don’t have to know his friends or where to find him. All you have to do is search for someone like yourself, and that person should lead you to who you need to speak with.”

“Good, good.” I mumbled. “I’ll begin my search tomorrow.”

“Yes, you should rest for now. Did you sleep last night? You look rather fatigued.”

“No, too much has happened since Friday.”

“Then go rest, Ms. Foster. While you were eating, I had set up a cot in your father’s study. You can rest there if you like, your father has slept in that study countless times before. That room seemed to bring out the best in him, if I should say so myself. He would go in at midnight and come out at dawn with this wild, yet, composed look in his eyes.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me, I should be thanking you.”

“Why?”

“You are finally freeing all those who have been enslaved. All shall be in your debt.”

My stomach churned and did a little flip-flop at his words as I feigned a smile. I left him where he sat to retrace my steps to the study, where I indeed found a cot made up for me. I was suddenly drained when I saw the arrangement of covers and pillows, and I climbed onto it shoes and all. I don’t know how I did it after seeing all that I had just that morning, but I fell into a dreamless sleep the enveloped me as soon as my head hit the pillow.